Chapter 3

The sun was out and I was in a forest.  It looked normal but on closer inspection, I didn’t recognize the trees or sounds around me.  The air smelled sweet and invigorating.  I turned and looked at the portal.  It was a rainbow light pattern.  I took out a small ball.  It was a transmitter.  The voice said the battery would last 30 days in this environment.  My new phone could use the beacon to navigate me back to the transmitter if I got lost.  I started moving through the woods as quietly as possible.  When I got to a stream I followed it to a clearing and the sky was blue-purple with 3 moons visible…not moons, planets. 

After three hours of walking, I found my first creature.  I used my phone to take an image and it said it was a wood elemental.  It looked like a mass of twigs with two legs.  It ignored me and me it.  An hour later I heard the sound of combat and used my rifle scope as I got closer.  Through the trees I found a half dozen tree elementals fighting a large lizard the size of a horse.  I couldn’t get an image on the phone so I didn’t know what it was.  More elementals were coming to help but the beast was just crushing them.  Making up my mind I sighted the lizard and fired over and over, going through three clips before it fell.  The elementals took it apart from there.  The noise of the gun would probably bring other animals so I took off.

I decided to circle the gate in a one-mile loop, 6 miles total for the circle.  My phone had a poor mapping function, only good to 30 feet.  After four hours I was getting tired and a beast fell from above.  Its spear punctured my backpack tearing it.  I dropped my rifle and pulled my pistol.  I rolled and fired on my back at 5 feet, hitting all six shots in the chest.  It was a dog-faced creature.  I didn’t have time to process as more creatures dropped from the trees.  The nearest was ten feet away and it received 3 rounds.  Surveying it looked like four more coming at me.  I calmly fired my last 4 shots into the closest enemy 20 feet away then ejected the clip and retrieved the clip on my belt. 

My high agility made the action smooth and soon I was firing again.  I put two rounds into each of the remaining monsters.  Only one still moved and I kept an eye on it while it writhed on the ground.  I used my phone and found the creatures were gnolls.  The gnoll bled out and stopped moving.  Staying alert I reloaded my clips and took out two more clips and put them in my pockets as my holster only had a spot for one spare clip.  The monsters smelled horrid and I knew I should loot them like a game but passed. 

After some thought, I realized the gnolls had tracked me and ambushed me…shit.  If that spear had hit me I would be dead.  I had a new appreciation of the trees.  I started moving slower, scanning the ground, trees, and sky.  My plan to camp in the forest was scraped.  Halfway through my circle, I located a road.  Would this take me to a gnoll village and my death? 

I sat 20 feet from the road and ate an MRE.  It wasn’t too bad.  I packed my trash and crossed the road…definitely horse and wagon prints on the road.  I decided to move into the woods parallel to the road.  I walked for 4 hours and I was getting very tired with the pack weight so I ate another MRE and drank my other bottle of water, making the pack lighter.  I had completed the mission and probably should have headed back but I wanted to know where the road went. 

Two hours later the forest parted and I saw some fields in the distance.  Using my scope I spied some humans.  I stood and walked down the road.  In the first field, I approached the two farmers.  One grabbed a bow and the other a short blade.  We went through an incomprehensible exchange of words.  I just wanted my phone to record as many words as possible so the terminal could get the language.  From what the voice said languages did not count toward skills and cost 1000 credits for basic comprehension, 2500 for advanced comprehension which added reading and writing, and 5000 credits for elite understanding that made use of complicated vocabulary and tone.  I spent twenty minutes before leaving gathering conversation.  I headed back down the road planning to return home.

Five hours later I returned to the Terminal and relaxed.  I went and completed the mission.

COMPLETED: Explore the other side of the linked portal, Reward: +1 skill point, 1,000 credits (min time 8 hours)

BONUS: +1 skill point, 1,000 credits

The voice informed me you could get a bonus up to double the reward for going beyond a mission’s parameters.  The extra funds were great as I could both enlarge the portal entrance and learn the language the farmers spoke.  I enlarged the portal immediately and had the rock crusher roll itself outside.  The two bots were standing silently by the trailer.   I had them return to the terminal and the terminal recharged their battery.  So the terminal was essentially free power.  I changed their orders to use the rock crusher.  I set the size to just under an inch and told them to lay it down the road three inches deep and 12 feet wide…I should probably get a roller to press the stones into the earth as well.  After the bots started up I went to the auction site.  I found something better.

It was called a puffcrete builder.  It used a special mix to extrude a matrix concrete that was essentially 3D printed, so you could build structures.  The machine held 4 cubic yards of material and mixed it with water to form a volume 6 times the base.  The machine cost 900 credits and each fill of 4 cubic was 25 credits.  I bought it before anyone else could since only one was available.   I bought 26 refills for the machine.  I now had 624 cubic yards of future concrete. 

I could hold the delivery, otherwise, the terminal space would be packed.  I decided to have the machine build a large level slab 30 yards by 30 yards to park my trailers, house, and truck on.  It would be half a yard thick which could sustain the impact of a 20-ton aircraft landing according to specs.  After connecting a hose to the stream the machine worked fast and puffcrete set in 15 minutes.  I spent the whole day working with the bots and the machine. 

Eventually, the platform was done and everything was moved.  The bots struggled with the cargo container and we had to empty it first before moving it.  I also used the last bit of the puffcrete to build a ramp to the road and paved 7 yards of the road...I should have used a thinner thickness for the road but it slipped my mind.  I needed more credits!  I left the bots crushing rock and lining the rest of the road with stone.

Inside the terminal, I opened the missions tab.  I had a choice of two missions.

Kill the gnoll chief.  Reward: +2 strength, +2 constitution, 2500 credits

Enter the town on Blue Leaf.  Reward: +1 skill point, 1000 credits

Interesting.  I could only accept one mission.  The rewards were much better for the gnoll chief but where did I find him?  What if I fail or cancel a mission?  The voice said I lose two random stat points as a penalty unless otherwise stated.  Well, I used up my credits and wasn’t able to learn the language.  The best I could do is buy a translator program for the phone but even that cost 50 credits and I had just 40.  Slowly I clicked and accepted the gnoll mission.

The bestiary on my phone had some details on gnolls.  Lived in groups of 12 to 20.  Hunted in packs of 3-6 and the chief usually had 2-4 wives, the only females.  I sat for a while trying to figure out my best course of action.  Most likely I had killed their best hunting group.  I restocked my ammo and dropped my pack.  I planned to take just two MREs and some water.  I slept in the terminal for a few hours.

When I woke I recharged the bots and rock crusher then entered the portal.  I headed toward the area I was ambushed.  I moved slowly and remained vigilant.  I found the corpses and found the weapons they had wielded were missing.  I walked the area and found tracks leading away.  I followed them as stealthily as I could.  I smelled the smoke before I saw the campsite.  They spotted me as well and soon I had gnolls rushing through the trees toward me. 

I shot one with the rifle then due to the difficulty tracking them with the scope pulled my pistol.  It was easy as they came one at a time.  I used three shots on each till they stopped coming.  Then a large gnoll rushed me from the side.  He only got to twenty feet when I became alert.  I fired the rest of the clip, 7 shots, into him.  He fell and I came down off my adrenaline rush.  With a full clip, I moved toward the camp.  The camp had two female gnolls nursing six pups.  Damn.  I shot the two females and the pups. I was feeling a little sick.  My bestiary said gnolls hunt and kill humans so I knew it had to be done.  I searched the camp for loot.  I found a rough wooden box with a whole bunch of coins.  I took it and made my way back to the terminal.

COMPLETED:  Kill the gnoll chief.  Reward: +2 strength, +2 constitution, 2500 credits

BONUS: +1 skill point, +1 ability point, 1000 credits

What a great bonus!  The language I needed was Tantarian and I got Basic comprehension for 1000 credits.  Ok, what missions were now available…

Enter the town on Blue Leaf.  Reward: +1 skill point, 1000 credits

Trade at an inn in Blue Leaf - 40 lbs of flour.  Reward: +1 charisma, 500 credits, Unlock Mercantile skill, +1 skill slot, 60 copper coins in local currency

Travel to the capital city of Tantarian Kingdom. Reward: +1 speed, 500 credits, +1 portal anchor

I still could only select one mission.  The easiest mission was the first.  The second skill gave me a free skill.  I thought for a bit then selected the second mission.  I would need to buy some flour.  I bought more puffcrete in the auction.  The auction had 80 cubic yards for 1000 credits so I bought it all.  It cost twice as much in the store so I thought it was a good deal.  From the store, I bought a construction program for the puffcrete extruder.  It was a two-story building.  The building was 40’ x 100’ and the first floor would be my garage with a 12’ high ceiling and it would also have a workshop.  The second floor was open with an arched ceiling reaching 18’.  I had window openings on both floors and four openings for 12’ wide by 10’ high garage doors on the ground floor.  I set the machine up to work while I was gone.

I drove to Boise.  I bought a garden cart with big wheels at Home Depot, and 18 3’x4’ windows for the second floor.  Then I bought 200 lbs of flour and six cans of Crisco at Sams club.  I got a burger and fries before heading home.  The building was done and was just off the far side of the 30 x 30 yard slab platform.  It was impressive.  I walked inside and up to the second floor.  It was a great space.  I moved the windows from the truck upstairs and then moved the trailers inside the garage and parked the house next to the structure.  The bots moved the shipping container closer to the house.  I was also super happy with the bot's progress.  My property road was an excellent ride to the turnoff of the logging road.  I spent 40 credits getting insulated adhesive from the store and installed the 18 windows on the second floor.  I needed 12 more windows for the first floor and the four massive doors but that was for the future.  I unpacked the trailer from my parents.  The bots carried the furniture upstairs and the rest was all the machines and tools from my dad's wood shop.  The trailer was empty and I moved it outside.  I would sell it in Boise on my next trip. 

I recharged the bots and rock crusher and decided to widen my section of the road to 16 feet to give them something to do.  Then I brought the cart, flour, and Crisco into the terminal.  My hope was for mission bonuses by overachieving.  Instead of camo clothes, I wore plain clothes and trekked from my portal to the road.  Soon I was at the farm and this time I was able to talk with the farmers.  The younger farmer went with me to the town and we talked on the way.

The big news was there were gnolls in the woods raiding livestock.  The town had requested help from the city but no word yet.  I decided to not mention they were already taken care of as I was pretending to be a trader.  The inn was called the Drunken Cow.  The owner and chef were in desperate need of flour since a blight had spoiled the recent harvest of wheat.  They bought the 200 lbs for 300 copper coins and the Crisco for 1 silver.  This was all good.  I got to eat the local stew and some warm ale.  The capital city was about a one-week walk on the road, about 160 miles according to the maps. 

I learned about the local happenings.  People stayed away from the forest.  At the other end of the road I came down was the Fenton kingdom.  They had an alliance with them.  This was good news.  I found out night happened every fourth day for 8 hours as a planet passed overhead but a day was 25 hours long marked by the dark spot on the sun being in the center.  I thanked them for the business and then sold them my cart for 2 silver coins rather than drag it back.  I returned to the portal and home. 

COMPLETED: Trade at inn in Blue Leaf 40 lbs of flour.  Reward: +1 charisma, 500 credits, Unlock Mercantile skill, +1 skill slot, 60 copper coins in local currency

BONUS: +1 skill point, +2 to Mercantile skill or Advance to Beginner-1, 240 copper coins

Great rewards.  I heated some canned chili and relaxed.  I went out and got the bots and rock crusher recharged.  That gave me a thought and I went to the auction site.  I found a fusion generator for 1500 credits.  Maybe it was my mercantile skill kicking in but I was able to set up the screen to show auction items and identical store items side by side to compare prices.  The store generator cost 7500 credits so this was a good deal.  I bought it and for 100 credits got it adapted to charge the bots and rock crusher.  To change or charge an item it just had to be in the white alcove and you made the changes on the screen then the cost appeared and then you approved it. 

The fusion generator ran off of heavy water fuel and I had to buy two fuel cells for another 100 credits from the auction.  The cells should be able to supply energy to run the bots for two years or more.  I moved the dumpster-sized generator to the garage.   I used the rest of my funds to buy the expensive store puffcrete as the auction site didn’t have any.  After some programming, I would be able to extend my road 110 yards while keeping it at 20 feet in width.  The paved road had channels underneath every 5 yards to allow water to pass and avoid erosion.  The road ran another 420 yards to the edge of my property but I had no plans to extend the paved section.  I decided to have the bots line the logging road at night with stone and level it as well.  It wasn’t in bad shape now but every time it rained it got worse and the spring thaw would probably ruin it. Since the area was recently logged I learned they would not be repairing the road next year.  Probably why the land had been sold cheaply.

I drove the empty trailer to Boise.  Instead of selling it, I loaded it with 12 windows, 4 garage doors, top-line kitchen appliances, and kitchen cabinets.  I had to stay the night in Boise as the garage doors needed to be delivered from a warehouse.  I had just spent $48,000 and was feeling the sting a bit.  In the morning I bought 2000 more 9mm rounds and a large gun safe, another $5,000.  He showed me an AR-10 Semi Auto Rifle that was $2,800.  The clip held 20 rounds and used 308 ammo.  I didn’t want to get mixed up with lots of different guns and ammo.  But he was a great salesman.  I bought the AR-10, 7 clips, and 1000 rounds.  The AR-10 didn’t have a scope so it would be easier to use and had a bigger magazine.  The guy said he had an M24 sniper rifle fully specked in his private collection that he was willing to sell for $5k.  I passed for now.  I bought groceries and then drove home. 

I installed the windows on the first floor with adhesive while the bots brought the kitchen appliances and cabinets upstairs.  The garage doors were crap.  I was pissed as each cost $2800.  I decided to put the four garage doors in the black alcove to see how much the system would give me for them.  The answer was 25 credits each.  Damn it.  I would have to get get a custom door in the store as the auction didn’t have one that fit.  Each door cost 250 credits.  I bought one door to check it out.  It was great quality and the mechanical mechanism pulled the door panel up.  With the help of the bots and after buying a special installation tool with bolts for the puffcrete I got the door installed and was very happy.  It was much stronger, attractive, and mechanically sound.  I sold the four crap doors for 100 credits.  I needed more credits as I now had less than 100.

In the terminal, I sat down and brought up missions.  I had a choice of four but quickly decided on the mission with the portal anchor reward. 

Travel to the capital city of the Tantarian Kingdom. Reward: +1 speed, 500 credits, +1 portal anchor

I packed up as I did for my first expedition except I exchanged the rifle for the AR-10.  I got my mountain bike out of my trailer.  I figured if the road was good I could make it to the capital in two days peddling instead of seven.  I ate a large meal and slept before crossing the portal.  It was night…I wasn’t sure how long it would last but the sounds I heard spooked me back to the Terminal.  I waited for six hours, repacking my gear, creating a makeshift rack for the AR-10 on the handlebars, and drinking apple juice.  I checked again and it was a sun lite familiar forest.  I walked and rode the bike to the road.  It took just twenty minutes to reach Blue Leaf.  I stopped at the inn and got a free meal.  The directions to the capital were just, ‘stay on the widest road till ya reach it.’  I started peddling. 

It was fairly easy going and I was making good speed.  I did stop twice, once as a family of wild boars crossed the road and once to watch a water elemental playing in a stream.  Twelve hours of peddling got me to a large town.  It was called Valley’s Crest.  My legs, back, and ass hurt so I went to an inn, The Golden Lager.  I had brought all my local silver coins with me.  A room, dinner, and breakfast were just one silver and I paid.  Dinner was shepherd's pie and I talked with some merchants. 

I learned there were magic airships that traveled between larger cities.  The kingdom news centered around dark dwarves attacking from the underearth with their war moles.  

When I retired for the night the room was nice and the sheets were fresh.  I was surprised when one of the serving girls from dinner knocked.  She offered herself to me for 20 copper.  Her name was Amelia, and if she didn’t look so young I might have taken her up on her offer.  I slept well after barring the door and window.