An "upgrade"? What's that all about? Well, now that I think about it, I do remember seeing quite a few folks with all sorts of robotic prosthetics before. Is that possibly what he's talking about – getting one of those upgrades?
"Sir, are you talking about those robotic prosthetics?" I asked him, my curiosity piqued.
"Ah, so you've come across those before?" he replied. "Indeed, that's exactly what I'm referring to. This world has taken a different path in terms of development compared to ours. For instance, they harness the power of water to drive various things like ships, factories, and industries. They utilize a technology called the HydroVortex Engine to generate this power," he continued.
"That's not all; they've even got more advanced prosthetics in this world. While the ones from Earth are good, they can't hold a candle to the ones they've developed here. They call it 'Neuro Enhancements and Operatives,' or simply 'Neo' for short. This groundbreaking technology was developed in the city of Neopolis, the capital of humanity, a few thousand years ago," he explained.
"A few thousand years ago?" I asked, my curiosity growing. "Are the people in this world more advanced than us?"
"Well, it's not exactly that simple," he responded. "They're advanced in certain areas, like these prosthetics. You see, in this world, there are roaming monsters everywhere. Because of that, losing things like your arm, leg, wing, or tail is pretty common. That's why they've really pushed the boundaries with their prosthetics technology here."
"I see, then what is this HydroVortex Engine you told me about?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Well, as I mentioned earlier, the HydroVortex Engine is a common way they generate power here," the old man explained. "Think of it somewhat like the engines that run on petrol or diesel back in our world. However, here they've swapped out those fuels and used water instead. And speaking of innovative engines, there's also the AeroVortex Engine. This one is mainly used in airships since they need to stay lightweight for better flight. So, they've ingeniously turned to air, one of the lightest substances around, instead of water."
"Airships, Sir? Can you please tell me more about them?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.
"Just call me Norman. Sure, airships are kind of like airplanes and helicopters in our world. But here, there are also ships that can travel on both air and water. They've got some fascinating technology going on," he explained. "By the way, I'm curious – how long does it take for you guys to travel from Port Aurora to Mermaid's Veil?" he asked, turning the conversation back to me.
"I think it takes around seven days, why do you ask?"
"Seven days? Why didn't you use the HydroVortex Engine in the NS Scorpion? That thing can make you travel really fast underwater. With it, you could have reached Port Aurora in like two to three days," he said, his surprise evident in his tone.
"What? Does the NS Scorpion have something like that? Now that I think about it, I did notice many unfamiliar things inside the NS Scorpion, but I refrained from touching anything. Being inside a Nuclear submarine, I figured it could be risky to mess around with unfamiliar equipment," I explained.
"Yeah, you're still new to this world, right? My apologies for not taking that into account earlier. Anyway, would you be up for a tour of the NS Scorpion? I could show you all the new stuff we've added since arriving in this world," the old man offered, suggesting a tour of the submarine.
"Sure, why not? I'd love to learn more about the NS Scorpion and its new features."
Just as we were engrossed in our conversation, Lucas and Lara walked back in. "Hey, we're back— Wait a minute, Frankie, who's this older gentleman?" Lucas inquired, a puzzled look on his face.
I introduced Mr. Norman to Lucas and Lara, and they exchanged greetings. It turned out that Lara and Lucas had actually met by chance while they were coming back to the NS Scorpion, and they decided to come back together.
When I was about to start exploring the NS Scorpion again, Lucas mentioned that he wanted to join us, so we all went on the tour together.
During the tour, Mr. Norman showed us a bunch of interesting things. He explained how the HydroVortex engine works and how to switch between Nuclear power and HydroVortex power. It was fascinating to learn about these new technologies and understand how they worked in this world.
As we were wrapping up our tour, Mr. Norman suddenly paused near a peculiar 3D printer-like device and remarked, "Isn't this the Omni Replicator Forge?"
"What's an Omni Replicator Forge? Is that the device that can duplicate almost any non-living items?" I asked, my surprise evident.
"How are you familiar with that? But yes, you're right. It's designed to replicate a wide range of non-living objects. From the looks of it, it's still operational, though it's quite old. I can't guarantee how much longer it'll remain functional. If it's possible, you might want to consider repairing it or obtaining a replacement. The tricky part, however, is that these aren't easy to come by. You can only find them in the Avian capital, and that place isn't easily accessible," he explained, continuing our conversation.
"Anyway, before we do anything with the NS Scorpion, I must say it's in pretty rough shape, and you're not in the best condition either. Getting both of you fixed up will require a good amount of money, and I regret to say that I don't have that kind of money," he confessed, a mixture of apology and sadness in his expression.
Money, huh? It seems no matter what world you find yourself in, money remains a constant necessity. Wait a minute, now that I think about it, I recall seeing what looked like blue coins in the captain's quarters. Could those possibly be the currency of this world? Perhaps I should discuss this with Mr. Norman.
"Mr. Norman, I recall coming across some odd blue coins in the captain's quarters a few days ago. How about we go take a look at them?" I suggested.
"Blue coins? If they are what I think they are, well then, lead the way. Let's go check it out," he agreed.
We returned to the captain's quarters, and I showed him the blue coins. To my surprise, he burst into laughter after seeing them.
"Haha, it's indeed the currency of this world! Who would've thought Captain Francis had a stash of these? Surprisingly, there's more than enough money here to fix both you and the NS Scorpion. But maybe we should wait until tomorrow; it's getting late," he suggested, his laughter fading as he spoke. However, his attention soon shifted.
"Ooh, what's this?" he exclaimed, pointing at one of the military trunks I had placed near the coin stash. This trunk held an impressive array of weapons – machine guns, grenade launchers, and even some Merman-mounted Hydro cannons, alongside portable handheld versions. And not to forget, there was even an advanced version of the handheld hydro cannon I got from the Merman who severed my leg.
"Well, that's the military trunk where we keep the heavy-duty weapons like machine guns and grenade launchers. Also, the weapons Captain Francis obtained from those monstrous mermen are stored there," I explained.
"What? Weapons from the monstrous mermen? Tell me more about that," he asked with curiosity, quickly approaching the trunk to take a look.
As he observed the peculiar, otherworldly weapon, a small smirk formed on his face, and once again, he burst into laughter.
"Ha ha ha… to think I could witness something like this before my time is up. Kid, do you understand the magnitude of what you've done? The weapons from those monstrous mermen are unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Those who laid eyes on them are no longer among the living. Usually, if you were to simply survive an encounter with those monstrous mermen and live to tell the tale, people would see you as a hero," he continued, his voice brimming with excitement.
"But what you've done is beyond that – not only did you survive, but you also managed to steal their weaponry and bring it here. I happen to know some individuals who are capable of upgrading these weapons and integrating them into the NS Scorpion. With the resources we have now and these strong weapons, We can not only upgrade both you and the NS Scorpion but also be fully prepared. With these resources and potent armaments, we'll be ready for anything," he exclaimed, his laughter underscoring his excitement.
"But Mr. Norman, I didn't steal all these. The only thing I brought back is a single handheld hydro cannon. The others were collected by Captain Francis and the rest of the crew. I was just fortunate enough to bring these here," I spoke honestly.
Mr. Norman pondered for a moment and then responded, "Hmm... It doesn't matter. As I said, just surviving the encounter with the Mermen made you a hero. People won't be concerned about how you acquired these items. They will only see that you accomplished something no one else could. I can assure you that if either Captain Francis or another member of the crew were still alive, they would share the same sentiment. Ultimately, what counts is that you survived," he reassured me before continuing.
"Now, why don't we get locked and loaded?"