Chereads / Mass Effect SI - The Afterlife / Chapter 7 - Disappointing reality

Chapter 7 - Disappointing reality

Speech - inner thoughts

'Speech' - talking inside of mind/telepathy

"Speech" - talking outloud 

Speech - narrator

Alright, now that my soul doesn't feel like it's been through a shredder, I guess I should go to my workplace. Omni-tool for the win, although I have to say, raising my arm every time to use it is irritating. I hope I'll find some kind of advanced version.

Damn, these stray thoughts starting to became really annoying. Well, another reason to practice Meditation. Yep, capital M. That's usually how important and powerful this skill was shown. On the other hand, my skills differ from typical, so. . . it would be useless, am I right? Nah, no way Gamer skill will be useless.

Anyhow, multitasking for the win, 'cause I found that guy's address. And I have close to 0 ideas where it is. There should be some map, right? Because if not, today I'm sleeping on the special kind of a couch. An outside one.

Ah, here it is. No maps detected, really? Not even of your place of birth, my oh-so-dear-and-dumb body? Now, that I think in that direction, how much info did I miss because of his apathy? Nope, no venturing there, just download the Citadel map, and go to work.

Hey, that was fast. Thanks, advanced internet connection. Sci-fi, you're the best. Ok, stop these thoughts, I'm pretty sure I'm too late for there not to be some irritating speech. How much is it, by the way. . .hour and a half, f*bleep*k. Hope that he'll . . . You know what? Not even gonna mind-talk about it. No more tempting any luck/fate god/goddess. Just walk. No thinking.

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*one surprisingly nice trip later*

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"... you being late, when I was nice enough to grant you opportunity that others would start wars over, shows me your lack of respect to your betters. Cole told me as much, but my soul was big enough to ..." So, these guys can even read intentions. Void mind, yeah right. I've been listening for his speech for 20 minutes. He already said that exact line 3 times, c'mon man. How you'd managed to be an owner of a gun shop with that kind of vocabulary?

Yeah, it's really boring to listen that speech. As I look around, clearly showing my indifference to his grand performance, and he clearly ignores it, I see typical gun shop. I saw couple of those while walking here. Guns are placed on the walls, which look like someone poorly tried to combine Star Wars and Dragon Age, in a way that they look both old and new. I guess he tried to buy cheap materials and modify them to look new. Once again, how he'd managed to keep this place working?

The floor is the same. I mean, identical. I guess above me. . . Yup, ceiling as well. Dude, the only way someone would buy from you is to fix your prices at about 20% of their market value. Ok, maybe I'm a bit too rude, but he's still talking.

". . .your parents would be ashamed of you not realizing the chance I'm willing to give and the loses I'll have to endure in exchange of teaching you the true way of living like a. . ." Aha, yup, great talk, man. Not. Continue observing, I guess.

Well, I don't like the man, his skills and speechcraft. Even so, I have to mention, guns look good. I mean, I know close to zero about local tools of destruction. But at least this guy knows how to show his merchandize. Good for him, otherwise his shop would be closed faster than he could blink.

The only good thing I can think about, that's actually great time to test my Void sight. Even if he'll feel something, he'll think that's me being annoyed with him, or so he should. No one could be that unperceptive. Plus, if it's doing something wrong, it's not like I actually care about the guy. And, so, without further ado, Void sight.

.

Comedy never ends, doesn't it? Because, ladies, gentlemen and the dude before me, I found basically useless skill. How grand, great and amazing that fact sound. Not. By the way, dude is still talking. The only difference is that now I'm actually looking annoyed. And he ignores it. Awesome.

Back to my mental breakdown, not the first one, at least. The Void sight shows me everything that I'm capable of knowing. Quick question, have you ever wondered, what a person can perceive? Quick answer, a f*bleep*ton. Approximate height, weight, age, surface thoughts, line of sight, amount of hair, facial and not, speech patterns, body language, spacial coordinates and, apparently another 95% of information that our brain filters for us not to be overwhelmed. Remember skill description? Yep, one usage on that waste of space, and I saw every single parameter at the same time. He hadn't reacted in any way, so it's stealthy, at least.

Wait a minute, that's great, someone would say. It means this skill can show me something I'm ignoring unconscientiously. And, yeah, valid point. And now towards the ever-present 'but'. I can do it without any skill. My Void mind, as a tested, is capable enough for those 95% limit to be irrelevant. So, in simple terms, I'm perfectly capable of seeing all information that skill provides, without the usage of said skill.

So, it should be a simple useless skill, if we're not considering the fact that I, or more specifically my eyes, need to read info provided by Void sight. Which can, or more realistically, would be noticed by someone with great perception. Yup, I have useless skill, which can lead me to some type of torture. Either researching, or interrogating type. There are so many emotions inside my mind now, not a single good one.

"... and so, as a reasonable human being, I will forgive you. But you should remember that in the future, and be as grateful as a person can be. Also. . ." Oh, just shut up. Can't you f*bleeeep*ng see that I'm close to a meltdown. OPEN YOUR EYES, YOU F*bleep*ng EXISTENCIAL FAILURE.

"... but I think you still should have some punishment, to become a better person. That's why, the allowance your father send to you will mine, for now. He already agreed, so if you need some credits for new trinkets or, maybe, food, you have to come to me and ask nicely. Who knows, maybe you'll deserve some." D . . . Did he f*bleep*ng smirk at me, after basically robbing me, and suggesting I beg for my food? I don't know if smugness can be cut, but I so want to try it now.

And my dad isn't better. Like, no trust? I know that we're not close, mainly because of my vessels apathy, but still. I am his blood and he would rather trust that kind of guy than me. That's f.... ok stop with slurs, already tired of censoring my thoughts. That is messed up situation. Yup, that's better. But I will remember it. Don't know what I'll do with this memory, definitely won't go for a killing, or breaking, but I'll store it in my mind for later. For now, though, I think it's a perfect time to execute one test: can I control my skill output?

And, sadly, as the only skill I can use now, I have to use my Intent on that . . . waste of even mental words. Nailed it. And, as he's clearly waiting for something, Voiding, use Intent, 10%.

Hoh, he became nervous, and I don't feel any strain. Not good enough. Raising to 20. . . he shivered. Strain is back, but it feels like I can go further. I don't think I should, but I'm too angry to even try 'the caring'. Boosting up to 30. . .

Ouch, okay that's a limit, safe one at least. But he's sweating. As petty as that revenge was, it calmed me down. So, conclusion. I can safely use 30% of my Intent. It will tire me, sure, but I can work with that amount. Maybe in the future I could increase this number. Maybe with stats? Eh, still no info on that front.

Void sight will be on a lockdown for now. Maybe later, I'll find a way for it to be useful. Plus, I lear. . .

[Skill 'Intent' update

Level:1>2]

Well, that was fast. Too fast, actually. Early levels are easy, I know. Not this easy. Even so, I want to redo the test. He'll be suspicious though. For now to . . . what's his name? Doesn't matter, he'll be Grid MK 0.1 from now on. Back to my thought, to Grid MK 0.1 I'm really angry young man, but that's it. If I scare him more, he'll think it's unnatural for the greatest HIM *sarcastic cricket noise* to be scared of some kid, more so of one he is holding on so much power.

No power, actually, or so I hope. I mean, Void body won't be that useless, right? I mean, 'survive without of any sustenance', I rely on you.

"A-anyway, you can go to your workplace. It's in a basement. Your work orders also there. Go and work, be lazy be hungry" Still scared, but need to order around. This work will be fun. NOT.

.

As I descend to my new . . .home I guess, I gradually calm myself down. Still irritated, but my functionality is fully restored now. Which reminds me, I don't even know the name of this fine establishment. Will help me in killing some time, there seems to be a lot of stairs. Extranet, here I come. . . 'Quinton's gear', cute. Guess I have his name, at least. Eh, my nickname is better.

Guess what I see downstairs? 2 rooms. Not bad for a basement, you would say. Yeah, one tiny detail though. 2 rooms, storage room and workshop. A thing that should've been a problem – no sleeping place. Not even some sleeping bag. Nothing. Greedy b*bleep*ch. You know what? You've been demoted. From now on, you shall be known as Grid MK 0.01. Sufficient punishment. Not.

Nothing I can do about it, though. Nothing I want to do either. Guess I'll be testing my body whole night. . . Sounds dirty. Back on track, I don't need to buy resources by myself at least, this storage room full of . . . some metal-liquid thingy.

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*another extranet search later*

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Omni-gel, huh? Real creative there, people. So, it can be used everywhere, useful. And convenient. Actually useful thing to me is that it's used as a glue in a gunsmithing process. Ok, so where are metals? And if I will need to buy them, I'll just run away and be nomad. If I build costume similar to Quarians and accept nomadic ways, will they accept me as their own?

Apart from these . . . omni-cans, they infected me with their creativity, there are some crates, checking. . . guns, thought so. Look neat, one good side of my new boss. Either that, or his former sl *cough* employee was the neat one. Eh, guess I'll need to actually care about guns. And, except for shelves with cans, nothing. To the point where I'm using newly found Flashlight app to see anything. How greedy you can get? No, don't answer it.

Next, the workshop. Yep, just as I thought. Bench, assembling place I'm sure. Some high-tech box, and couple shelves. That's it. No floor or walls cover, no light, no hope. Good thing I don't need to purchase subscription for my flashlight, that would be one money-eater.

Oh, almost missed one thing. A squary thing. And that's what body remembers, finally. Basically, a flash drive. An OSD. Catchy. So, I put it here and . . . it installed an app. Orders, can someone teach this universe some naming skills, please? Need to check it anyway.

So, open the app and. . . 15 light pistols, 12 heavy pistols, 7 assault rifles, 3 shotguns, 2 sniper rifles all for tomorrow? Good thing I have my type of body, sleep requirement would be bad now. You know what? Before all the work, I want to check my physical state.

Note to myself, need to buy new clo. . . ah, right, no money. Well, I have a workshop. Wait a minute, I have a workshop with a greedy guy that I don't like at all as an owner. So, I can 'eternally borrow' some materials to create all the gear I'll need. Will need to research equipment advancement later.

Ok, before all that I'll go for a run. Hope I won't sweat, although it'll show limitation of my Body skill.