Mask of Humanity

Nicolai stepped over the bridge and into the cool blue room of the Trade Link, alone. He’d wanted Jo and Beth to come with him to help with any carrying he needed to do, and as back-up in the event of a fight, but to his surprise Beth had refused. She’d demanded, of all things, a day off. She said she and Jo had to catch up. Nicolai, somewhat bemused, had ultimately accepted this.

He picked his way over the glowing tendrils on the floor, heading to a console tucked into a discreet corner of the room, hidden in a crevice in the collapse. It was a console he’d put there himself, connected to the cameras he’d placed to monitor the Trade Link and surroundings.

Standing before it, he reached for the side of his forehead where there was a tiny port which had been installed as a part of his BIS. Tugging open the faux-flesh material, he drew a small info-jack out. He felt a vague thrum through his skull as he pulled and a thin, steel-like wire unfurled.

After stretching it far enough he let it go slack then slotted the jack into the console. He used this method, a hardware connection, because the monitor and the cameras were cut off from the Local in order to prevent them being found by scans.

In less than a second he’d downloaded all of the cameras’ recordings since the last time he’d been here. He sent them to Threat Analysis who began rapidly scanning through everything.

No other individuals or creatures seen in the recordings. The area is secure, said the Module.

With a mental command to his BIS, Nicolai tugged the jack free then released it. The winder inside his skull rapidly drew it back in until the jack snapped back into his head. Nicolai closed the skin-flap and turned away to move across the room.

Pressing his hand to the Trade Link’s console he watched the now familiar play of lights as it activated and registered him, and he navigated to the Permit section, where he paused for a moment, looking at the Market Upgrade Permit listing.

With some satisfaction he clicked the buy button, then confirm, and watched his points total spiral down.

He was surprised when a small drawer formed on the surface of the Trade Link. He’d thought the Trade Link would just upgrade internally, but it seemed not. Opening the drawer he saw a rectangular piece of metal which looked much like a points-tag and the Cherubic Surgeon’s Permit. Nicolai glanced it over as he picked it up and Examined it, seeing it had a symbol engraved on it, U+. The examine text simply repeated what the listing in the market had said, but additionally had an option to be used.

Nicolai accepted, and the permit shimmered and transformed into a stream of golden light so dense it seemed liquid. The liquid shot over to his hand and dove beneath his skin, an odd itchy sensation, fusing with the gold of his mark which rippled.

That ripple spread, rolling over his fingers then a crackle of tiny golden lightning shot out and hit the Trade Link console.

The menu he’d been in faded, to be replaced by the same opening it always showed, only this time there was a change.

Welcome, User #53,217, to Trade Link Access.

You have two (2) Markets available.

Market Tier has been upgraded.

- HUMAN-TECHMV has risen from F to E

You have gained access to a new Market.

- Foundation Cultivation (Restricted*)

(note that items in a Restricted Market are unusually limited and possess inflated prices)

The words faded away to be replaced by an option select.

Trade Link Interface | User #53,217

Available Markets:

- HUMAN TECHMV (Tier E)

- Foundation Cultivation (Restricted)

This was unexpected. The Market Upgrade Permit hadn’t just upgraded his original Market, it also provided him access to a new one. His quick curiosity towards this new Market overrode his desire to see what would be changed in the old, and he selected Foundation Cultivation.

Trade Link Interface | User #53,217

Market Designation: Foundation Cultivation (Restricted)

Points: 23,645

- Consumables

- Resources

- Talismans

- Sacred Texts

Nicolai opened the first on the list, Consumables.

> Consumables

7,000p - Yin -Yang Rotation Incense Burner

4,000p - Yin-Yang Rotation Pill

400p - Oma Crystal

He was surprised to see only three options, having hoped for far more. The fact the store stocked Oma crystals, at least, was useful. He now had an easy way to rectify any lack of them. The others, he was unsure of, so clicked on them to get the details.

Yin-Yang Rotation Pill - 4,000p

This pill is designed to aid the Cultivator in finalising their Nodes, Minor and Major. When consumed, the vital energy the pill releases may be directed to one Node, or split amongst multiple. It greatly speeds up the rate of finalisation.

The Cultivator must possess a Major Stomach Node to make proper use of this pill.

His eyes grew wide. That was extremely useful, presenting him a way to rapidly advance in Cultivation, avoiding the previously set-in-stone time investment as each Node finalised.

However, he felt some dismay upon noting the final sentence. He had no stomach Node, so… this was useless to him. Or at least mostly useless; “make proper use of” implied that he would still get some benefits, but not the “proper” benefits. He backed out, going to the next listing.

Yin-Yang Rotation Incense Burner - 7,000p

This incense burner is formed by mixing Yin-Yang Rotation pills with specific Natural Resources. It is designed to aid the Cultivator in finalising their Nodes, Minor or Major. When burned, vital energy is released into the air as a vapor, and when breathed this may be directed to one Node, or split amongst multiple. It greatly speeds up the rate of finalisation.

The Cultivator must possess at least one lung Node to make proper use of this incense burner.

The solution to his problem. This was clearly designed for people like him, who didn’t have a stomach Node. Unfortunately it was almost twice as expensive, and his only option. Although… he wondered whether he might be capable of making something similar himself. It said that Natural Resources, whatever they were, were mixed with the pills to make the burners. He’d have to ask Kleos what was meant by Natural Resources, though the name seemed rather self-explanatory. Things from the jungle, perhaps, like those leaves and the bee hive?

He backed out of the menu. Ultimately, he felt the incense sticks were something he’d certainly get in time. But whether he actually purchased one of them right now would depend on what else he found in this new Market, and his upgraded Earth-based Market. At the end of the day something like an arc gun or a smart rifle would outclass any gradual improvements in strength from Cultivation, at least in his current state.

> Talismans

60,000p - Golden Shield Feather

60,000p - Lotus Sub Locum Seed

30,000p - Silver Shield Feather

30,000p - Starving Worm-Darts (x3)

20,000p - Orange Mist

10,000p - Orb of Rejuvenation

…

This list also had quite a few offerings, and again he recognised some. The Silver Shield Feather was what the Chosen lieutenant had worn on a bangle, the same bangle with its singular feather that was wrapped around his wrist. The Orb of Rejuvenation he was well familiar with. Some quick investigation revealed the Talismans to have various uses, and one in particular caught his eye after he’d looked through the descriptions.

Lotus Sub Locum Seed - 60,000p

This Seed can be bound to an area, upon which it will rapidly grow into a Lotus Sub Locum plant. The Cultivator may harvest the plant’s singular fruit, and when used this fruit will transport them to the location of the Lotus Sub Locum Plant, which will be destroyed in the process.

If the plant is destroyed the Cultivator will be unable to return. The fruit decays over time, gradually losing its power. It takes time and concentration to activate the fruit, and spiritual attacks disrupt this activation.

Even with all the limitations, it still sounded very powerful to Nicolai. Teleportation would allow a complete change in how he operated. However, it was quite pricy and single use. Still, gaining one and planting it somewhere for emergencies would be wise.

Other than that, he was also interested in the Orange Mist, which promised to locate Symbiotes or Natural Treasures, even able to be given a suggestion of the type of Symbiote or Treasure the Cultivator was looking for and seek to find the closest match.

But his desire for these took a significant hit when he flicked into the next section.

> Sacred Texts

200,000p - Lotus Sub-Locum Symbiote Recipe

200,000p - Soul Spear Symbiote Recipe

200,000p - Golden Shield Bird Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Tiny Wolf Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Lotus Blossom Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Grey Dragonfly Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Silver Shield Bird Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Orange Puffing Toad Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Bronze Skin Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Root-Vine Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Eerie Slide Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Bursting Yellow Skin Symbiote Recipe

100,000p - Rigid Clay-Bug Symbiote Recipe

…

Symbiotes?! Nicolai’s eyes widened and he rapidly clicked on one, opening up the description. However, his hopes were quickly dashed as he recognised the word after Symbiote; recipe.

Tiny Wolf Symbiote Recipe - 100,000p

This Sacred Text describes two different ways to refine a Tiny Wolf Symbiote.

Tiny Wolf Symbiote provides a brief burst of speed to the Cultivator.

So. He wouldn’t be buying any Symbiotes just like that, easy and simple from the Trade Link. He’d first have to buy the text, then gather whatever it would require for him to make the Symbiote.

From Kleos, he knew that refining Symbiotes tended to require Natural Resources, resources Infused with Aura and Oma, such as the food for his Symbiotes. If he was lucky, these items would be found in the resources section…

> Resources

1,000p - Infused Crystal

1,000p - Crystallized SparkBug

1,000p - Metallo Bone Powder

1,000p - Slow Water

1,000p - Blue Hydrosoph Leaves

1,000p - Bloody Root-Vine

1,000p - Infused Honey-Comb

…

Aha. There they were. This list continued down, presenting dozens of items, some of which Nicolai recognised. Slow Water, Infused Crystal, Infused Honey-Comb, Blue Hydrosoph Leaves. He’d already made the Infused Crystal, and knew in theory how to create slow water, but now found himself with an easier method. The Infused Honey-Comb was also recognisable, it was his Blue Hornet’s preferred food, and the Blue Hydrosoph Leaves were what he needed for the Symbiote in the rock. He was still glad he’d gone out and gotten these items himself, as the prices were higher than he’d have expected.

The list didn’t go on too far, there were around half a dozen pages. Perhaps fity items listed. He seriously doubted that would be the breadth and width of Natural Resources, and the fact this Market was “limited” reinforced this impression.

He returned to the menu with the Symbiote Recipes, considering them. He may not be able to make all or even most of the Symbiotes just with items from the Trade Link; it wouldn’t surprise him if for each recipe, one of two of the resources were missing. Still, that remained to be seen—perhaps it would be easier than he imagined. He’d have to buy one of the recipes if he wanted to check for sure.

However this also reminded him that many of these Symbiotes were unlikely to be worth their asking price; if this Market bore similarities to the other Markets, which he suspected it did, then these were likely a fairly random selection of Symbiote recipes—just as the guns available from the other Market had been, with some trash and some good.

One of them, at least, seemed very desirable. The Lotus Sub-Locum Symbiote recipe promised to make a Symbiote that could create an endless amount of the Locus Sub-Locum Seeds.

Lotus Sub-Locum Symbiote Recipe - 200,000p

This Symbiote allows one to create Lotus Sub-Locum Seeds, which can rapidly grow into Lotus Sub-Locum plants. The Cultivator may harvest the plant’s singular fruit, and when used this fruit will transport them to the location of the Lotus Sub Locum Plant, which will be destroyed in the process.

If the plant is destroyed the Cultivator will be unable to return. The fruits will degrade over time, however the Cultivator can use the Locus Sub-Locum Symbiote to maintain these fruits, instead of growing new seeds. One Symbiote can maintain a total of three fruits.

It takes time and concentration to activate the fruit, and spiritual attacks disrupt this activation.

His intentions to purchase one of the Locus Sub-Locum Seeds immediately shifted into a desire to buy this Symbiote. In general he preferred items that would last him for a long time, than single use. At 80,000 point for a Seed, he felt it would be quite wasteful to get one rather than saving an extra 120,000 for the recipe itself.

Finally, with everything the Limited Cultivaton Market examined, he switched over to the upgraded Earth Market.

Trade Link Interface | User #53,217

Market Designation: HUMAN-TECHMV

Market Tier: E

Points: 23,645

- E Tier

- F Tier

He selected E tier, which revealed a similar list of options as was in F tier, only the last two, consumables and clutter, were missing.

- Weapons

- Ammo & Loaders

- Apparel

- Augments

- Permits

- Tools & Utility

Nicolai opted to start at the top, going through the lists one by one.

> Weapons

> Projectile

70,000p - Anti-Material Rifles

60,000p - Shredder Guns

50,000p - Charge Rifles

40,000p - Pulse Revolvers

20,000p - Assault Rifles

10,000p - Auto Shotguns

Nicolai’s eyebrows rose. He recalled that some text at the start had mentioned that items in the Restricted Cultivation Market would be more expensive, and he saw the differences now. Even the cheapest Symbiote recipe was over 100,000 points. But here, all the guns were very capable and none over 70,000p.

He checked each listing to look over the differing guns available in each category, deciding on his preferred choices. As with the other weapons menu in the F tier Market, the weapons tended to be on the lower, less modern end. He clicked on one of the shredder guns simply to see what the Market said about it.

SKRED m-X9 - 60,000p

This shredder gun fires solid slugs containing shaped charges which, upon impact, are blasted through any hard surfaces, transforming into a mass of fragmenting super-heated metal.

Shredder guns are especially effective against hard targets, such as vehicles and combat-bots.

Out of his price range. The only listing he could afford were the auto shotguns, which he determined to look through later. As to the rest, if he’d been richer than he was, he would’ve liked a Charge Rifle. They were a form of energy rifle which didn’t require reloading. Instead they operated off of a battery, one which would last a very long time, and their only issue was heat. After firing one for long enough, it would need to vent itself and cool down, which took a similar amount of time as a reload with a more typical gun. The energy projectiles also didn’t have quite the same stopping power and damaging potential as say, 7.62 rifle rounds, but they were still entirely capable of blowing holes in people and at the end of the day, infinite ammo was infinite ammo.

Nicolai switched to melee.

> Weapons

> Melee

100,000p - Vibro Knives

Only one option. He opened up the vibro knives listing and looked through the options. All the available vibro knives were on the lower end, far from the most effective and expensive models. But even so, anyone of them would be useful to him. He deliberated on what was shown then clicked on one that stood out.

F4NG 17 - 100,000p

Vibro knives utilise vibration technology and ultra-thin hypersteel edges to penetrate hard surfaces. Their use requires skill as a failure in blade alignment when striking will break the edge, and they require care to maintain. However, when used by a skilled individual, there is little that cannot be cut by such a weapon.

The vibration uses power from an on-board battery, which can only allow so many enhanced strikes.

This vibro knife can sustain up to six strikes before it runs out of charge. It is charged through mains power.

Nicolai frowned. This was the best vibro knife available on the list, but still it was quite low-end. It would certainly be handy, but he’d count it as more of a nice-to-have than something to save up for, simply due to how pricey the knives were and the fact that at the end of the day, a vibro knife was a still knife and would only be of use at hugging distance. Any of the guns would provide more bang-for-buck.

In apparel he found a few more advanced types of protective and combat-orientated clothing. One in particular drew his eye, something that he felt was particularly suited for his current situation, something that could be very useful in various ways.

It was called a Skin Suit, and it was exactly what he needed.