The Last Technomancer

Chapter 2

Taking a deep breath, I felt the air around me shimmer with anticipation. As the countdown timer reached zero, I was transported into a vast field. The field was a carpet of thick, soft, brilliantly green grass. Dotted throughout the clearing were flowers and other fruiting flora in an array of colors that would put previous Earth’s gems to shame.

Looking up, a clear and bright sky illuminated the world. I took in a huge breath through my nose. Never had I smelled such wonderfully clean air. Not a hint of exhaust or smog, or even old lady perfume to dull my senses. This sure beats the smell of the sub shop next door. The smell always seemed to permeate in through the walls of the store and created a nauseating aroma that had me swearing off of cold cuts the last 4 years.

As I surveyed my surroundings, I noticed twenty or thirty other people at varying distances away, each of them looking around bewildered by the exotic landscape. Focusing on the flora around me, I was prompted by a menu in front of my vision to use the skill ‘Identify’. Knowledge of how to ‘use’ the skill swam to the forefront of my mind and as I studied the flora in front of me I began to unveil brief descriptions of the plants and their potential uses.

Glowroot Vine: A luminescent plant that emits a soft glow at night. Can be used to create potions.

Starblossom: A flower with healing properties. Its essence can be extracted for medicinal purposes.

Arcane Crystal Shrub: Yields crystals infused with magical energy, suitable for crafting enchanted items.

Bangle Berry Bush: Produces clusters of edible berries. When ripe, can be consumed or used in various potions or dyes.

Turning my attention to the people scattered across the field, I focused on each individual. A system message appeared in my vision, revealing their identities as simply 'Human: Level 1.'

A tall handsome man stood toward the center of the clearing looking around. He appeared to be taking count of nearby people and logging them on some handheld device as he tapped a finger to his chin. Interesting, I wonder what that guy’s deal is, I mused.

Before I could dwell on it, the locksmith from the game store materialized. He was wielding an axe with an unwarranted confidence that seemed comically out of place. Of course, he fancied himself a warrior, I thought to myself, shaking my head. The oversized axe drew a smirk from me. I took a step further from him and attempted to fade into the crowd. Unfortunately, I knew my bright red hair would be a beacon and if he were looking for me I wouldn’t be hard to locate.

Throughout the clearing people were in various states of chaos. Some appeared to be identifying or had a far away look on their faces which I assumed meant they were looking at their HUD. Others, were desperately tapping their cellphones, and still more were visibly distressed. One woman appeared in the midst of a full blown panic attack.

I can’t blame them. This is insane. I pulled out my phone, knowing that it wouldn’t work but attempted to try it none the less. A useless brick lay before me but as I identified it I got the feeling that I’d be able to make it work in some capacity with the right components and a bit of time. Just as I was beginning to formulate a plan a message popped up in front of my vision.

Attention Initiates:

Welcome to the tutorial for initiation 33. The tutorial will run for one month as your galaxy and planet are prepared. Afterward, those still classified as a sentient or living race will be transported back to their home planets to begin the process of re-inhabitation and expansion throughout the rest of the galaxy and then the multiverse. Quests will award points which can be used at the end of the tutorial and all rewards and items from the tutorial will be permitted to transfer back with you.

Children and their caretakers are exempt from this tutorial and will be in a separate learning environment as to not skew the population upon re-inhabitation.

Lastly, every five days the tutorial shop will be open and be accessible to all initiates via their HUD. You may earn currency from quests, awards, or it may be traded between initiates either by fair or unfair means.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the gathered initiates. Panic ensued, with people all around me beginning to freak out. One woman in the back sobbed uncontrollably.

Quickly assessing my own situation, I looked down at my Technomancer suit, now that I had a bit more time to get accustomed to it. I rapped my knuckles against it and stretched, twisting from side to side. The suit provided a blend of protection from bludgeoning hits and pretty decent mobility. Its surface shimmered with an energy field, offering additional defense against magical threats and would be comfortable in various environments. The verdant hue of the suit complemented my red hair and highlighted my emerald eyes, creating a striking visual contrast.

Equipped with a built-in holopanel on my forearm, the suit allowed me to access my HUD and control various technomagical functions including summoning Byte and giving him commands if he was out of range. Focusing on my HUD, I examined my personal information:

Name: Maura Everhart

Race: Human

Race Skills: Identify, Multilingual

Level: 1

Base Stats:

Strength: 10

Dexterity: 12

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 11

Constitution: 13

Charisma: 14

Mana: 40/40

Class: Technomancer

Class Abilities: [Gadget Manipulation], [Arcane Tech Mastery]

Class Skills: [Companion Summoning], [Electric Surge]

Companion: [Byte]

Blessings: [Empty]

Titles: [Empty]

Achievements: [Empty]

Profession: [Empty]

Credits: 500

Points: 0

The rest of the HUD fields remained empty for now—blessings, titles, achievements, and profession awaited definition and concentrating on them yielded no additional information. I noted the 500 credits shown under my mana. Well I guess that’s the currency for the Tutorial shop.

My stomach rumbling brought back a reminder to be mindful of the immediate needs, and so I turned my attention to the lush surroundings. Just as I was about to call out to take charge, the tall handsome man addressed the growing crowd. He had a comforting hand on the shoulder of the lady who had been sobbing.

"Hey, everyone!" He called out, drawing the attention of the scattered initiates. "Let's gather together. We need to assess our skills and resources. If there is anyone with knowledge of survival or useful skills, please step forward. We need to get some food, water, and shelter set up first. Let’s not get caught unprepared once night falls.”

The locksmith pushed past an older bewildered woman with tightly curled white hair. "Well, well, looks like we've got ourselves a leader," he remarked with a smirk. “And who put you in charge anyway? What useful skills do you seem to possess ‘how to look like a complete tool in a field?’” He let out a loud obnoxious laugh that reminded me of a horse I’d seen at the fair last summer.

The man cleared his throat and once again addressed the group starting to surround him, “My name is John. Before today I was a statistician, and I determined the likelihood of things happening which was very beneficial in making the people around me continuously wealthier. Here, it seems I can use my skills in my class as a Strategist to benefit a town. According to the guide in class selection, if I make a plan it will award bonuses to everyone involved. Additionally, anyone under the umbrella of a town I am a part of will gain bonuses.”

Pausing to look around at the bewildered people he cleared his throat and attempted to begin again in a gentler tone, “I know you’re scared. I’m scared too. We will gather information, find our loved ones and make it safely home if we work together. I see here we’ve got about 40 people in the area. We will need a fresh water source, and a lot of food.” John turned back to the locksmith from the video game store. “It appears as though you are a warrior do you have previous skills in hunting game or building anything? Something that would be useful to setting up camp?”

The locksmith turned warrior responded, “I'm Darren and yeah I have skills. I’m a warrior, obviously. I'll let my axe do the talking if anyone gets in my way.” He rolled his shoulders as he attempted to intimidate John. While he previously had been wearing a denim button up with his name emblazoned above the left breast he now donned leather pants and a tunic. His slender frame made the whole ensemble look like an out of character cosplay and his intimidation was not very effective.

Another initiate, a young woman with long blonde hair and a bow slung over her shoulder, spoke up. "I'm Elara, an Archer. I have gone hunting with my father since I was 14, so I’m well versed in tracking, hunting, and skinning game. Elara was skillfully braiding her hair over one shoulder as she talked. She was wearing a presystem pair of jeans and concert t-shirt but had adorned guards over top for her chest, legs and shoulder. Additionally she had on some kind of gloves and bracers. The look came together surprisingly well.

John nodded appreciatively turning away from Darren. "Great, Elara. We can use those skills to scout the area and hopefully locate a good source of protein. Darren, you can help with securing the perimeter and gathering anyone else nearby. Anyone else?"

A man standing off to the right speaks up, his posture hinting at a reserved nature. His caramel skin catches the light, giving him a warm glow that contrasts with his shy demeanor. “Hey. I’m Felix. I’m a healer. I am a nurse too, so I’ve been trained in first aid and I’ve been camping a lot.” He’s undeniably good-looking, with gentle eyes and a soft, thoughtful expression that seems to invite trust yet suggests he's more comfortable observing than leading. Despite his attractiveness, there's a hesitancy in his movements, as if he's wary of taking up too much space or that he does not want to draw attention to himself.

"Excellent, Felix," John replied. “What luck to have an actual trained medical professional in our midst!"

"Well, I'm not taking orders from no one. I’ll set up a perimeter since that was my plan anyway,” interjected Darren, suddenly feeling outdone.

I, unable to resist, called after Darren, "Swing that axe where it counts, and let's hope you manage to hit something useful." Darren replied in turn with a middle finger as he continued stomping into the distance.

Turning my attention toward John, I apologized, “Sorry about that. The guy was being a total jackass right before we were transported down. I’m Maura. I don’t have any skills for food or water but I’d be glad to go search that forest and bring back anything we can find!”

Byte chirped in agreement at my feet.

John nodded. “You’re welcome to head off with another group or go on your own,” he offered before he diverted attention to the others in need of direction.

He sent a group out with Elara to scout around for food and local game to eat. Another group went out in search of a water source and two separate groups began gathering materials for a fire and shelter. Luckily there were a couple of people familiar with building things and camping, so he left them in charge of shelters. Gradually, the group started to break off, forming smaller clusters to tackle their assigned tasks.

In the midst of the evolving chaos, the older woman whom Darren had pushed aside earlier finally found the courage to approach John. "Hi there, I'm Susan. I must admit, I have no idea what’s going on here. I’ve been a homemaker for the last 52 years, and all this camping and magic or whatever this is a bit much for me," she said, giving a perplexed shake to the healer's staff she had appeared with. “Dear, I just need to sit and gather my thoughts. This whole situation is a bit overwhelming.”

John placed a comforting hand on Susan's shoulder. "Take your time, Susan. If you need anything or have questions, feel free to ask. We're all figuring this out as we go.

Feeling out of my element and utterly useless in the midst of all the bustling activity, I couldn't shake the sense of inadequacy. The groups were forming, people were rallying around John's leadership, discussing survival strategies, and here I was—clueless about comforting the distressed or setting up a camp. My attempts at reassurance always felt awkward, my words stumbling awkwardly in moments that called for empathy.

The more the groups organized, the tighter the knot of anxiety grew in my stomach. I wasn’t cut out for this—these early moments of crisis management where everyone seemed to know exactly what to contribute except for me. My gaze drifted to the forest that bordered our clearing, the unknown depths offering a strange solace from the chaos behind me.

With a discreet glance back at the forming groups, I seized the moment when nobody was looking in my direction. I slipped away, moving quietly towards the trees. The grass under my feet muffled my steps, and the farther I walked from the group, the more the weight lifted from my shoulders. Here, surrounded by the alien beauty of the forest, I could breathe. No need for pretense or forced interactions. Just me and Byte, ready to uncover whatever secrets this new world held.

As I ventured deeper into the woods, the sounds of the group faded until all I could hear were the alien calls of unseen creatures and the gentle rustle of leaves in the wind. I could explore at my own pace, engage with this new environment on my terms, and perhaps, in the quiet solitude of exploration, I could find a way to be useful that suited me better than the direct confrontations of camp life.