The Paragamer

Tutorial 1.5

Monday, December 21st, 2009

It's 3:21am, according to my looted watch. Bad dreams kept me from getting good sleep. It's too early, my fatigue bar isn't full, but apparently full enough that the 'you're not tired enough to sleep yet' bullshit prevents me going back to sleep again. It's dark, I'm bored. I should figure out a plan for learning and taking advantage of my weird ass powers better.

I guess that starts now. I'm just winging it so far, trying to survive. My notifications say I've gained 5 HP while sleeping and 34 MP. For MP, that's 10 times better than the approximate 3 per hour I was regenerating while awake yesterday.

I grabbed a watch with a stopwatch function from the store, and put it to use. Turn notifications for MP gain back on, turn auto-minimize notifications back off and wait. Hit start as soon as a +1 MP message appears, dismissed. 9 minutes 36 seconds later, the next +1 MP gain message appears. Hmm, I'm confused now… that's 6 something MP an hour, but 34 for sleeping about 5 hours is only about 5 times that, not 10. What changed? I've twice as much MP as before, and am at level 2 compared to yesterday. The regen rate is tied to level? I need paper, a pen, and a calculator if I'm going to figure this out.

Not going to wait around to see how long it takes to regen 1 HP. Don't think it ever even did yesterday. It's disappointing I'm not regaining full HP after sleeping. That's a common theme for most games. Except for some of the hardcore rogue-likes, another point toward this being more like one of those. I really need to get my HP back to full. Sleep, food, and time are the only things that do that. Each has their own annoying limits built in. Also, unlike a lot of games, getting bandaged up doesn't give any HP. It only reduces the penalties for status effects of wounds, and the timers, for what I presume is how long it takes them to heal and go away.

I try meditation again, and get another failure message. The environment is peaceful enough this time, it's dark and relatively quiet, but I'm still 'too uncomfortable to succeed at my current level'. Probably due more to my current status effects, than how I'm sitting. Well, try changing positions anyway. I'm sitting on something hard. What the heck? Damn clothing security tag.

Shit, I completely ignored those trying to get the fuck out of there. I rummage through my backpack to check for more, yes, lots. There's one cheap t-shirt that doesn't have one, so I switch shirts. Now how to remove the damn things? Take all my crap outside, damn thieves. Hypocrite, I know.

It's dark, but there are generator lights, the glow from my interface windows helps a little too. I find a rock and a piece of scrap metal and break the thing off my stolen shirt. "Fuck!" Ink is all over my hands, and the shirt, tiny hole in it also. Not going to put that back in the bag and get ink on the rest, to the wash station then. Fuck, the ink doesn't wash out, not off the shirt or my hands. At least it's stopped spreading. If I wasn't homeless and living out of a backpack at a temporary FEMA shelter, I might call this shirt ruined. Don't know what standards I had before, but right now they're fuck all. The shirt's intact and doesn't smell horrible, so it's good.

Sigh. Another one on my stolen pants, on my spares in the backpack too. I tie the ink stained shirt around my waist and let it cover the tag, and head to the porta-potty with my rock and metal. I have to be more careful this time. I took my pants off and popped the tag off. Result is better this time, still got some ink on stuff. A new notification pops up.

For performing a repeated action you may gain the 'Disable Device' skill.

Disable Device (PER, AGI) (Active): Level 1 (0.00%)

Disable Device allows you to bypass a variety of physical security devices which are primarily mechanical in nature. In many cases, appropriate tools will be required.

Would you like to accept this skill? Y/N

Accepting a skill takes up a skill slot, this cannot be undone.

Um, ok sure I can definitely go for that. I press the 'Y' button. I immediately think of ways I could bust these security tags off better, if I find a screwdriver, rubber bands or a freezer to freeze the ink to stop it from spilling. Hmm, a freezer and other tools aren't immediately nearby.

It's still dark out; that restricts a lot of things I can do. I walk around a bit to think.

"Hey, there's a curfew active, go back to the tent area " a national guardsman yells at me.

"Curfew?"

"10 pm to 5 am, now go on."

God damn it, whatever. I bet Julia has some of these security things stuck on her clothes too. She's probably still asleep though. My sleep schedule is abnormal with this whole fatigue bar thing.

I sit back down on my cot. What the hell are my goals? Besides the 'become friends with Julia' quest. Hmm, learn more about who I am or was. Get my HP and Stress points back to maximum, get rid of all those damn negative status effects, figure out more about my weird gamer power, and meet the requirements for the Golem skill. More notifications appear; they're new quests.

Get Healthy Again!

Get all your bars to maximum, and eliminate all negative wound or mental based status effects.

Time Limit: None

Success: +300 XP

Failure: Continued miserableness.

Learn more about yourself and your past.

Discover 20 unique things about yourself. You've learned 7 things already.

Your name is Simon Anderson.

You were born in 1994 and are 15 years old.

You are a heterosexual male.

You love video games.

You're a Parahuman with a video game themed power.

You live/lived in Galveston, TX.

You had friends named Sandy, Dirk and Joe.

Time Limit: None

Success: +500 XP

Failure: None

Tutorial Quest: Get to the Mainland

Get off the wrecked, beaten and flooded Galveston Island and start a new life elsewhere.

Time Limit: 30 days

Success: +250 XP, a fresh start.

Bonus Success: Bring your friends or companions with you, increased relation with friends and companions.

Failure: ???

Um ok. I accept them all. Is it that simple? Set a goal for myself and it turns into a quest? I was thinking about the third one already. Why didn't I get one for 'figure out my weird gamer power' and 'meet the pre-reqs for the Golem skill'?

Hmm, time to experiment a little. 'I have a goal of folding up my FEMA blanket'. Nothing? I folded up my FEMA blanket and placed it neatly on my cot. Still nothing, figures. Remove all those security tags from my looted clothes? Nothing. Help Julia remove all the security tags from her looted clothes? Nothing. Help Julia get to her house? DING.

Help Julia reach her house.

Navigate the flooded and battered island and help Julia reach her house by any means necessary.

Success: +100 XP, increased relationship with Julia Mendez, ???

Failure: Decreased relationship with Julia Mendez.

I accept before I even finish reading. I spend the next hour and half trying to come up with more goals and plans, hoping they trigger more quests. Damn, I don't get any, but at least a lot of plans and ideas are worked out in my head, short and long term. I get ready to focus on the here and now and find some breakfast. I get more notifications, so I read them.

For careful thought and consideration of your decisions you have gained 1 WIS.

You have recovered 10 Stress points

The Status Effect 'Extremely Stressed' has been downgraded to 'Very Stressed'

The Status Effect 'Very Stressed' has been partially negated by Gamer's Mind.

More wisdom, sweet. It's like a fog just lifted from my brain. Stress is 55/330 now and that status effect downgrade just cut the penalties in half.

I need to do this a lot more often, and figure out how to get gains in the rest of my stats. Strength? There's no gym handy, and a broken arm, low hit points, and a bunch of injuries makes that difficult. Agility? I don't see myself prancing around much, major movements make my arm hurt. My injuries really limit this. Constitution? Running jostles my arm and I don't have a bicycle. If taking a beating trains that, I can't afford it right now. Intelligence? My last message said I gained a point from 'careful study of important information'. There's not a lot of that available right now but I'll be on the lookout for it. Being contemplative and introspective seems directed more toward Wisdom so far. Perception? How the hell do I train that? Get some binoculars, a microscope? Eavesdrop? Fuck all if I know, sure as hell would like to not need glasses, if higher perception can solve that. Wisdom, keep doing what I am doing I guess. Charisma? Be more charismatic and make more friends? Already working on that. Luck? No goddamn idea, and can't afford to put myself in a risky situation right now if that's how that works. My stomach rumbles, I get up to find the food line. It's finally after 5 am now, so I can leave the premises.

I wander and ask around. Yes there's some food. No it's not open yet, breakfast handouts available from 6 to 8 am. I go look for Julia at the women's section, even though it's early.

"Can I help you?" Some night watch volunteer lady asks me.

"I'm looking for Julia Mendez."

"What's your relation?"

"Not related, she is a friend."

"Can't help you, you'll have to wait until she comes out."

"What, why?"

"Women's section, no unrelated men allowed inside. Come back later."

Fuck, whatever, I should've lied or something. I go back to my cot to sit for a bit, more notifications demand my attention. 'Narcotic Pain Reduction' status effect has been removed. 'Antibiotic Infection Resistance' status effect has been removed. Damn, when did those get applied? I must have missed them. I turned off the modifier notifications so I hadn't even noticed the fluctuations of the 'Severe Pain' and 'Infected' effects. I suddenly feel them get worse now. What's this, another new skill?

For performing a repeated action you may gain the 'Disease Resistance' skill.

Disease Resistance (CON) (Passive): Level 1 (0.00%)

Disease Resistance allows you to enhance your natural ability to resist disease from microbial, parasitic, or viral sources. This reduces the damage and status effect penalties that any would occur in such a situation, in some cases outright negating them.

Would you like to accept this skill? Y/N

Accepting a skill takes up a skill slot, this cannot be undone.

Yeah, I want that. I wonder if I should keep to my antibiotics or try to train this skill up by skipping them? No, better safe than sorry; I want those negative effects gone, so I can 'Get Healthy Again'. Should probably use more cream too, I get up again to take care of that and pop my pills. I need a new water bottle.

****​

I palm a screwdriver and some needle nose pliers out of some dude's toolbox while he's underneath a generator. I steal a pen, clipboard, and a small stack of blank forms from the shelter registration desk. I notice my status screen changes.

I'm a 'Petty Thief' now? Is this an upgrade from Looter? My class description went from 'Refugee / Looter' to 'Refugee / Petty Thief'. I didn't have to 'steal' those, they're meant to be temporarily taken by people. I just don't plan to bring them back. I have goals to meet after all. First, getting these security tags off. There, now got all of the ink ones off, but some are magnet ones and harder to crack, so let them be for now. Only spilled a little bit of ink from one and only splashed my shoes slightly. I watch my Disable Device skill percentage go up a little with each one.

I'm standing in line doodling on the form papers with my pen, grinding Artistry. It's working but slowly. Doodling one handed on a clipboard loosely held by my broken arm is inefficient. I'm glad I got in line cause it's getting long despite it not being 6 am yet. Who knows if they will still have enough for everyone.

I finally get to the front of the food dispensary line, and blow all my MP on 'Observe'. I find the most HP gaining foods I can get. I get fruit, milk and plain oatmeal packets. Sugary crap foods don't give squat for HP gain, or is this my power's way of forcing me to eat healthy? I'll get enough for me and Julia.

"That's too much man, one serving per person, supplies are limited." The dispensary guy says.

"What? I'm getting some for someone else too?"

"They need to be in line also."

"She can't stand in line, her legs are injured. I'm not losing my place in line to get her either."

"What's the hold up?" someone shouts from further back in line.

"Fine, go.." the dispensary guy waves me off.

Whatever, I bring it back and eat breakfast (+8 HP) and doodle, glancing toward the curtain to the women's section to see if Julia makes an appearance.

Quest Failed: 'Get to the Supplies'. Time Expired.

Oh? Who cares, fuck those guys. Julia appears an hour later. I observe her to see if there's any changes.

Name: Julia Mendez

Level: ??

Alias: ??

Gender: Female

Age: 14-18

Ethnicity: Hispanic, ???, ???

Class: Refugee / Looter

Faction: None

Summary Description:

A former high school student and fellow survivor from an Endbringer attack. She has lost her sister, and possibly her parents and home as well.

Her left lower leg is badly burned. It is bandaged. Her first toe, right foot is very bruised. The nail on her first toe, right foot is broken. Her left cheek is slightly torn. It is stitched and bandaged. Her...

...She has a dazed grief-stricken look about her.

Currently feeling: Depressed, Traumatized, Lethargic, Pained, ...

Hmm, the phrasing of her injuries looks strangely familiar. Still, it's stuff I already know, just laid out there in verbose detail. When is this Observe skill going to be useful? "Hey, Julia!" I call out. Oh and what the hell, an hour should have got me 6 MP, but now I got 4 left? Did my regen rate rise or did I mistime that?

"Here, got you some breakfast. Have to get in line early or you're out of luck. Opens from 6am to 8am, dispensary tent outside near the one where we got the meds yesterday." I say as she approaches.

"Thanks"

A notification fires off, probably telling me I gained relationship with Julia. Yep, only 1 point this time. Hmm, I should change these to only tell me when the relationship status changes, not the damn bar.

"Why do you make such weird movement patterns with your hand?" Julia asks me between bites.

Oh shit, I'm getting too relaxed or apathetic here. "Um, just nervous habit I guess." I lie.

"Oh, thought you had Tourette's or something like that, on account of the mutterings too."

Damn, she must have a higher perception stat than me, time to change subjects. I lean over slightly. "Do, uh, the clothes you acquired yesterday still have security tags on them? I totally forgot to check for those. I managed to remove most of mine this morning." I whisper to her.

Her eyes widen and she swallows. "Uh, yeah, I didn't really pay attention to that either."

"If you give them to me I can take them off. Except the magnet ones, can't do those yet. I'd need a powerful magnet, from a hard-drive or a speaker to get those off."

"You've done this before? I thought you couldn't remember shit."

"No, except what I did this morning. Trial and error, first few tries were errors." I point out the ink stains on my clothes and hands. "It got easier when I got a hold of a screwdriver and pliers."

"Okay"

"Might be better to do it away from people, just in case. I removed mine while it was still dark out."

Julia nods and continues to eat her oatmeal in silence, while I wait and keep doodling. Artistry is going up faster now that I can keep the clipboard level in my lap.

"What are you drawing?"

"Nothing in particular, just doodles. It keeps my mind busy and focused on something, so I don't dwell too much on…other stuff. I hear it helps to take up a hobby." Hmm, Psychology and Empathy bump up a bit with that. Maybe I should actually close the screen and focus on the conversation.

I don't know what else to say by the time she finishes eating. Wait, no I do, the quest. "You still want to go to your house?"

"Yeah"

"Pack everything; someone is liable to take it if it is left behind."

We really do pack it all. At least we have backpacks now. I have spare clothes, soap, shampoo, Meds, that weird shower in a can thing. Guess I should use it soon. A screwdriver, pliers, clipboard, pen, papers, a FEMA blanket, yeah I took that shit. Oh, my new wallet and $240 in cash.

****​

"...so you don't remember where your house is, or family or friends or anything, but you remember video games?" Julia asks me as we duck under some roped off caution tape and enter a residential area.

A lot of roads had been blocked off and manned by guardsman, shore patrol or police. It took some time to move out of the way and circle around and find way past the perimeter, and avoid being spotted.

"Yeah, I can't explain it at all. I know the early-classics, old arcades, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tron, all that. I remember the late 8-bit classics NES, Zelda, Mario, Dragon Warrior series, the early Final Fantasy series before Square went bankrupt. I even know the Konami cheat Code. That the entire industry nearly died in 1983 before the 16-bit era, Super NES, Sega Genesis, when all the cape themed games started coming out. The non-cape game backlashes. Later, 32 bit and 64 bit era, the dawn of MMO's, Hero City, which actually isn't the first MMO like many claim, but the second, but nobody talks about the first.."

"Simon, stop. I get it. Most of that is before or just after we were born, though why would you remember all that? No, don't answer, that's rhetorical. I remember Zelda though; my mom had a NES…"

"Well, you never told me what you played."

"Later, we're in my neighborhood now."

It's well after noon; the entire neighborhood is wrecked, and smells like dead fish and garbage, we pass by a couple dead bodies too. Roads are buckled, houses are lopsided or crushed. Cars are overturned in weird places, boats too. Clearly the place was hit by big waves several times.

"We're here," Julia says. Her house was still standing but a truck at some point had been smashed into the side, leaving a big hole in the wall. The front door was busted open. There was a big red X spray painted on the door, and a smaller black zero spray painted beside it. Julia rushes inside and yells.

"Mom? Dad?"

She calls for them for a while, in between labored sobs. The downstairs is a wreck, I help look, we go upstairs and Julia finds her room and starts sobbing on the bed, heedless of the damp and the smells. The downstairs has clearly been flooded. The upstairs has not, but the windows are broken and waves, wind and rain have definitely gotten in.

There were no notes to be found, no directions or any sort of sign. I only get a few answers out of her as she cries.

"Are your parent's cars at the house?"

"No"

"Do you want me to help you gather things?"

"Yes."

"Where are the suitcases?"

"Hall closet."

"Where do you want me to start?" No answer, she keeps crying. "Julia?" She stops responding, too distraught

I spent time disabling the security tag from the clothes in her backpack. For some reason, it feels a bit selfish, but I want to make the most of my time while waiting too. By the time I was done (except for the magnetic ones), I had gained a level in Disable Device. Though, now that she has access to her own clothes, if they weren't ruined, Will she need these anymore?

I don't want to push her, she is traumatized enough, still quietly sobbing, she's moved to her parent's room now, and the suit cases aren't all that full, just mementos and photos so far. She can't stay here. Notifications are flashing, calling for my attention, but they're not important right now.

"Tell me what to pack for you and I will. I know you want to, but you can't stay."

"You should leave me. I'm not any good, just a wreck. Everything is gone, you have a new start. I just have an end. Just get out."

"No"

"GET OUT!"

"No, that's just the depression, the PTSD and the grief talking. I know, its hitting me too, despite the fucked up stuff that came with it. If I have to, I'll carry you, I will, but that is going to be really, really difficult with a broken arm."

Then we hear noises, the sound of water rushing. Fuck, my heart starts racing, Julia is starting to freak out. I look down stairs and see water lapping at the bottom, steadily rising. "What the fuck?" It's not even storming outside, it was sunny and clear. The whole house shifts ever so slightly, and creaks and moans. I can hear other houses and the wrecked car and shit rattling in the waves. The street, the entire ground was below water. "Holy fuck, the tide is coming in!"

Simon's Character Sheet:

Name: Simon Anderson

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Race: Parahuman

Class: Refugee / Petty Thief

Faction: None

Money: $240.00

Title: Endbringer Survivor

Level: 2 (67.33%)

XP: 280

Primary Attributes

STR: 5 (-0.85) 4.15

AGI: 4 (-1.25) 2.75

CON: 9 (-1.40) 7.60

INT: 15 (-3.70) 11.30

PER: 9 (-3.00) 6.00

WIS: 18 (-3.70) 14.30

CHA: 10 (-1.60) 8.40

LUC: 8 (0.00) 8.00

Unspent Points: 0

Secondary Attributes

Health Pool: 67/153

Stamina Pool: 142/142

Mana Pool: 51/300

Stress Pool: 55/330

Attack: 4.75

Speed: 2.63

Dodge: 6.18

Armor: 0.20

Carry: 41.50

Allure: 2.00

Skills

Max Slots: 27

Free Skill Slots: 10

Artistry: 3 (98.54%)

Basic Academics: 8 (10.22%)

Computers: 5 (11.09%)

Disable Device: 2 (23.56%)

Disease Resistance: 1 (0.00%)

Empathy: 2 (13.75%)

Gamer's Body: 4 (11.34%)

Gamer's Interface: 5 (42.45%)

Gamer's Mind: 4 (88.67%)

Language-English: MAX (0.00%)

Meditation: 1 (0.00%)

Null Resistance: 1 (0.00%)

Observe: 2 (66.67%)

Programming: 2 (67.45%)

Psychology: 1 (56.45%)

Strategy: 1 (0.00%)

Video Games: 25 (63.73%)

Unspent Skill Points: 10