MTLNOVEL Chapter 4: New skills!
Astra's hair fluttered in the wind as she was taken on the back of the bike, Yu nestled comfortably on her lap as they zoomed through the wastelands. Her sweat-drenched face had dried, the rushing air now cooling her skin refreshingly.
"So what brings you to our planet?" Harry asked, turning back to hopefully catch a glimpse of Astra's face. She paused at the question, her face too turning in hope's to see Harry.
"What was that?" She pondered, unable to hear over the humming of the bike.
"It's not like we have any tech to research, so what brings an outsider like you here?" He questioned again, his gaze returning once more to the path ahead.
"I'm out of energy, so I came to the closest planet I could," she sighed, looking up at the scorching sun, watching as the heatwaves rippled through the sky in slow, mesmerizing waves. The air itself seemed alive, bending light and warping the horizon into a shimmering mirage.
[NOTICE!]
[This planet's energy levels are low, if you're looking for energy, this place would hardly suffice.]
"I don't have a choice now do i?" Astra snapped, her words sharper than intended before taking a deep sigh and holding her temple.
"Who're you talking to?" Harry pondered, his brow furrowing in concern at her sudden outburst.
"Nothing…this heat is making me delirious–" Astra groaned, a soft chuckle coming from Harry in response.
"Haha heard that one before!" He grinned, "You get used to the heat eventually! Just don't stay out too long, the sunburns in this solar system are brutal!"
"By the way why are you out here?" Astra pondered, the questions just coming to mind. "Out here is dangerous isn't it?"
Harry glanced over his shoulder, his grin widening. "Dangerous? Sure, if you don't know what you're doing. But someone's gotta keep the roads clear, right?"
"Clear of what?" Astra asked, her tone carrying a hint of skepticism.
"Bandits, rogue drones, wandering beasts—you name it," Harry replied nonchalantly, revving the engine slightly as the terrain grew rougher. "This wasteland's got its fair share of trouble. But for folks like me, it's just another day at work."
Astra frowned, her fingers unconsciously tightening around Yu, who let out a soft purr-like hum in her lap. "Seems like a lot of risk for not much reward."
Harry chuckled again, the sound easy and carefree. "Well, we don't all have the luxury of zipping through the stars. Some of us gotta scrape by however we can. Besides, out here, it's quiet. Peaceful, in its own way."
"I was actually out here with a partner o'mine, he said he saw somethin' out back and decided to go check it out,"
"You're not worried about him?" Astra questioned, looking at Harry who simply shook his head.
"I trust he can handle himself, he's a pro,"
Astra looked ahead thoughtfully, her eyes drifting to the sky once more, watching the smoldering heat as it beat upon her, an idea now forming within her mind and a smirk on her lips.
"I'm a freaking genius!" Astra announced, bursting into the bath of the nearest inn she could find, a complimentary towel hung over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.
"I'll just make it recharge from solar energy!" She declared, taking off her top leaving her wrapped straps of cloth around her chest.
"I'll just by some silicon from this town and we can work from there. They don't have water or anything so their power has to be solar right?! Besides that hoverbike went on for hours on end so it has to be the sun!" She continued to rant to herself, shimming out of her cargo pants and tying her midnight blue hair into a bun.
[Affirmative!]
[Terranix is known for having solar energy to power their limited devices! While it's not entirely applicable on other solar systems it serves well as a secondary source to obtain power!]
"Exactly! It's just enough to get me out of this rut I'm in!" She exclaimed, wrapping a towel around herself and going over to a tub.
"But first a well deserved bath—" Her excitement was swiftly dwindled at the sight of it, her brow furrowing with confusion and a hit of fear.
"W-why is it filled with sand…" She asked softly, still unable to believe the sight before her.
[NOTICE!]
[Terranix; not having access to water like the other planets, save water by using sand to scrub off dirt and grime instead of taking baths!]
"Great…just—" Astra sighed, her head hung low and her mood already shot. "Great-"
Slowly she sunk to the ground, her hands wrapping around her slender legs, tears pricking the corners of her gaze.
"And here I thought I'd get to experience my first hot bath–" She whimpered softly.
"That was awful—" the young technician grumbled, her skin red and somewhat inflamed, but hey at least she's clean right?
"My skin feels like it's on fire…" Yu raised to the sound of my voice, flying around me in a series of excited beeps and boops.
"Aw was I gone for too long?" She cooed, holding her mechanical friend closely, with a soft giggle to her voice. "Sorry buddy!"
[Notice! Planet scan completed]
A green translucent screen popped open before the duo, revealing itself to the both of them.
"Huh-"
[Planet added to Planet encyclopedia!]
[Planet resources!]
[silicon: a main resource used to keep the technology of this land running, coming in the form of Quartz, purified sand! Though you can buy it from the market place with an additional labor fee!]
[Hematite and magnetite: often used for construction, it's a safe bet when repairing, also used in anti corrosive paints!]
[Planet wildlife!]
[Sand worms: Carnivorous creatures that eat anything that moves! They're blind so they rely on the earth's sensitive vibration to find their prey! For this reason a certain selection of people hunt them on a daily basis to keep the population away from villages!]
[Bronze dogs: Silent creatures that hide within the sandstorms of the area! They're paws are padded to minimize vibrations and to avoid the sand worm's wrath! In some places on Terranix these paws have been adapted to human fashion allowing them to walk without cause of worry, although this is not adapted everywhere due to moral reasons.]
[Dune frogs: being the size of a dog, they hide under the sand to avoid drying up from the shere heat from the sun, only coming out when it rains! Their skin retain moisture for months up to a year, making them highly sought after for hoods and other forms of clothing during long travels!]
[more...]
"Oh there's more? I'll look at that at a different time–" Astra murmured thoughtfully, looking at the screen before her before noticing something on the top right corner of it.
"Voidborn…" She read allowed, Yu tilting it's head to the side in confusion to the term. Curiosity getting the better of her Astra clicked at it, but multiple locks blocked her path.
[Warning! Warning: User's level is too low!]
[Go back!] [Skill tree!]
Hesitantly Astra tapped on the "skill tree" button, a massive web of neon green information sprouting before her, most of which are locked before her.
[Available skills!] [Skill keys: 2]
[Fast repair!] [Master deduction!] [Tech block! (1/10)]
[Master gatherer! ] [Blueprint wizard!] [Tech control!]
"Huh?!" Astra gasped, her fingers twitching at the sheer number of options before her, the number of possibilities soon to be at her fingertips. Each skill has a description under, the young technician crossing her arms with a thoughtful expression plastered on her face as she stared at it.
"This is gonna take a while,"