Joshua stared across the desk at K'Vash-9, the System's red warning text overlaying the warrior's massive form. He had zero points. He was standing on a tightrope over the -10 SP penalty and the career-ending Mandatory Audit.
"If I desire this desk," K'Vash-9 was rumbling, his voice a low, geological scrape, "why must I exchange small, colored papers for it? Why not simply take it and defend my possession?"
"Because that is the definition of crime on Earth, not commerce," Joshua said, keeping his voice steady. "You would acquire one desk, but forfeit your freedom."
[CLIENT BARRIER LEVEL: CRITICAL. ECONOMIC MISALIGNMENT INDEX: 99.8%]
Joshua knew he was failing. He needed Rapid Rapport for 10 SP now, or this consultation would fail.
Ten points. I have zero. I must act for his benefit, Joshua thought.
He focused his enhanced observational acuity, searching for the T-Rank's immediate, critical need. It wasn't just the chair; it was the atmosphere. The climate control was set to the standard 22 degrees Celsius—too warm for a scaled, high-gravity species. The humidifiers were off. The combination was causing the K'Vash to subtly vent heat and water vapor, a process the System recognized as a prelude to Heat Exhaustion and Tactical Impairment.
Joshua recognized that correcting this was not just a comfort fix; it was correcting a systemic failure by Terran bureaucracy that risked the client's physical health and, crucially, his mental readiness.
"K'Vash-9, I apologize," Joshua interrupted, adopting a tone of professional objectivity. "The ambient environment is critically misaligned with T-Rank biological requirements. This inefficient environment compromises your strategic focus and physical readiness."
Without waiting for a response, Joshua pulled up the facility maintenance panel on his desktop. He bypassed three levels of security to forcibly engage the emergency sub-level cooling system for the quadrant and max out the industrial humidifier in the air duct above his office. The air immediately grew crisper and noticeably cooler, and a thin, damp mist began to settle across the room.
The warrior inhaled deeply. His tense, coiled posture relaxed by several degrees. The systemic, internal strain Joshua had observed instantly vanished. The change was profound—the warrior had moved from a state of tactical exhaustion to a state of optimal combat readiness.
"The atmosphere is now efficient," K'Vash-9 stated, a low sound of approval in his voice. "You address the root of the problem, not the symptom."
[TASK COMPLETE: CRITICAL PHYSIOLOGICAL HAZARD AVERTED. SYSTEMIC ERGONOMIC CORRECTION ACHIEVED.]
[GOOD DEED ACHIEVED: SYSTEM POINTS (SP) AWARDED: +10]
[CURRENT SP: 10]
Ten points! The wave of relief almost buckled Joshua's knees. He immediately focused on the Skill Acquisition Interface.
[SKILL ACQUISITION INTERFACE (SAI)]
[Current SP: 10]
[SOCIAL UTILITY]
Rapid Rapport (F-Rank) [Cost: 10 SP]
Description: Allows the user to identify key emotional/cultural triggers in a client to quickly establish a baseline of trust.
Acquire Rapid Rapport (F-Rank), Joshua commanded, his mind sharper than the instant before.
[ACQUISITION CONFIRMED. COST: 10 SP. BALANCE: 0 SP.]
[INSTALLING: RAPID RAPPORT (F-RANK)...]
A brief, blinding flash of K'Vash history and psychological drivers flooded his mind—a structural map of their honor codes and their reverence for verifiable struggle. Joshua now saw the warrior's internal rulebook.
"K'Vash-9," Joshua said, his voice now confident, guided by the newly installed skill. "Forget small papers. The Terran concept of Great Wealth is not primitive. It is a complex, high-stakes form of ritualized combat and resource acquisition."
The warrior went utterly still. The four black eyes locked onto Joshua. This was a concept the K'Vash understood intrinsically.
"Explain this combat," K'Vash-9 demanded.
"Currency is the score," Joshua explained, the skill translating abstract finance into military strategy. "When you receive a paycheck, it is a Victory Mark for a week's labor. When you acquire this 'Great Wealth'—a piece of land, a business, or ownership of a major corporation—it is the accumulation of Trophies earned through superior strategy and execution in the economic conflict."
[CLIENT CORE NEED RE-CONTEXTUALIZED. ECONOMIC MISALIGNMENT INDEX: 45%. SSI INCREASED TO 55%.]
[TASK OBJECTIVE UPDATE: MINIMUM SSI 50% ACHIEVED. MANDATORY AUDIT THREAT CANCELED.]
[GOOD DEED ACHIEVED: CULTURAL BRIDGE ESTABLISHED. SP AWARDED: +15]
[CURRENT SP: 15]
Joshua leaned back, wiping sweat from his forehead. He had succeeded. He had 15 SP and had averted total disaster.
"I require a strategy," K'Vash-9 stated, his voice now imbued with a terrifying new zeal. "If the economy is the battleground, what is the fastest way to acquire the most Victory Marks?"
"That," Joshua said, picking up his pen, "is where we begin the next stage of your adjustment. We need to identify your optimal Conflict Zone."