In the Eastern Continent of Nahrin in the Dronning territories, within the wastelands of Malkinado, lay the remains of a destroyer-class spaceship, the Dominance, from the Unisys Empire.
No one on this planet would recognize the name of the Unisys Empire because that empire didn't exist here. Still, the 352-meter-long destroyer was firmly planted in the sandy soil of the wastelands. Smoke billowed from the ship in a few places. The ship would look dead, if not for the flashing lights and occasional speaker announcements.
Within the ship, an old man in ancient armor and robes sat on the remains of a support beam, pushing around the pieces of cooling embers. A little red poked out from time to time, and smoke billowed from within. Red alert lights spun, and occasional alerts rang out over the ship's speakers. It wasn't completely scrapped. A lot of the ship remained in good condition.
Near him, a man in his early thirties lay on the ground, his head was a little bloody, but the steady rise and fall of his chest showed he was still alive. After some time, the man's eyes blinked, and his hand came over his eyes, protecting them from the flashing lights.
"What…" he rolled over to his side, propping himself up with his elbow, "...what, what's going on?" He blinked his eyes like he had trouble seeing. He held his head and looked up again; his confusion receded as he seemed to understand something. "Did we crash? The black hole should have compressed us into a singularity. Damn Hangstonians!"
"You're awake, finally."
The man turned toward the voice, seeing the old man he was more confused than scared, "Who are you?"
"Rezqil Brightome," the old man nodded toward the confused man.
"You're not part of my crew?"
"I am not. You conveniently crashed your ship into this wasteland, freeing me from a nasty prison I was trapped in for a little over ten thousand years. In a word, you and the crew of this great ship are my saviours. Unfortunately, you seem to be the only survivor."
"The only survivor?"
"Yes, I'm sorry to tell you that you alone survived for some reason."
The man stood up and looked around, confused, "Where are the bodies?"
"Ah, I took the opportunity to move them to your storage warehouse. I'm not sure how you lay your dead to rest. It took me a little time to figure out how the artifacts on your ship worked, but it wasn't too difficult. It isn't the first time I have seen science artifacts," the old man commented.
"Science artifacts, I'm sorry, but could you tell me again who you are? You're a native of this world?"
"I am not. Like you, I came to this world, but I came over ten thousand years ago. It was the locals who locked me up. They seemed terrified of me, but I meant no harm. Anyway, I am anxious to return home. I've waited here, with you, to protect you until you could awaken. I also wanted to give you my thanks and reward you for freeing me."
The man stared at the old man, who smiled kindly at him.
"You haven't told me your name, young man; it's a bit rude," Brightome continued to smile.
He shook his head in surprise, "I'm sorry, that is rude. I am Carter Higgins. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Brightome."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Higgins," Brightome smiled.
"Is it alright to say that I'm a bit overwhelmed? Could I have a moment, please?"
"Of course, you've had quite a shock. Lost your ship, family, friends, and you've come to a strange place and met an old fossil like me. Please, have a seat," Brighthome brought Carter to the support beam he previously sat on and helped him settle.
Carter's face went blank for a while as he found a spot on the floor to stare at. Brightmore, for his part, wandered off looking around the storage area. It was filled with robots of many kinds.
There were human-shaped robots, animal-shaped ones, some looked like insects, and then there were countless numbers of them that had forms that resembled nothing in nature. The containers holding them were busted open, and some lay like the dead, while others were smashed apart.
One of the robots floated before Brightome, and with a flick of his finger, it completely disassembled. After spending a little time, he flicked his finger again, and the robot reassembled. It looked as if it hadn't been dismantled. Brightome allowed it to gently rest on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Carter's curious voice came from behind the old man.
"Feeling better?" Brightome asked.
"Not really, but there's nothing I can do about it, and I get the feeling you're ready to leave. Thank you for your patience, sir."
"Not at all, I understand how hard it is to lose people you care about, and all of this is a massive shock."
Carter gave a sad smile and looked at the ground again.
"I don't wish to be pushy, but I am anxious to get underway. I would like to thank you, even if it's only you who is left. You freed me from that prison, and it would have taken another twenty thousand years at minimum for me to break free. You have saved me a great deal of time. If you don't mind, I have already prepared some gifts for you," Brightome smiled.
"Sir, there's nothing to thank me for. I wasn't piloting the ship, and I can assure you that we did not intend to crash into this planet or free you. You owe me nothing."
"Not true, not true at all. I happen to believe that when we meet certain people, we create a kind of bond. That bond follows us through our lives, whether for good or bad. Bonds, however, create obligations, especially when someone has done something good for you. These bonds can be complications in your life.
Therefore, I like to create as few bonds as possible. I have a few select friends, and of course, my family. Beyond those bonds, I try to keep the book clean. Your accidental arrival has benefited me beyond measure. You are my benefactor, but I don't want a benefactor.
I would like to sever this bond, and that means I must reward you for your saving grace. I hope you will allow me to repay you?"
"To be clear, Mr. Brightome, I'm not really able to care about all of this right now. I might resist more if not for my current circumstances, but feel free to do as you please."
"Thank you, my sympathies, young man. I see that you like these Elektroika, uhr, robot things. According to your artifact spirit, you are seen as a genius in the field, a top mind. This is your Dao, and one of my rewards gives you a way to pursue your Dao beyond what your civilization thinks possible."
"What's an artifact spirit?" Carter was a little confused, "Are there ghosts on the ship?"
"No, not ghosts, the artifact spirit, the entity that talks with you. It lives in this ship," Brightome clearly couldn't express himself.
"Do you mean the ship's robotic interface?"
"Maybe, it sounds like a refined woman," Brightome smiled.
"You probably mean the Artificial Personality we use to interact with the ship through voice commands. It isn't a spirit."
"Oh, fine, nevertheless, it told me about you. It explained your dao to me."
"Dao?"
"Yes, your focus, the path you have chosen." Brightome was patient and kind, but the difference in culture was becoming tedious.
"Ok. Yes, I am very passionate about robots. I've loved them since childhood, and I hope to break the boundaries of what is possible with them. Unfortunately, I was so good with them that I was being sent to the frontlines to establish a robotics manufacturing and research facility. Why they would send a genius like me to the frontline, I don't know. Thanks to them, here I am," Carter huffed.
"I'm sorry to upset you, but I have purchased something for you that will help you complete your dao and fulfill your dreams. Are you interested?"
"Of course, anything that can help me break the bottleneck of modern robotics is very welcome."
"Good, then delivery should arrive soon."
"Delivery of wha--"
[Greetings, Carter Higgins, Razqil Brightome has gifted you with a premium one-of-a-kind robotics system. Would you like to download your gift?]
"A robotics system, yes, I would like to download it! Where are you? Mr. Brightome, can you identify the origin of this voice?"
"Only you can hear it, it's in your mind."
Carter looked confused for a moment, "What does it mean by download--"
[Download commencing. Neural interlocking initiated, download complete.]
Frozen in place, Carter could only stare forward. After a few minutes, Carter's face reanimated, and he moved.
"That was a unique experience…thank you?"
"Haha, not at all. Your other gift ought to arrive soon."
No sooner did Brightome speak than a box appeared before Carter's eyes, "What's this?"
"Open the box and find out," the old man smiled.
Carter did as ordered and opened it. Within, there was a gold disc about the size of his thumbnail. "What's this?"
"Aren't there instructions?" The old man laughed.
Checking the box, Carter found a small sheet explaining the item, "A Storage and Soul Protecting Artifact (SSPA) by Bes Industries?" Carter continued reading, "A multi-morphic artifact that changes its shape, color, and style with a thought. The four million cubic meters of space can store all manner of non-living items. Upgrade your SSPA storage device at anytime to store living creatures.
Your SSPA also comes with a soul protection and camouflage function. Protects your soul from anyone in the Unity Boundary level and below. For other questions, consult our help center."
Continuing to examine it, Carter gave Brightome a quick look, "Four million cubic meters of space?"
"Yes, enough to store your ship in, you shouldn't leave it lying about. Even with your ship, there's more than enough room to store other items."
"Why soul protection?" Carter curiously looked at the old man.
"You're a beginner in this world, and there are powers here that are capable of snuffing out your life with a thought. Just like that," he snapped his fingers, "they can destroy your soul. This will give you time to grow and avoid an early death. Your mortal body's still a problem."
"I am overwhelmed, thank you, Mr. Brightome."
"You'll need my help operating the storage disc. It uses spirit energy to store and retrieve objects. Once you put your things in it, you won't be able to access them again until you can use spirit energy.
The Hegemonic Robotic Ascension System (HRAS) comes with a gift package. Part of the package should help you with your spirit energy issue. You'll be accessing your storage disc on your own in no time," Brightome smiled.
"What do I need to do?"
"Have you spent much time in the system?"
"I didn't want to keep you waiting, so I briefly examined it."
"Very well, I doubt you understand the basics yet. In the interest of time, I'll explain a couple of important points.
First, you can use one robot of your choosing, for now. The system expects you to use it and not your already available tools to design your robots and use the materials of this world to build them. You'll receive missions to help you develop.
The robot you choose can and should be used as something that can protect you. If you want, it can be used as a transport as well, but its main purpose is for protection. I was looking around, and you have many fine robots, but this world isn't used to such things. If you could use one of the more animal-like robots and disguise it, you could use it as a mount. That would help you fit in.
Fitting in is the most important thing for you. Language, cultural information, and localized skills and knowledge are available for purchase. That's part of the starter package I got you.
Take a look at your system and pick out a robot. The system is interactive; it has its own artifact spirit. Right now is when you are the most vulnerable. You landed in a very dangerous world; every step must be taken with caution.
A serious and thoughtful scowl stretched over Carter's features. He immediately entered his system.
"I hope you can survive Carter. Worlds like this are hard for you, science types," Brightome watched as Carter's face became unfocused and his body froze. "I should tell him not to use the system openly. He'll get himself killed if he freezes like this."
The old man once again sat on the fallen support beam, waiting for Carter to finish his beginner process. With a wave of his hand, steak-like meat as big as him appeared from nowhere. He lit the dying fire and started roasting his dinner.