Chris had hit 'Send' on his reply, a polite and terrifyingly professional "Thank you for the opportunity. I am available to meet at your convenience," and had immediately felt a cold, heavy dread settle in his stomach. He had a job interview. A real one. With a real company. He would have to put on more professional pants.
He turned his attention back to [RML for Retards - Final Exam] quest.
He knew the key to stopping the Mayor's corrupt "Gateway Initiative" lay in creating custom scripts, but his last attempt at original scripting had resulted in a thirty-minute time-out from the cosmic hall monitor and a formal citation on his permanent record. He was a Reality Architect who was, it turned out, not very good at reality architecture.
He opened the [Scripting] menu. The intimidating [Command Console] appeared, a simple black window with a single, pulsing white cursor, a blinking eye waiting patiently for him to make his next mistake. He felt a mixture of dread and determination. He had to do this.
He took a deep breath. His goal was to create a pen that was imbued with truthfulness. His next attempt was a simple, hopeful command, treating the console like a crafting menu in a game.
create_item(pen_of_honesty)
He mentally hit [EXECUTE]. The console returned an instant red error message.
[ERROR: Blueprint "pen_of_honesty" not found in User's known blueprints.]
Of course. It wasn't that easy. He couldn't just pop a magical item into existence. He focused back on the cheap, blue Bic pen he had been using as the target of his repeated failures.
What followed was a frustrating, multi-hour stretch of trial and error, a grueling debug session with the universe itself. He spent hours typing commands directly into the live console, each attempt failing for a new, creative, and infuriating reason.
He tried to add a property directly, a logical first step.
var pen = get_object_by_id("pen_bic_blue_01")
pen.add_property("Honesty")
[ERROR: 'Honesty' is not a valid property type for object class 'Writing_Implement'. Valid properties are physical attributes such as: 'Color', 'Material', 'Mass', 'Ink_Level'.]
The System's helpful suggestion felt like a sarcastic jab. He didn't want to change the pen's color; he wanted to change the effect on the pen's user.
He remembered Richard's advice. It wasn't a property; maybe it was a buff or a debuff. A status effect. He tried to apply a buff directly.
var pen = get_object_by_id("pen_bic_blue_01")
pen.apply_buff("Truthfulness")
[ERROR: 'apply_buff()' is a locked function. Access Denied.]
He was locked out. He didn't have the right class or the right rank to just apply any conceptual buff through a script. He was a Level 8 Arbiter, but the System was telling him he was still just a Tier 1 peon. He was trying to cast a high-level spell with a low-level character.
His frustration mounted. Each failed command taught him a tiny, infuriating new piece of the System's rigid, literal-minded logic, but it left him no closer to a solution.
He was on the verge of giving up, of just closing the console and letting the Mayor build his corrupt shopping mall, when he remembered the second half of his support network's advice. Jessica's logic. "You have to define the object's class and properties first before you can apply a method to it."
The advice clicked in his mind. He couldn't add a permanent property. He couldn't apply a pre-written buff. But maybe… maybe he could create a new, temporary state for the object. He wasn't enchanting the pen. He was imbuing it.
He searched his [System Functions Library] list, the long, complex menu of functions and commands he had only just begun to explore. And there it was. A function he had unlocked sometime since he had first chose his class, a function he hadn't even understood until now: imbue_object().
He returned to the [Command Console]. He wasn't just guessing anymore. He had a plan. He took a moment to calm down, to think. He wasn't quite as frustrated anymore.
He began to type, drawing on what he had learned from his failures, from his friends, and from the System's own infuriating logic.
script.run(imbue_object, target: get_object_by_id("pen_bic_blue_01"), concept: "Unwavering Honesty", duration: 24_hours)
He defined the pen on his desk as the target object. He specified the abstract concept he wanted to imbue it with. He set a temporary duration.
He held his breath and hit [EXECUTE].
The console returned a single, beautiful, and deeply satisfying message.
[Script Compiled and Executed Successfully. 1 object affected.]
[New Item Created in User's Inventory: [Pen of Unwavering Honesty (Temporary)]]
[Save this script as a new function? [Y/N]]
He let out a long, slow breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He had done it.
He chose Y, a triumphant, mental click.
[New Function Name:]
He named his new, custom-written spell.
[Function: Imbue Item – Truthfulness]
The quest log flashed with a brilliant, white light.
[Quest Complete! 500 XP Awarded!]
[Ability Unlocked: [Independent Scripting (Basic)]]
He had the quest complete! He had the knowledge. And he had a magic item to confront Mayor Bob.