The next morning Mark wakes early. As the sound of the alarm on his comm-pad starts, he grabs the devise, and dismisses the alarm before the sound wakes his mother. He goes to the kitchen, and starts preparing breakfasts. With practice ease, He prepared a wheat porridge, eggs and bacon. His mother, woken by the smell goes to the kitchen.
"Mark, you made breakfast? Is the kitchen OK?" She said in a teasing tone while placing his jacket on the table.
"The kitchen is perfectly fine mom, I've done this before."
The woman looks at him with a penetrating look. "Since when?"she asked.
Realizing his blunder Mark answers quickly. "A friend taught me." While serving her meal.
"Anyway what did you decide to do? Are you quitting?" He inquired while serving his portion of the meal.
"Well even if I decide to leave, I can not do it right away, It will probably take a week or so" Mark contemplates the time line.
"That's cutting it too close" The man thinks to himself.
Guessing his thoughts, Mark's mother talks after swallowing a piece of bacon. "Mark take it easy, nothing is going to happen" She said trying to reassure him, but it had little effect.
"Anyway I already called in sick today, after drinks last night, My head is pounding, What are you going to do?" Rachel asked Mark while eating her porridge.
"Well, I still have 2 week off from the institute because of the founders festival, so I thought about going out and buying some stuff." He was thinking of buying something to protect his mother from toxic gas and a V.R. headset with a design suite software.
"Don't forget to buy clothes" His mother interrupted his thoughts.
"I know mom." Finishing his breakfast, Mark takes the dishes to the dish washer.
After cleaning the dishes Mark takes his jacket and goes to his room to changes his clothes. Using the same outfit of the night before, he leaves his room after getting dressed. His mother went back to sleep already, so he walks the door and exits the apartment.
Walking down the hallway he spots the teenage girl from last night. She waves at him and he waved back. The girl starts to giggle and and runs back to her apartment. Ignoring the event, he goes down the stairs and exits the building. Mark's destination, the commerce sector of Riggan's Point.
As a teenager Mark use to visit Riggan's point quite often. Sometimes spending the hole day window shopping and reuniting with his friends. The entire city sector was an enormous mall complex.
The lower levels, however, looked more like an oversize flea market. Shops were very close to each other and the hallways were full of kiosk selling every item imaginable. The upper and middle levels, had fancier stores and hallways were not as crowded. Some were still doted around, but in much less numbers.
There were sings everywhere. Neon sings and holographic projections littered the sky. Only the Sky-car lanes were spared by the congestion of advertisement.
Once he gets down from the Sky-cab Mark makes a beeline for a military surplus store. It was located on the middle levels. Reaching the entrance of the shop, he pressed the doorbell. Most shops on the middle and lower floors had to control the access because of people grabbing stuff and running. With a buzzing sound Mark was let in at the shop. He started browsing the isles, looking at the merchandise, but unable to find was he was looking for. The young man decides to talk to the clerk.
He moves to the back of the shop where the checkout counter is located. A gristle old man sat behind the counter. He had a mechanical right arm that looked thin and out of proportion with the rest of his body. A large gray and black beard covered most of his face. Ceiling lights reflected on the old man's bald and shinny head. He was holding a comm-pad in his massive left arm, his good arm. The arm was covered in tattoos and Muscle. Military tattoos hinted at the mans background. His brown eyes reflected the light from the comm-pad screen. Sounds of cheering and metal clashing got louder as Mark got close.
"Excuse me sir can you help me" Mark asks the man.
Without taking his view off the comm-pad, the man replies. "What can I do you for kid?"
Mark gets closer to the counter and asks "Do you sell gas masks here?"
Surprised by the request the older man looks at Mark with a penetrating gaze. "Now what do you want gas masks for?"
Not intimidated by the older mans tone Mark answers "Its not for me its for my mother."
The old man stands up from the chair, he was about a head taller than Mark and he looked angry. "Now why would your mother need a thing like that, and why would send you to get it?" said the man placing his thick left arm covered on tattoos on the counter.
"She does not know I'm buying this. I'm only buying it out of concern" Mark said while meeting the older man's gaze with determination.
The man calms down a little, "look kid gas masks are regulated by law, even if I had them on stock which I don't, I could not sell them to you." the older man thinks for a moment. "why do you want to give a gas mask to your mother?"
Mark decides to explain "My mom works on an electronics factory, but the place is a dump. Her employers cut corners all the time. The other day I heard about an accident involving harmful gases and I got worried, I just want to find a way to keep her save."
The older man sits back in his chair. "Hey I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. Last week a few kids were here asking for the same thing. Turns out the low lives from the gangs use the gas mask for their illegal labs."
"Illegal labs?" Mark asks back.
"Yeah its where they make the drugs they sell." he explained.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a crowd Cheering. The man looks down to his comm-pad side. "Dam! I miss that."
Interested by what the man is watching, Mark asks the man about the commotion. "What was that?"
The big guy grabbed his comm-pad from behind the counter place it front of the teen and projected a holographic view of the video. Two mechs were fighting with swords and shields. "Its the royal knights cup. An A.M.S. event, its actually a recording, the real cup happened last night.
"Nice! Mark exclaims, with youthful enthusiasm. "I also play A.M.S. In fact I'm actually studying to design mechs.
The man looks at Mark. "You don't say" the big guy remarked.
"Yes I'm planning to sell the blueprints I will design."
The big guy pauses the video and looks at Mark "Boy, you don't want to do that."
"Why?"Looking a bit confused Mark asked.
"The sad truth about the mech industry is that around 95% of all the Mech designs never see the light of day. Most designers that open purely design studios go bankrupt in the first 2 years,"
Looking a bit distraught Mark decides to ask for advice. "What should I do then?"
The older man Stays silent for a few moments, with measured words he answers. " Look kid, In my opinion the best thing you can do now is fabricate your own mechs. Don't get me wrong, this is impossible for you right now. But what you can do is open a creators account in A.M.S."
The man points to his comm-pad. " I can name you at least eight or nine successful Mech companies that started this way. Even then, success is not certain, A.M.S. Is a battlefield in more ways than one and the creators ammunition is their reputation."
Mark thinks to himself. "How could I overlook this. I have no fabrication skills"
The old guy looking at Mark and guessing his thoughts suggests " Say, why don't you make a creators account and buy the older versions of Mechs, take them apart and reassemble them. Its a great way to learn. Also, there is a market for cheap variants of older Mechs. That Way you can cut your teeth on Mech fabrication and gain some money on the side." The man then looks quietly at Mark expecting his reaction.
With a new direction Mark face lights up. "Yeah That's what I'm going to do, Thank you for your advice." Mark stays silent for a moment. "Well what can I do for my other problem?"
The big guy scratches his beard for a moment. "Look what you can do is go to the sport shop at the other end of the promenade. Ask for a T-32 spelunking mask. ...Its a civilian grade, But it will work like a charm. Tell them you want to explore some caves as a hobby or something."
"But will it work?" Mark asks.
"Yeah, Its pretty much the same deal, but since its civilian grade nobody will bat an eyelash"
The big guy answered.
Glad that he was able to get a solution for his problem Mark decides to buy a few stuff at the shop an turns to browse.
The man behind the counter take a look at his jacket. "Hey where did you get that jacket?"
Looking back at the man Mark answers. "It belonged to my grandfather, It was wasting away in a box so I decided to use it."
With surprise in his eyes the big guy looks at Mark. "Whats your grandfather's name?"
"My grandfather is Bartholomew Kain, but everybody calls him Bart." The young man answered.
"I'll be damned" exclaimed the man behind the counter. "Your grandfather and I go way back, he even saved my life during the war" The big guy said with nostalgic eyes. "Wait, that means ...Is your mother Rachel?"
Realizing he had stumbled into a friend of his grandfather mark answers. "Yes she is. But she goes by Rachel Warren now."
After 2 hours of shopping and catching up Mark leaves the military surplus store. He decided to have his purchases delivered to the apartment. The young man with a new direction, heads for the sport shop as instructed.
The spelunking mask was exactly what Jack Reed, the owner of the military surplus store described. It worked by filtering the oxygen with an active carbon filter, the filter came inside a cartridge that could be swapped after it was spent. Mark bought an entire case of replacements. He paid for same day delivery to his mother's apartment.
After securing a way to keep his mother safe, Mark sat on a bench eating a few meat skewers he bought on a kiosk nearby. " System, open the skills tab." With a swiping motion he started to browse the skills available. " Here it is, Fabrication. I better buy 3 levels of it, that is 12,000TP down the hatch. I'm going to buy the 3d printer proficiency field skill, I will get 3 levels for 6000TP. Also Assembly again with 3 Levels. That's 24,000TP for everything." the customary pale blue screen projects with an accurate count. "Your remaining balance is 69,869TP, your current bank balance is 0tp."
This time, Mark notices a red dot blinking in the upper corner of the projected screen. "What is this?" he asked while taping on it. A red screen projects instead of the usual blue screen.
" System request: Due to the events that happen recently, the System has suffer critical damages. System requires raw materials to perform repairs User's assistance is required. Once the system request is completed, User will receive the following rewards: one system ability: Scan, one feat: user's choice."
Mark looks at the screen with interest " I accept System, What do you need?" a second red screen projects " The requested Items will be highlighted on the users vision with a red glow"
"Lets do this" Mark said while finishing his meat skewers. He started looking around trying tho see if anything glowed, but he was not able to spot anything. Mark then decides to go to the lower levels to see what he could find. As soon as the lift doors opened he was able to see various red glowing items.
He arrives at a kiosk with a glowing Mech model, Mark points to the action figure "how much?" he asked the vendor.
" I'm asking 150 L-credits for that, Its limited edition"
Mark looks at the figurine "This is worth around 80 L- Credits, what do you take me for?"
The vendor looks at mark and smiles. "OK kid how about 120?"
Mark replies "95"
The vendor looking a bit more serious counters with another proposal "110 and I'll throw in the original packaging"
Mark looks at the guy once more "Done" satisfied Mark pays the vendor and gets the figurine inside the original packing.
"I will need a hover box." the young man said to himself.
While buying a metallic box to carry his stuff, a blue screens projects in front of him. "Why is there a need to barter? User has sufficient funds."
Mark looks at the screen with a bit of confusion "If I were to pay their prize without question the people here will take advantage of me. While I have sufficient funds, It will be wise to not spend unnecessarily." Mark puts the encased action figure on the box, and starts to walk, the box hovers behind him.
The second object is a comm-pad, It looked older than the one Mark had. he goes to the vendor, an older woman. "How much for this old comm-pad."
" That there is a good find young man. It might be an older model but it has magnetic coating, they don't make them like these anymore, I'm asking for 60 L-credits."
"That's fair" Mark replies handing the woman the money. He puts the comm-pad in the box and keeps on walking.
The third Item he spots is a vintage video game console, After a bit of haggling He bought it for 120 L-credits and got a few video games with it. The fourth and fifth Items were on the same kiosk two rocks of different colors. Mark's Haggling ability met his match with the owner of this kiosk. In the end he walked away with the rocks but with 300 L-credits less.
He sits at a bench near the corner of a busy street. Well System is that all?
The red screen projects in front of mark. " User has requested items, would user like to submit the items in question?"
"Yes system I submit the items."
All of the items disappear in a pale blue light leaving the box empty.
"Wait what about the stuff you did not need like the packaging or the game cartridges?"
The red screen projects again "Request have been completed, system rebooting and applying repairs. System will be offline for eight hours.
"Great, What now" as if on cue Mark's comm-pad rings. The Id caller read Steve. Mark answered the call. "Hey Steve whats up."
"Hey Marksman what are you doing?"
Mark smiles, hearing the way his friend Steve use to call him, it gave him another rush of nostalgia. "Nothing much, I'm doing some shopping here in Riggans Point." He can hear Steve's laughter on the other side.
" No way man, we are here two, me and Alex are in front of The Pit Want to join us?"
Mark smiles, Well I have to do some shopping, Why don't you two meet me on the middle levels in front of the sweets place"
A sudden silence can be heard from the other side. "Marksman you did not called Tina's Sweets that sweets place. Say the name, SAY THE NAME!"
Mark chuckles. "Tina's Sweets" he answered.
"YEAH BABY!, well met you there." Steve ends the call soon after.
Nostalgic feelings kept pouring over him. "Its been ages since I've seen them." Mark thought to himself. With total recall he was able to remember their good times. Playing at The Pit, eating at Tina's Sweet shop and hanging around. How they helped him after his mother died. The support they gave him was crucial to help Mark move on. Tears started to swell in his eyes
But then it came, the backslash of total recall. Two memories flashed in his mind. The first one, was of his old self kneeling next to the body of a teenage boy shirtless. His skinny arms were pushing down on the shirt he had use to cover a wound on the teens head. Desperation visible on his Face.
He remembers the people screaming and running. Some were running towards him and the teen in the floor. Other were running to catch the culprit who was getting away. It was nothing short of cruel the way Mark was able to recall the event. His feeling of impotence, his worry, even the smell of his friends blood.
The second memory hit him harder. He was using a crowbar to force a mech cockpit open. The flying machine had crash landed in the middle of an empty lot. As the man successfully opens the cockpit he finds a chilling sight. The pilot inside had been impaled. Blood was all over the blue pilot suit and the cockpit.
With resignation Mark took the pilot's helmet off. Inside a mass of black hair and blood covering the pilots face. With his hand he cleared the hair revealing an angelic face, The bright blue and purple eyes of the young woman move to look at him, there was some life in her. With the last of her strength, she pulled him close and planted a kiss unto his lips. Mark was able to feel her last breath as the young woman's life faded away.
In the distance, Berant city was burning. Beams of light and balls of plasma falling from the sky. Between the death of his friend, and the bombardment of his city, the man's heart filled with a feeling of despair and Powerlessness.
Mark shake his head, he was trying miserably to hush the memories. As he looks around, the young man sees that people are staring. Realizing his face is full of tears, Mark uses the cuff of his jacket to clean his face. "Maybe if I can change my moms fate, I can change theirs too." These thoughts raced in his mind.
The sing for Tina's Sweet Shop could be seen in the distance. The young man decided to wait for his friends on the park benches in front of the shop.