Ravensdagger_Kittypunk_Cyberpunk_Kitrpg

Chapter Forty-Six — Techie

Chapter Forty-Six — Techie As soon as we crossed the wide ditch behind the warehouse to use the shrubbery Sharp and I were both hit with a couple of notifications. I couldn't see her own, obviously, but that didn't stop me from knowing that she'd received something. Her gasp, in time with my own pop-up, was an easy enough tell.Tech Has Levelled Up!Tech 2 3Cool Has Levelled Up!Cool 1 2Two level ups at the same time. I considered it for a moment, but they kind of made sense. Tech likely came from the creation of those Molotovs. That had required some technical knowledge and a bit of research. It didn't surprise me that creating tools of the trade fell into the broad categorization of 'Tech' as a skill.The Cool level up was less expected. Perhaps that had come as a reward for keeping calm? Or just giving Sharp instructions."What did you receive, as far as levels?" I asked."Body went up to four," Sharp said.Reasonable. She'd been training physically a fair bit lately. It seemed like whatever system governed things generally rewarded novel experiences more than constant practice, though we had determined that practice would pay out eventually as well, it just took significantly longer."And tech went up to five!" Sharp squealed. "Ohhh, that's a lot of options."Another skill hitting the perk threshold! Actually, that was her second, confirming that skills needed to hit level five to unlock a perk.I was worried that there might be something like an incremental gain system, where each subsequent skill-up would require more effort. Maybe only unlocking the second perk as a skill hit six, then seven, and so on. But no, it seemed as though things were a little more reasonable."Let's make it back home first. This isn't actually a mission-accomplished until we're safe and the money is in our account.""Right," Sharp said. She scooped me up, then we quickly made our way out of the area while the warehouse went up in flames behind us. I could see the shadowy forms of the gangsters we'd left behind trying their best to put out the fire with waving coats, but it was already too great for them to control. I imagined that firefighters would be showing up soon. I doubted that the gang could afford that kind of service, but some of the other buildings nearby might have fire-insurance on tap."Let's get home," I said.Of course, we didn't just take a taxi from there. That would have been foolish. Instead we walked for some ways, took an auto-taxi from the industrial area towards home, then got off a town away. From there, Sharp and I both changed clothes and I hid in her coat as she took a night bus to the town I was from then we took a second auto-taxi from another provider to get home.I could tell that Sharp was basically shaking to start poking at her perks, but we held off. First, we had to reassure the cats that we were back, then feed them, cook something up for ourselves (I barely trusted Sharp to microwave things, so I kept an eye on her as she cooked) and finally, once all that was done, I insisted on a shower and a change into something more comfortable.I think if I pushed it back any more than that, however, Sharp was going to explode."Alright," I said as I sat down across from Sharp. "How many options are we working with, here?""Uhm twenty-one," Sharp said. "There's a lot more, but they're greyed-out."So, similar to my Cat options. Actually, there were fewer of them, but maybe that was because Tech relied more on previous experience? I wasn't sure. "Okay, well, list them out."Sharp started to rattle out the options, and I quickly stopped her and had her write them out instead. I had a decent memory, but not for twenty-plus distinct names.

Adaptive Oracle

DaemonF0rge

Patchwork Guru

Aegis Sight

Digital Cloak

Phantom in the Shell

Assembly Storm

Energy Efficient

Pockets

Athena's Shield

Elysiumian

Rust Whisperer

Black Ice Breaker

Failsafe

Scrap Alchemist

Chimera Modder

Mechwright's Grace

Signal Spike

Chronos' Custodian

Panoptic

Snow Crasher

I took a deep breath as I scanned through the completed list. "Some of these sound like they have potential," I said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it."They sound awesome!" Sharp said with obvious, giddy energy. "I'm gonna be so cool. I want that Daemon one!""Let's take this one step at a time," I suggested. "Do you mind writing out what they do? Then mark out those that interest you the most." I didn't have the right to tell her which ability to pick, that was to be her choice, but that didn't mean I couldn't guide her a little, or try to.Sharp nodded quickly and started to scratch down the information she had on the first few skills.Adaptive OraclePrescience in programming. Understand the impacts and affects of any program as they are being modified.I... didn't know enough about programming to tell if that was good, but any sort of prescience seemed good to me. We didn't do much programming, however. Honestly, this seemed like a somewhat underwhelming start, which led me to suspect that this was stronger than it looked from its description alone.Aegis SightTo defend requires sight. See into ranges beyond human limits. Heat and electrical energy become visible.Thermal and some sort of electrical vision? That was interesting. It was definitely beyond what any normal human could do unaugmented... but there were cybernetic eyes that could do this. I was loathed to encourage Sharp to pick up a perk that could be replaced by a pair of expensive but available eyes.Assembly StormAssemble pre-designed devices and equipment in a storm. Become a whirlwind of creation.How literal was that? It could be useful, in specific situations.Athena's ShieldCreate a temporary barrier.Alright. That description was sparse, but still intriguing. The fact that it used the name of a historical, mythological goddess didn't go amiss.Black Ice BreakerHack and break through even the most toughened and dangerous of counter-intrusion software. As subtle as a shot to the face, but just as unstoppable.If Sharp was a hacker, then this would be a good choice. Too many of them got caught up in some unfamiliar corporate black ice and got themselves killed."Anything jumping out at you so far?" I asked."That shield one, maybe? I'll put a little star next to it! I think it could be cool, like magic!"I supposed. Thought this wasn't the Magic perk, so was it technological?"This one's neat," Sharp said as she bent down and wrote down another.Chimera ModderGain an instinctual understanding of the tech and biology of anything you've killed. Add these modifications to your own tech. Become a fusion of form and function.That did sound potent. We'd need to experiment with the definition of 'kill' there, but if I was reading it correctly, this was a perk that would let Sharp gain knowledge on how to make things as long as she destroyed those things first. That, and knowledge of how to combine what she knew together.That was a lot of potential, though all locked away behind having to kill. I could live with that.Sharp hummed, made a little star next to that one, then moved on to write the next.Chronos' CustodianTime moves on, but not evenly. The life of devices you use are prolonged. Bend time to slow decay.Literal time magic. Or tech so far gone it was a moot point. That was incredible... only it seemed extremely limited in scope."Oh, I like this one too!" Sharp said.DaemonF0rgePr0gr@m @ h0st 0ƒ l0y@l min!0ns w!th !nst!nct!v€ 3@$€ t0 c@rr¥ 0ut ¥0ur d@rk d€s!r€s!"Is it... actually written out like that?" I asked."Yup! I'm putting a star next to this one too!"Digital CloakFading circuits hum,Whispers lost in silent waves,Shadows drift unseen.Okay, so this one was a poem. Great. I suspected that this meant that Sharp's digital signature would be hidden and confused, but I couldn't be certain when the description was a damned haiku.Energy EfficientYou use less energy to accomplish the same tasks.How very vague. "You might want to star that one too. It doesn't specify just electrical energy. It could also mean metabolic, and if so, that's a useful side benefit.""Okay, but we're only halfway through!""We have all night," I assured her. "Let's settle in and check the rest, then we can sleep on which one to pick."I had to admit, Sharp's growing impatience was amusing.

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Chapter Forty-Seven — Pick

Chapter Forty-Seven — Pick Sharp wrote down the next few perks to pick from with the speed borne of someone who desperately wanted to get something done now. I think she was genuinely worried I'd send her to bed without picking anything if we weren't fast enough.Of course, I wouldn't actually do that. She'd get her time to pick tonight. It wasn't like she needed a bedtime."Okay," Sharp said. "I wrote down the rest at the end of that row. Check these out."I sat up straighter as she set a page down in front of me.ElysiumianAll things have an afterlife, even the digital. Gain Lesser Authority over the electronic dead.Lesser Authority? The capitalization suggested that was a proper thing but I had very few ideas what that could mean. The rest was only mildly concerning. I suspected this would give Sharp control of sorts over broken electronics. Maybe easier access to deleted files. This bordered on the magical.Mechwright's GraceWhen building mechanical devices you move with grace and efficiency. Learn with the ease of the truly talented.That was just good. Sure, it didn't sound magical, but... well, I had opinions about 'talent' as a concept, but I could acknowledge that it existed, and gaining talent for building things was impressive, the added grace and efficiency was a fantastic bonus. If Sharp wanted to switch track from Edgerunner to mechanic, this would be a no-brainer, something to give her a constant boost until she gained another perk.PanopticInstantly understand the entirety of any system one interfaces with. Beware the bite of knowing.I worked my little kitty jaw. No. Too risky. It would be fantastic if Sharp were connecting to far older systems. Understanding old Dos-based things in their entirety would be impressive, but not impossible. Written down, they only took up as many pages as a small town library.A modern system? Suddenly understanding several terabytes of raw information couldn't be healthy.If she interfaced with the internet? There were parts of the internet that were literally magical nowadays, and some deep, dark areas that were cursed.No, this would straight up fry Sharp's brain.It might also... not, but I wasn't going to let her take that risk. Fortunately, she hadn't starred that one."Do any of these three jump out to you?" I asked."The Mechanical one is kinda neat. A bit boring though," Sharp said.I considered it. "Star it. It's a valuable skill, even if it doesn't satisfy your flashy urges."Sharp nodded, took the page, and made a cutesy little star next to Mechwright's Grace. "Here, look at these four in the meantime!"I had another page placed before me with more text on it.Pathwork GuruIf it works it ain't broke! Tape, glue, lubricate and patch! It will work.I hummed. A sort of temporary repair skill? Or maybe not so temporary? The thing was, fixing something required knowledge on what was broken, exactly, and how to make that thing continue to function. Would this grant knowledge, or just let Sharp smack things into working for a little while longer? It wasn't bad in either case, just situational.I didn't go into the field with gear liable to break, and if something could, then I brought backups.If a gun jammed on me at the range a few times, then I'd buy another, better, gun. Needing to patch and fix things on the move was a terrible situation to be in.Phantom in the ShellBecome invisible.Well... okay. That was... good. No notes. Sharp had put a star on that one already.PocketsNow... where did I put that... ah, here it is! The tool I need is always in my pocket!This one switched to first person, which was concerning, but it was also obscenely strong. "Sharp, out a star on this one too," I said as I patted it with a paw."Huh? Okay?"Rust WhispererYou can hear the tale of failure. That which is no longer extant in life speaks to you.Strangely worded, in a way that I found slightly concerning, and with no redeeming quality, at least not compared to other skills."Do you have the others?" I asked."Yup, last three," Sharp said as she finished writing the final line and set the page down. She started to spread them all out.I should have used cue cards for this.Scrap AlchemistWeave gold from straw. Gain an innate understanding of chemistry and a talent for the alchemical arts using common, everyday items and reagents.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.That was a good one. I wasn't deeply familiar with magic, but alchemy was one of those strange branches that I'd heard about here and there. I'd even purchased some things for a few jobs. Acids that worked impossibly fast, rapid cures for some ailments, potions that could temporarily make one seem more youthful...Signal SpikeJack up that signal! Temporarily make signals significantly stronger. Know your com codes!Very niche. It could be useful for information gathering, but this was a problem that could be solved with some money. Likely not worth it.Snow CrasherGet good at music, movies, microcode and high-speed pizza delivery.That.. okay, this could be good, depending on what 'get good' meant. Did it mean gain a talent for it? Three out of those four were actually useful. Music for timing and dexterity, microcode was just software, which was never too lost, and being good at high-speed deliveries was just handy for traversal.I didn't know what being good at movies would help with."That one looks good, yeah, but I think a few before it were better, and it feels like we've starred too many already.""Fair point," I said. "What are the options that stood out?"Sharp wrote down seven options on a new page. "Athena's Shield, that's the one that would give me a shield. Chimera Modder, a bit icky but I'd be able to make stuff based on things I kill. DaemonF0rge, which I really like! It lets you make... uh, stuff? I think those are programs, right?""Hostile programs, yes," I said. "Like AI. the stupid sort, not an AGI, but a digital intelligence.""Neat! And then Energy Efficient, to use less energy doing stuff. Mechwright's Grace, for getting a talent at making things and being good at it. Phantom in the Shell, which turns me invisible, and... Pockets.""You can only pick one, so let's start eliminating. Do any of them stand out as weaker than the rest?""Energy Efficient sounds a bit lame," Sharp said. "Like, no, it's cool, but not that cool?""Fair enough," I said. "Scratch it off the list. Any others?"Sharp winced. "Athena's Shield?"I nodded. That was fair as well. It would probably be very situational."And Pockets. I don't know why you wanted to star that one."There I disagreed with her. "What is a tool?" I asked. "Because in the Edgerunner trade, weapons are tools. Lockpicks, scanners, timepieces, explosives, detonators, and probably a dozen other items that don't come to mind immediately.""Oh," Sharp said. She looked down at the list again. "Okay, I guess it can stay for now. Uh... Mechwright's Grace? I mean, it's cool, and useful, but also maybe not something an Edgerunner would need?"I liked it, and would have it on my own shortlist, but I could see where she was coming from. "Fine, nix that one as well. That leaves four.""I think... Chimera Modder is kind of gross," Sharp said.""You do?" I asked. I supposed that I was a little more comfortable with the general idea around killing something for gain than Sharp was. It would take some time for her to come around and see life as a bit more... transactional. "Okay. I can see it having lots of potential, but maybe it'll come up again later.""Yeah," Sharp said.Too bad. It was the kind of skill that would be best to start with early, but that was fine."So... Pockets, which does sound kinda handy but also a bit... lame? Phantom in the Shell, and DaemonF0rge.""I'd take Pockets in your place. I think you're underestimating its usefulness. On our last job, we had to go out to buy tools for all sorts of things. Imagine if we could skip that entire investment.""I guess. But DaemonF0rge! That's so cool!""We don't have any of the material or equipment to get you started with coding. And no, you can't start Netrunning from my house. Do you have any idea how often low-level Netrunners get swatted by their competition, or bagged by corporations?" I'd been hired to do just that a few times."Aww... but... oh, fine. Phantom in the Shell?""Can't argue that invisibility isn't useful," I said plainly.Sharp hesitated, then she thumped her feet repeatedly against the carpet like a petulant child. She scrunched her face up, waddled left and right, and then... "There!" she cried."You picked?" I asked."Yup! At random!"I closed my eyes. This... this idiot. "What did you even get?" I asked.Sharp grinned, then reached into a pocket, rooted around, and pulled out a fork. "Oh, this is gonna be neat!"

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