[Location: The Eastern Continent - The Rust Belt]
[Atmosphere: Toxic Smog (Poison Damage: 5/sec)]
The sky wasn't blue here. It was the color of old motor oil.
The HMS Profit Margin cruised low over the wasteland. Below us, mountains of scrap metal stretched to the horizon.
"This place is disgusting," Sylvia coughed, waving away the smoke. "How do people live here?"
"They don't live," I said, checking the sensors. "They Function."
This was the Gearwork Empire. A nation ruled by the Cult of the Machine. They rejected flesh. They rejected magic. They worshipped the Grand Logic Core.
"We are approaching the border," I announced.
Ahead of us loomed the Iron Curtain.
It wasn't a metaphor. It was a literal wall of spinning gears, tesla coils, and steam cannons, reaching 500 feet into the smog.
[System Warning]
[Entering Restricted Airspace.]
[Identity Scan Initiated.]
A red laser swept over the ship.
BEEP.
[Unknown Vessel Detected.]
[Magic Signatures Detected (Heretical).]
[Threat Level: Extermination.]
"They're locking on," Ahri said, her ears flattening. "I sense... lightning."
The Tesla Coils on the wall began to hum. Blue electricity crackled, charging up a voltage that could fry a dragon.
"Glacies," I radioed the dragon (who was flying escort). "Back off. You're a big lightning rod."
"WITH PLEASURE. I HATE STATIC."
The dragon peeled off into the clouds.
"Master," Sylvia gripped the railing. "Should I raise the Ice Barrier?"
"Ice conducts electricity, genius," I sighed. "No."
I walked to the bow.
"I'm going to make a phone call."
I pulled out my Black Gold Card (The Necromancer Credit Card).
"Wait," Seraphina blinked. "You said that card only works in the North!"
"True," I grinned. "But the chip inside it?"
I tapped the card.
"It uses Techno-Magic. The same protocol the Gearworks use."
I held the card up to the scanning laser.
"System Override. [Packet Injection]."
I didn't hack the wall to open. That would trigger an alarm.
I hacked the Billing Department.
[Target: Border Defense Grid.]
[Action: Change 'Hostile' to 'VIP Customer'.]
[Payment Method: Infinite Credit (Fraud).]
The laser turned from Red to Green.
[Identity Confirmed: High-Yield Investor.]
[Welcome, Platinum User.]
The massive gears groaned. The wall split open.
"We're in," I said.
——————————————————————————————————————————
[The City of Cogs - Sector 7]
We landed on a steel platform suspended over the city.
The city was a vertical nightmare of neon lights, steam pipes, and moving walkways. Cyborgs walked the streets; half-human, half-clockwork.
"Don't stare," I warned the girls. "They consider organic eyes 'primitive'."
We walked into a bar called The Leaking Valve.
It smelled like grease and depression.
I sat at the bar. The bartender was a robot with a mustache painted on.
"What can I get you, meat-bag?" it beeped.
"Information," I said.
I slammed a Mana Crystal on the counter.
In this country, Mana Crystals were illegal contraband. They used Steam Batteries.
The robot's optical sensors widened (zoomed in).
"Illegal fuel," the robot whispered (lowered volume). "You looking to get scrapped?"
"I'm looking for a mechanic," I said.
"I need someone who can work on Ancient Tech."
"Go to the Corporate Sector," the robot wiped the glass. "Ask for the Iron Hands."
"No," I shook my head. "Corporates play by the rules. I need a criminal."
"I need Sparky."
The robot froze.
"The Mad Tinker? He lives in the Scrapyard. Sector Zero. But nobody goes there. The Scrap Golems eat people."
"Perfect."
I slid the crystal across the bar.
"Keep the change. Buy yourself some personality."
——————————————————————————————————————————
[Sector Zero - The Scrapyard]
We waded through piles of junk.
Ahri kicked a rusty toaster. "Why are we here, Master? We have gold. We could hire the best."
"The 'best' are constrained by safety regulations," I explained. "I want to put an Interstellar Drive on a wooden ship. That requires insanity."
CLANK. CLANK.
A massive shape rose from the junk pile.
[Monster: Scrap Colossus]
[Level: 40]
[Type: Construct]
It was made of crushed cars and hatred.
"Intruders..." it ground out. "Recycle... Recycle..."
"Sylvia," I pointed. "It's weak to Cold. Metal gets brittle."
"Finally!" Sylvia cheered.
[Skill: Flash Freeze.]
She blasted the Colossus. The metal groaned and snapped.
I dashed in. Soul-Eater's Fang.
I slashed the joints.
CRASH.
The Colossus fell apart.
[Loot: Rare Gear x5, Copper Wire.]
"We're close," I said.
We reached a small shack made of jet engine parts.
I knocked.
"Go away! I'm making a toaster that feels love!" a high-pitched voice screamed.
"I have Aether," I shouted.
Silence.
The door flew open.
Standing there was a Gnome. He wore six pairs of goggles. His left arm was a robotic claw. His hair was exploding.
[NPC: Sparky (The Mad Tinker)]
[Class: Technomancer.]
[Status: Wanted for blowing up a moon.]
"Aether?" Sparky drooled. "Pure Aether? Let me see! Let me sniff it!"
I held up a vial.
"I need an upgrade, Sparky."
"For what? A gun? A arm? A wife?"
"For a Ship."
I pointed up at the Profit Margin hovering above.
"I want you to install a Void Engine."
Sparky looked at the ship. He looked at the vial. He did some calculations on his robotic arm.
"Impossible. The hull structure is bone. The torque would shatter it. You'd need Adamantite Plating."
"I have Adamantite," I said. (I stole it from the Northern Mines).
"You'd need a Quantum Core."
"I have a Void Ring," I showed him. "We can use it as a stabilizer."
Sparky began to vibrate.
"This... this is dangerous. Unethical. Suicidal."
He grinned, revealing metal teeth.
"When do we start?"
——————————————————————————————————————————
[The Garage Montage]
For the next three days, we didn't sleep.
We worked.
[Quest: Pimp My Ride (Part 2).]
I summoned my Shadow Slaves (The undead liches). They acted as forklifts, carrying heavy metal plates.
Sparky was a whirlwind. He stripped the ship down to its skeleton.
"More power!" he screamed, welding a reactor to the keel. "If it doesn't leak radiation, it's not fast enough!"
I used [Liquidate] to turn trash into gold, buying parts from the black market.
I used [System Override] to fuse incompatible parts.
[Fusion: Bone Hull + Adamantite.]
[Result: Reinforced Necro-Steel.]
Sylvia enchanted the cooling systems.
Seraphina blessed the engine (so it wouldn't be cursed).
Ahri... held the flashlight.
Finally.
It was done.
The ship looked different. Sleeker. Darker. It hummed with a low, menacing thrum that vibrated in your chest.
[Ship Name: The HMS Profit Margin (Mk. II)]
[Class: Void-Cruiser.]
[Speed: Mach 5.]
[Weapons: Mana Cannons, Railguns, Undead Drop-Pods.]
[Special: Interstellar Capable (Short Range).]
Sparky wiped oil from his face.
"She's a beauty," he sniffled. "She'll fly. But..."
"But what?"
"To break the atmosphere... you need a Launch Code."
"The Gearwork Empire has a forcefield around the planet. To stop aliens from getting in... and us from getting out."
"Only the Grand Logic Core has the code."
I looked at the massive tower in the center of the city. The Citadel of the Machine God.
"So," I wiped my hands on a rag.
"We have to hack God."
Sparky looked terrified. "You can't hack the Logic Core! It computes a trillion variables a second! It will fry your brain!"
I tapped my temple.
[Passive: Mind of the Abyss.]
(Immune to mental damage).
"My brain is already fried, Sparky."
"Pack your tools. You're joining the crew."
"Me? Join you? I'm a fugitive!"
"Exactly. We have dental."
I looked at the Tower.
"Sylvia. Prep the Railguns."
"We're going to knock on the front door."