The Last Technomancer

Chapter 9

The morning light filtered through the thin fabric of the tent, casting a gentle glow that nudged me awake. For a moment, I allowed myself to forget the weight of yesterday's events, letting the tranquility of the morning soothe my restless thoughts. Beside me, Felix was still sleeping, his face marked by the faint lines of exhaustion—a stark reminder of the chaos we had endured.

We must’ve fallen asleep while talking, I thought a small smile playing on my face. Careful not to disturb him, I slipped out from under my simple blanket and quietly exited the tent. The camp was coming to life around me, filled with the crackle of fires and the murmur of voices discussing plans for the day. I needed to find out how things had gone with Corwin after we rushed him back to camp and also check on the day's plans regarding the use of my newly modified phone.

Approaching the area where the emergency medical station had been set up, I found Corwin resting, his condition stable but still serious. A healer, whose name I couldn’t quite remember, noticed my approach and offered a tired smile.

"He's stable, thanks to Felix's quick work and your swift return," the healer said, adjusting a bandage on Corwin’s arm. "He hasn’t woken yet, but we’re hopeful."

"Thank you for taking care of him," I replied, my gaze lingering on Corwin’s pale face. “Has anyone seen his sister?” I asked. The woman pointed to a pile of blankets in the corner where Jackie was curled up on top.

“She fell asleep there a couple of hours ago. We’re doing our best not to disturb her. Girl needs some serious rest.” I nodded and smiled a sad smile at her.

“I’ll check back in on them later,” I said before moving off to find Elara and John.

Leaving the hospital tent, I scanned the camp for Elara, hoping to catch up on the status of the scouting mission and to discuss my plan for the phones. I spotted Elara near the central fire, looking over the map with a couple of other scouts.

"Elara," I called out as I approached, my voice a bit more eager than I had intended.

Elara looked up, her expression shifting from concentration to mild surprise. "Maura, how's Felix? And... how did things end up last night?"

"He's resting. He’s taking the whole thing pretty hard. He’s blaming himself for Corwin losing his arm.” I replied, then shifted the subject to something more pressing. "I wanted to ask about the cache mission. Did it go okay?"

"It’s planned for this morning actually. We delayed it to deal with... everything," Elara said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the hospital tent. "Why? Is there something you need?"

I nodded, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. "I think I've got a working prototype of a communication device. I managed to modify my phone last night, and I can actually get it to turn on!" I quickly pulled out the device to demonstrate, lighting up the display for her to see.

Elara’s interest was visibly piqued. "Really? That could change everything. Let's talk more. What do you need to get it set up? Can this connect to the internet? Have you tried calling anyone?"

I smiled, shaking my head slightly. "There’s no way to connect to the internet even with the modifications I've made. And as for calling, well, this is the only device so far, so I haven't been able to call anyone. Let’s find a spot where I can show you what I’ve managed. If you agree, maybe I can get your help with a couple more devices and we can start from there," I suggested, hopeful that this small breakthrough could indeed make a big difference.

I turned to Elara, pulling a small bag from my pocket. "I have the ingredients to maybe modify one more device, but we’ll need a lot more if we want to equip everyone." I emptied the contents gently onto a nearby flat surface, revealing the Glowroot fibers, small crystals of Mystic Radiance Stone, and slivers of Techvine.

Elara and the scouts leaned in, examining the components laid out before them. “These are what enable the device to function,” I explained, pointing to each item. “The Glowroot fibers enhance connectivity, the Mystic Radiance Stone boosts signal range, and the Techvine allows the battery to recharge with mana.”

The scouts nodded, taking mental notes. Elara looked thoughtful. "If these materials are what we need, we should prioritize finding more. Perhaps some of the caches might have them, or maybe we can find similar resources on our expeditions."

“I hope so,” I replied. "If we can gather enough, I can start modifying devices today and maybe get at least John and scout leaders equipped by the end of the week.”

Elara smiled, her eyes reflecting a new spark of hope. "Let's make it happen, Maura. This could really help keep us all a bit safer and more connected. I'll organize a team to start looking for these materials immediately."

As we discussed, Elara motioned me over to a rough table, spreading out the map of the surrounding area. "Based on what we've seen, there might be several spots where these materials could naturally occur or have been cached by whoever set up this place," she explained, her finger tracing lines between several marked locations.

“This is where I found them previously,” I pointed toward the back half of the woods where I fought the boar. It was only three days ago but it feels like a lifetime ago. “There is a cache marked a few hours east of there I think that would be a good place to start.”

Elara nodded, marking the spot with a small stone. "Good idea. We’ll get a scouting team out there today. And I'll have another team scout the surrounding forest for any signs of natural deposits of these materials. It’s a long shot, but who knows what this place has hidden away."

The scouts around us listened intently, murmuring among themselves about gear and preparation. One of them, a young man named Tomas, spoke up, "What about the safety protocols, Elara? Last time we encountered more than just materials in those caches."

"That's a valid point," Elara agreed, her expression serious. “Now this is all very exciting. However, it must be said that food is obviously still the top priority. We must also be cautious to avoid running into anyone out there who isn’t friendly. We don’t know anything about the orcs, if there are more nearby and if they are how many. We also don’t know much about the beasts in the area. While you are out looking for game and foraging for edible food keep an eye out for these materials. In the meantime I’ll make a plan and a team to go out after this next cache.”

The scouts walked away chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Already the possibility of something as simple as communicating at a distance was giving them confidence after the huge morale hit from the previous day.

Elara reached into her spacial storage and pulled out her phone. A smaller than average device with a case that was covered in daisies. She hesitated before handing it to me. “Will my pictures still be there after you modify it?”

I hesitated and shook my head. “The device doesn’t have the same operating system anymore. To get it to work I had to kind of make my own. So anything on your phone will be gone.”

Elara sighed and handed me her phone. “Well that figures.” She gave a small, resigned smile. “It’ll be worth it. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll help round up more devices and get the team ready for the cache trip."

Grateful, I accepted her phone, tucking it carefully into my pocket next to my own modified device. As Elara turned back to her duties, I made my way to the tent where I had set up a makeshift workspace. It wasn't much—just a small table and a few tools—but it would serve for now. Felix had already departed the tent and was no where to be seen. The tent already feeling too quiet without his steady breathing.

Settling down, I laid out Elara’s phone and the collection of technomagical materials I’d managed to gather. Each component was precious, so I had to be precise with my modifications. Before I began my process I remembered that I needed to take a look at my stats. I had received a new skill choice and in the craziness of yesterday I completely forgot about it. I set the phone to the side as I pulled up my HUD.

Name: Maura

Race: Human

Race Skills: [Identify], [Multilingual]

Level: 7

Base Stats:

Strength: 12

Dexterity: 18 (+2)

Intelligence: 20 (+2)

Wisdom: 13

Constitution: 15

Charisma: 16

Free Points: 2

Credits: 1500

Points: 200

Blessings: [Empty]

Titles: [Empty]

Achievements: [First Kill]

Profession: [Empty]

Abilities: [Gadget Manipulation], [Arcane Tech Mastery]

Skills: [Companion Summoning], [Electric Surge], [Data Integration], [New Skill Selection Available]

Quests: [Floral Mastery], [Technomancer’s Trial], [Technological Tinkerer]

I tapped on my forearm holopanel, accessing my personal information to assign my free points. With a determined swipe, I added one point to Dexterity and another to Intelligence, enhancing my quickness and mental acuity. As I updated my stats I felt the energy surge as my body and brain adjust to their newfound growth. My eyes briefly caught the [First Kill] achievement notification. A pang of guilt washed over me, and with a hesitant touch, I opened the achievement details, bracing myself for what it said.

Achievement: First Kill

Congratulations on surviving your first lethal confrontation. This achievement marks a significant milestone in your journey but also a moment to reflect on the challenges ahead.

Rewards:

+100 Experience Points

+500 Credits

Note: Every life taken alters the path not just for the fallen, but for the victor. Proceed with caution and wisdom.

The stark reminder of the orc's death made my heart heavy. I closed the notification with a deep sigh, feeling the weight of my actions settle in my chest.

I pressed onward and noticed a new skill selection available. Navigating to the new skill selection, I felt a mix of anticipation and responsibility. I needed to choose wisely. The options displayed were:

Holographic Decoy: Allows the creation of a holographic duplicate that can distract enemies or be used to explore dangerous areas. The decoy would last for a short time .

Quantum Sync: Synchronize with any nearby technology, granting control over or insights into its functions. Can be used to manipulate gadgets, open secured doors, or even disrupt electronic traps.

Echo Pulse: Sends out a pulse that reveals hidden electronic devices and magical traps within a certain radius.

I pondered each option carefully. The first could prove invaluable during combat or when deescalating a situation. The second offered a deeper connection and control over tech-based entities like Byte, potentially opening up new ways to interact with and utilize such companions. The third seemed kind of unnecessary at the moment. Maybe traps would become more relevant later on but I sure hoped not.

After a moment of consideration, I selected Holographic Decoy. It seemed the most immediately practical, and if I’d had it yesterday maybe we could’ve all gotten away unscathed.

As the skill integrated into my system, I felt a subtle shift in my perception, as with the other skills I immediately knew how to use it and went ahead and activated the skill. In front of me a duplicate of myself appeared. As I pushed mana into the holographic me I gave it a command: Dance. Immediately the holo began to floss. I laughed and Byte looked between us with confusion on his face. He beeped and chirped at the duplicate.

After 30 seconds my mana started to feel noticeably lower and I stopped concentrating on the skill which immediately vanished. Only one thing left to do I mused. Time to check my quest progress.

I navigated to the quests section of my HUD, eager to check my progress. Each quest seemed more daunting than the last, but also filled me with a sense of purpose.

Technomancer’s Trial: Develop a series of five prototypes that could change the way we interact with the magical energies of this world.

1/5

Floral Mastery: Collect and catalog fifteen unique plant species.

7/15

Technological Tinkerer: Enhance Byte

0/1

I felt pretty good with my progress. I wonder how this stacks up against other peoples quest progress, I thought to myself as I closed out of my HUD and decided I was ready to get back to work.

I began by dismantling Elara’s phone, carefully removing the back to access its internal components.

Integrating the Glowroot fibers and tiny shards of Mystic Radiance Stone required a steady hand and focused attention. The fibers would enhance the signal transmission, and the stone was should boost the device's range.

Once everything was in place, I powered up the phone. The screen flickered to life, revealing a simple, custom interface that I had coded—stripped of all non-essential functions, designed solely for communication. It looked nothing like the original operating system, all the personal touches wiped clean for functionality.

I tried to test the phone by calling my own device. After trying a couple of different ways I realized this wasn’t going to work. The phones worked differently now and were powered by an individuals mana. I added the unique contacts into each phone and stood up to go find John or Elara to help me test.

I packed up the necessary tools and Elara's modified phone, tucking them securely into my spacial storage as I stepped out of the tent. I spotted John organizing a group of people near the main fire. I had been at this awhile and the sun was already low in the sky. The air was filled with the sound of people calling out instructions and the occasional laughter—an attempt to keep spirits high despite the underlying tension.

Walking over to John, I waved to catch his attention. "John, do you have a minute?" I asked as I approached.

He turned, his face showing signs of the day's worries but he managed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Sure, Maura. What's up?"

"I've modified Elara's phone, and I need to test the communication setup. Can you help me with that? We need to see the distance we can get.”

John nodded, a spark of interest lighting up his eyes. "Of course, let's see it."

I handed him the phone, explaining briefly how it worked and how it was powered by mana. He listened intently, his gaze shifting between the device and me. “Alright, I’m ready. Let’s give this a go.”

I took a deep breath and activated the phone, selecting John's newly created contact entry. Holding the device up, I spoke clearly, "John, can you hear me?" The simplicity of the moment, just talking into a phone, felt almost surreal given everything that had happened.

John's voice came through the phone, a little crackly but unmistakably clear. "Loud and clear, Maura.”

We tested several different times and distances. It seemed that the more mana you poured into the device the further away you could be. After about ten minutes of practicing we were both exhausted but happy with the results.

Relief washed over me, mingling with a renewed sense of purpose. “Great, whenever I get more materials I can make another one. You hang onto this for now and give it to Elara whenever you see her.”

As the day wound down, I decided to stop by the hospital tent to check on Corwin. The air inside was cool, a stark contrast to the day's lingering heat outside. Corwin was awake, propped up against some pillows, looking pale but alert. Felix was at his side, monitoring his condition. The constant magical healing had done its job on the wounds themselves, which meant no bandages were necessary anymore. Corwin’s left arm ended abruptly just under the elbow.

"Hey, Corwin, how are you feeling?" I asked, approaching his bedside. Doing my best not to look at his arm.

He managed a weak smile. "Like I’ve been through a meat grinder, but alive. Thanks to Felix here." His voice was low, each word measured due to his fatigue.

Felix nodded, his face drawn with the fatigue of long hours of healing. "He's stable, but it's going to take some time for him to fully recover. Losing that much blood takes a toll, and we can only do so much quickly."

I looked between them, noticing the undercurrent of tension that had settled in the air—a mixture of relief at Corwin’s survival and the unspoken guilt over not being able to save the arm.

"Is there anything you need that might help?" I ventured, hoping to offer some practical support.

"A good meal and rest," Felix replied before Corwin could speak. "He needs to rebuild his strength, and unfortunately, that's mostly going to be about time."

Corwin nodded, his gaze shifting towards the tent opening, following the sounds of the camp's evening activities. "I heard about your new communication devices, Maura. That’s some impressive work," he said, changing the subject perhaps to distract from his own condition.

"Thanks, I’m hoping it helps to add some sense of normality to this craziness," I responded, gesturing at our rustic surroundings and appreciating his attempt to focus on something positive.

Just then, Jackie slipped into the tent, Byte trailing behind her with a soft whirr. She was carrying a tray with steaming bowls of stew and some fresh bread. Her expression was a mix of concern and curiosity as she came closer, setting the tray down on a small table beside Corwin's bed. "Hey, how’s the hero?" she teased gently, trying to lighten the mood as she handed him a bowl.

Corwin rolled his eyes but the small smile on his lips was genuine. "Surviving, thanks to everyone here. He seems to have become pretty attached to you" he gestured towards Byte, who beeped happily in response.

Byte had been hanging out with Jackie all day while I worked. A two-fold plan to keep him busy and keep an eye on the young girl to make sure she didn’t get into any more trouble.

Jackie sat down on the edge of the cot, picking up her own bowl. "Let’s hope it’s enough to avoid any more... surprises," she said, sharing a look with Corwin that was both warm and wary.

I promised to check in on them later and gestured for Byte before turning to leave. Before I could step out of the tent, Felix caught my arm gently, halting my exit. We shared a brief, awkward glance—both acutely aware of the rumors flitting about concerning the previous night when we had unexpectedly shared the tent.

"About last night," Felix began, his voice faltering slightly as he searched for the right words.

I offered a small, reassuring smile, attempting to ease the tension. "Yeah, dude you snore so loudly," I joked, avoiding the awkwardness altogether and leaning hard into teasing him. I opened my mouth and imitated large gargling snores, before winking and laughing.

Felix chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, a faint smile breaking through his initial hesitation. "I just wanted to say... thank you, for the company. It made things a bit easier," he admitted.

"It was fine, Felix," I reassured him, my voice softening to dispel any lingering awkwardness. "We were both just trying to make the best of the situation."

He nodded, seeming relieved by my response. "Right, just making the best of it," he echoed, his smile more relaxed now. "Thanks, though. It helped, having you there."

We shared a moment of understanding, a blend of gratitude and a touch of embarrassment, before I finally excused myself, stepping out of the tent. Despite the awkward exchange, there was a comforting familiarity and friendship that would usually have taken a much longer time to form.

As the campfire crackled and the night deepened, I joined a small group gathered around the flames. Noticeably absent was Darren, no one had seen him all day. The warmth from the fire was comforting, but the conversation that flowed was tinged with unease. People shared stories and laughter, yet occasionally, someone would lower their voice, and the group would lean in, the mood shifting.

“I heard something rustling just beyond the treeline last night,” one of the scouts murmured, her eyes scanning the shadows beyond the firelight. “It sounded big, not just some nocturnal animal.”

Another initiate, a young man with a serious expression, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Andru and I thought we saw something moving there the night before. It’s like something—or someone—is watching us.”

The group absorbed this with a mixture of skepticism and fear. Some tried to brush it off with jokes, while others proposed theories ranging from stray animals to the more unsettling idea of other initiates or creatures stalking the edges of our camp.

As the hours passed, the conversations ebbed and flowed, but the undercurrent of anxiety remained. Eventually, fatigue overcame the group's tension, and one by one, people began to retire to their shelters for the night.

I lingered a moment longer by the dying fire, the whispers about the unseen presence echoing in my mind. With a final look at the dark treeline, I headed back to my own shelter. The night was still, the only sounds the distant calls of nocturnal creatures and the soft murmur of the wind through the trees. As I settled in, the day’s events replayed in my mind, mingling with the unsettling rumors, shaping restless thoughts until sleep finally claimed me.