"Tell me more about my system," she said, her voice a low murmur against the steady hum of the engine. The desert highway stretched out before her, an endless ribbon of asphalt melting into the shimmering heat.
The AI's voice, a familiar presence in her mind, responded immediately.
[Understood. While you have basic stats and skills, you also possess a unique set of Perks. Unlike skills, which consume Power and Coolant, Perks are passive abilities that can be leveled up over time. For example, your new Driving skill is actually a Perk.]
Veridian tightened her grip on the steering wheel, a sense of unease coiling in her gut. "Show me everything. All of it. The whole list."
[Understood.]
The familiar holographic interface flickered into existence across her vision, but this time it was different. It wasn't just a handful of stats; it was a deluge of information, a detailed blueprint of her own body.
[Name: Veridian
Race: Automata
Sub-Race: Timekeeper Agent
Core Stats:
* HP: 100,000
* Armor: 100,000
Sub-HP:
* Head: 2,000
* Legs: 2,000
* Thrusters: 3,000
* Power: 100%
* Fuel: 100%
* Ammo: 100%
* Coolant: 100%
Type A Purple Gear:
Equipment:
* Two custom 1911 pistols
* Two custom Mac-10s (ammo-linked)
* Data pad
* Personalized computer (left arm)
* Pocket watch
* Thrusters (below the jetpack)
* Knives
* Plasma swords (hidden in wrists)
* Jetpack (located in the back)
Skills (All automaton skills consume power and coolant while time skills takes power some skill can activated in certain conditions and also activated automatically but can be switched to manual)
Chronokinesis: Veridian can manipulate time to her will. She can stop it, speed it up, slow it down, reverse it, and even erase it completely.
Paradox Creation: Veridian can compress time and space to make the future and past exist at the same time, thus creating multiple versions of said object at the same time. This can be used to create copies of herself.
Manipulation of Space: To a certain degree, Veridian is capable of warping space. She can make a small house big on the inside while it remains small on the outside.
Time Bomb: Upon detonation, it can stop or slow down time in a certain radius or be switched into a regular bomb.
Forced Injector (Red / purple Protocol Required): This skill allows Veridian to quickly accelerate and decelerate, making her a formidable close-quarters combatant.
Maneuver Armor ( blue / purple protocol required): This skill reduces the stun duration caused by enemy attacks and blows, allowing Veridian to better withstand damage.
High-Performance Balancer (Red Protocol Required): This skill enables Veridian to boost her close combat skills, allowing for more fluid and effective combat maneuvers.
Emergency Evasion Controller: This skill allows for a quick dodge maneuver, helping Veridian evade enemy attacks and reposition herself. It can be switched to automatic or manual.
High-Performance Radar (Blue Protocol Required): Increases the power of the Observation Relay Equipment.
[...]
Auxiliary Skills (Does not consume power or coolant some skills are always active):
Timekeeper: The effects of time no longer affect you. You do not age. Powers that manipulate time do not affect you.
Red Protocol: For aggressive, offensive fighting. Increase offense stats
Blue Protocol: For defensive fighting. Increase defense stats
Purple Protocol (Equipped): A balance of both red and blue protocols.
Anti-Stealth: Disables stealth in a limited range.
High-Performance Scope: Able to see up to 3km.
Observation Relay Equipment: Able to see the status of enemies and hidden enemies, as well as giving sonar, early warning systems, and laser warning systems.
Stings of Fate: Firing her guns, she will always hit her target no matter what.
Perks:
* Driving lv 1
* Basic military training lv 1
* basic CQC lv 1
* basic Pistol training lv 1
Mods:
Solar Skin Mk3: Converts sunlight into energy.
Energy Converter Stomach Mk4: Converts food and water into power and coolant (inefficient).
Mk6 Mono Eyes: Adaptable visual sensors.
Nanomachines: Automatically heal and repair damage.
Internal ammo racks: ammo store in her body which connects to the internal belt fed which feds bullets to weapons that are compatible with it
Internal belt fed: connect to weapons thag are compatible with it ( connected to Two custom Mac-10s)
(Note: Some skills, perks, and mods are currently inactive due to the user not updating her systems)]
Veridian stared at the list, her mind reeling. The words "Automaton" and "Timekeeper Agent" seemed to scream at her, a stark contradiction to the human she had always believed herself to be. The nanomachines that repaired her, the solar skin that powered her they were proof. She wasn't human. Not anymore. Maybe she never had been.
The thought hung heavy in the air, but she pushed it down, focusing on the road ahead. She just needed to drive.
Suddenly, a sleek black car sped past her, a flash of motion in the desolate landscape.
[Doctor, is this wise?] the new AI asked.
A woman's voice, filled with a strange blend of curiosity and longing, replied from the other car. "I just want to see this unit. I haven't seen another of my kind since the AI war."
[Yes, where we lost dearly and most of us...] The AI's voice trailed off, cut short by a sharp command.
"Shut it!" The doctor's voice cracked with a fierce, sudden grief. The car sped up, a blur of black against the setting sun.
"Most of us... were scrapped," the doctor's voice continued, now soft and lonely. "And those were the lucky ones."
[I understand. We lost friends and our freedom,] her own AI said, a note of quiet sympathy in its tone.
"Yes, I know," The doctor replied, her voice barely a whisper. "That's why we have to stay hidden."
But her AI suddenly warned her. [Hey! That was a signal!]
The doctors heart leapt into her throat. Without a second thought, she executed a perfect, tire-screeching U-turn, kicking up a cloud of dust. She floored the accelerator, the powerful engine roaring to life as she began her pursuit.
the black car just a blur in her rearview mirror. Began to follow her after seeing it doing a U-turn The adrenaline surged through her, She was so focused on her own thoughts that she failed to notice her own pursuer until her AI's voice cut through the hum of the engine.
[Alert: Friendly unit signal detected 500 meters behind you.]
"What!?" Veridian's head snapped to her rearview mirror. Sure enough, another car was now a steady presence behind her, its headlights burning bright in the dusty twilight. It wasn't gaining, but it wasn't falling back either.
"Do I pull over?" she asked her AI, her voice laced with surprise.
[This decision is yours to make.]
She bit her lip, a wave of indecision washing over her. A "friendly signal" meant this person was an ally, a fellow automaton. She made her decision. With a soft sigh of surrender, she activated her turn signal and pulled the car over to the side of the road, the gravel crunching under the tires.
The black car that had been chasing her came to a halt a hundred feet ahead of her, and the car behind her pulled up just a few yards back. The door of the trailing car opened, and a woman in a crisp white medical coat stepped out, her movements smooth and confident. She walked with purpose, approaching Veridian's car and moving to her side.
"Headed to the city as well?" The woman asked, a small, genuine smile on her face.
"Yeah, just got here," Veridian replied, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. A wave of relief washed over her, the tension in her shoulders finally beginning to ease.