Do Not Travel Alone

Human blood. A trail of human blood on the road right in the middle of the village.

What was it Crystal said? The population of the village had dropped overnight.

"Police! Call the police! We have to make a report!!" Cody leapt up, half-panicking.

"The nearest police station is in Boom Town. It is accessible by shuttle if you have a valid cause like a mission, a job, or an event ticket. The fee is 100 credits per ride."

Cody's jaw dropped. "100 credits for a single flight ticket?! Can't we just call them online or something?"

"Your credibility would be at stake." The scientist mentioned. "However, if the Elder were to make such a report, her credibility would be unquestioned. You can find her house just up the street."

"Right. I'll go tell the Elder, and she can make the report!" Cody scrambled.

Elder T turned out to be a somewhat motherly, almost grandmotherly figure. Her voice was the same one that had greeted him upon receiving notice that he'd succeeded in the entrance exam. In other words, this was his intake's Monitor. "Hello, there! What can I do for you today, Mr…?"

"It's me! Cody. I found some blood on the road! The scientist said it's human blood!" Cody blurted out.

"Now, now, no need to panic." Elder T said smoothly. "Bob the Janitor had a fight with a raccoon and bled quite a bit as he crossed the road for treatment at the workshops. Maybe that's what you found?"

Cody stopped, dazed. Was that really all there was to it? An animal bite? Was he really freaking out over nothing? "But… Crystal said… the population in the village dropped."

"Ah, yes. That might be a computer glitch. Nobody has been reported missing, nobody has emigrated, or been reported dead by medical authorities. Initial Village is a nice, safe place to learn fundamental education subjects like math and science." Elder T said in a sing-song voice.

Cody felt that chill only growing on his back. For some reason… I feel as though she's wrong about that.

"I really have to talk to a good computer expert about fixing that. Two days in a row? Really!" She shook her head. "Anyone who didn't know better looking at the numbers would think that people are dying without anyone noticing out here."

For some reason, Cody almost felt his hair stand.

"So, what else can I do for you? Would you like a tricycle license? I don't want to have to impose a fine on you if you ride around the village without one." She wagged her finger at him. "A lot of students find it handy to do cargo-hauling jobs for older students. Just prove to me you can ride one without falling off for five minutes, and it's yours. I have a spare one in my garden for you to use right now."

"Cargo-hauling jobs… for older students? We can hire each other?!" Cody stared. Right. Cyril mentioned something like that. Just to be sure, he'd better ask. "I thought we couldn't send each other credits? The Academy monitors and restricts it…"

"Why, yes. All credits must be earned. Unless you work for it, anyone who gives you credits will face Most Severe Consequences!" her voice snapped like a whip at that. "But if you do work for it, of course you should be paid fairly. The Academy will be monitoring all of it, to ensure that it would be fair."

"How much for the license?" Cody asked, thinking that if nothing else, a tricycle could get him out of danger faster than running on two legs alone could.

"It's free for First Sphere students below the age of 12. You qualify." She told him. "Get on the trike and show me you can ride it, and the license is yours. You'll be one of only two students in this village with that license!"

"One of two? Who's the other?" Cody asked, as he went for the trike.

"Specs. I believe she's already got a few jobs done for older students." Elder T mentioned. "She's even putting together an Autoforge of her own! Imagine that! What would she ever want with an Autoforge? What kind of things could she be forging in such volume that our workshops just wouldn't do?"

Forging… Specs was making metal items in volume that the workshops weren't offering…

Like weapons and armor? Crystal's words came to mind.

"I'll have to ask her about it." Cody decided. "Just as soon as I get my license."

***

It was really easy to stay on a tricycle for five minutes. Three wheels made for a rather stable ride. Cody didn't even have to peddle or anything, but he did cycle a few circles around Elder T's garden just because he felt that he should.

With that, he got his free Tricycle License.

Five minutes later, Cody had his license and was on the way to the Shuttle Pad where Specs had set up her roadside stall. Next to her was a sign that said, 'Now Selling Weapons And Armor!'

"These are…?" Cody was stunned to see the new stuff Specs sold.

T-shirts with rings stuck all over them. Leather jackets with a layer of chains meshed in. Three foot long easy-grip poles sharpened at the tip, sold as a set with electrical insulated gloves and electrifier units to add-on. Even garden-tool machetes.

"I thought you were selling weapons and armor." Cody pointed to the sign over her stall. "Like guns and Motion Enhancement Frames."

"I wish!" Specs sighed. "But I don't know how to make guns and the blueprints need to be bought with credits. There's armor blueprints too, but they cost at least four hundred credits for even the most basic of safety vests. I can't afford that. Can you?"

"I can't afford that either." Cody admitted.

"So this is the best I can offer unless I find some blueprints in a legacy or I start earning a lot more credits than the missions can offer. Would you like to buy something?"

Cody hesitated. He had 16 credits to his account right now. How could he afford anything? A black leather jacket with chains could cost 50 credits on its own, while the sharp pole and electrifier set would cost another 40 credits. Even a ringmail t-shirt cost 20 credits and those didn't seem very protective at all.

"Does my biosuit count as armor?" Cody asked. It was practically thick leather, after all.

"Um… maybe for Tier 1 armor, it might…? Or you could have it modded, grow some harder, tougher layers over important parts." Specs scratched her head. "But I don't sell those."

"Well, it will have to do. I really can't afford anything here." Cody said sadly. "I only have 16 credits."

"Maybe you could accomplish a feat or join a project to earn credits?" Specs suggested. "Or even take a job for an older student. You know, you could get a tricycle license for free…"

"I got the free license." Cody said, "But I don't have a tricycle."

"You could get one by building it as a project with Dan at the Scrap Yard." Specs suggested. "It might take a few days, but it would be cheap. You'll just have to buy pieces of scrap and repair them with Dan's help."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that sort of project yet." Cody backed away.

"Wait! Have you reached level 3 yet?" Specs asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Then you might want this." Specs offered him a fishing rod with a magnet.

"What's this?" Cody asked, blinking.

"This is the easiest way to do the fourth Level 3 mission. The one about retrieving the Lost Drone from the Cliffside. Unless you want to climb a cliff?"

"Right!" Cody understood immediately. The fishing rod was a really simple one, just a long bamboo pole with lots of string rolled up over the rod, and a magnet tied securely at the other end of the string. "How much?"

"3 credits. Plus, you might find a good use for it for future missions." Specs offered.

The Mission Reward was 9 credits. This was basically an easy way to triple his money. "I'll take it!"

"Oh, but one more thing." Specs hesitated.

"What?"

"The Cliffside is outside the village." Specs mentioned. "You shouldn't go out there alone."

"Then how…?"

"Find someone else to do the mission with." Specs advised. "There will be two drones on the cliff if that happens, one for each of you. You can lend your friend that fishing rod and you can both benefit."

"Find someone… can you come with me?"

"Not me. I've already done it." Specs said. "Try asking around."

"Okay." Cody said, and went to look for a partner.