Chapter 50: Stream Quest

"Affirmative, however while the bounty hunter job focuses mainly on hunting down bounties, the mercenary job offers a wider variety of jobs and doesn't just primarily focus on one." Spector replied.

"Ahhh well those two definitely sound like good options, is it possible to become both a mercenary and bounty hunter?" Adam asked.

"It is, and many individuals do indeed do that though they still tend to focus more on one job over the other."

"Understandable. So how do I go about becoming a mercenary and or bounty hunter?"

"We will need to travel to a planet, moon, space station or other settlement that has a Mercenary Hall and or Bounty Hunter Guild. These are the two factions that take jobs from clients before giving out those jobs to the mercenaries or bounty hunters."

"So it's like in those fantasie anime's where the MC registers at the guild before taking quests and heading out, after finishing the quests they return to hand the completed quests in and gain their reward while the guild takes a certain percentage for handling fees?" Adam asked.

"A crude example but in general yes that is how it works."

"Sounds good, so after you finish what you need to do here we can head to the nearest Mercenary Hall and or Bounty Hunter Guild."

"Affirmative."

💫💫💫

The Terran Imperial Space Force Cruiser Imperial Down was patrolling its designated sector of space for the day when on the bridge the comm officer on duty suddenly spoke up.

"Lieutenant, I am picking up a distress call on all frequencies."

"Identify the sauce and location then helm plot a course at maximum speed, Captain to the bridge."

💫💫💫

Elsewhere on the Imperial Down Tessa and Becky were in the training room where they were currently using the machines to workout.

"Man why hasn't Spector streamed recently, it's been over a week?" Becky asked with a grumble as she ran on a treadmill.

"Hehe You're seriously infatuated with that guy." Tessa replied with a giggle as she ran on the treadmill next to Becky.

"Haha I'm just playing around on his streams Tess you know that, plus it doesn't hurt that his streams are always entertaining to watch unlike some others like Prime's."

"I know but I'm sure some of his viewers think you're seriously into him. Speaking of Prime, it seems he hasn't played Space Rogue again since Spector beat him."

"I know right, they guy is just a sore loser. However, rumour going around the net is that his management team are trying to get permission for him to stream live on a Catonian military vessel."

"Seriously, ugh I hate to think of the idea of him streaming here on the Imperial Down."

"Agreed, but since he's a Leonian we don't have to worry about that."

Tessa was about to reply when an alarm went off and a voice came over the ship's internal comm.

"All hands this is the captain, we have just picked up a distress call and are altering course to assist, we have just entered FTL so all hands report to your stations as we may be entering a battle as soon as we exit FTL, I want the ship at full combat readiness."

"Seriously." Becky groaned as everyone in the training room quickly left.

💫💫💫

"Download compete." Spector suddenly said while Adam was taking a look through her database on what entertainment she had brought from Earth.

It was impressive, she had made a copy of everything from movies and tv shows to music and computer games, though Adam wasn't sure how he would be able to play those computer games without a console or mouse and keyboard.

"Nice so what's the closest settlement with either a Mercenary Hall or Bounty Hunter Guild or both?"

"According to the data I just downloaded the closest settlement would be on the planet of Palaxia, it would take us a few hours to get there in FTL."

"Ok, set a course and engage Star Drive." Adam said before returning to focus on the available entertainment brought from Earth.

"Affirmative, setting course for…. Standby, I am detecting a distress call not far from our current location."

"A distress call?" Adam asked with interest before adding, "are you able to let me hear it?"

"Affirmative." Spector responded before another voice, this time male was heard.

[This is the private starship Drard, we are currently under attack by pirates and require emergency assistance. I repeat we are currently under attack by pirates and are ill equipped to defend ourselves, please if you hear this offer us assistance.]

"What can you tell me about them?" Adam asked.

"The starship Darad is a private starship owned by Drotas Entertainment, their flight plan shows they were heading for Terrana five, the capital of the Terran Empire. It is lightly armed and if help is not provided to them soon it is likely they will be killed or more likely captured."

"Drotas Entertainment?" Adam asked.

"Drotas Entertainment is a successful entertainment company started by Drotas herself, a member of the Gobli race."

"How long will it take us to get there and can we expect any sort of reward?" Adam asked.

"It would only take us a few minutes to reach their location at FTL as it seems they had only just entered the Sandanar Galaxy before they were attacked. As for a reward the Terran military or security bureau would definitely provide one however getting one out of a Gobli is another matter altogether."

"Well we can cross that bridge when we come to it, we need credits to purchase supplies and pay for docking fees and at present we currently have none so if we can claim some from the Terran's for helping this ship then that works for me." Adam replied before turning to the console he was sitting it and plotting an intercept course before having Spector enter FTL.

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As Spector dropped out of FTL sensors picked up four ships engaged in battle with three of them attacking the fourth.

[Launching stream.]

[[Stream description below:]]

[[Stream Title: Distress signal intercept]]

[[Mission Parameters: While preparing to travel to a nearby settlement Spector detected a distress signal from a ship that reported it was under attack by pirates and since you're flat broke and in desperate need of credits you decided to intervene.]]

[[Missions Goal: Defeat the pirates and save the attacked ship.]]

[Forever1stCommenter (Earth): First]

[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): Wait, are we no longer watching Space Rogue?]

[Superior4horns (Vinox 3): Nope this looks like the real thing, looks like the streamer finally made it to the Sandanar Galaxy.]

[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Then why is @Beczontop (Imperial Down) not coming out to celebrate, hey you ok girl?]

[Justiceistruth: (Earth): Maybe she's working.]

[Gunlovergirl (Earth): NEver stopped her before.]

[Justiceistruth: (Earth): True.]

[Devil_Prince_Asura (Deverinian 9): So you're finally getting into real space combat? Show them hell.]

[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): I had heard the streamer had returned, unfortunately I was too busy governing my planet to come watch until now. Seems I made it back in time for the action though.]

[Sparesomechangebro (Earth): Hahahaha, now you know the pain of having no money, want me to spare you some change bro? 😄]

[[Notification: Prestigious3horns (Vinox 2): Has donated 100 credits.]]

[[Notification: Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Has donated 25 credits.]]

[[Notification: Superior4horns (Vinox 3): Has donated 150 credits.]]

[[Notification: Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): Has donated 500 credits.]]

[[Notification: Devil_Prince_Asura (Deverinian 9): Has donated 200 credits.]]

[[Notification: DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Has donated 1000 credits.]]

[Sparesomechangebro (Earth): …. FUCK YOU ALL. 😭]

[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Why can't I donate?]

[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): Must be because Earth is not truly part of the universal subspace network.]

[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Also could be because we don't use credits as a currency.]

[[Notification: DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9) Has issued you a timed quest]]

[[Timed Quest: Defeat the Pirates within 5 minutes.]]

[[Completion Reward: 10,000 Credits.]]

[[Failure Punishment: Refund all the credits that where just donated to you.]]

[[Would you like to accept?]]

"What the hell is all this?" Adam asked.

[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Well it appears that your now fully connected to the universal subspace network since your arrival in the Sandanar Galaxy, this gives us viewers the ability to donate to your streams as well as also issue stream quests among other things."

[Devil_Prince_Asura (Deverinian 9): The timed quest you just received is a type of stream quest, there are many types similar to quests in games as you can see and you have the choice to accept or decline them. The one Lord Malacross just issued is to kill the three pirate ships within five minutes, if you succeed you will gain 10,000 credits, however if you fail the donations you just received will be automatically refunded to those who donated.]

[Celebrityhunter69 (Earth): Wow that's cool.]

[Superhearofangirl (Earth): Yeah, while we do have something similar to the stream quests here on Earth, it's not as in-depth.]

[SciFifanboy (Earth): So what are you gonna do streamer? You gonna take the challenge or chicken out? Kekeke]

"Do you even need to ask? I accept."