Alan signed the contract, and provided them with his business information. They exchanged the goods after the deposit was confirmed. Alan’s only regret, after saying goodbye, was not having the chance to spend more time with Shelley. On the other hand, he had negotiated a million-dollar sale by day 7. Not to mention he had 80,000 additional credits to his name!

Exiting his pod, he made his way up to the front area to speak to an attendant, Corbin.

“Hello Mr. Alan, what can I do for you today?”

“It’s good to see you again Corbin, I believe that today I will complete the purchase of the 6 pods my family had reserved earlier this week.”

Corbin pulled up the familiar documents. As he was completing the transaction he commented. “You wouldn’t believe it, but last week I couldn’t give those pods away.” As if to emphasize his point, Alan overheard someone arguing with another attendant.

“You don’t seem to understand miss, I have $200,000 in cash, right now for one of the 1st series pods”

“I’m sorry sir, but we don't have any available.”

“Don’t your bosses want to earn money, that's $50,000 more than the asking price! I know you take reservations, but kick one of them out and move me to the front of the line!”

“I’m sorry...”

Had the man walked over then, he would have flat out refused him as well. If the guy was smart, he’d be lucky to find some fool who was upset by the embargo to sell their pod, but if not. He’d just have to buy the next in the series.

“That should do it Alan. All 6 pods have been purchased for your family.”

“Thank you, would you arrange a storage unit and a mover to take my things from this address.” He handed Corbin the information. “Someplace relatively close by would be best.”

“Yes Sir. Of course, we’ll take care of every need and forward you the bill.” He smiled.

Now that the pods were open 24 hours every day, he didn’t see the point in continuing to rent out his small apartment. He’d still have to let Mrs. Dubai know, but it was getting late and he didn’t see the harm in starting his first night in Cosmos. He asked Corbin to contact his family to let them know the pods were purchased, and that he was going to be meeting with them soon. He hoped to be able to arrange for a few of his family members to come to Kragga.

“Thanks Corbin.” Alan gave him a generous tip before going back to his pod. He entered into the cold steel case and jumped in. Before going back to Kragga a notification appeared.

You have won the opportunity to purchase 4 plots of ⅛ acre pieces of land for $5000 credits each. Do you wish to move forward with this transaction? Please see below to select the following lots.

Either by luck, or some hidden feature of the design, the four plots he put bids on made a perfect half acre square near the center of the virtual market. Selecting all four he browsed through the various building designs available. The basic designs were all open and had no restrictions. They needed the owner to pay in credits. However, as the designs grew more complicated, or their functions became more specialized, more requirements were added. Rare resources, technical plans, and even VE.

Initially he’d planned on a large building, with a solid foundation, which over time he’d be able to grow, adding multiple stories. However, with his venture with Callisto Corp., he needed to conserve his credits. After reviewing the available design, and making adjustments to what he had in mind he completed his selection. A miniaturized rendering appeared before him. A building the size of a convenience store, half shop, half restaurant, single story. On the restaurant side, it showed that some outdoor seating had been selected, which provided more dining space, without adding too much to the cost. For good measure, he went ahead and also added a basic security system as well as a safe.

It wasn’t well known in the beginning, but would become more evident, was that Virtual Marketplace, was more of a hybrid system. It allowed ‘non-players’ to interact with Cosmos, however for real players many of the interactions were just like being in Cosmos. Hence the security.

When he was satisfied, Alan selected Complete Purchase.

Your total:

4x ⅛ acre of lands: 20,000 Credits

Small Dual Shop/Restaurant: 20,000 Credits

Add Ons:

Outdoor Dining: 300 Credits

Safety System (Basic): 200 Credits

Security Safe: 100 Credits.

--------------------

Subtotal: 46000 Credits

Discount: 10% for 1st Series Purchase -4600

Total: 41400

After his purchase he wrote two quick emails. One to his mother, so she could start selling and trading her goods. He also gave her a reminder that anything ‘Earth-Enabled’ was likely going to skyrocket in pricing over the next month. So don’t sell low. The other email was to Reardon. Letting him know that, if he was still interested, there was a restaurant in which he could start his culinary dream.

Looking at his credit total, he had just over 80,000 credits left and just under $100,000. He needed to get back to Kragga, it was still late and he could likely fall asleep in his pod.

Entering the character room, he saw the following information.

Personal Modifier

Current

Available: 1

Description

Credit Balance: 80000

Strength

(3/10)

135 LBS Bench

Items:

Food Ration

4-Wheeler

Energy Pistol

Energy Gauntlets

Land Claim Permit

Commercial Nano Material Manipulator

VE Energy Shield

EV Exchange Generator

43 F Monster Nyamisium Core

1 F Monster Nyamisium Core

10 Doses of Nanoheal

...

(see next page)

Speed

(3/10)

8 MPH Jog

Intelligence

(3/10)

115 IQ

(VE) Capacity

(8/8)

288/800VEU

(VE) Production

(8/8)

8 UPH

Alan appeared just outside of The Brick. Before he moved forward, he activated his 1 of the 2 purchases he had made at the auction: Land Claim Permit: A device to make a legal claim to lands not owned by an existing entity. Must not be disputed territory. Warning: Laying a claim does not prevent hostile actions toward your claim.

Alan had never actually laid a claim in his last life. Only read stories about them. In Cosmos, you could become the owner of a site. This would help you to have a foundation from which certain perks and benefits may arise. One of which was to claim ownership of resources and be recognized by Cosmos as the owner. This didn’t protect what you had gained, but it did give you a foundation to lay claim and to make contracts in Cosmos. And as of right now he owned nothing, he was just a squatter.

Holding the device in his hands, it resembles a small steel box, with a singular small red button. Pressing the button, a small seam appeared at the top of the box. Inside was a small drone which could easily fit Alan’s palm. As it was already powered, the drone shot into the sky and began to circle. The drone began to scan the surrounding area, analyzing the topography. Data began to filter to the steel box, and an image began to project from a small hole where the drone had sat. The surrounding area lit up before Alan, giving him a bird’s eye view of the area.

The portion of Kragga’s Waste Sea which Alan was in full view. Blackened debris dunes, fallen buildings, tufts of stunted vegetation, and more importantly a broader view of the ships’ graveyard in the local area. As Kragga was unclaimed by any formal organization, Alan could lay claim to any area.

Please select the parameters of your land claim.

Interacting with the map was simple. It allowed Alan to draw the borders of the area he was interested in. However, claiming territory came with a cost. For every acre he claimed in Cosmos, he had to pay a price in credits. All in all, he was able to select a plot of land around the vast ship graveyard, as well as other fallen buildings in the area.

Please note there is a 5000 Credit charge to file for a land claim. The cost of the land claimed and the filing fee comes to a total of 78000 credits. Please note a small tax will be charged for all profits related to and derived from the land claim. Do you wish to complete your purchase? Yes/No

Alan selected yes, before another window appeared.

Please note that a residency must be designated within the next 72 hours to conduct any official Cosmos business.

At that point Alan pressed the button again which called back the drone. The lid came down and sealed once again. He took ‘official’ Cosmos hardware and put the device back in his ring. It was still a surprise to have obtained the item for such a low bid. As he stepped toward “The Brick,” the huge space freighter which he had been using as a home base, he couldn’t help but scoff at the price Clark Tenson had paid for the little scout ship. In a real-world comparison, Clark had paid the price of a private jet, but in reality, had only bought the equivalent of a single prop airplane.

Alan couldn’t help but think of a friend of his, who was fond of the Cessna he’d been training on to be a pilot and looked forward to something with a little more umph. He couldn’t help but smile, as he thought of what Shelley would say after she saw some of the ships around here.

Stepping toward the ship he was surprised to find the hatch had been left open. Not a really big deal, as he hadn’t really told 739 to close it. As he moved toward the workshop an uneasy feeling began to stir. As no lights were emanating from the area. Holding up his portable light, the white beam settled upon scattered battery parts lying haphazardly across the floor. The air was still, and Alan felt a heavy weight of the darkness around him. 739, he observed, was nowhere to be found, only a single door leading from the workshop was open. Growing anxious, he searched the area.

Cautiously, Alan removed two steel gauntlets from his ring and the VE Energy shield. They’d been acquired from Mairkness. The gauntlets were gunmetal gray with a single blue stone on the back of the hand. They adjusted automatically, going up half his forearm. He sent energy down his arms, causing the blue stones to glow cobalt. The VE Energy shield attached to his shirt, wrapping around him snuggly.

Finding nothing in the manufacturing room, Alan crept through the shadowy halls of the ship, only pale blue light to guide him. He neared a large room, exposed red pipes lined the walls and led toward the central room, where a complex web of conduit and wire met.

Drip...drip...drip. The faint sound could be heard off to one side, as he moved toward it, he noticed a large gash had cut through one of the pipes, and fluid was dripping slowly out. Stepping away, he turned around, only to hear a faint tapping in the gloomy silence. He moved toward the sound, till he came upon a sealed door.

Cautiously, Alan pried open the handle and edged the door open. One hand shining, blue light into a darkened room. A shadow stopped just short of the light, and Alan glimpsed two lights in the darkness. They were the unmistakable eyes of 739. Revealing more light, the form of 739 materialized from the shows.

“What are you doing 739?!” Alan hissed.

Almost at that same moment 739 dashed toward the door, pulling Alan in by the shirt and throwing him to the floor. Alan, thrown off balance and partially stunned, wanted to shout at 739, when his thoughts were interrupted by a crash at the partially opened door. Rolling over, his eyes only caught a faint glimpse of a shadow crashing into 739 and launching him back from the entrance.

Moments later Alan added energy to his gauntlets, increasing the brightness. The blue light shone upon a dark sleek form crowding the doorway. The figure, crouched on four legs, a jet-black carapace and red skull, like that of a hound, were illuminated by the glowing light.

Heart pounding, Alan’s eyes constricted as his eyes fell upon what he could only describe as a bug hound. Multiple sets of obsidian eyes, along with antennae fixed themselves onto Alan. It paused, as if it and Alan were the only things in the room. Alan froze at the inexplicable, intense gaze, the space between heart beats seemed to drag on.

Alan shifted slightly, and if a spell were suddenly broken the beast leapt forward. The sharpened maw hungrily drove at Alan.

He spun to the side. Barely avoiding a cross between, what looked like a hound jaw and pincers. A hair-raising screech filled the small room as the hardened skull gouged a long streak along the ship’s steel plate.

Alan’s mind reeled at the physical damage just one attack had on the hardened steel plate. Though covered in a VE energy shield, he took no comfort, as it only protected again fast-moving projectiles. A melee attack like this would cut through him like butter.

Adrenaline pumping, Alan rose to a knee, and threw a desperate fist, full of Vervetic Energy. Flash! Blue encased metal clashed against the obsidian shell.

Alan stumbled forward in shock. Instead of the expected crunch and squashed bug splatter. The hound, instead, flew sidelong into a rising 739. Sending both into a nearby wall, bending pipes and exposing wires. Tangling them both in the debris.

The bug hound scrambled to gain its footing and break free. Manically, it’s legs twisted wildly, razor protrusions mangling everything around it. 739 too, was caught in the flurry of blades. In its struggle it ignored 739, its sole focus was upon Alan, as it drew nearer to untangling itself.

Alan reacted, energizing both fists. He held out his arms, releasing a blue arc of crackling energy from the stones inserted in the back of his hand. The crackling energy scattered initially, striking exposed wires, pipes and other materials. Alan cursed, as he’d never even attempted to practice using the unfamiliar weapon.

The bug hound, sensing danger, writhed ever more quickly. Until, in its frenzy it broke through from the tangled mess.

Draining energy haphazardly, and sweating bullets from the ever-increasing heat, Alan attempted to redirect the stream of untamed energy towards a now charging hound. The bug’s eyes, now flaming rubies, hungered for the kill.

Whether by pure luck, or by a decrease in distance, the blue ark finally connected to the obsidian carapace. Alan felt a tug, as the vicious cobalt energy seemed to charge forward, finally connecting to its prey. The bug hound stiffened immediately. It’s body relentlessly twitching upon the floor.

It was only as it began to smell of seared flesh in the confined space that Alan cut off the flow of energy. He nearly vomited, as the smell of what might generously resemble singed hair permeated the small room.

Smoke arose from between the gaps of the beast. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to have the body shape of a massive dog crossed with a beetle. It’s carapace, Alan noted, was virtually unharmed, only a light scuff where his fist had connected.

As the adrenaline faded and the feeling of bile rising from his stomach settled, he stumbled forward to check on 739. The droid lay in the tangle of broken pipes and wires almost indistinguishable from the ship's debris. Alan could tell immediately that 739’s leg had been torn off, while many of its other systems were in clear disrepair. However, Alan noticed its eyes still glimmered faintly. A sign that its main processor was still active.

Alan sighed with relief inwardly. “Hey, are you ok?”

739 attempted to sit up. It outstretched a single, untangled arm, a weaponized spike still outstretched. Instead of a verbal reply, a garbled set of frantic squeaks and static came from the droid. Looking down curiously, a terrible thought dawned on him. Alan’s eyes narrowed.

In a moment, which he sensed more than saw, Alan heard a silent leap. His head jerked around, but he only had a moment to see the abyssal maw of a second bug hound, vengeful and hungry it clamped around his throat.

Falling backwards Alan felt the terrible pressure on his windpipe for only a moment.

YOU HAVE DIED.

Please wait…