Chapter 88: Screw organizing

“Where is it? Where the hell is my garmonbozia!” Throwing chests open left and right with several loud ‘bang’s. Kicking a poorly placed block of wood on the ground, “crash’ “Ouch.” As I grasp my foot in pain. Should have worn my armor today, damn. Slowly lowering my tenderfoot with the grace of a feather to not agitate the fresh wound.

Falling back into a conveniently placed chair. My storage is a mess, a complete and unbelievable mess. Slowly massaging my brows to ease my frustration. Even having placed a sorting tree to help the organization failed. Sadly, the tree is slow, too slow for my constant stream of fresh materials and items. This is one of the rare situation’s automation is a bother.

Sighing loudly at the frustration. Okay, I’ll make it. Stepping up from my chair and metaphorical stress. First, I need someone to make me a bunch of charged quartz. Taking my charging station, a massive quantity of quarts, and some thermoelectric generators. Packing them away before heading to the town.

Finding one of the few homeless people within the town. A slightly better dressed and clean-shaven man I've spoken to in passing. He's fallen on hard times after his divorce, a prime temporary worker.

Crouching beside the friendly face, “Hey buddy.”

“Hello Aeternum, good morning friend.” He says with a bright and cheery smile. A smile he keeps no matter the circumstances.

“I have a job if you want to earn some cash. Monotonous, boring; but I’ll pay you well.

“You got my attention; let's hear it.” His focus shifting into business-like attention.

“I have this material; it needs charging. You place it into the machine, wait for the electricity to start rebounding off it rather than entering it and it's done.”

“Why do you need help with it if it's so simple?” He tilts his head ever so slightly.

“It's very tiresome; I require a massive amount.”

He nods, “Okay, let's find somewhere you can work undisturbed.”

He follows me without question. We walk along the cobble path towards my home. A place I rarely stay with little of value that’s not well protected.

Walking into my house, wincing at how over the top it is. Finding a room rarely used was relatively easy. Promptly setting up my equipment for him to begin the process.

Placing 2 chests, one for the uncharged crystal, which I fill to the brim. The second chest for the charged crystal.

“Watch how I do it.” His attention laser-focused on the task.

“Place the crystal inside and wait.” We watch as the crystal begins to softly glow. Electricity gently gliding off the crystal into arcs of electricity. Gently removing the quartz, I place it within the second chest.

Motioning for him to try, I watch as he fumbles slightly at the slippery quarts. He eventually replicates the task with precision.

“Simple, right?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty simple.”

Setting down some fruits and a jug of water. “Bathrooms down the hall, eat at your leisure. When I return, I’ll check how much is completed and reward accordingly.”

“How much?” He asks simply and reasonably.

“A diamond a stack.” His eyes dilate and widen ever so slightly.

Chuckling lightly as his reaction. “Be surprised after seeing the sheer boredom within the task.”

“My perception of wealth is severely warped.” I thought that was reasonable pay, but his reaction says otherwise.

Leaving him to his work, I head towards my castle. Having already prepared a small quantity to work with.

I begin by preparing an energy accepter and a large quantity of mod-specific cables – ME cables. Already having large amounts of fluix crystals and quartz glass. Choosing a small room to house the ME system I begin setting it up. Running power through the floor into the energy acceptor. Adding ME cables to the output to power my system. My cheap automation system has already prepared a wealth of every form of circuitry. With this in mind, I prepare 2 ME drives.

These will hold all my items. Being mildly obsessed with automation, having a lot is a wise choice. Next, I require a terminal. These allow me to access the inventory, vital indeed. Requiring 2 cores, an annihilation core, and a formation core. The whole thing is relatively cheap. Generally, everything is in applied energistics. The only hangup is the massive amount of crafting required. Having long lines of item chains. A good example is a small set of materials producing 1 item. You require 3 of these items to produce another and so forth into infinity. And once you want to use that item? That’s another crafting chain to follow; lovely right?

Rambling aside, it’s a relatively easy mod… at first. Once you get past the storage parts of it, the complexity increases exponentially. Thankfully, for what I need at the moment. I just need some storage.

Quickly preparing 4 terminals. These terminals were then upgraded to crafting terminals for convenience. Truly the best thing since sliced bread and bags of holding. Next, I need to prepare the actual storage. For this, they have 1 – 63k storage drives. Irrespective of level, each holds a stack of items. The levels represent how many items can stack. Like 10 thousand cobblestone, that would require a bigger drive.

Here, the drives go far beyond the 63k limit imposed on the base mod. Finding the sheer side terrifying. “They must expect people to try and eat the world.” Shaking my head in disappointment.

The drives require a respective size storage component which then gets turned into the drives. Quickly heading to my house to gather as much charged quartz as he has produced. Settling down into a chair, I begin mass-producing 1k components. Making stacks upon stacks. Upgrading them into 4k, then 16, and so forth until I have 20 63k components.

Turning them into drives at that point was child's play. Placing them within, I expect them to light green but a dead grey tells me there is no power. Going through my floor towards my power system I notice the wires not connected – oops.

Issue fixed; I quickly return. Finding green lights across the board. Walking towards my terminal, “now how do I use you.” Placing my palm on the terminal brings up a digital screen. Placing an item onto the terminal causes it to sink into it. That’s cool, having fun throwing items into it.

Several minutes later, having tossed my last apple from across the room into the system, I return to the terminal. Reaching inside the terminal, I focus on what item I want. It comes out easily, as fresh as when it went in. I suppose having food digitalized means they don’t spoil. I do wonder if they maintain heat thought.

Having played with the system for a time, it's time for work. Sighing at the monumental task I have on my hands. I have to manually move all my items. It would be easy if I knew how to use buses properly but alas I do not.

Buses are how items are moved automatically through the system. Placing it on my list of things to learn in my free time. For now, I’ll settle for the good old fashion back-breaking labor.

Beginning with the closest chests. I slowly chip away at the mountain. I quickly realize, without buses I’ll have to manually move items often. Recalling everything I can of the item while moving items. Mentally separating myself from my body. Even dividing my attention to distract myself begins to grow dull. Shaking away stray thoughts of procrastinating more, and more often.

Eventually caving, I distract myself by playing with Chic and Sling. Hide and seek is a lot of fun on a large floating island it would seem. Eventually finding Sling camouflaged among some tall grass and Chic attempting to hide in the lush witchery area.

It was a pleasant distraction, eventually allowing me the willpower to return to my task. It takes many hours for me to notice meaningful progress. Cursing my short-sightedness in putting it off for such a long time.

“Oops, I forgot about the guy working on my quartz.” Returning to the room I find a loudly snoring man comfortably circled up in a chair. Food is gone, and half the water too. Looking at the chest I identify over 20 stacks. Gently removing and placing 20 diamonds on the counter.

“Hey, buddy; you alive over there?”

“Snore…”

“Hey? You alive?” I say louder.

“Snore…”

Eventually, I just lightly push on his torso until he stirs from his deep slumber. Groggily he opens his eyes, “Aeternum, what's up? Wait, where… ah yes…” Looking at the task he was attempting to complete. He looks worried for a moment, “So…sorry I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

Holding my hand up, “It's okay, it’s a boring task. Your pay is on the table.”

Looking at the diamonds on the table sobers him from his tiredness far faster than any words could. Slowly approaching the table before carefully looking at the gems. Checking each with care, bring them up to his eye and even biting one. Finally nodding in acceptance; he sweeps the gems into his pocket with deft swiftness.

“What did you do as a job again?” I cannot help, noticing his foreign grace.

He smiles in a toothy grin, “I was a store supervisor.”

“Ah, I see, an interesting career choice.” Mentally adding, “Odd skill set you got from that job.”

Showing him to the door, “Thanks for the help. I appreciate it, I would have lost my mind otherwise.”

“No problem.” He says as he tips his hat. Walking away with a slightly rhythmic dance to his steps. Someone’s in a good mood. Hearing my stomach make itself known with a bestial grumble. Dinner it is, patting my belly with care.

Walking through my familiar hallway towards the best room in the building. Who cares about secret rooms when you have a fully stocked kitchen with every implement under the sun. I don’t think I’ll end up using a bane Mari but I have one. Running my hand across the sleek metallic shell embossed with a buffalo.

Taking out some bacon, I slowly begin to fry it in a pan. Enjoying the slight sizzle and the salty meat smell in the air. Using a separate pan, I heat the oil to 72 Celsius before cracking an egg into it, allowing it to cook. Egg whites set at 70 Celsius, whereas yolks at 75. This allows for perfect fried eggs. Opening my oven, I begin to cook some beef pork sausages.

Taking some peeled potatoes, I grate them with a touch of white onion. Adding a little chopped chive to the mix. Allowing the starch to bleed out of it before sifting the potato and then squeezing it in a towel.

Taking the potato, I add salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic powder before tightly packing it into triangular molds. Once compacted, I allow them to refrigerate for a short while. Now the question, to bread crumb or not to bread crumb. Maybe another day, removing the now slightly cold hash browns from the fridge. I then shallow fry them in a pan until golden brown and both sides and fully cooked.

Brining all the dishes together I complete my wonderful, slightly unhealthy meal. The fat alone but scare anyone but the salt could kill you. I love it and my clone body.

Devouring the wonderful meal, makes me think of home. The smell of the fry up wafting to my room. Not needing to be told the magic word “diner” as I’m already sat at the table waiting. Truly potato is the most fundamental food item from where I live. The tuber having even saved a lot of Germany from starvation at one point. Turning my sad gaze away from the empty plate I get up. I've got a lot of moving to do.