Alright, enough sentimentality! There's a task. Wooden figurines. Despite never considering myself a sculptor, over years of woodworking I'd gained skill. Rabbits turned out especially well for some reason. Simple, recognizable form. Deciding not to reinvent the wheel, I set to painstaking work, turning on a news channel in the background on the laptop. Shavings fell on the table in even, aromatic curls, the carving tool sang its quiet, soothing song, and I almost forgot where I was and why I was doing all this. I simply worked. And it was wonderful.
"...meanwhile, representatives of Damage Control report that cleanup work from the recent incident in the Bronx will be completed by Friday. City Hall again urges citizens not to approach cordoned-off blocks..."
I chuckled without looking up from work. "Incident." What a beautiful, sterile word for another brawl between some Hulk and Abomination that demolished a couple city blocks into rubble.
"...and we move to top science news. It became known that brilliant scientist Dr. Otto Octavius will conduct a closed presentation for investors in a month, on October 14th. Presumably, he'll present for the first time a prototype of his neurointerface manipulators, which, according to rumors, could make a real breakthrough in a number of fields, from surgery to construction!"
At this moment my hand trembled, and the carving tool cut too large a chip from the future rabbit's ear. Damn. Octavius. Another genius about to turn down the wrong road. The calendar in my head clicked. So events are just starting to unfold. I carefully corrected the shape, slightly changing the bunny's head position to hide the defect. Under heavy thoughts about how the world was slowly but surely going downhill, I brought the work to completion. Last touch with sandpaper, and there it is, a smooth, pleasant-to-touch wooden creature. All in all it took about half an hour. Setting it on the table, I received with bated breath a system notification:
[Created simple wooden figurine. Complexity: Minimal. Received +5 OP!]
Yes! For half an hour of relaxed, almost meditative work I got five times more OP than for one paper crane! The system valued real craftsmanship, even in such simple manifestation. This wasn't just pleasing, it gave hope. I was beginning to understand the rules of this game.
Taking another block, I again set to carving a rabbit, trying to make it an exact copy of the first. But this time I mentally broadcast to the system: "Work isn't finished until I coat it with varnish." The system was silent. Even when the second figurine was completely ready and polished, there was no notification. But as soon as I applied a thin layer of varnish with a brush and set the rabbit to dry on a sheet of paper, the result immediately came.
[Created simple varnished wooden figurine. Complexity: Minimal. Received +6 OP!]
+1 free OP! Just because I spent an extra minute on finishing! My theory was confirmed. The more multi-component and complete the work, even if additional stages are insignificant, the higher the final reward. By this logic, for the spud gun, which has both assembly and gluing and mechanism installation, I'll get... a lot. Very much. I couldn't wait to tackle it, but... discipline above all. I needed to finish the remaining 39 OP and finally close the gestalt with the first roll.
The next three hours turned into a small conveyor for producing wooden varnished rabbits. I could have stopped after making the needed quantity, but something inside made me continue to feel out the limit. Tenth rabbit... eleventh...
[Created simple varnished wooden figurine. Complexity: Minimal. Received +3 OP!]
[Warning! OP earning limit in the area of creating wooden figurines of minimal complexity partially exhausted! For the next 9 figurines will be awarded +3 OP.]
Even stopped adding for varnish. Disappointing. But my account displayed the number 112 OP. This was more than enough. Not dragging it out, I opened the system interface, found the "Forge Reality" tab and, taking a deep breath, mentally pressed the hammer image.
No bright special effects, light show or epileptic gacha animations. My system was extremely pragmatic. Simple text notification:
[Received Blueprint (simple). Project (Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura). (Technology unlock costs 50 OP)]
This small folder contains any one schematic of your choice from those you can find in Arcanum. You can choose both standard technologies such as Feather-Weight Axe and Elephant Gun, as well as prototypes of inventions not included in the technological disciplines curriculum, for example, Wonder Drug, Electro-Armor or Tranquilizer Gun.
So... And what next? I switched to the "Technologies" tab and saw there a new, gray, inactive line with the project name. Locked! What the hell?! I need to pay again?! I already paid a hundred points for the roll! I honestly and diligently, carving those damn rabbits, earned these damn OP, to... to get the right to pay again?!
"Are you fucking kidding me!" burst from me aloud. Returning to the "Forge Reality" tab, I noted with unpleasant shock that the price for the next activation had increased. "Forge Reality! Cost: 150 OP."
150 for the next, meaning 200 for the one after, 250 and so on... Unpleasant. Very unpleasant. Hot, useless rage rose from the depths of my soul. I wanted to throw something at the wall, smash those stupid rabbits to splinters. But I restrained myself. Deep breath. Exhale. Anger is a bad advisor. Need to think. The system isn't a slot machine. It doesn't give out random junk. From the very first attempt it gave me not one specific blueprint, but an entire catalog. A folder with projects. Choice. It gave me choice, but I need to pay for it. This... was logical in its own way. Though damn disappointing.
But the devil, as always, was in the details. "Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura." The word MAGICK alarmed my practical mind. What if the blueprint I choose has components I physically cannot obtain? What if for "Wonder Drug" I need powder from a griffin's horn or phoenix tear? And for "Electro-Armor", vibranium, which you can't get outside Wakanda? What if for the alloy of "Feather-Weight Axe" I need uru metal from Nidavellir's forges? What am I supposed to do in that case?
And what remained? Only continue farming. This "Arcanum" was either a long-term investment in a hazy future, or could pleasantly surprise me as soon as I unlock it. I looked at the remaining wooden blocks. Enough rabbits for me. Time to make something functional. At the same time I'll check how the system evaluates utility. I'll finish the 50 OP for unlocking today anyway.
Taking a new block and sawing off the needed piece with a hacksaw, I set to good old carving, this time making a simple wooden spoon. Twenty minutes of work, and here's the result.
[Created simple wooden utensil. Complexity: Minimal. Received +5 OP!]
Same as for the rabbit. I didn't risk varnishing the spoon, but was satisfied with the result. Making a spoon was simpler and faster. The next hours I spent in monotonous carving, bringing the OP counter to the needed mark.
The room became littered with shavings, the table covered with a layer of varnish and wood dust, and in the corner now towered a whole army of wooden rabbits and a mountain of spoons. The wood smell was thick and pleasant. I looked at my hands. John's hands. They'd become covered with small scratches and splinters, first calluses appeared on fingers. They were ceasing to be alien. They were becoming my working hands, a tool.
I felt pleasant tiredness in muscles, the very kind that comes after a long, productive day. Today I did more than John Thompson probably did in the entire last year of his life. I wasn't just surviving. I was acting. I set goals and achieved them. And though these goals were still small, accumulate points, unlock a blueprint, but they existed. They set a vector of movement in this insane world. I didn't yet know what awaited me in this "Arcanum," but for the first time in a long while I felt not fear of the future, but burning, eager curiosity.
[Created simple wooden utensil. Complexity: Minimal. Received +3 OP!]
[Warning! OP earning limit in the area of creating wooden utensils of minimal complexity has partially exhausted itself! For the next 9 creations will be awarded +3 OP.]
Finally, my account had 65 OP. 50 of which will now go to the first unlock. I'll finally get from the system something really practical. Or more precisely a blueprint of this something...
[Do you really wish to unlock Blueprint (simple). Project (Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura) for 50 OP?]
Mentally answering with firm agreement, I held my breath, expecting to see I know not what. Just like in a fairy tale. Though my current life could be called a fairy tale with a stretch...