Before the apocalypse began, the world of Jyera was on the verge of entering a new era, the era of interstellar exploration. After colonizing our solar system's only planet and all its moons and dwarf planets, everyone's eyes turned to other, more distant solar systems. And after many years of research and improvements in our technology, we managed to gain rudimentary control of space control technology. With this control, many incredible new technologies emerged, completely changing how we explore the stars.
But all of this technology was lost on the first day of the apocalypse, causing our population to regress to the level of cavemen. Without communication, we had no idea what the rest of the world was doing, without our computers, we lost a vast amount of technological knowledge to train new specialists, and since many of them died in the early days of the apocalypse, we had to accept our new limitations as we adapted to a new and cruel world.
Whatever caused this incident, even simple things like batteries no longer worked.
That's why I was so surprised by the system missions. The system was asking me to collect many of these technologies, and although I could buy most of them, some were in strategic locations in the city and were essential for the city to function. Therefore, they were extremely well protected...
[System Missions]
[Main Mission:]
-Obtain a prototype of the space bracelet. (Time limit: 6 days)
Reward: Unlocks a new system ability
[Secondary Missions:]
-Obtain a quantum transmission antenna. (Time limit: 6 days)
Reward: Unlocks the system store
-Obtain a small or medium space energy core. (Time limit: 6 days)
Reward: Unlocks a new system function
-Obtain essential components and repair tools. (Time limit 6 days)
Reward: Unlocks new System skill
-Obtain an industrial laser pistol (Time limit: 6 days)
Reward: Mutant Crystal level 2
Optional missions:
-Obtain a low-frequency quantum transmitter.
-Obtain High-Efficiency Batteries
-Obtain Integrated Circuit Microchips
-Obtain Quantum Storage Hardware
-Obtain 3 High-Efficiency Generators
-Obtain Water Purifying Stones
-Obtain a Portable Quantum Computer
-Obtain Energy Supplies
-Obtain Food Supplies
-Obtain Medicines and First Aid Kits
-Obtain a Food Processor and a Decomposer
-Get…
Of all the rewards, the crystal of a level 2 mutant was the one that caught my attention the most… I would need a lot of crystals of level 1 mutants to evolve into a level 2 mutant. But with this crystal, I could evolve quickly, becoming even more powerful before the apocalypse even begins.
The rewards of the optional missions all gave something called "survival points". According to the information, they could be used in the system store that had not yet been released, I was eager to know what would be in this store. The list was huge and contained over 70 items, most of the items from the optional missions were things I didn't know what they were for, but after researching, I could see that they could all be bought and I understood a little bit what they were for, I also had more than enough money to buy them all. The problem was with some of the items from the secondary missions and the main one…
The place where I lived was called Central Satellite City 12 (SC12). It was a small city with fewer than 70-80 thousand inhabitants. The name Satellite was given to cities close to a rocket launch base. Even though it was a small city, we had everything the system required...
The quantum antenna allowed long-distance communications without any delay, even between different planets, and according to the most recent reports, it even covered other solar systems. If I could save one of these, it wouldn't be long before communications could be reestablished, well, at least I could send and receive messages...
…If some group built small short-range receivers and transmitters again, they could receive these messages and even respond to me. This would have a great impact on the initial survival of our people. The problem was that there was only one such antenna inside the city, and it was on top of the police station. And I would need to get it before the chaos starts, since I only had a deadline of 6 days.
A space power core was part of the new technological tree that our race had created, even a small one, it was an eternal and portable power source, capable of keeping the entire Central Satellite City 02 running during an emergency. All public officials knew that such a strategic item was located in the city hall, another problematic place to break in and steal something before the crisis began…
The laser pistol was an important item in factories and construction sites. As long as it was supplied with power, it could do a lot of complicated jobs on a micro and macro scale. It was easy to get one of these, as long as you had a building permit or a factory. Which was not my case. But it wouldn't be hard to get, given my profession...
All of this brought me to the two easiest items on this list, the repair items and essential components were too expensive to buy, so I needed to find a place where I could "borrow" them…
As for the Space Bracelet Prototype, it was a new and innovative item, but huge and flashy. In the initial testing phase, only the Mayor, the Police Captain, and the Firefighter Captain had one. This item allowed you to store a huge number of items in a compressed space. However, its weight and size made it very uncomfortable to keep on your arm 24 hours a day.
Therefore, the only three people who had one of these in the city kept them at their workplaces and would only use them in an emergency or crisis. Of course, among the three, my target to steal this item would be my boss...
I was no computer or engineering genius, but I could easily see that all of these items were essential to create several decent shelters or even a powerful base. I know this because the lack of them was a serious problem in my days as an apocalypse survivor. I still didn't understand how the system would prevent them from being destroyed on the first day of the apocalypse, but I decided to trust this new power I had acquired and continue with the missions.
***
Soon, the days passed quickly, and Rick's neighbors watched curiously as several drones and delivery men left several packages in front of his house. Rick also went to the supermarket to buy large quantities of food and supplies, but he didn't keep everything in his house. He had rented a small box truck and made several renovations that were considered "strange and senseless" to it...
And with less than 24 hours left for the apocalypse to begin, Rick finally began his plan!
But far from Central Satellite City 12, scattered throughout the world of Jyera, four other people besides Rick had also received systems and were carrying out even stranger missions...