Burgmond45
Inactive Member
Sector 3
Dawn Station
Walter Hyde didn't know what to expect when he asked Eden if he can come here; at least not exactly, anyway. It seemed likely in his eyes that he'd come here alone, and yet Eden wanted to come with him; that gesture of kindness was honestly touching to him. That's why he couldn't turn her down. Now, they're going to get Walter some special gauntlets that he had been considering to get ever since he came to this dimension. They're gauntlets with good battle applications, and great utility for someone who needs extra hands, and are independant from power armor as to assist him with tasks outside of the battlefield; such tasks Walter had in mind for the gloves were to getting back into being the Kaiyō II's onboard technician, and using them to grab and and fix issues without having to get too close to any dangerous hazards.
"Eden, I wanted to know; were you literally born to be the captain of the original Kaiyō, or were you one of the people who climbed the ranks to be a captain for as long as you were?" Walter asked as he walked with the tall XO.
"I would say that only sprites are born for the ships they man," Eden said as she walked with Walter. "Others, for instance the Princess Ketsurui Aiko, are born for the roles they fit into. Few are exempt from the need to rise through the ranks to becoming a captain, though."
"I see," Walter answered simply. "Any stories about your adventures over the years? I heard that Ayenee wasn't your first time dealing with alternate dimensions."
"That's something," Eden said in his mind, "we can discuss on a more covert level. Were Nekovalkyrja in your origin universe born into the positions of leadership?"
"... Yes," Walter responded telepathically, "in fact Neko's were nothing different from flesh golems, bred to do certain tasks over being humane. They are the slaves, the empresses, and amost everything in between. Us Minkans serve to be civilians; sometimes we get to be in other positions if we can rival a Neko. I only got into the military because I passed Basic Training with flying colors."
"I agree with the IYS universe's assessment of your abilities. It is with great hesitation I ask what I'm sure SAINT has grilled out of you, already, but what was the Nekovalkyrja known as Eve like?"
"Take a Mishhuvurthyar, and give it a Neko mask covered in make-up. That's Eve for you," Walter answered, keeping the conversation to shared thoughts. "She puts a lot of spending into the rapid development of military technology, and has a pure xenophobic policy to turn any aliens into Minkans or Nekovalkyrja, should the aforementioned aliens want to be a part of Yamatai as a whole. Those who wish to retain their individuality get overwhelmed by our military, and never make it out alive."
Eden wanted to know more, "That is what I gathered, what would you say her weaknesses are?"
"... Due to how their technology is more advanced than yours, our Star Army only has two weaknesses; for one they are very dependant on Aether energy, and are confident enough in their defenses against tools that hinder the harvestation of Aether energy to not spend money on back-up systems. Second, our own bodies are imbedded with a weakness. If we get a severe injury, we lose ourselves to a bloodlust. It gives us a immense strength boost, up to 150%, but it always results in a very severe case of muscle atrophy. Even then, we're in power armor; the electricity travels through our bones and keeps us from falling to the ground."
Eden looked digusted as she walked with Walter towards Origin mart, still a good ways away from it.
"It's a sick punishment to ensure we don't get shot."
The Teien had clenched her jaw and unclenched it to speak aloud, "Sick, indeed. Thank you for this information... But," she looked to Walter and put a hand on his shoulder, continuing their telepathic communication as she looked away. "You only answered what your old SAoY's weaknesses are. I wanted to know Eve's. But, perhaps, that is like asking me what Mistress Yui's are. If I believed it was possible for Yui to have any, I would still be too disconnected from her to know what they could be. Even with her daughter staying aboard my ship for most of her life. I still would not know."
Walter nodded, keeping the silent discussion going with a small apology. "My apologies, there's still habits I am ironing out... Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what her weaknesses are; for all I know, it might be true that Eve has none that can ever be exploited."
"She has a counterpart in your universe, an IYS version of Yui, perhaps?" Eden's telepathy asked Walter.
"That version of Yui was in Eve's political circle," his telepathy answered in kind, "specifically, the head of the entire military. And then SAINT found out that she was going to stage a coup... They pulled the plug on most of them; rumor has it Yui lives on, but I doubt she can do anything at this point. Eve is perfectly fine with killing another Nekovalkyrja if it's in the nation's interest."
"So is our Mistress Yui," Eden replied tersely. "There is nothing either wouldn't do for their nations. I do hope that universe's Yui lives on, or... Perhaps I should wish she were dead, to save her the pain of living at the hands of a torturous monster such as Eve. Is," she asked, "anything I should know; for curiosity's sake."
"We have the entire Kikyo sector conquered; there is nothing there except Minkans and Nekos under Eve's thumb. Currently, our army has its eyes on researching altermative means of travel in order to spread its borders beyond the sector, and as you might have known by now..." His orange eyes glanced at her, as he sent her the rest of the secret response.
"They were even doing trans-dimension travel research. They started a month after you came into their territory, now knowing that there is even more land to be Yama-tized than their own dimension. They were looking at warp-gate technologies during that time, believing that stationary portals that bend space-time to create warp-speed amplification tubes in order to cross even larger distances within half an hour."
"Was the IYS 0071 the first of its kind?" Eden asked tersely.
Walter shook his head. "No, it was just the first to go anywhere. Every other ship from 0000 to 0070 was one mess after another; some say they can still hear the cries of those who piloted IYS 0011 in one of the hangar bays..."
"So it was the first," Eden began, shaken slightly but still able to keep up the line of questioning as they sped-walked, "successful... Eeto... Somewhat successful of its kind?"
"Indeed. It made a successful jump, however instead of going to your Yamatai space, it charged through your sister dimension. Next thing you know, the whole ship was being ripped apart by particles smaller than femtomachines, with the three dunderheats in the pilot section being spread across space-time or something like that." The engineer could just recall all those noises... The visual noise and the vocal noise. "My suit managed to keep me... Alive, but not well. Served me right to care about safety."
Eden asked, "If the name was IYS 0071, it was likely the 71st of the trans-dimensional research ships, am I correct?"
"It was only a test ship," he answered. "They weren't a part of any fleet in particular, they were just made to be testable prototypes."
"And you don't know if they learned from your near-success, do you?" she asked telepathically.
"Truth be told, I don't know," he replied to Eden telepathically, "that ship is a mangled pile of partially melted spaceship, and three of my crewmates became particles that exist in the space between universes. I would say they haven't learned about it; it's like throwing a dart at a board that's sixty feet deep in murky water."
"Thank you, Walter. That's not the last question I have for you," Eden said to him aloud as they got to the Origin Mart main entrance, "but the rest will have to wait. After you." She motioned for him to enter the door as it opened.
"Thank you, your hospitality is inspirational," Walter thanked openly as he walked inside the Ori-Mart. Eden was soon to follow and rested a hand on Walter's shoulder, again, as she did.
They were greeted with the inside of a large, open retail store, which showcased various goods, not only Origin-branded, but from numerous others as well, including quite a few Nepleslian and Yamataian marques that would be familiar, and even some from other nations that might be less common in other parts of the Kikyo sector. In the center of the sprawling department store was a large spiral staircase leading down a wide opening to the lower floor of the store, with signs pointing out that weapons, ammunition, and vehicles could be found below. They were greeted by a nearby store worker whom was busy hanging up some new product on the walls, but still took the time to ensure that the newcomers were directed where they needed to go.
Walter quietly admired the spacious building, unable to consider it anything less than a mall-sized department store. The generally large signs were pretty helpful in guiding the Minkan to where he needed to go.
"I've never seen anything like this at home... Or my place of birth," Walter verbally commented. "Places like this puts a smile on my face," he said with a soft smile.
Eden looked at him incredulously, then said, "We'll shop around a bit, I'm going to pick up a few Origin items, myself. Like this volumetric belt," Eden said, stepping over to the Apparel Array. "I wish they had the ABC-array here, though... The Kaiyō could always stand to pack more punch." She looked to Walter and told him, "Aetheric beam cannon, that is." She picked up the belt and asked, "Do you think this works when I'm passed out? So even if I'm not conscious and my volumetrics aren't working I can still look good?"
He crossed his arms, looking at the belt and her attractive frame overall. "It sits on your hips nicely, though I fail to understand why you want one."
Eden thought back, then explained a little, "The last time I was shot in the head by my wife, I happened to be in pajama bottoms, only. The next time I would like something covering me afterwards."
The joke was morbid and her voice faltered halfway through, but she was genuinely smiling.
Walter raised an eyebrow at that; an really odd circumstance, but understandable and... Quite the first, honestly. He noted to get used to the fact that people actually like privacy. "Like I said, it sits on your hips nicely; if it can compliment your body and also save yourself from embarrassment, I'd say it is a good investment."
"... I'd ask about your wife, but it doesn't sound like something you want to discuss."
The black-haired and hime-cut Nekovalkyrja continued to smile, but it became strained, albeit wide.
"It's a broad subject," she said, "and we're here for you and your custom gaunts." She motioned towards the stairs downwards. "After you..."
The tall Minkan nodded, respecting whatever feelings she might be holding back, and went down the stairs first. She soon followed.
As the pair descended the stairs, they would be greeted with two very distinct areas- One, to the right, was a brightly lit showroom featuring several models of OMC vehicles, as well as booths which had information on larger commercial vehicles that didn't quite fit in the showroom, and even a section for space craft and Aerial craft. To the left, the lighting, while still easy to see, was considerably dimmer, and the space was filled with numerous backlit, open, Durandium-T cases that held various weapons, from guns and their respective ammo to a myriad of melee weapons, as well as some other parts and accessories, it was an ODM showroom that had anything and everything someone could want- Almost. In the center was a Kiosk which had several representatives, a few of whom were helping customers, but, there was a young, brown-haired Nepleslian man who seemed to be available.
Walter paused to take a look at what was immediately around him, the well-developed engineer looking a tad less like a proffesional soldier, and more like a tourist, from only his change in posture. He felt he shouldn't be amazed, and yet he can't help but admire the weapons and vehicles for merely being so different. Some of those aerial craft in particular look stunning and exotic to him, enough for him to consider getting one of his own eventually. The thought of modding a ship of his own seemed like a good hobby. Though right now isn't a good time to buy something like that.
Walter approached to the Kiosk, making a beeline to the Nepleslian while Eden dutifully followed.
"Hey there," Walter greeted the represenative, "I am interested in a custom weapon."
"Hello there, Sir, Ma'am," The Nepleslian greeted with a smile, making eye contact with both approaching individuals. "My name is James Robertson, and I'll be more than happy to help you with a custom weapon!" More than just a spiel, the man seemed to be genuinely excited to help, and opened a volumetric window that opened a blank screen that was flanked with several tabs from which he could select different item types, materials, functions, add-ons, and the like.
"What would you like me to get started on, sir?"
The Minkan crossed his arms, and stared as if he was looking through the display. "Gauntlets, made of Zesuaium and powered by Aether cells," Walter answered. The man seemed to know have a fairly clear picture on what he wanted.
Very swiftly, James opened a couple of menus, and scrolled through the drop downs- a set of Gauntlets appeared in the display field, which then changed color slightly to match the material change, and then part of the gauntlet suddenly changed size, shape, and configuration, all of which happened in a matter of seconds.
"Gotcha. And what would you like these powered gauntlets to do? There's a lot of variety in what's available so make sure you've chosen the right modifications for your desired application."
"I understand," Walter reassured James. "I want these gauntlets to be able to fly about, be controlled via mind-linking, and have the capacity to deal concussive blows. Basic, versatile, and easy to get in quantities greater than one pair."
James nodded to what Walter was saying, flipping through a few more menus and adding the traits that the man wanted in his custom weapons. "Sounds like a plan to me. As far as easy to get in quantity, if you register your custom design with us, you can order it from any Origin Mart, and depending on the availability of materials and manufacturing, we can get you turnaround times as short as a day, although most locations may need around a Week for shipping, since only Ori-Marts on Tami and the OOSS stations have the ability to make things from the salvaged Zesuaium Origin stocked up on after the NMX War."
Adding the final few touches, James brushed a finger across the display of the gauntlet, causing it to spin at a bit of an angle so that Walter could see it from all sides. "Is there any color you might want it? Keep in mind the Zesuaium doesn't hold paint very well, but we can get it in Star Army Blue, SMX Green, or NMX Yellow as permanent color options."
Walter, with his arms remaining crossed, eyed the grey gauntlet. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted for color; he hadn't given it any thought. "Sure, Star Army Blue."
Eden patted him on the back and nodded as she said, "Always a good choice." She got a nod from Walter, and a small smile.
"Star army blue it is!" James repeated, changing the option and updating the still slowly spinning model of the gauntlet. "Anything else you'd like to add, or should we finalize the design? Whatever you choose, it will be roughly a 12 hour wait for production. also, you said you wanted greater quantaties than one? Are you going to purchase a single example today or would you like to start off with multiple?"
"I would like to finalize the design, and also..." Walter looked at the superior behind him, and looked back at James. "I'd like to get four pairs of the gauntlets, after we finalized it. Do we need to go over the appearance of these gauntlets at all, or is it optional?"
"Well, I'v got a few drop downs you can look through for pre-made designs for gauntlets, or if you're handy at design, you can try to make your own design, although fancier designs with more material may cost more, so keep that in mind with your budget," James informed Walter, pointing out the form and design menus as well as the 'sculpt' tool that would allow him to make his own design. "Take as much time as you need, and it would be no problem to make you four pairs once it's finalized."
Walter nodded, and looked through the pre-made designs for the gauntlets. He picked one design, a bulkier and unclawed varient, and began to edit the design. He decided on a more knight-based look for the weapon, the elongated forearm plate decorated with a comet-helix design etched into it. Mildly fancy, though he was only making use of the available space.
James Robertson watched along as Walter made his choice, and then made some modifications to the design, nodding his head as he seemed to like some of the Aesthetic choices the man made.
"Nice, nice. Once it's all finished all you have to do is select the finalize option and then that will send it to production, select the number of units you want produced and then we'll handle the transaction details and you'll have your gauntlets tomorrow. sound good?"
"Well," Eden said, nudging Walter's side with her shoulder. "Like it enough to 'finalize'?"
Walter rolled his eyes, and silently finalized the design, making an order of four pairs of these gauntlets. "That will be fine by me, thank you."
"Thank you," Eden said to James. "Arigatou gozaimasu. You have made one of my crew members very happy and the rest of the crew all the more safe." Walter nodded, not needing to speak his mind.
"It's my pleasure to serve you guys today. Gauntlets are a fun little thing that we don't make too often, and I always love it when we get custom designs, makes my day more fun, too." with that, the man began to interact with the volumetric window, selecting and deselecting things and hitting a few menus to get things sent through the proper channels, before swiping with his entire palm across the window, causing it to spin and dissolve, before turning into a different window.
"Now that the fun part is over, it's time for the not so fun part- That is payment options." He smiled, a friendly and understanding smile knowing that sometimes this part can be the hardest. "With all the options, extras, and upgrades, for four pairs, you're looking at 4200KS plus taxes and fees bringing the total to 4357KS. will you be paying in cash or via a bank transfer such as a card or communicator link?"
"I will pay with my card," said the engineer as he pulled it out of his wallet. "4375 KS is a fair price, if I recall correctly that's as much as some of the pricier swords your company can make."
"Well, certain materials are pretty expensive and the more of it you need the more the price goes up. however, you've got your hands on some more... hands, and so hopefully it'll serve your purpose for a fair price!" James responded as he took the card and scanned it, handing it back then adjusting the volumetric window so that Walter could put in his PIN and confirm the transaction. "Would you like a receipt once the transaction goes through?" he asked, finally.
"I cannot say no to a receipt," Walter said affirmingly after he inputted his PIN.
"That and extra hands; comparing that to certain pricy weapons on the market, I'm confident that I will be using these frequently enough to justify the price." The Minkan looked fairly confident in his choice, picking hands over things like massive swords and hammers.
James printed off a small receipt quickly, as well as sent a push notification to Walter's communicator to allow him to download a digital receipt as a backup, handing the physical receipt over to the man, whom takes when James spoke up. "Alright you're all set and ready to go. Thank you for choosing Origin for your custom weapon needs. It was fun helping you today and I do hope you get lots of use from your gauntlets. As I stated before, your gauntlets will be ready in about 12 hours and I'll have them here and ready for you at that time. Take care and have a great rest of your day!"
Mentally, Walter accepted the digital reciept. "I wish you nothing less than that." Softly smiling, he gestured Eden to come with him; time to end their time on Dawn Station.
Dawn Station
Walter Hyde didn't know what to expect when he asked Eden if he can come here; at least not exactly, anyway. It seemed likely in his eyes that he'd come here alone, and yet Eden wanted to come with him; that gesture of kindness was honestly touching to him. That's why he couldn't turn her down. Now, they're going to get Walter some special gauntlets that he had been considering to get ever since he came to this dimension. They're gauntlets with good battle applications, and great utility for someone who needs extra hands, and are independant from power armor as to assist him with tasks outside of the battlefield; such tasks Walter had in mind for the gloves were to getting back into being the Kaiyō II's onboard technician, and using them to grab and and fix issues without having to get too close to any dangerous hazards.
"Eden, I wanted to know; were you literally born to be the captain of the original Kaiyō, or were you one of the people who climbed the ranks to be a captain for as long as you were?" Walter asked as he walked with the tall XO.
"I would say that only sprites are born for the ships they man," Eden said as she walked with Walter. "Others, for instance the Princess Ketsurui Aiko, are born for the roles they fit into. Few are exempt from the need to rise through the ranks to becoming a captain, though."
"I see," Walter answered simply. "Any stories about your adventures over the years? I heard that Ayenee wasn't your first time dealing with alternate dimensions."
"That's something," Eden said in his mind, "we can discuss on a more covert level. Were Nekovalkyrja in your origin universe born into the positions of leadership?"
"... Yes," Walter responded telepathically, "in fact Neko's were nothing different from flesh golems, bred to do certain tasks over being humane. They are the slaves, the empresses, and amost everything in between. Us Minkans serve to be civilians; sometimes we get to be in other positions if we can rival a Neko. I only got into the military because I passed Basic Training with flying colors."
"I agree with the IYS universe's assessment of your abilities. It is with great hesitation I ask what I'm sure SAINT has grilled out of you, already, but what was the Nekovalkyrja known as Eve like?"
"Take a Mishhuvurthyar, and give it a Neko mask covered in make-up. That's Eve for you," Walter answered, keeping the conversation to shared thoughts. "She puts a lot of spending into the rapid development of military technology, and has a pure xenophobic policy to turn any aliens into Minkans or Nekovalkyrja, should the aforementioned aliens want to be a part of Yamatai as a whole. Those who wish to retain their individuality get overwhelmed by our military, and never make it out alive."
Eden wanted to know more, "That is what I gathered, what would you say her weaknesses are?"
"... Due to how their technology is more advanced than yours, our Star Army only has two weaknesses; for one they are very dependant on Aether energy, and are confident enough in their defenses against tools that hinder the harvestation of Aether energy to not spend money on back-up systems. Second, our own bodies are imbedded with a weakness. If we get a severe injury, we lose ourselves to a bloodlust. It gives us a immense strength boost, up to 150%, but it always results in a very severe case of muscle atrophy. Even then, we're in power armor; the electricity travels through our bones and keeps us from falling to the ground."
Eden looked digusted as she walked with Walter towards Origin mart, still a good ways away from it.
"It's a sick punishment to ensure we don't get shot."
The Teien had clenched her jaw and unclenched it to speak aloud, "Sick, indeed. Thank you for this information... But," she looked to Walter and put a hand on his shoulder, continuing their telepathic communication as she looked away. "You only answered what your old SAoY's weaknesses are. I wanted to know Eve's. But, perhaps, that is like asking me what Mistress Yui's are. If I believed it was possible for Yui to have any, I would still be too disconnected from her to know what they could be. Even with her daughter staying aboard my ship for most of her life. I still would not know."
Walter nodded, keeping the silent discussion going with a small apology. "My apologies, there's still habits I am ironing out... Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what her weaknesses are; for all I know, it might be true that Eve has none that can ever be exploited."
"She has a counterpart in your universe, an IYS version of Yui, perhaps?" Eden's telepathy asked Walter.
"That version of Yui was in Eve's political circle," his telepathy answered in kind, "specifically, the head of the entire military. And then SAINT found out that she was going to stage a coup... They pulled the plug on most of them; rumor has it Yui lives on, but I doubt she can do anything at this point. Eve is perfectly fine with killing another Nekovalkyrja if it's in the nation's interest."
"So is our Mistress Yui," Eden replied tersely. "There is nothing either wouldn't do for their nations. I do hope that universe's Yui lives on, or... Perhaps I should wish she were dead, to save her the pain of living at the hands of a torturous monster such as Eve. Is," she asked, "anything I should know; for curiosity's sake."
"We have the entire Kikyo sector conquered; there is nothing there except Minkans and Nekos under Eve's thumb. Currently, our army has its eyes on researching altermative means of travel in order to spread its borders beyond the sector, and as you might have known by now..." His orange eyes glanced at her, as he sent her the rest of the secret response.
"They were even doing trans-dimension travel research. They started a month after you came into their territory, now knowing that there is even more land to be Yama-tized than their own dimension. They were looking at warp-gate technologies during that time, believing that stationary portals that bend space-time to create warp-speed amplification tubes in order to cross even larger distances within half an hour."
"Was the IYS 0071 the first of its kind?" Eden asked tersely.
Walter shook his head. "No, it was just the first to go anywhere. Every other ship from 0000 to 0070 was one mess after another; some say they can still hear the cries of those who piloted IYS 0011 in one of the hangar bays..."
"So it was the first," Eden began, shaken slightly but still able to keep up the line of questioning as they sped-walked, "successful... Eeto... Somewhat successful of its kind?"
"Indeed. It made a successful jump, however instead of going to your Yamatai space, it charged through your sister dimension. Next thing you know, the whole ship was being ripped apart by particles smaller than femtomachines, with the three dunderheats in the pilot section being spread across space-time or something like that." The engineer could just recall all those noises... The visual noise and the vocal noise. "My suit managed to keep me... Alive, but not well. Served me right to care about safety."
Eden asked, "If the name was IYS 0071, it was likely the 71st of the trans-dimensional research ships, am I correct?"
"It was only a test ship," he answered. "They weren't a part of any fleet in particular, they were just made to be testable prototypes."
"And you don't know if they learned from your near-success, do you?" she asked telepathically.
"Truth be told, I don't know," he replied to Eden telepathically, "that ship is a mangled pile of partially melted spaceship, and three of my crewmates became particles that exist in the space between universes. I would say they haven't learned about it; it's like throwing a dart at a board that's sixty feet deep in murky water."
"Thank you, Walter. That's not the last question I have for you," Eden said to him aloud as they got to the Origin Mart main entrance, "but the rest will have to wait. After you." She motioned for him to enter the door as it opened.
"Thank you, your hospitality is inspirational," Walter thanked openly as he walked inside the Ori-Mart. Eden was soon to follow and rested a hand on Walter's shoulder, again, as she did.
They were greeted with the inside of a large, open retail store, which showcased various goods, not only Origin-branded, but from numerous others as well, including quite a few Nepleslian and Yamataian marques that would be familiar, and even some from other nations that might be less common in other parts of the Kikyo sector. In the center of the sprawling department store was a large spiral staircase leading down a wide opening to the lower floor of the store, with signs pointing out that weapons, ammunition, and vehicles could be found below. They were greeted by a nearby store worker whom was busy hanging up some new product on the walls, but still took the time to ensure that the newcomers were directed where they needed to go.
Walter quietly admired the spacious building, unable to consider it anything less than a mall-sized department store. The generally large signs were pretty helpful in guiding the Minkan to where he needed to go.
"I've never seen anything like this at home... Or my place of birth," Walter verbally commented. "Places like this puts a smile on my face," he said with a soft smile.
Eden looked at him incredulously, then said, "We'll shop around a bit, I'm going to pick up a few Origin items, myself. Like this volumetric belt," Eden said, stepping over to the Apparel Array. "I wish they had the ABC-array here, though... The Kaiyō could always stand to pack more punch." She looked to Walter and told him, "Aetheric beam cannon, that is." She picked up the belt and asked, "Do you think this works when I'm passed out? So even if I'm not conscious and my volumetrics aren't working I can still look good?"
He crossed his arms, looking at the belt and her attractive frame overall. "It sits on your hips nicely, though I fail to understand why you want one."
Eden thought back, then explained a little, "The last time I was shot in the head by my wife, I happened to be in pajama bottoms, only. The next time I would like something covering me afterwards."
The joke was morbid and her voice faltered halfway through, but she was genuinely smiling.
Walter raised an eyebrow at that; an really odd circumstance, but understandable and... Quite the first, honestly. He noted to get used to the fact that people actually like privacy. "Like I said, it sits on your hips nicely; if it can compliment your body and also save yourself from embarrassment, I'd say it is a good investment."
"... I'd ask about your wife, but it doesn't sound like something you want to discuss."
The black-haired and hime-cut Nekovalkyrja continued to smile, but it became strained, albeit wide.
"It's a broad subject," she said, "and we're here for you and your custom gaunts." She motioned towards the stairs downwards. "After you..."
The tall Minkan nodded, respecting whatever feelings she might be holding back, and went down the stairs first. She soon followed.
As the pair descended the stairs, they would be greeted with two very distinct areas- One, to the right, was a brightly lit showroom featuring several models of OMC vehicles, as well as booths which had information on larger commercial vehicles that didn't quite fit in the showroom, and even a section for space craft and Aerial craft. To the left, the lighting, while still easy to see, was considerably dimmer, and the space was filled with numerous backlit, open, Durandium-T cases that held various weapons, from guns and their respective ammo to a myriad of melee weapons, as well as some other parts and accessories, it was an ODM showroom that had anything and everything someone could want- Almost. In the center was a Kiosk which had several representatives, a few of whom were helping customers, but, there was a young, brown-haired Nepleslian man who seemed to be available.
Walter paused to take a look at what was immediately around him, the well-developed engineer looking a tad less like a proffesional soldier, and more like a tourist, from only his change in posture. He felt he shouldn't be amazed, and yet he can't help but admire the weapons and vehicles for merely being so different. Some of those aerial craft in particular look stunning and exotic to him, enough for him to consider getting one of his own eventually. The thought of modding a ship of his own seemed like a good hobby. Though right now isn't a good time to buy something like that.
Walter approached to the Kiosk, making a beeline to the Nepleslian while Eden dutifully followed.
"Hey there," Walter greeted the represenative, "I am interested in a custom weapon."
"Hello there, Sir, Ma'am," The Nepleslian greeted with a smile, making eye contact with both approaching individuals. "My name is James Robertson, and I'll be more than happy to help you with a custom weapon!" More than just a spiel, the man seemed to be genuinely excited to help, and opened a volumetric window that opened a blank screen that was flanked with several tabs from which he could select different item types, materials, functions, add-ons, and the like.
"What would you like me to get started on, sir?"
The Minkan crossed his arms, and stared as if he was looking through the display. "Gauntlets, made of Zesuaium and powered by Aether cells," Walter answered. The man seemed to know have a fairly clear picture on what he wanted.
Very swiftly, James opened a couple of menus, and scrolled through the drop downs- a set of Gauntlets appeared in the display field, which then changed color slightly to match the material change, and then part of the gauntlet suddenly changed size, shape, and configuration, all of which happened in a matter of seconds.
"Gotcha. And what would you like these powered gauntlets to do? There's a lot of variety in what's available so make sure you've chosen the right modifications for your desired application."
"I understand," Walter reassured James. "I want these gauntlets to be able to fly about, be controlled via mind-linking, and have the capacity to deal concussive blows. Basic, versatile, and easy to get in quantities greater than one pair."
James nodded to what Walter was saying, flipping through a few more menus and adding the traits that the man wanted in his custom weapons. "Sounds like a plan to me. As far as easy to get in quantity, if you register your custom design with us, you can order it from any Origin Mart, and depending on the availability of materials and manufacturing, we can get you turnaround times as short as a day, although most locations may need around a Week for shipping, since only Ori-Marts on Tami and the OOSS stations have the ability to make things from the salvaged Zesuaium Origin stocked up on after the NMX War."
Adding the final few touches, James brushed a finger across the display of the gauntlet, causing it to spin at a bit of an angle so that Walter could see it from all sides. "Is there any color you might want it? Keep in mind the Zesuaium doesn't hold paint very well, but we can get it in Star Army Blue, SMX Green, or NMX Yellow as permanent color options."
Walter, with his arms remaining crossed, eyed the grey gauntlet. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted for color; he hadn't given it any thought. "Sure, Star Army Blue."
Eden patted him on the back and nodded as she said, "Always a good choice." She got a nod from Walter, and a small smile.
"Star army blue it is!" James repeated, changing the option and updating the still slowly spinning model of the gauntlet. "Anything else you'd like to add, or should we finalize the design? Whatever you choose, it will be roughly a 12 hour wait for production. also, you said you wanted greater quantaties than one? Are you going to purchase a single example today or would you like to start off with multiple?"
"I would like to finalize the design, and also..." Walter looked at the superior behind him, and looked back at James. "I'd like to get four pairs of the gauntlets, after we finalized it. Do we need to go over the appearance of these gauntlets at all, or is it optional?"
"Well, I'v got a few drop downs you can look through for pre-made designs for gauntlets, or if you're handy at design, you can try to make your own design, although fancier designs with more material may cost more, so keep that in mind with your budget," James informed Walter, pointing out the form and design menus as well as the 'sculpt' tool that would allow him to make his own design. "Take as much time as you need, and it would be no problem to make you four pairs once it's finalized."
Walter nodded, and looked through the pre-made designs for the gauntlets. He picked one design, a bulkier and unclawed varient, and began to edit the design. He decided on a more knight-based look for the weapon, the elongated forearm plate decorated with a comet-helix design etched into it. Mildly fancy, though he was only making use of the available space.
James Robertson watched along as Walter made his choice, and then made some modifications to the design, nodding his head as he seemed to like some of the Aesthetic choices the man made.
"Nice, nice. Once it's all finished all you have to do is select the finalize option and then that will send it to production, select the number of units you want produced and then we'll handle the transaction details and you'll have your gauntlets tomorrow. sound good?"
"Well," Eden said, nudging Walter's side with her shoulder. "Like it enough to 'finalize'?"
Walter rolled his eyes, and silently finalized the design, making an order of four pairs of these gauntlets. "That will be fine by me, thank you."
"Thank you," Eden said to James. "Arigatou gozaimasu. You have made one of my crew members very happy and the rest of the crew all the more safe." Walter nodded, not needing to speak his mind.
"It's my pleasure to serve you guys today. Gauntlets are a fun little thing that we don't make too often, and I always love it when we get custom designs, makes my day more fun, too." with that, the man began to interact with the volumetric window, selecting and deselecting things and hitting a few menus to get things sent through the proper channels, before swiping with his entire palm across the window, causing it to spin and dissolve, before turning into a different window.
"Now that the fun part is over, it's time for the not so fun part- That is payment options." He smiled, a friendly and understanding smile knowing that sometimes this part can be the hardest. "With all the options, extras, and upgrades, for four pairs, you're looking at 4200KS plus taxes and fees bringing the total to 4357KS. will you be paying in cash or via a bank transfer such as a card or communicator link?"
"I will pay with my card," said the engineer as he pulled it out of his wallet. "4375 KS is a fair price, if I recall correctly that's as much as some of the pricier swords your company can make."
"Well, certain materials are pretty expensive and the more of it you need the more the price goes up. however, you've got your hands on some more... hands, and so hopefully it'll serve your purpose for a fair price!" James responded as he took the card and scanned it, handing it back then adjusting the volumetric window so that Walter could put in his PIN and confirm the transaction. "Would you like a receipt once the transaction goes through?" he asked, finally.
"I cannot say no to a receipt," Walter said affirmingly after he inputted his PIN.
"That and extra hands; comparing that to certain pricy weapons on the market, I'm confident that I will be using these frequently enough to justify the price." The Minkan looked fairly confident in his choice, picking hands over things like massive swords and hammers.
James printed off a small receipt quickly, as well as sent a push notification to Walter's communicator to allow him to download a digital receipt as a backup, handing the physical receipt over to the man, whom takes when James spoke up. "Alright you're all set and ready to go. Thank you for choosing Origin for your custom weapon needs. It was fun helping you today and I do hope you get lots of use from your gauntlets. As I stated before, your gauntlets will be ready in about 12 hours and I'll have them here and ready for you at that time. Take care and have a great rest of your day!"
Mentally, Walter accepted the digital reciept. "I wish you nothing less than that." Softly smiling, he gestured Eden to come with him; time to end their time on Dawn Station.
A thanks to @Ametheliana and @Kai for making this possible! ^^[/color]
