Navi Net-Shop

Nodding in affirmation, Terra retrieved the upgrades that she had purchased, and began her jackout sequence, returning to her PET immediately.

[>> Second Home - Yoka.]

Exorcist wasn't sure how she felt to be going on another mission for the NetMafia, but she knew that they ought to be powered up going into it. Signing up for the Creel family, mostly in charge of public relations and recruitment for the mafia, hadn't changed the fact that the danger had been on par with what one would expect from Mafia business. Stunt had made not just her, but also her SPs, feeled humbled and powerless... going into her first official mission under the Mafia a bit better armed just made sense.

Of course, there was no need for TempoMan to worry about that. In a sense, she also felt refreshed, that she was able to do her shopping in person this time rather than relying on Burt for it, given that Suitachi always seemed ready to throw Burt out of the shop before he finished. She took a moment browsing, selected the upgrades she liked best, then tracked down TempoMan. "I think these will be good," she suggested, pointing at the ones she had in mind, then presenting her zenny in a data packet.

((Purchase: 1 PowerUP for attack stat, fourth PowerUP total (4,000z), 1 slashing upgrade (1,000z), HP +100 navicustomizer part (10,000z)

Total: 15,000z))

Nighty slammed the door open and zipped to the counter, shoving a large quantity of zenny into the shopkeeper face.

"Alright I need to make this quick. I need 3 Navicust expansions, four sig expansions and a new pair of floatshoes and they better be comfy to wear cause I need to fight alot and impress my dad!"

(2000+2250+2500+700+800+900+1000+2500=12650 which means I am left with 245z)

The shop was bust and both Exorcist and Nightshade found themselves met at different service desks by TempoMan. It was unclear which one was the real TempoMan and which was a stand in. Maybe they bother were?

"Bulking up there I see, ma'am, let me just check that for you..." His eye passed over Exorcist with a quick appraisal, then the upgrades she had selected, before he nodded. "Excellent." With a short gesture, exchanged the upgrades for her large investment of funds. "Hope they serve you well, and do come again!"

A short way down the service desk, the same TempoMan stepped to the counter to meet Nightshade as he zipped up, nodding a few times as the excitable navi listed his order.

"Not a problem young, sir. I'll have those for you in a jiffy." He cast a similarly appraising eye over the young navi and nodded to himself. "Right, I know what versions you need. One moment." With a brief turn, Tempoman faced Nighshade again, precisely one moment later, though he was now holding a moderately stacked bundle of upgrades in separate data packets. After he made the exchange, the shop navi winked at him with a grin.

"There you go. Enjoy, and good luck impressing people out there. Come back when you need more!"

Exorcist Get: PowerUP (v4), Slashing Upgrade, HP +100
Exorcist Lose: 15000z

Nightshade Get: FloatShoes, 3x NaviCust Expansions (NC number 1, 2 and 3, cumulative version count V5, 6 and 7), 4x Process Upgrades (V7, 8, 9 and 10)
Nightshade Lose: 12650 z

Asymptote would slowly lumber in, gently pushing away through the crowds before producing a small amount of zenny and sliding it onto the counter for the shopkeeper. One Level 10 to 14 process edit please. This should be just enough. Asymptote spoke calmly, with some difficulty...why did he spend THAT MUCH on a single chip!?

Buying: Level 10-14 Process edit, 140z
have: 535z
after: 395z

"Need a quick change, sir? No problem!" Tempoman slid across to Asymptote and listened to his request with a quick not, then darted away into the back of the shop area. He returned after a second or two, handing him a small process editor with a smile.

"Good luck sorting yourself out! Come back when you need another, or if you want to upgrade!" He waved the navi off before turning to other, more boisterous customers.

Asymptote GET: 1x Process Edit
Asymptote LOSE: 140z

Much obliged Tempoman. Asymptote would speak simply as he slowly moved through the crowds to get back out of the shop.

((From -> Jenny's Home))

As Courser stepped out of the shadows near the entrance to the net-side navi store, he looked bot, then took a few extra moments to drift about the displays and product descriptions, before making his way to the counter and greeting whichever shop assistant he happened to be served by.

"Hi. Not too much today. Could I get two customiser expansions, versions three and four, as well as a Shield customiser part, and the ninth tier process upgrade." He produced a small blue crystal extending the zenny data across the counter as he ordered.

==
Buying:

NC Expansions V3 and V4: 1500 + 1750 = 3250
Shield NCP: 3000
Process Upgrade V9: 900
Total: 7150z
Funds Remaining: 1210z

One of the more nondescript NormalNavi store attendants perked up its head at Courser's request. Receiving the blue zenny data crystal, he decrypted it quickly, confirming its contents before tucking it away. "Right away, sir. Please wait for a moment," the Navi said, before producing a set of upgrades on the counter in front of him with a graceful bow. "Thank you for shopping with us. Please come again!"

CourserMan GET: NC Expansion x2, [Shield] NC Part, Process Upgrade x1
CourserMan LOSE: 7150z

With a brief incline of his head, courser stowed the data away and stepped back from the counter.
"Certainly. Thank you, until next time." A moment later, an inky pool of shadow crept up from the ground beneath him and reclaimed the navi to his home.

((Return to -> Jenny's Home))

((From Net-Fit))

With a flash of light Vasilia realized at the front of the digital store. She rocked back and forward as her head back, the brim of her hat tracing her 'gaze' as it travelled all over the store. "Pretty!~"

She was soon skipping merrily through the store her hands occasionally lifting her head up so she could get a better look at things higher up. "Ah, look, there's the upgrades for the Buster! Your dad said they'd go good with the CannonMode chip!" She paused, head cocked to the side as she listened to her NetOp speak before she was suddenly nodding so vigorously the tail of the hat threatened to knock some of the digital displays over.

"Yes, yes! We talked about it because they said you were doing your part to learn so I should too! I'll ask the attendant!" With those thankful words the puppet Navi skipped over to the nearest attendant and rocked slowly back and forth as she rooted around under her hat for a moment. Beneath her feet her shadow squirmed with mostly nondescript shapes. With a quiet 'aha!' she pulled a small packet of zenny out of her hat and held it toward the attendant. "I need an HP Upgrade and two Process Upgrades please!"

(( HP Upgrade #1: 1000z, Process Upgrades #1-2: 300z. Total: 1300z, 200z remaining))

By the time Vasilia approached the counter one of the store's Tempoman look-alikes had stepped across, free of other customers and ready to assist her. He offered a simple greeting with a smile as she searched for her cash.

"No trouble at all. I'll be back in just a moment!" It was indeed a singular moment, as the assistant seemed to blink out of sight and then back again, almost like he flickered, but was now holding two sets of data, encased in simple-looking blue capsules. "Here you are. One Version One Hp Memory, and Process Upgrades Version One and Two. That's thirteen hundred zenny altogether." With a brief nod he accepted her payment, and passed the upgrades across to her. "Thanks for your purchase, and come again!"

Vasilia GET: Hp Mem, PU V1 & V2
Vasilia LOSE: 1300z

"You're so speedy! Thanks a bunch Tempoman!" Vasilia cried out in delight. Despite her surprise she completed her side of the purchase and tucked the blue capsules under her hat. With a cheerful wave and skip she left the shop, disappearing in a flash of light back to the Electown Net.

((To SciLab Net: The Hunt Renewed ))

Walking through the door into Tempoman's shop, Asymptote would slip his card towards the fellow navi. Alright. I....'d like buster upgrades one through three, bringing me to level 14 I believe...and levels 11 through 14 processor upgrades, please. I believe that's...eleven-thousand zenny in total if I haven't lost my number calculation abilities. Asymptote spoke simply.

Asymptote Buys: Buster upgrades 1-3 (1000+2000+3000=6000z) and Processor upgrades 11-14 (1100+1200+1300+1400=5000z)
Total Cost: 11000z
Asymptote has currently: 11465z
Asymptote has after: 465z

TempoMan was quick to zip across to the section of counter that Asymptote approached and gave the navi and and a smile as he processed the card and prepared the bundle up upgrade parts. It only took a few moments of bustling before they were handed across to him in a small carry packet with the navi shop's logo on the top.

"Larger order this time! It always just feels so nice and neat when people order their upgrades in round numbers, don't you think? Here you go, you're all correct and in order. Enjoy your upgrades, and do come again soon!" The store-keeper navi waved Asymptote off in a friendly way, before moving away to greet another customer.

Asymptote GET: BusterUP 1, 2 and 3, PU 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Asymptote LOSE: 11000z

Nodding at Tempoman, Asymptote waved back as he slowly lumbered his way out of the area, he had a few upgrades to make.

Something brushes against the underside of the Net.

The broad tip of a very long arm scrapes along the backs of the panels, tasting the topography. It feels where the concentrations of data are flat and empty, good for opening windows; so too can it taste the rivers of traffic notched into the city, enriched into beings ripe for growth. As always, the potential is promising enough for it to consider opening a window right underfoot.

It does not do this. The white has some capacity for thought, and it knows those that watch from the tower. It knows not to pick this battle.

Something shines like a star to its senses. A small dome, rife with foot-traffic, impossibly rich with stored data, even familiar somehow. This was rare, for there was much Hex knew but could not remember. It chooses to investigate, and gnaws open a window.

A glistening patch of sludge grew in the corner of the shop. Veiny cilia reached up from its off-white depths, spreading out clusters of branches. The atmosphere of the Net caught against the surface. In tasting the Net, Hex caught that note of familiarity again, somewhere amongst the signatures. Here, a large, angry displacement of [sparking/abrasive/altered]; there, distant snatches of [rippling/reactive/divergent]. It's so close...but its interest is diverted.

The taste of resources, ripe for the taking, was rich in here - one might say heady, if the greasy pool had anything resembling one. It crept towards it - and stopped upon sensing the other presence. This, too, was a battle it would not pick. Acquisition by force would not be possible - other avenues had to be explored, avenues that required thought.

Hex prepared its Administrator: from its depths rose what looked like shards of a broken china doll. The child, for arms so small could belong to nothing else, lay on the floor in a pile; somewhere in its head, Hex thought of replication. Its directives called for it, and yet nothing was written on improving further reiterations. New directives would need to be written; for now, it processed until it understood the rules to the swift Navi's data. To acquire resources itself required resources - this, Hex knew.

A thick tentacle slithered out of Egomorph's head. A cluster of veins ferried a glittering chunk of data from out the pool's depths, through her body and spat it out on TempoMan's spotless countertop. The tentacle spoke in a wreck of a voice, [Resources required: HP Memory; NaviCust Expansion; PowerUP; PowerUP; Process Upgrade; Process Upgrade; Process Upgrade; FastArmour; FirstArmour; FirstArmour; FirstArmour; FirstArmour]

It stopped moving, and waited.

<(Buying:
HP Memory - 1750z
NC Expansion - 2000z
PowerUP x2 - 3000z
Process Upgrades v10-12 - 3300z
FastArmour - 5000z
FirstArmour x4 - 10000z

Total: 25050z
Remaining: 305z)>

As... something... made itself known in the net-navi shop, Tempoman observed it with caution form behind the counter. Whatever it was was unnerving, but if it was a hostile virus or some kind of attack, the store's systems would have purged it already. About to put a call through to someone more trained to fix a mess like that, the server paused when a figure, or parts of one, bubbled to the surface. Other patrons were giving the mass a wide berth now, but TempoMan had a job to do.

"Er... can I help you... uh... miss?" He ventured, leaning across the counter a little, but still not daring to get too close to the dubious mass. He flinched back as it extended and deposited a mess of data on the counter. Slowly, like a person at hold up, TempoMan nodded and retrieved the parts, gingerly sliding them across to the tendril. He used a quarantine mitt to recover and encapsulate the 'payment', for now.

"Okay... that, um, all seems correct, uhh, miss." He leaned away, trying to keep a calm expression. "Have... a good day...?" He ventured, hoping that whatever this was would depart after a single transaction.

==

Hex Get: 1x HPMem, 1x NC Expansion, 2x PowerUp, PU 10, 11, 12, FastArmour NCP, 4x FirstArmour NCP.
Hex Lose: 25050z

Tendrils waved in unsettling pulsing patterns, equal parts organic and asymmetric. There, there was that tantalising glimpse of familiarity - Hex felt the signature fizz on its surface: vital; heartwood; fragmented; growth. Something once-known, rediscovered.

Feelers writhing, the foulness reached into the Net and grasped at its fabric, stretching out towards its new target. Egomorph was yanked into the pool without ceremony, and without a word more to the proprietor, the entire mess disappeared, as though sucked down an invisible drain.

The zenny remained behind. At some point, a tarry black vein had been left behind, and now spread itself across the data packet. The money, it seemed, needed slightly more than laundering today.

<(To The Hunt Renewed)>

Floating into the shop for a navi, a prog with a brown sack between it’s ears would dump said small sack of zenny onto the counter, 2900z in total. “Excuse me, mister Tempoman! I come on behalf of my owner’s giant, fatass of a navi, Kemix.exe, a level 3 Aqua/Shield navi! She would like for me to bring back the following: The Knockback Buster Shot upgrade, HP memory Number 1 and Processor Upgrades 2 through 4! The sack contains 2900 zenny and should be sufficient for the process of buying upgrades!” The program would speak, bluntly.

Buying for Kemix.Exe: PU2-4 (200+300+400), HP Upgrade 1 (1000), and Knockback Shot (1000)

Have: 3250z
Cost: 2900z
Remainder: 350z