Training Begins


    April 2628


    The trip from his home world to Amador Minor, the system hosting the training facility, tested his patience. The company booked passage for Michaelupon a drab, functional freighter transporting supplies tothe planet Punji. Michaelwas the only passenger, and there were no entertainment facilities on the starship. He was very happy to arrive at Punji, a jungle world, where the training facility was located.


    The hot, humid days of the jungle world weighed heavily on most of the trainees. The sweltering heat formed rivers of sweat on Michael’s brow as he moved from his dorm to the skills training area. He barely noticed the heat on this very important day. He opened the door, dodged around the other trainees, sprinted up the steps, and finally skidded to a stop before his assigned full immersion VR pod. He quickly disrobed placing his clothes within the the provided cubby before leaping into the bed with no concern for his well being. The FIVR lid closed at a glacial pace as his racing heart pumped blood through his arteries and veins. How long does it take for this stupid lid to close!


    Once it finally closed, his vision stopped throwing Michael into the endless darkness which accompanied the difficult transition between the real world and the virtual world. The lack of any sensation brought him to the edge of abject terror before his nanites began to interface with the FIVR. Suddenly, Michael was floating a short distance from an asteroid. His heads up display (HUD) showed various information from the scanners built into the Prospecting drone.


    “Michael, please classify the asteroid within your field of view.” The training program requested.


    Michael considered the dark asteroid with a spectral image consistent with a C-type asteroid which were composed of carboneous materials and other compounds including water deposits. He instructed the drone to compare the gravitic readings for the 100 meter by 350 meter by 90 meter asteroid with the expected readings for a typical C-type asteroid. The slightly higher than expected gravity hinted that there was more to the story of the dark beauty before him. Michael sent an electromagnetic pulse toward the center of the asteroid while monitoring for magnetic fluctuations or inductive effects from the pulse. An incredibly bright light and the destruction of his HUD announced his complete failure within thesimulation.


    "You triggered a stealthed mine within the asteroid. The company could get by without your worthless hide, but your equipment is expensive!" Screamed the instructor. "Always check for neutrino emissions and other passive indicators of trouble before sending active pulses! Load simulation Theta 5" the instructor mentioned to the training AI.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    *****


    Michael sat on the edge of his bed within his room without making a sound. All of his thoughts focused upon memories ofthe simulation failure and his subpar performance during the follow up exercises. How could he have been so foolish, so careless, and so inattentive? His accomplishments during the training session,some progress toward activating his Space Minerals Identification skill, did not console him. All that occupied his mind were the derisive comments from his instructor.


    After deep sigh "Skills Summary" he vocalized. The screen displayed upon his HUD.


    Unskilled


    <ul>


    <li>Drone Pilot, 1 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Pilot, 3 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Prospecting Drone Control, 2 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Scanners, 3 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Space Environment,1 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Space Minerals Identification, 4 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Space Mining, 8 requirements pending</li>


    <li>Space Survival, 2 requirements pending</li>


    </ul>


    Skilled


    <ul>


    <li>Drone Control, Novice 3%</li>


    <li>Electronics, Novice10%</li>


    <li>Geology, Novice 28%</li>


    <li>Mineral Identification, Novice 4%</li>


    </ul>


    Even though Michael lived his entire life using the implant, a cybernetic system with various life management screens based upon the concepts introduced by MMO computer games from the twenty-first century; the system still amazed him. The implant tracked each and every accomplishment or achievment during a person''s life, and the skills listed within the Skill Summary screen were achievements requiring training. Skills were visible to and verifiable by the individual or the employers of the individual. The mental and physical changes acquired when skills activate occurred during activation as the nanites altered the the individual''s body and mind.


    The current configuration of the Skills Summary filtered the list to display only the skillsrequired for activating his Space Prospector skill; otherwise, there would be multiple pages of skills within the summary screen. The screen categorized skillsas either unskilled before the requirements to activate a skill were met or skilled once the skills were active. Any activated skill was qualified by a ranking and an associated percentage. Skills were ranked as Novice, Beginner, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, or Deity. The base effect of a skill such as his Novice Electronics skill is defined by the rank of the skill. The percentage indicated improvements to the skill within the rank and the effects of the skill improved as the percentage increased.


    As Michaelglanced at all of the remaining requirements left to activate his skills, he promised himself to improve his performance.