Chapter 213: Universal Tech

"What the fuck do you mean 'Sorry, auto-correct!! Auto-Correct this fist in your fucking face!" Allistair bellowed loudly. 

The always calm and noble Allistair was swearing?! This shocked everyone present. They couldn't even picture what the AI had sent to render him so angry: his eyes were utterly red with fury! 

"Oh, Sup! How are you doing, man?" Josh was smiling. 

"Cut the bullshit! Give me one good reason not to unscrew your head right now!" Allistair growled. 

"Aren't we kind of allies? Anyway, I was using the UA to send you a message, and then this happened. Kinda crazy, right?" Josh laughingly explained. 

What kind of apology was this? Surprisingly, that did calm the leader of Metropolis-C a bit. But, he still looked ready for a fight with his black armor covering his body. "Can you prove it?" He spat out suspiciously. 

"Sure. UA, replay what I told you to send word for word." Josh nodded while crossing his arms confidently. 

That is when the crew all took a few steps away from Josh. Was he crazy?! Didn't he remember that he had been using less than flattering language? The man was digging his own grave! 

That is how the UA complied as Josh's voice was heard again: 

- Calling Allistair an armored fool.

- Calling his soldiers kids. 

- Calling training babysitting. 

- Ordering them to get their ass up ASAP in a domineering tone. 

This whole message sounded as if the man was looking down on Allistair along with the MTA. There was no way he would stand there and take the insults from a lower-level Climber! Josh was bound to get brutally beaten up at the very least. 

"See?" Josh innocently said. 

He wasn't worried too much. For him, such a tone was not a big deal as his victory in their last confrontation had made them equals. Plus, he had the "backing" of Dimensional Legion. But, for the uninformed, he seemed totally insane. 

"Alright, fine, but I won't forgive you if it ever happens again," Alistair warned before jumping off from the warship directly. This left the whole group stunned: he was leaving just like that?!

The way he jumped so smoothly was awe-inspiring. One day Josh would make sure he'd attain such power. He would just have to level up a bit (a lot) and learn new skills. 

The others were even more flabbergasted. The man had disparaged Allistair to his face, and nothing terrible had happened to him. Who was he?! This also meant that the other message had somehow been worse. What the hell had it been?! 

They kept wondering but couldn't find an answer at all. Some were tempted to ask, but then their survival instinct kicked in. This would be forbidden knowledge for sure! Whatever was written in there, Allistair probably wouldn't want it known. 

As they were busy wondering, the 50 chosen MTA members were coming in. They were surprised as they entered. Why were there beggar-looking people? Why was everyone spaced out? Was this man really the leader? 

Not only did Josh look young, but he didn't seem that strong either. But, they knew that there was more to him than it seemed. Allistar had shouted that he'd kill him, and yet he was still perfectly healthy. What had happened?!

"Welcome, you all. Alright, let's head to Universal Tech now." Josh broke their reverie. 

The crew's faces were filled with worry. Roderick asked him: "Just to be sure. You aren't going there to cause any trouble, right?" 

"Of course not! Do you seriously think I'm that kind of guy?" Josh asked, faking being offended. 

All the others could be seen twitching uncontrollably, resisting the urge to shout "YES! You're clearly a troublemaker!" but they remained silent. 

"UA, find the Climber's World Official's contact and tell him I'm on my way. We'll be there in a few minutes so ask them about their air-space regulations and whatnot. Add that the Black Fleet is coming. Thanks!" 

Everyone but the newcomers couldn't help but glare at Josh with their eyes popping. How did he still have the courage to use the AI after what had just happened?! Was he crazy or dumb?! 

The problem had just been him asking the AI to edit. As long as he stayed away from that feature, he felt it was pretty safe. Any normal person would have had PTSD from Allistair gunning for their life, but Josh didn't care, for he literally had fought the man. 

A few minutes later, the Universal Tech complex revealed itself to them. Josh had to admit. It looked wonderful! The many buildings there formed a giant robot drawing when seen from the air. It was quite phenomenal! 

"This is so cute!" Josh exclaimed, with the others watching him baffled once more. 

Blue energy forcefields were protecting every emplacement along with U-Bots patrolling. Just as Josh wondered where he was supposed to disembark, a blue robot began floating next to their ship. 

"I am here to escort Josh Malum in." It declared. 

How neat! Josh quickly went outside, feeling the strong and cold wind batter his face. He jumped on the robot's back, and they were gone for an adventure! Inside, his friends were already betting on what kind of trouble he'd cause, no one betting for none. 

"Right, how do you even know it's me?" Josh inquired. 

"This model as verified your identity according to your biometric data."

"You guys have all my data?!" Josh asked suspiciously. Then again, this much was expected as soon as he registered for the tournament. 

"Affirmative. All of it is protected according to article I-56 of the Metropolis Alliance Code. For any subsequent information, please refer to the official documentation." It explained. 

That is when the robot flew right toward an energy barrier! "Wait, up! We're about to—" but then they passed right through it as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.

Perhaps it was just a trick? That's when a bird followed after them, disintegrating completely as soon as it touched the barrier. Damn! Josh hardened his grip on his guide, making sure to hold on tight. 

The U-Bot flew directly toward the exterior of a building, instantly passing through the wall that seemed to open and close up by itself. What the fuck?! "What's up with that?!" Josh exclaimed, but the U-Bot dropped him and left silently. 

The inside was a laboratory: the clean kind with only a few machines strewn around the room. Sitting on a small stool, a man with glasses watched videos while sipping coffee, looking slightly bored. 

He noticed Josh's arrival, lazily paused his video, looked at him, and couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're Josh Malum, the one that brought the Black Fleet along, right?" 

"How did you—" 

"You're literally the only one that hasn't claimed his capsule yet." 

"How did the wall do that?" Josh asked, puzzled. 

"These are chockfull of nanomachines, making changing the shape possible. Not only does it allow an entry point anywhere, but even buildings can be moved on a whim. We sometimes make cool drawings with the structure themselves." He explained casually. 

How was the man not excited about something as amazing?! Then again, Josh had to admit that it would probably lose its novelty feeling after the first time. For now, he should probably handle his business here quickly. 

"How do we proceed for—"

"You see that chair over there? Go sit on it. Ah, by the way, how was the Black Fleet ?" He said while winking. 

"Pretty nice, but they didn't want to show me their weaponry, and I couldn't notice any either. It's all hidden somehow, which is both cool and needlessly secretive." Josh shared as he sat on the metal chair in the middle of the room. 

"Is it comfortable enough?" 

"Yeah, it's decent." 

"Alright, put your arms on the armrests. Yes, just like that."

Josh complied, and then suddenly metal came out of it and locked him in place. It was so tight that he couldn't move at all! "What's with this?" He asked. 

That is when the bored-looking scientist took off his glasses, flicked his hair backward, and began laughing maniacally. (B-Rated movie kind) 

"Muhaha, you have fallen into my trap! From now on, I will be free to experiment on you all I want. First, I will brainwash you, and then I will take control of the entire Black Fleet! Muhaha!" 

What was up with this situation? Josh began pleading: "Nooo, please! I just came here for a capsule. Have mercy on this pitiful soul!" 

"Man, this is great. I freaking knew you were a roleplayer as soon as I received that message. Oh crap, I'm breaking character!" He coughed awkwardly. "This chair you are sitting on comes from Gene Corp. It was just acquired as the evil organization fell. Are you scared yet?!" 

"Okay, that kinda kills it for me. With the Nightmare's ability, they needed the straps to hold people for long periods, not to be super resistant. That's why they used leather. As for your laugh, it should be Muahahaha instead of Muhaha. See the difference?" Josh patiently guided him. 

"Ah, I can't even make a good villain. You were not worried one bit." The man sighed. 

"I mean, there is no way that true brainwashing can be done that fast, am I right? You'd be stopped way before it became dangerous." Josh remarked.

There were probably brainwashing skills out there, right? Please, he could even resist the sloths' soul attack! 

"Yeah, you're right, regulations are pretty strict. Plus, this place isn't even my exclusive lab. It's just a temporary testing room for Climber's World beta." He admitted. 

"No, I meant that you'd be in trouble with the Black Fleet. They're waiting for me to come back after all." Josh retorted. 

"Oh my god! You're fucking awesome, man. I loved that playful line in your text about using the Black Fleet as a taxi. It's so crazy yet simple. How do you even come up with this stuff? Such an amazing setting for such a mundane task is pure genius!" he praised. 

Josh looked at him straight in the eyes. "I'm serious. They're right above this complex and are waiting for me. If we take too long, they will open fire and destroy the whole place!"

"You're so damn convincing! I almost believe you!" 

"Just check." Josh shrugged. 

"Alright, here, see?" The man showed him a screen that showed the defense perimeter with the glowing forcefield. He showed a slight smile as he did so. 

"Try moving the camera to look a tiny bit higher," Josh suggested. 

The man touched the screen and then dropped his coffee mug in shock. "What the actual fuck?! How is this possible?! What are they doing here?!" 

"I already told you, waiting for me." Josh relaxedly reiterated. 

"Holy fuck! I need at least 15 minutes to synchronize a capsule for you perfectly. How long do we have?! If they destroy the place, how am I going to complete my work?!" He cried out, desperate. 

Wait...how was that his number one concern?....

Creator's Thought

At that moment I realized I had fucked up. Why the heck didn't Bob tell me about nanomachine walls?! I also wanted to have a cool base that could change shape whenever I felt like it! At least, that one guy's reaction was pretty entertaining and made me feel better about this failure.