Chapter 31. Kobold Fight Club.


    “Lani, what’s your take on the MOBS that we should build? I don’t want to pull to many of our drones out of the mix, but I think we also need better defenses aboard,” Watkins asked.


    “The MOBS that were once sapient have the capacity to become very powerful. The downside is that they will eventually require more of your command limit for each unit. They’ll also be of limited use until we research higher levels and research gear upgrades. Even so, I believe that is where the bulk of our efforts as far as defenders should be focussed. I must add that eventual research into some of your lesser minions isn’t a bad idea. A mix of units gives us the optimal chance for success,” Lani offered.


    Watkins was about to start research on the kobold crewman when some new data appeared. The humanoid remains from the debris they were harvesting had unlocked a new MOBS pattern.


    New Schematic Unlocked.


    <ol>


    <li> Halfling Shipmate, Level 0. </li>


    </ol>


    “What’s a halfling?” Watkins asked. His mind whirred as more faint images of his past life as a human appeared. He couldn’t grasp onto them, but he pictured small humans with large, hairy feet, and a ring one was carrying. The images disappeared almost as soon as they appeared.


    “A halfling, interesting. My data on them is limited, but I know that they haven’t been seen in civilized space for some time. It’s a species of small humanoids, about the size of the kobolds, though they eventually migrated out into the uncharted parts of space. There is a partial council warning about them being a threat to shipping, but that’s all I have,” Lani said.


    Watkins had been about to start researching kobolds, but these halflings sounded interesting. If they were mysterious to the other species out there, it might be a better option for his standard crew. After all, his ship was going to appear odd to most species once he was done with it, and maybe they’d attribute that to the mysterious halflings if they were seen as the majority of his crew.


    “I think we should try to research the halflings first. If they don’t turn out like we hope, we can shift gears and look into replacing them with kobolds,” Watkins decided.


    “Sure, and while anything you produce from the fabricator is under your control, just be aware that some of their natural instincts will still be instilled in them. Kobolds are a bit more of a known quantity, but I’m happy with whatever you decide. You should also check into what kind of gear you can create for them,” Lani said.


    Research Module 1 has been tasked with researching Halfling Shipmate, Level 1. Current Progress 0%.


    While that was underway, Watkins ordered a repair drone scrapped so he could check out the level zero version of the halfling. While it was being built, he checked into the crew gear he had the schematics for. He could build level zero versions of pulse rifles, pistols, melee weapons, and light armor. As soon as the halfling was finished, he’d queue up a full set of gear for it.


    There were plenty of empty compartments where he could have the halfling test out the weapons. It might also be useful to test out the different MOBS against each other. That way, he could gauge how each version would do in combat. To that end, he queued a second set of crew gear and a level zero kobold as well. It would take another drone out of the workforce, but he was going to have to do that at some point anyway.


    “Lani, I think we’ll fabricate both a halfling and a kobold. I want to equip them and see how they do in combat against each other. I’ve got a good idea of how the mutated bilge rats and the beetles fight, so we don’t need any of them for the test,” Watkins said.


    “That’s a good idea, and our compartments should be more than durable enough to withstand a few plasma blasts from level zero weapons. What compartment do you want to use for testing?’ Lani asked.


    “I suppose the larger compartment fore of the reprocessor compartment is the best spot. In fact, I think I’ll have the drones reinforce that room and we’ll use it for testing purposes. We might eventually need to use it for additional storage, but for now, we have a lot of MOBS, weapons, and gear upgrades we’ll need to test,” Watkins decided.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    “That’s a good plan, though I would wait on any compartment reinforcement until we have a surplus of salvage to work with. For now, it’s more than strong enough for what we need,” Lani said.


    Being a ship core had its advantages, and Watkins made full use of his ability to navigate toward their objective and keep tabs on production of his new MOBS and their gear. First out was the halfling, and it was quite a bit different from the image his human memories had conjured up. What it did get right was the halfling’s overall look. It closely resembled a small human, and it had the oversized hairy feet like he’d remembered.


    Where the halfling differed was its face. The cherubic shape was there, complete with chubby cheeks that any grandma would want to pinch. What grandma wouldn’t want to get anywhere close to was the halfling’s mouth. The halfling had an oversized mouth and could hinge open wider than it should.


    Instead of human-like teeth, the halfling’s mouth was a nightmare of several rows of razor sharp, triangular teeth that were closer to what he’d expect from a shark, not a mini human. Its hands were also odd, having only three fingers and a thumb. To top things off, the halfling drooled a bit, though its body seemed to somehow reabsorb the moisture it was losing.


    For now, he ordered the halfling to wait in the fabricator compartment until its gear was ready. At least it seemed the humanoid MOBS didn’t come out completely naked. The fabricator sent them out with a one-piece garment that covered them up to the neck. When Watkins examined the garment, he was given some additional information.


    You have unlocked Shipsuit, Level 0. This basic garment is added to all MOBS that would require protections from the elements or in the event of an emergency hull breach. Tough and self-sealing, the shipsuit has a flexible head covering that deploys only when needed. Research additional upgrades to improve the functionality and durability of this equipment.


    While his MOBS weren’t as susceptible to the environments as a normal person, they would still need the suit’s protection if the atmosphere was somehow sucked out of the ship. His vessel could recycle and create breathable atmosphere given time, but his MOBS would need protection, and the ability to still work, while that was happening.


    It didn’t take long for the two sets of gear to arrive out of the fabricator. The armor emerged first, and it was a fairly simple design. There were several thin polymer plates that would resist both kinetic damage from projectiles and energy damage from lasers or plasma weapons. The set had a breastplate and guards for the upper thighs. Watkins didn’t think it would be enough protection, but as a level zero item, he couldn’t complain too much.


    His halfling was ordered to don the armor, which it clumsily did. These level zero MOBS were uncoordinated and fumbled a bit to get things sorted. The halfling picked up the plasma rifle next, slinging it over its shoulder and then attaching the pistol, which came with a holster, to its waist. The pistol holster had a magnetic strip on the side that matched similar mounting points on the shipsuit. Examining the weapons revealed their rather limited usefulness.


    Plasma Pistol, Level 0. This weapon fires a magnetically accelerated bolt of plasma energy at the target. Range and damage are limited at this level, and the pistol only holds enough energy for a single shot before the internal power core must recharge. The recharge time between shots is 1 minute.


    Plasma Rifle, Level 0. This weapon fires a magnetically accelerated bolt of plasma energy at the target. Range and damage are limited at this level, and the rifle only holds enough energy for 2 shots before the internal power core must recharge. The recharge time for a single shot is 1 minute.


    “Not exactly what I was expecting for a high-tech weapon,” Watkins complained as he examined the rifle and pistol.


    “I’m sorry, we lost most of our schematics when the ship was destroyed. We should be glad we had something to start with, otherwise, we’d be limited to clubs and spears. Further research will improve them, though I don’t think we should prioritize personal ranged weapons over other needs for our ship,” Lani explained. She was right, Watkins realized, they had to walk before they could run, though this wasn’t quite a walk, more like a crawl.


    A few minutes later, the kobold emerged. It was about the same height as the halfling, only four feet or so tall, but it was slender and more had a scaly skin that might give it some addition protection at higher levels. It also had sharp teeth in its mouth, but Watkins was willing to bet that the bite of the halfling would be more dangerous than what the small snout of the kobold could dish out.


    All in all, the two MOBS seemed evenly matched once they geared up. As far as melee weapons, Watkins had a choice of several types but had kept things simple and given both contestants a long dagger that was closer to a shortsword than a knife.


    “It’s time to test these two out. Want to bet on which one you think will win?” Watkins asked.


    “I’m not sure we have anything to bet, but if I had a choice, I believe the kobold will win a one-on-one combat,” Lani said.


    “I guess that leaves the halfling in my corner, let’s get them into the training compartment and run them through their paces,” Watkins said, finding that he was actually looking forward to the action.