(Location: Johannesburg, South Africa | Time: Mid-1992)
The world expanded dramatically when Tom finally learned to crawl. It wasn't elegant, more of a lurching, unbalanced shuffle at first, but it was movement. Controlled, intentional movement across the vast, patterned landscape of the living room rug. Engaging first gear, he thought wryly.
The 'Roll Over (Unassisted)' objective had been followed swiftly by 'Support Weight on Arms' and then the big one: 'Locomotion: Crawling (Distance: 1 meter)'. The effort required was immense. His newly boosted Stamina stat (now a mighty 2/100) was tested constantly. He'd push up, wobble, collapse, rest, and try again, his internal monologue a stream of frustrated encouragement and technical analysis that would have sounded utterly insane coming from an infant.
[Objective Progress: Locomotion: Crawling - 45%... 62%... 88%...]
The System's progress bar filled agonizingly slowly with each clumsy push forward. He learned about friction coefficients firsthand on the smooth wooden floors versus the high-grip rug. He discovered unexpected obstacles like stray toys and the perilous cliff edge of a single stair. Each bump and tumble sent a jolt through his tiny frame, a reminder of his pitiful Durability stat (still 2/100).
[Minor Impact Detected. Durability Check: Passed.]
Thanks for the update, he'd think sarcastically after bonking his head on a table leg that now loomed like a redwood tree from his new perspective.
Finally, after what felt like weeks of floor-based struggle, success:
[Objective Complete: Locomotion: Crawling (Distance: 1 meter)]
[Reward: 0.5 SP Awarded]
[New Objective: Locomotion: Crawling (Sustained Speed & Control)]
[Current SP: 0.5]
Half a point. It felt more substantial than the previous tenths. Crawling unlocked a new level of interaction with his environment. He could now investigate the fascinating textures of the furniture, the cool smoothness of the tiled floor in the kitchen entryway, the intriguing tangle of wires behind his father's large computer setup (a zone Elena quickly declared off-limits).
His parents were delighted by his newfound mobility. "Look at him go!" James would say, a rare smile touching his usually focused features as Tom made a determined, wobbly beeline towards him. James often sat on the floor, laptop balanced, fingers flying across the keyboard. Tom, parked beside him, would stare intently at the glowing screen displaying lines of code or complex spreadsheets. He couldn't understand the specifics, but the focused intensity felt familiar. Sometimes James would murmur, "Analyzing the competition, eh, Tom? Good man."
Elena's design studio corner was softer, filled with colourful fabric swatches, sketches pinned to a board, and dressmaker's dummies that seemed like silent, headless giants. Tom enjoyed the rustle of paper and the different textures, though his attempts to 'assist' by grabbing loose threads were gently rebuffed.
With mobility came the drive for better communication. The frustration of being unable to express anything beyond basic needs (hunger, discomfort) was immense. The System had updated his objectives:
[Objective: Vocalization - Imitate Basic Sounds ('Ma', 'Da', 'Ba')] - Reward: 0.2 SP per sound
He listened intently to his parents' speech, the rhythm, the intonation. He practiced during his 'alone time' in the cot, making nonsense sounds, trying to shape his mouth and breath. "Ma-ma-ma," he'd try, the sound clumsy, unformed. "Da-da-da."
One evening, Elena was holding him, bouncing him gently. "Say Mama, little love. Ma-ma."
Tom focused, concentrating all his will. "Mma... Ma... Ma!" he managed, the sound surprisingly clear for a moment.
Elena gasped, eyes wide with delight. "James! Did you hear that? He said Mama!"
James looked up from his laptop, peering over his glasses. "Did he now? Progress indeed. Well done, old chap."
[Objective Progress: Vocalization - Imitate Basic Sounds ('Ma') Complete]
[Reward: 0.2 SP Awarded]
[Current SP: 0.7]
It felt ridiculously triumphant, earning points for something so basic, yet the validation from the System, coupled with his mother's obvious joy, was potent. He repeated the trick with "Dada" a week later, earning another 0.2 SP and similar parental celebration.
He now had 0.9 SP. The urge to spend it was strong. He reviewed his stats: Durability 2, Stamina 2, Reflexes 1. Crawling was still tiring (Stamina), and bumps still happened (Durability). Reflexes remained the most expensive at 1.5 SP per point, tantalizingly out of reach unless he saved.
He considered the immediate challenges. Crawling faster and further required more Stamina. Avoiding obstacles and reacting to tumbles benefited from Durability and Reflexes. What was the priority for efficient 'training' now? More Stamina meant longer exploration/practice sessions. Better Durability meant less downtime from minor bumps. Faster Reflexes... well, that was the long-term goal, the core of a racing driver.
He decided on a split approach. More immediate resilience felt important.
[Allocate 0.5 SP to Durability? Requires 0.5 SP]
Y.
[Allocation Confirmed. Durability increased: 2 -> 2.5 (Partial point possible?)]
System clarification: Stat increases occur in whole numbers. Partial allocation not possible. Allocate 1.0 SP required for +1.
Okay, plan change. He couldn't split the point effectively yet. Should he invest in Stamina again? Or save for Durability? The memory of bumping his head made the decision. He needed to be tougher to keep exploring without forced naps due to minor ouches. He'd save this 0.9 SP and earn the missing 0.1 SP needed for a Durability point.
Tom continued his crawling expeditions, now with a specific goal beyond exploration: earning that final tenth of a point. He pushed himself to crawl further, faster, exploring the boundaries of his known world – the living room, the hallway, the entrance to the kitchen – a tiny explorer charting his territory, one awkward shuffle, one hard-earned System Point at a time. First gear was engaged, and he was already planning his upgrade strategy.