CHAPTER 34 - NATALIE'S COMEBACK

[A.N Probably should have said this sooner but I have not played subnautica at all or even watched it probably will soon now im doing this. So if anyone notices something wrong with the gameplay please point it out so I can fix it]

After returning to her bedroom, Natalie wasted no time, she fired up her livestream the moment she sat down.

To her surprise, the chat was exploding with activity. The moment she went live, a flood of messages filled her screen like a digital tsunami.

"Whoa, what's going on?! Why are so many people watching me all of a sudden? What are you guys even doing here? Go buy Subnautica already!" she said half jokingly.

The audience fired back.

"Easy for you to say, Natalie! I'm broke, student debt, you know?"

"I've got night shift, no time to play!"

"Told my mom to get it today, but she said 'next week.' I'm gonna cry!!"

Seeing her chat full of such pitiful and hilarious stories, Natalie didn't hesitate. With a bold slap on her desk, she declared.

"Fine! Then I'll just buy 200 copies and give them away to fans, totally random!"

She wasn't bragging. Ever since Tony's game exploded in popularity, her own streaming career had been on fire. Not only was she making bank, but she'd even overtaken the top tier streamers on Twitch and become number one on the platform.

Naturally, the audience erupted in cheers at her generosity.

No sooner said than done. Natalie immediately bought 200 steam codes of Subnautica and distributed them via picking random chatters on stream.

"Alright! With that done let's continue our journey through this alien world!"

She wasted no time. Putting on her full body extra sensory suit, she plunged back into the game.

The screen flashed, and her vision warped.

She was back inside Escape Pod #5.

Returning to this eerie yet familiar place, the events of the previous session played out again in her mind. The haunting scream from the woman in Escape Pod #2... it echoed faintly in her ears.

The euphoria from the game's success quickly faded. A heavy sense of dread settled in her chest.

Sure, it was just a game. But the threat? The tension? It all felt very real.

Like that crocodile like monster from last night, one wrong move, and she'd be finished. No joke.

"Cortana," she called out.

"I'm here."

"What should I do if I really want to survive on this planet?"

"Your equipment is outdated," Cortana replied calmly. "First, gather materials to upgrade your gear."

"Roger that!" Natalie nodded firmly.

And so, her survival grind began.

In this oppressive underwater world, she swam vigorously, scanning strange marine life and collecting materials. The 3D printer became her best friend.

Seaweed roots became medical pouches. The seeds? Turned into lubricants and silicon gels.

She found quartz in the shallows and converted it to glass.

Acidic mushrooms combined with copper ore to create batteries...

Time flew by. Over an hour passed.

The once pitch black ocean slowly brightened.

Dawn had arrived.

"Phew... finally." Natalie lay back in the pod, catching her breath.

This game was surprisingly physical! But the progress? Worth it.

Her gear had seen a complete overhaul.

The basic wetsuit was replaced with a reinforced one, capable of resisting damage. Her old fins were now moto powered, small turbines allowed her to swim much faster. She'd even mounted an underwater propulsion unit at her waist, boosting her speed dramatically.

Now, swimming underwater felt like biking on land, fast and smooth.

"You've assembled the basic equipment," Cortana said. "But you still lack a weapon. My system contains blueprints for a thermal pistol. You'll need sulfur from the blast flowers to craft it."

"Ugh... those things..."

Natalie grimaced. Those suicidal fish that launched from the blast flowers still haunted her. One mistake and they'd blow her to bits.

But this time, she had an edge, medical kits and mobility.

"Fine. I'll try."

After a brief rest, she dove back into the sea.

It was daytime now. With the sun shining through the waves, the ocean was a stunning range of beautiful colors.

"Wow... it's gorgeous down here!"

"Daytime ocean = paradise. Nighttime ocean = horror movie."

"If only the whole game was set in daylight..."

Amid chat's admiration, Natalie swam deeper toward the shoals to find the blast flowers.

Suddenly, Cortana's voice returned:

"Incoming broadcast. Would you like to play it?"

A broadcast?

"Yes, play it," she said.

A man's voice came through, calm but firm.

"To all surviving crewmembers: This is Henry Pollar, vice-captian of the Aurora, in Escape Pod #4. Our captain... didn't make it. But I've just detected nearby land and have uploaded the coordinates. Survivors, head there if you can. It's safer than the ocean. We have to stick together. Hang in there."

The message ended.

Chat went wild.

"Wait, there's land in this game?!"

"There are other survivors! NPCs!"

"Natalie, GO! Find the others!"

"Coordinates locked," Cortana confirmed.

Natalie raised her right arm. A beam of light shot from her bracelet, marking the direction.

Distance: 86 kilometers.

"EIGHTY SIX?!" she cried. "Is this for real?! Even with a car, it would take forever!"

"Bro, is the map actually Earth sized??"

"New World Studio, you guys are insane!"

"They really built a entire planet in game?!?"

Even the audience was stunned. In most games, long distances were compressed, but Subnautica was clearly playing by real world rules.

"If this distance is accurate, I won't make it there for weeks!"

Just then, another broadcast came in.

"Another one?" Natalie muttered.

Cortana confirmed. "Would you like to play it?"

"Go ahead."

A panicked voice crackled through.

"This is Escape Pod #1. I've fallen into the ocean. Backup oxygen might last... three more hours. I can't reach the rendezvous point. If anyone hears this... please... help..."

The voice cut off.

A second set of coordinates popped up, same direction as the land, but even further.

97 kilometers.

"Ninety seven... yeah, no way I'll get there in time."

She sighed. That NPC was likely doomed, just like the woman in Pod #2.

Shaking her head, she focused on her own mission.

Soon, she spotted a blast flower.

This time, she played it smart. She didn't approach directly but hovered above, poking it gently with her fin.

The petals bloomed, and out came the suicide fish.

But Natalie darted away just in time.

BOOM!

A small explosion rocked the water. Her screen blurred for a second.

Only a fifth of her health dropped.

"Nice one, Natalie!"

"You've learned!"

"Experience is everything!"

Grinning, Natalie collected the sulfur from the now limp flower.

She repeated the process, collecting sulfur from several more blast flowers, only using up three med kits.

Back in the pod, she combined the sulfur with metal ores using the 3D printer.

Minutes later, her first pistol was complete.

Sleek. Streamlined. Futuristic.

It looked more like a sci-fi dart launcher than an Earth weapon.

"Yes!" she shouted with glee, holding it high. "I now have my first gun!"

"Let's gooo!"

"Does it even work underwater though?"

"Water's dense, real guns only shoot about a meter underwater."

That made her pause.

"Cortana, can this shoot underwater?"

"No need to worry," the AI replied. "I modified the weapon's structure and the bullets shape for underwater use. The effective range is about 50 meters."

The chat exploded.

"CORTANA FOR MVP!"

"AI supremacy, LET'S GOOOO!"

"Who cares if it's fantasy? This rules!"

1247 Words.

[Accidental upload oops, 2 Chapters only next time]