It’s dark.

Not black, more a sort of deep greenish-brown, like being underwater at night, in a brackish lake.

‘What the hell, Del?’ I try to look around, move, turn. In my head, I know I should be moving, but nothing happens.

‘Is this what dead looks like?’ I muse. ‘I don’t remember dying.’ Though I think I’m sitting. It feels like I’m sitting.

Which is strange, as I have no real concept or awareness of my body. Subconsciously, we’re always aware of the simple fact that we have a body—we feel the contact with things around us, from skin on clothes to the feel of our feet on the ground or a chair pressing upon us.

There’s nothing.

I mentally correct myself.

‘What the heck is that?’

In all this numb blankness, the only thing, the only piece that doesn’t fit the utter nothingness, is a weight—only slight, but definitely there. Right where my lap would be… had I a lap in the first place.

‘So, Del, has the grim reaper finally got your sorry arse?’ Why am I not panicking?

Good question. I try to panic. Nope, I can’t do it.

It’s strange to be dead yet feel no emotion about it. Maybe that’s the benefit of the long sleep—no more emotional burden.

I can’t tell how long I hang there, in nothingness. It could be a moment, an hour. A lifetime?

Am I breathing? ‘Have to test that, Del—a good way to see if you’re really dead.’

I take a deep breath. And feel nothing. I send the signals I’d normally send to my body, and—nothing.

‘Figures. Can’t feel a body, so how can you feel if you’re breathing? Del, you old sod. Daft as a bat, so no change there.’

The darkness brightens. Ahead, it’s definitely getting brighter.

‘So is it “walk to the light,” or “don’t go into the light”?’ One of these days, my shit memory will kill me, I think with an ironic chuckle.

Well, without a body, I can hardly walk into or away from it, so I guess it’s suck-it-and-see time.

With a sudden whoosh that sets my heart pounding, the space around me fills with light. Adrenaline surges through my body, and I feel breathless at the rush.

‘Heart—yup, heart’s good.’ I rapidly assess my situation. ‘Breathing, yes, breathing is definitely also good. OK, Del, not dead. Not dead is absolutely the best thing.’

On my lap, Misty gives a little mew, her nose bumping my hand. Absently, I stroke her head, gaining as much reassurance from the action as I give back to her.

As my head clears, I remember the conversation I just had with Menolly.

‘Damnit, lady. You could have warned me,’ I growl to myself.

I look around. I’m sitting on a chair, in a space. I can’t call it a room, as I can’t see any walls—or any other normal room things. Like a door, or windows, or floor!

‘Floor… OK, no floor. Seems par for the course, Del.’ It’s just a space that feels very room-ish.

“Hello?” I call out.

For a moment, silence. Then an androgynous voice replies.

“Choose your path.”

In front of me, three-dimensional images—holograms?—appear. They begin to rotate and move. It’s fascinating but also thrilling and frightening in its implication.

‘OK, Del, let’s be logical,’ I shake my head. ‘Like that’s ever been my thing.’

“What path?” I say. “A bit more explanation might be nice.”

“Your path will be the guiding approach you choose to use in interacting with this world,” it replies.

“What if I choose wrong?”

“There is no incorrect choice. All choices are valid and simply differ in their approach to unfolding events.”

‘Why does it sound so much like a damned machine?’ I grouse. ‘Menolly may have been some machine or whatever she was, but at least she seemed real, human.’

“Would it be too much trouble to explain my choices in a little bit of detail?” I quip, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

A single image appears—a generic warrior type, sword and shield in hand. As I watch, it starts to go through moves: swinging the sword, making blocking moves with the shield, footwork weaving and twisting through invisible foes.

“The fighter,” it intones. “Capable with multiple weapon types or none at all.” The image shifts to one that looks more like a brawler, fists clenched and swinging.

“Able to use most armour types and can specialise in particular styles as experience grows.”

‘Up front and getting bashed—and that looks far too energetic.’ I shake my head. ‘My poor back aches just thinking about it.’

The vision of the fighter fades and is replaced with a figure in lighter clothing, holding a bow. It nocks an arrow and lets fly. It quickly shoulders the bow and draws a wicked-looking knife before crouching down to slink carefully along.

“The archer, also sometimes known as a ranger, is adept at attacking from a distance but also at using stealth to either sneak up to a target or extract themselves from situations. Other variations can also study the art of finding traps and disarming them. Rogues have a place in discovering secrets and working in the hidden depths.”

‘Sneaky little bastard. Now that, Del, could be fun.’

As that figure fades, it’s replaced by another, in robes with a long staff. Holding the staff upright and thrusting it forward, I watch as a bolt of lightning shoots out from an orb at its top.

“Mages, wizards, warlocks. All are terms for those who use elemental forces. While all paths have a degree of interaction with nature’s forces, mages are their master. Weak at the beginning, their path can be slow and difficult, but if they survive the trials, they can wield great power.”

‘What is it they say about power and responsibility?’ I shrug. ‘Then again, zapping things could be fun.’

“You say there’s no wrong path,” I say, “but at the same time, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

The voice sounds puzzled, if a disembodied machine could sound puzzled.

“Menolly 14711 informed you of this prior to transferring you.”

“She did?”

“You are to survive,” it says bluntly. “As you live and experience events in this place, you will be monitored. Your decisions and actions observed, analysed, and used in the Overmind’s assessment of the potential place your species may have within the greater whole.”

‘Del, have you ever wondered what a lab rat feels like?’

“So, no great quest to slay a dragon or rescue a princess, then,” I ask, somewhat sardonically.

“Why would you want to slay a dragon?” it asks, this time definitely puzzled. “I would not recommend this action, as it would likely result in you failing the primary task: to survive.”

It pauses. “I am also unaware of any royalty in need of rescuing at this moment in time. This may, however, change as world events are ever dynamic in nature.”

“Okay, so just survive,” I state. “How long for? A week, a month, a year? We’ve got a bit of a deadline going on back on Earth, you know.”

“The Overmind will determine the length of time required, depending on how it proceeds in its assessment. Time for your trial runs differently, and you may be here for a short or long time. However, time in your home world stream will not exceed one year in total.”

So it’s just simple choices, then.

Well, the fighter guy is an easy no. Far too energetic for my taste. And bugger being the one facing up to some nasty bitey thing with just a shield between me and big teeth.

So that leaves shooting things—either with arrows or spells. From a distance.

‘That’s the main thing, Del. Distance is your friend.’ I think about that for a moment. ‘But nothing says they can’t throw rocks a long way or use a bow themselves.’

So what do I know, really know, about either of these types? Sweet bugger all, I realise.

I’ve never been a gamer or into any of that junk. I used a bow as a teenager what seems like centuries ago. If I remember right, I could barely hit the target.

I watched Lord of the Rings years ago and got angry at how the final season of Game of Thrones ended, but that hardly makes me an expert on mayhem and magic.

“What happens once I’ve made my decision?” I ask.

“Menolly 14711 gave you basic information on how to interact with the Overmind,” it says. “If you accessed your status, you would have seen a basic flat set of values across the board.”

‘Status,’ I think. Sure enough, the image that pops up shows my name, that I’m a level 1 human with no skills. ‘Nice to see I’m so talented,’ I think, noting the 10s across the board apart from that.

I close it with a thought.

“Choosing your path will cause the status to adjust to fit the role you have chosen. I will then also give you a basic run-through of how it works in relation to you and what you can do.”

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“Not quite hitting the ground screaming, then,” I say. “Alright then—what do I call you?” I ask. It suddenly seems important. I have this disembodied voice floating around, and with the way I talk to myself so damn much—

‘Quit complaining, Del. If you didn’t talk to yourself, you’d have nobody to argue with.’

If I end up getting into a major discussion in my head with it, then it needs a name.

“I have no specific moniker,” it replies. “I am simply the tutor bot assigned to your trial. If it will aid you, you may give me a reference that you prefer.”

“In which case, you are now ‘Teach.’” I smile. “Alright, Teach, the fighter guy is out. I really can’t see myself doing that swordy stuff.”

“Now, while being a bit of a Gandalf could be fun, it strikes me as very loud and attention-grabbing, and I really want to avoid attention if I can. Better survival prospects, I think.” I nod to myself. “Decision made, Teach, my old chum.”

I look up at the image floating in front of me, holding a bow.

“Just call me Robin Hood,” I laugh.

There’s a pause.

“Your name is Del Axholm. Would you like to change the status of your name to Robin Hood?”

This brings about another small laugh. “No, Teach, leave my name. That was a joke reference to a—never mind, it’s not important, and jokes never work if they need explaining.”

“In which case, Del, I shall update your status to reflect your path choice.”

For a moment, I feel a bit odd, as if my body is misbehaving. Really, it’s difficult to describe, but I definitely feel my gut tighten up, and I feel… I don’t know, stronger? More supple?

“Um, Teach,” I say, “are things supposed to be going on in my body? It feels damned weird.”

“Adjustments are being made,” it intones. “Adjustments complete.”

‘I miss Menolly; at least she didn’t sound so mechanical,’ I grumble to myself.“I guess that’s a yes, then,” I say. “Alright, Teach, teach me.”

“A status is unique to every being within the purview of the Overmind,” it says. “You can only call up and see your own status and, as you have a companion, that of your feline.”

‘Status.’ I call up my screen so I can follow along as Teach explains.

“Your name, level, and path are at the top. If you are currently using an alias or hidden identity, it would also be shown here.”

“Hold up,” I interrupt. “Level? What’s that all about?”

“Have you ever played games—computer type or role-playing style?” it asks.

I think for a bit. “Nope, can’t say it was ever something that appealed to me. I had a guy at work a while back who kept inviting me to games nights, but not my type of thing, so I never went. Why?”

“When a species is undergoing monitoring for potential integration, various mechanisms are introduced gradually. These are designed to add basic concepts to the subconscious knowledge base of the species, making integration, should it happen, smoother and less disruptive.”

‘Hmph, makes sense, I guess. Closest I ever got to one of those games was ignoring ads on social media and during web browsing.’

“Fair enough. Consider me a complete idiot in terms of my knowledge,” I tell it.

“Levels 0 to 3 are basic beings, which make up the largest number of sentients in the Overmind. The primary way to increase level is through interaction with the environment. Often, this involves besting opponents, whether animal or sentient. This gains experience, and as thresholds are reached, your level will increase.”

“Are you telling me it’s truly a dog-eat-dog cosmos full of conflict?” I say, taken aback. I didn’t expect all harmony and light, but I didn’t expect unbridled killing either.

“Not necessarily, Del,” Teach says. “While rising through strength is a fundamental truth of all sentient life, there are other paths. A crafter can advance through creation, a diplomat through successful negotiation. The key is to advance by finding and following your own path.”

“Why wasn’t I given those options?” I ask, a bit crossly. “Everything you offered me was a path of combat and conflict.”

There’s a pause. “You led a sedentary life—first in an office, then limited by disability and pain. Yours was not a life of conflict or real challenge.”

“Had you been given the option of a role as a shopkeeper or crafter—or any of a myriad of other sedentary jobs—what would the Overmind have been able to infer from that?”

‘I guess it makes sense, but even so,’ I think. ‘All you can do, Del, is give it your best and bugger the consequences.’

“OK, I assume gaining levels will help me, then?” I respond.

“You are correct. Each level will affect your status. You’ll discover exactly how as you progress.”

“So what’s next?” I ask.

“The status is divided into various fields, all based on your race, path, and level. Health is exactly what it sounds like—I’d advise against letting this get to zero.”

‘Damn, was Teach attempting humour?’

“Mana powers spells and special attacks, and Spirit is similar, providing energy for resistance-type effects. Healers also rely on Spirit for their work.”

‘Healers? I guess that’s like a doctor path.’ My head is starting to feel foggy. ‘Damn, there’s a lot to learn, and I’m struggling.’

“Stamina, Dexterity, and Agility are linked. The simplest way to think of it is: Stamina affects how long you can run, Dexterity helps you not trip while running, and Agility allows you to turn that trip into a neat roll back onto your feet.”

‘Or, in my case, puff-puff, oops-oof.’ I chuckle.

“Intelligence is not just how smart you are but also affects how fast you can learn new skills, special moves, or, eventually, spells. With a companion, it’s especially important for communication.”

“Hold up.” I interrupt. “I can talk to my cat like some sort of Dr. Dolittle?”

“I do not know this term, ‘DoLittle,’” Teach responds, “but you will be able to communicate mentally. At first, it will be more about conveying feelings and simple thoughts over short distances. However, as your Intelligence—and especially Misty’s—rises, communication will improve.”

‘Well, I’ll be damned,’ I think, smiling broadly. ‘I always wondered what that bloody cat was thinking.’

“If Intelligence is understanding that a thing can be done, Wisdom is understanding if it should be done and anticipating the potential results, for good or ill. Finally, Presence is the impact you have on the world around you. It determines if you’re liked, feared, respected, or mistrusted—basically, how you’re perceived.”

“Is that all of it?” I ask.

“Apart from skills, yes. Skills work in their own tiers or levels. As you use a skill and improve, it may level up. With higher levels, more difficult special skills may become available. You have the basic skills needed to start your path, and you’ll find ways to learn more as you explore.”

I feel the air around me, the space I’m in, becoming less tangible.

“I will now transport you to Gondowa. This is the land where you shall start your path on the planet known locally as Terras.”

I hold Misty tightly and gently nuzzle her fur with my nose.

‘Looks like you and I are going on an adventure, girl.’ She gives a small mewl in reply and licks my finger.

As the light in the space darkens, I think,

‘Status.’

Name : Del Axholm

Level : 1

Path : Archer

Health : 12

Strength : 15

Dexterity : 16

Stamina : 15

Intelligence : 11

Wisdom : 12

Mana : 5

Spirit : 6

Agility : 16

Presence : 10

Animal companion: Misty; feline

Skills:

Archery lvl 1 – Able to use all manner of handheld bow and crossbow

Woodcraft lvl 1 – Basic survival skills in wooded areas. Can safely make fires and create crude shelters.

Tracking lvl 1 – Can find and follow obvious tracks or blood trails.

Traps lvl 1 – can make basic snares and pit traps

Sneak lvl 1 – Able to hide in available cover. Movement increases the risk of being seen or heard.

Attacks:

Bow lvl 1 – Simple Shot

Dagger lvl 1 – Stab, Slash

Special Attacks:

Bow:

Sneak attack Lvl 1 – Doubles damage

Dagger:

Backstab lvl 1 – Double damage

Name : Misty

Level : 1

Path : Feline companion

Health : 22

Strength : 8

Dexterity : 15

Stamina : 11

Intelligence : 4

Wisdom : 6

Mana : 2

Spirit : 3

Agility : 18

Presence : 12

Skills:

Charm lvl 1 – can influence the attitude of someone in eye contact with her.

Attacks :

Claw lvl 1 – Attacks with front claws.

Rake lvl 1 – Double rear leg attack.

Bite lvl 1 – It's teeth all the way.

Special attacks :

Pounce lvl 1 – Can be used with any or all of the standard attacks. Double damage.

Sneak Pounce lvl 1 – As above; Triple damage