Chapter 0: Prologue

"This is John Rigen, Sergeant from Krieg 2-1 Unit, Fireteam's codename 1172, United States Marines Corps."

"If anyone can hear me from this talkie call then save me, I'm now in a strange jungle. I repeat, if anyone hears me, please get here and save me, over!"

That's it, looked like I had ended up here, as I could remember, I was on a patrol mission in Virginia and somehow I got here, didn't know why.

Somehow I passed out and at the time I opened my eyes, I was already here, in this jungle.

I was with two other Marines who were two of my subordinates when this incident happened but seemed like it was only me alone here.

This was not the time to drink, I was now holding a water bottle, I wasn't thirsty but was nervous.

I immediately returned the bottle to my military bag and started thinking about what I should do next.

Inside that bag, it had a bunch of new techs, seemed like I and two of my previous soldiers were the first testers of those things.

I didn't know why, I was now searching my bag and taking out a device, this thing was very new.

Only the people from the Special Forces were allowed to touch these things first but I didn't know why.

We were chosen by our superior to test these things when that person said to us: "Congratulations! You people are the very first subjects of this revolutionary technology!"

This device looked like a Pip-Boy watch from the Fallout game series but it couldn't slow time like the one in the game.

What should I say? It was not big like a Pip-Boy but more compact and has black colored. The guy who made this device must be a very big fan of Fallout, who could spend billion dollars just to make this thing?

This "Pip-Boy" has a white wrapper that covered its screen written words "Demo - For Sergeant John Rigen, October 3rd, 2005, Virginia, Operation 1172 Lab".

For some reason, the one who created this device knew about my identity, I didn't remember much because I lost some of my memory but I could remember clearly these things.

Demo? Was this device was demo version? October 3th, 2005 was my date of birth, Virginia was the state I was born in.

I was an orphan as I could remember, Operation 1172 Lab? The place that created this device? But 1172...the number looked familiar but I forgot it.

I didn't notice much about the white wrapper, maybe this device has been specially made for me, I immediately tore the wrapper out and then threw it away on the ground.

Let's forget about that shitty wrap, the device had abilities according to our superiors' textbook was health checking, detecting living creatures, map scanning, etc...

I was trying to figure out how to use it, I wore it on my right hand, trying to find out how to turn it on. After looking around for a few seconds, I saw there was a button under it, on the right side.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I pushed that button, and a green screen appeared, loading the programs. Seemed like the loading had done now after a few seconds.

"Insert your AirPods inside your ears to avoid being heard from the others."

Wow! The device just talked to me! I immediately took out the Air-Pods in my ears.

"Nice to see you, Sir! User 000!" - That device greeted me

"I'm sure that you didn't know about me, let's me introduce myself. I'm a new technology named Smart Advisor, also known as SA."

"I'm a very secret technology that your government has developed, which title would you like me to call you, Sergeant John Rigen?"

"Just call me John! And I don't have time to chat with you right now, do you know where we are now?"

"I don't have any info yet, but I suggest that you should wear your bag and go now, just go anywhere."

"Please turn on the Scanning for me while you are walking, maybe I can help you to know how is the terrain in this area looks like! - SA suggested to me

"Okay! This place doesn't look like Virginia to me, but make sure to call me when you see anything unusual while scanning!"

"Ah, remember to turn on the Hearing, I can hear things from far away, you don't need to point me anywhere to scan while walking."

"Just walk like usual, I will do the scan from the areas you went through."

After hearing what SA said, I immediately grabbed my stuff and went on for a walk. I was now holding an M4A1 Carbine, all my stuff was now in the bag.

"Hey! I'm running by using solar energy! My battery is now enough to use for 12 hours. Want to charge me? Then turn off me by pushing the button you used to turn on."

"If you turn off me when you don't need to use me, the battery will be charged at the time you turn off. Remember to place me near the sun for the charging."

"When the battery is above 100 percent, there will be extra more empty 50 percent for the backup battery if you keep charging."

"It means you can keep using me even if my battery is zero but in about 6 hours."

"Also, the device will heat up when I got charged so if you don't want to burn your hand, then put me somewhere for the charging."

"Can we go now?" - I told SA to shut its mouth off and started walking before it had a chance to answer

While walking, I kept calling for my soldiers on the path but no one responded. Seemed like there were no people here in this forest, except me.

"Keep your mouth off, John! It's a wise choice to keep silent when you don't know where you are!" - SA warned me

I kept walking, just walking straight, I didn't know much about the jungle I was going through. A few minutes later, I found myself on a trail.

Looked like the trail was not well constructed, it was quite dirty. I saw some marks on the trail, maybe following this trail would lead me somewhere?

"Stop here, John! Look closer to that trail, I think something is marked on it."

I looked closer to the trail, Oh! SA was right! I saw the footprints here, seemed like horse footprints.

Strange! Was this place in the countryside but if this place was the countryside then how did I get here?

I also saw the vehicle marks on it, but it didn't look like our car marks either. The wheels mark was marked deep on the trail.

"Follow the trail, John! We don't know where we are yet but try to follow what you see first!" - SA told me to follow the trail

I followed the trail that I found, maybe I should ask SA about the supply, ammo and rations I had left.

I would want to make sure that I could survive out of this jungle without hunting animals, my hunting skill was very suck

"SA! How much rations and ammo do I have left until they run out!"

"According to the weight you are bringing in your bag and the ammo you bring. Not included on your bag but your rifle and your ammo pouches you wore on your uniform."

"Your rations will run out in 7 days if you keep eating them like usual."

"You have about 240 rounds to use for your M4, including the magazine that is placed in it. If a day you shoot ten bullets, your ammo will run out in about 24 days, 1 shot a day may last 34 weeks."

"Do you know where we are yet? This place didn't look like Virginia."

"Just keep walking, John! I'm now trying to do my best, patience!"

Sigh! I kept walking like usual, but when I was about to stop to look around, SA alarmed me.

"John! I heard sounds from the road forward, look like someone are fighting on it. It's away 400 meters (437 yards) from our position, get there, John! Let's see what we can find!"

"Are you sure about this?"

"Just go!"

Then I ran as fast as I could to that area, my rifle was already loaded now, I hopes that I wouldn't have to use it.

At least if I had to use my rifle in the mean situations, the destination was very close now.

Let's see what I can find!