[System Initialization Complete]

[Scanning Soul Matrix...]

[Previous Life Experience Detected]

[Ineligible for Basic Classes]

[Analyzing Physical and Mental State...]

[Warning: Psychological Trauma Detected!]

[Processing Trauma Patterns...]

[Warning: Psychological Barriers Detected!]

[Calculating Attribute Adjustments...]

[Warning: Attributes Affected by Past Experiences, Values out of Expected Range!]

[Scanning Class Affinities...]

[Uncommon Classes: Incompatible]

[Rare Classes: Incompatible]

[Class Potential Identified: Convergence Point]

[██████ Integration: Processing...]

[Initiating Restricted Class Parameters]

[Foundation Protocols: Active]

—

Starling came back to consciousness with a jolt of adrenaline. Their whole body convulsed and they gasped desperately for breath in great ragged gulps, eyes wide in panic. Before they could take in their surroundings, they had bolted to their feet in a defensive crouch, responding to a sudden sting of danger. Moments of silence passed as they fought for control of their breathing and their pounding heart. Finally, after nothing happened for several beats, they relaxed, leaning down and putting their hands on their knees. As they did so, their gasp caught in their throat, as memories flooded back.

The fire! They frantically beat at their body, putting out phantom fires they thought were all over their body, burning their clothing, desperate to stop it getting through to their skin. Just as they were about to jump to the ground and roll, reality reasserted itself and they stopped, surprised to find they were whole and undamaged, in fact they were a little cold... and damp?

Looking around properly for the first time, they began to take in their surroundings. Large thick-trunked trees with massive gnarled root systems that broke through the ground at their base loomed over them. They stood in a small clearing, the overhanging trees blocking out the sky, the undergrowth around them lush and made up with a variety of waist high ferns. Before them lay a depression in the plants, roughly in the shape of their body and Starling realised they must have been lying in the ferns for some time before coming to consciousness.

Where the hell am I?

They snapped their head around, looking around to see if they could see anything recognisable. The ferns around them were vaguely familiar, but also wrong, with a faint purple tinge to the tips of their fronds, something no species native to where they had been working before would display. The trees around them were weird too. The roots and trunks had a strange almost leathery looking bark, Starling couldn’t name any tree species like that, it made the hair on the back of their neck stand up.

So one minute I’m in a crashing firewatch tower… and the next I'm here? In this forest? Did the campers get out? Did… I actually sacrifice myself like that?

Starling felt a strange chill over their body as they considered the last few minutes they could recall. Going from the heat, smoke and noise to this quiet, calm glade was incongruous and strange. What should have been the final chapter of their story now felt like the start of a new one.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if it had ended that way…

Starling snapped off that thought quickly, best not to think like that.

Standing still, they closed their eyes and listened, straining to hear any familiar noises through this cave-like forest. The high trees and the overarching canopy made Starling feel like they were underground. Birds called in the distance, none of their cries the familiar. Something akin to a woodpecker attacked a trunk, but instead of the hollow Tok-Tok-Tok you would expect it made a wet thudding sound instead. The air was light, easy to breathe, it smelled exotic, like a strange perfume on the wind. There were hints of spices and green freshness that Starling couldn’t name. Compared to the heavy dead air back in the forest before, and the smoke filled last few minutes of their past… life? The air was like a sweet nectar and they sucked in great lungfulls, just luxuriating in the feeling of filling their lungs with something so natural and fresh. A small blue dot flashed in the corner of their vision for a second, and Starling reacted with a startled jump. The dot remained, not as bright but staying in the corner of their view.

What the hell is that? Am I hallucinating now?

Starling shivered, this wasn’t right. Before any form of panic could take them, their trained instincts kicked in. Survival situation, they had drilled for this for years, both in the FireWatch and in.. well before.

First things first, I need to check my status, no injuries or anyt….

Starlings thoughts stopped dead in their track, as soon as they had thought the word ‘Status’ in their internal monologue, a blue window appeared in their vision and displayed the following text in a white systemlike font:

[Name: Starling]

[Level: Beginner]

[Status: Alive/Recently Transferred (04:31)]

[Health: Full (Warning, class restrictions prevent full Health Details from being displayed)]

[████: ███ (Warning, current class restrictions prevent ████ Details from being displayed)]

[Stamina: Full (Warning, class restrictions prevent full Stamina Details from being displayed)]

[Class: Convergence Point]

[Aspect Manifesting: Foundation]

[Additional Aspects: ███████]

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

[Primary Focus: Create stable foundations for future growth]

[Warning: This Class has Action Restrictions]

[Core Attributes: Abbreviated, use detail view for more information]

[Physical:]

[- Strength: 8]

[- Agility: 12++]

[- Endurance: 11+]

[- Dexterity: 13+]

[Mental:]

[- Intelligence: 14++]

[- Wisdom: 8--]

[- Focus: 15+++]

[- Creativity: 12+]

[Emotional:]

[- Willpower: 16++++]

[- Trust: 6--]

[- Empathy: 8--]

[- Leadership: 7--]

[Available Attribute Points: 0]

[Skills] - Environmental Awareness

[Purpose: Create. Build. Improve.]

[Note: Some attributes may be influenced by mental state]

[Personal growth may unlock restricted potential]

Starling stared at the window that was floating in their view, overlaid on what they could see. Plus and minus marks after the numbers? Damn four plus marks after Willpower… What does that mean? Starling couldn’t help but feel a stab of pride at the positive numbers they could see for things like Focus, Willpower and Intelligence. The negative markings after Trust, Empathy and Leadership made an uncomfortable amount of sense. The fact that there were stats linked to their personal attributes, a window that had appeared in front of them. Something really weird was going on.

Where the hell am I? Was this the afterlife - a weird forest with strange trees? Did I die in that fire or is this a dream? A coma maybe?

The window was large, and took up most of their view, they didn’t have time to go through what it meant right now, they could be in danger. The first thing that needed to happen was to go through the initial survival checklist, get to a safe location and then take stock.

Clear? Dismiss? Ah that did it. Can I make it come back? Status?

The window vanished and then re-appeared as they thought the commands.

Ok, at least I can bring it back. Does this mean I'm in a video game or something? Wait, no focus, remember what Walt taught you.

Mentioning that name cleared Starlings head instantly, there was a sting of pain deep in the pit of their stomach as they recalled the face of their mentor but at the same time there was a clarity that put them back on track. They could investigate whatever that was about later, right now they needed to prioritise their safety and improve their chances of survival.

Ok, first, am I injured in any way?

Starling quickly gave their body a pat down, realising for the first time that they were wearing the same clothes they had on when the tower fell. Nothing in their pockets sadly, but at least they were wearing hiking gear and they had their good boots still on. With a sniff of their arm they could detect a faint hint of smoke, but not very strongly. No injuries that they could tell, they were as healthy as they were when they woke up in their tower the morning of the disaster.

[New Skill Discovered: Physical Assessment]

[Primary Attribute: Wisdom]

[Understanding your own condition is the first step to survival]

* Allows basic evaluation of physical conditions and injuries

* More accurate when examining self

* Currently limited to visible/obvious issues

* Effectiveness increased by medical knowledge

The notification appeared in the corner of Starling’s vision and made them stop for a second.

Huh, doing things unlocks skills? And they can provide a bonus to doing something?

Starling realised there was a second blue notification, it had actually been there for a little while but they hadn’t really recognised what it was, focusing their attention opened it up and displayed another skill.

[New Skill Discovered: Environmental Awareness]

[Primary Attribute: Focus]

[The wilderness speaks to those who know how to listen]

* Enables detailed awareness of surrounding environment

* Combines audio, olfactory, and atmospheric information

* Helps identify environmental hazards and changes

* More effective when remaining still and concentrating

I must have unlocked this one when I was listening for danger when I first woke up. I guess I should just keep working through my checklist and see what else I can unlock here.

Starling thought carefully about what to do next. The two most crucial things to confirm had been completed. They weren’t injured and they weren’t in immediate danger as far as they knew. The next thing to do was to try and work out where they were, what time it was, and where the nearest source of water was. The ground around them was damp, either there had recently been a light rain shower, or they were in a lowland area that formed a morning mist or dew on the plants. Best thing to do would be to head to high ground, and see if they can spot any landmarks. Finding water shouldn’t be too hard from a high position either… as long as everything here worked as they would expect.

Judging the lay of the land, they started to walk towards an obvious upwards slope to their left. High ground, water, somewhere to set up camp. Those were the next steps.

Before Starling left the clearing, they took a closer look at one of the strange leathery trees, running their hand across the surface carefully, wondering if it would feel like bark or flesh. The second their hand touched the tree their view was obstructed by new notifications, and their hand felt stuck to the ‘bark’, pulled to it like a magnet.

[Foundation Aspect Activated]

[Contact Established]

[Basic Construction Unlocked]

The tree they were touching seemed to ripple, a wave of something pulsing out from where their fingertips were touching it. Suddenly, Starling could see.. Possibilities. The massive roots below them could be shifted and woven together to form a natural shelter under the trunk of the tree. The branches above altered to form a canopy that routed rain water down the trunk, a channel made to collect it. They could feel how the ground itself wanted to settle into a flatter, more stable state. The sensation was heady, intoxicating. The things they could do with this! It almost knocked them to the floor with how powerful it felt.

They pulled their hand away from the tree with a gasp, holding it like they had been stung. Their survival instincts told them that building a shelter could wait. Elevation, water, bearings, these were the first steps. Some new instinct insisted that this spot was perfect for a base camp. The trees and ground supplied good drainage and something about it felt.. Safe.

“No..” they muttered, pulling themselves further away. “High ground first. Water source. Then Shelter.” As they said the words out loud they heard Walt echo them in chorus in their mind. The drilled in training took over and they stepped away from the clearing, the overwhelming… whatever that was and out towards higher ground.

[Warning: Foundation Aspect Resisting Suppression]

[Skill Acquisition Delayed]

[Note: Some abilities may manifest regardless of user intent]

As Starling left the clearing, they didn’t notice the changes left from their interaction with the tree. It stood a little straighter, the branches were slightly repositioned for better coverage. Their body might be sticking to what they knew, but their new abilities were at work, preparing a space whether they wanted it or not.