Kevin followed the road at a steady pace, half enjoying the pastoral scenery and half focused on plans for the future. His largest obstacle was getting started. He had little to work with, lacking contacts, resources, or even an identity here.
In a less organized society, it might have been possible to cast himself as a stranger down on his luck. With the signs of industrial-scale agriculture, it looked like that would be impossible.
Such a place would no doubt keep better records and might be touchier about unauthorized visitors. He had to blend in as best he could, but how did you explain being a half-naked stranger with no idea how the world worked?
Should he approach a farmhouse and attempt to acquire some proper clothing first? A lack of local currency might make that difficult. Stealing a set was a step beyond his usual morals, but perhaps in this situation?
A whistling sound sliced through the pristine silence, cutting off further moral pondering. It came from the north, the same direction he was traveling in.
The road ahead was clear, but after searching the horizon, he spotted a white speck. With every second it grew, suggesting an object approaching at speed, until a robed figure was visible standing on a thin piece of metal.
Kevin’s eyes lit up, his face shifting into a wide grin. A cultivator on a flying sword; could anything be more iconic?
The odds had to be astronomical for a chance meeting. A single human close enough to be spotted in the entire sky? Such luck was unbelievable.
Unless, of course, it wasn’t by chance.
Kevin froze, fear welling up as a grim possibility doused his excitement faster than a bucket of cold water.
Had they detected his arrival? Interdimensional travel was a hell of a security breach; was there any wonder they had a sensor network in place?
There was no time to do anything, or even think anymore, with the figure racing closer. Within moments they had passed overhead, blazing by so fast he half-expected to hear a sonic boom.
He had to snap his head around to track them as they shot along the path he’d taken; Straight toward ground zero of his arrival.
Kevin gasped, drawing fresh air into trembling lungs as the cultivator vanished. He’d been so desperate to meet one, yet in person, they were beyond terrifying.
However cultivation worked in this world, anyone capable of flight would have incredible strength to go with it. What could he even do if they wanted to harm him?
Nothing.
And yet, despite everything, his lips kept twitching back into a smile. No matter how intimidating it might be, it was also tangible proof of advanced cultivation. If the knowledge existed, he could learn it. He just had to figure out what to…
A dull thunk echoed from behind, slicing through his thoughts like a knife and sending ice through his veins. The world slowed as Kevin spun around, heart thundering in his chest.
A circular stone platform had appeared a mere ten feet away, spanning the full width of the road. An object of such size and weight moving beggared belief, yet here it was.
The dozen passengers on board shared none of his disbelief, already leaping from their seats and pouring out of the disk.
Despite their bulky armor, the newcomers moved with lightning speed as they drew a bewildering array of swords, spears, polearms, bows, and odd, musket-like firearms with flared barrels.
They had him surrounded in an instant, forming a double-layered circle that cut off every escape route. Melee weapons on the inner ring, ranged weapons on the outside; a bristling wall of danger more secure than a metal cage.
Panic swelled while his mind churned, struggling to process the sudden occurrence. How had they snuck up on him? Even if they’d followed the cultivator, such a large vehicle should have been obvious.
The figure at his front stepped forward before he came close to an answer. One hand grasped a spear of solid blue metal with casual grace, while they raised the other in the universal stop symbol.
“Stay where you are and keep your advancement suppressed. We have linked you to an incursion event in this area. If our scout was mistaken, all you need to do is produce proof of residence with slow, unthreatening movements.”
The voice was masculine but dull and stripped of all emotion. Combined with his concealing armor, it created the image of a faceless, unfeeling soldier.
He’d been found out.
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Kevin licked his lips, trying to figure out what to do. He didn’t have any documentation, nor did he know enough about the local area to claim innocence.
Talking his way out of this seemed impossible. Should he try to build some goodwill by volunteering the truth?
As if sensing his doubt, the soldier spoke again. “We mean no harm to anyone who came through the incursion point. Come quietly and you will be treated well. These events have specific procedures, you are not being singled out.”
That clinched it. A promise wasn’t proof he’d be alright, but it was better than nothing.
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“Take it easy, I surrender,” Kevin said, raising his hands to show they were empty.
“Understood. Remain still while my men search you,” the soldier responded, relaxing his posture and planting the butt of his spear against the ground.
Hands grabbed his shoulders from behind before he could follow suit. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sudden invasion of his personal space, and it took all his willpower to stand still as unseen hands patted him down.
“Clear,” a voice grunted as the hidden figure released him and stepped back.
Kevin slumped, glad to have the ordeal over with. While the owner had been gentle, they were also thorough, and their armored gloves were rough against bare skin.
“Good,” the lead soldier responded, turning to look around. A moment later he spoke, pointing along the road, “There is a gate about thirty meters ahead.”
“A support ship is on its way but will require additional room to land. We're going to enter the field on the left, follow and maintain this distance.” The last sentence had a note of command audible even through the dull tone.
Kevin nodded, keeping enough presence of mind to notice they were using the metric system. Or at least something that translated as it. While their helmets kept the soldiers’ lips hidden, he doubted they were speaking real English either.
As the lead soldier moved out, he followed, matching their pace as best he could. Two soldiers jogged forward to open the gate while the rest maintained their inescapable formation.
The short walk provided enough time for Kevin’s brain to reboot. On the surface, the situation didn’t seem great, but he might come out ahead if he played his cards right.
Staying hidden had been a long shot with his lack of resources; a run-in with the government had been almost inevitable. At least this way he could live without the threat of it hanging over his head.
He just hoped they weren’t planning to lock him up or turn him into a test subject.
Soon, the lead soldier had taken them through the gate and onto the edge of the field. Once they were in position, he paused, without indicating how long it would take.
Kevin didn’t mind, glad to have the extra time to plan his next move.
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It took another ten minutes before anything changed; long enough for his initial terror to relax into resigned calm. This was happening whatever he did, all he could do was handle it as well as possible.
Kevin’s plan began with keeping his mouth shut. While he had plenty of burning questions about this situation and the world at large, the soldiers had shown no inclination toward further conversation.
There was no point in antagonizing them unless things changed for the worse. Whoever was next might well ask for an initial report, and it would be best for that report to be ‘quiet and cooperative’.
The second step was observation. After the first few minutes of remaining still, he could see the soldiers beginning to relax. They looked around more and braced their weapons against the ground or their bodies; still ready for use, but now pointed away from him
With the troops no longer on a hair-trigger Kevin got a better look at their equipment. The futuristic armor they all wore was an odd contrast to their archaic weaponry, the one point of difference between them.
Even the musket-like weapons had an older feel, while the armor wouldn’t have looked too out of place in a sci-fi movie. Formed from a light blue metal, it was smooth and streamlined despite its bulky nature.
From a few feet away, he couldn’t see any joints, as if the smith had crafted the entire thing from a single piece. It was thick given the bulk, and had to be heavy, yet the soldiers still moved with near effortless grace.
With weapon and armor technology always in a race, it spoke to the destructive power of the group’s weapons. What looked like normal swords or spears had to be impressive to be used alongside such advanced armor.
And what did that say about the cultivator who’d worn nothing but a pair of robes?
Watching the surrounding soldiers gave Kevin his first clue that something had changed. Almost as one, their heads shifted to look at the horizon. While empty to Kevin’s eyes, he waited until a speck appeared.
Like the cultivator, it flew at a decent height, unlike them, it grew far larger than a single human. By the time it arrived, the speck had resolved into a swan-like construction comparable in size to a 747.
Despite having wings furled at its sides, the support ship — it could be nothing else — moved through the air as if floating on water. It looked anything but aerodynamic; did that not matter in this world?
Perhaps not if that circular platform had flown here as well. Who knew what the existence of Qi might allow that would otherwise be impossible?
It was a nice thought, and it helped stave off a second round of panic as the ship approached. Before it touched down, the lead soldier spoke again.
“Now that the support ship has arrived, we're going to hand you over to the medical team for testing. Your cooperation has been appreciated so far. I trust it will continue.”
Kevin wet his lips, wishing he could do something about the sudden dryness in his throat as he broke his self-imposed silence. “Testing?” he asked, the word coming out as an undignified croak. That didn’t sound good.
“Yes,” the soldier said, half-turning back. “We need to ensure you won’t be a danger to the general population. We’ve learned to be careful with outsiders.”
“Right,” Kevin responded, relaxing again at the brief explanation. It was a good sign they were considering the effect he might have on people. That wasn’t the kind of thing you thought about if you were going to throw someone in a hole.
Pure white and carved to match its inspiration, the ship looked too artful for such a serious job as it descended. Lowering more like a helicopter than a plane, it came down just beyond the outer ring of soldiers.
There was no sign of whatever gave it motion, and it settled into place with a light thump that defied its massive size. With a shudder, the wing facing them stretched out, revealing intricate layers of fabric.
They unfolded along with the wing, forming a tent as large as a small house. Soldiers rushed forward as it came to a halt, unfurling little bags of pegs and securing the base to the ground.
More ran around the front, suggesting the other side had also opened. It was an impressive display. In moments, the ship had created a self-contained room capable of being used without risking the internal space.
At least, Kevin assumed that was the point of it. It looked like there was plenty of room inside, so the tent only made sense as a disposable structure. One they could burn to ash if he turned out to be carrying the plague.
Moments later, four new people emerged from a hatch in the swan’s chest. Large, hazmat-style suits concealed three of them, while the fourth was a man in flowing white robes.
The robed figure remained at the back while the other three approached. To his relief, they had opaque face plates revealing calm, human faces. The woman in the middle strode right up to him while the other two — a man and a second woman — flanked her.
“Hello,” she spoke, her merry voice clear even through the helmet. “You must be the outsider. If you will please follow me into the tent, we can get started.”
Kevin blinked, torn between wariness and awe. The woman’s face was perfect. Not just pretty, or beautiful, but a shocking, inhuman level of perfection.
It made her difficult to look at, but he did his best to ignore the effect as he followed her. It wasn’t like he had much choice, and he'd planned to be as cooperative as possible.
He mustn’t have hidden his nerves well, as she smiled; bright and reassuring. “Don’t worry, it’s a painless, and fairly quick process. The supervising agent is just over there,” she pointed back to the robed man, “and we’ll get you to him in no time.”
Like the rest of her, the woman’s smile had gone beyond perfection into something else. It was both disturbing and heart-shattering, leaving Kevin stunned as he followed her in.
It seemed the physical perfection of higher-realm cultivators was more true than he’d ever suspected.