Chapter 1
I felt sluggish as I began to wake up. It felt like my brain was rebooting from a crash… Aw shit the crash! The image of an 18-wheeler barreling towards my Prius fills my mind and I rapidly sit up breathing heavily.
That’s when an expanse of green grass meets my eyes. Shouldn’t I be in a hospital? Or is this the afterlife? I was beginning to panic a little when I noticed two others lying down unconscious in the grass.
One was a woman, maybe around my age, wearing a fancy purple robe, while the other was a man, seemingly in his mid-twenties, also wearing a robe but of a different style and colored brown rather than purple.
I took a moment to check out my own clothing. Okay, what the hell is going on here? My clothing seemed at first like what I would normally wear except simplified. It’s as if someone took the idea of a ‘grey jacket’ and made it manifest. It was the same for my cargo pants. They were tan, had several pockets, and yet lacked anything like labels or seams.
While I was inspecting my jacket and its strange construction I jumped as I heard a groan. Dropping the jacket into my lap I turned and saw the woman in purple sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
She looked around in the haze between sleep and wakefulness before her eyes settled on me. She muttered something unintelligible but probably a question. And then clarity began to flood her eyes as she crossed all the way into being awake.
She called out what was clearly a question for me, but I didn’t know the language. “I’m sorry I don’t know your language. Can you speak English?” I didn’t know what part of the world she was from but hopefully, she knew at least a little English.
Unfortunately, it seemed she in fact did not know any English, as incomprehension was clear across her face. I scoured my brain for anything I knew about foreign languages when I noticed something distinctly odd. It felt like there was a package in my mind.
Carefully I prodded it mentally and then I simply had three languages available. There was no fanfare, no headache no backlash whatsoever it was just as if I simply had three languages downloaded into my head.
I decided to ignore the fact that someone could just put something in my brain like that and the fact that I had absolutely zero recognition of these languages for the moment. Choosing a language at random I asked the woman in purple. “Hello, can you understand me?” The unfamiliar language flowed from my lips as if I had been speaking it all my life and this time, I wasn’t able to stop a shudder from running across my body.
Thankfully it looked as if a language barrier wasn’t going to be an issue as the woman’s face lit up in comprehension. But it also looked like she was in the same boat as me as she instantly went pale when she realized she could understand me. Looks like those languages were downloaded into both of our brains maybe the same thing happened to the third guy as well.
“Hello, may I ask who you are? How do I know this language? And where are we?” The woman inquired, a frown on her face as she used the unfamiliar language.
“I am Everett, err Everett Sykes. I’m sorry I don’t know why we know new languages suddenly and as to where we are. I just woke up here.” I answered wanting answers just as much as her.
“That is quite unfortunate, I am Sasha Highwalker. It is a moment to meet you.” Sasha said introducing herself. I was pretty sure that the final part of her statement was a poorly translated turn of phrase from her original language.
Just as I was about to continue the conversation an abrupt *Ping* caused me to jump. Sasha looked at me curiously and was about to ask something when she jumped. Did we both hear that but separately? I wondered before I found myself flinching in surprise once again.
Floating in front of me was a slightly translucent blue panel.
Synchronizing System Fragment
I looked at the floating panel incredulously. It was like something out of a video game! Starting from the top it seems like I’ve been synchronized with something called a System Fragment? Apparently, the fragment is called Factory. That must be what this blue screen thingy is.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The next thing down was a warning about limited system functionality and that I would need to level up to increase functionality. This is more and more like a video game like seriously? Leveling up? Still, I don’t even know what kind of functionality there is in the first place.
The next item down was my level which was currently sitting at one. How do I even level up? I don’t see anything anywhere for XP?
The final part of the menu was a block that held my Stats. If we’re going by video game logic here, MP is magic, right? Wait does this mean I can cast spells? Even as part of me was giddy at the thought of magic I looked on to the final stat present which left me with more questions than answers. WH? What does that mean and why do I have 24 of it? One for each hour of the day? Does the H stand for hour?
Shaking my head I looked up and noticed that Sasha was looking down at something I couldn’t see. She’s probably got a System Fragment of her own then.
That was when we both heard a groan and the man still lying on the ground rolled over muttering what sounded like a complaint. He didn’t make any more moves, content to lay face down in the grass.
“Are you okay?” I ask him lightly, prodding his shoulder with my foot. I only received a tired grumble in response.
“Let me try,” Sasha spoke up as she walked over to the man’s prone form. She hooked her foot between his arm and torso and then flopped him over onto his back. “Wake up you great sleeper!” She loudly spoke.
With a great “Bwuh.” The man pulled himself up to a seated position. He looked between the both of us confusion writ on his face before he looked down at himself and then did a double take.
Shooting to his feet the man began to pat himself all over, a great grin plastering itself on his face as he began to dance and jump around in what was probably some kind of celebration. Both me and Sasha shared a look of confusion.
“Excuse me? Do you understand us?” I asked, trying to get his attention.
The man stopped jumping around to face me, but his enthusiasm remained clear on his face. “Ah yes, I can understand you. Not sure how though.” The man rumbled out his voice growing curious.
“Ah well, I’m Everett Sykes.” “Sasha Highwalker.” We introduced ourselves.
The man grinned at the both of us “Taliez Wo-macca it’s highly enjoyable to meet you!”
“Taliez do you where we are located?” Sasha asked him.
The man took a quick look across the fields of grass before looking back at Sasha still beaming “No idea!”
“I see,” Sasha said simply, another frown appearing on her face.
I decided to confirm a suspicion of mine. “Have either of you seen a floating rectangle that says something about a System Fragment?” I asked.
Sasha simply nodded while Taliez looked at me with confusion. “System Fragment? Floating rectangle? I’m sorry I have not se-” He let out a yelp and jumped back looking at what I surmised to be a System rectangle similar to my own.
“Yes, I do see what you are talking about” Taliez rumbled in confirmation as he read through his System window.
“Did either of your Systems have a unique identifier? Mine says it’s called Factory.” I queried the both of them.
Taliez was the first to respond in a jovial tone “Yes it has the identifier Stick. I am a Stick Scribe, it makes sense.” Interesting so maybe the types of Systems are assigned based on occupation? But I didn’t work in a factory so maybe it’s something else? Also, what’s a stick scribe?
Before I was about to ask him Sasha spoke up. “I would prefer to keep my System to myself.”
“No problem,” I replied looking over to Taliez who just shrugged to indicate he didn’t particularly care. I do wonder why she doesn’t want to share though. Still, no need to pry.
“Might I suggest we get moving? We should seek shelter, food, water, and with great hope civilization” Sasha suggested.
Seeing no reason to disagree, we picked a random direction and began to walk.
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As we made our way through the rolling grass fields, I couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room any longer or perhaps it would be better to say the elephant in the sky.
Looking up I could see a brilliant moon with seas, clouds, and a faint blue ring around it. I wasn’t on Earth anymore. I had been killed by that truck thankfully in an instant. I won’t ever see my family again. I won’t see my cats again. I won’t ever graduate from college. Fuck.
I felt a wetness dripping down my face and I realized I was crying.
I tried to focus on walking, but my thoughts kept drifting to the life I had left behind. I could feel pressure building in my head and my throat constricting. I was struggling to breathe. The grass seemed endless.
“We are taking break,” Sasha said abruptly. “Sit down.” She coaxed calmly as she put her hand on my shoulder.
I could only nod as I sat down in the all-encompassing grass. I’m weak. They died too I saw it in their eyes and yet I’m the only one who broke down. Hell, Tailez was overjoyed! What excuse do I have to break down like this? I was given a second chance damn it!
I felt a nudge and looked up. I didn’t know what I was expecting. Derision, annoyance, pity? But as I looked up and saw their faces, I only recognized Understanding. We all had left people and lives behind, hadn’t we.
After taking some deep breaths the pressure in my head lessened and I could breathe easier. “I’m ready.” I managed to utter my voice only cracking slightly. And both of them outstretched a hand each. Grabbing onto them both they pulled me up.
Brushing off my pants I looked at each of them. “Thanks, Sasha, Tailez.” They gave an understanding nod, and we walked on.
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The sun had traveled far across the sky I estimated we woke up sometime in the morning and it was now about midafternoon. But finally, we saw something that wasn’t grass or dirt.
A forest lay before us but more importantly, was the dirt road following the boundary between forest and grassland. We had found our first sign of civilization.