‘I’ve been in this situation before when my squad’s vehicle broke down in the Australian outback. I survived by lying underneath to take advantage of the shade and not moving from my position. Yes, it was hell but I was rescued by the Confederation and put back to work for my Overseer. Stupid of me to try and escape in the first place but that’s beside the point. Deciding to move away from this vicinity by yourself is a far bigger danger than staying put. Trust me on this. You look like a good person, a kind person so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Everybody pulls their weight and I lead. We can give you support until we need to go deep below for your introductions from the ones who like to big-note themselves. Another convoy for another time. A deep pleasure to meet you, Carissa. Call me Mike or Kenzie.’ said Mike.

Carissa had made her way back to the main boat which Sherry had described in brief detail as a safe zone for their group and been subjected to a meaty handshake from a tanned man in his mid-fifties, once strong stomach muscles gradually turning into fat, with close cropped shaved hair and bright white teeth.

His suit was patchy, parts of it missing with rough patches in place compared to her own sleep design. Hair on his head was closely shaved down to a fine stubble and his demeanour was relaxed. On the side of his hip a makeshift belt with a wooden club stuck through it added to his appearance.

‘I’m the leader of our little community Carissa if you want to join us. All candidates who aren’t out to become pirates or raiders are most welcome. Providing you agree. Our main home is a constant work in progress. No bludgers allowed. Or you can choose to go straight back on a boat and make your own way deeper down later. You might not survive the experience though.’ said Mike.

The structure itself was a surprise to Carissa, she didn’t know what she’d been expecting but it was surely more than this. Sherry had described the main boat as a hub of activity when she hadn’t kept talking about her social life and how much she appreciated the health benefits of seafood.

‘We’re in what you would call a welcome area. An inflatable boat docks here and we try to best judge new characters before we enter our custom-built tutorial up on the roof. More space there means less space for accidents or damage.’ said Mike.

Carissa was barely listening to the conversation, her mind trying to remember if she had seen designs of this boat before. It was familiar in a way but also different enough that it could have come from an artist’s impression of an ocean-going floating community building.

If Carissa had been asked to describe the main boat, she would have called it a miracle that it remained floating. Driftwood and various scavenged materials acted as a type of glue holding the structure together. Large enough to house at least several dozen people, it was a mixture of a houseboat and a shanty house. A refuge lying on this stretch of ocean which accommodated people who were lost and then found.

Another part of the experiment.

Build groups and create conflict for further study.

‘Not much to look at unless you knew how it was built. And I’d tell you and you wouldn’t believe a word I’m saying. You’ll think I’m making it up. Sherry thinks I’m wasting my time but she’d also tell you that I care too much.

The interior was unknown to her, for all she knew, it could have been a high-level technological laboratory in disguise but she doubted it. The fact that when she had noticed that neither Mike or Sherry had been wearing shoes and when the topic arose and she asked she was told that they were generally a waste of time was a sign that this place, this mindset was different from her own.

Wood and ropes had been mixed to build ladders but she doubted that the boat itself could actually be piloted in any direction, if she had a choice, she’d call it more similar to a prototype floating village. The basis of one at least, the fact that there hadn’t been any fishing nets or lobster pots had surprised her.

Food and shelter were the immediate necessities for anyone, especially fresh water. More likely those functions deemed essential to their survival were kept deeper inside the boat, secure from both attackers and bad weather. Carissa noticed that she had missed part of Mike’s

‘Thank you, Mike, Sherry here rescued me when I…floated upward to the surface.’ said Carissa.

‘No, Miss, she was doing her job. To find suitable beginner player candidates and bring them back here. If you tried to be aggressive with her and steal here boat then you’d be unlikely to be alive. Some have tried and all have died. Just a little private joke of mine. Say, what’s your class? Your skills? Are you willing to share them with me? No? Later then. Sherry come over here for our newly arrived guest.’ replied Mike.

Carissa was pleased to notice that Mike also had a complete lack of recognition of her. The sensation was pleasing although disconcerting. As though she had been shifted into a different reality to her own.

‘Sherry, show her to Chas and then we you, Mike to have a talk about the next step once the others return. The rules of the game mean that we need to survive as long as possible. Take her direct though, we can have a look at the rest of the boat later. As long as she’s willing to adapt to a new reality that is. You think the mighty ones would fix up the situation by now, we’re flat out as usual.’ said Mike.

He gave a final nod to Sherry before he turned away and left into the wooden structure behind him.

‘Carissa, follow me. Please avoid the other rooms, some are bedrooms and other…. private storage areas. Not all are safe. Trust me on this. Nobody wants you to have an accident this early on.’ said Sherry.

The pair left the tied-up inflatable behind them on the path, the size of the makeshift floating structure surprised Carissa, either it was larger than it seemed or appearances were deceiving. If there were true dangers here then they disguised them well.

Carissa was going to meet the one in charge of the designated resource room, a place where all newly arrived players had to put their essential supplies according to Sherry as she chatted non-stop until they reached the designated community member.

‘Right, so I’m going to leave you here and then you need to make your own way to the roof. Do you remember the main path? If you don’t, you’re going to end up in one specific direction regardless. Mike designed it that way. We need to keep new people safe as much as we can. I’m sorry I can’t give more answers. Call out in an emergency and either myself or Mike will find you. Oh, and Chas is harmless as long as you don’t try and steal anything.’ said Sherry.

A room with a closed door, the same as all the other rooms, made of driftwood with minor additions of plastic and metal, smaller pieces to make the door have its own unique style.

Sherry put a hand in front of Carissa, stopping her moving forward before she gave the door a quick knock and grabbed the handle pulling it open. Sherry opened her mouth to talk before Carissa got a chance.

‘Chas, this is Carissa. The one you told me to locate. She’s in desperate need of answers but we need to process her as the others. Don’t tell her more than she needs to hear for her own sake. Please. She has no equipment to store here as she began without any basic kit.’ said Sherry.

The man wore a bright Hawaiian shirt, matching shorts with messy black hair and had simply blocked Carissa from entering the small space by sitting in a cross-legged position and putting his hands out in front of him with palms facing up. The room behind him was stacked to the shelves with various items, mostly made of bone, glass with the occasional shine of metal.

Despite its organised appearance Carissa recognised that something was off, the quality of the items was far lower than any supermarket shelf back home. They all looked either hand-crafted or vaguely archaic, closer to antiques than usable equipment.

‘Hello pretty lady. You can look but you can’t take without permission. We have stores of everything you need but not much of what you want. Shoes, we don’t need shoes much.’ said Chas as he gestured towards his own lack of footwear.

His feet were bare and tanned but shiny, not painted nails but cleaner than they had a right to be considering that everyone here went around barefoot from her perspective. He simply nodded his head to an unheard rhythm while he clasped his hands together. Either in prayer or simply because he wanted to complete his own look.

‘Sorry, but the group needs and the individual wants. The system is always pushing us for more but we need to build to live. Fresh equipment helps. Are you seeing messages in front of your eyes as well? I can delay it for a time to give you time to adjust. Not all gifts given can be held in the hands Lady C.,’ said the man.

Carissa nodded and the man smiled in agreement before crossing his arms and closing his eyes nodding his head again. Despite the fact that she hadn’t even spoken in response the man carried on talking as though she had.

‘Peace. Not everything is at it appears. And then it is. Mike knows the truth. We belong here, all of us do in our own way. Drowned Gods be willing. I’m Chas. The same as you are Lady C to some. Not me though, you want the fierce woman with the tattoos and the hidden mind. Dangerous. Sharp teeth. Almost as sharp as yours.’ said the man.

The man had been friendly enough with Carissa but seemed overly laid back and content to sit in the shade that was provided with the makeshift roof coverings which appeared to have been taken from various canopies of inflatable boats.

She’d had no idea where the rest of the pieces of driftwood and random debris had come from but the man wasn’t keen on answering her questions, he knew her but talked complete nonsense.

‘So, Chas, how about you explain to me exactly what you know about this experiment we find ourselves stuck in? Also, why do none of you wear shoes or anything on your feet? Having foot protection comes across as a good way to avoid getting splinters at least or any form of fungal infection. Do you like being so cryptic all the time?’ asked Carissa.

‘Sometimes in times of extreme stress the human brain creates things which aren’t actually there. Brother, you’ll be fine. We all experience it sometimes. Shoes…. shoes are a binding on the human soul. The suit. The suit binds the soul. Gods Below. My words, they come from those who live in the Depths. One of them likes you. One of them hates you. Peace brother. Peace be on your mind for your stay here.’ said Chas as he shrugged his shoulders towards Carissa.

‘I’m not your brother, I’m a woma-’ she started before the relaxed man waved his hands in her direction and settled back into his cross-legged posture.

‘Easy brothers and sisters, we need to relax and enjoy the motion of the waves. Panic is only going to tip the boat. I plan to enjoy myself in the shade. Go with the flow. I’m working here. Find your way. Not all of us want beauty. I want to work wonders and be left alone. Mike wants community and revenge. Sherry wants community and support. I don’t...I don’t want to talk. This room will remain closed when I leave for the benefit of us all. Do not open it. Gifts will be provided in time. Good luck fighting newbie. Mike knows. He knows. He did it. Be safe. Safe.’ murmured the man.

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After that he had closed his eyes and begun humming to himself softly. The makeshift structure around him creaked slightly when she took a step towards him and he refused to respond to her any further, let alone answer any of her questions.

‘I see. Good luck with your work then. Nice to meet you Chas.’ said Carissa before adding his name as an afterthought of politeness.

The fact that she had been led to a room full of equipment and been given nothing nor asked to contribute a single item was a mild surprise to her. It would make more sense for the creators of this experiment to fully control every aspect of this minor reality or world that they had built. Regressing economic activity to a barter level of trade was a good incentive to provide conflict. Not that Carissa had anything to offer.

Carissa had left the man to his meditation and gone to try and find Mike, the relative size of the boat meant that he was usually in the top structure where a makeshift lookout tower had been built. She had to admit that the man was driven and committed despite his faith in complete strangers.

Her path back out of the room had been fairly straightforward, the path itself remained unchanged even without markers or signs she was able to find her way back to where she had first been led in by Sherry. The complete lack of doorways was a mild surprise but then she’d already had a fully bellyful of questions by this point.

Carissa was aware that the structure could change, with enough smokes and mirrors it could even come across as far larger than she first imagined it. A single straight corridor with one exit led her to a wooden ladder which went straight up. The skies above her head were cloudier and darker than she had earlier noticed when she had first arrived here.

Despite the time passing her stomach or body had shown no signs of hunger or thirst. Either drugs, time passing slower than her senses realised or her body still existed in a state of shock. The concept that this would be a dream fever brought on by her own brain failing crossed her mind but she discarded it.

She had her own delusions and hallucinations when she had been by herself for extended periods of time and this wasn’t one of them.

Real.

I’m trapped and this is real.

No.

An experiment.

He was talking to Sherry making large gestures with his hands as Carissa was climbing up the ladder.

‘...Immediate priorities in immediate order are shelter, water and a source of food. You found a candidate for our group; we just need to hold it together for longer and we’ll be rewarded. Everyone gets their fair share and…oh Carissa. I needed to talk to you. Sherry tells me that you lost your basic starter equipment. A shame but we could have used that. She tells me that you’re a decent swimmer, would you be willing to put those skills to use until you get a class of your own?’ said Mike.

‘I need a basic answer first. And I’d appreciate basic honesty. Sherry saved me and you’re clearly making an effort. I would have asked Chas but he’s in his own world a little.’ said Carissa.

Sherry frowned and whispered quick words in Mike’s ear as he smiled a little.

‘Ah, no I’m not involved with Sherry. Not that way, I’m more of a community leader. Also, she’s too young for me. Not my type, neither are you. Sorry, that came out wrong. We’re here to help new candidates. I’m talking too much; you have a question? I’ll try my best to answer honestly.’ said Mike with a wry smile on his face.

A frown began to form on his face after the smile washed away like a tide washing away a sandcastle on a beach when Sherry leaned in again and cupping her hand whispered into his ear again.

‘...I’m not attracted to women. I don’t think I am. Given that I’ve never tried. But this isn’t about that particular topic. Do either of you actually know who I am? What I did? How my research was taken by my partner Liam and used for commercial purposes? I’m not blaming either of you but a clear answer would be appreciated.’ said Carissa.

The silence was met with confusion on the parts of both Mike and Sherry. Turning towards Sherry, Mike frowned and his forehead creased, he rubbed a hand over his eyes.

‘Sherry, don’t tell me that you found a fresh fish and brought her here without giving her a full briefing. A newborn with no answers and questions is a bad mix. Especially for this place. We don’t know how she’s going to mix with the others. No, this is my responsibility. I gave you orders and you followed them, we’re all human here. Some less so than others.’ said Mike.

Mike chuckled at his own joke. Sherry gave no response.

‘Mostly. Heh. Sorry, you must be pretty confused. How about I answer your question with one of my own? Are you a big deal where you come from Carissa? A rich woman? Or a supermodel celebrity status? I’m not only asking because of the way that you look but it’s how you carry yourself. I know that body language, it strikes me as someone who’s been at the top. My old Master and Mistress used to be the same. Tell you what, Sherry?’ said Mike.

Despite her lips tightening she looked at Mike’s face.

‘Mike?’ said Sherry.

‘I think we a need a strong drink to talk this out. You drink alcohol Carissa?’ asked Mike.

‘I can. Not my preference but I’m willing to drink with you if you give answers. I’m not going to go to bed with you though.’ said Carissa with a firm face.

Both Mike and Sherry spluttered at that. The face of Sherry blushed.

‘Woah! No, no. If you’re going to be a part of my community all I ask is that you share your workload. That sort of business is none of mine unless it creates conflict, also, you’re not my type. Not gender I mean, not genetically. Not my type. Here, actions explain louder than words. Forget drinks, you need a more physical explanation to get through your mind.’ said Mike.

He lifted a hand in front of Carissa’s face.

‘Bite my hand. Not enough to chew through it but you can draw blood. You can’t hide those teeth girl. I’m older, not blind or stupid. Bite. Unless, you’d prefer Sherry to put her hand there but her reaction might be a little different than mine. As in she would be hurt. Just bite. I’m not poisonous. Also, Carissa. You need to work on your social skills, it takes a broken one to recognise another. Normal people don’t respond like that.’ said Mike.

The silence around them was met with the creaking of the makeshift boat structure and the gentle sound of waves around them. Despite having enough capacity for at least a dozen, Carissa had only seen three people, Chas, Mike and Sherry.

She had been told that the others were out scouting and would return in time but if she wanted to flee this place now was the time. Mike was armed with the wooden club on his belt but Sherry only had her backpack, goggles and the pair had the same basic suit as her.

No weapons except for her hands and teeth. The choice was made. And she wanted answers badly enough to accept insane requests from near-complete strangers. Going back into the ocean waters to try swimming randomly wasn’t going to get her any closer.

‘Right Mike, I’ll bite.’ said Carissa. ‘Give me your hand and I’ll bare my teeth this time.’ said Carissa.

His hand was tanned and worn with age and the elements, he let it hang loosely, not drawing it back when she took it with two hands and bit into the flesh of the outside of his palm. Given his patchwork grey suit, parts of his body were fully exposed including his hands.

She had expected her teeth to sink into her flesh with relative ease but the skin was tough and worn, Carissa had to fix her jaw and bite even harder. When her sharpened teeth bit through she tasted blood in her mouth and opened her mouth again before letting the hand drop.

‘Done.’ said Carissa. The blood had tasted off in a way, and the flesh was tough but it proved that her teeth could do the job. The rest of her might have been weakened by the suit, or a combination that reduced her capability for the experiment but her mind and will remained strong.

Sherry stood there, slightly paled in her face underneath her goggles as she watched Carissa wipe a trace of blood off her mouth and stood back with a bright smile on her face, this time showing all her predatory teeth.

‘Good. Carissa, watch this. I recognise one when I see one, you’re not a killer. Not yet but you have a decent survival instinct. I have three lessons to teach you. Your first lesson is don’t underestimate people. Look at my hand girl.’ said Mike.

Mike didn’t show any signs of pain or discomfort as he held out his hand in front of her, teeth marks indented within the skin and blood dripping out. His other hand slipped to the wooden club on his belt.

The broken skin on the hand began to repair itself before her eyes and the blood on the skin was absorbed until the hand showed no signs of damage or injury over the course of tens of seconds. Mike shook his hand and flexed his fingers into an open palm and a closed fist before he flourished it and showed the lack of damage.

‘Lesson one Carissa, Sherry learnt this one early on, didn’t you?’ said Mike.

Next to him, Sherry shook her head. Her eyes underneath her goggles watching closely at Carrisa reaction. A sound from below the lookout tower of a voice calling out caught their attention.

‘I’m back! Mike? I’m back!’ the voice called out louder this time from down below, near to where Sherry had tied up her own inflatable life raft. ‘Hello? I’m back!’ came the voice. Feminine but the age was harder to place. Older than herself Carissa considered.

‘A member of our little group had returned. Ideally with good news, if not then at least safe. Sherry, go and ask them to talk to Chas, would you? I need to finish here with Carissa. Don’t look so worried, she won’t die. The system won’t allow it, not at this early stage. I mean she’s practically a newborn baby by the look of her, the fact that she has no starter equipment is odd but the gods have their little games. Pretty sure, she’s not an indigenous either, they wouldn’t be given any of the starter suits, but she is a player. A new one, dangerous perhaps but not more so than anyone else beginning.’ said Mike.

Seeing Sherry’s hesitance and the voice from below Mike turned towards Sherry and put a firm hand on her shoulder.

‘Sherry, even if you like her, she needs to learn. We all did. You remember how I told you about the old days? How it used to be for the original players? This is the best we can do without a tutorial, I need to her, take care of her. Are we clear on this Sherry? I need to know that you’re on-board with this.’ said Mike.

‘I don’t like it, Mike. I understand why we have to do this but I don’t like her. She’s beautiful and innocent here. Do we have to do this yet? We could always protect her for a bit longer, she can be a scout or help us out in other ways.’ said Sherry.

‘Not on my main boat. We’re not going down that road, I don’t care how much you’re attracted to her, I’m not accepting anyone to live the life of a slave. Even a pampered one, I need you to go down and make sure that everything is stored away. Check your own provisions while you’re at it, you can even do a full run through of your equipment.’ said Mike.

Carissa chose not to interrupt the conversation. She would have been called a wallflower in her previous life, in spite of her status, fame, wealth and derision.

Her own time, her own research had always been her priority, but it had always annoyed her when people had assumed that she was a highly sociable or desirable person when they met her.

Worse had been those who had tried to seduce her, the only person that she had ever been with was Liam and that was mainly due to the fact that they had met earlier in university before getting married.

‘Girl, no. Carrisa. I promised you three lessons. Have you worked out the first one yet? Don’t underestimate other people or you’re going to die. Fast. I don’t care how rich or powerful you were on your own planet but here, in this place you need to work harder to survive. Prepare yourself. I’m going to see how you fight.’ said Mike.

Mike pulled the wooden club front his belt around his waist and held in front of him tensing his body. He drew one foot back and leaned forward with one hand bunched into a first and the other holding the weapon in an attacking position.

‘This might hurt but it won’t kill. Show me what you can do, new player candidate.’ said Mike.