Natalie turned her attention back to the game, she was going to tackle the woodworking, first she needed to prepare a log. She entered the tree lot, six more trees were ready for harvesting, she didn't think she'd need all six right now. So she left them to grow. Turning to the large drying rack, with the three logs on it, she stopped. How was she supposed to deal with these?

Approaching the logs she reached out, maybe if she touched them they would have an auto action, that would turn the logs into useable wood? Nothing happened.

"Sam?" She called. "How am I supposed to deal with these?"

"I believe you need to manually cut them, Natalie." He replied. "Using the axe over there, to your right."

Natalie turned to her right and could see the axe, it was big, she picked it up and confirmed it was heavy too. Uncertain how to go about it, Natalie lifted the axe up to shoulder height.

"Natalie," Sam said. "Not like that, here watch this file I found."

Natalie, lowered the axe and accessed the file Sam had signaled to her. It showed a very old film, of what seem to a sort of competition between large sweaty men. She watched as they stood on the logs, swinging the axes down from above their shoulders, into the log right between their feet.

"Were they mad?" Natalie was shocked, that had looked very dangerous. "How did they manage, to not chop their feet off?"

"Keep watching Natalie, you forget you will need these kinds of skills for your new home," he chided her. "Your planet is full of trees, you will have to understand how to deal with them."

Natalie turned back to the file. This time, it was showing a child of about eight, standing in front of a log swinging an axe at the middle of it. She was fascinated, the child was chipping away at the log, slowly getting though it.

Soon he had it in two parts, then the file changed again. It was showing two people, both of them chopping away at a whole tree each. Natalie watched them chopping, until one after the other, the trees came down. Again the file changed, now it was featuring a large animal with a wide flat tail.

The animal was chewing on a tree, around and around it went. Until it had chewed it enough, the weight of the tree made it collapse. The animal then started to chew off the branches.

"What is that animal?" Natalie asked. "Is it real?"

"It was called a beaver, once it was very real." Sam said. "It used to populate areas. In a place called America, back when such places existed. The animal has been extinct for two hundred years."

"Why did you include that into the file for chopping the trees?" Natalie asked, confused.

"So you could see that the task is not impossible," he told her. "That animal wasn't very large, but it brought down that large tree. The boy was younger then you, he chopped the log in half. You can as well, but first you need to start believing it's possible. Today's people don't have to do things to survive in the world, you are all used to everything being done by machines. Soon Natalie, much sooner then you think, you will have to do things for yourself, that you have never thought of before."

Natalie pondered on Sam's words, she didn't doubt for a minute that he was right. The sight of Spar, compelled her to accept this as nothing but the base truth. She entered back into the game, eyeing the log as she picked up the axe. Natalie began to do her best, to chopping the log in half.

It took the rest of the real life day, and two game days, but Natalie managed to complete her task. The log was in two parts. She was as mentally tired as she had been physically tired in the game. The lesson had been learnt, she could do this, she just had to be determined enough to see it through.

Natalie logged out of Freedom, she went straight to the shower. Afterwards, she found she had enough left in her, to cook herself a meal. Once everything was tidy, Natalie entered the pod. Going straight to the simulation of Spar, she wanted to spend a bit more time looking around.

She wasn't aware of when she fell asleep, or at what stage Sam slipped her into real sleep. Waking up in the woods on Spar, was a surreal experience. Again, it gave her some insight, into what she was headed too.

"You have a lesson scheduled today, at barn number twelve." Sam told her. "They ask that you be there by nine this morning, Natalie, they stressed all lesson are strictly voluntary. If you don't wish to attend you don't have to."

"That sounds counter productive, Sam." She answered. "Why would they say that?"

"Will you be attending?" Sam asked, instead of answering her.

"Yes, I want to learn about Spar," she told him. "How to survive on the planet, seems like a big deal to me."

"Good, then I will tell you why they are doing things this way." Sam said. "You learnt this lesson yesterday in the game. These young people, are not use to thinking for themselves. All your lives, you have had someone telling you what to do. This must be adjusted, by letting them have power over their own decisions. Like you did when you decided, that you would chop that log, no one made you do it, you kept at it, even though you were sore and tired. They need to learn this."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Natalie sat, she didn't know what to say or think. Slowly as she thought about it she could see what Sam was getting at. But she couldn't see how excusing them from a lesson, was going accomplish this. Natalie decided she was hungry, leaving the pod, she checked the time. Finding she didn't have a lot of time, to devote to an elaborate breakfast. She made herself a bacon and egg sandwich.

Leaving her room, she was surprised to find people in the hallway. Taking a bite from her sandwich, as she walked past them, she noticed they were staring at her breakfast. Walking a bit faster, and eating even faster, Natalie left the barracks. It had felt for a minute, as if some of them had been contemplating taking her breakfast.

She looked back to see, a hungry bunch of teen girls, watching her walk away. That was unnerving.

"Sam, was I imagining that, or was there really a group of girls drooling over my bacon and egg sandwich?" She finally asked.

"No you weren't imagining things, Natalie." Sam sounded amused. "Not all the people here, have had the benefit of your upbringing. Only a few of them know how to cook, quite a few of the teenagers here are living it rough. There are no machines to help them."

"How are they eating then?" Natalie asked. "Won't they get sick? How are they supposed to learn?"

"By asking for help, Natalie." Sam replied. "Something you have been taught to do all your life, by your parents. All they have to do is ask their own AI, it's as simple as that."

Natalie had a lot to think about, as she walked to barn twelve. She had never thought about it before, but her family was different. The closest thing to a robot, in her parents house, had been the slaughter shed and the washing machine. It had never been a problem for her, they had always done the chores themselves, grown food and raised meat animals.

She put aside her musing, to look at the building in front of her. It was enormous, it took her a moment to realise one of the instructors, was waiting patiently by the entrance. There was a very small group of teens standing with her.

"Which barracks are you from and what is your name?" The Instructor asked.

"Barracks eighty," Natalie replied. "My name is Natalie."

She watched, as the woman looked down at the tablet in her hand, she typed something, then checked her wrist unit for the time.

"Well close enough to the time, anyone who comes late, well.., their hard luck." The Instructor said. "Come along, for having decided on your own to attend. You have all just earned yourselves, something extremely valuable for your new life on Spar."

With that she led them inside the barn, Natalie could see a long line of stalls, on each side of a wide walkway. Watching them from over the top of their stall doors, were pony's.

"In a minute, I'm going to let you move around the stalls and chose a pony for yourself," The Instructor said. "First though you need to know these are young ponies, only six months old. They are too young to ride, so don't try it. They will be your responsibility, you will feed, exercise and clean it's stall everyday. Failure to do so, means the loss of the animal. Go on now chose your reward."

Natalie was overjoyed, a real live pony, and it was hers. Did this mean, it would be coming with her?

"Instructor?" She called quietly.

"Yes?" The Instructor had been watching the group.

"Will this pony be coming with me, to my new home?" She asked, just to make sure she hadn't misheard earlier.

"Yes it will," she was told. " In time it will be one of most valuable things you will own, with one exception, and that's your pod."

"Thank you." Natalie had a big smile on her face, she didn't hear the "Your welcome," from the instructor. She had eyes only on the animals. Slowly she walked down the isle, skipping the stalls, that already had a teenager standing out side of it. Halfway down she came across a dark brown pony with black legs, it's tail was black, but it's mane had two colours in it. Mostly the mane was black as well, except for a thick swatch of pure white mane, about half way up it's neck.

The pony's large liquid eyes hadn't left her, this pony had a sweet look about it. Natalie decided this one was hers, she reached out and gently stroked the quivering nostrils.

"Alright, everyone you have all chosen your pony," the Instructor said. " by the stall door is your pony's halter and lead rope, I will come around and show each of you how to put one on correctly. Then you will learn to lead your pony and handle it."

"Sam," Natalie whispered. "I already know this, should I wait for her or do you think I can just go in and do it?"

"It's your pony, Natalie." Sam replied. "You don't have to wait, remember what I said earlier."

Natalie thought hard about it, Sam seemed to want her to learn independence. If she had it right, the people here wanted the teenagers to take the initiative. So by not waiting, and just doing what she already knew, the only thing she'd risk is the good will of the other teens. That didn't seem like too big of a problem right now, when she was staring at her own real live pony.

Throwing caution to the winds, Natalie took down the halter, quietly slipped into the stall. Softly speaking to the pony, she put the lead rope around its neck. She sidled up beside it and gently eased the halter over its nose. The pony only flinch a little, as she buckled the halter up behind its ears. Giving it a pat, on its neck she opened the door and led it out.

Natalie, kept her eyes on her pony, she secured the pony's lead rope to the ring outside the stall. Then checked the small wooden box right under it, as she had hoped it had grooming gear in it.

She pulled out the rubber curry brush and began to briskly and firmly in a circling motion rough up the pony's coat. Once she was sure she had every bit of dirt and dust lose, she swapped to the hard bristled brush. With long even strokes she brushed the lose dirt, dust and hair from the pony's body.

In the process she learned she had a girl pony, did they call them jenny's like they do donkeys?

Natalie changed brushes again to the soft bristled brush, this one smoothed the pony's coat took away any fine dust and helped to put a shine on it. It was also the one best used on the animals head.

She was almost done now, the only thing left was to pick the hooves and brush the mane and tail. Which she managed to do fairly quickly, the little pony only objected mildly once to lifting its hind leg up. She straightened up with a sigh.

"That ladies and gentlemen, is a perfect example of how to handle a pony and groom it." Came a loud voice, almost right behind her, she spun around to see the Instructor standing behind her with the other teens.

"You have met pony's before?" The Instructor asked.

"No madam," Natalie nervously said. "I play the game Freedom, in it I have two donkeys, my AI found a sim for me to learn with, on how to handle donkeys and cows."

"Well done," the Instructor was beaming at her with approval. "You have also chosen well, that little filly is as willing as anyone could want, to be friends with someone,"

"Philly? Is that her name?" Natalie asked.

"No dear, it's Filly with a F, not ph, I was referring to the fact it is a girl pony," the Instructor said kindly. "Filly is what they are called when they are young, when she gets older she can also be referred to as a mare."

"Thank you," Natalie said.