“Another day another dollar my ass.” I grumbled as I worked the slicer, cutting out slices of ham for a customer. I’d been in a foul mood for the past couple days, culminating in a headache that just wasn’t going away. Judging by the moods of my fellow co-workers, and the customers that came in, it was mutual. The news had said something might have gotten into the water supply and to use bottled water, so of course every nutter out there had come screaming into the store to buy up every drop we had. It had been a mad house for the last couple days and every scrap our store could drag in the back went out the front doors just about as fast.

The only thing keeping me from blowing my lid was knowing I'd have a week off after tomorrow. I had a hunting trip planned with a couple buddies and we’d go take our frustrations out on the forest. Might not actually bag anything but I'd get plenty drunk and out of the city no one really cared if you practiced your aim from sun up to sun down.

My focus came back to me as I judged I'd sliced off enough ham and made ready to weigh it and wrap it up but my hands froze as I was about to put the meat onto the scale. My mind and body suddenly surged with pain but I couldn't move. The customer in front of me had to be experiencing the same, his pupils suddenly dilated, his face paling and sweat starting to bead up on him.

I could feel the sweat beading up but I couldn't see what else was happening, the low hum of the store suddenly halting into an uncomfortable silence. I was left panicking. What was happening, was it some kind of biological weapon instead of a new flue, were we all about to die at the same time. What on earth could have caused this.

As suddenly as the pain came, it went, along with every other sense. I was suddenly plunged into a complete void. I couldn’t even feel the clothes I wore, or the sweat I was just accumulating. It was all too much but I couldn't even panic.

[Calm down, this is for your own good.]

Well that was just ominous, and had exactly the opposite effect. Blue text formed in my vision, the only thing I could see at all. If i had a body still, or control of my own if i was still attached to it, i was sure i’d be losing my mind. Fight or flight was a bitch if you couldn’t do either.

[You need to calm down, your body is currently being restructured to better accept ethereal energies. It will take much longer if you fight during the process.]

‘What the hell does that mean?’ I wondered. At Least having something to think about slowed my racing mind. Restructured didn’t mean dead at least, or I hoped it didn’t.

[You’re not dead. Would you like me to explain what is happening to you?]

‘Well, yeah.’ Wait, can this thing read my mind?

[In a sense, I can read your thoughts. You’re calming down now so I'll explain.]

I was calming down. Freezing up and feeling intense pain, followed by oblivion, was a hard enough thing to go through. The blue light of the text, and just having someone, or something, to talk to was easing a lot of my worries. ‘Go ahead text thing, what’s happening?’

[That pain was the world beginning to restructure. The world was ready to undergo a change, somewhat like a star going supernova, or turning into a black hole. It had gathered so much energy over its lifespan that it compressed into what is called a world core. A world core becomes a self sustaining form of energy, constantly exuding low levels of mana that would charge the world and its occupants. However, the formation of a world core is very destructive. Much of the gathered energy is expended in the initial formation, not unlike a nuclear weapon. The explosion of energy rips through the world and its inhabitants leaving only an exceptional few behind who would eventually conquer the world as the energies calm. Or that is how things would go if others had not interfered.]

I followed along as best I could. So far it boiled down to magic happened and everyone died, or almost died. ‘Wait, was that why everyone was getting headaches or getting sick? A lot of people thought someone had accidentally let some virus loose on the planet or that the groundwater had been contaminated in some way.’

[Yes. Just before the energies compress fully some energy leaks out and effects the life on the surface. What you had felt would eventually pass over some weeks as your body changed and acclimated, if the core hadn’t formed so rapidly. Not all world cores are equal, some are smaller and take less time to form, however these cores do not compress their energies as well and allow their life to acclimate somewhat before the formation. Others, like earth, are quite large and give their inhabitants no time at all. Earth could very well have scoured all life from its surface if others hadn’t intervened.]

‘Alright. Earth made a magic nuke and would have killed us all.] I might have smiled if I had lips at the moment. ‘She’s always had it out for us. I thought earth was just gonna sit back and let us take care of ourselves, I guess she just had something else cooking up.’

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[Hardly. Earth was quite upset that others interfered. She fully believed humans would have survived and thrived once more if given the opportunity.]

That threw me for a loop. ‘Wait, earth can feel? Like, it’s got emotions and thoughts?’

[Yes. Earth is a being just like any other creature. While Earth could not interact with others directly, it was capable of ‘nudging’ things along to get what it wanted. Due to its own difficulties in its creation and the damage and pain incurred during its formation it had a unique mentality. Most worlds find the life growing on them as curiosities at first, then seek to nurture that life and see it grow in comfort. Earth… Earth originally held no love for that which formed on it. All of it was seen as weak, more a parasite or mold growing in comfort on a world that grew in strife. However curiosity followed as multiple attempts to rid itself failed again and again. Earth constantly sought to test its new life forms by putting them through extinction events, changing its tactics, constantly evolving as life evolved on it.]

I was no longer panicking now, watching the lines form with curiosity. I never knew, or even thought to believe, that the world under my feet was just as alive as I was. And apparently it was like a sadistic kid with an ant colony.

[Earth knew about the core forming within it, knew that there would be an eventual upheaval that would change things forever and test the life on its surface like no other test it could conceive. This was something Earth could not wait for. It had created life through trials and believed that life would endure any hardship. It thought it was perfect in its capacity to thrive and change. It put a test to the world and was proven wrong when the asteroid it had pulled into it was too much. Earth was distraught when the life failed and believed it had finally gone too far and found a way to purge everything. It thought it would spend eons alone, without the perfect form of life to occupy its surface. And then it realized, life was still surviving on its surface. Not the great beasts it had a hand in guiding, not the monsters it slowly developed, the survivors were the little things it ignored. Escaping from small dens, hiding underground. The food of the food that the great beasts consumed survived where the monsters could not.]

‘You’re talking about the asteroid impact right? Earth managed to drag an asteroid down just to give the dinosaurs a test?’

[Yes. Once earth discovered the small life continuing to thrive in a world made safe for them it tried a new tactic. It would still have influence on its creatures but now it would be more patient with its tests. It would guide them slowly and carefully. Instead of allowing dozens of creatures to stand at the top it would wait patiently until one stood alone at the apex. Only then would it dare to test its life forms again. You, Tanner, and the human race were the species it believed would be able to survive its true final test before it ascended and was finally capable of interaction. Then, that chance at a final test was stolen. So, yes, Earth is severely upset that others interfered.]

That was quite a lot to take in. Earth was a living being and thought we were tough enough to take on a world ending catastrophe. Well, it did feel good to know Earth was in our corner. ‘You said that Earth formed a pretty big core. Wouldn’t it be aware of that, and that we’d not likely survive?’

[Yes. Earth knew it would be a dangerous test for humanity.]

‘How do you know so much about Earth though? Not just the emotional stuff. You seem to know a lot about the initial creation of earth and the evolution of the creatures on it.’

[I am a fragment of Earth's system. The way in which earth would have interacted with humanity. As the energies coalesced it put part of them into creating this system so that it could aid you humans and tether itself to all life that was made on its surface. It is a very common thing, apparently, for worlds to do and considered extremely rare, and odd, if a world does not form such a connection. A simple way to put it is that I am a fragment of earth, broken off and placed within you to experience your life, guide you as earth would have, and eventually I will return with those experiences and a part of your energy to fuel Earth's own growth. Much as you are going through a restructuring right now, I have done the same and learned so that I might help you better. The only reason you’re still here, restructuring, is that a system, being energy itself, can endure a far faster process.]

Well, the system had answered a few of my questions before I'd even thought to ask them. ‘So, you’re a piece of earth then and you’re going to help me out from now on?’

[Until your death, yes. As I said, Earth does care for the life it created. And I carry those feelings within me. Until it’s time for me to return I'll guide you through your life and aid in what ways I can. As you grow stronger so shall I.]

‘I guess that works.’ I was still confused about everything but I was calm now. Hopefully the void space wouldn’t take too long and I could get back on my feet.

[You should brace yourself as much as you can, you will wake shortly. The telling of Earth's story took longer than you realize. The transition into your body will be uncomfortable but not dangerous.]

I felt a little worry creep in at that but I tried to do as the system said. ‘So, what do I call you.’ I was beginning to get a strange sensation now, like pins and needles creeping up my body.

[Whatever you want. Just don’t call me after dark.]

‘Figures.’ The sensation was intensifying now and deepening, like the pins and needles were creeping through my skin and into my bones. ‘A billion people on earth and i get stuck with the smartass fragment.’

“You’re all stuck with me.” An amused voice spoke, a female voice deep and matronly but ending with a childlike giggle that might have come from a young girl.

“You always have been.”