Chapter 4
Alice stands up and shouts out over the clamor. “EVERYONE BE QUITE!” The noise slowly quiets down and people turn to look in her direction. “Alright,” she says. “Now I just sent a message over to our government representatives and Mr. Adam and the rest of them are on their way over here to help us figure out what just happened. Until then, did everyone get the same messages? About whatever this System is and then what looks like a Status screen?”
Everyone starts to nod their head while about half of them call out yes.
After looking around Alice starts talking again. “Alright, now that everyone is on the same page. Does anyone have any other clues as to what it is? I know I have been awake in the simulation since the beginning and nothing like this has happened. If anyone receives any other messages call it out so we can try to figure out what is going on.” About this time a group of five middle aged people walk in and head in Alice’s direction. “OK everyone this is Mr. Adam, he is the director in charge of this expedition appointed by our government.”
The group of five all gather around where Alice was standing while she slides back into her seat. “Hello everyone. As I’m sure Alice has told you I am James Adam, the director of our expedition until we set up a local government after arrival. You all can call me James or Mr. Adam whichever you would prefer. Now as to these strange messages. I can assure everyone here that they are not part of the ARK simulation. We have our two awake tech people going through the simulation code to see what has happened and already put in the order to wake up the rest of the I.T. teams. As of now we believe that someone hacked the ARK simulation and is using it to play a trick on us. We will find them and deal with them as quickly as possible. Now are there any questions about this?”
The crowd looks stunned for a second before people start calling out questions and talking over each other. Mr. Adam looks stunned for a second before calling out. “ OK people, one at a time. Raise your hands and we will get around to answering everyone’s questions.”
Going around the room everyone asked something like how could they let this happen, or how long until it is fixed. Mr. Adam gave the same information that he already told us and that he would let us know more as soon as he knew. But until then they should get one with their work.
Hearing this Alice stands back up and yells out to everyone. “OK you should all have your work assignment in your link schedule. Just click on it and head to your assigned areas. Looking up I notice the incoming link. It says that I am lead on C squad and has me working on splitting logs into boards and thinning them down to the proper measurement. I sigh to myself, and can’t help but think of the complaints I’m going to receive from my crew about not being on a building team.
Getting to our site I see five guys standing over by a pile of five foot logs. Before I go to them I walk over to the tool shed. I’ve made planks by hand before just to say that I have. It’s not a hard process, just time consuming if you don’t have the right tools.
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Looking around the tool shed I notice everything I will need. I grab a tool belt with a loop and an oversized pouch on it. Putting a small hatchet in the loop I grab six wedges and put in the pouch before picking up a cutting ax and sledge hammer. Stopping at the door I sign the clipboard showing what tools I checked out for the day. Picking up my tools again I walk over to the group and can’t help but hear them already griping about making boards.
“Ok everyone. My name is Delcan and I will be the foreman of C squad.” They all quiet down when I start talking and look over to me. I look them all in the eye, my link popping up a name tag over all of them. Huh, I think to myself, my link has never done that before. They’re all rather burley men with tanned skin. Showing they have spent a good amount of time in the sun.
“Gather around everyone, and someone help me with this log.” Grabbing an eight foot log and lifting it up on a pair of sawhorses I thank the guy for helping me. Using a couple clamps I brace the log so it won’t roll around.
“Alright everyone the process to make rough cut lumber is very simple, if time consuming. So we will be working in teams. Brace your log like so and starting at one end make a split about two inches from the edge and place your first wedge. After placing your wedge give it a good smack,” hitting the wedge with the sledge I drive it into the log length with. “Now go to the end of your split here and repeat using the wedges to break a straight-ish piece of the log off. After it’s finished we will use a planer and smooth it out.” Continuing down the log I get it done in about five minutes. “Now re brace your log and start over again. Hopefully they get some saws set up soon so we don't have to make boards like cavemen.” Chuckling with the group I notice a flashing in the corner of my vision on the Skills tab.
Carpentry +1
The message pops out of my Skills tab and then disappears, the flashing ending with it. Huh, so is it like an AR game? I think to myself. If it’s judging Skills I wonder I’d there is an experience system with it as well.
Putting that aside for now I call out to the group. “Okay everyone, split off into pairs. Help each other put your logs into place then get splitting some boards off. I don’t know what’s going on with this system but I got a plus one to my carpentry skill after doing this. So if anyone notices anything strange, call out and we can hopefully help each other figure out whatever the hell this system is.”
One of the group walks over to me after the rest have split into pairs. Holding out his hand we shake and he introduces himself as John. We get started on working the rest of the log, I already have braced in place quickly getting four rough boards out of the fourteen inch thick log. Setting them aside in a pile we grab our next log as my notification blinks again showing another plus one to carpentry.
Several hours later we get a message on our links saying to break off and head back for lunch. Getting back to the mess hall we all receive a sandwich, I get ham and cheese, and a bowl of hot beef and barley soup. Quickly eating we all head back to our work site and switch over to using a planer to make smooth boards. Bracing them in place and using the hand planer really makes us hope that they get the power tools out of storage so we can do this more efficiently and I can get to building instead of making boards like this. Ending the day the same as lunch we return our tools to the shed and grab a quick dinner before heading to our bunks.
Walking to our rooms I mentally click the flashing tab showing I’ve earned one more level to my carpentry for the day. Sighing to myself I can not wait until they figure this system out.