by Tim Moon
“Ten is more than a few, lieutenant,” his buddy Marshall said from the door. “Have fun in-game, you’re probably going to wake up as an ogre.”
“Piss off, Marshall,” Luke said with a wide grin and a wave of his hand.
“Catch you on the flip side wanker,” Marshall said, throwing up a peace sign.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be lieutenant,” the doctor snapped.
Marshall straightened and gave a short nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
When she turned away, Marshall tossed up another peace sign before disappearing.
The doctor muttered something about “boys” and “being unprofessional.” Luke pretended he didn’t hear her and turned his attention to his platoon sergeant. It was his turn to inspect the sergeant’s suit and that required focus.
When he finished, Luke watched as the sergeant lay in his pod.
“Happy trails, sergeant,” he said.
“You too, sir.”
Giving the room another glance, he noted that everyone had settle into their HIVR-STEP. Confident that his unit was good to go, Luke sat down and swung his legs inside.
“Put this on,” the doctor said, appearing beside him. She handed him the direct neural interface which looked an awful lot like a minimalist’s idea of a bicycle helmet.
Luke adjusted the DNI and lay back in his pod, focused on his breathing exercises. The padding felt as though he was being hugged by a cloud. The comfort helped to ease his nerves, but he still grimace and felt sweat in his armpits. Tight spaces dredged up bad memories.
This won’t be so bad, he thought, trying to remain positive. I’ve got this.
They had spent many long hours training for this and undergoing short-term transitions, which hadn’t been too bad. Just a bit of temporary short-term memory loss. According to the training cadre, this was just be a better version of the training programs, and another in a long list of firsts for Luke.
The captain attached a cable to his suit and then waited for information to appear on her datapad before comparing the results with the data on the display unit of his pod. She nodded, apparently satisfied with the results, and tucked the datapad into a pocket on her lab coat.
“You’re all set,” she said. “Just relax and you’ll fade off as if you’re going to sleep.”
“Thanks, doc,” Luke said as she closed the lid.
It clicked and he heard a sharp hiss of air.
Luke’s vision began to blur and dim at the edges. He hated this part. Marshall’s words echoed in his mind and Luke briefly wondered what the results of his mind tap had been. Would he really wake up as an ogre? The thought made him grin as his vision darkened and he faded into hibernation. The last thing he saw was the doctor smiling back at him like an angel.
1
Dappled sunlight flickered across Luke’s eyelids as he slowly came to his senses. He stretched and yawned, immediately realizing he was somewhere unfamiliar and uncomfortable. As the tendrils of sleep faded, releasing their groggy hold of his mind, Luke couldn’t say exactly where he expected to be. It wasn’t here though.
Eager to find out what the hell was going on, Luke sat up quickly and tried to crack his eyes open. The movement brought him into full sunlight that proved far too bright. His head swam and he steadied himself on his elbow. Keeping his eyes squinted while they adjusted, he soaked in the surroundings with his other senses.
The air was warm and smelled fresh and earthy, like a forest. His elbow pressed into spongy soil while birds chirped and insects buzzed. The steady sound of water splashing suggested there was a waterfall nearby. Luke could make out the burbling of water nearby that hinted at a stream.
A profound sense of peace filled him as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight. The last thing Luke remembered was a beautiful angel smiling at down him. Wait. Was that a dream? Or was this the dream?
Luke yawned and blinked several times. Whatever it was, he decided to enjoy it. When Luke could see clearly, his jaw dropped. Dismayed, yet entranced, he took in the incredible forest around him.
A mix of trees with yellow, green, orange and red leaves waved in a light breeze that blew through a small clearing. Clear water crashed against smooth rocks, from a thirty-foot waterfall that filled a large, deep pool. The pool drained by a stream that flowed to his left in a fast-moving stream. Luke stood and began to walk towards it for a better look.
That’s when Luke noticed something odd. He stopped and looked down, realizing he was barefoot. The ground was soft and covered in lush wild grass. Hair fell down the side of his face, which he tucked behind his ear.
A sudden surge of pain in Luke’s head elicited a groan. He gripped his head in his hands, and before he could even massage away the pain, it receded. Gone just as quick as it struck him.
Luke froze.
Something weird was going on.
Blinking several times, Luke did a double take. Lifting his foot, he could hardly believe what he saw. His skin was as green as the grass. Something about that sent a nervous chill down his spine. Then he realized he’d tucked hair behind his ear.
It had always been short, right?
Luke ran a hand through his hair and realized how long it was, like shampoo commercial long. He pulled some into view and gasped. Blue hair?
“What?” he shouted in dismay.
He had long blue hair! How had this happened? His eyebrows shot up and his heart began to race when he looked down at himself. His torso was bare, and Luke barely noted that he was still in good shape. The shock of his overall appearance overshadowed that small detail. His body was green, his hair was blue… And where the hell were his clothes?
All Luke wore was a modest, sad-looking piece of cloth hung around his waist. A flap of the cloth dangled in the front and back with a knot tied on his left hip. A loincloth?
Luke’s face screwed up in disgust as he grappled with his new appearance. Who the hell was he? A ninja turtle? Green Tarzan? All he needed was a vine to swing from — he shook his head at the absurd thought.
Luke rushed to the pool of water that glistened in the light. It looked so refreshing that he had to fight the sudden urge to jump in for a swim. Instead, he knelt and leaned over the water to gaze at his appearance. It was absolutely foreign.
Luke found himself touching his own face to see if it was real. His nose was straighter and thinner than he remembered. Looking closer at his eyes, they appeared to be blue, much different than the hazel eyes he expected to see. How he knew to expect hazel was a mystery that he ignored for the time being as he realized his eyes almost perfectly matched his hair color.
Flashing a quick smile, straight, clean, white teeth shone in his reflection.
At least that much was normal, he thought happily.
Hair fell out from behind his ear and brushed the water. Tiny ripples raced away from the disturbance. When the water calmed, Luke got a good look at his ears - holy shit! They were long and pointy. Just like an elf.
Wow, I’m an elf, he thought with a broad grin. Give me a bow and call me Legolas, bitches! It’s to shoot some orcs.
It was a lot to take in, but Jaron found that he wasn’t put off by the twist of fate.
The incongruence of his appearance and what he expected to see came to mind. Why did he look so different? How did he get here and where was “here”?
A jolt of pain pierced the back of his mind and radiated to his eyes. Luke reached up to the back of his head to check for injury, but his fingers found no wound and his hand came back clean. With a grunt of pain, Luke pressed his palms into his throbbing eyes, half expecting them to burst from their sockets in a splash of ocular fluid.
When the pain subsided, almost as quickly as it arrived, Luke took a deep breath and looked around again. The new reality sank in. He was alone.
“Hello?” he called, just loud enough to be heard over the waterfall. There was no telling who was around, if anyone. He didn’t want to shout too loud and attract the wrong kind of atte
ntion. When there was no response, he concluded that he really was alone in the forest. At least in the immediate area.
Luke glanced back at the place he woke up and saw an indent in the grass at the base of a tree. He’d been slumped against the massive tree like some drunk in a public park.
It was impossible to say how he arrived in this place. There was no trail or sign of which direction he’d come from. The only disturbed plants were the ones he walked on when he rushed to the water’s edge.
The flickering light had been the sun winking through large… purple leaves? Luke gazed up at the amazing tree. That was new. He’d never seen purple leaves before, but he liked the bright splash of color in what was otherwise a sea of green and brown. The purple leaves were bigger than his hand and looked soft as peach skin. Walking over to the tree, he reached up to touch one and was surprised that it really did have the same fuzzy texture as the fruit.
A burst of stars in his vision forced his eyes to snap shut against a second jolt of pain. He doubled over, gasping for air. Once again, the throbbing in his eyes faded into a dull ache. He rubbed the back of his head and wondered if he’d struck it on the tree.
Luke steadied himself with his hands on his knees and slowly opened his eyes. Looking between his legs at this angle Luke had a sudden flash of panic that made the ache in his head disappear.
Bolting upright, he pulled open the waistband of his loincloth and nervously glanced down to make sure the important bits were still as he remembered. A wave of relief washed over him, and he let out a sigh, as his head tilted to the side.
“Huh,” he grunted in acceptance.
His beast was still there, but like the rest of his body it was now green.
Luke smirked at the first thing that came to mind as he released the waistband and muttered, “Hulk smash.”
2
Luke sat on a warm, sun drenched rock, and put his feet in the water. Sighing with satisfaction as the cool water ran over his feet, he pondered the situation. His instincts told him that he was supposed to be here, in this place. Arriving here had not been an accident and although he was still confused about where he was, or why, that thought comforted him.
It would be nice to know what he was supposed to do though. Why he was alone? Was he waiting for someone?
Luke leaned back and put his hands on the rock, kicking his feet in the water like a kid.
Something popped up right in front of Luke’s face.
“Ahh!” He jerked his head back trying to avoid it as he swatted at the air. The sudden movements made him lose his balance and slip sideways off the rock. He rolled as he hit another rock and yelped in surprise as he landed with a splash.
The chill water tingled as it covered him. Luke bolted upright, away from the rocks that poked at him in the shallows and wiped his face off. Hair stuck to his face in long strands. He blew a water droplet off his nose and growled at the rude experience.
The stupid thing that startled Luke was still in his face. He climbed out of the cold water and stood dripping wet on the bank in the warm sun. With his senses on high alert and heart still pounding, Luke focused and looked closely at the thing.
Strangely enough, it appeared to be a message.
Welcome Outlander! You have entered Drezkarn and been reborn in the kingdom of Galyntor. War and rebellion roil the nation, sowing chaos among the surrounding kingdoms. Darkness often finds a foothold when chaos reigns, thriving on the torment of the mortal realm. In times of great need, the light calls upon beings of destiny to stem the tide. Though you may blaze your own path, know that you have the power to shape the future. Choose well.
The name Drezkarn jogged a memory loose from his clouded brain. Luke vaguely recalled that he was in a game and had chosen to be there. The why of the situation eluded him, and it felt like the answer was on the tip of his tongue, but it kept slipping away.
Shaking his head, Luke read the message again and then it blinked out of existence, which caught him a bit by surprise.
As cool as the situation sounded, Luke still had no idea what he was supposed to do now. The message didn’t give much actionable information. And why did the message take so long to appear? Reading that as soon as he woke up would have made the discovery of his altered physique far less shocking.
If he was really in a game world, then shouldn’t there be someone here to greet him and pass along a couple of tips? From his experience with role-playing games and massively multiplayer online games, they always had a tutorial, trainer or even introductory cut scenes to show new players the ropes.
“What the hell?” Luke muttered, looking around. This place was as real as could be. If he hadn’t remembered that it was a game, it would be easy to believe Drezkarn was real. Had the company that made the game put all their resources into realistic renderings and skimped on a tutorial?
Before he could ponder any of that for too long, a new message appeared. It still made his heart jump, but this time, Luke retained his composure enough to not fall over.
Like the last message, this one was roughly the size of a sheet of paper held in landscape view, about eight inches in front of his face. When he focused on the easy-to-read text, the frame became slightly opaque whereas if he tried to look through it, the frame became more transparent. This allowed him to see the meadow and trees as though he was looking through a window.
Nifty function, he thought. But what happens if I do this…
He twisted his head to the side. The message stayed perfectly centered in his vision. He tested a few more things and concluded that even if he turned, jumped or moved, the message simply went transparent so he could see what he was doing even though it stayed centered in his vision. Luke reached out to touch the screen, but his hand passed through it like it didn’t exist.
Finally, he focused his attention and read the new message.
Would you like to see your character sheet?
Yes or No
“Yes,” Luke said without hesitating.
Before he could question whether he was supposed to speak the command aloud, the message disappeared, and a new window appeared in its place. This one appeared to be textured like parchment. The phrase character sheet was written along the top in a handsome, swirling script. Below the title was a long list of information.
Name: Jaron Lionhart
Titles: None
Race: Outlander
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Height: 6’4” (193 cm)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Alignment: None
Level: 1, 0%
Health: 100
Mana: 100
Stamina: 100
Defense: 0
ATTRIBUTES:
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 10
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 10
Perception: 10
Creativity: 10
Charisma: 9 (base: 10 + items: -1)
Luck: 10
Class: None
Specialization: None
Life Skills: None
Skills: None
Abilities: Omniglot
Feats: None
Qualities: None
Resistances: None
Languages: Not Applicable (See Abilities)
Reputation: Level 1: 0% to next level
“Wow,” Luke said in awe, drawing out the word. His character name, Jaron Lionhart, sounded noble and strong. The name of a hero. Presumably, he had come up with it at some point, but if not, whomever did was a genius.
Age, height, and weight rang true to real life. Luke… er, Jaron, couldn’t help but call bullshit on the assertion that he had no life skills. He could make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as well as anyone. His stomach grumbled at the thought, almost as if it was saying, “It’s peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly time!”
Several other things on
his character sheet stuck out too. From his reflection in the water, Jaron figured he was an elf. A tall, handsome elf if he did say so himself — although he still wasn’t sure about the long hair — but, it listed his race as Outlander, whatever that meant. Second, there were more ability scores than he expected. A lot more. However, the most interesting part of his character sheet was his lone ability — omniglot.
His eyes were drawn to a question mark behind the name of the ability. As soon as he concentrated on the question mark, a small tool tip popped up with a description.
Omniglot: You speak and read all known languages fluently. Be aware: You gain a 50% bonus to learning speed when learning any lost, hidden, or unknown languages.
That would prove handy. Communication was key to getting things done, especially in multi-cultural situations. He knew that from firsthand experience. Jaron cocked his head at that assertion but after a moment he shrugged and continued. The second sentence of the ability piqued his interest — lost, hidden or unknown languages? Sweet.
From his previous gaming experience, Jaron knew that there were likely great rewards for finding lost or hidden things. His imagination raced at the possibilities of discovering a hidden language and he found himself grinning like a madman.
When it came to abilities, feats, and qualities, Jaron’s head wanted to spin and projectile vomit. What the hell were the differences? Luckily each one had a question mark after it. Concentrating on the icons revealed the answers.
An ability is an acquired or natural talent.
A feat enhances known abilities or skills.
A quality is a differentiating characteristic or personality attribute.
That was interesting if not entirely clarifying. With a shake of his head, Jaron moved back up to the attributes. From his experience, he knew these were some of the most important stats on his character sheet. Although most of the attribute scores seemed self-explanatory, he decided to read the descriptions anyway. He didn’t have anywhere to be and there might be some useful information. The first attribute score was strength.