Chapter 1: Am I in Paradise?
GASP!
Marcus drew in copious amounts of air until he managed to sit up and think for a second. His heart drummed throughout his entire body as though it had just woken up again. He brought his hands up in front of his face to examine them. To his relief, none of his fingers were missing. The ground around him was soft and green.
He probed it gently with his fingers and a box popped up to say, 'Discovered moss. Would you like to learn more?'
Marcus blinked for a moment. What was this exactly? A digital hologram? After reading the message on the screen, he decided the only reasonable thing to do now was answer. "Uhh... yes." As soon as he replied, the box expanded and a new message revealed a fact file on moss with a picture of the part he'd just touched.
It read, 'Moss is a common plant of the heathland biome that likes damp, shady places. It's uses are insulation of clothes and small dwellings, wound dressing, and as a substitute for toilet paper. It is edible but does not provide much nutritional value.'
Marcus cringed at the toilet paper part. However, after observing his surroundings a bit more he realised this information might actually be useful. For miles around he was surrounded by heathland as well as a few small woodlands.
Marcus got to his feet to run out from the shaded area he awoke from. There was a tree which had been hanging over his resting place so he took no time in climbing it. The window he'd left open about moss closed and as he reached for another branch it appeared before him again this time with a new message.
'New skill unlocked - Climbing level 1.'
"Level one? I used to go tree climbing all the time when I was young!"
'Transfering experience from survivor archives...' Marcus waited for a bit until a new message greeted him. When he first touched the tree, the system had let him know it was a common oak. There was some other information on acorns too.
'Climbing skill is now level 5. Achievement unlocked for reaching level 5 on any skill! Distributing reward - survivor's starter kit.'
Marcus didn't see anything tangible. He was beginning to associate the system as something he'd seen in a game before. This made it easier to understand and he was pleased to know his experiences he'd already lived through transferred to this place. 'So a childhood of climbing trees brings me to level five and I got the skill from performing the action here...'
Memories were slowly coming back but they were mostly fragments of when he used to climb trees and of course the game. 'I guess I need to experience things here first to remember them from my old life,' Marcus contemplated. He continued his climb until he reached the top.
It was there that he realised his situation fully. There were no human settlements for as far as his sight would allow and people were nowhere to be seen. Marcus had expected this as he began his descent but was still disappointed to know he was alone.
It wasn't all bad though. By the time Marcus had arrived safely on the ground, a small, foot long crate was waiting for him with an appropriately sized parachute attached to it. The words SURVIVORS STARTER KIT had been stencilled accross the lid. Marcus pried it open with a stick and took out its entire contents.
First he unrolled a string tied sack with a single strap for carrying. He took each piece of kit carefully and placed it inside the bag starting with a change of basic clothes matching his own which were a pair of brown, woven trousers, a darkish blue, long-sleeved shirt made of cotton, black underpants, grey, cotton socks and a pair of springy sports trainers.
The next item was a metal flask thankfully full of fresh water. It had a logo printed accross it he'd never seen before. Specifically a red circle on top of a blue triangle with a yellow square that sat inside the centre.
The other items he acquired had this logo too including his clothes and a survival knife which had a serrated edge near the hilt and a sharp, slicing edge towards the point. The grip was perfectly carved into the wooden handle. Holographic messages informed him with info on each object but he decided to put them aside for now.
The last of the kit was a survivor's handbook, two cereal bars, an apple that he ate now, a cooking pot about six inches in diameter and a basic firestarter tool which was comprised of a magnesium rod and a fine strip of steel. Marcus tested it to generate some sparks and another window popped up.
'Quest - start a fire. Reward - random ingredient.'
"It IS like a game!" He exclaimed. After slinging the bag over his shoulder, Marcus searched for a promising route to take. There was heathland in all directions so the only available landmarks were the woods. He was warm as the sun sat high in the sky and it appeared to be the middle of summer.
Beautiful colours adorned every place his eyes fell. There grew gorse bushes peppered with yellow flowers. The constant sound of popping was everywhere as their seeds were exploding all around. Pink heather carpeted areas here and there so he had to be careful of all the bees who indulged in the pink-purplish nectar.
As Marcus went around observing and touching different plants, windows kept presenting themselves to him with info on every species.
'Heather (Calluna vulgaris) - Found mostly in Europe and Asia, this plant prefers acidic soils in sunny locations. It is usually the dominant plant of lings and heathlands. It is a popular food source of sheep, grouse and deer. The heather beetle is a common pest as well as the small emperor moth. Can be used as a dye or for tanning leather and can be consumed in the form of honey or used in ale as malt. White heather can be considered lucky.'
'Gorse (Ulex) - Adapted to dry growing conditions and extremely thorny. They are adapted to survive fires as their seeds open with a pop (explosive dispersal) in response to heat so they may regrow from the ashes. They are also very regenerative as their roots are protected from the fire and can regrow new shoots. Can be crushed into fodder or feed for animals and the flowers can be brewed into tea or wine. The flowers can also be used in salads. Although the wood is small, it can be made into cutlery and are a good fuel source for fires due to their high flammability.
The gorse bush seemed to be like the Phoenix of all plants and heather had some uses but Marcus wasn't planning on getting drunk or hammered just yet. Now that Marcus finally had the chance to look around, the landscape seemed less terrifying and desolate. Now it almost resembled a children's neverland. He took in a slow draught of air, "where am I? Is this paradise?"
It was mostly a flat stretch of land with no major contours. Craters, bumps and rabbit holes stopped it from being perfectly flat and there were some hills or descents that sunk or rose somewhat more than the others. Marcus wondered whether there might be other biomes but he also believed he would come accross people if he continued in one direction long enough. He had to eventually. Right now though, survival was the main priority.
'New skill unlocked - Botanist. Obtained after observing different plant species.'
"Sweet!" Marcus set off towards the nearest woodland and on his way he flipped through the survivor's handbook. There was information needed to survive covering many different scenarios. The introduction was what caught Marcus' eye though.
It read, 'Welcome to the ling survivor. You probably acquired this handbook through reaching the fifth level of a skill you had previous experience in before arriving here. The technology used to put you to sleep was rushed so memory loss should be expected. If this has happened to you then please read on.'
Marcus took a moment to process what he'd just learned. He hadn't realised when his legs had stopped walking but he managed to prevent his knees from just caving in. He was put here? The idea of finding civilisation started to slip away. Slowly, he read on being prepared for more world shattering truths.
'You now exist on Earth several centuries after the collapse- '
Marcus slapped the book shut. He put it in his bag whilst shaking uncontrollably. The bag slid off his shoulder with him as he collapsed. For just over half an hour he lay there shaking and breathing uncontrollably. He cursed violently and yelled into the sky now lying on his back. Then silently he breathed, "why me...?"
