NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 2
A sterile White room, extending further than I could tell in all directions. No light sources but it was almost too bright.
"Fuck, Did I die?"
Shit, who was going to take care of Ruger, my German Wolfhound Buddy? He had just turned 2 last month. He was going to be so upset. I could already see him stressing out.
"No, you actually didn't die." A cheerless voice intoned.
I spun around, I was sure there hadn't been anyone there before.
"What the...Who are you?"
A faceless, something, sat at a simple black desk, with nothing on it. Human shaped in a gray suit, the lack of a face didn't stop me from feeling stared at.
"Please sit, Mr. Crestwood." The thing gesture at a chair, that wasn't there before it suggested sitting.
Yeah, this was all kinds of screwed up.
Yet, somehow I didn't feel like I had a choice.
So, yeah, I sat.
"Please review the Offer Packet." Again it gestured at a piece of white paper that just appeared out of nowhere.
The paper read:
The undersigned will gain access to the SMC Store of Powers and Items, in exchange for employment.
"Employment to do what? What kind of Powers? Who are you?"
I kept asking for ages, and the only response I got back was, "Please Sign."
It refused to answer what it meant that I didn't die. It just sat there.
I started ranting and yelling. No reaction. I felt a little better though.
To tell the truth, I had no idea what to make of all this.
Eventually, it sank in, nothing would change until I signed. But I still didn't want to, and I hated being forced into this.
Whatever this was.
I had thought a few times about attacking the Desk Thing, but each time some primal survival instinct screamed that would be the last thing I ever did.
I tired hitting myself a few times. No reaction.
If I walked far enough away from the Desk it just appeared in front of me again. I tried running, same deal.
I went to sleep, sort of. However long that lasted, nothing had changed.
"FUCK!"
My mind was having a really hard time accepting this. Part of me thought I had died, whatever the Thing had said, and this was my afterlife. Was I really such a person as to deserve this?
I sighed, I didn't see anything else to do.
I signed the paper.
"Please step through the door." The Desk Thing pointed to a Green Door that appeared behind me.
Fine.
I opened the door and stepped through.
The same type of room but in Green.
A Desk this time Silver colored.
A Desk Thing this time wearing a black suit.
"What now?!" I yelled in frustration.
"Please attach the Bonding Branch to your left wrist."
It waved at a short and odd looking branch, with soft looking silver gray bark and nine purple leaves, jutting off of three smaller branchings.
"How do I do that?" Not expecting an answer.
"Just place it near your skin on your left wrist, it will take care of the rest."
I gritted my teeth, but complied, knowing I'd get trapped in the same fucking loop as last time if I didn't.
The branch wrapped around my arm of it's own accord. Thousands of tiny green fibers burrowed into my skin. I freaked out.
"What the hell?" I tried shaking it off my arm. Way too late for that. I only slightly calmed down when I realized it didn't hurt, in fact it felt almost soothing.
Several Line of Golden Letters? Runes? Hieroglyphs? appeared in my mind. they kept altering until finally...
[ Welcome to the Great Tree System ]
[ Please Think 'System' to complete the bonding process ]
Alright? 'System'
[ Name: Ryan Crestwood
Class: N/A
Race: Human (Terra 213,451)
Body: 5
Reflex: 4
Tech: 5
Intelligence: 3
Cool: 3
Will: 4
Spirit: 6 (+2 Modifier)
Company Points: 1000
Tree Points: 0 ]
[ Please note discrepancies may have occurred. System will be adjusted as User adapts to the New World ]
"What the fuck is this? A Game, I don't play Games. Why would you pick me for this?" I'm sure my face was red from anger. Was this some simulation? I'd heard they were working on things like this. But this was way too real.
"Please Step through the Door." The Desk Thing pointing behind me.
This time the door was red.
"Fuck." I muttered.
Sure enough a Red Room of the same type.
The Desk was Gold.
The Desk Thing was wearing a Green suit.
"What is going on?"
"Please select your starting package." It gestured toward two boxes on its desk, one was Orange, one was Blue.
Other than the color there was no discernable difference.
I picked the Blue One. It vanished.
"Please Step through the Door."
Have you ever cried because you were that pissed off? I was.
Silver this time, with Green Desk, and a Red Suit.
What do the colors even mean?
"Just tell me what is going on!?" I wasn't doing so well.
"Please pick your Companion."
Two Statues were on the Desk. One a Golden Wolf. One a Copper Tree Man?
I picked the Golden Wolf. The Statue vanished.
"Please Step through the Door."
Gold this time. Silver Desk and a Blue suit.
"Please no more..." I was muttering, I'm fairly sure I was losing my mind.
"Please Select your starting Factions. Roll the Wheels"
That was different. Two gray Hexagonal Boxes on stands with crank handles. I tried spinning one.
After it stopped spinning a ball fell out from a spout I hadn't noticed before.
The Ball was Blue with a Golden W. The W had Purple markings on it.
Okay. It vanished.
I spun the other box.
The Ball this time was Blue with a Silver S. The S had Blue markings on it. It vanished.
"Please wait while we set up your starting point."
I sat in the chair it pointed at.
I thought 'System'. Nothing had changed there. I sat staring at that screen trying to understand it by sheer force of will.
I zoned out.
"Please Step through the Door."
The Door was just make of white light.
I stepped through, hoping it was over.