Cryosleep had been harsh, but the breath mints had been a
nice touch.
I’d gone straight to the gym afterwards, checking how much my muscles had deteriorated (not too much), but also just to feel the blood rushing through my body again. It felt good to move.
Walking back to my section, I passed the deck. Planet Echo was in clear view, almost taking up the entire window as we orbited around it. Clouds and forests, oceans, mountains, deserts… my brain tried to overlap it with a picture of earth, but nothing matched. A new planet… still, it felt surreal. Somewhere in my mind, the thought had niggled that the past three years had all just been a simulation, that they’d fooled us and would just leave us on an island still on earth. Seeing planet echo like this just made it real.
Four hours before touching.
I’d gone straight to the gym afterwards, checking how much my muscles had deteriorated (not too much), but also just to feel the blood rushing through my body again. It felt good to move.
Walking back to my section, I passed the deck. Planet Echo was in clear view, almost taking up the entire window as we orbited around it. Clouds and forests, oceans, mountains, deserts… my brain tried to overlap it with a picture of earth, but nothing matched. A new planet… still, it felt surreal. Somewhere in my mind, the thought had niggled that the past three years had all just been a simulation, that they’d fooled us and would just leave us on an island still on earth. Seeing planet echo like this just made it real.
Four hours before touching.
I checked my
trunk. I might as well start putting on my gear. Everything was in Old Earth
style: leather and wool, a tunic and breeches, leather boots I’d treated so
they could withstand the damp soil. A compass, a whetstone, a blade,
firestones… I checked over everything again, even though I knew my inventory by
heart. Just nerves, I guess. Rope, mittens, gold coins in echo’s currency…
a knock on the doorframe made me look up. A young girl- early twenties?- waved hesitantly.
“Hi” she said. I saluted with half a smile.
“So, which class are you going for?”
I gestured at my stuff. “Hunter, I hope.”
“Cool,” She nodded. “I was hoping I’d blend in with the town- not much for the hunting-gathering, me. But I thought it would be nice to know at least some people before we actually get there. What’s your name?”
“Rovtàl. It’s- eh, something from an old book.”
“Nice. Original, at least. I think I’ve bumped into at least five Merlins and three Tristans in the corridor.”
“Figures. So, what’s your name?”
“Selene. I know- also a cliché, but it’s close enough to my real name- I mean, my old name.”
“Well, Selene, nice to meet you. You better go change though, we’re going to be landing soon.”
“Yeah…” she smiled nervously. “See you on the other side, Rovtàl.”
Two hours before touching. Please return to your pods.
a knock on the doorframe made me look up. A young girl- early twenties?- waved hesitantly.
“Hi” she said. I saluted with half a smile.
“So, which class are you going for?”
I gestured at my stuff. “Hunter, I hope.”
“Cool,” She nodded. “I was hoping I’d blend in with the town- not much for the hunting-gathering, me. But I thought it would be nice to know at least some people before we actually get there. What’s your name?”
“Rovtàl. It’s- eh, something from an old book.”
“Nice. Original, at least. I think I’ve bumped into at least five Merlins and three Tristans in the corridor.”
“Figures. So, what’s your name?”
“Selene. I know- also a cliché, but it’s close enough to my real name- I mean, my old name.”
“Well, Selene, nice to meet you. You better go change though, we’re going to be landing soon.”
“Yeah…” she smiled nervously. “See you on the other side, Rovtàl.”
Two hours before touching. Please return to your pods.
Nerves jittering, heart pounding. This was for real. No
turning back. A new me, a new place, a new everything.
I might not live through the week, although the brochures had said it was very unlikely. I closed my eyes and slowly went over my strategy to adapt to this new place. I tried to focus on it as we hit the atmosphere, tried to stay calm even when we landed, but my adrenalin betrayed me.
Welcome to Echo.
I might not live through the week, although the brochures had said it was very unlikely. I closed my eyes and slowly went over my strategy to adapt to this new place. I tried to focus on it as we hit the atmosphere, tried to stay calm even when we landed, but my adrenalin betrayed me.
Welcome to Echo.
We didn’t stand a fucking chance.
They pounced on us, with our fancy trinkets and currency, still weak with cryosleep.
We’d thought to start as heroes, but we started robbed, naked, branded, as slaves.
Level one. Now we live.
No comments:
Post a Comment