The spirit of adventure is not always well paid off. What empowers those under danger might be wits, verve, athleticness, or simply luck. But this, this is the tale where everything collides. It got loneliness and companionship, odd creatures and common feelings, bad fortunes, and the greatest luck.
This is the tale that has been passed down for years. Every time a newcomer landed on the planet, this is what they — the local species, would think you have or will encounter.
Does all of these look familiar to you? Is this you?
I.
It was the very day of discovery. A nondescript stone attracted you strangely, and after paying quite a cost, you took it home. That night you first heard from a brand new voice. The stone has, when spoken, a hissing sound, similar to that of a whisper; as such, normal people could not understand it. Suddenly, as you are half-asleep, you realize what the whisper is: ALT3.
The next thing you know is waking up in a new land, with the blue sun in the sky reminding you that this is no longer the familiar Earth. An indescribable creature comes to you, accompanied by the sound of a fumbling. Its furry torso, big claws, and stubby horn do not match any of your existing knowledge of human biology. But somehow there is an affection for you in his reptilian pupils, and you are not creeped out or frightened, even wanting to stroke its soft-looking belly. By the time the reaction hits you, he is already purring comfortably like a dog under your touch. You attempt and say, “sit down”, and in a cloud of dust, the huge monster obeys to sit in front of you.
Like a déjà vu, like a reborn, you now realize this is a whole new world where you are completely on your own.
II.
Fortunately, the first creature you get to know — the partner rolling around in front of you — builds a strange rapport in just half a day. What follows is the battle of food. Trailing your new partner, you head into the jungle. The jagged branches cast a misshapen light on the ground, and in the sunless corners there seems to be a watching eye, and with the mind of an explorer, you silently quicken your pace.
The trek is well worth it, as a lush patch of grass came into view. The monster runs up and returns with a bunch of red fruit in its mouth. This unexpectedly delicious bite of fruit lifts your spirits as, from a distance, you look out onto a patch of trees laden with fruit trees. The hope of survival, your instinct speaks; as your running speeds up.
You fiercely pick all accessible fruits until a shadow looms over you. Sharp, knife-like arms, film-like wings, and a chitinous shell shimmer with a cold light. Even with nothing to wonder about anymore, this is beyond your imagination.
This insect is nothing but danger, as its compound eye tells. “Help!” you panicked, but a furry figure has pounced on the bug before you can even spit it out.
It turned out that your monster’s nature was more than meek at all. After the vicious battle, the insect vaporized into light in the air, leaving only the pair of wings on the ground. It won’t be pretty, it doesn’t take Darwin or Einstein to deduce that — but you see the monster raises its ill-assorted claws up and tries to attach the wings towards its back. Perhaps this is a way to show off the trophy. You help it place the wing and witness how the wing and the body just join as one, even with flashes of gleams. God. You sigh, calling the only thing you share with the earth now.
III.
A new world that blends exploration and combat, where passion and danger are only a hair’s breadth apart. Turning your head to your monster companion, you now accept that without its company you would not survive. Apart from that belly and eyes, it just undergoes a visible change, with a pair of wings under its ribs and a mouthful of lightning. It’s like a Lego enthusiast traveling the Ship of Theseus — wondering if it will continue to be pieced together in different parts in the future.
The first day ended within a camp. A small group of monsters chattered and greeted them. Grabbing the familiar edible fruit, your mind wanders back to the time when you arrived, as if a long time has passed. Colorful huts dot the grass and a variety of little monsters weave in and out. These monsters with a small size like house-held elves provide comfortable shelter and tasty food, but so far you and your partner seem to be the only visitors here.
An odd-shaped wood fort appears the next morning, just around the edge of the camp. With anticipation and the unknown, you push open the wooden door and a spiral of light shimmers beneath your feet. White light then surrounds you and your partner. Where will the journey begin this time?
Is this real, or just an imaginative story? All the answers are written and washed up on the beach.
What you’ll find below, on the contrary, is concrete. This is the only handwriting of a human being that has been found. And it is the only proof of what exists on this planet before you come and tell us all.
I dove into the clear blue water, feeling the cool waves wash over me. The ocean welcomed me, drawing me in as my adventurous spirit reached outward. As I plunged through the barrier between sky and sea, the world below the surface revealed itself. A strange experience, yet still home. As the creatures of the water swam below, I followed them into their world.
I had always loved diving into the oceans of Earth, seeing the mysteries they held. Almost an alien realm, but one right beneath our noses. The vibrant colors of fish swirled around the aquatic forest of coral, dazzling my senses. I swam further, deeper.
Below me, a ripple in the water. An iridescent shimmer of light, almost as if that disturbance in the water was a window to a sun. I had never seen something like it before, in all of my years of diving. I kicked forward, determined to see it more closely. My chest began to burn from the held breath, but I was used to it. I could push myself more, my training kicking in.
As I neared the light, my confusion only grew. It seemed to be dust, suspended in the water, the light having no source. My caution was momentarily forgotten, I reached out to touch it. I just had to know what it was, almost as if…it called to me. The adventurous spirit that compelled me to dive into the waters of Earth, guided my hand as I reached outwards.
I touched the shimmer in the water.
In an instant, my world flipped. The sky above me went dark, as the light below my feet expanded. The water, so cold before, had become warm in a flash. The fish that swam with me were gone, the coral fields vanished, and in there place was…nothing. Just myself, in a void of open water, with no sense of up or down. I thrashed frantically, trying to surface. But where was the surface?!
A shadow in the water darted past me. It moved swiftly, as I turned to try and face it. Its figure was obscured, an inky smudge against the dark waters. My vision began to fade, as my lungs began to scream in demand for air. I couldn’t worry about the shadow, I needed to get up!
But then the shadow reached out towards me. A wicked claw, long and serrated, was attached to a furry arm. As the figure emerged, it took form into that of a monster. A horn twisted up from its head, face covered in long fur that billowed out from it like a lion’s mane. A mouth of teeth grinned wide, ferociously. No creature like this existed on Earth.
It grabbed me with those terrifying claws and began to pull. My lungs finally let loose as a silent scream, bubbles spreading outward. Darkness took me, as the monster dragged me down…
New handwriting has been retrieved.
The shore in the story has vanished, but the bizarre coastal forest is watching us all the same.
My first sensation was of warm sand. I felt it before I was fully awake, beneath my body. I had survived…? My eyes snapped open and took in a strange new world. Grand trees, unlike any I had ever seen, stretched over me. The sounds of creatures chirped and whistled, like birdsong from Earth…but in voices, I doubt anyone had ever heard before. Even the sky itself looked weird, the color and the clouds foreign.
One thing was for sure, as I sat up marveling at being alive. I wasn’t on Earth any longer. I shook my head, going to stand up. I nearly stumbled again, tripping over a pile of huge spiky plants. They looked like fruit, though I couldn’t be for sure.
There was a strange cry, and I looked over to see a pair of eyes leering at me from a crouching creature. A lion’s mane, surrounding a grinning mouth of teeth and a face with a singular horn. I yelled out, scrambling away from it. It moved to follow, in long loping motions on all fours.
I ran away from it, towards the line of titanic trees. They loomed ominously, but whatever dangers they might hold paled in comparison to the one right on my heels…
Stay tuned for the upcoming stories
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