Chapter 2: Into Another World?
In the bus, No. 13 secretly watches the seven others on board with him. All of them are probably around the age of 20 from what No.13 can figure out. All are dressed in either casually or sexual attire with a few females clothes showing off their curves. No. 13 will admit, some of these females match the ones back at the facilities. Of the seven, four are females with three of them being of caucasian descent. The final female, is of Southern American descendence. Her darker skin and chocolate colored eyes and hair is a dead giveaway. No. 13 enjoys seeing the light play off her glossy and smooth skin and wonders if it appears that way through some effect of lotion or other skin products. As for the rest, the other three males are white with the last being of some African heritage. These people seem to be in the same group and they are happily chatting with one another in a friendly intimate level.
Before he can feel any sort of jealousy, a brilliant white light appears ahead of the bus.Everyone is shocked, even the well-trained No. 13. For some reason, he cannot move his body. It is not long before the others scream as the bus brakes are slammed by some automated function. But, the inertia of the heavy vehicle going 60 KPH cannot stop in time before the ever encroaching light that appears circular in nature. For a brief moment, No.13 swears that he can see something in the light, an open field maybe? But before those thoughts can be processed, the bus has made it through the light.
No. 13 felt an odd stretching feeling followed by the most terrifying feeling of his young life, as if his mind were being separated from his body and he is no longer in possession of it. The bastards at the facilities may have controlled him all of his life, moving him like a robot or a puppet moving along their tune. This feeling is different. He has loss even all feelings in his body like if he were a disembodied mind floating in some sort of abyss. This feeling is the true meaning of powerless for No. 13 and he cannot escape. Even his mind feels like it is fading and he ponders is this what death is, a feeling of nothingness, a loss of self and awareness.
Before he can accept what he thought would be the ending to his life, the bus jerks and No. 13 sees that they are in some sort of open field. Before any more thoughts can be registered, the bus clips a tree and everyone is sent flying. Because the bus was in the middle of its braking, most of the speed has bled off, making the crash not as bad as it could of been. Still bad enough to cause some minor injuries though.
The world tumbles around him as he is sent rolling. With sueprnatural speed and equilibrium thanks to his alterations, No. 13 was able to quickly regain his feet before the others. Hearing all of them shouting or crying, possibly both, he knows they are alive so he ignores them for now. He controls his own fear and his mind enters a state of near mechanical like thought and decision. It is a way in which he mutes his own emotions and wires his responses more towards his senses and flight or flight response. In this state, his awareness increases with reaction and reflexes. This state of mind can only be achieved for 10 minutes but most fights don't last that long and it is only a 20% increase so its loss is not that impactful as one might think.
His dead-eyeed gaze scans the scene, quickly registering in scattered groups of trees and a scene that is unfamiliar to him. Seeing no threats as of yet, he moves over to the window with his head barely making it pass as he continues to scan the scene. His eyes sees an alien landscape with tall silver-blue grass and a grouping of odd red treees. Its crimson and gleaming bark reminds him of freshly squeezed blood from an open wound. It looks beautiful in a macabre kind of way. Upon further inspection thick red veins weave themselves in the large leaves he is sure is as big as the average human face. Even the sun high above is silverish. As beautiful as all this may be, it lends itself more disturbing than beautiful. Even No. 13 in this state feels a sense of danger and unease when looking at something that reminds him of blood.
Unlike most others that probably would be in shock and unable to make the gap towards a logical conclusion, No. 13 beleives beyond a shadow of a doubt that the strange light was some sort of tear or hole in space. The question he asks himself is if it is intentional or not. Are they safe here presently or not. Is the environment and atmosphere poisonous to them or not. So many questions really with no way of answering them. The only choice left to him is to check out the scene and wait to see if anything adverse happens to his own health while he is here.
With a timer starting inside of his head for the number of days he can survive without food or water, No. 13 knows that they are going against a timer now. He is undecided if he should help the others or not: They will slow him down for sure. Leaving that thought for now and putting it in the background, his first step is to leave and scout the area. It must be a circular scan that moves outwards. It is a slow process but it is the safest way of being able to gauge the area. If he is desperate, he would simply take a direction that looks promising and run. For example, if a mountain is in the background, there are good odds of streams and rivers with the clearest source of water.
"Oh my god! Where the fuck are we?!" One of the young men screams.
"Fuck man, we have been abducted by aliens!" The other screams.
One of the girls looks franctically around and NO. 13 can hear her muttering. "I want to go home. I want to go home."
One seems to be concussed and her friend is giving her a sip of water from a bottle she carried inside of her purse while she looks on somewhat in shock.
The situation is deteriorating quickly once the others started to grasp their situation. No. 13 canot blame them but his mental training has taken control and he moves as he was trained all of his life. He is not sure how much of his training would be of use nor how useful his knowledge would be. There are simply too many unknowns. Nothing in his operation training has even came close to preparing him for such an occurrence. The few things he has figured out that this world is likely habitable by carbon-based lifeforms like himself and the gravity of this world is similar to Earth's. There must be animals out there somewhere. Or, he hopes there is some lifeforms out there besides plants and insects.
No. 13 moves towards the door and hits the emergency button in the back of the bus since the main door is stuck against a tree. One of the men shout at him. "Where are you going?!"
In a controlled tone, he answers. "Out, I need to see if there is any danger."
The man probably notices No. 13's young age and becomes flabberghasted. "What! Why?!"
"I have already answered that question. If we don't find at least a clean source of water in three days, we all are dead. Since we are probably on some different world, the faster we can gain any useful information, the better."
One of the girls, the South American one with a perfect British accent asks. "Do you want me to come with you?"
He can see the fear in her eyes but she also has a strong sense of resolve in them. It is odd though, He has never heard of much South Americans with a British Accent. She probably has a story but he cares little for finding out the answers right now and he beleives it would not matter that much anyways.
"I-I will come too." Declares one of the Caucasian men with thick blonde short hair and a rugged and tall frame.
No. 13 raises an eyebrow, unsure of these people's survival skills but an extra eye or two cannot hurt the situation. "Fine, but stay near the bus while I scan the area. Yell right away if you see any trouble. Got it?"
The two nod and they get up on their feet and make their way towards the exit. The other five look on in shock and despair. These two, even if it appears if they have lived a great life from their expensive clothing, seem to have their shit put together. Probably some military or combat training in their background. It is actually more common since a lot of people join the military and then go on training their children. These two, he will need to get their names so he can teach them if needed. It is not out of altruistic nonsense but they may come in handy in helping him stay alive if they could be trusted. He needs to foster a decent relationship with the two. However, he suspects that the duo is sufficient enough from their movement and demeanor. The first instinctual response he has gotten from the two is reliable but he will keep his guard up no matter what.
With the other five quieting down, the trio made their way off the bus, landing in the grass that is about perhaps a meter tall on average. Not bad, but dangerous creatures or hidden hazardous terrain may lie hidden beneath. The ground is soft and when No. 13 bends down to lightly touch the ground, it feels a bit moist. This is so far a good sign that there is a decent water cycle in this area at the very least.
"So, what are your names?" No. 13 asks them while he gathers in more information with his senses.
"M-mine? I am Julia and this is my best friend Chase." The exotic girl answers with a bit of a stutter. No. 13 cannot blame her. As valiant as it is to come out here, fear still exudes from the both of them like a palpable aura. They will not be as useful as he wishes but he can only do his bes with what he has. Who knows, once they grow more acclimated with their situation, their nerves would calm down. After all, it has been only minutes since their arrival.
"Any of you carry a weapon?"
No. 13 then asks.
We both have carry and conceal weapons thanks to my father." Julia again replies. No. 13 figures of the two, the girl is probably the more dominant person. So far, the other, Chase has remain silent and No. 13 fears a bit he could be on the verge of breaking. The added stressors of an alien world, nothing in sight save for plants that they are unsure of and the freaky trees that appear to be covered in blood. Without the spooky music playing in the background, this scene can be place in today's horror movies. The beauty of this vibrant environment feels misleading and the best way he can put it is like looking at a fresh zombie corpse of an unimaginable beauty. It is haunting and yet, beautiful at the same time.
No. 13 pulls out his own pistol from his back and suggest the others do the same. Both comply, each pulling out sivilian models while No. 13 is of a military grade. He figures their is of a smaller caliber and their magazines probably hold less rounds. At best, each probably has an additional magazine or two, which would likely bring their total to 20 to 30 rounds rounds each. Not much, and their guns could probably bring down a human-sized creature or smaller. His own pistol can take down a super soldier like himself and he still has 150 rounds.
"Okay, safeties off you two. Julia and Chase, stay together and keep an eye out. Chase, you cover her blind side and keep watch on the emergency door side of the bus. I want you two to circle it every five minutes or so but stay about 10 meters away. Run back inside if anything should appear and close the door. The bus is still made of durasteel and should provide a good amount of safety."
Finally, Chase speaks up. "What will you be doing?"
"Scouting the area, making sure everything is fine before we retrieve the others. I am presuming you wouldn't want to leave them behind."
"No." Julia responds this time. She looks like she has so many questions and they probably revolve around him. It is only a guess on No.13's end, but any rational person would be curious about a teen younger than themselves taking charge and being as compose as he is right now.
"Later. We don't have time for questions now. I need you both just to follow orders. Yell really loud if anything happens." No. 13 cuts her off before she has time to ask. She nods and then heads over to chase and they take their place around the emergency exit.
No. 13 sighs within himself. He will start his own scouting on the other side of the bus and work his way around. He just hopes the two don't accidentally shoot him.
He will have to call to them when he is making his way in their view. He rather remain silent, but he is unsure of how trigger happy these two might be, especially Chase. It makes his own work harder, especially for a spook like himself.
No. 13 moves quietly and with grace. His footsteps sure and constantly sweeping as he walks. His pistol in his hands is aimed upwards and his eyes is moving and scanning while he goes. The first time he passes around them, he calls to them and then moves around. He preforms this spiralling outward movement for an hour before returning to the two. He so far has found nothing and something about those trees bother him so he avoids them for now. There were not that many of them and they are easy enough to avoid. Most of the trees here look like regular ones, ones that he is use to seeing on Earth. Kind of a mystery, but if somehow they are here now, perhaps other things from their own world made it here as well.
"is anything amiss while I was scouting?" No. 13 asks the duo.
"Nothing that we can make out." Julia replies. "But, I am not so sure about the others though. They are just sitting there and I don't know what to do."
Chase shrugs. "We tried talking to them but we are only acquaintances so we don't know them too well."
No. 13 has no answers currently besides giving them a bit more time before trying again. You cannot help someone unless they are willing to talk. "How are you two feeling?"
""Tired." Julia responds. "It was late when we left our world and now it is bright like it is midday here. I think I will need to sleep soon."
Chase is hesitant before saying the exact same thing. No. 13 is a bit tired himself. Thanks to the nanites and his altered brain, he requires only several hours of sleep at best. "Alright, you two head back into the bus. Tell the others to sleep if they can and search for anything useful. I doubt we will find anything and the bus could help us move if we save the rest of its battery. That is something we should of done. The damage is not too bad, only a small dent really. This could be our tank and help keep us safe."
"I agree. These things can drive for 100 hours before needing a recharge and that is on a maximum charge and carrying 100 passengers." Julia says.
No. 13 looks at her with a raised eyebrow.
She shrugs. I saw it on the latest news about how great these new buses will save the taxpayers credits."
"Alright. Find us how much charge it has left then please. Chase, tell the others to get ready, we will need to look at least for some water soon. Tell the others to save what water they can until then. I saw a couple of water bottles and if that is all we have, we don't have much time."
"Julia looks nervous. "I know. But, do you think the water is safe, even if we distill it and how do we distill it without the necessary supplies?"
No. 13 shrugs, he does not have any answers either but he supposes he can test the water himself and sees how his body reacts. That is probably the best brometer they have at testing the drinkability of the water on this world. "We will worry about that later."
Before things goes on any further, Julia asks No. 13. "What is your name by the way? I don't recall you giving us yours."
No. 13 lies, his ID giving him the name of Devin Cordell, Which is the city he is suppose to be station at eventually once you take the first two letters of that name. "Devin Cordell."
"Well, I am glad such a young man as you is here. Is your parents' military? You seem to have that sort of bearing." Julia asks with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Yes, you two as well? I kind of see it in you two."
Julia closes her eyes a bit, her body backing up slightly in defense. "Yes. Well, my father is the one that trained us both."
"Yeah, he is an amazing soldier!" Chase replies with a bit of enthusiasm, momentarily forgetting his situation. "He is like a father to me and taught me so many things since I was 12."
Julia looks a bit annoyed at this outburst and No. 13 suspects there is more going on about her father but honestly, that matters little and the odds of them leaving this situation is practically a big fatt zero in his opinion. He has never heard of any reports of mysterious lights taking away people and he has never heard of strange things here finding their way on Earth. But, since there are trees like willow and oak here, he assumes that at some points in Earth's history, something similar occurred.
"Well we should get moving and rest. If there is a night on this world, I am afraid that if there are any predators, they will come out at night if things are like they are on Earth."
Julia turns back to him. "okay. I will talk to the others. But, do you want to talk to them too?"
No. 13 really doesn't want to talk to them but he knows he will eventually have to. "Maybe later. Once we all get some rest, we can talk then. For now, we need to be at our best before we proceed."
"Alright. But please, talk a bit kinder to them. You seem, I don't know, like a robot?" Julia says hesitantly.
He suppose he might to an outsider. He was taught to be precise, factual, and to ingnore what he feels. He has not yet had experienced talking to others in a social setting and these next few years are suppose to be targeting those areas of studies. Now, he will have to keep in mind about how to speak when talking to others. "I will."
Without further talking, everyone did what they are suppose to do. The others became more calm and rational once presented with a plan and they listened well and no one spoke against the plan to No. 13's relief. At least this group of people are better than the average people he has witnessed so far. But, when it comes to groups, most people are together with like-minded people. Cliques would form with people of the same economic situation, beliefs, or of similar interest. It is what humans do, they form small groups. No. 13 is a bit different than most humans in that regard. Community is not a really strong need but he would go insane without another human around.
Just minuts later, Julia heads back outside and told No. 13 that there is about 80% charge left on the bus. Given the low amount of additional weight and also taking into consideration the land, they would at best have a week of power. Given the near flat land and a plan to quickly search different locations if needed, the bus offers them a way to seek multiple locations if the first does not work out.
The only problem is with their first location, they will need to abandoned the bus at the edge of the forest and try to make it on foot. There are unknown dangers and he is unsure of the others willing to travel on foot in some glimmer of hope that the mountains will provide them with what they need. If he had to make an educated guess with his knowledge from Earth, it could be 50 or kilometers to travel in that vast forest.
After searching, little was actually found. It came as no surprise, but it left them feeling disappointed. All they could gather was three bottles of water with one already half empty, several candy bars and finally, some tools. Their circumstance is still terrible and water and food is still the upmost priority for the group. It appears they will need to take the gamble sooner than later. When the others saw their supplies and how pitiful it actually is, they were quiet with a desolate look on their faces. No. 13 feels they are on the verge of breaking down. There is only a thin thread holding some of these people together and he wouldn't be surprise if someone snaps soon if anything else goes wrong for any of them. The only seemingly stable people is himself, Julia, and Chase. There is one other girl, but he does not know her name. He sighs. No. 13 will have to pay attention to their mental health, the stack of what he needs to do continues to grow taller and taller. He can only chip away at this increasing pile of tasks.
There are still more problems. The Most of the girls are dressed for a night out and two are in high heels. With the midday weather having a touch of some chill, No. 13 suspects that when the temperature drops, most of everyone will be cold. The bus has heating, but traveling in a forest will prove to be really difficult. As for the shoe problem, he supposes he can make some makeshift moccasins with the upholstery from the bus seat and maybe some cushions. There should be several spare tires on the bus that he could cut up to make some soles. With a heat source, he can melt the plastic wrapping to seal the upholstery to the makeshift soles. Socks will be an issue but perhaps someone wouldn't sacrificing a sleeve or two.
No. 13 is glad that Julia is dressed at least reasonably along with another girl named Rachel. Both are wearing pants and shirts. Only Rachel is wearing heels but hopefully, the makeshift moccasins will help. As for the males, they are dressed up in button up shirts and a jacket to go on the outside for fashion. None would give great insulation, but it is better than nothing. All of them are wearing dress shoes so comfort will also pose a problem to them. Even the way they are dressed is far from ideal. The females will have it the worse and he wonders if he can just abandon them but he shuts those thoughts down. He would just probably end up insane sooner than later.
He plans on taking care of these things after a short nap. Maybe when his mind is sharper, he can come up with better ideas. For now, his mind is mostly bogged down by all of his worries that he has kept well hidden. He doubts there survival for even a week and believes some may even commit suicide. It wouldn't be a bad choice if he wanted to ration more resources. Except, their resources are so low that it doesn't matter if more aare alive.
He climbs on top of the bus, not leaping since he does not want to scare anyone but he can leap about 3.5 meters into the air. For now, he does not want to give away the fact that he is completely different from these people in so many ways. He doesn't view them as a danger to himself but he does not trust them either. He likes to keep some of his cards hidden as he was trained to do. Displaying all of his combat capabilities could give the group a chance of planning strategies against him. He may be a super soldier, but he is far from being invincible.
No. 13 lays on the top of the bus and briefly closes his eyes. Just a short couple of hours, and he is left mentally exhausted. Well, the accumulation of his three days of surveillance on the last target and then pulling off the mission. And, in addition to this madness, he feels like he wants to sleep for at least a day. It is more mental fatigue than anything else. Everything else just seems to compound the problem and makes it much worse.
He asks himself, when did interacting with people become this exhausting. Nothing difficult or strenuous has even occurred and the majority of people are this tired. He believes that the group will fracture soon. The only reason why the others initially agreed with him was due to the fact they were vulnerable. When it does fracture, he wonders if Julia and Chase are willing to join him. They are the only real acceptable people he would prefer for now. As for the others, he cares little if he abandons them. His only goal is food, water, and shelter. After that, other plans can be made once they figure things out. 'Too much to do.' Those were his thoughts as his eyes closes. In his hand, he holds tightly to his pistol, ready for immediate action should something wake him.
His eyes slowly opens, and when it does, soft clouds still drifts lazily by in the bright blue open skies. He then looks at the sun to see it move quite a bit, maybe three hours in comparison to Earth's time and he then goes on to check his communication band on his left wrist. On there, without any connections to correct tiem, 4 hours have gone by. If he had to guess, it would be equivalent to 3 or 4 in the afternoon on an early spring day. The temperature indicator on his communication band is showing 21 degrees celsius, a nice and comfortable temperature for most human beings. As far as he has figured out, the days might be longer on this world but it is nothing he is definitively sure of as yet. He will need to keep track of the sun every day for a bit to figure that out. With any luck, his communication band will still have enough power for a week without his need to recharge it.
No. 13 slips his gun back into its holster before he unsheaths the knife on his right leg. He then drops from atop of the bus and with a slight thud, lands on the ground below. He needs to make those makeshift moccasins so the two young women have something else to wear besides their heels. He also found some trees that contain some nuts that he recognizes from Earth so he headed towards the trees first. He worked his way up the tree and gathered about 100 nuts. He also broke some decent branches to start a fire with.
While the others were still resting, he started a fire and placed a large flat stone he found directly onto the wood and surrounded it with more branches that he chopped with his knife. Thank goodness his knife is made from the latest technology, so it does not easily lose its edge. He then uses his laser torch and a pulse of light sets the branches on fire.
The fire crackles and burns, slowly heating up the immediate air around him. He places several walnuts that he picked, roasting them for consumption.
While the walnuts roast away on the hot stone, No. 13 enters onto the bus and looks at the feet of the sleeping girls to get their measurements. He cares little for how it looks, he really thinks little of social niceties and he was able to get it without waking anyone up. He also sliced apart a seat's upholstery and then left the bus. Lastly, he uses the tools and then frees a spare tire and then makes his way back towards the fire.
After he finishes roasting the nuts, he cuts the rubber from the tires to form the bottom of the shoes/moccasins. He is not really too sure on what to call them. Then he cut some shapes from the upholstery and uses the heat from the stones to slightly melt the plastic and rubber together. It doesn't take a long time and he lets it cool while his healing factor and the nanites slowly heal his slightly burned hands. without any safety gear, doing this type of work is a bit more difficult. As for socks, he will deal with it some other time or the others can deal with it. He is sure that the young men would offer them some assistance but he has been wrong before.
"Everyone, I roasted a lot of walnuts. Here is some makeshift shoes, slippers, whatever it is called. These should be more comfortable than your heels if you are going to be walking in the wilds." No. 13 declares when he is back on the bus. He hands over the shoes to the two surprised females and ignores their reaction.
He hands over his jacket to Julia and Chase with the roasted walnuts and keeps 12 for himself to snack on. He prefers the two to hand them out and it would be easier for the rest of them to accept them from Julia and Chase. He sees the slight mistrust in their eyes and on some level, they are not wrong. If it meant sacrificing some of them for him to live, he just might do it. He was created to survive as an expensive made assassin. Oh, if it were possible to save them without harm to himself, he will definitely save them and depending on the odds in certain situations, he may try and save them.
While they ate, No. 13 announces. "Okay people, since I am the only stranger here, my name is Devin Cordell. If you want to introduce yourselves, I would like to get your names so it will be easier to call you by such. After the introductions, we can discuss what Julia, Chase, and I have discovered."
With reluctance, a young African American man went first. He is probably 10 centimeters taller than No. 13 and his built is that of a runner. He is a handsome young man with inteligent brown eyes.
He calls himself Darrell and then he sits there, holding the hands of the girl next to him.
The next person to introduce themselves is Carole, Darrell's girlfriend. She is as tall as No. 13 himself and she too, also possesses a runner's build. The two probably met while they were working out or something. She has light brown hair and green eyes. Across the bridge of her nose, there is a light dusting of freckles, making her appear younger than her 20 years. She is also a recipient of his makeshift shoes.
After that, there is Rachel, whom turns out to be Chase's cousin and she is the reason why Chase and Julia are here. She is friends with Carole and Owen, the guy sitting next to her. She is the youngest at 19 as everyone else seems to be 20-years-old. She has honey blonde hair the color of wheat and her eyes are like an emerald. After Julia, she is probably the next most attractive young woman here for No. 13's taste. Even if her hips and chest are modest, she possesses that cute girl-next-door kind of look. She is the other recipient of the makeshift moccasins.
Owen is a tall and lanky young man. He has gamer written all over him and is probably the tallest person here. He is not that much taller than Darrell. He has a head of shaggy brown hair and light brown eyes. He is also rather pale, like his skin rarely ever saw the sun.
The last person of the group is Brittany, Owen's girlfriend. She has brown hair and light brown eyes. She is as nearly as curvy as Julia and like Owen, she is also on the paler side. She is cute and probably a gamer like Owen himself. She was also the one that bumped her head from earlier and there is still a slight bump around the temple of her forehead.
"Great, with that now out of the way, I can now be frank. We have little water, food, and we will eventually need shelter. According to Julia, this bus roughly has a week's worth of power left, more if we don't use it to drive around. Julia, Chase and I discussed a plan but noone here has to follow it. Everyone has a choice on the matter and I will not force you to pick on anything. But, before you decide to follow me, there is something I need to say. If your life is threatened, and you have no hope of survival, I will put a bullet through your head to end your suffering. I hope, anyone of you will do the same for me, but I will not throw away my life if it means both of us dying."
Everyone is surprised at those words at the end. Julia seems fine with it, taking those words well and his opinion of her increases. The food did elevate their mood, the serotonin released from eating the walnuts help slightly increase their mood in a positive way. That ended, when they are reminded of their dire situation.
Darrell speaks first of the group. "Seriusly, man, that is fucked up. I know it is suppose to be comforting and all, but it ain't."
"I wasn't trying to be comforting, just truthful. Listen, if some predator is ripping and eating away at your intestines, wouldn't you rather die than keep going through that hell?"
"Yeah, but..."
"But nothing." No. 13 cuts off. "This world is an alien world. We know nothing. What we think we know, may not apply here. There is no calling the police or military to save our asses."
"Fuck man, I know you are right and all, but did you have to say it." Darrell says, unease showing in his voice and face.
"Better you all know the score now than villify me later if it does occur. I am also the least connected to each of you. Do you think the others will be capable of ending your suffering? Can you Carole, end your boyfriend's life if there is no hope for him."
She looks upset but turns her head away. Darrell looks at her and says nothing but he embraces her and holds her tightly to himself. He looks at No. 13 before saying. "I know man but saying this shit out loud is depressing."
"Fine, lets go back to the plan then. We seek food, water, and shelter. There are mountains up north above us if my compass is correct. There should be lots of resources if things are the way they are on Earth. We can only make the best guesses given our knowledge. Maybe nothing is there, and maybe we all die. But, staying here and doing nothing will also lead to our deaths."
"Do you think aliens did this to us?" Owen blurts out. "I mean, that strange light was awefully convenient, the way it just popped up out of nowhere."
Julia responds. "Hard to say but I don't believe so. Other stuff made it here from Earth. The walnuts you just ate is a tree that grows from Earth and why would aliens bring some things here and place them in no order. The native plant life could destroy or even our own plants could take over. It seems like it is all just random chance. It is bound to happen if this shit has happened before. Don't get me wrong, you may be correct and we all may be some sort of experiment but we shouldn't jump to some agency right away. Until we get more information, we can only assume that things like this randomly occur."
Rachel nervously asks. "Are there aliens here?"
No. 13 quirks an eyebrow. "Yes."
"Really?"
No. 13 looks at her and then says. "We are the aliens. I believe you are looking for the words native or something similar. If that is the case, anyone's guesses is good as the next. We have so far just stayed in this field. We don't even know of higher lifeforms like mamals and reptiles exist yet."
Rachel blushes and asks. "When do you plan on leaving?"
"Right away, as soon as we are done having this discussion." No. 13 states.
Carole then opens up next. "If things from our planet made it here, wouldnt' that mean there is a way back?"
Julia then talks next. "Maybe, but we are not sure when and where that strange light will appear or, if it will even send us back to the correct place."
Carole responds with some desperation in her voice. "But, couldn't we at least try. I want to go home."
"We could, but how do we tell and where do we find these lights at? Devin found no watersources around here, at least one above ground. How do we survive until then? From what I remember. those things showed up quickly and then disappeared if our experience is anything to go by. There was a brief flash of light while our bus hit that damn tree right over there and that light was simply gone." Julia says.
Everyone remains silent. At least these people can think somewhat No. 13 notices. He also knows that there might be a possibility of returning but they will need to be in the right place at the right time in order to have that chance. When the light appeared, No. 13 thought he saw this scene within the lights and he figures this is some sort of hole in space. How they were form, he is nowhere near qualified at making that guess.
"I agree with Carole." Brittany says. "Maybe if we wait a couple of days here, something will show up and isn't it worth the risk if it means being home."
Darrell and Owen appears to agree with Carole and Brittany. Rachel looks distraught and unsure, while Julia and Chase look at one another and then nod their head at No. 13, signalling that they will likely follow him. No. 13 is not suprised at this turn of events. People will hang onto hope rather than be a bit more proactive in fixing their circumstances. Well, that is not true, Julia and Chase seem to think it is rather hopeless and their mindset is closer to his own. Training and how they were raised probably plays a role in their choice to go with him. Chase even mentioned that Julia's father trained him so the man probably had a great hand in shaping Chase into the person he is.
"Well, you folks have exactly 10 minutes to decide before I leave. Time is precious and all. If anyone needs me, I will be outside preparing. If you do stay here and wait, then keep the bus. I don't think I will need it as much. There is a vast forest to the north and the base of the mountains is so far into that forest that the bus wouldn't matter too much except save me perhaps 4 or 5 hours if I travel on foot." No. 13 says before he left the bus and heard some arguing when he left. Really, he wouldn't mind if they follow him save for Julia and Chase. They can help guard his back while he sleeps and he can do the same for them. They seem trained decently enough from the little he saw. Their movements were fluid and sure, like trained soldiers entering a hostile environment where stealth is needed. It is a way of placing one's foot to minimize noise and gives someone good balance at the same time.
No.13 greets the outside world again, breathing in the fresh air for the first time and letting it fill his lungs. So, this is what air was like prior to industrilization. Well perhaps, but somehow breathing this air makes him feel more energetic. He doesn't mind industrilization, it brought humans comfort and the ability to prolong life, reach for the stars, and help eliminate diseases. He wishes they were more clean about it. Many companies cared little for how they poisoned the world around them so they can save a few credits. That saving in turn increased medical cost on the public and endangered species that were nearly wiped out. Lung cancer was on the rise in a lot of heavily populated cities and it is the cost noone saw until it affects them personally.
"Do you need any help Devin?" A voice calls from behind him. He noticed the person before she called to him.
"Sure, I plan on collecting some more walnuts from that tree over there. We can roast them later at night when we are a bit more hungry. It is the only tree around here that has anything I can recognize." He responds.
"Are you really going to leave the others here?" Chase questions.
"I am not leaving them here, rather, they are choosing to stay here. Perhaps, they are the ones that are correct in the end. Maybe they will return to Earth and be okay." He says nonchalantly.
"That is bullshit and yu know it! Even if one does show up, they even couldn't be sure it will even lead to Earth. From the very little we know, that thing only shows up for what, seconds, and then it is simply gone." Chase returns.
"Nonetheless, they want to hold onto that very small possibility. They are adults and they will have to live with their choices. I do wish them the best of luck though." He says.
"Fine, you're right. You're not responsible for them, I know that. I just wished you would try a bit harder to convince them is all." Chase mutters.
Julia steps in. "Come on Chase. They beleive that they can make it home if they wait. It is hard to pull someone from a position once they beleive something to be true. That is why it is easier to spread a lie than it is to correct that lie with a truth. Once an idea is lodge into someone's head, we couldn't be sure if we can ever dislodge those ideas. That is why even us Chase, must question our beliefs constantly."
"I know, I guess I am frustrated and it is unfair of me to take it out on you, Devin. It is maddening."
No. 13 shrugs. "I understand."
"Wait for me!" Another voice calls and everyone sees Rachel leaving the bus.
"I thought you would be staying with your friends." Chase says.
Rachel shakes her head. "I would, if they came along. You three make perfect sense but I feel like I am abandoning them if I left."
"No, you're not." Julia replies. "They are making choices that are diffferent than your own. You have different goals and it would be unfair of them to also take away your own choices."
Julia is right cousin." Chase remarks. "But I am glad you are joining us. Like you, I feel guilt, especially if you decided to stay. You know, you being family and all."
"Ugh, I wish they can see the logic!" Rachel says a bit harshly. "I have been friends with them for a year now and I cannot believe these educated people are going to risk their lives on hope."
No. 13 says. "Smart always does not equate to common sense. Everyone is not intelligent in all aspects of life. Just look at the country, most put those into power who then gives more powers and right to the very wealthy. They get lied to, those single issue voters. Someone could be an engineer and vote someone into office that grants a corporation imminent domain over their own land but as long as that candidate promises them lets say, not destroying unused fertilized embryos, they will keep voting for that same person."
"I suppose that is true." Rachel says, she then looks deflated and depressed.
No.13 and the others picked some more walnuts, cleaning them and placing them into the purses of the now two females that will accompany him. He honestly couldn't carry that many and there weren't that much left. These things are also not in season so they are bitter but it is nourishment. No. 13 is just suprised that they even bore the fruit this early. He is no walnut expert, but he thought they were ready to be picked in late summer or autumn. Maybe being on an alien world altered it. Perhaps it has something to do with the silverish sun. Lots of possibilities.
With the 10 minutes up and no one appearing from the bus. No. 13 gathers the other three that decided to come along and they march their way towards the distant treeline. He kept them on a brisk pace, not pushing them to their physical limits. The only one having much trouble is Rachel and that is mainly due to her lack of comfortable footwear. No. 13 cut the inner lining of his jacket and made some temperory socks and it does help her enough and they continue. At the worst, if she slows down, Chase promises to carry her on his back. No. 13 would offer, but he doesn't trust her enough to let her that close to him. Not seeing him offer, Julia promises to help and No. 13 remarks in his mind that she is more hearty than the normal people he has met so far. It makes him wonder who her father is since he has trained someone like her.
The scenes passes by. It is much of the same. Tall silverish blue grass and trees here and there, most grouped in small clusters of 20 or more. They even found a pond but No. 13 steers them away. Usually bodies of water without any sort of flow is a lot more hazardous to human health. None also has a bottle with them since the water belonged to the other group. But, they did run into a peach tree just two hours after their trek and No. 13 picked a lot and they all had some refreshing fruits. No. 13 is definitely more sure that somehow Earth and this world is connected. The odds of many of the same things growing here like it has on Earth is way too remote of a possibility. He remarks this to the others and they agree. Having their fill, the group continues onwards for several more hours until the evening has arrived. They made it to the beginning of a forest and No. 13 figures it would be 15 to 20 hours before they reach the base of the mountain. That is just a guess since even for him, it is hard to tell the distance given he has no clue on knowing how tall the mountain is.
"Okay, lets take another break here. Everyone look out and be careful." No. 13 reminds them.
"At least we saw a few rabitlike things!" Rachel remarks a bit happily. Just an hour back, they saw rabbit-like creature with longer hind legs and much shorter ears jumping over the tall silverish blue grass. No. 13 thought about capturing them but he did not want to waste time trying. They were fast and they kept disappearing beneath the tall grass.
Julia remarks. "They likely came from Earth. I don't know how many years it has been for the rabbit-like creatures to make it here but I believe it is long enough for them to adapt those long hind legs. They seem so suitable for this grassland."
"Perhaps, time may also flow differently on this world than our own. Isn't time subjective and different depending on the circumstance. That tear or hole, the one that sent us here, we don't exactly know how long we were actually there for, relatively to the Earth. For us, it could seem like seconds but how much time has passed from our world, while we were in that strange space, only now to have ended up on this new world. Maybe the rabbits were sent not too long ago or they could be the ancestors of rabbits on Earth that made it here." Chase says thoughtfully. No. 13 wonders if he is a more of a thoughtful person now once the subject changes to something that does not involve the lives of others or just the ones he knows. People can become irrational over things they care about and now, Chase delivered some good insight. He sounds a bit like Julia.
Julia agrees. "You have a point. It is something interesting to think of if our situation were not so fucked up."
Chase falters a bit. "You're right. This is pretty fucked up no matter how we think of it. It makes me wonder how the rest are even doing."
Rachel looks down and drops into a state of depression. "Speaking of them, I feel still guilty about leaving them behind. So far, we have been doing okay. I-It i-is just that, they are my friends and I-I don't want anything to happen to them. I just wish none of this shit happened!"
Julia moves over to comfort the now crying young woman. No. 13 is unsure of what to do or say at this moment. Nothing in his life has prepared him for a crying person. Should he pat her back? Since he doesn't have any idea of how to dispel this mood, he simply gives up and watches to see how it plays out.
He then decides to leave them alone for a bit while he keeps watch. He then spots something in the far distance. Smoke, and it is billowing upwards from his guess. He is not sure of the source of the fire but he continues to watch even if his body tells him to run in the opposite direction. If it is some sort of natural fire, they would be in some serious trouble but No. 13 is sure he can outpace the fire if he needs to. The grassland here is moist and the silverish blue grass has enough beads of water drops to let him know that it will be slow a bit. In any case, if he cannot outrun it, then putting a bullet through his head is not a bad way to go. It is better than burning to death. He may be a super soldier, but it doesn't mean he enjoys pain.
Several minutes passes and the smoke remains controlled. No. 13 blinks. Does this mean someone or something is keeping a fire under control? His heart races in suprise and he is not sure he beleives in what he is seeing. He feels even a bit excited and he then turns to the others again before he speaks, but with a warning tone in his voice. "Keep quiet and look over there."
Julia and the rest turn and look. "Smoke! Shouldn't we run?"
"Quiet down. That fire has been burning for a while now but it hasn't grown." No. 13 tells Julia.
"Do you think there are people here? Or something else?" Chase asks quietly.
"Not sure. But, I think I should check and make sure. hard to tell how far it is from here, maybe several kilometers I bet." No. 13 says.
"Do you want us to go with you?" Julia asks.
No. 13 hesitates. This is a tough one to answer. Chase and Julia both possess guns. Darrell and Carole also possesses pistols but they are not here. The only unarmed person is Rachel with them.
"Well, before I decide, what are all of your opinions." No. 13 asks the trio.
"I say we all go as a group. Chase and I can provide extra fire power if needed. I have a total of 50 rounds myself and Chase probably has 50 rounds himself. We can spread out a bit, and that will give us a few vectors of to shoot at them if it is something hostile."
"I agree man. I think we need to risk going as a group even if we don't know the dangers. It may risk the entire group but it might save it in the end. It is a gamble. I would like to say I would hedge my bet in having you go alone but it is not your job to be the only one taking the risk. I may regret these words, but it is how I feel."
Rachel looks scared but shrugs. She offers no replies and No. 13 takes a bit of tiem to think about it. He looks back at the smoke, seeing if any more clues could be given up if he looks a bit harder but nothing comes to him.
"Okay, here is the plan. Chase, you stay with Rachel and keep back about 20 meters away and to my right. Julia you are to my left and stay within 10 meters and watch my left side. Rachel, just keep your eyes moving and stay close to Chase no matter what. I think it would be a bad idea if we encircled the fire since that means splitting up and weakening us. It might make it more difficult to pick one of us and follow, that is assuming if they are anything like us and what their numbers are. I can only assume these are humanoid creatures with intelligence similar enough to our own. I cannot fathom any other possibility but we stick to this plan until we gain further details. If you see my arm down and perpendicular like this, it means retreat. If it is upwards, stop. Move when I move, is that understood." No. 13 orders as he looks into their eyes, making sure they heard him.
The trio nodded their acent and No. 13 wonder when did he become the leader. He actually has never lead a team before and feeling this way, he worries inside that he will fail them, a feeling he has never had before. This is new to him and he can only bear this burden for now.
He shuts those thoughts away, promising to examine them later when the situation is less dire. He then looks at them, feeling a bit touched that they are willing to risk their lives with him even though they barely know one another. He did not promise them anything and even told them he would put a bullet in their head if they have no chance. He meant it too, and hope they would do the same for him. Since he does not know how to express his emotions, he goes back to his learned behavior, and orders. "Lets go."
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