12 – A Whole New World

“When the System came to your planet, it brought with it the flows of mana that make its existence possible. Mana is a potent substance—a catalyst, an energy source, and an omnipresent current that bends the rules of physics and reshapes natural law. It is a force of both order and chaos, threading new patterns into existence.

“Because of the mana flows that now encompass your world, many things are going to change. Weather patterns will shift, animal and plant life will be altered, and the world will go through a period of upheaval. The System dubs your community a “settlement” because you and the other survivors on Earth are pioneers in what amounts to an entirely new world.”

“You mean—”

“Please hold your questions, Andy. It is important that you understand why the System has brought this opportunity to your world. Think of the System’s actions as a sort of karmic investment. There are planes of existence beyond this one, and if the System can help elevate beings from this plane to the next, such actions will yield a sort of currency for the System Architects on that higher plane. So you see, the System is not altruistic; it presents challenges and opportunities to all, hoping to forge a small percentage of the lifeforms in this world into beings capable of ascension.”

“What?” Andy felt his pulse quickening, his temper rising. “We’re in a fucking planet-sized Thunderdome? Who are the Architects?”

“Thunderdome…” The pleasant voice paused briefly, then continued with a polite chuckle. “I understand the reference. Not exactly, Andy. While competition will be rich and encouraged by the System, nothing will force everyone to compete. As you have learned from your own budding settlement, there are people living near you who are currently your allies. On many System worlds, there are societies where laws govern achievement and growth. The System will award progress however it finds it and will not play favorites.”

“And the Architects?”

“I’m afraid the System Architects, while interested in this plane, value their privacy. I’m not permitted to divulge more details about their roles. You see, Andy, I am a System Guide, an entity bound to the System and governed by the Architects’ rules. Even if I wanted to explain more to you, I simply could not.”

“Must be nice to have some privacy. Does the System—Are the Architects watching everything we do?”

“I’ll answer this question, but then we really must move on to settlement management. The answer is that the System watches, encourages, and rewards but rarely interferes. When it incentivizes, it will do so equally and fairly. It remains unbiased because there are too many variables to calculate which individuals will ascend. Too many great challengers fail on the very cusp, burning out as spectacularly as they rose to greatness. As for the System Architects, I must stress that such beings and their motivations are not for you to ponder.”

“But you said—”

“No, Andy. Please. Our mana allotment is limited. You have won control of the Sleepy Saguaro Trailer Park settlement. You should understand that you can treat this settlement as mundane, improving it through your own means, but you can also enhance your settlement through the System. There are boons you can purchase that will make your settlement more likely to survive. Because your settlement was established on the day of integration, you have been awarded one free boon.”

Andy tried to speak, but no sound came from his mouth, and he realized he’d been muted. The damn floating light wasn’t going to let him interrupt again.

“To access boons, you can use the menu for Settlement Management through your status page. You can call it up directly simply by thinking of it or saying, ‘Settlement management.’ Be aware that not all boon options will always be visible or available. Sometimes, you must unlock prerequisites to reach higher-tier boons. You can earn boons through quests offered on the Settlement Management menu. You and all of your citizens will have access to those quests.”

After a brief pause, the floating light asked, “We have time for a few quick questions.”

“Where can I learn more about classes and skills and spells, and how—”

“I’m sorry, Andy, but I can only provide information about Settlements at this time. I’ve already expounded upon the System’s nature more than I was supposed to. However, on topic, I will say that there are advanced settlement boons that might unlock avenues for greater understanding. I’ll also hint that as you explore and use the tools the System provides, there will be further opportunities for guidance, especially if you achieve uncommon feats.”

“What about—”

“Again, my apologies, Andy, but we’ve reached the limit of our mana allotment. I misjudged the depletion rate. I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid this dimensional pocket will be gone in three…two…one…”

Andy’s ears popped, and the interior of this trailer rushed back around him, almost as if the world was falling into place. The sensation sent his stomach into a backflip, giving him a vicious bout of vertigo. He braced his hands on his knees, leaning forward, staring at his sneakers. Idly, as he gasped for breath and tried to calm his spinning inner ear, he contemplated the many bloodstains on the white laces.

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He was pissed, and his anger went far beyond the visceral frustration he’d felt since his phone stopped working. Something about how the “guide” had so matter-of-factly described the System’s—the Architects’—motivations didn’t sit right with him. It basically said that the Architects viewed the people of Earth as—what? Race horses? They wanted to see if some competition and strife could push some of them to the point where they were able to… What was the term the guide used? Ascend?

The thing was, the guide said all that without a care in the world for how it made Andy feel. It wasn’t like he could do anything, though. His rage was entirely impotent. He was like an ant. The System could take him outside of time

! It was doling out “improvement points” that somehow made him faster and stronger and filled his mind with knowledge he had no right to have! Meanwhile, people were turning into monsters and killing each other, so Andy couldn’t exactly refuse the System’s help, could he?

“This is bullshit!” He groaned and leaned back into the couch, rubbing his aching head. In a fit of frustration, he pulled up his status page again and stared at the six improvement points. Was he hurting himself by not improving his will? He wished he knew what an average attribute rating for a person was. “Actually…” Andy stood up, grabbed his gloves, tucked them into the back pocket of his jeans, and then, spear in hand, stormed out of the trailer.

He walked to James’s trailer and knocked on the door. When the old guy stuck his head out, Andy said, “We gotta have a meeting. Everyone. Can you help me gather everyone? Let’s meet in the middle at the park.”

“All right. Keshawn can’t walk too well—”

“He can stay, but write down his stats. His, uh, perception and will and all that.”

James arched a gray eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Because we need to start figuring some of this shit out.”

“Copy that, young fella. I’ll walk around and holler at folks, too.” James went back inside, presumably to talk to Keshawn, and Andy kept walking. He knew Bernice was already going around trying to get a head count, so he angled his way toward her place, but not before stopping at the trailer where he’d killed the goblin-like creature.

He knocked and called, “Monique!”

The door opened almost immediately, and she peered out, her face obscured by the shadows of her dark trailer. Before she spoke, a younger voice asked, “Who is it, Mommy? Are the police here?”

“No, hush, honey.” She frowned at Andy. “Any news?”

“We’re having a meeting at the park. Bring your kids, please.”

“We’re not going out there!”

“The trailer park is clear for now, and you’ll be safer with everyone else, anyway. Don’t you want to know what’s going on? I have some information…from the System.” With that, Andy turned and continued on his way. He wasn’t going to stand around begging people to have common sense. He called out to a few other people he saw on the way, and when he got to the park, he found Bernice already there with a couple of other middle-aged folks—a man and a woman that Andy didn’t know. They were tying ropes to the giant spider’s legs.

“What’s up?” he asked as he approached.

“Eduardo’s a biologist, and he’s curious about all of these creatures. I told him he could drag this thing to the empty lot beside his trailer.”

“Well, I’m trying to gather everyone. We need to have a meeting. I have some news—the System kind of talked to me about a few things, and I think we should try to share some information that might improve our chances of survival.”

Bernice looked at him, wrinkling her nose as she sniffed. She pulled a little tin of lip balm from her overalls and rubbed some of the waxy stuff on her lips. “I guess that’s a good idea. I’ll go around and help gather folks. You better get the deaf girl.”

“Lucy? She’s not deaf. She just doesn’t talk much. I mean, that’s what her brother told me before he died.” Andy sighed, shaking his head at the memory.

“Well, whatever. You better get her ’cause I don’t do well with that kind of thing.”

“What kind of thing?”

“People who just lost a loved one!”

“Oh. Right.” Andy frowned and nodded. “I’ll go get her now.”

When he got to Lucy’s trailer, he found her straining, trying to pull her brother’s sheet-wrapped corpse out of the trailer. He ran the last few yards to her stoop and said, “Lucy! I could have helped you with that.”

As he got close, he understood why she was trying to get him out of the trailer. The body smelled terrible. Andy was no expert on corpses, but he thought it was too early for it to smell that bad. Then he remembered the necrotic flesh around the spider bite. Could the process have continued after his death?

Lucy looked up, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. She didn’t have to say anything; her expression conveyed plenty—she was embarrassed and frustrated. She’d brought Steve’s body home despite Andy saying he didn’t think they ought to, and she hadn’t wanted to ask him for help getting it out. Andy looked past her, noting how the sheet was darkly stained. He leaned his spear on the trailer, pulled his gloves out of his back pocket, and slipped them on.

“We’ll put him in the gravel patch near the front of your trailer. I’ll find a shovel later, and we can dig him a proper grave. I mean, unless you want to find a spot somewhere else?”

Lucy shook her head and sniffed, smiling briefly before turning back to the body. Andy pushed past her to climb into the trailer and get ahold of poor Steve’s upper body. A few minutes later, after they’d moved the body and walked a short distance from the smell, Andy looked at Lucy and asked, “Can I ask you a question without upsetting you?”

She looked at him and cocked her head pursing her lips slightly. After a few seconds, she shrugged.

“You can hear, right? I mean, you’re not reading my lips?”

She tapped her ear and nodded.

“But you can’t talk?”

She signed something, but when Andy’s face only reflected his confusion, she huffed and reached into her back pocket, taking out a little notepad and pen. She scribbled in it, then held it so Andy could read: Mute. Sorry. It’s complicated… and frustrating.

Andy smiled and blew out a breath, feeling a little relieved just to have some clarity. “It’s all good. Hey, we’re having a meeting at the park. Can you come?”

She glanced over her shoulder toward the front of her trailer where her brother’s body lay, then, with a deep, shaky sigh, she turned to him and nodded.

“Okay, cool. Come on; I’ll walk ya.”

She held up a finger and hurried into her trailer. A few seconds later, she emerged, carrying her bow. She also had a modern-looking black quiver stuffed with arrows slung over her shoulder. She gave him a thumbs-up, and they walked back to the park together.