by Peter John
Y/N
I selected the “Y” and before me appeared a typical character sheet. It could have been for any of those RPG games I had played. A 3D representation of myself, lifelike and in all my naked glory portrayed on one side of the screen view. It was odd to see myself twirling on a pedestal. Usually, you get to choose your own avatar from a wide selection, but in this case, I was really me, and I couldn’t change it. I guessed a blue mohawk and tribal tattoos were out of the question.
On the left was a list of abilities:
Abilities
Strength
14
Agility
14
Intelligence
17
Wisdom
17
Stamina
14
Luck
13
Constitution
15
I immediately wondered where the numbers would fit in the grand scale of things and what the highest number could be. After all, what this was telling me is how my real life abilities scaled.
My next leap of intuition was if I added to these numbers with the attributable points, would it make any difference in reality or would the added on benefits only be found within the simulation? Definitely, a point to ponder and something to ask Grant whenever I had some one-on-one time with my handler. I looked closely at each ability, which seemed to glow slightly as my gaze flicked over the text. If I focused closely, however, a small descriptive pop-up box appeared.
STRENGTH
Strength is a direct measure of your ability to manipulate items physically in the world. The higher the number, the bigger the mass you can manipulate with ease based on your core physical and mental strength. At level 1, the average Strength is 9.
AGILITY
Agility is a direct measure of your ability to manipulate your bodies’ dexterity, suppleness, and reflexes. The higher the number, the more responsive your body is to observing your bodies’ commands. At level 1, the average Dexterity is 7.
INTELLIGENCE
Intelligence is a direct measure of your ability to process situations accurately and deduct a reasonable response quickly. The higher the number, the faster your response times. Instinctive fight-or-flight responses are also factored in. At high numbers, the quicker you arrive at a cognitive solution. At level 1, the average Intelligence is 12.
WISDOM
Wisdom is a direct measure of your experiences and your ability to draw on those experiences to further your internal reasoning and subsequent external solutions. Age is often considered a direct correlation to wisdom, but not in every case. The higher the number, the more options you have to any solution. This ability also adds to a deeper understanding of one’s limitations and capabilities. At level 1, the average Wisdom is 8.
STAMINA
Stamina is a direct measure of your endurance at rest and under duress, combined with your recovery time. It also factors in your overall ability to withstand external and internal damage. Stamina has a direct link to Hit Points and should never be neglected when compiling your overall character. At level 1, the average Stamina is 14.
LUCK
Luck is determined by how often you make choices that work out for the best. If you are a lucky individual, then more often than not, your actions will align with the overall goal to achieve success. Luck, while random, tends to align when you least expect. At level 1, the average Luck is 10.
CONSTITUTION
Constitution is a direct measure of your overall health and conditioning while at rest and ability to withstand hardship under duress, combined with your ability to heal. It also factors in your overall ability to withstand detrimental stimuli. Constitution has a direct link to Health Points. At level 1, the average Constitution is 12.
There were some other descriptive attributes like species, I looked at the text with intent.
Species: Human (Male), (Homo sapiens).
The human species is found on Earth, the third planet from the sun in the Sol solar system. Sol is in the Orion belt in the Omega plane of existence.
Humanity is considered one of the most adaptable soft-bodied biotic species, with prolific breeding habits and an above average intellect. Intuition and a thirst for knowledge are some of humankind’s main driving forces. They are also renowned as one of the most aggressive sapient species ever encountered. While under observation, they have consistently been at war with one another. The observation period has extended 5000 Sol Earth years. It is expected that when Humans make first contact, they will be aggressive rather than defensive.
Now that was very interesting. We had been under observation by the Absinth for a very long time indeed. It was also alarming, a bit like discovering a peeping tom had been watching you shower your whole life. It also meant that they had avoided observation themselves, which corroborated how advanced their tech was. Another point that caught my eye was the part about plane of existence. Mathematicians had long theorized the existence of alternate planes, but our physicists had yet to prove it conclusively.
I was getting off track. Looking at the points I had to invest in my character creation. I immediately went for luck. Being lucky was one of the main reasons I had made it this far and I would not let that attribute slide. I notched it up to 15. A bright golden aura suffused the avatar, and a chime went off for each point. Next, I decided on strength. In almost any scenario I could think of, strength came in handy. It would have to go up. I notched it up to 17.
As I did so, I felt a wave of warmth suffuse my body at the first chime, and then a terrible pain bent me over as the next two chimes dinged. Every, and I mean EVERY muscle and bone in my body was suddenly screaming at me in protest. I was pouring with sweat and could barely stand. The burning intensified and seemed to suffuse my entire being. Something akin to being immersed in lava and acid at the same time. I thought it must be the snakebite venom affecting me. Perhaps the health potion I had imbibed had worn off.
My hand was still locked to the console though, and regaining my composure I looked at my Avatar.
From sleek, trim and slightly flabby around the stomach, my body had developed muscles. I gaped. The avatar looked formidable. I looked down at myself and saw ripped muscles bulging like coiled vipers beneath my skin.
Wow! I mean just wow; I had my six-pack back. In fact, it looked like an eight-pack. The layer of flab I had gained in my retirement had vanished as if burned away. If I could get this machine back to Earth, I could make a fortune in the slimming industry. With the amount of pain I had just felt, I guessed that my real live body had undergone this same transformation. It answered one of the questions I had pondered earlier. The simulation required live guinea pigs to work on. With every answer came more questions. I continued.
Next was Agility. I wasn’t looking forward to this. Have you ever joined a yoga class and then had the instructor decide you were not stretching enough? They always took you to the next level of pain and suppleness. Cringing, I added 1 point to Agility. Again I felt warmth suffuse my body, but fortunately there was no pain.
Relaxing I quickly added two more points. Then it hit me. I spasmed in absolute agony. The pain shot into my hamstrings, up my back, along my arms. I felt myself contort every which way, but no matter what I did, the pain would not relent.
I fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, my one arm still stuck on the pillar console. It felt like I was being eaten alive by piranha. Thrashing back and forth, I longed for a way to make it stop. I even tried reverting the points back but to no avail. I knew it was going to be bad; I should have listened to my intuition. At last, I blacked out.
A gentle chime reverberated through my skull, waking me from the nightmarish dream of endless agony. Something to do with being stuck between two bells that tolled and then swung apart to stretch me. The reality wasn’t much better.
A machine voice in my head said, “Corrective
reconstructive surgery complete. Agility levels are within defined parameters.”
The pain had subsided, and I gathered my feet. Standing was much easier, and if I was honest with myself, I felt great. Like when you go for a massage, and while the whole process is painful, you walk out feeling like a million bucks. I had always wondered if the feeling of relief from such massages wasn’t because they had stopped kneading out all your stiff muscles. That the euphoria was a simple result of no more pain. Ah, whom was I kidding? I looked at myself and smiled. I was in my early fifties age-wise, and yet my Avatar looked like I had lost 20 years. Sure, the wrinkles were still around my eyes as I smiled, but damn I was looking and feeling wonderful. It seemed there were definitely some perks being abducted by aliens.
I moved on to the next attribute and balked. Intelligence was innate. It wasn’t something that one could change with the press of a button, was it? Would my brain grow, my head expanding with it? Would I have an AI installed? I didn’t want to mess with my brain the way they had messed with my body. Did I? With a mental sigh and a steeling of my resolve, I added one point to Intelligence.
Again a sparkling aura suffused my avatar, but I felt nothing untoward happen to my body. Breathing out with relief, I moved on to Wisdom and added one here too. With them both at 18, I was fairly sure I was giving myself enough of an advantage to qualify to learn any of the skills the simulation provided. I had 7 points left to distribute and the two remaining skills were Stamina and Constitution. If I bumped Stamina up to 18 and Constitution to the same, then I would have a well-rounded character. Since I was level 5 now, I expected the scenarios would get decidedly harder and I would need lots of life points to keep myself alive.
The stamina gains would also contribute to that. It was so immersive and I was really getting into the swing of things. If I took a moment to gather my thoughts, I was being plugged into a system and asked to survive. Like being thrown in the deep end to sink or swim. I still wasn't sure why I had been abducted yet, but the clues were adding up. I was still hesitant though. What if I amped my intelligence and wisdom to a full 20? Wouldn’t that be a huge advantage? Especially if I needed to use things like magic as had been hinted at with those effigy classes. I instinctively knew that I had to choose one of them once I had completed this phase.
With these thoughts in mind, I amped the intelligence and wisdom to 19 each. Again the aura suffused my avatar but this time I felt a sweep of vertigo. No pain fortunately and I left it at that. The last two abilities would be painful; I knew it. I hesitated at first and then thought to hell with it. What’s the point in stalling when you only have one choice? I adjusted Stamina to 17 and before the effects could hit me. I changed Constitution to 17
What happened next I cannot explain adequately with words. Even my actions failed to fully imbue the kaleidoscope of pain that racked through me. I blacked out again and woke up a good while later with the same tone and prompting as before. “Reconstructive surgery complete. Constitution and Stamina levels are within defined parameters.”
It then listed what it had done to me. Over the years, the life of a Special Forces soldier had left me many latent injuries. I had also taken up smoking and a few other bad habits along the way for short but detrimental intervals. As it turns out; to have a Constitution and Stamina of 17 in this crazy Sim, required me to have a new liver, pancreas, small intestine, and lungs, both of my kidneys, several glands, including the prostate but fortunately not the family jewels. Add to that a new heart, spinal reinforcement (whatever that was), bone marrow enhancement for heavier and denser bones. The blood vessels and nerves were fortified and elasticized, which seemed superfluous and overkill to this whole experience.
My lungs were also reinforced. I glanced at the list and realized I had just had an entire body makeover WITHOUT anesthetic. The scars of my past however were still apparent. I did a mental scream. Sadly, the scream was too late. They had done it already.
How long I had been glued to this machine, I had no idea. Then I remembered this was just a projection in my mind. My real body was lying swollen and healing in some fancy whitewashed space ship room somewhere.
I looked at my avatar again. A magnificent male specimen looked back at me and I was quite pleased if I was honest with myself. I doubted I had ever looked so good. A prompt appeared as my hand finally came loose from the console.
Select your Character class.
The final word 'class’ was highlighted so when I looked at it with intent, it opened up more of an explanation.
Character Class is the title you will embrace. It will become the embodiment of your abilities. Every class has benefits for the team. However, we expect you to select the best class suitable for you, not for any perceived team. Teams will be made up of needed classes from the talent pool for specific situations.
Embrace your true self and prevail!
With a final chime that made me wince, I stepped to the effigies waiting in the wing. I knew which one I wanted and so made straight for the shifting form of the Prodigy.
As I passed each effigy, it brightened as if beckoning me. I ignored them, and continued to the one and only Prodigy statue. This time as I approached it, a prompt appeared.
You qualify for the Prodigy Class. Is this your final choice?
(Please note that due to your unusually high and balanced level of Abilities, you may be flooded with skills previously unknown. It is recommended that you take time to become acquainted with them before attempting them. They are dangerous and while some can be beneficial to those around you, some will undoubtedly harm. You have been warned!)
Y/N
I realized inwardly that since I had upped my intelligence and wisdom, that the prompts were providing much more information than usual. It was a good thing. Bracing myself I selected Y.
The most amazing thing happened. My body became rigid and a glowing golden light emitted from my fingertips on my left hand. Like pixie dust it sprinkled towards the effigy. Startled, I watched as the dust left my hand and that my hand no longer existed.
Freaked out, I watched as the dust I was becoming diffused from me into the effigy. I was becoming the statue. I was… well, this was another one of those experiences best left to the imagination. I felt insubstantial and yet more solid than ever before. It took moments and lifetimes until my view switched over and I was looking at the last of myself dissolve to become me. I stepped from the statue's pedestal, leaving it empty behind me.
I was still buck-naked except for the loincloth which fortunately had transitioned with me. I had become the ever-changing statue of the Prodigy.
A new prompt appeared as a voice read the words into my mind.
You have embraced the way of the Prodigy. It is not an easy path, but with your abilities, you have every chance of success.
You are the third Prodigy to exist.
Make wise choices, make balanced choices, and you will prevail!
With a final chime, it released me with a bright flash.
CHAPTER 7
Brother’s in Arms
When my spotted vision came back into focus, I was standing, hand outstretched to the beacon rock. I was back in swampland.
The other members were all sitting off to one side around a campfire and something was cooking on a spit. It smelled so delicious I could immediately feel saliva pool in my mouth. Sarah was sitting with the group and she noticed that I was back.
Calling out she waved, “Hey, Colonel Armpit! You’re back!” I grimaced inwardly. She had called me using my nickname. I preferred to introduce myself without military attachments.
“Wow!” she exclaimed as I turned and walked towards them. Grinning, I nodded. It was hard to exude a commanding presence in just a loincloth, but with my new all-body makeover, I felt like I was on cloud nine. My body had a new lease on life. I was the all-new me.
“Petros A
rkansas” I stated, walking up to the burley hairy fellow who had called himself Stone McGee, hand outstretched for a handshake. The man stood up smiling. His body was very hairy, almost carpet-like across his chest. His face covered in a full beard. He returned my grip. Strong and sure. I then turned to the others, repeating myself as each one shook hands and told me their names. Sarah was hovering along with me and we all sat down around the campfire.
“That roasting meat sure smells good. What is it?” I opened, not sure where to join in the conversation.
Charlie, a brusk Texan with a build like Sylvester Stallone said, “This here be one of them dang flat dawgs,” his Texan accent was just a little too much, but then having known a few Texans, it was probably just about right.
“We can eat the alligators?” I enquired.
“Sure can, and they tastes just like chicken!” The group chuckled at that, “Here try some.” Using two sticks fashioned for the purpose, he gave me a piece from the roasting carcass. My hunger was all-consuming and not being a squeamish eater I jumped in.
It tasted like crisp, succulent chicken. Not too raw and not too dry. Perfect. It left me salivating for more. By this time, he had gathered a few more choice pieces of the roasting meat and placed them on some dried bark used as a plate. I continued to consume, while the others picked up their respective plates and we all chowed down on what turned out to be a medium size alligator. Irony? Perhaps, but then I was finding a lot of things with this situation ironic.
