Chapter 5: Entry into the New World

After looking over everything he could read the last two days he finally received a notice, that came across the desk screen, warning him that the ship had reached the designated solar system, and he had one hour to prepare mentally for his release onto the new planet.

Feeling the pressure to choose now Rosario decided to just buy more food and water with his remaining points. Just as he was about to switch tabs to the food one, he saw the stupid copper arrowhead necklace again. Selecting it again the description was the same as before.

{Copper Arrowhead on a leather strap. Permissions not high enough for further information.}

"Stupid computer I can see it's an Arrowhead on a strap, what I want to know is why is it under the items tab when all the other necklaces and jewelry are under the luxury tab."

{Buy Copper Arrowhead Necklace? Cost: 5 points}

{Yes/No}

Sighing to himself and thinking 5 points was fine to satiate his curiosity. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that this was in the items tab, He was visibly frustrated because he just wanted to scroll away from this necklace, but something kept telling him don't. Scoffing he mumbled, "This is so stupid, but whatever I can always add more items or something else on the necklace to make it look cooler."

{Would you like to buy this item and make it immediately upgradable? Cost: 5 points for the item, 450 points to unlock upgradeable}

Pursing his lips, Rosario just stared at the screen. 'Why would I want this to be upgraded? Wait a minute, why would a regular old luxury item be upgradable? Is this why it is under the items tab and not the luxuries tab? With the spear being upgradeable it mentioned that it would grow and upgrade with me, does that mean this necklace possibly has a function but this catalogue just won't tell me. Maybe this necklace has some special characteristics, it does say my permissions are not enough which makes one wonder is there some hidden information?'

As Rosario had thought after thought flitting through his mind the room's lighting went from a bright white to a red and a message appeared across the desk screen in front of him.

{Denizen please prepare, there are only fifteen minutes until we reach the planet, and you will be deposited on the surface with your supply choices. Please finalize all decisions in the next five minutes to ensure all choices are sent with you.}

Throwing his hands in the air and saying "Screw it" he chose to buy the ring and have it upgradeable. Left with 50 points he scrolled up and remembering all he had were his $15 Walmart sneakers he bought himself two pairs of heavy-duty leather work boots with his remaining points. With those choices he was out of points, exhaling deeply he leaned back into the chair closing his eyes and calming his pounding heart. Rosario sat there for the next few minutes in silence with his eyes closed just mentally adjusting his mind for what was about to come. He was excited and nervous about what he was to face, he had hope but most of all there was an underlying root of fear. Fear of the unknown and not knowing where he would even sleep that night. A primal fear that most humans hadn't felt since the days they roamed the world as equals with what hunted in the night.

With his eyes closed and in a relaxed position Rosario looked to be asleep when the countdown on the screen hit zero and he disappeared, leaving the room empty and desolate.

Rosarios quiet revelry was interrupted when he felt the chair that had been underneath him disappear and then he was falling. With a splash in a sitting position Rosario was dropped into a body of water. As he wasn't prepared Rosario hadn't taken a breath of air or been ready to find himself surrounded by freezing cold water. He immediately began flailing and panicking when he felt one of his legs hit something solid.

Swinging his body in the water Rosario got his feet bent under him and pushed himself up. Shooting out of the water Rosario hung in the air before he began his descent back into the cold water. However, he only submerged about four feet deep into the water when his feet hit something solid, and his descent halted. Standing there catching his breath and feeling the water gently pushing against him he was finally able to get a look at his surroundings. He was standing in a river running through what looked to be a deciduous forest. Ignoring the water streaming against him he looked around at the canopy seeing sunlight streaming through the leaves and breaking through onto the river making him have to squint from the refraction off the water's surface.

Surrounding him the trees were a parade of colors. He saw a couple of trees that looked familiar to him with green leaves, some browns too but then there were all the new ones to him. Some trees had purple leaves, while others had blue, yellow, and orange. It looked like Fall on earth but with the addition of many other colors.

Looking down at the water he was standing in he saw it was crystal clear and he was able to see the bottom easily. Shifting slightly because of the sunlight reflecting off the rippling surface of the water he was given fleeting glimpses of himself staring back. He could see his hair that was extremely dark brown almost black, shaved on the sides of his head with not much more than an inch long on the top of his head. His eyebrows that were not skinny or too bushy were creased in making him look like he was always annoyed about something. His deep-set eyes were an Ocean green and stood out on his tanned Olive complexion. His nose stood out on his face and had a slight crook to the left from being broken a few too many times. His chiseled jaw was clenched, and his lips were forming a thin line on his face as he frustratingly stared at his wavering reflection.

Looking to the banks of the river he was in he found his supplies. Sitting about 10ft onto the shore to his left was a pile of crates and barrels with items sitting upon them or leaning against them. He noticed he was standing in the middle of the river with about twenty feet of water to either side of him. Turning towards his supplies he began wading through the water slowly making his way as the ground below him slowly turned from pebbles to sand. Finally reaching the beach that his supplies sat upon Rosario trudged up the small sandy embankment feeling a chill as the wind blew across his wet body.