3 Arrival

[We survived.]

The first words spoken by the A.I. since eye contact had been made with whatever she or it was, were words I could not begin to appreciate enough. I had just woken up out of a dumpster and almost found myself placed right back in one. I disallowed myself to make any kind of reaction for a few moments, in the interest of maintaining the illusion of being like the people around me.

The slow patter of rain drops had begun to fill my ears, with even just the slight drizzle being initially too loud. My brain adjusted for the new sound level, and eventually it sounded similar to how it used too. It was like hearing in high definition, not even realizing you had been using standard definition all your life. I wouldn't risk a word or even a thought until I crossed this street, and as if the universe itself was listening in on my mind, the light changed.

I crossed over to the other side and started heading south, finally able to follow the directions I had been given by the A.I.

[Cyathella.]

'Bless you.'

[It's my name. You've been referring to me as A.I., and you are no doubt aware that I cannot sneeze.]

'Oh. Oh shit, sorry. You told me your name back when we first met, right? I've been kind of rude this whole time then. For what it's worth, it's nothing against you, I'm just processing a lot. Can't say I'm really in my element right now, between the encounter with that absolute horror and adjusting to having a sentient being in my head. Honestly, I'm just lucky that doing and saying absolutely nothing seemed to be the right answer to survive.'

My voice was close to monotone. The adrenaline was leaving my body and made everything feel incredibly muted in comparison to the previous terror I had just experienced. I stepped off into an alleyway to briefly catch my breath, more from the settling of fight or flight, rather than any kind of fatigue. The notion of a potential safe haven quickly got my feet moving once again.

'What did she, or it, do to me?' I couldn't hide the small hint of fear in my voice, especially as my chest grew a little warmer.

[Nothing life-threatening, I can assure you. My sensors can detect anything that would pose an immediate danger within your body. Allow me to perform a deep scan for a few moments and I will notify you of any changes that may not be triggering a threat warning.] Her steady rhythm when speaking was back. Gone was the almost human level of anxiety and terror I had known in her voice just moments before this.

'Take your time and be thorough. I imagine this won't be a short trip to this Hub place anyway.' I let my voice drift away on the slight breeze that was tainted with a smell similar to that of weeks-old wet trash.

Now that I didn't have an invisible force pressing on my mind and body from all sides, or the threat of impending doom, I could take a moment to better understand my circumstances.

'Would it be intrusive to your scan if I were to ask you some questions, Cyathella?'

[No. I will answer any questions I can.]

'In that case, I'll get some basic stuff out of the way first. I'd rather not be clueless to my whole situation, at least where I don't have to be. Am I still on Earth?'

[No. This is a planet known as Vertex. I have no other information about it, but I inherently know that this planet is what is supplying me with the information I have. I believe it doesn't want you to know more than that.]

'You say that like the planet is sentient.'

[I have reason to believe it might be.]

'That is fucking terrifying. I'll keep that in mind.'

A passing person bumped into me, but made no motion or noise to acknowledge me. 'If this isn't Earth, why are there so many people here? Were they brought here like me?'

[Those are not people. They are imitations.]

'Imitations? As in, they're not real?'

[No. They are very much an existence, but they are molded to look like humans from your planet. They simply follow their instincts, which appear to be to perform tasks similar to that of humans, without the nuance or personality of one.]

'So they're just husks?'

[That could be one way to describe them, yes.] The inflection in her robotic voice gave me reason to believe she knew a little more than that, but it wouldn't provide enough information to warrant being said.

'You mentioned something about an Aspect before we… well, before we almost died. What exactly is an Aspect?' I had walked a few blocks now, but felt no real fatigue. I remembered the Enhanced Athleticism trait I acquired earlier, and it dawned on me just how much of a difference these traits and skills were going to make. I could only imagine the level of power somebody could obtain with higher tiered skills, more or less if there were any crazy ones.

[Aspects are similar to that of your notion of magic. Controlling and bending elements to your will, manipulation of matter, melding your mind with power, and so on. I do not know what your Aspect is, but we can find out when we get to the Hub. Not all Aspects are created equal. Some are even considered useless. Creativity, tactics, and willpower will make a large difference in somebody's ability to wield their Aspect. Even those who possess coveted Aspects with potential for high power or utility can still squander them. It is like any talent; it must be nurtured.]

'I see. I would've had a much harder time digesting that had we not almost just been murdered by somebody who looked like a dentist's wet dream.' A shudder running up my spine remembering the tongue that extended from that woman-thing's mouth. The mark on my chest grew warm when I thought of the entity, and a small spike of anxiety went through my head, similar to when you turn off the radio to listen because you hear a weird noise from under the car hood.

[I apologize, but I do not understand the phrase, 'wet dream.']

'That's probably for the best. Did anything come up on your scan for this mark?' I asked, gesturing pointlessly to the bizarre hand shape on my right pec, as if Cyathella wouldn't know what I was referring to.

[Nothing that has changed you physically, however I believe it may have given you another trait. Sadly it is designated similar to others with question marks. I do not know what boon or curse this could be.] She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, but I could tell there was worry laced into her words. Truthfully, I wasn't sold that Cyathella was as robotic as she tried to come across, but I wasn't going to push the envelope on it, since it wasn't really getting in the way of anything.

'Hopefully at this Hub place somebody can help me figure out what these hidden skills and traits are. It'd be nice to know what I have in my repertoire. Speaking of which, should I take a moment to acclimate with some of the abilities I purchased back there?'

[I don't believe so, no. Our highest chances for survival stem from being in a safe space. Experiment once we've made it into an area that prevents us from being singled out and hunted in a wild such as this.]

'Understood. No reason to risk another encounter like that. I'd prefer to get a complete handle on what I'm capable of before taking any major risks. But… I'm really in another world, huh?'

[Yes. I am sorry.]

'Nah, don't be. Not your fault, as far as we know anyway, heh. It's just not hitting me the way I'd expect it to, you know? I may never wake back up in my own bed again. I may never see anyone I know again, and yet, I can't bring myself to hate the situation I'm in.'

[Your cool-headed trait may be helping with that. It greatly increases your mental stress threshold. Something in your past must have helped you develop it.]

'That's a good point. I can't say I mind that, even if it is altering my mental state. I always dreamed of having powers, like any other guy with an imagination, y'know? I wanted to be on an adventure like in the books I read, and the shows I'd watched, but obviously never thought I'd end up in a situation like this.'

My footsteps were becoming the only noise that let me know I was still moving. The more I thought about my predicament and what it meant for my future, the less I could hear of anything that wasn't my heartbeat. "Honestly, even if I can go back, I'm not sure I will. I'm not leaving much behind. No close family, a few close friends, but they'll be fine without me."

[.....]

"My work was rewarding, but ultimately unsustainable. Being an EMT paid like shit, not to mention getting no fucking sleep. I loved helping people, but it wasn't feasible long-term. I guess that's what I could do here. Try and help people I mean, if I can get strong enough at least. No matter how utterly horrifying this start has been, I get the feeling there's a lot that can be done here. Granted, I may not really have a choice, huh?"

[.....]

"Plus, I can get super powers. I'd have to be stupid to waste my time trying to find a way home, when I could be prioritizing actual super powers." Halfway through I had started talking aloud again without even realizing it. If these were actually people, they'd think I'd gone insane. Luckily, they were just husks. None of them so much as spared me a glance, much less a cursory nod or any kind of acknowledgment.

Getting control of my mouth again, I reached out to Cyathella in my mind, 'Hey, you alright in there? I know I'm rambling and all, but you've been kind of quiet.'

[I apologize. I am processing your words. As you remember previous parts of your life, I too am shown that memory. You have experienced many traumatic situations, have you not?]

'Oh man, I'm sorry about that, a lot of it is from work. Don't go digging too deep in there. There's some stuff that's better left undisturbed, for both our sakes. What about you? Anything in particular I should know? Did you have consciousness before being a part of me?'

[I…. I am sorry. I do not know.]

'Hey, no worries. We've got plenty of time to figure things out.' I quickly redirected the topic. I could tell she wasn't giving me the full truth, but I couldn't think of a good reason to make an enemy of the person in my head. Plus, I've got plenty of things I don't want to talk about. I can't blame her for it.

'Do you have any idea if we're getting close to that Hub place thing? Is it called The Hub, or is it just Hub? Are there multiple Hubs? Is it an acronym? Is it short for something?' I quickly redirected the topic. I could tell she wasn't giving me the full truth, but I couldn't think of a good reason to make an enemy of the person in my head.

[Please speak less.]

'Sorry.' I thought with a chuckle.

[It is called The Hub, and there are multiple. I believe this world has other biomes with their own Hubs in them. For now, we should be coming up on it after we round this corner. Turn right here.]

'Alright. Will I know which buildi-Oh shit.'

As I rounded the corner, a large spherical building came into view. Similar to that of a dome stadium back on Earth in size, but the building itself was supported by four pillars on each corner of its rectangular foundation. A constant whirring could be heard, maybe some kind of power source. The building itself rested about 20 feet above the ground and instead of staircases, gravity-defying lifts were situated at each corner below the foundation next to the support pillars.

I noticed a large amazoness of a creature descending out of one of the grav-lifts. Her entire stature screamed strength. Most notably were her praying mantis-esque features. Instead of just being a large insectoid though, she was notably humanoid. Her mouth had soft skin around it, despite the mantis-like palps that slightly stuck out from her lips. Her arms from her shoulders to her forearms were a leafy green that were eclipsed by a carapace hiding whatever was underneath the hard exterior. Her hands, instead of pincers, were actually furry paws and carried a white hue down to the elongated fingernail-claws that stuck out from each of her three fingers and the attached thumb.

Our eyes locked and she let out a soft smile, that led to visible confusion when she saw my overall appearance. My dark hair was cut short only coming a few inches off my head, while my thick beard swung off my chin with a few good inches to spare. I had never neglected my time in the gym, because as an EMT, if I couldn't have the strength to move somebody or hold them still, it could've cost them their life. By regular standards, I was a fairly large and well-built man, even having worked as a bouncer to make ends meet, while going through technical school.

I stood fairly tall by human standards at about six foot four inches, but as she got closer, I realized she dwarfed me in comparison. She must've been at least eight feet tall, and if I had spent my off time in the gym, she must have lived there, because her physique carried the weight of the world with it. Her nameplate shined into existence above her head.

Todea

Race: Montopine

Danger: Passive

[It would be a good idea to not alarm her. No reason to make enemies. This may be a safe area, but as you know, the surrounding area is not. Keep her enmity to a minimum, and use this approach with everyone we met in The Hub.]

'Good idea. It'd be nice to have a conversation with somebody that doesn't rattle my insides. If you could even call that a conversation with that monster.'

The visible confusion never left her face as she approached. She had a friend with her. A short man from what I could tell. He had no visible skin to speak of and instead was covered in feathers. His arms themselves were not whole wings, but instead had small wings that extended off of his elbow joints. It was then that I realized he was hovering on the air instead of actually walking. With no feet to speak of, his legs, if you could call them that, extended horizontally from the bottom of his torso, before snapping at a ninety degree angle about 4 feet from his body.

He reminded me a little of the claw from the claw machines in arcades I occasionally went to as a kid.

[Ha.]

'Did you just laugh?'

[.....Pay attention, she's coming.]

'Yeah, okay, but I'm gonna remember that.'

Todea whispered something off-handedly to her companion. He nodded his head in agreement and seemed to stop where he stood. Well, where he floated. Her footsteps were loud in my ears, giving me a little anxiety due to the last time footsteps had been something for me to worry about. Her figure incredibly gargantuan as she approached. 'Fuck, even her shadow is giant. I'd seriously better play nice here.'

Once Todea, I'm assuming that's her name, was within about 10 feet of me, she planted her feet in the ground with a loud thud as the concrete cracked, cocked her massive arm back, and swung at my head.