Chapter 10 - "Natives"

Chapter 10 - „Natives“

   I follow Collin to a group of 4 people, that is waiting for us about another 100 meters down the coast in front of the forest. As we arrive, the dawn slowly changes its color from Bordon-red to a bright peach-yellow.

Nicolas: „Hey guys.“

My head still feels a bit muzzy.

A women with red hair, that reaches her shoulders, slightly bows over to me:

???: „Whats the matter? You seem a bit … off.“

Nicolas: „Huh? Ah, its nothing.“

[Nothing, that i want to talk about] The concerned look on the womans face shows, that she is not convinced. I should change the subject …

Nicolas: „By the way, I'm Nicolas, just in case someone wonders.“

It doesn't take long, to get a reaction. The man to my right replies first:

Collin: „I'm Collin!“

He stretches out his Hand to me, and we great each other with a handshake.

Nicolas: „Yea, i figured that out already. We met each other before around here.“

Collin: „Yes, it was over there!“

He points at a part of the coast, thats is further away. The place looks in fact familiar, but its hard to tell, because the lighting is different now. [I could check it on the map …] If i was there before, then the place should be uncovered on the map, but this is not impotent now. That aside, i don't want Collin to think that I don't believe him. It could offend him.

The red-haired women, whose concerns seem to have faded away, is the next to introduce herself:

Alina: „And I am Alina!“

She also greets me with a handshake. The handshake-greeting seem a bit inappropriate to me, since we already have seen each other several times today.

Aline: „But i guess, you figured that out on your own already.“

I had no Idea.

Nicolas: „Sure! You're unmistakable in any form!“

Although my answer is purposely overinflated, she seam to be pleased by it. Now, that she says it ... this smile of hers resembles her own quite well, even with this unfamiliar face. [But something is off …]

The black-haired women next to her does not give me any time for thinking:

Elly: „Ellyson Hodges!“

She also reaches out for my hand.

Nicolas: „Wohow, such formality ...“

The feeling, that something's not right with Alina doesn't let go of me. With my head clouded with thoughts, i turn to the next person …

Lindsay: „Lindsay.“

Short and simple. She gives me her hand with slightly noticable discomfort. Obviously, she is aware that the gesture is inappropriate in this situation, but we are currently under peer pressure here.

Nicolas: „Mailady ...“

I intimate a slight bow and she responds with a smile.

Again, this persistent feeling, that something's wrong with Alina. Something about the way she talks. [The voice? …] But that is nothing to wander about, we all have different voices, then we have in reality. Why do i focus on that so much then?

The one in the group that is left is a man, that was standing a view steps away with his back to us until now, looking into the Forest.

He turns half around and raises his hand to great me.

???: „Yo, Nic'!“

And in an instant, his identity is not a secret anymore.

Nicolas: „Sammy, you are recognizable anywhere!“

The drilling malaise in the back of my head is starting to get more intense and more annoying. I know, that it will not go away, until i find an answer to this riddle. Alinas words are echoing in my head over and over again: „Whats the matter?“, „I am Alina!“ „You seem a bit … off.“, „I guess, you figured that out on your own already.“ …

And suddenly it strikes me like lightning: [Its the accent!] She does not have her Russian accent anymore! Now, that i think about it … Tamirat also didn't have his African Accent. The whole encounter with him was so strange, that i didn't notice it. Everyone is speaking perfect English. Its interesting, that the system can perfectly imitate things like gesture, posture and even a smile, but not an accent. [On the other hand …] Maybe it's intended, to provide a smooth way of communication between players. If it is, that would mean that the system purposely transfers any accent to a clearly spoken language. On a higher level, it could possibly even directly translate other languages. Maybe U.T.O.P.I.A. Is even capable to do so.

Sammy: „Yo, dude! Everything fresh? You're starrin' at me, man!“

[… There does not seem to be the same regulations for slang …]

Nicolas: „Ah, sorry man, i was thinking about something. What did you just say?“

Sammy: „I said, we should get going, we don't have much time left.“

He makes a gesture, like he's pointing on his watch.

Nicolas: „How long do we have, until we need to log-out?“

Collin: „Something around half a hour.“

Nicolas: "Then, lets go!"

Elly: „Says the man, that everyone needed to wait for.“

[Ouch!]

Alina giggles joyfully.

I take a look around one last time. Small veils of fog are starting to slowly cover the surface of the lake. Depending on how bright it is now, the sun will soon be rising above the trees, but i don't expect, that we will notice that inside the woods. The sky is clear, like the whole time and the colorful strains on it slowly disappear, together wit the stars that where decorating them.

Such an idyllic place.

The path, that we are following is narrow and devious. We are forced to go behind one another, which makes it difficult to talk. I am the last one in the line, in front of me is Lindsay.

I noticed it earlier, but now that i see her in a body so different from her own, i feel confirmed: None of us can keep up with her when it comes to grace and elegance. Not even Alina – although she is really trying. As Alina, and even the sports-experienced Elly is stumbling from time to time, then Lindsay does not seem to struggle all that much. With her cradle step, she almost floats between the bushes and ferns like its her home, at all times aware of her own body. All her movements seen so smooth and natural, its a pleasure to watch her. That, and her distanced personality always makes me see some kind of „royal child“ in her, like a princess in training, or something. I don't know much about her family, despite that they are rich and live in Britain. The name „Rogers“ may not sound all that royal, but i heard people talking, saying she certainly has aristocratic blood in her veins.

[Ouch! …] Its the fifth time i stumbled, in the last ten minutes. Maybe i should pay more attention to the path, then to the rhythmic movement of her hips. [Easy said!]

While i get back on my feet, i take the opportunity to look around. The rising sunlight is giving the forest more contours by the minute and it gets easier to see all the strange looking plants around here. The flora clearly looks fantasy-like, but aside from that its a forest like any other.

Lindsay stops walking after a view steps and looks back to me. Her face is so unemotional, that its hard to guess, what she is thinking.

Nicolas: „I'm fine, I just got a bit dirty.“

With my hands, i shake off the almost not existent dust from my pants, like that was the reason for me to stop.

Elly: „I think, we're almost there!“

[Where, there?“] How can we be almost there, if we don't know where we are going?

I catch up to the group, and after a view more steps i also notice that the forest seen to come to an end. There seems to be grassland ahead. After we finally leave the forest, a valley with fields and a small village presents itself to us.

Despite its size, the place seems quite lively: I see a bunch of kids playing at the wall, a view busy looking women that are carrying baskets and buckets around and a view market-stands in the village center. Outside the village, a view people are working on the fields, and a young guy is herding a bunch of animals, that look like brown, overly hairy bulls. We are still to far away to make out any details. The Village is surrounded by a wooden wall and has a watch-tower, which leads me to the conclusion, that there also might be aggressive creatures around.

An impressive scenery.

Alina: „Whoaaa … this looks so real!“

Sammy: „My friend was really not exaggerating!“

Elly: „The people on the fields, the playing children … it all looks so authentic.“

Collin: „I like the Villagers with the long beards the most.“

He points at the docent of bulls that are heavily overgrown by their own hair, which makes us laugh.

We enjoy the idyllic view for a while.

Lindsay: „There is someone coming.“

Everyone looks first at her, and then in the direction she is looking.

To our right is a man, clearly one of us, coming in our direction. He is moving steadily along the edge of the forest. As he comes near, i recognize him because of the unblinking, rigid look in his eyes

Alina: „Who is this?“

I keep silent. I want them to experience the same mysterious encounter, as i did.

Elly: he seem to me a bit … „freaky“. Is that really one of us?

I can see Sammy smiling, but he doesn't say anything. He must also have recognized him. As the stranger almost arrives, i want to be the first to greet him, but …

Sammy: „Yo, dreamer!“

They obviously encountered each other before. Tamirat raises his hand to greet us.

Tamirat: „Greetings, strangers.“

Alina: „Tamirat? Is that you?“

He nods, and she releases a relived sigh. [When I asked him that question, he declined …] Maybe he doesn't expect Alina to understand it. In this case, i probably should feel honored.

Alina: „ … Phuh, you really get me scared for a moment!“

[That was untactful …]

Tamirat: „Is my appearance that frightening?“

Alina: „Ah, no, i didn't mean it like that … ahm, it's just … because … well ...“

She slowly starts to panic.

Sammy: „Its because of the way you look, man!“

That was probably the most direct and non-sensual way to say it ...

Tamirat looks around with a puzzled look on his face. Doing so, he moves his eyes first and then his head follows. The movement occurs slightly mechanic to me. But its not just that, but also the way he walks. He is not moving his body intuitively, like the others, but very controlled. And suddenly i get the reason for that:

Nicolas: „You are not used to using your eyes ...“

I suddenly just said it out loud, which was actually not my intention. The others seem surprised to my words, while they try to grasp the reason behind it. For a moment, I think about how to explain it.

Nicolas: Normally, your orientation would be based on hearing. To see the world around you through your eyes is something you are not used to.

Elly: „ … That makes sense.“

Collin: „However … its about time.“

Some of the others open their menu, to check the time. I also do. [There is less then a minute left.]

Nicolas: „Ok, we will see each other outside then.“

Sammy: „We will meet in the canteen!“

Its typical for him, to just decide something like that.

Before i log out, i take a last, long look on the surrounding, which can be seen much clearer now, due to the brighter lighting. The people around me just disappear unspectaculary, one after the other, as they log out. Thats a bit disappointing, i was hoping for a fancy graphical effect. Maybe, it will be added later on. [Its time for me to go, too.] I reluctantly open the Menu-page with the name „Mod-support“. As expected there is a clearly noticeable button, called {Log out}

{Do you want to state a manual request for a log out?}

{ Yes – No }

{(Pleas take note: processing your request could take a while, during strong server utilization.)}

[ … Yes ...]