I caught two crawdads and placed them on a flat stone next to the fire to cook. I didn't receive any experience for catching them, which annoyed me. Apparently, it was too simple a task.

  While they cooked, I returned to the snare I had set and was surprised to find I had already snagged a rabbit. I quickly put the poor creature down. For this, I received five experience points and a new notification.

  COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: TRAPPER

  Congratulations! You captured and murdered an innocent creature. What a marvelous display of ingenuity. You've gained a point in the TRAPPER passive ability. Good work, Rambo.

  When I reached Tier 1, I could access a virtual 'survival guide' that would teach me how to create more elaborate traps. It didn't seem nearly as helpful as FIRESTARTER, as I already had a decent grasp on wilderness survival, both from my time on Earth and on Erda.

  "Hey Val, I just unlocked my second Competency. Can you fill me in more about this aspect of the game?"

  'The available Competencies in this game are innumerable, and each provides a different range of passive benefits. In lower tiers, the benefits are rather weak, but the bonuses will add up over time. Some Competencies are more valuable than others.'

  "Okay," I said. "So, I assume it would be a good idea to unlock as many Competencies as possible?"

  'It won't hurt; however, I doubt you will have the time to master more than a few basic Competencies.'

  "Why?"

  'Levelling them is a grind. It is intended to be difficult for the sake of realism. One cannot master hunting or smithing or learn an instrument in a week. It takes time to truly become proficient at something. Like the abilities you will eventually unlock, Competency growth is driven by the Player's actions, efforts, and natural talents. The system simply enhances the experience.'

  I brought the rabbit back to camp and saw Tara attempting to pull the meat from one of the crawdads. Although it was long dead and cooked, she still seemed scared of it.

  "Allow me," I said and held out my free hand. Tara gave me a crooked smile and handed over the crawdad. I sat the rabbit down and showed her how to crack open the shell to get the meat from the tail and pincers.

  After that, I skinned the rabbit and prepared a spit roast over the fire. It was getting dark, so I kept the fire small. The less light we put off, the better. These were the king's roads, but that didn't mean they were always safe, especially during wartime.

  The rabbit was far better than I had expected, but anything would have tasted good after a long day of walking. Tara's spirits seemed to rise after she got some food in her, and she looked a little better, too. Less…sweaty.

  As always with Tara, conversation was difficult to come by, and I didn't know what to talk to her about. A part of me was desperate to share the truth with her, to tell her that our world was stolen, that my wife was taken from me, and that Tara's life wasn't real. But I knew it would be pointless. She would think me a lunatic, at best.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "So, Tara," I asked her over the coals of our fire. "Do you, uh, have any hobbies?"

  She laughed. I smiled until I realized she was laughing at me.

  "Is this your way of getting to know me? 'Do you, uh, have any hobbies?'" She made a bad attempt at recreating my voice.

  "I'm just trying to be friendly."

  She raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm paying for protection, not friendship."

  What a brat. It seemed I was just a useful tool for both of the women in my life. Val using me made sense, but Tara was a quest-giver. I should be using her for my benefit, not the other way around.

  If all Tara wanted to discuss was business, I would be happy to oblige. I couldn't wait for this quest to be over, and it had only just begun.

  "It's been some time since I've been through the Bygone Mountains," I lied. "If I recall, Rook Pass will be our fastest route."

  "Rook wasn't safe the last time I passed through," Tara said quickly. "We need to take Lucard Pass."

  "Lucard?" I'd never heard of it.

  "Trust me, Lucard will be safer and just as fast," Tara said. She crossed her arms, though I couldn't tell if in challenge or if to comfort herself.

  'She is hiding something,' Val said.

  "Thanks," I thought back. "But I already know that."

  I leveled my eyes at Tara. "We both know it isn't the fastest route."

  Tara looked annoyed and waved my comment away. "I'm paying you to guard me on my journey, and I'm not taking Rook Pass. Not again."

  I wished I could persuade or intimidate her like in some old RPGs I had played, but it was clear the little brat wasn't going to budge, and I didn't want to risk driving her away. The quest description clearly stated that I would fail if she left.

  For all the perks of being a Player, I sure felt powerless.

  It was growing dark, but I decided I needed to clear my head before settling in for the night, so I took a short stroll through the woods.

  It was a beautiful night with a pleasant breeze blowing in from the west. The forest around me buzzed with life as the bugs and other nocturnal noisemakers did their thing. It was a comforting sound, making the night just a little less lonely.

  As I walked, I thought of Elena. I desperately wanted to find her, but I had no clue where to begin, and there was no guarantee she survived the creation event. Even if I somehow managed to track Elena down, she wouldn't remember me. And I wonder if I would even recognize her. Would she be the same woman I fell in love with, or had the Master Control altered her identity so much that she would be unrecognizable to me? The thought turned my stomach.

  These thoughts led only to despair, so I tried to quiet them, focusing on the game and the only company I had.

  "Hey Val? Earlier, when I unlocked the TRAPPER Competency, the AI mentioned Rambo. I thought the system just pulled from folklore and legends."

  'What is a Rambo?' Val asked.

  "It's a movie from Earth, but there's no fantasy elements. It doesn't seem to fit into this world."

  'I think I understand your question. A dedicated sub-mind of the Master Control Intelligence generates your notifications. Every Player has one. Your sub-mind adapts to your brain patterns and personality. It knows Rambo and knows you know Rambo. Before you ask how it is aware of Rambo, you should know that the Triarchy has been observing Earth for over a century. They did not simply use your culture as a basis for the game design; they were deeply engaged with it. While under observation, your planet's media was distributed across the population for their entertainment. Earth movies became quite popular.'

  "Wow, if only Disney had known about this. They would have sued the Triarchy into bankruptcy."

  'What?' Val asked.

  "Nothing, please continue."

  'There are creatives and artists in the Triarchy, particularly among the Dalari, but all three member species took a special liking to human entertainment. The Kurskins were especially fond of your action movies, while the Dalari preferred Earth's dramas and more cerebral works. The Voxals were mostly indifferent about Earth's media.'

  "Have you watched any of our movies?"

  'I have seen what you would refer to as 'the classics,' Val said.

  "Oh yeah? Which one is your favorite?"

  'The Wizard of Oz. Toto is a wonderful character.'

  "The dog?" I asked. Did the dog even qualify as a character?

  'Yes. Do you not like dogs, John?'

  "I do. Just didn't expect you to say that is all." Her use of my in-game name prompted one more question. "Have you ever seen Die Hard?"

  'No, I have not seen Die Hard.'

  "Watch it tonight," I said.

  'Is it a classic?'

  "Not necessarily, but many humans consider it a Christmas classic," I said brightly. "You'll love it."