In Code: Day One

My eyes opened. It was a bright morning; the sun was still yet rising in the sky. Strange, but all was quiet. In other worlds, noises would assault me; animals, speaking their strange tongues and odd noises; monsters,

announcing their presence with strange noises you would be wise to acknowledge. I shivered; the morning sun was not yet hot, and I had nothing on my person but a book. Curious, I opened it; who, I wondered, is this "dydomite" fellow?

It instructed me in the ways of this world; attentive, I carefully read each line and followed each reference until I had exhausted its helps. My stomach rumbled. Food; oh, dear. Nervous that my first day might be met with

starvation, I looked around. Seeing no-one and hearing no-thing, I began to wander about the strange place I had found myself. Within moments, I found a field; its waving stalks of grain like a pleasant sound to my hungry belly.

I was unsure, however, if the field was public or privately owned. Nervously, I spoke aloud. "I found a field... and I fear I might starve. Is it safe to pick from here?" As if by magic, a voice replied from nowhere:

"I don't know where you are; but if you replant, it should be okay!" I thanked this kind soul, and while we continued to converse I carefully picked a handful of crops -- enough for a half dozen loaves of bread -- and replanted the

wheat, in the hopes the owner would not be angered. After discussing further with the friendly voices from afar, I discovered that I was within walking distance of a place called Mount Augusta.

Mount Augusta. What a name. I sensed portent in that name, but to what end I could not tell. Munching on my bread contentedly, I put away my book and began walking in the direction the helpful voice had given me.

Along the way I found some signs on a house; I had entered this world in "grumptown". Many questions emerged from this discovery; what, pray tell, was a grump? And where were they all? The place looked abandoned. Holes in

windows and missing doors dotted the homes; clear signs of weather and wear and perhaps less savory machinations. I tightened my grip on the wheat; perhaps I was simply lucky that the voice speaking from afar was so kind? Or perhaps this was a ruse.

Well, so be it. If I died, I died; I had nothing of value to lose, so the loss would be the aggressor's. As I walked, night began to fall. Accustomed to such worlds, I nervously looked around for signs of more ... aggressive monsters.

Yet, although a few appeared at a distance, they were so few in number as to be no threat. Well, they would be a threat to me. I had no weapon, no armor. Determined, though, I trugged on. I was nearing the area the kindly voices

described, and before long found myself in a grand, sprawling beauty -- Mount Augusta, at last.