Rescue Island (3 page)

I find a large opening to the cave below. Squatting at the edge, I look carefully at what I can see. No cobwebs. I inch closer, sword in hand, it's dark in here.

Slurp. I know that creepy sound! I turn toward the sound. I see the darkness of the jungle cave, and then red, glowing eyes flying toward me. I slash with my sword. It hits something solid. Slurp, hiss, it jumps again. I see darkness and red eyes. I swing again. "Ouch!" It bites; I see a flash of red.

I back up, dazed and confused. I hear it again, but I don't see anything. I've fallen face down in the darkness. I roll over to see a large spider creeping toward me!

Slurp, hiss, thud! My arm is up, holding my sword, which pierced the spider.

Poof! The spider is gone. Two bundles of string appear. I lay there panting for a minute, and then collect the string.

Two bundles of string are better than none, but I need three to make a fishing pole or bow. As I ponder this I hear, meow.

Turning toward the sound I see an ocelot in a tree. It tilts its head as it looks at me. Ha! Now this is a friendly face. I'd love to have a friendly face around, even if it is a cat. I get up and walk toward it. The ocelot purrs, greeting me. There is something friendly on this island. I don't know why this ocelot is tame. I haven't fed it. Why is it so friendly?

Hurt from the spider battle, I eat an apple from my inventory to help restore my health. What I must do next makes me shudder. I'm afraid of the unknown. I must enter into the dark space in front of me. I need to find more glowing red eyes and slay them. If I am to survive, I need string. And this is the way to get string. I plant a torch, lighting the entrance to the cavern, hold my sword at the ready and slowly enter the darkness.

IT'S NICE HAVING A COMPANION, A NEW FRIEND, even though it purrs like a cat. Kind of amazing how much better I feel, much less lonely. And right now, as I slowly enter the cavern, I feel a tiny bit bolder, knowing a friendly face is following me.

I move into the darkness. The cavern opening is narrow. It penetrates the wall of a jungle hill. It's a deep hole in the ground with a narrow row of blocks along the edge. I follow the blocks that seem to make a stairway into the deep cavern.
 

It's tricky. On one side is the wall of the cavern, on the other side is a drop to certain death. The ocelot is following me, like a house cat. It's nimble along this narrow walkway. I step down several blocks, one after another. Whoa! I slip and fall over the edge!

Thud! I land a few blocks down. Luckily I land on a small ledge sticking out from the wall, saving me from falling to the bottom. I'm frozen, terrified. Looking up I see the cat peeking over the edge. Meow.

Some of the blocks are covered in slippery moss. I must have stepped on one wrong and totally lost my footing. I can't climb back up. I'm too far from the path. I'm in trouble, and no one is around to help.

I stand there, on this narrow ledge. I look down into the pit. It's so dark down there. What am I doing? Why am I risking my life for string? Surely I can find other ways to get food and to protect myself. I can live without a bow and a fishing pole. I won't live long if I fall. Inappropriately, I laugh at the ironic thought of dying while trying to find a way to survive.

"Well, I got myself into this situation," I say aloud. It's strange to hear a voice, even though it's my own. I've not heard another voice the entire time I've been here. In fact, I don't remember when I last heard another human voice. My memory of life before waking up on Spider Sands is so hazy.

At this very moment, standing inches from death, with no clear path to safety, it hits me. I have no idea how I got here. I've considered this a few times since waking up, but I've always forced myself to push the thought aside and do something related to immediate survival. I really want to remember.
 

Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Maybe I should be trying to remember anything about my recent past, not just how I got here. The weird thing is that I can't really remember anything. I don't see faces in my thoughts. I must have friends somewhere out there. Surely a family is missing me. But why don't I remember anyone?
 

In fact, I don't really remember anything about myself. Who am I? I know my name, Flynn. But I don't remember details of life before this. I do remember this game, or one like it; I was controlling a pixelated character."

I also remember the combinations of resources needed to craft things; at least basic things. I remember feelings, such as physical and emotional. I know what it's like to feel tired, to feel happy, and to laugh. It feels so good to laugh, at least in the real world. This is such a strange existence. It's as if details of my memory are blocked, but general feelings and game specific memories are with me.

Meow, the cat looks at me and purrs, arousing me from my thoughts. The cat is yellow with dark spots and blue eyes. I don't know if it's a girl or boy, but its presence comforts me in a motherly way. "I need to name you," I say aloud. It responds with a friendly purrrrr.
 

I don't want to be too hasty with a name. This cat has given me something I desperately needed, a feeling of companionship. I have newfound vigor for continuing in this world. "Verve," I say aloud. "I'll call you Verve." I like this name. It's easy to say. It sounds like a good name and will always make me remember the new enthusiasm for life this friend gave me.

Meoooww, Verve responds. Sounds like acceptance to me.

I'm holding the sword in my hand. It's like that here. Holding something is totally natural. I don't feel the extra weight of the object, nor does it feel awkward to have this long, steel weapon always pointing in front of me. "I don't need this." It seems I talk out loud more often now. Maybe I'm talking to myself, and maybe I'm talking to Verve. Either way, I don't expect an answer.

I put the sword in my pocket. It's funny how it fits in there with so much other stuff. Wait! There are sections of ladder in here!

"Verve, I'm saved!" I yell to the cat. I grab the ladder sections and place them up the wall, between Verve and me. I climb up, and I'm greeted by a wet lick to my blocky face.

"I'm glad to see you too," I say. "Now, which way do we go? Should we continue down, into the darkness in search of string, or do we go back?" Verve gives me a quizzical look and tilts its head.

I remember the danger of the situation, but this game is full of dangers. I don't like the idea of only doing things that are totally safe. Living on the edge of danger is so much more exciting, as long as I manage to survive.

"Let's go for it. Let's get some string!"

Planting a torch in the wall, we move down the ledge. It's like a spiral staircase, wandering down this dark hole into what looks like an expansive cavern below.

"If I were a spider, this is where I would hang out," I say to Verve. I'm much more careful of mossy rocks now and place torches on the wall more frequently to keep the path lit.

"We've been walking for a while."

Verve purrs in response. The path ahead splits. One way continues down, deeper into the hole, and I assume it will eventually reach the bottom of the cavern. The other path leads into a small opening, cut into the wall next to the pathway. "Which way?" I ask Verve. It shies away from the opening.

"You don't like that way, do you? Do you sense something? Danger? Well, that's what we're here for," I lead the way, into the opening. I walk in a few steps and plant a torch on the wall. The light only carries so far, but it's clear this is a large underground space. I hear water running somewhere in the distance. I turn to see if Verve has dared follow me. Verve is nowhere to be seen.

Sluip! I turn back, what was that sound? I reach into my pocket and ready my sword. In the corner of my eye, I see a flash of red! Something passes between the torch and me, engulfing me in shadowy darkness. I feel the same thing I felt that first day on Spider Sands. Not the pain, but the fear I felt moments before the pain. The cold and tingling skin feeling of a physical body, but that doesn't make sense to my virtual, blocky body. I feel impending doom!

The shadow is on top of me. I see light around it, forming the image of many legs protruding from a central body. A giant spider! Too late, I can't turn fast enough to strike! In a split second, my body tightens, bracing for the impact and pain.

Hiss, thud! Verve catches the spider off guard, pouncing on it from the side. Verve and the spider are a tangled mess. The spider seems confused, as Verve prepares for another attack. Instinctively I swing my sword.
 

Sluip-ahhhh, the spider turns over, dead. Poof, it disappears, leaving string. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the creepy sounds spiders make.

"Verve, you saved me. Thank you," I say, feeling mentally exhausted.

Happy to have more string, Verve and I make our way out of the underground space back to the spiraling pathway. Looking up, I see the sky, way up there. From the change in shadows above, it looks as if the sun is nearing the western skyline. Time to leave, if we are going to make it home before it gets dark.

As we carefully make our way to the surface, something bothers me. I can't shake this thought. Whenever danger is near I
feel
something. It's not something digital, like the pain of being attacked or the pain of drowning. It's something different. Something
real
. How is it I have these feelings in this digital body?
 

I don't understand. I can't remember specifics about my physical life, but I do know these feelings are from the physical world. These are not feelings that belong in this virtual world.

Reaching the surface I look around, orienting myself. It's funny how disorienting it is being underground. I turn to Verve. "Verve, where are you?" I call. I hear a rustling from the jungle trees. Verve walks out into the open. A small ocelot follows.

"Verve, you're a mother," I say. "Come here, kitty."

Purreow, and it runs away.

Verve stays with me, looking back where the kitten was. "Not tame, huh," I say. Verve purrs. "Let's work on that tomorrow."

The sun is setting as we near the house. The torches I placed earlier make the scene feel warm. Verve is following me. This is the first time for the cat to experience this place. I hope it doesn't mind coming inside with me. I'll spend the night digging, and tomorrow we'll catch fish to eat and to try to tame the kitten.
 

If we have time we'll look for sheep. I need wool to make a bed. Even though my digital body doesn't need sleep, my mind needs a break. Surviving in this world exhausts me mentally. I also need to make a plan for a more reliable food source.

We arrive home, and I open the door. I step in and turn to invite Verve, who has no reservation at entering. I close the door, closing out the dark. We are safely home.

AFTER DIGGING IN THE MINE THROUGH THE NIGHT, I go up the ladder to my house to get a feel for the time. In the mine it's really impossible to know if it's day or night outside. It's always the same down there. I could easily lose track of time and mine for days without knowing it. I reach the top of the ladder, open the trapdoor, and walk to an east-facing window. Darkness. I'm sure it's past midnight. The sun will be coming up sometime in the next several hours.

Pop! Verve appears. It's the strangest thing. Verve can't climb ladders. A few minutes after climbing up or down, pop, Verve will appear. It's nice to know I can't lose my companion.

I unload my inventory into the chest. Lots of the basics: cobblestone, gravel, and dirt. Some of the harder-to-find stuff: flint, iron ore, and coal. But there are none of the really rare resources, such as diamonds and gold.

I make a few more tools with the crafting table and debate between making a fishing rod or a bow. I have just enough string for one or the other, not both. A bow will make fighting spiders easier. I can attack from a distance and get more string. But I promised Verve that I'd tame the kitten. For that I need a fishing pole. Wild ocelots love raw fish. Tame them by feeding them raw fish. I have no idea why Verve is already tame, but I'm not complaining.