A Whole New World

WP] The world seems to be your average sword and sorcery world. You, a young adventurer have descended down into a forgotten tomb. There, you find strange metals and plastics. Lights come on without torches. A man made of metal awakens, stumbling toward you. "What year is it?" he asks

*****

Angus was disoriented by the blare of noise and light which were an affront to his senses. The room was awash with a fluorescent glow, the metallic walls were cool to the touch. Mechanisms vibrated with activity and screens illuminated with facts and figures in a language he could not comprehend.

Movement.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a silver and white humanoid shape stirring. He turned toward the movement but halted when the form spoke, “stop right there!” It said.

“Welcome traveler,” replied Angus as he raised his hands into the air. “I mean you no harm.”

“What year is it?” Inquired the being curtly.

“It is the fifth year of the era of the Third Mage Lord, of course,” replied Angus as he furrowed his brow. “What kind of—“

“Third Mage Lord?” Said the being. “When is that in relation to 2022? In plain terms, please.”

“When…?” Said Angus. “Why, at least 1,300 standard rotations if my horological education serves.”

“Jesus,” murmured the being. He had overshot his mark. By a lot.

“What are you exactly?” Asked Angus.

“Sorry. Just trying to get my bearings straight. I’m Captain Robert Ellison, Horotrek division. I appear to have overshot my destination. Can you point me to your nearest Master of Time?”

“Master of Time?” Said Angus with a puzzled look. “I know not of what you speak. Whatever are these devices and by what sorcery are you controlling them? I’ve not seen such an ability.”

“Shit,” muttered Robert. “You mean to tell me I’ve hit a mystical vein? God I should have known when you told me what year it was. Computer,” he ordered, “calculate atmospheric content.”

“Calculating…” said a voice from above. Angus fell to his knees in deference. “78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% Argon, 0.1% other.”

“And atmospheric pressure?”

“Calculating…1.01 atmospheres,” replied the Computer.

“Good,” Robert said as he removed his helmet. His beard was askew and his hair matted down, but it was a relief to breath fresh air.

“You’re a person?” Said Angus with a sense of relief. “What are you doing here and how did you get all of this into this cave?”

“Look,” said Robert,” I don’t have a lot of time to explain everything. What I can tell you is this: I’ve travelled here from the past and you’re living in what is known as a mystical vein. This era is temporary and illusory. I need you to take me to your—what term did you use earlier—Grand Mage was it ?”

“Mage Lord,” interjected Angus.

“Ah yes, Mage Lord,” continued Robert snapping his fingers. “I need you to take me to this Mage Lord so that I may convene with him and get myself back on the proper timeline.”

“I cannot promise that the Mage Lord will grant you an audience, but I can take you as far as the Capitol Court in Gravesend. We should set out soon. I expect to learn more about your land—er, time, on our journey.”

“Very well,” replied Robert as he approached a console. He typed vigorously at keys before exhaling sharply. “This shit is fried. Ok, let me gather a few items before we venture out.” With that Robert opened a hatch and removed a rigid, white pod. He began filling the pod with foodstuffs, water, weapons, and a digital notepad. He could feel Angus staring at him.

“You must teach me this sorcery. How do you fit all of that in such a small pod?”

“Oh. Listen,” said Robert, “I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s going to happen at some point. I like to shoot straight and I don’t want you to be shocked when this comes up down the line. Sorceries are a scam, fake. There isn’t any sorcery about this; this is science. The pod acts as a conduit to a parallel timeline that is empty. I can place and remove objects as I need.”

“That sounds like sorcery to me,” said Angus. “And if there is no such thing as sorcery, how do you explain this?” He raised his hand and said, “Lumier!”

Nothing happened.

“I’m sorry, this is most embarrassing,” said Angus. “This never happens to me, I swear.”

“Ha, don’t worry about it, that’s a feature, not a bug,” said Robert with a chuckle. “You see, my ship here exists outside any illusionary tacks within a mystic vein. That is to say, your sorcery is no good here.”

Robert could tell that Angus was confused and more than a little hurt that his powers had failed him. “Oh, come here, I’ll show you what I mean."

The two exited the cave. Robert was struck by the beauty he saw. The cave sat atop a mountain at the base of which nestled a valley with a swift, white river flowing through it. Robert could see other snow capped peaks from across the valley and could just make out the sprawling city through the haze below. He also spotted what must be the fortress of the Capitol Court tucked at the base of the opposite mountain.

The illusion was rather powerful.

Robert urged Angus to again attempt his spell. “Lumier!” Repeated Angus. This time a column of fire extended to the heavens from his outstretched arm. “Ha! You see. You mustn’t doubt our sorcery!” Said Angus as he closed his fist to extinguish the pillar of fire emanating from his appendage.

Robert took a deep breath. “Ok. This is the hard part, son. Say, I’ve not gotten your name,” he said realizing his lapse in manners.

“Angus,” he said and shook Robert’s hand.

“Ok, Angus, what I’m about to show you isn’t going to be easy to see. You’re going to feel disoriented, betrayed, and—more likely than not—very angry. But it is critical that the illusion be shattered if this is going to work.” With that Robert pulled out a pair of binoculars and put them to his eyes. “Just as I suspected,” he said as he handed the binoculars to Angus. “Take a look for yourself, kid.”

Angus put the sights to his eyes and stared through them. He removed the sights and repositioned them a second time. He gasped and trembled before removing his eyes from the unit. “No. No, no, no. This is some trick. This is an illusion! You bastard! What is the meaning of this dirty ploy?” He screamed as he threw the binoculars at Robert.

Robert retrieved his binoculars from the grass and replaced them in his pod. “It’s no trick, I’m afraid,” he said as he stared across the valley, “those sights show you the reality which has been obscured. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but your idyllic world is nothing but a lie. I suspect your Mage Lord is leveraging holo-ocular projection to obfuscate the true state of your world.”

“But…but that hellscape I saw,” stammered Angus, “it can’t be…oh god.” Angus fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

“I know, son,” said Robert as he patted Angus on the back. “It isn’t a good feeling to have the wool pulled over your eyes, it’s an even worse feeling to have the wool removed—like a scabbed over bandaid, there’s bound to be some bleeding and pain. But you’ll be better for it. Now that you’ve seen it, the illusion will begin to fall apart for you without the sights. As we journey into that valley, you’ll see the world for what is truly is.”

Angus couldn’t shake the image from his mind. Towers extending into the sky, shouldering fires along the valley edge, smoke billowing and blotting out the sun like ink spilled across a page. The river, once deep blue and white with rapids, now ran a putrid green and hissed as it cut a new indiscriminate path through the valley. The image of ruins where the beautiful Capitol once stood burned his eyes. He felt the pang of homesickness and the sense of loss that accompanies the feeling of longing for home while already being there.

“For what it truly is? You’ve cursed me, you demon!” He screamed and threw off Roberts hand before collapsing and sobbing.

Robert grabbed Angus and looked him in the eyes. “Look at me. Look! I need you. I know this is a lot to take in. It’s too much. But if you ever want to set about fixing your world, you must first see it for what it is. Only then can you enact meaningful change. And I need you if I’m to fix my world. Whether you like it or not our fates were intertwined the second you found me.”

Angus stared blankly into Roberts eyes.

“Come then. Let us venture into this newfound hell.”