One moment I was going through the motions of a regular Monday. Next thing I knew I was entering a fantasy world with magic and... what was it again? Right, different races.
"Can you hear me?"
"Yes." I reply.
"You are not supposed to reply out loud to the system. Is it your first time or what?"
"It's my first day." I say, then cover my mouth as if trying to erase my blunder.
"If it really is your first time then...," The voice made a pause as if waiting for something dramatic to happen and I take my time to admire the landscape. Clean air, beautiful mountains in the distance and trees adorning the scenery like random strikes of a brush in a canvas. I was just about to say how much I missed my desk when the most dizzying sensation hit me and I can't keep myself from throwing up. "that's it. Let it all out."
"I'm good." I say after wiping the corner of my mouth, but the voice remained ominously silent as though calling my bluff. Two more rounds of throwing up and I really was done. I wanted to ask what was happening to me but I didn't want to sound confused like the voices in the white room.
"It's called summoning sickness. It happens the first time someone whose physical body is still alive travels to another world."
"A heads up would have been nice."
"Didn't you go through the basic training?"
"I'm just covering a shift," I shrug then feel embarrassed because the system manager can't see me. "what world is this anyway?"
"That's irrelevant for the mission and we work on a need to know basis. The atmosphere is safe to breathe, water is clean and food is not tainted, that's all you need to know about this world for now. It will take some time set you up, but you can start walking."
Out of nothing but curiosity I tried asking a few question to the manager but I didn't get any direct answers. It may sound frustrating, but the need to know basis is actually reassuring for a desk agent like me and soon after I gave up and just walked in silence. After all, it's easy to be overwhelmed by useless information and I might start overthinking things that are not needed for the mission.
"Your mission is to find a traveler whose system is glitched and fix it. You will then have to stay a few more days and make sure it's working properly."
"I'm not a coder, I don't know how to do that... will I be paid extra hours?"
"That's not my department," The voice in my head said sternly, then continued. "keep walking east until you spot castle walls, then head straight inside the city without interacting with the guards."
"You could have just summoned me inside..."
"Travel is also arranged by another department. Hang on one second." The voice became silent then a blue screen popped up in front of me.
'-Agents must refrain from intervening directly in any meaningful way. This includes social and romantic interactions, economy, politics, saving or harming people (see exceptions in the guidebook)
-Agents must not leave any trace of their passing through a world. This includes weapons, artifacts, technological devices and possibly knowledge of other worlds.
-Agents must not disclose the existence of the bureau, other agents or travelers.'
"I think I got the gist of it."
"Keep reading."
'-Agents must not interact with the system in any way that could be noticed by neither travelers or natives.'
"Oh." I keep walking until I find the castle walls and I do exactly as told. The guards didn't seem to mind me, though they clearly saw me which must mean my appearance is not something out of the ordinary.
The path I needed to follow was highlighted in yellow guiding me further inside the city. It's pretty convenient, way better than GPS. I'm not into walking long distances, but this is good exercise. Too bad I don't have my pedometer app to add it to my profile.
"Good morning, Sir." A man bows down his head as I walk past and I find it odd, then I realize it's not just him. Everyone who sees me reacts in some way making me feel the urge to ask the system what is going on, but rules are rules.
The yellow path finally comes to an end at the entrance of a strange building and I casually stroll inside trying to appear like I know what I'm doing. It's not like my life is at stake as I can technically go back to the bureau whenever I want and I can even be forcefully extracted by the system.
"Thrash will always be trash." The mocking laughter that followed calls my attention and make my way towards the noise.
"If you're so useless as a squire you should just give up." Another adds and I step into the scene just as they threw a bucket of murky water at a teen boy lying in the ground.
'Such stereotypical bullying.' I think to myself having a hard time keeping myself from rushing in and helping the boy.
"That's the subject, the one on the ground," The system warns. Taking my silence as a cue to continue speaking it informs. "the name is John Demers, he was on his late twenties when it happened. He's been in this world for sixteen years and has adapted well, but we lost track of him around a year ago. When that happens, it usually means the traveler is dead or has a glitched system. What are you waiting for, step up!"
"What's going on here?" I sternly ask.
"We're just putting the trash where it belongs, Sir!" They say almost in unison then I gesture them to get out. I can't give them a proper lesson, but that doesn't mean I have to be polite to them.
"Are you Okay?"
"Yes, Sir." The boy said eyes welling up in tears he failed to hold.
"You're doing fine, keep him talking while I scan his status." The system manager says.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
"It's nothing..."
"It clearly isn't. You can talk to me." I extend my hand and the boy shyly grabs it.
"They're my friends... or at least they were until I failed at the squire test."
"Really?" I ask in the most neutral way I can waiting for the system to do the thing.
"Done, you'll need to stand in close proximity to the subject for a few hours and the system will be fixed. You can offer to teach him the ropes. That will give you a cover for staying close."
'Teach him what!? I don't know the first thing about this world and the little I know about squires comes from TV.' I inwardly gripe at the same time I speak with confidence. "I could teach you a thing or two if you want."
"Are you an instructor!?" The boy's eyes lit up in a passionate flame that can't be ignored.
"Sure." I nod.
"Will tomorrow be fine? I... I need to clean up the stables tonight." The boy looked dejected, but the light in his eyes returned the moment I nodded once more.
The yellow path appeared again, this time leading me to the third floor on the keep and straight into a bedroom. It's obviously not up to today's standards but the bed looks cozy enough.
"You'll be staying here for now. This place is owned by the bureau and can be used by agents... stay away from the mini bar." Before the I get the chance to thank the system for the solid advice the system manager says something about clocking out.
"So it wasn't an AI..." I mutter to myself.
My first experience stepping into another world left me with a bitter after taste. All the voices I heard while covering shifts at the induction department had led me to believe traveling to other worlds was a dream come true, but to me it was nothing special.
Sure, there are quite a few things that can be considered marvelous like the handy system that can guide you better than any app on the market or the fact that my appearance was shifted to perfectly fit into this world. I'm not complaining about that.
I guess I expected more.
Just as that thought lulled me and my eyes began closing the sound of alarm startled me. I look outside the hole in the stone that functioned as a window and there's people running all over the place.
"We're under attack!" Someone bangs on my door like their life depended on it. I ponder for a few seconds about what to do but the rule about not intervening directly into local matters pops into mind.
"I'll just log off." I say as I open the system and tap the air where the 'recall' button appears.
A sense of dread traverses my spine as my finger passes through the button as if I was a ghost and the realization hits me.
I am stuck in another world.