The Human Experiment

Welcome to the Jungle

Chapter 4

            Everly dropped them into the most foreign construct Scarlett had ever seen.  Glancing about she was amazed by the vibrantly colored foliage that was alien in appearance.  Hues of blues, greens, and pinks created the palate upon soft brush and soaring trees.  What they stood upon couldn’t even be called grass as it appeared to be closer to moss.  Reaching down she ran her fingers over the red violet carpet shocked to find it as soft as rabbit fur.

            “I don’t think you should be randomly touching things here.”  Her companions warning was met with her glare that softened when she noted the unease upon his face.  She wasn’t the only one that was unsettled by their new surroundings.  Where she found it more inspiring it was clear that Ian was more apprehensive.

            “This is someone’s construct, isn’t it?  It should be safe then.”  Her observation was met with a sour expression.

            “We have no idea what is going on.  Until Everly and I figure out if the culprit is a hacker or the actual system, we shouldn’t assume anything in here is safe.”  Scarlett gulped taking in a sharp breath of sweet fragranced air.  The memory of her own construct going haywire filled her mind as she looked around her again with a trickle of fear.  There was no way of knowing what the original purpose of the strange construct was without knowing the backstory for it.

            “What are we going to do?”

            “We need to find the owner of this one.  My job right now it to find everyone trapped inside and keep them safe.  The company has been pulling people out of the program all morning, but they are far from finished.  Some, however, are stuck in here just like you.  Everly will be sending me through the program to find everyone of you.  If she sent us here it can only mean that this user too is trapped.  It’s possible they simply aren’t aware of it yet.”  Glancing about the area she noted several different paths that led off.  Some were well worn allowing the dark navy soil space where the foliage had been trampled away.  Other routes were less used as more plants were still in place there.  A couple hadn’t seen foot traffic in quite some time.  The beautifully colored vines and leaves having reclaimed them.  The beginnings of a trail were still noticeable beneath the large leaves that hung over it.  The small hints of it however vanished underneath all the growth.  It could be that they led to less than favorable places, or they had merely been forgotten over time. 

She walked in a circle studying each one before moving to the mouth of the next.  She continued the action until finding her way back where she started.  It would seem beneficial to take the more traveled paths.  Unfortunately, they could lead to well populated areas that would make it harder to find the owner of the construct.  If it was up to her, she would want to take one of the less traveled pathways that whispered of amazing sights to behold.  The overgrown trails would be the last option.  Not necessarily because of the seemingly forgotten trails but because of the possible reasons these were allowed to be taken back over.  Although depending on how the construct was created it could be a camouflage for the very route the creator had in fact taken.  A slight pounding was beginning to set in at the bridge of her nose.  A tracking skill would come in handy right about now.  Since she would never be able to become one of the hunters it was never something she needed to learn.  Looking to Ian she saw a similar look of confusion upon his face as well.  It appeared being a sentinel in the construct didn’t allot him the skill either.

“Which way do we go?”  Ian shrugged in response moving his eyes from one path to another.

“We could flip for it?”  He offered with a sardonic smile as she snorted at the suggestion.

“I thought you were supposed to keep me safe.  How would choosing that way guarantee that we end up on the correct path?”

“It doesn’t.”  He deadpanned.  “You choose then.”

“Me?”

“There’s no one else here.”  He made a point of looking around the area before turning his amber eyes back to her expectantly.

“How am I supposed to pick one?”  Ian shrugged while patiently waiting.  Scarlett while crossing her arms across her chest.  She would have argued with him but was sure it was pointless.  Turning back to the task at hand she glanced between each option.  Without knowing who Ian was as a person she would still guess that he would want to take a trail that was more used.  She still felt that it would be a poor decision and wouldn’t lead them any closer to the creator of the construct.  It might be petty of her, but she also didn’t want to pick one of those simply because she thought that he would.

Not knowing the person behind the fantasy world didn’t help either.  All that left her with was a path that she would want to go down.  While any regular person would stick to the more traveled areas that didn’t appeal to her at all.  There was one overgrown route that seemed to be beckoning her more than the others.  She could ignore it for one of the apparent safer options.  Something inside her was niggling her to choose it though.  With a heavy sigh she dropped her arms and walked over to it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“You’re the one that told me to choose, and I pick this one.”  Ian was giving her a hard glare as he looked between her and where she wanted to go.

“Why that one?”

“Are you serious?”  Instead of answering her he placed his hands in his pockets as if intent to wait her out.  Scarlett threw her hands up before settling them upon her hips and meeting his gaze straight on.

“Something is telling me that we should head down this one.”  His eyes glazed over deep in thought.  Tapping her foot restlessly on the ground she all but started pacing while giving him time to decide.

“What do you do for a living?”

“How is that relevant right now?”  Ian shrugged his broad shoulders sending her a cheeky grin.  She almost smiled back but bit her cheek to keep it in.

“Just humor me.”  Did he mean literally?  Scarlett shook the question from her thoughts.  She couldn’t understand how that would help them now but decided to roll with it.  If it meant it would get him moving, then so be it.  She definitely wasn’t heading out on her own.

“I’m a receptionist.”  Ian quirked an eyebrow at her as if to say he didn’t believe her.  Her shoulders slumped as she sighed.  “That’s my official job I swear.  I am however an amateur writer.”  She cringed at her confession, but her words seemed to have thawed him.  Walking over he stood in front of her.  His height had her craning her neck to keep eye contact.

“Now that makes more sense.”  Looking out into the growth of the foreign forest he acted like what he had said was of little importance.

“Did my occupation really matter that much?”  She had reached out to grip his arm for attention and was momentarily distracted by the muscular structure she had found.  She gave a little squeeze and then another.  Completely entranced by the arm under her hand.  She didn’t really get much in the way of contact outside of a handshake in her day-to-day job.  As for her other profession, if it could even be called that, there was no one else around when she wrote.  The only interaction she got there was when she brought her work to the fantasy system to see her characters come to life.  Ian cleared his throat drawing her eyes back up to his as her hands pulsed against his bicep.

“Do you mind?”  She must have looked rather confused as he looked pointedly at her hands messaging his arm.  Flushing she released him apologizing for her wondering attention.  Chuckling he shook his head.  “Like I said, it makes sense.”  She would have offended by his observation if he hadn’t begun to move into the thicket already.

“Don’t leave me here alone.”  She groaned as she tried to match his strides. 

“A little help here Everly.”  He called out into the air.  She wondered if they were going to be flung into yet another construct, or if this Everly had a way to clear the way.  If that was the case, he should have simply asked his partner which way they should go.  Reaching down into the thick growth around them Ian produced a short sword of some kind.  Swinging it through the foliage vines and leaves tumbled out of their way.  “Now this is more like it.” 

Scarlett stumbled a bit as she watched him work with the sword to clear their path.  Were Everly and Ian able to change the constructs?  It had only been one object that changed but it was enough for her to raise her previously lowering guard back up.  If they could change things within the worlds, what else could the two of them do?