James's Descent Ch. 03

She was alone out in the big enclosure that their new home was in. Nathan had given her space. But the girl was moving on from sadness to rage. She looked up at the sky... a clear day with no clouds. But she felt that look upon her.

"WHY?!"

Her cry towards the sky felt useless... even as James saw it and felt even worse for not being able to solve this. Slowly, he was coming around to the idea that this was real. Pam had no idea what else to do... other than to call out the gods.

"Outsider, you fucking perverted bastard! Are you out there?! Why did this happen?! ANSWER ME YOU COWARD! If you even fucking exist."

Something from the dev menu might count. Okay, most of these were probably unremarkable unless he decided to make some creature appear in front of her... or items. Wait... that one.

Pam flinched as about ten meters in front of her, on the rocky side that was recently mined out by Nathan... lightning stuck. It was a clear day. She saw no cloud to even justify it. And then... she had a bit of a smile.

"Wait... is that you... mind doing that again to make sure?"

Have two lightning strikes. They'd go in quick succession in exactly the same area. James was coming off as a god. Technically, he kinda was. Even by the text of their religion, he was exactly what he said he was. "We are in the guard of a great outsider that lives outside our world."

"You... DO exist?! Wow. Actual god. Uh... sorry for that thing I called you earlier... bit pissed off. Bet you're a nice guy. Or gal. Or... anything else."

At least this was a bit fun to James as well. Maybe he could not get tone, but it did look like Pam was out of her fuzz... at least for a second.

"Okay, so... WHY did that guy just disappear after being so fucking perfect?!"

Now how to answer that question through some specific dev commands? Drop a book? Nah, might not contain what he wanted to say. Where could he fill in text again? Damn, this was difficult... maybe he should have told them. Or at least her. Though if Pam was as clever as she was, his charade would not go on for long.

Wait... charades. Maybe if he dropped a particular item she might... interpret it. How would it even appear? Doubtful it would drop from the sky. Now, how to say that he can't stay?

Pam kept looking at the skies. Nothing more. Was that it? Just a confirmation that they did exist and no real answer? Or maybe someone was playing with lightning and messing with her? Well, this could work.

After a sigh and a look down, the girl would see something in the area where lightning struck. It was... a really big egg. Big and silvery, it was covered in these big cracks and... was moving around a bit. A good thing was that Pam was perplexed by it and did not approach, instead looking at the item that just appeared to see what it was. The egg just exploded like it was made of dynamite, to another flinch as she could now look up "eggs that explode". Huh, there was some genetic hybrid that lays eggs called "detonating unstable egg".

"Unstable? Wait... he couldn't stay?"

Nothing else. A sigh. Maybe they could shore up their defenses a bit. Wait, why was she thinking of that... and bringing that little organizer to help her keep her ideas sorted? And why was she placing walls out on the other side of the map? And why did they...

"OH!"

Spelling with building blueprints? Why not? And her actions mimicked his own. The plans spelled a message.

"HE COULD NOT STAY"

"Drat! Wait, is that you? Can you not... talk to us directly? Are you doing this?!"

Clear the plans. Lay new ones. It was like she was getting an impulse that felt natural. But once her hands finished the plans, she could see the message.

"YES"

"Damn, this is so cool! So, you are watching over us." Beat. "Wait..." A look towards the plans for the base. They were rough, more like room shapes. But now she thought how... she had that right from the get-go. "Did you plan out everything?"

Here comes that impulse again.

"I PLANNED THE BASE"

"Damn. Guess I'm not that clever. So... uh... why can't the guy stay?"

James could tell her... and clear things up. But she must be suspecting something already.

"I'M WORKING ON IT"

That made her smile. There must be some issue somewhere.

"YES! Hey, is he special in some way? Most visitors don't do that."

Now, James does not want to lie, but he can't just go and tell her. Wait, why couldn't he tell her? Right, it might lead to some unreasonable adulation. Maybe he could make some bullshit story if he could come back. But now.

"I WON'T ANSWER THAT"

"WHY?!" Pause. "Oh... you're keeping something from me. Must mean he IS special!"

Damn. Well, he could only praise her for that.

"CLEVER GIRL"

Pam had a smile on her face. Praised by a god. And why is that James guy special? If they come around again she's so going to pepper them with questions. IF.

But her hand wiped the board and wrote out a new message. James had no idea if they were aware of this, but this might be a fun distraction for her mind.

"ALSO, YOU'RE PREGNANT"

Time for Pam to shit bricks. Only one person it could be with. Okay, she was out of her fuzz. Having that guy's baby? AMAZING. She didn't really plan on being a mom, but she was a girl and that's kinda the function. Much better than having Nathan impregnate her.

"I... wow. Wait, with HIM?! YES! Oh, thank you, Outsider! You really are a nice guy. Or girl." Beat. "Uh, can you tell me which?"

"GUY"

"Damn, Nathan was right. I'm not telling him. And hurry up to bring that James guy back to me!"

"BE PATIENT"

Be patient because James had no idea how to do it again. He didn't initiate anything. Okay, he went to sleep. Could that work? Pause and go lie down in bed. Not only would he not be able to fall asleep so soon, but even trying to vividly imagine that place did not work. No, this was insanity. Another smoke and more thought to this.

He felt like he was going insane because he just had a conversation with a virtual person... like those guys who get AI girlfriends. But Pam did not feel like an AI. He tried one of those things and it could not hold a narrative string even for a paragraph. She felt like... a person. The best he could do was keep playing... and see if that repeats. Now that they were like real people, he felt like his self-imposed limitation was a bit cruel. He was slowing them down on purpose when they could have more hands to help around. They could be doing better. Should he abandon his idea of this big, incestuous colony and start taking in people?

What would they want? Well, they'd want whatever he did. Even if they were not aware of it. The idea did have some sexual charm to it, but he was imposing things on people. Playing god. Well, he was a god from their perspective... but was it right to do this? He could not make his mind up. Time to head back inside and resume playing.

The man would slow down just a bit to eavesdrop on some conversations. They felt so... organic. No, this was something more.

*

Anna woke to see the roof of the hospital room. Her head was still pounding a tad, but she was better if moving was still difficult. She had no idea what that was....

She had to wait half an hour until the door to the room opened. Nathan was coming around to feed her. He almost dropped the plate on seeing her eyes open.

"You're awake!"

"Yes. What happened? And how long was I out?"

"Pam said it was something called psychic coma. And... about two days."

"The bed must be a mess. I can't feel my body."

"I... uh... cleaned for you."

A warm smile. It was good they were comfortable with that or this might have been awkward. She was naked under the cover, her outfit on the other bed, washed of her... soiling.

"Good boy. I assume you two held on without me."

"It was... a bit difficult. But we managed. Glad you're okay. I mean it."

"We'll get back to what we were doing once I can stand."

Nathan was trying not to think of sexual things. This was not the time. Her flirting made him blush. But he was eager to have her stand again.

"And you brought me food. Must have been hard to feed me when I was out."

"It took a bit... and... this is really good. Though I have no idea what's in it."

"Beef and tomatoes. Nice to hear you like it. I only had a taste."

He could feed her much more easily now, letting the woman enjoy that collection of clumped-up protein. It was hard to actually taste the tomato in there, with just a faint idea, but the taste was there. Something bothered her, but she had no idea what. Nathan brought her up to speed on the developments. A bit more mining, Pam started building some stuff in the rooms he had managed to fully clear out.

"Sounds like we might be able to move in there soon enough."

"Not gonna be too pretty. Rough stone everywhere. Feels more like a cave. But... I feel a tad safer. Also, all the rock keeps the heat out... and in. Might have an easier time heating it."

"Sounds like your sister knew what she wanted."

"Oh, she wanted to talk to you when you were awake."

"Got you that worried, huh?"

"Yeah, but... you want to hear this."

Anna had quite the positive reaction to hear that not only did she have some sort of proof of their god existing, but that Pam spoke to them. And they could still do it. There was an agreement to not bother them too much, mostly because this way was a bit roundabout.

Still, it was proof that they were not just following a code set by people. There was a chance that there might be some worldly explanation for it, so they would not take it as absolute proof. But a certainty emerged in their ways... one that would make them even more eager to engage in the outsider's instructions.

And it was time to settle in for the long haul.