Chapter Three: The Storm and the Catch
As I took a deep sniff of the air I noticed that the air felt different. The humidity in the forest had thickened, clinging to me like a second layer of skin. The usual sounds of the wildernes and the distant calls of strange animals weren't as loud as usual, the rustling of the underbrush as unseen creatures moved about had begun to fade into an unnatural stillness. Something was coming. I glanced up at the sky and noticed that the bright blue sky had darkened, the sun now hidden behind an advancing mass of thick, rolling clouds. The wind, which had been nothing more than a gentle whisper in the trees, had started to pick up, stirring the canopy above into restless motion. That when I realized that a storm was coming. And not a small one. I had seen enough weather patterns back in the wasteland to recognize the signs.
I turned back toward my shelter, quickening my pace. My cave was sturdy, reinforced with wooden beams to prevent collapse, but I needed to make sure everything was properly secured. The last thing I wanted was to return from a supply run to find my tools scattered or my firewood drenched. As I approached the entrance, the first cold droplets of rain splashed against my skin, creating small dark patches on the dry dirt. Within moments, the drizzle became a downpour, the sound of raindrops hammering against the leaves drowning out everything else. I barely made it inside before the storm truly hit.
Lightning split the sky, illuminating the forest for a fraction of a second before a deafening boom followed. The wind howled, bending trees that had stood for centuries, sending loose branches tumbling through the air like thrown spears. I watched from the safety of my cave, the fire inside crackling warmly, untouched by the chaos outside. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, scanning the interior. Everything was where it should be—my stone tools stacked neatly in one corner, a small pile of dried wood protected from the rain, and the various samples of ore and minerals I had collected sitting in an orderly row near the back wall. There wasn't much to do but wait.
I leaned against the entrance, listening. The wind carried with it a strange sound—a faint squelching, a writhing movement just outside my cave. At first, I thought it might have been one of the many creatures that roamed this land, seeking shelter from the rain. But as I stepped forward and looked down at the wet earth, I saw them. Worms. Hundreds of them.
The rain had driven them out from beneath the soil, forcing them to the surface in wriggling, tangled masses. Some were small, no larger than the earthworms I had seen in the wasteland. Others… were much bigger. The largest among them was almost the length of my forearm, its segmented body glistening under the flashes of lightning. I crouched down, reaching out to pick one up. It squirmed in my grip, but it wasn't aggressive, just like a regular worms from earth before being mutated by radiation, forced from its underground home by the storm and as I just sat there looking at the worms an idea came to my mind, an opportunity that i wasn't going to let pass me by.
I had no need for food, but I still had the ability to taste things. And I hadn't had fresh fish for a very long, long time. These worms would make excellent bait. If they thrived in this environment, then that meant the rivers and lakes nearby likely held fish accustomed to feeding on them. Once the storm passed, I would take some of the worms with me to test my theory. I worked quickly, gathering the largest ones and placing them into a tightly woven bucket. By the time I was done collecting all the worms i needed, the storm had worsen and was still raging outside, but I had what I needed.
The night was long. The wind battered the trees relentlessly as rainwater pooling in the lower parts of the forest. I stoked the fire, keeping the cave warm and lighting up my pich black cave, using the time to build my self a crude, primitive fishing rod. A simple spear worked well but only for shallow waters. So with nothing else to do i began to craft my fishing pol. The fibers of some local plants were strong enough to be twisted into something resembling thread, and with time, I could create hooks out of sharpened bone or metal. For now, though, I would keep things simple.
By morning, the storm had begun to die down. The rain slowed to a drizzle, the sky still gray but no longer churning with fury. I stepped outside, the ground beneath my feet soft and damp. The air smelled fresh, cleansed by the storm, carrying the scent of wet earth and foliage. Pools of water had formed in dips in the terrain, and small streams had been carved out by the heavy rain. Perfect conditions for fishing.
I made my way to the river, the woven basket of worms slung over my shoulder. The water was murkier than before, swollen from the storm, but it still flowed steadily. I selected a spot near the bend, where the current wasn't as strong, and set my bait. It didn't take long before I got my first bite.
The fish in this world weren't quite like the ones from Earth. The first one I pulled from the water was sleek, with dark green scales and a long, sinuous body. It thrashed violently, strong for its size, but I kept my grip firm. Its teeth were sharp, designed for tearing into prey, but it wasn't large enough to be a true danger. I observed it for a moment before deciding it was safe to eat. More followed. Within an hour, I had caught several, each one a different size and species. Some had fins that glowed faintly, a result of whatever strange evolutionary path this world had taken. Others had armored scales, tougher than any fish I had seen before. Fascinating.
I carried my catch back to the cave, eager to see if they were as good as they looked. I gutted and cleaned them, using a sharpened stone to remove the scales. The meat was firm, fresh, and smelled nothing like the irradiated fish that had been common in the wasteland. I skewered them on a sharpened stick, holding them over the fire, watching as the fat sizzled and dripped into the flames. The smell alone made the effort worth it. I took my first bite.
The taste was incredible. It was rich, slightly sweet, nothing like the bland, preserved food I had eaten before. Even though I didn't need to eat, I still enjoyed it. This was more than just food and it reminded me of something normal, of being human.
As I sat by the fire, enjoying my meal, I thought about how much had changed since when I was young, waking up in a volt hundreds of year's later, sent into the future. Transplanting my modify brain into a custom modify gen 3 synth body, arriving on this unknown planet in a teleportation accident. And now look at me, I have a nice shelter, tools, and a fresh start in life. I had begun gathering the resources I needed to push forward. And now, I had something that felt like a reward to all my efforts.
The storm had passed, but it had left behind more than just destruction, an opportunity to relax and remember that i was human and that taking small step toward reclaiming the things I lost could be fun and mentally rewarding. Tomorrow, I would continue my work. The forge still needed to be built. The mines still needed to be expanded. But for now, I allowed myself to simply sit and enjoy this moment of peace.
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End of Chapter Three