OFF//WORLD: It's Easy to Save the Universe When You're in a Pocket Dimension

Chapter 2 - You Died.

That gave her pause. Not like she had progressed very far anyway, but this was a clever play mechanic. Sort of an optional hardcore mode where death was made permanent... Would doing so allow her to log out of the game? Or would she be just starting out naked again somewhere else?

No, there were too many unknowns. And despite that, she was suddenly intrigued again.

"Help?" she tried.

A smaller message winked on below the first.

"Your query has been received. A Game Master will be with you in approximately..." It floated above a timer that showed 9hrs15min EST.

"Shortly, sure. Ugh, Fine." Jane threw up her invisible hands in defeat. "No, do not proceed."

And thus she found herself hurtling through the sky again. Her coat flapped like a cape as she attempted to aim herself at that golden, unknown marker. But it was way too far to reach this way. Best she could do was glide slowly in that direction. So, instead, she chose one of the green spawn points that was between here and there. NO-1.

North Level 1, most likely.

The world resolved and Jain found herself standing on another stone slab in another small clearing. The experience was far less disorienting that time; decisiveness paid off, apparently. Jain smiled, it was fun learning how games worked. Or, new worlds in this case.

The forest loomed, somehow less friendly than it had been the first time. And again, only silence among the trees. No wildlife. Just a cool breeze that lifted the corners of her jacket. No directions either. Her smile faded. Maybe Kindred and the others would find her somehow, show her the bypass.

No, she thought. There are other people, other places. As before, a single path led out of the clearing and into the forest. Rather than making a sharp turn to another straightaway like the other one, this path veered left and then twisted between the trees like it had been crocheted by her grandmother. It was not exactly dark and creepy, but this was no afternoon stroll, either.

"You can do this yourself," she whispered. Sitting around waiting for somebody to help her was pretty pathetic. And the longer she stood there, the stronger the feeling great that someone—or something—was watching her. It might be nothing, but that would be a foolish assumption to make. So, crinkling her toes to keep the fuzzy slippers from flying off, Jain stepped down onto the road and began to walk it.

The clearing was far behind her by the time Jain heard the sounds of something other than her own footsteps moving through the forest. An occasional twig snapping, or the rustle of a small animal digging for... acorns or whatever. But no gunshots. No whoops or hollers. The area around Spawnpoint NO-1 was a ghost town.

Oh, she thought. No-one. Ugh. She was not in the mood for nonsense. Still... it was enough to elicit a snort. If you can't find something to enjoy in every experience, her mother used to say, you're living too hard.

Above the canopy of evergreens, the sky was darkening to a rich lavender hue. The box art had depicted a great purple gas giant floating above the trees, engulfing the horizon. Almost as if it served as this world's sun. Perhaps it was about to make an appearance?

A gentle thrill warbled in Jain's belly. On Ganymede you could see Jupiter always, of course; its flaxen tumult of storm clouds were awe-inspiring, but familiar, and it was distant enough that you could cover it with a thumb. This was a truly alien world, if OFF//WORLD's marketing could be believed. A real place, somewhere in space and time that could only be reached via the technology she had fastened so casually around her delicate, fleshy throat.