The Systemic Lands
Chapter I – Day 160 – A World of Mirrors

How odd. I was just working on my thesis dissertation in my school’s library. Now I was here. Looking around, I noted the gray stones, other confused people, and two story gray boxy looking buildings with rectangular shaped windows. Looking up there were a couple of drifting clouds in the sky and the air smelled quite fresh.

The other people around me were in various states of dress. One woman was in her underwear. That was an eyeful with how she had let herself go. What exactly was happening?

“Listen up!” A man began to shout, and I turned towards him. “Listen up and quiet or else!” I noted people with swords. “Things will be explained shortly. But you need to be quiet and listen. If you panic, shout, or cause trouble you will be killed.” That took me aback. Killed!

I noted men and one woman next to the shouting man with swords. “We are going to head into that building, called the Meeting Chamber, and I will explain things. Let’s go.” I followed along with everyone else, wondering what was happening.

We entered the building and there were a couple hundred people who had come with me and lots more guards. It was hard to make out the total number of people since I couldn’t get a good view of everyone. The man who had spoken earlier was up front at a podium. I made sure to grab a seat at the front on one of the benches, so I didn’t miss anything. It was what I did in all my classes, the front seats were the best.

“Quiet. I said quiet!” People quickly shut up as swords were raised. “Do no interrupt. It will only drag things out. My name is Louis, I am your official Greeter and Guide for the next 10 days. I will now explain things. Do. Not. Interrupt. If you do, you will be removed by the guards and killed. There is zero tolerance for troublemakers.”

Everyone got silent. Well, that was quite an extreme way to get people to behave. I made sure to keep my mouth firmly closed. “Every 10 days, 250 people are teleported into the plaza of the city of Purgatory. Everyone was taken on September 1st at varying times throughout the day. There is no information on what teleported us or why we were teleported.”

“The day is currently 160 based on the first arrival to the city. This place is not Earth. Things behave differently here. The first and most important difference is that things will disappear, and an area will reset if not observed.”

What?! That violated thermodynamics. I began paying even closer attention, wishing I had a notebook and pen with me.

“Second, the only source of food and supplies is the system store, which can be accessed from the pillars in the center of the plaza. Items from the store cost points. Everyone starts with 100 points. A piece of fruit costs around 5 points. The only way to get points is to turn in crystals you get from killing monsters outside the city.” People began to mutter at this.

“Silence!” Everyone quickly shut up. “There aren’t many jobs available in the city itself and there is a 25% tax on crystals being turned in at the store to pay for store upgrades and other city expenses. One of those expenses is a restoration for all new arrivals from the store. After that you will be given public housing and food for 10 days until the next batch of arrivals.”

“Once those 10 days are up, your life is in your hands. Now the basic rules of this place. First rule don’t mess with the guards in any way. There are no prisons and none of you can afford to pay off a fine. That means you will be executed if you cause trouble.”

“Second rule, there is no begging or littering in the plaza or side streets used to enter or exit the city. If you are found, you will be executed. There are no trials if you don’t have crystals. Only business owners, people employed by them, guards, city employees, and hunters have issues resolved by a mediator.”

“That isn’t fair! We have rights!” One man began to shout. Louis gestured and a guard went over and stabbed him in the chest. There was a look of shock on his face and several people screamed. Someone was killed, just like that. The brutality! These people were insane.

“Silence! This place is not America. Let me make that clear. That brings up the third rule. Be polite and know when to shut up.” I turned my gaze away from the dying man to look back at Louis. “If you want to run or leave no one will stop you. There are people slowly dying in the outer city as they starve to death. There are rumors some of them have become cannibals.” I shuddered at that. Insane people and now cannibals, with monsters outside the city. How could this get any worse?

“Once you have had a restoration, you will be allowed to ask a single question each. So, think on your question and pay attention to the questions other people ask. If you are lacking clothes, you will be given points to get basic clothes as well. Now I am going to explain things. Listen. Then follow my instructions. Everyone will line up like in school, four lines of people. Don’t push or shove, you will all get a turn.”

“After that, we will go into the plaza and each of you will place two hands on a pillar one at a time in each line. You will then think restoration. You will then immediately say the point cost. You will then be provided with the crystals necessary to purchase the restoration. If you purchase anything else or lie about the cost, you will be killed. This is a favor we are doing for you new arrivals. After your restoration, you will go stand to the side. If you need clothing, you will be given crystals and told what to purchase. Now line up.”

I quickly got into one of the lines that formed up. Guards sorted people out as they left the Meeting Chamber and walked through the plaza to the pillars. I observed the people in front of me. I listened to the points being called out. Most of them were under 100 points. A couple people with glasses had a cost of a couple of 1,000 points.

It was my turn. I put both hands on the pillar and thought restoration. It only cost 64 points. Time to gamble. “2,364,” I said.

“Over there.” The guard pointed me over and I went to where Louis was distributing crystals from a chest. I got in line behind a person. Who took a pack of crystals back to the pillars.

“How much?” he asked.

“2,364.” He stared at me.

“What health issue?”

“Near sighted, but I don’t have my glasses, with me,” I said.

“That is 473 crystals,” he marked down what I said in a book and began moving crystals into a pack for me. “Once you cash in the crystals, bring the pack back here.

“Yes sir,” I said. I let out a sigh of relief once I got back to the pillars. I wasn’t sure what made me lie, but I knew that I needed every advantage I could grab in this place. I believe it was called Purgatory. There were so many things to remember and I needed to focus. I cashed in the crystals and purchased a restoration. That left me with 2,400 points.

“Keep moving,” a guard said before I could really look through the store options. It was weird how it was mentally putting information in my brain. I wondered if it was done through a chemical or electrical process. Something to consider for the question I would be getting.

I waited with the other people until everyone had been processed. Louis came back over and looked over everyone. “Good we are finally done. Now, we will have fruit and vegetables for dinner while a census is taken, and I will answer questions. Tomorrow, you will be free to move about. There will be two meals a day, breakfast and dinner.”

“Other than that, you can look for work, hunt monsters, or do nothing. I will remind everyone, that after 10 days, you will be kicked out no matter what and no longer entitled to support by the city. Follow me and I will show you where dinner is, where people will be sleeping, and the showers.”

I followed Louis along with everyone else. Everyone was lined up and asked questions about themselves by Louis before they were allowed food. He recorded everything down in a separate book.

“Location you were in before being teleported?”

“Harvard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.”

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“Student. I was working on my PhD for Chemistry.” I noted Louis look up at that.

“Master’s degree?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Alright, in the job discussions tomorrow, you are on the short list for a possible opening in the city. Stick around until after the rest of the people are sorted. Now move along.” I went over and picked up my piece of fruit, an apple, and a vegetable, a cucumber. Once that was done, I sat on the ground along with everyone else. A bucket was set up for people to throw trash into.

Once everyone had been questioned and eaten, some guards set up a chair on a table. Louis sat on top of it. “Now that you all have eaten, I will answer one question from each of you. Only a single question. You can’t save your question so don’t bother. So, pay attention. Once questions are over, you will be shown the public showers and where you will sleep. Do not leave anything unattended or it will disappear, including clothes. You won’t be given points for new clothes.”

An older woman slowly got to her feet and walked over in front of Louis. I frowned when I couldn’t hear the question. The guard nearby shouted it out loudly thank fully. They clearly had done this a couple of times already.

“Who is in charge of this city?”

“This city, Purgatory, is currently run by the Triumvirate, three people. The first person is Elected Representative Ken. There is a vote every 25 days, and its costs 25 points, or 5 5-point crystals to vote. Boss Tyrese is in charge of the Red Dawn guards who keep order in the plaza and collect the tax. Finally, there is Champion Michael. Next question.”

The old woman frowned but she left and went to sit back down. Other people were lining up. There was no pushing or shouting. The death from earlier still fresh in everyone’s mind. It was fresh in my mind at least.

“Who made this city?”

“Once again. This city was constructed by unknown beings. Probably whatever teleported us here. People like to speculate. I will add that it is about 6 miles in diameter and 19 miles in circumference. There are four exits at the cardinal points, North, South, East, and West.”

“What kind of monsters are outside the city?”

“There are wolves and slimes. Both dangerous and will attack on sensing you. Beyond those monsters are higher level monsters that are more deadly but give higher level crystals worth more points. The land changes in an obvious way. My advice is to work up and talk to the senior hunters.”

“Are there other cities?”

“Yes, but they have not been discovered yet. We only know this based on the information about skill points. Skill points are given for clearing a dungeon with higher level monsters. They only reset every 10 days, and permission to clear the slime dungeon is auctioned off. You will figure this out in time.”

“What kind of skills?”

“There is Acid Shot, which melts things and people and Entangling Roots, which immobilizes a target.” I continued to listen to the questions and answers. As the line of people asking questions became smaller, I got up to ask my question.

“Has anyone analyzed the materials from the store, crystals, or monster dust?” I asked.

Louis paused to think on the question for a moment. “There are efforts underway to gain more information about the Systemic Lands. But right now, the focus is survival and having more people gather more crystals from monsters.”

Something to investigate.

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