Carbon Copy 2 - The old world

Only a day had gone by when the darkness left the solar system, but the warm sunlight shining on earth illuminated a different world. Where there had once been cities, towns, and roads, now large sprawling savanna and thick pine trees covered the same areas. Lush green plains bordered dense forests so large they spanned entire continents.

On a branch, high in one of the trees, something moved. A falcon stared out across the ocean of green, confused at the change. Where was her small tree in the park? Why did it feel like she got bigger? Questions she had never been able to ask kept popping up as she spread her wings. Propelling herself forward, she quickly rose high above the forest, looking around at the small shapes starting to move.

What was that? Something she had never seen was moving close to the river, drinking from the crystal clear water. Closing in, she saw it looked somewhat like those featherless birds that build the smelly places. It was naked, small, green, and had a branch in one hand. It seemed almost small enough for her to eat, but memories of metal sticks that boomed and killed her brother kept her in the air.

Another thing moved further away, and she recognized prey; a rat, but big and with reddish fur. Feeling the anticipation of the hunt, she rushed off,  quickly forgetting about the green thing at the river.

--

Dan tried to stretch, feeling his body ache and strain, his leg cramping up. Groaning softly, he tried to recall where he was and what had happened. The last thing he remembered was some woman with cat eyes clawing his chest and arms. Feeling the tight space he was in, he tried to feel for an exit, and as he woke up, a sense of claustrophobia began to set in. Why didn't his eyes open? Where was he? All of a sudden, one of his legs, which was kicking around, stretched through some dirt into an opening.

Pushing himself from the wall in that direction, he got a mouth full of black soil before he finally felt space for his arms and legs to stretch. A slight onset of panic started when he still couldn't open his eyes, and he pawed across his eyelids. A crust of blood and sand had hardened, and he peeled it away, cursing at the pain from small cuts and bruises.

When the stuff was gone, he opened his eyes and stared up at the green leaves above his head. It was so dense, that he could only see glimpses of the blue sky above it. Confused, he tried to remember if the trees were always this large. No longer as anxious, he noticed the bird chirps and saw a few large insects fly from branch to branch. Dan's eyes grew large as he realized how large the insect was. It must be the size of his hand!

Creeped out, he looked around and found he was lying on a carpet of slightly moist leaves and moss beneath an immense tree. As he gingerly got up, he noticed the roots were waist high. The hell? There definitely wasn't a tree this big in Hargriv Park, he grunted. Touching the root, he noticed it was moist and sticky, and it smelled utterly revolting.

Crawling across the roots, he looked around in stunned silence. The forest surrounding him was dense, and he couldn't see a single trail leading through it. He did see many plants covered in thorns to one side, and he decided against heading that way. A few minutes later, he stood with his back against the last of the roots, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. When was breakfast?

Trying to ignore the aches, pains, and growling stomach, he examined the foliage around him, looking for the best path through. He needed to see what the cleaners had done beyond growing all the plants in the huge park. Hopefully the creatures are still normal-sized. Deciding on a green plant with soft-looking leaves, he began pushing it to the side, forcing his way through. Behind it was more of the same plants, and he kept tripping over the roots and loose soil.

Ten minutes later, he was still trying to find the grassie fields that he knew should be where he was currently. But it took him almost an hour, with three stops, to catch his breath before he noticed the undergrowth become thinner.

Soon he saw green grass between the dark brown, and when he finally stepped from the shadow of the last tree into the warm sunlight, he fell to his knees, leaning on his hands. Breathing hard, he felt the skin on his chest pull where the cat had scratched him. Finally having enough light, he pulled back the ripped sweater, trying to assess the damage. He could only see the bottom half, but he swallowed when he saw the red and puffy slits, at least a finger deep and with dried blood and sand in it.

"Really? After all this, I'll die from infection?" He sat down, falling on his back, and looked at the sky, quietly wondering how his family was doing. As his breathing evened out, he started hearing the sound of flowing water. There isn't any river here. He tried to find where the sound came from and rolled himself on his side to get back up. Perhaps he could clean the wounds with water, although he might need to make a fire first. Feeling his mind began working as it should, plans started forming.

Walking back to the forest, he picked out some dry branches that he bundled with his belt. A long, straight branch caught his eye and, deciding he had no idea what he might come across, he brought it along. With the bundle across one shoulder and the stick in hand, he began heading toward the water. The hills that used to be in the park had grown as well, and he trudged up a slope of grass, stopping every now and again and grateful for the stick that was doubling as a walking stick.

The last part of the hill was so steep that he had to crawl up on all fours, but what he saw when he cleared the top caught his breath away. A sprawling landscape of grassy hills and valleys, bordered by a dark green forest. Through it ran a wide dark river, white foam on it showing the water was moving fast. It disappeared into the forest and seemed to originate from what must be the smallest mountain ever: a single grey peak sticking out of the ground like a finger pointing at the sky.

Gouging the distance, Dan moaned. The reason he could hear the river wasn't because it was so close but because it was making such a racket. It would take him at least an hour to reach the closest part. Scanning his surroundings, he saw nothing useful close by, so he began walking down the hill in the direction where the river disappeared into the woods. It was the closest, and he had a dry throat and parched lips. Looking at the water almost made him want to run to it.

Almost two hours later, he decided his ability to determine distance sucked. He was almost at the river now, and he looked at the raging river. The roaring it made was giving him a headache, and he was glad to see the sides were filled with large boulders, the water streaming between them close enough to reach.

Making his way there, he dropped the bundle and the stick before crawling across the wet stones. The water spray caused him to shiver. Reaching down, he dipped a finger into the cold water before carefully sticking it in his mouth. The water was cold and sweet and tasted better than any he had ever had. He couldn't care less if that was because he was parched or because the bloody cleaners had done something to the water. Drinking with his hands until he had his fill, he inched back to the sandy shore when he heard a sound above the roaring of the river.

Feeling his heart skip a beat, he gingerly turned his head towards the forest. At the edge stood a huge stag, staring at him and blowing small lightning bolts from his nose. Every time it did, it produced a sound like thunder. They stared at each other for what Dan thought was an eternity when the stag moved closer to the river and bent to drink. It drank for a while before meandering back to the forest, giving Dan a last look and disappearing without a sound.

Unsure what to think, Dan drank another handful of water before heading back to pick up his pack of dry wood and stick. He stared at the forest for a while, wondering what he should do. He still needed to clean his wounds, but he didn't feel up to it right now. Besides, he needed shelter and food if he were to survive. Although the forest seemed dark and brooding, he knew at least there he could hide in places. Out here, on the open plains, he would be a sitting duck. Seeing the lighting stag had triggered something deep inside him, a primal sense of danger and survival.

Deciding he would need to stay close to the river, so he had fresh water, he began moving along the river into the forest. He could see pretty far, and no trees grew too close to the river to block his view. An hour later, he arrived at a small sandy clearing, the water flowing to the side, creating a pocket of water much easier to reach.

Examining his surroundings, Dan found markings on the dark soil, some small and some large. Wondering for a moment if some belonged to the lightning stag, he dropped what he held and began pulling off his sweater. It was stuck in the wounds in some places, and when he finally peeled it off, he was sweating, a red haze of pain covering his chest and flabby abdomen. Looking down, he saw two sets of claw marks on his belly, almost as deep as those on his chest.

He shook his head, moved to the water, and began cleaning the wounds. He had some experience cleaning deep cuts in his fingers from fishing when he was younger. Cleaning out the mud and dry blood proved easy enough, although painful as hell, but at a few spots, he found that the flesh was ballooning up a bit, tender to the touch. Knowing he was getting an infection, he tried to recall what to do. After a few moments, he realized he had no idea. Back when everything was normal, he would just go to the doctor or pharmacy to get a prescription.

As he was thinking about it, he heard noises coming from the forest. Freezing, he listened again before rushing back to his belongings. Grabbing everything, he rushed toward the opposite side of the woods and hid behind a fallen tree. Putting his sweater on, he waited.

A moment later, he heard a loud, rough voice, and a couple of green things walked out into the forest.

Goblins!

A feeling of utter ridicule almost caused Dan to laugh. He had played D&D and other similar games when he was a student and had seen many images of made-up fantasy monsters. At that age, he sometimes wondered what it would be like to live in such a world, but he had never thought he would see any of the fantasy creatures for real.

If those things did more than just resemble goblins, he had to be very careful now. Although they were only the size of twelve-year-olds, they had more muscles on their naked arms than he had over his entire body. They had some animal skin covering their crotch, and one even had a rough sort of leather bracelet around one arm. Both were armed with sharpened sticks as long as themselves.

Are they level 1? It was a random thought that popped up in Dan's head, but it had a miraculous effect on his psyche. All of a sudden, the fear, hunger, and anxiety- the failure, so deeply buried, at not being able to go with his family or save the people he encountered that needed help, became mixed with hope. A blinding, small spark that cast shadows across everything.

Even if they weren't level 1, there were bound to be level 1 things in this forest! If he could somehow, someway find strength and power, he might be able to find a way back to his family—no matter where they were.

Deep inside Dan, something that had long been buried awakened like a hibernating bear. The thing that had made him stand out during track and field, that which had made him train deep into the night when the others had long gone and had gotten him so close to the Olympics that he could smell it.

A sharpness came to Dan's face as he stared at the two Goblins. He was going to find out what level they were. Either now or later. But find out he would. It was just a matter of time.

The change had come in a flash, and the Goblins were only just moving next to the water. One used his stick to poke around a bit while the other bent down to drink. They seemed entirely at ease, which made Dan wonder. As far as he knew, he had only slept for an evening. How could these things be so at ease in a new environment? Waiting until the two moved back into the jungle, he left the bundle of dry wood behind and snuck after them, holding his branch in a tightly clenched fist.

Following the two Goblins through the forest proved far easier than he had thought. They hardly tried being quiet, and as soon as they got further from the roaring river, he could hear them from tens of meters away. They were passing along a well-trodden game trail that showed many more animal tracks, talking loudly.

Are they trying to scare the animals away? Dan made sure to keep his attention on his surroundings, not wanting to get blindsided.

It was a good thing he did because, after roughly ten minutes, he saw two pairs of green eyes staring at the Goblins from a tree he was about to pass. Stopping, he waited quietly until he saw two sleek feline shapes move along the branch in pursuit of the Goblins. Seeing them caused him to shiver as he recalled his encounter with the woman, but he shook it off. This might be a great opportunity! Following the sounds, he tried to keep track of the cats, which proved almost impossible. They made no sound and rarely showed themselves. Only by keeping an eye on the branches and how they moved was he able to track them.

He wondered how the cats planned to attack when he suddenly lost sight of them. Damnit, where the hell did they go? Looking around, he started becoming anxious. If he didn't move soon, he would lose the Goblins, and he wasn't sure he could follow their trail. A soft growl from behind made him jump forward, rolling onto the path. Whirling around, he saw one of the two cats stare at him without blinking. Damnit, they found me! Cursing himself, he didn't think but turned and rushed across the path. He heard movement behind him, almost as if another runner was catching up. Waiting til the last moment, he jumped sideways between the trees.

A black streak flew through the air he had been at, landed, and jumped into the forest on the opposite side. Getting back on the trail, Dan began sprinting as fast as he could. He was in no way capable of fighting those cats in the forest, and he needed help, regardless of origin. Hearing the sound of the Goblins getting closer, he gambled and took a peak across his shoulder. He saw nothing on the trail, but the bushes beside it violently shook not too far behind him.

In front of him, the backs of the Goblins appeared, and he became a bit frantic. Should he just run between them or dodge to the side at the last moment? The choice was made for him when one of the two Goblins stopped and looked around. Seeing Dan, his eyes bulged, and he raised his spear, shouting something.

Dan slowed down, looking behind him in an almost blind panic. A rustle warned him when the bushes split, and a shape sped at him. He dropped to the ground but felt something scratch his back as it passed inches above him.

The Goblins stopped shouting and began backing up, their heavily lidded black eyes opened wide and their mouth open showcasing ugly, mismatched teeth. Scrambling forward, Dan headed towards them when he saw something move just above them. A second cat got ready to jump on them. Not knowing why, he pointed at it.

"Look out, above you!"

One of the two Goblins turned his head and saw the threat as it was already jumping toward him. Showcasing decent reflexes, he raised his spear but only scratched the side of the cat as it cannoned into him. The second Goblin turned and rammed his spear forward, at the cat's exposed side. The cat somehow noticed the attack and jumped across the downed Goblin, slitting its green throat with an almost graceful claw swipe.

Arriving close to them, Dan spotted the dropped spear and jumped on it, grabbing it while swirling around and holding it up. A pair of green, piercing eyes above a gaping maw of white teeth flashed inches from his face. He felt a heavy weight impact on the spear, causing him to fall backward. He rolled to the side, letting go of the spear, hearing a soft thud behind him. Staring back, he saw the end of the spear protrude from the twitching cat, hot blood streaming from its mouth. After a second, he felt the symbol on his hand warm a bit, and he knew the cat was dead.

A soft keen came from the other cat as it stared at the spear before looking at Dan. He saw intelligence, anger, and hate in the eyes before the cat turned away, dodging the Goblin's attack. With a last look at Dan, as if trying to imprint his face, it disappeared into the undergrowth. Breathing raggedly, Dan looked at the Goblin that was staring back at him; its spear pointed at his throat. Any hope for some comradery after a successful fight was extinguished when Dan saw the Goblin's nasty grin.

Stepping to the steaming corpse of the cat, Dan grabbed the slick end of the spear and began pulling at it. It gave a bit, but the Goblin was moving toward him, only a few meters away. Panicking, Dan started wiggling and ripping the spear, feeling it slide out, all too slow. He got it out at the exact moment the Goblin's spear was rushing towards his chest. He threw himself to the side, feeling the sharp point scratch across his already wounded chest.

Tears springing in his eyes, a murderous rage, something he had never felt before, came across Dan. Fuming with anger, he saw that the Goblin had overextended and was stumbling forward. Dan jumped and aimed the spear at the Goblin's throat, ignoring the frightened eyes. As if in slow motion, he saw the tip of the spear pierce the leather green neck and exit from the other end. Ripping it back, he stepped back as the Goblin dropped his spear and clutched at his throat. Blood streamed between the gnarled and black-nailed fingers as a reddish air bubble grew in his mouth.

The Goblin dropped to its knees, before slumping forward onto the ground in an ever-growing puddle of blood and sand. Whirling around, Dan tried to spot the second cat, but there was nothing but two dead Goblins and a shishkebab cat. Feeling dizzy, he used the spear to keep standing as he stared at the Goblin he had just killed. Until now, the biggest thing he had ever killed was a trout, and that was because he was hungry during a camping trip. Feeling nauseous, he suppressed the need to vomit and knelt next to the Goblin, pressing his hands on it.

He had only one skill, so he didn't have to prepare anything but simply focused on his hand on the corpse, feeling the tattoo grow hot. Nothing happened, and he began to panic before remembering what his wife had told him what seemed like weeks ago. He turned his hand and saw a hologram-like screen hover above it with a simple question.

> Use Carbon Copy on level 1 Green Goblin?    Yes/No

He spread his fingers, and the word yes was outlined. Tapping with his index finger, the outlining blinked twice, and he felt something surge from his hand to the corpse before fainting.