Barry's day had started off so well. He'd had a nice healthy breakfast, gotten some studying done, and had a great training session with his dancing group. He'd been on top of his game, feeling swell. Looking forward to seeing his family again. Hopeful for the future.

Now, he was desperately trying to remember how to get a dislocated arm back into its socket. He'd seen it done before, but he could barely think through the panic. The bull was coming closer with that ridiculous speed – he could already feel the pounding of its massive hooves through the ground.

Out of time to think it through, he grabbed his limp right arm and brought it up with his left, a groan of pain pushing out through clenched teeth. With his left arm crossed over his chest, he lifted higher until it was arched over his head, pulling his right arm closer and higher still, stretching and moving it until he was rewarded with a final stab of pain as it clicked back in the socket.

Breathing heavily, he quickly glanced back at the approaching bull. He could make out its shape already. It might be on top of him in a matter of seconds. Pushing through the panic with a flash of concentration, he quickly dumped some points into Strength and Durability, then pivoted around to face the canyon. Feeling the ground shake and hearing it come up behind him, he sprinted towards the dark abyss in front of him and desperately threw himself down and forward into a slide, moving across the sand with his legs first.

Too fast, he realized with a wave of sickening panic, scrabbling at the ground as he went over the ledge, aiming for a protruding piece of rock he'd spotted, hanging on with his left hand as the rest of his body went over the cliff.

But then his hand slipped free, and he fell. In that moment, feeling that he was about to die, he realized that he didn't believe this was a dream anymore. There was not a single part of him that wanted to fall down. He wanted to fight. He wanted to resist, to do something, anything.

He scrabbled desperately at the wall, uncaring what might happen to his fingers, until his right hand unexpectedly snagged onto a piece of rock and somehow held on.

Barry stared at it in disbelief as he swung slowly like a pendulum. His right hand had been hanging uselessly by his side for the last hours, his shoulder sending regular stings of agony. Now, it was holding onto a thin, cracked line of stone with just his fingertips, supporting all of his weight.

He shouldn't have been capable of this. At the very least, it should have felt heavier. There was a surreal sense of lightness, as if gravity had suddenly been lowered just for him. His white fingertips were pressed against the sharp rock, the tremors from the bull moving up above noticeable, but there was barely any pain. His shoulder still hurt, but the sharpness had been replaced by a dull ache.

But his heart was pounding in his ears and he had to clench his teeth against a wave of nausea. Coming to his senses, he swung his left hand up to grab onto another piece of rock, moving his feet to find purchase in small cracks along the stone wall.

Feeling somewhat more secure with hands and feet digging into the wall, he looked around to take stock of the situation. There was a slight protrusion marking where the cave should be, about two dozen feet down and to the right. Barry felt sick again as his attention fixed on the cold darkness below. It felt a lot closer than before, despite the hot sun burning overhead. Conscious of the sweat covering his body, he took a moment to free up each hand and slowly rub it against the rock, a thin layer of dust sticking to it. As he was searching for a path down, the vibrations he'd been feeling through his hands and feet suddenly stopped.

Barry looked up to see the familiar, elongated U-shaped head of the mutant bull against the blue sky. Apparently, these bulls were not all so stupid as to rush right off the edge. It moved to look directly at him, and he made to scrabble away, quickly reaching down and to the right.

As soon as he moved, its head snapped straight towards him, like an uncoiling spring. Despite having seen it before, the speed shocked him, and he let go of his left handhold, again only barely hanging on with his right, which led to him twisting around in an awkward position with his back to the wall. There was a loud thump from the snapping jaws and a rush of displaced air, but he'd already been just out of reach.

He could feel the hard granite wall pressing against his back and the sweat dripping down his brow and neck, but the pain in his wrist and shoulder was manageable. Instead, there was a sense of pressure, but distant, like he'd taken a mild shot of local anesthesia. A piece of rock hit him on the forearm as it fell down from the ledge where the bull was standing, but it barely left a mark. Clearly, the increase in Durability had the desired result.

Carefully, Barry brought his left arm around and managed to get himself in a decent position again, not hesitating before moving further down as fast as he dared.

Concentrating only on the precarious act of climbing for a while, he felt strangely comfortable. Something that had looked impossible should not have been this easy, but he felt light as a feather, his grip strong and secure. Both of his index fingers lodged into small cracks was plenty to hold him up against the wall.

As he got into a repeating rhythm of finding a crack, testing his grip and moving his foot, he even started to enjoy it. With his full focus on the wall and his movements, there was finally a moment without the existential dread and physical agony.

Barry was finally getting closer to the cave entrance, when a massive roar sounded through the canyon. It felt closer, strangely physical this time, filling the canyon like a mountain rising from the deep. Seeming to build up as it bounced up against the canyon walls, the sound surrounded him, and it was all he could do not to clamp his hands to his ears. He tried instead to squeeze his ears between his shoulders for some cover, but it didn't help. The roar kept growing, pushing at him, until suddenly it entered his body, seeming to shake him from the inside.

Everything went quiet and his muscles cramped all at the same time. Jaw clenched, barely able to breathe, there was nothing he could do to fight it. It was like his soul had exited his body and was now observing it from the outside, except he could still feel everything. His entire physique felt bundled together, everything connected in a single, unending convulsion.

With growing panic he watched, in total silence, how his legs and arms, somehow vibrating like a hummingbird, were slowly but inevitably slipping from their handholds. It felt like time slowed down as his left foot slid away from the ridge it was settled against. The leg didn't fall away from the wall though, instead remaining in the same bent and cramped position.

Something had been blinking at the edge of his vision but he'd been pushing it away. Unable to do anything else, he mentally clicked the notification, allowing it to unfold into a message overlaying his vision.

Alert! You have been paralyzed by the roar of a superior being!

His panic was displaced by a prick of anger that started in his stomach and burned upwards to his chest. It grew as he thought of his suffering so far, of the injustice of it all. How many people would die like this, soon to be forgotten pieces of collateral damage. The fire blazed in his chest and seemed like it would consume him like before, but there was no panic now, only rage. Determined, he took hold of that feeling, using it to push back at the paralysis. It was just a trick, some unexplained mental effect, but his body was still his. He would resist. In some way, even if it's small, even if it all ends up being meaningless, he would resist.

While his body was numb, the anger filled him like a bonfire and he let himself feel every detail of it. It gave him back some measure of control. Barry took hold of this burning sensation, mentally pressing it all into his right arm, then just his hand and finally only his index finger. Flex. Move.

He imagined being within his own body, cupping his hands and screaming at his nerves at the top of his lungs. The rest of his body was far away, his attention focused only on his index finger as it started to vibrate slightly, even as his left hand slipped away without him taking notice. There was only him and his damned, white knuckled finger as he internally shoved at it, with everything he had. Move damn you.

When his finger finally flexed, it was like something broke and he violently snapped back into himself all at once like a rubber band, abruptly aware of his ears ringing. He felt that familiar, electric feeling of a limb waking up tingling across his entire body. His left side was still asleep, not reacting to his commands. He was secure enough with just the right hand now, so he took a moment to close his eyes and get his breathing under control.

His resistance had paid off this time. He was still alive. There was again something blinking at the edge of his awareness but he ignored it for now. He had to get to the cave first. It wasn't far off any more, he could see the lip a few feet down and to the right.

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There was a wash of relief as his left arm started to feel normal again after shaking it out for a while. His leg came next. Not wanting to risk getting hit by another roar, he started moving again as soon as he could.

Positioning himself next to the lump of rock he'd seen from above, he felt shocked when he couldn't spot the entrance. Cursing Pokka under his breath, he moved to the side of it, stretching his head out to the right to better see what was there. He let out a relieved breath as he saw what looked like a hole. For some reason, he'd been imagining a huge, open entrance, but with a rocky protrusion covering a long, thin gap, this looked more like a letterbox built into the wall.

With a grunt of exertion, he climbed under it and then up, to get right onto what looked like the broadest part. Gripping the ledge, he pulled himself up and started squeezing his head through, grimacing as it scraped against the edges. Inside, there was only darkness.

The opening was too small to get his chest through, so he had to stick his arms through to be able to push against the wall from the inside, then he exhaled deeply and flexed his core while giving it a mighty push.

Finally, Barry slipped through the gap and fell to the floor with a loud thump. Groaning, he moved his head to look around, but all he could see in the darkness was Pokka, looking at him with a satisfied grin.

"Perhaps you're not a lost cause after all."

"Fuck off"

Barry let his head drop back and closed his eyes with a sigh. With the adrenaline wearing off, some pain was slowly coming back. Seeking a distraction, he mentally clicked on his pending notifications.

Congratulations! You've gained Value for an exceptional feat!

There was an option to 'expand' the notification and when he used it, it showed a lot more information.

Exceptional Feat achieved: killing a higher-tiered threat!

Threat level: Tier 9

Subject VT level: Tier 0

Total Value awarded: 7400 (640 Base * 10 Multiplier + 1000 First Bonus)

Additional Rewards: 1x Mentor, 1x Ultimate Dodge (single use)

Then there was a second notification:

Exceptional Feat achieved: escaping alive from a higher-tiered threat!

Threat level: Tier 9

Subject VT level: Tier 0

Value awarded: 750

Bonus Value awarded for escaping without taking damage: 200

Total Value awarded: 950

Barry scrolled on, his attention caught by another notification that looked slightly different, mentioning a 'reward' instead of 'Value'.

Unique Feat achieved: breaking through sensory paralysis from a higher-tiered threat!

For showing an exceptional mind-body connection, you'll be rewarded two early Ability Manipulation unlocks.

Value awarded: 375

He blinked and stared at the notification in confusion, trying to recall what Pokka had said about Abilities, when the old AI spoke.

"I will explain to you the implications of the Manipulation unlocks, but first you will need to make some purchases. Unless you prefer to sit in this dark cave until a creature finds you."

A few windows then popped up in Barry's visual feed.

"Wait. You have access to my notifications? And what do you mean by 'purchase', it's not like we can count on an Amazon delivery here. You wiped out Earth's infrastructure, remember?" The young man said.

"We have no need for something as primitive as your old infrastructure. Though it will be more expensive than getting them from a fixed node, the items can be sent here directly through what your uneducated mind would understand as 'teleportation'. And yes of course, as your mentor I have access to your feed."

Not knowing how to respond to that, Barry decided to browse through the windows Pokka had sent him. The information was structured in a similar way as an Amazon product page. There were some pictures, dimensions and a description of what it would do. The only thing missing were the reviews.

The first item was called 'Energy Shroud' and as Barry read through its description, he understood why Pokka wanted him to buy it, despite costing 280 Value. It promised to eliminate any trace of 'outbound electromagnetic or kinetic energy signatures', which should include sight and sound. There were some restrictions: it would only be able to cover an area of 220 square feet, it could not be moved while shrouding that area, and it would need to run for five minutes before going into effect. In essence, it would function as a cloaking device. The limitations were luckily not an issue for his current circumstances.

The less imaginatively named 'Fixer Upper 2000' was next, which was described as 'the latest innovation in medical technology'. The device itself looked like a series of straps that would go around the chest, wrists and ankles. It promised to 'fix you right up again in the span of just a few hours!'. Scrolling down, Barry read through the fine print, which stated that all 'mundane wounds' including bone fractures and even limited organ damage could be healed. Looking over the limitations, it seemed like an accelerated version of what would normally be treatable in a hospital, but not a magical healing box that would make all your wounds disappear. It would not be able to regrow organs or limbs, and in order to function properly it would render the user unconscious during the healing process, up to a maximum of 10 hours at a time. Still, for the modest price of 180 Value, he would indeed definitely want to get this.

The third one was called 'VirtuFight', listed for 150 value. Barry guessed it was some advanced form of virtual reality goggles. It claimed to have 'an extensive database of training programs'. This one seemed more straightforward with less fine print, but interestingly, it would be able to integrate with the Fixer Upper to even greater effect.

Finally, the least self-explanatory item was a 'Matter Allocation Focus Totem'. What Barry could gather from the many obscure technical terms used in the item description, is that this would serve as a kind of beacon for items to be sent to him. It also would allow for some form of storage, and 'facilitated looting', though he didn't understand the details of that. But the key selling point, as far as he was concerned, was that this would somehow provide access to food and water. It was the most expensive of the items, coming in at a 500 Value purchase fee, followed by a weekly subscription fee of 50 Value. But there was a bonus in that getting the Totem first, would significantly reduce the 'transportation cost' of the other items.

Opening his profile again, Barry confirmed that he was flush with Value.

Unallocated Value: 8725

Stats

Strength: 14

Durability: 16

Speed: 8

Senses: 7

Intelligence: 8

PE Capacity: 50

Abilities

No abilities unlocked

Noticing that he'd spent well over a hundred Value since the last time he'd looked at his profile, he looked around for the cost of increasing Stats. Focusing on Strength, it showed some additional information. Apparently bringing any Stat up to 10 would cost only 5 Value per point, but then it would increase to 10 Value per point, increasing each time it passed a ten counter.

The information also included a short explanation of the Stat itself, which, in the case of Strength, was quite self-explanatory. Interestingly, all Stats would scale in a linear fashion. A 10 in Strength would be equal to peak human performance. With the linear scaling, sitting at 14 Strength, Barry should be 40% stronger than the strongest human.

He gaped at his hands for a while, then moved them around his body, giving his muscles testing pinches. They didn't look or feel any larger, but might have been a bit firmer than before, slightly harder to move around. It could also just be his imagination. He wasn't exactly in peak state of mind at the moment, his head throbbing and ribs aching. Still, if his dull brain wasn't too far off, he should now easily be able to bench press upwards of a thousand pounds. That sounded unbelievable.

With an easy mental effort, Barry closed the windows and sighed. He already missed the old world. The real world. Again, his thoughts went to his family. They would still be going through onboarding now, but soon they too would be released into this messed up new reality.

That thought again filled him with a sense of urgency. Pressing his eyes shut, he reached for that feeling of determination he'd felt while hanging on the cliff wall, and called out to the old AI.

"Pokka. You want me to follow your advice, right? To work hard to become.. useful in this new world."

"Obviously."

"I hate you for what you've done to us. I hate everything about this situation. There is a large part of me that would rather die than give you what you want."

"I'd expected that your weak constitution would be the largest hurdle, but it appears that your psyche is even softer than-"

Barry held up a hand, silencing him.

"I'll do what you say, I'll follow your instructions, on one condition. You have to lead me to my family."

Pokka was staring out in front of him, unmoving. Barry somehow got the impression he was buffering. Then, the old man sighed, looking pensive.

"It seems I was too quick to disregard the human psyche as a subject unworthy of processing power. The potential performance impact is high. I've now updated and will aim to better take into account your.. mental health."

He spat the last two words out with a sneer, looking disgusted.

"I'm prepared to accept your proposal. If it will help your motivation and avoid wasting time and precious resources, I will guide your journey in the right direction. But remember that pointing in a general direction is all I will do, and that I can't guarantee their continued survival." The old man stated.

Barry got up with a grunt of pain. "That'll have to do then." He focused for a second, then a metal rod materialized in front of him with a flash of light.

The young man looked completely disheveled, clothes torn and stained with dried blood, black curls sticking to his forehead, partially covered in sand. As he glanced over at Pokka, he noticed the old mentor looking at him intently, his normally neutral facial expression changed into a predatory gaze.

"According to my new psych module, you seem resolved. An excellent state of mind for the start of your training. Let's see how long you manage to hold onto that feeling."

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