Everything Will Be Okay SFW

The crash doesn't knock you unconscious, but it does throw you against the dashboard and trigger the Catastrophic Emergency Ejection Protocol which doesn't quite go off right and just sort of gently hoists you out of the cockpit onto the ground, upon which point you stagger forward a few steps, realize you're not dead or dying, and then decide to maybe [[lie down for a few minutes.]]

When you open your eyes, you're looking at a clear, teal sky. After a few calming breaths, you take stock. Bodily damage: minimal. Emotional damage: extreme. Air quality: fine, which is sort of a belated observation since if it wasn't, those calming breaths you just took would have been significantly less calming. But it's a nice thing to acknowledge. You sit up and look around. You're surrounded by foliage. No direct threats. Nothing charging at you or acting especially violent. There is minor, nonthreatening movement in the brush, like that of small forest creatures. Plants sway gently in the wind. It's fairly peaceful. [[You are alone.]]

You've never been on a planet quite like this one. The most notable thing is the colors. Everything is saturated to the maximum. You blink a few times to confirm. The trees are bright purple and green, the flowers are magenta, and the moss below you is blue. In the places where the skidmarks of your ship plowed the moss forward, you see that the dirt under it is a sort of lavender. [[You walk back to your ship.]]

You've seen worse. After some preliminary checks, you're confident that it will fly again, if only to the nearest outpost. (font:"Courier") [(text-style: "rumble") [**ERROR**] ], says your onboard computer. (font:"Courier") [(text-style: "rumble")[**YOU SEEM TO HAVE CRASHED ERROR ERROR**] ] You start the diagnostics program, and watch as a hologram of a wheel spins above your display monitor. It ticks up - 1%. This will take a while. You will not be going anywhere tonight. You [[try the radio.]]

After laying out all your supplies on the floor, you sit in the back of your ship and take stock. You fly a StarPhaser ™ brand model 466 Compact, and its emergency kit is exactly in compliance with galactic regulations. There are 10 litres of water, a StarPhaser Appliances ™ brand H2O synthesizer, and a portable StarPhaser Appliances ™ brand H2O clarifier. In theory, this should allow you to convert any liquid you find into drinkable water, although the output heavily depends on what kinds of liquid you manage to find. The synthesizer is a bulkier, slower option, but can generate drinkable water from the atmosphere. You tap the clarifier. It turns on. One of the tubes seems loose. These were never top-of-the-line items, and age and neglect probably haven't helped. [[But it's something.]]

You can't tell if it's working or not. You sit for a few moments in silence. If someone is responding to your distress call, you can't hear it. [[Super awesome.]]

<center> for gavin [[ EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY->cre]] — a sci-fi love letter & interactive story — </center>

You pick up a few of the StarPhaser ™ brand Emergency Rations Yum Yum Delicious! Packs. They have flavors like "Red" and "Brown." Your favorite. You have a few snacks laying around the ship. Some Go-Fiber bars, an economy-sized box of mixed nuts, and half of a pretty decent Reuben you picked up on Aeoter 34B a few hours ago. You start to panic a little bit, maybe. You take a few deep breaths. The air smells like [[corned beef.]]

You're not injured, but you go through the medical equipment anyway. It's all very standard : some bandages, gauze, disinfectant, painkillers - you take a second look at those painkillers. You pocket them. [[Time to find a source of water.]]

You step out of the ship, back into the unfamiliar landscape. Rule 1 of *Crash-Landing on an Alien Planet - A Beginner's Guide* is "Always stay with your ship," and Rule 2 is "Don't stay out past sundown," but you won't go far, and the sun is fairly high in the sky. You know you'll feel much better once you find a water source. Clarifier in hand, you [[venture into the neon brush.]]

The trees are tall and far apart, and you're able to see the flat landscape quite well. There's something very simple about this planet. You don't see many different types of plants, and only a few small insects. It's quiet. It strikes you as a planet early in its evolutionary stage. Or possibly recovering from a mass-extinction. [[Probably that first thing. ]]

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/b9Rx9bT.png You find a series of small pools filled with water. Yes, you tell yourself, looking at the mostly transparent but faintly teal-tinted liquid in the pools. Definitely water. It sparkles. You know, like normal water does. There is movement in the water, like that of a small fish. You're surprised when an eyeless, featureless, neon-orange blob pokes its head out of the water and, for lack of a better word, stares at you. You stare back. It gurgles. It's several inches long and slug-like. It has no facial features that you can see. It disappears back under the water with a sort of *slorp* and you can see it swimming in quick circles at the bottom of the pool. You're about to take out your clarifier to test the water when it surfaces again, in the same place. You look around. You haven't seen any other water sources. And this thing doesn't seem threatening. [[You kneel down and hold your hand out.]]

It slides up your arm. For one terrifying second it seems like it's going for your face, but then it stops on your forearm and sort of rears up its front bit. It seems friendly enough. You pet it. It's texture is gelatinous and bumpy. Impulsively, you squeeze it. Two eyestalks bug out. After a moment it slides back down your arm on its own trail of mucus, sort of like the world's weirdest and smallest waterslide, and plops back into the pool. [[You take out your clarifier. ]]

You take out your clarifier and, with some regard to the slug friend doing donuts at the bottom of the pool, put one end of the tube in the water. You turn it on, and let out a relieved sigh when it dings. Drinkable water begins to drip into the clear canister. [[You have water!]]

Your clarifier is full. You stare at the pool for a moment longer before turning to [[head back to your ship. ]]

You hadn't been that far away, but still the sun is almost down by the time you reach your ship. Inside, you slide the door shut and settle in for the night. You're making a nest of clothes to sleep on when you hear the electronic jingle that signifies your diagnostics program has finally loaded. A hologram of a loading wheel spins over your display monitor. (font:"Courier") [ **Welcome to the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! You are using the free version. Would you like to upgrade to the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program Super Plus, which provides you with additional features such as extended warranty and additional voice options at an affordable price?** ] [[No. ]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] [[Still no.->No2]] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

(font:"Courier") [ **Thank you for upgrading to the StarPhaser ™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program Super Plus! Please enjoy your new deluxe features, such as more color options, the Gillian Anderson voice module, and a fuel gauge.** ] [[Cool! ]]

(font:"Courier") [ **It looks like your ship is experiencing some problems. ** ] The holographic loading wheel morphs into a : ( face. (font:"Courier") [ **Let's take a moment to do an overview of your ship's status. This might take a few minutes. Please do not power off during this process. ** ] The : ( face morphs back into a loading bar. You stare at it for several minutes until it finally ticks up: 1%. [[You wait.]]

Night falls on the alien planet. You don't know how long night is here. You don't even know where you are. But there are stars. There are always stars. You fall asleep looking up at them through the windshield. [[CONTINUE]]

[[DAY 1]]

You wake up to voices. The concept takes a moment to adequately alarm you. You open your eyes. The orange slug is sitting on your chest. Instinctively, you bat it off. It splats against the wall of your ship, [[flat.]]

It splatters all over the interior of your windshield. You watch, breathing a little heavily, as the chunks slide down the glass and congeal into a living slug form again. This time its eyestalks are a little more pronounced, like it's annoyed. *Stop. * You don't hear it speak so much as you feel its words somewhere in the back of your head. [["How do you know my language?"]]

The slug telepathically conveys the emotional equivalent of a shrug. [["What do you want?"]]

*Hello?* says the slug again. It starts running in circles.* Hello! Hello! Stop! HeLLo!* [[Mmmm. ]]

Even through the bright rays of the morning sun, a blinking light on the dashboard catches your eye. It's the diagnostics program. [[You walk over. ]]

(font:"Verdana") [ **The Gillian Anderson voice module has been successfully installed!** ] says the ship, in Gillian Anderson's voice. (font:"Verdana") [**Additionally, your StarPhaser ™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program Super Plus ship status overview is complete.** ] (font:"Verdana") [ **Result: all critical systems intact. Your front bumper is dented. (Reminder that this is NOT covered by the StarPhaser ™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program Super Plus Warranty Program.) Your ship is good to go! ** ] The display hologram morphs into a rotating image of Gillian Anderson giving a thumbs-up. You relax. (font:"Verdana") [ **Just refuel, and you'll be in the air and on your way to a StarPhaser ™ Licensed Repair Depot in no time!** ] [[Refuel? ]]

(font:"Verdana") [ **Just refuel, and you'll be in the air and on your way to a StarPhaserTM Licensed Repair Depot in no time!** **Just refuel, and you'll be in the air and on your way to a StarPhaserTM Licensed Repair Depot in no time!** (text-style: "shudder")[**Just refuel, and you'll be in the air and on your way to a StarPhaserTM Licensed Repair Depot in no time!**] ] You stare into the dashboard for so long the computer keeps repeating itself. You don't have fuel. You have maybe enough to exit this planet's atmosphere, but after that you'd be dead in the water. [[You start to panic. ]]

(font:"Verdana") [ **Emergency Mode activated. ** ] The hologram morphs into an image of Gillian Anderson with a shocked expression and a hand over her mouth. (font:"Verdana") [ **Oh (text-style: "rumble")[no!] You're in an Emergency! Don't worry. We'll get you back in the sky in no time. The StarPhaser ™ 466 will now accept Alternate Fuel Sources. Please view our catalogue of Alternate Fuel Sources.** ] The hologram explodes into hundreds of images that cover your entire windshield. You take a step back. (font:"Verdana") [ **This program will now scan the surrounding area for Alternate Fuel Sources. Based on your ship's current power levels, this process will take: 216. Hours. Scanning . . . scanning . . . scanning . . . ** ] The images scroll slowly, displaying various alien plants and minerals. You don't know what any of these are. You definitely don't know where to get them. You hear a wet slap. [[You look down. ]]

The slug is lying against your windshield, with half of its body over one of the images. It rears back and slaps the glass again, leaving a moist imprint as it pulls away. *HELLO!* You select the image that the slug indicated. The image depicts a blue crystal, so dark that it's almost black. You look at the slug. [["Do you know where I can find this?" ]] [["What is this?"]]

For a moment you think you killed it, but then the orange slime congeals back into a slug-like shape and it moves back over to you. It has eyestalks that weren't there before. They seem to ebb gently in and out of the slug's form. It is not a threat to you. Relieved, you stand up. "Well, hi," you say. *Hello!* it says. [[You kick it. ]]

The slug has, at this point, made its way onto your dashboard and is sliding in excited circles through Gillian Anderson's hologram screaming *HELLO! HELLO! HELLO!* (font:"Verdana") [ **Not near a StarPhaser ™ Licensed Fuel Station? Not a problem!** ] You freeze and look back at the dashboard. (font:"Verdana") [ **When Emergency Mode is activated, the StarPhaser ™ 466 will accept many sources of fuel that can be found on most planets and asteroids. Say "I'd like to activate Emergency Mode" to activate emerg-** ] [[I'D LIKE TO ACTIVATE EMERGENCY MODE.]]

The slug rolls over and gurgles telepathically. [["What is this?" ]]

*Hello! Hel . . . home? Hemlo! HELLO!* [["Do you know where I can find this?" ]]

*Hello! Hel . . . home? Hemlo! HELLO!* [[Helpful.]]

(font:"Verdana") [ **Select Space Object 472-99 as target fuel source?** ] asks Gillian Anderson. [[Yes.]]

The slug rolls over and gurgles telepathically. [[Helpful.]]

(font:"Verdana") [ **Space Object 472-99 selected. Scanning for Space Object 472-99. Scanning for - target found. Please remove the Portable Tracking Device, a StarPhaser ™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program Super Plus exclusive, and proceed to destination.** ] A piece of the dashboard pops off. You didn't know it could do that. You pull it out. It's a small metal device with a screen displaying a 'YOU ARE HERE' dot and a 'YOUR TARGET IS HERE' dot. (font:"Verdana") [ **Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Please recharge.** ] Well. This will have to do. [[You start packing.]]

It looks like it's a few days walk to the fuel crystal, but you don't know the terrain. There could be obstacles. You pack everything you can. As you're lifting the clarifier into your backpack, you notice that the slug has mostly stopped moving. It is leaning against the door. Occasionally, it slaps the metal unenthusiastically. With every wet slap it says, weakly; *hello . . . hello . . . he . . . hello . . . * It looks tired. [[You open the door for it.]]

It lurches forward when you open the door, and then sort of sags sideways and slows to a stop. Tentatively, you reach down and touch it. It feels dry. [[Pick it up and run to the tide pools.]]

You pick it up in one hand and run towards the tide pools you found yesterday. It's a short distance, and you remember the way. The slug pulses in your hand, like shallow breathing. It's stopped speaking, and instead just telepathically emanates a feeling of overwhelming exhaustion. Upon reaching the tide pools, you kneel down and drop the slug in the water. It perks up instantly. It does a few laps around the small pool and then pops back out of the water and sits on your shoe, looking up expectantly. [[Huh.]]

At a loss, you sit down. The ground is soft with moss. As you finish off your Reuben, the slug darts in and out of the tide pools. Every so often it rushes over to you and climbs over your legs. Out of curiosity, you try to feed it a piece of beef. Telepathically, it politely declines. Figures. It doesn't have a mouth anyway. Mouth aside, it clearly requires this liquid to sustain itself in some way. You finish your Reuben, but you're reluctant to leave. Do you just . . . go? Alone? On an alien planet? On a journey about which you have no information? As a small amount of repressed existential crisis leaks through your mental barriers, you realize you might die out there. [[And no one would know. ]]

You watch the slug for a while longer. You run your hands through the moss. Your eyes drift to the empty plastic sandwich bag. You stare at it, unfocused, for a while. And then, [[you have an idea.]]

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/MuEaVuF.jpg The forest, it turns out, is big. You walk through it for over an hour with little change in environment, following your tracker. The air is fresh and the sky is cloudless. The trees provide gentle shade. Under other circumstances, you'd be having a very nice time. You pat the plastic sandwich bag tied to your belt. From inside, the slug taps back. The bag is filled with liquid from the tide pools. The slug seems to be very happy. You feel it swimming excitedly in the bag. It's probably never been this far away from the tide pools, you realize. It's seeing all of this for the first time too. "You okay there, bud?" *HELLO!* [[Great!]]

Night falls, and you set up camp under a large pink tree. A small stream bubbles nearby - more of a muddy patch of land than a pool. The slug doesn't seem to mind. It rolls around in the stream happily for a while as you lay out your sleeping bag and set up your Starphaser^^TM brand Temperature Control Unit. The forest is as gentle in the evening as it is during the day. Moderate temperature, clear skies, and little movement besides the soft rustling of the foliage. Sleep comes easy. [[CONTINUE ]]

[[DAY 2]]

You spend the early morning walking through the forest. Eventually, the trees give way to a grassy plain with rolling hills. Unobstructed by trees, the sky is a flat expanse of clear teal. The slug is doing well. It swims around in your sandwich bag full of liquid, pausing every once in a while to emit a telepathic aura that translates to feelings of excitement, joy, and a love of new experiences. You turn on your tracker. It powers on with a soft *ding* and a sensual (font:"Verdana") [ **Welcome back, Tiger!** ] from Gillian Anderson. (font:"Verdana") [ **Target ahead. Proceed forward! Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Please recharge.** ] You've made progress towards your fuel source, but you're not even halfway there. There are at least a few days of walking ahead. (font:"Verdana") [ **Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Please recharge. Feed me, user_000. Please.** ] [[You shut it off to save energy.]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] (text-style: "blur")[[[Still no.->No3]]] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] (text-style: "mirror")[[[Still no.->No4]]] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] (text-style: "shudder")[[[Still no.->No5]]] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] (text-style: "blink")[[[Still no.->No6]]] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

(font:"Courier") [ **You've selected to continue using the free version of the StarPhaser™ 466 Compact Diagnostics Program! Remember, upgrade any time by yelling "I'd like to upgrade!" at your console!** ] [[I'd like to upgrade!->I'd like to upgrade!]]

The grassland goes on. You run your hand over the taller patches. It's soft, and fuzzy, and familiar. It reminds you of home. [[Forwards. ]]

About an hour in, you think you see a structure in the distance. As you get closer, though, you realize that it's some sort of giant fruit. *WOW!!* You circle it, slowly, keeping your distance. It doesn't appear dangerous. It's a sort of giant squash, with bright green and orange stripes. Tentatively, you poke, it. The surface is bumpy and hard. In your mind, the slug is veritably screaming with excitement. *CAN I???* You look at the slug. It's poking up at you, and then at the squash, and then back at you. You unclip the bag from your belt and lift it up right next to the squash. Inside the bag, the slug throws itself flat against the surface of the squash, feeling its surface through the plastic. *OH WOW!!!!!* *OH WOW!!!!!* You let it feel around some more. It looks like it's having the time of its life. "You ready to go, buddy?" you ask, after a few minutes. *Yes! Thank you! WOW! IS THERE MORE???!?* [["More of what?"]]

The slug looks at you silently, but the feeling it emits is crystal clear. (text-style: "italic")[ [[Everything.]] ]

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/roXDjmh.png> You encounter a few more giant squash before the evening rolls around. You settle down in the soft grass. The flat grasslands give you nothing to sleep under, but you're not concerned. The weather is mild, the sky is clear but for a multitude of stars and soft colors, and you find yourself drifting off in a cozy pile of grass and blankets. [[ CONTINUE ]]

[[DAY 3]]

You're woken up by a gentle tapping on your face. You open your eyes. The slug, still in the plastic sandwich bag, is bumping into you. *GOOD MORNING!* it screams. "Morning, bud." The early light is gentle on you as you collect your things and get ready to go. The slug, who has figured out how to move around while still being inside the bag, sort of like a moist hamster ball, is running around leaving trails of bent grass. You stand up and look around. There are trails in the grass all around you, a few going further than you can see into the distance before circling back. Your slug friend has had a busy night. [["Find anything cool?"]] [["You're not trying to run away from me, are you?"]]

*Yes!* it says, emitting a joyful energy. It does not elaborate further. [[Forwards.->Next]]

*Of course not!* it says. And then, emitting an energy that's still excited but more serious than you've experienced thus far; *I wouldn't.* [[Forwards.->Next]]

Rather than tying the slug's bag to your belt, you let the slug run along next to you as you walk through the grass. Sometimes it gets caught up in the folds of the bag and wipes out, tumbling inside the bag until it rights itself and keeps running. [[Check the tracker.]]

You turn on your tracker. It powers on with a soft *ding* and a sensual but slightly fuzzy (font:"Verdana") [ (text-style: "blur") [ **Welcome back, Tiger!** ] ] from Gillian Anderson. (font:"Verdana") [ (text-style: "blur") [ **Target ahead. Proceed forward! Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Please recharge.** ] ] After confirming you're headed in the right direction, you turn it off. [[You hope it has enough power to get you to your fuel source.]]

You're walking through the grass when you're suddenly overcome with worried energy. *Oh no!* You turn around. The slug is standing still next to a patch of brambles. From a small puncture in the plastic bag, liquid is spilling out. [[Run over.]]

As you frantically try to position the sandwich bag in a way that prevents more liquid from spilling, you regret not buying *two* Reubens, like you'd wanted. Fortunately, the tape from your medkit patches up the hole quite well. You poke the bag gently, checking if it's waterproof still. *Thank you. I didn't see it. I didn't know.* The energy you get from the slug is a bit deflated, a bit embarrassed. You continue walking, but [[tie the bag to your belt again.]]

The brambles get worse, and the grass gets higher. You feel nervous energy emitting from your small slug friend. You take the slug from your belt and hold it in your hands, pressed up against chest. You feel the slug moving slowly, more carefully now, aware of the puncture. "What kind of liquid is this?" you ask. It tells you it doesn't know. "Is it water? I have more water." *It . . . is not water. It is the liquid from my . . . pond?* "Do you know where to find more?" The slug is silent for a moment. Finally, it admits that it has never considered this. When the bramble patches get chest height, you hold the slug as high above your head as you can. And then the grass ends and you stop. [[*Oh.Wow.*->ohwow]]

Several hundred feet below the cliff in front of you is an ocean, stretching flat as far as you can see into the distance. To your right is a mountain range, peaks towering, with geometric-cut slabs jutting out at various angles. It's a sight. You and the slug watch silently for a while. There's barely a tide, so the water is almost mirror-like, reflecting the teal sky. *Wow.* [[ "Yeah. Wow." ]]

You walk along the cliff toward the mountains. Fortunately, there appears to be plenty of space between the mountains for you to continue walking, albeit on rocky terrain. You check you tracker again. (text-style: "blur") [ **Welcome back, Tiger! Target ahead. Proceed forward! Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Ple-** ] You shut it off quickly. You need to save battery. But you've made significant progress towards the fuel source. You seen to have passed the halfway mark sometime today. That's cool. *That IS cool! We're almost to the crystal! Halfway. Wow!* It takes you a moment to realize you hadn't said anything out loud. [[ "Can you . . . read my mind?" ]]

*No? It is . . . I can . . . feel . . . factors?* "You can feel factors?" You feel an intense energy emitting from the slug, as if it is engaging in a high-level of thought about something it doesn't quite understand. *. . . Yes? I think it is a pra . . . prom . . . prox-i-mi-ty . . . thing.* "A proximity thing, huh?" *I think.* "What number am I thinking of?" The slug is quiet for a moment. *Seven?* [[Yes, it was seven.]] [[No, it was not seven.]]

*COOL! I just guessed. Hahahahaha!* [[Good job buddy.->And you're also probably not a duck.]]

*Oh. I guess I can't read minds. Pie . . . . psy . . . duck?* "Psychic. You're not psychic." [[And you're also probably not a duck.]]

<img src=https://i.imgur.com/VUphJaw.jpg> The cliff rises upwards and soon you can't see the ocean anymore, instead framed on both sides by tall mountains. They're a slate grey color, mostly. You think you see something purple at the top, but you can't quite make out what it is. The geometric outcroppings, which had looked much smaller from a distance, now tower over you directly ahead. You do not know what is keeping them aloft, or how sturdily they're placed into the mountain, or how they got there. But from the lack of debris around you, you can safely assume that there is little risk of falling rocks or landslides. *What number am I thinking of?* [[One.->One.]] [[Two.->One.]] [[Seven.->One.]] [[One hundred.->One.]] [[1,725,634,835.01->One.]]

It sends you the telepathic equivalent of a shrug and tells you that you are probably not psychic either. [[It's probably right.]]

As the day goes on, you start to get tired. The terrain has been more difficult, and the hills have slowly gotten steeper. You take a break to rest and eat a red-flavored StarPhaser ™ brand Emergency Ration Yum Yum Delicious! Bar. The slug shifts nervously in its bag. Although its emotions are easily read though its telepathic aura that emits its feelings constantly, there are very few signs of emotion on its physical body. Sometimes it has eyestalks. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes there is vague movement in parts of the neon orange jelly that seems to form it, reminiscent of the pulsing of a heart. "What are you?" you ask. It looks at you. Instead of words, it sends you faint images of its pond. The bottom, which is soft, and the left side which has a sunny patch, and the smaller tide pools a little ways away that are good for sliding very fast. *What are you?* You tell it about the place where you grew up. You tell it about your family. You tell it about your friends. You tell it the basics, the nice things. You leave out the parts that led you here. The slug is silent as you speak. You get the impression that it understands more than just the words you are saying. You notice that it's getting darker. [[Time to keep moving.]]

As you walk, you realize that the sky isn't darker due to the sunset. The sky, which has been a perfect cloudless teal up until this point, is faintly dotted with clouds. There are more on the horizon. Rather than push on, you decide to stop when you see a small cave in the side of the mountain. You sleep here, curled around your heater. It has been a long day. [[CONTINUE->Day 4]]

[[DAY 4]]

On Day 4, it rains. You sit with your back against the wall of the cave, looking out the cave opening. The slug, who you've let out of the plastic bag, isn't moving much. You get the impression that it's thinking. You also get the impression that, for the first time, it is reluctant to tell you something. The aura that up until now has been completely transparent and vulnerable is now . . . muddier. You watch as a trickle of water runs through the cracks into the cave. It sparks as it touches your heater. You move the heater up onto a rock, next to the slug's bag of liquid. You notice that it's barely half full now. "Is this rain the same? Is it the same as your water?" you ask the slug. It goes up to the water, inserts one neon orange appendage into it, and then retreats. It tells you no. [[It was worth checking.]]

The rain continues. You move further into the back of the cave to avoid the encroaching puddles. [[Check your tracker.]]

(font:"Verdana") [ (text-style: "blurrier") [ **Welcome back, Tiger! Target ahead. Proceed forward! Warning. Portable Tracking Device power low. Please recharge.** ] ] The battery is almost dead. Gillian Anderson's voice is distorted and fuzzy. But the display shows that you're close to the fuel source. [[You shut it off.]]

You think about how no one's come to rescue you. You wonder who's noticed that you're gone. You wonder who misses you. You think about the people you hope are missing you. You fall asleep to the sound of rain. [[CONTINUE->day5]]

[[DAY 5]]

The rocky terrain quickly deteriorates into ashy ground spattered with pockets of fire. The air is smoky. You pass a few pits that seem to go down a hundred feet before ending in a pit of lava. It's hot. It's really, *really* hot. The slug is silent and still. Its telepathic aura is weak. You check on it a couple of times. It looks dry. The liquid barely fills the bottom of the bag. You begin to feel bad. You could have left it in its pond, in an environment with the resource it needs to survive. Instead you took it with you, not knowing what laid ahead or if it would be able to survive this far away from its home. Why did you take it? [[I was lonely.->go]] [[I was scared.->go]] [[I was selfish.->go]] [[I was desperate.->go]]

The fires inside of the ground pockets are small, but the smoke begins to get to you. You tie a cloth around the lower part of your face (StarPhaser ™ brand Smoke Mask NOT included with the StarPhaser ™ brand model 466 Compact galactic regulation emergency kit). It helps a bit. You poke the plastic bag. You can barely see the slug inside through all the steam along the sides. [["Hang in there, bud."]]

You walk through the night. There's nowhere to stop. Night is barely cooler than the day. You have to keep walking. [[CONTINUE->Day6]]

[[DAY 6]]

It's still dark out when you reach your destination. Your tracker died hours ago, but you know this is the place. At the edge of the ashy plain is the entrance to an enormous cavern. In the dark, it glows green and blue. [[Enter the cave.]]

<center> (color: #C82369) [❤ ] *written and coded lovingly by* (color: #FFD0E4) [Karla Jones ] *concept art by * (color: #FFCDAF) [Sophia Bui ] [[→]] </center>

<center> (font:"Times New Roman") [EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY with love, from (link: "Karla Jones")[(open-url: 'https://twitter.com/robokarla')] ]

Ten steps into the cavern, you feel immediate relief from the heat. You untie the cloth from your face. You sit down. You set down all of your supplies and untie the slug's bag from your waist. It's still foggy on the inside. "Bud?" [[You open the bag. ]]

You lift the slug out of the bag. It feels dry, but it's still moving. "Buddy?" you try again, holding it up to your face. It raises its torso. You look at it and it looks at you and you realize that it's seen inside your head and [[it knows everything. ]]

Bioluminescent mushrooms grow out of the rock walls, illuminating the cavern in soft light. Stalagmites rising from the floor of the cave reach upwards, still wet with moisture. The cavern is tall, but not deep. You don't have to walk far before you find what you've been looking for. A cluster of deep navy crystals grow out of the back of the wall. [[You approach them with care. ]]

These are undoubtedly the crystals you saw on your diagnostics program. They range from tiny inch-long protrusions to a foot long. They're a deep blue, not quite black, with tiny flecks of white. They break off in your hand easily and you're surprised by how light they are. You wonder what they're made of. You continue to break off crystals until you've filled your pack. [[Fuel source obtained. You can go home. ]]

You look around the cave. The culmination of your journey is . . . tiring. It's silent, but for the soft drips of liquid. You watch liquid drip from the roof of the cave onto the stalagmites. You wonder how long they've been here, how long it's taken them to grow this high. You wonder what history they've seen. You wonder if you're the first person to come here for the crystals. And then, [[you have an idea. ]]

The slug's aura is weak and its body dry as you climb onto the rock formations bordering the stalagmites. It's still as you lift it over the lowest stalagmite and let the liquid from the roof drip onto it. [[You wait. ]]

It's still. You can't tell whether it's working. And then it pulses, gently at first, but stronger the second and third times, and then it shakes itself off sort of like a wet dog, and then it looks at you and [[you realize it'll be okay. ]]

You spend the rest of the night in the cave. You haven't slept yet, so you roll out your sleeping bag and set up your heater, but you can't sleep. Not even after a StarPhaser ™ brand Emergency Ration Yum Yum Delicious! Brand bar in red flavor. Soft drips echo around you. You've set the slug's bag on top of one of the stalagmites, and it's slowly filling up. The slug itself has paced around the back of the cave. First its aura is nervous, then it's sad, and then it's . . . something else. [[Something complicated. ]]

It comes up to you, slowly. You get the impression that it has something to say. You think about how, a few days ago, it could only scream basic words. You think about how important it's been to this journey. It takes the telepathic equivalent of a deep breath. [[You prop yourself up on your elbows to listen. ]]

[[It tells you it's sorry. ]]

[[DAY 7]]

You pass through the fiery plains. It's drizzling this time, and the heat is more warm than painful. The area is actually very pretty. The slug, renewed in its full bag of liquid, points out interesting rock formations. The walk through the mountains is much easier, now that you're going downhill. You get all the way to the bottom before you stop to rest for the night. You fall asleep to the soft noises of the ocean. [[CONTINUE->Day8]]

[[DAY 8->sand]]

The grasslands are windier today, with the long stalks blowing gently in the wind. You pause when you see one of the giant squashes, because the tight green stalks around it have bloomed into enormous, peach-colored flowers. *Wow.* [[CONTINUE->Day9]]

[[DAY 9]]

The neon forest feels like an old friend. In the shade of the magenta trees once again, you feel safe. You feel tired. You feel happy. You feel accomplished. The slug's aura is as strong as ever, so you can tell; [[It feels the same. ]]

You're nervous as you empty your pack of crystals into your fuel tank. Nothing happens, but when you go inside, the ship's lights boot up immediately. (font:"Verdana") [ **Welcome back, User_000!**] says Gillian Anderson (font:"Verdana") [ **Your StarPhaser ™ 466 Compact is ready for takeoff! Alternate fuel source detected. It is advisable to fly directly to the nearest StarPhaser ™ Refueling Station. Please increase altitude to begin scanning for the nearest StarPhaser ™ Fueling Station. **] You take a deep breath. Then you sit down on the floor of your ship. [[You're going home.]]

The slug flits around as you prepare your ship for takeoff. Its aura is strong. It is sad. [[Maybe, you are sad too. ]]

Your ship is running, and everything is ready, and you turn to the slug, who is sitting just outside of the door to your ship, and the words die in your mouth. For a moment, you just stare. It says it'll miss you. You say you'll come back for it. It asks if you'll remember it. You say you'll come back. It says, but if you don't. Yes, you say. You'll remember. But it doesn't need to worry. [["I'll come back for you."]]

The slug moves in a circle, a little sadly, like it has more to say but isn't sure how to say it. The slug tells you that until now, it's lived its whole life in the same pond, unable to go very far from its home due to its dependance on the pond's liquid. It tells you that until now, it's never seen a field of grass. It tells you that until now, it's never seen the ocean. It tells you that until now, it's never seen a mountain. It tells you that this has been and might always be the best adventure of its life. Quietly, the slug thanks you. The console beeps gently in the background. Eventually, it speaks up again. *Hello?* it says, quietly. You press the button to close the door and begin takeoff. [["Hello."->end]]

[[It tells you that it recognizes the weight you carry on a daily basis, and that while you carry it bravely, it sees the toll that it takes on you. It wishes it could make things better. It is heartbroken that it cannot make things better. ]]

[[It is at the same time impressed by your strength and saddened by its own inability to help you. ]]

[[It tells you that you did your best. ]]

[[It tells you that it's okay. ]]

[[It knows what you did. And it tells you it's okay. ]]

[[It tells you that you are good. ]]

[[It tells you that in this simple, primordial world, it's never had to consider complex moral situations like forgiveness or redemption. But it tells you it's been thinking about it and it thinks that everyone can be forgiven. ]]

It falls silent. You stare at the ceiling of the cavern, illuminated by a soft glow, until you fall asleep. [[CONTINUE->Day7]]