“Wait. Where’s the camping gear?” A hint of worry tinged Dennis’ voice as Oliver checked over a disturbingly small number of items arranged neatly in the rear of his hatchback.
“What do you mean? It’s all here: backpack, tarp, twine, hatchet, utility knife, water purifier and two bottles, one for each of us. There’s an aluminum pot, spoons, flashlight, the firestarter, a compass, map, first aid kit, sun screen, dry change of clothes,” Oliver replied confidently, “and of course, the sandwich bag of herbs and spices—I mean, that’s probably the most important thing we’ve got, right?” He chuckled as a friendly elbow to the ribs caused Dennis to stumble. “The life jackets are in the canoe with the paddles. I’m not really sure what else we could need.”
Dennis sighed, his anxiety mounting. “Oh, I don’t know, Ollie. What about maybe some food? We kind of need to eat at some point this week. Or how about an actual camp site? What about a tent or sleeping bags? And where am I going to charge my phone? Is there even any signal out there?”
“Dude, chill out. It’s going to be fine. We’ll catch some fish this morning, pick a site with some decent foraging options, and if we’re lucky, we’ll find a rabbit trail and can set out a couple of traps. There’s plenty out there to get us through a week. And besides, I told you when I invited you that I was just planning to float downriver and find a decent spot in the preserve to hole up for a few days. We can set camp wherever. It’s no big deal. You don’t need your phone, but there’s signal everywhere these days. You can’t escape it like you used to.”
Dennis just stared with lingering disbelief as he contemplated Oliver’s seemingly audacious plan. “This is nuts. You’re nuts. You’re really just going to find some random spot and just… try to survive for a week? For the love of god, you work in IT! The only time you even leave your desk is to fix a printer jam! You’re going to die.”
“Eh, I come out here every couple of months,” he confessed with a shrug. “There’s not much wilderness left out there, so let’s try to enjoy it while we still can.”
“Ollie, seriously. Are you screwing with me right now? I-I know we mess with each other at work, but come on. This is a bit much. Isn’t it?”
With a sly smirk, Oliver tossed his pack into the canoe and began hauling it down to the water.
“Of course I am, Dennis. I’m screwing with you by being completely honest, knowing you’d never believe me. Now, are you coming with or not?”
The smell of fresh caught fish roasting over an open fire filled the air as Oliver stirred a pot of beans that he conveniently failed to mention packing. He wasn’t foolish enough to head out into the middle of nowhere without food at all. He had set up a simple lean-to by folding under one end of the tarp, providing both shelter and a dry storage area for their gear in case of rain. A thin mosquito net tossed over the top was all that protected them from being consumed in their sleep.
“I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this, Ollie.”
“Hey, what are friends for? This is going to be a good week. Once you get used to being out here, you won’t want to leave. Trust me, the hardest part of this trip is going to be finding the resolve to go back to the office on Monday.”
“Sure. If you say so,” Dennis muttered as he swatted yet another mosquito and dejectedly swiped left on his phone.
With a shake of his head, Oliver pulled one of the fish from the fire and passed it to Dennis in a bowl.
“Let me see your phone for a sec.” Taking the phone, he turned it off and placed it in a small waterproof pouch which he stowed away in his backpack. “Trust me, Dennis. Disconnecting for a while will do you some good.”
Dennis sighed as he picked bits of fish from the bowl and looked out over the campsite. It was a swamp, a literal swamp. Sure, they were on a dry shore several feet above the water, but everything around them was cypress trees and brackish water infested with alligators and a relentless army of mosquitoes.
As twilight began to cast its ethereal glow over the murky waters, the chorus of nocturnal creatures began their evening serenade, most notably the swamp cicadas, their song rivaled in volume only by the musical refrain of a rusty chainsaw.
“Yeah. Sure. It’s so great out here that even the trees are screaming.”
“There’s ear plugs in your pack, if you want them. I’m going to bank the fire and turn in for the night. The sun will be up bright and early in the morning. We’ll want to get started before it gets too hot.”
Settling in for the night, felt the tensions of the day gradually melt away as they stared up at the stars and lost themselves in the vastness of space while talking about whatever came to mind—work mishaps, amusing family anecdotes, recommendations on books they’d read, ideas for that D&D campaign they’d been meaning to start if they could just find a few more players.
Dennis readjusted the life jacket, trying to make it into a more comfortable pillow before just giving up. “I really thought the stars would be brighter out here, but they’re really not.”
“Eh, that’s because we’re just two or three miles from the nearest city. Can’t really get away from the light pollution unless you go way out west into the deserts.”
“I guess that’s true. I hate to admit it, but it is kind of nice out here,” Dennis confessed as his eyes caught a fleeting streak of light slicing across the night. “Oh, hey, a shooting star!”
“Neat! I wish something interesting would happen.”
Dennis chuckled and playfully nudged his friend’s shoulder. “Dude, you’re not supposed to say it out loud. It doesn’t come true if you tell.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not like wishes come true anyway… but seriously, is that thing getting larger?”
The two glanced at one another, a look of uncertainty and fear they both shared in the moment as the shooting star grew closer with each passing moment. The ethereal light cast an otherworldly glow over the surrounding swamp, painting the canopy above with an iridescent sheen. The air crackled with a sense of anticipation, and an inexplicable energy enveloped the duo.
“If we die here, I want you to know… I’ve always hated you, Ollie.”
“Fuck you too, Dennis.”
“Ha! Good times.”
They laughed together as the sky turned a fiery white.
The meteor impacted with a crash, the ground quaking beneath them. Shockwaves ripped through the swap causing several trees to topple as a cloud of water and swamp muck sprayed over their camp.
As the chaos settled and their senses slowly returned, even soaked and covered in muck, Oliver couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hey. Guess whose wish came true.”
“Shut up, Ollie,” he retorted, a reluctant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Climbing out of what remained of their camp, they surveyed the altered landscape. Really, it didn’t look any worse than a heavy thunderstorm or moderate hurricane. They’d both lived through worse.
“Looks like you’re going to get your wish too. We’re going to have to head back first thing in the morning. Even I’m not crazy enough to try to camp through this. But first, let’s go check out the meteor.”
“Wait, are you serious? You want to tromp through the swamp, at night, to find a space rock that’s probably buried in a pit of mud? This is a terrible idea. Didn’t you literally just say you’re not crazy?”
“Oh, come on. It’ll be an adventure!”
“No. No, absolutely not. We only have one flashlight! Let’s just get the fire restarted and check it out in the morning.”
“Fine, we’ll compromise. I’ll get the fire going, then you can wait here and keep it burning while I go exploring.”
“Whatever. If you aren’t back by morning, I’m taking the canoe, but I’ll send a rescue team.”
Finding a safe path through the shattered woodlands in the dark was proving more difficult than Oliver had expected. Fallen trees and tangled undergrowth were mixed with rotting debris displaced by the impact. What animal trails might have existed were wiped away. Oliver’s initial enthusiasm began to wane as he carefully picked his way through the debris as he silently cursed himself for believing his own bluster. Sure, he loved camping and really did go regularly. He had even done some wilderness survival excursions with a group, but this trip… This trip had spiraled completely out of his control. Dennis was never actually supposed to agree, let alone actually go on this trip. No, Dennis was supposed to back out at the last moment, Oliver could head back to town with him, and then they could laugh about it for the next few weeks.
But now, Oliver found himself trudging through the darkness, fully aware of the dangers lurking in the swamp. Venomous snakes, alligators, and only God knows what in search of a damn space rock. And why? Because he couldn’t admit that this whole trip had been an ill-conceived prank. He should have just stayed at the camp and gone searching in the morning like Dennis suggested. That was a good plan. Safe. But no, he couldn’t let go of the illusion of being some wild, rugged adventurer.
Regret gnawed at Oliver’s conscience, urging him to turn back, retrace his steps, abandon this futile search for the safety of camp, and just forget this ever happened. But… five more minutes. He couldn’t stop yet. Just five more minutes wouldn’t hurt. Stopping would mean admitting he screwed up. Another five minutes is fine. He was already out here. He could give it another few minutes and then head back. That would be enough time to say he made an honest effort but had to give up because of… reasons. Yeah, that could work. It would be totally believable.
A faint glow caught Oliver’s attention as the beam of his flashlight broke through a ring of destruction, illuminating a crater filled with swirling mists. Tiny static discharges occasionally flashed in the darkness at the edges of a perfect circle, forming a perfect boundary which held back the foul waters from filling the shallow crater.
This was… Well, honestly, Oliver had no idea what this was. The rational part of his mind screamed at him to turn back, to prioritize his own well-being and retreat to safety before taking that final, potentially fatal step into the unknown. Yet, a flicker of curiosity and a desire to salvage something from this ill-fated trip tugged at him. If he brought something back, then this would have all been worth it.
With a few deep breaths to steady his nerves, Oliver cautiously reached out toward the invisible barrier surrounding the crater. The instant his fingertips grazed the barrier, a flash of blinding electric blue jolted through him, hurling him back into the mud. His senses were overwhelmed by a cacophony of garbled symbols and discordant noises, sharp stabbing pain in his head spreading throughout until he felt it thrumming in his very soul.
As the symbols flashed through his vision, they slowly became recognizable through the haze of pain. The blats and warbles of noise slowly resolved into recognizable sounds, then into words.
Language Protocol Updated and Activated . . .
Begin System Initialization
Then everything went blank.