Everyone was staring at John waiting for him to say something. He stood still for several minutes before Ivan hit him on the shoulder.

“Say something you John. They’re all waiting for you.” Ivan looked annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry. The city screen just took me by surprise, that’s all. It was odd.” Drew raised his eyebrow. John turned to face the crowd. “It’s done. The city’s named. Welcome to River’s End!” he proclaimed, less excited than he thought he’d be at this point. He walked around, shaking people’s hands and thanking them. When finished he announced, putting on a face, “Don’t forget! We’re having a big feast in honor of Virgil and Saul’s hard work. Karmen had been preparing anyway for a big meal, but now we have more reason to celebrate! Thanks Karmen!” She curtseyed. “Circle the wagons one last time and let the celebration begin!”

They had roasted deer and various other game, a plethora of vegetables, and ale. Cale played his “guitar,” and people danced. Even Virgil partook in the festivities, but quickly succumbed to too much ale. Saul carried him back to their wagon. John sat and watched, lost in thought.

“This is the last keg of ale,” Ivan said, depressed, patting it like it meant the world to him. “Probably for the best, at least ‘til we get some buildings up and crops in the ground.” He filled his mug one last time. “Spirits are high. Good idea on the party kid,” he said, rustling John’s hair.

“You know you’re not much older than me, right? Like barely at all. But thanks.” He handed his mug for Ivan to fill. “After this, I’m going to head to my wagon and try to decipher the city page. I have a feeling it won’t look quite like our status pages.”

“Sounds like a plan. Marie and the kids are already asleep. I better not be too far behind ‘em, or I’ll pay for it, like I did when I passed out by fire a few days ago.” Ivan downed his ale, raised his mug to John, and went to his wagon.

“I’ve been waiting for him to leave,” Drew said, watching Ivan go, sitting next to John. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Shoulda known he’d stay ‘til the last keg was about tapped out.”

“You didn’t. I saw you eying us. I could tell you wanted him to go. I figured you’d want to talk about the town status. I have to say, I wouldn’t mind the input. I don’t want to do it here. Let’s go to the wagon for some privacy.” John chugged his ale, and they headed to the wagon.

Once inside, with the canvas pulled closed, John began. “Share city status.”

Name: River’s End

Status: Village

Residents: 1

Treasury: 0

Administration:

Options

Add Resident: Options

Buildings: None

Expand

Residents: Expand

Judiciary: None

Options

Taxes/Revenue: None Options

Stores: None

Trade: None

Not Available

Not Available

Neither said anything for quite a while. Then Drew spoke. “For a game, and that’s why this is weird, it’s not that abnormal. For a game. Are we in a game?” Drew was perplexed. “This seems too convenient. While I’m thinking about it, and maybe you have too, don’t you think it’s convenient there’s 24 hours in a day and distances are measured in miles and meters? And is everyone speaking English?”

“I-I don’t know Drew. I don’t know the answers to your questions. For the first time in a long time, I’m not convinced this is so real after all. I mean look at it. It’s a menu, clear as day. It’s a menu!” John stopped, lowering his voice. “Status pages always gave me pause, but they were at least straight forward, a representation of who we are and our abilities. But this? Does Baron Danielson have access to one of these? I thought it would be a general page like our status pages. I’ll have access to everything we do. Trade, buildings, judiciary? Laws maybe? Stores, like in merchandise stores?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think it means how much you have of something, like how many bushels of corn you have stored, how much ore, and so on. Judiciary is probably laws like you think. I wonder what the Not Availables are.” Drew moved his finger up and down in the air. He clicked Expand next to Residents. Nothing happened. “Looks like I can’t access anything, just see it. Click Expand, let’s see what happens.”

John waved his finger, trying to click Expand. Nothing. “Expand Residents.” A new window opened.

Residents: 1

John Mitchell, Mayor

Level 29 Swordsman. Level 25 Carpenter

“Share Expand Residents.” He gave Drew a moment to look at it. I’m the only one listed. Let me try something. “Expand Add Resident Options.”

Input Resident Name

Options

“Input Drew Cooper”. “Share Expand Residents.”

Residents: 1, 1 Pending

John Mitchell, Mayor

Level 28 Swordsman. Level 25 Carpenter

Drew Cooper, Pending

Pending

He swiped it away. “This is too much. This is a damn game. It has to be. Someone’s messing with us. We’ve woken up in a game.” For the first time since meeting, Drew was worried about John. He was shaking. “I need a moment.” John opened the canvas and stepped out gasping for air.

Drew followed him. “John. It’s going to be ok. When I first met you, you took me in and helped me. I was a mess. I’m still confused, still scared. But I’m getting by because of your help.” Drew put a hand on his shoulder. “Is it a game? Maybe. But like you told me before. Right now, this is our reality. We have to make do.”

“I get that, I do. But I can’t do all this on my own. It’s too much. It’s not what I was expecting at all!” John was getting agitated.

“Calm down John.” Drew said forcefully, looking around. “You helped me, now it’s my turn to help you.” John looked at him questioningly. “Games have changed a lot in 6 years. A lot. A menu like that is nothing. In fact it’ll probably make the whole thing easier, condensing things down into neat categories. We have nothing but time. And we’ll do it together,” Drew said reassuringly.

“Maybe. Maybe you’re right.” John’s shoulders slouched. “ I’m over-reacting. It was just overwhelming ya know? Like when I first got here 6 years ago. It scared me. I mean, it’s a game menu.” Drew opened his mouth to say something. “I get it. I get it,” John quickly cut him off, raising his hand. “Fresh eyes tomorrow. That’s what we need. First thing I’ll do, we’ll do, is figure out how to appoint you for a position, where you can access the menu and help me.” John closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “I need to lay down. Think about things. Start again tomorrow with a clear mindset.” John made for the wagon. “Night Drew.”

“Night John.” Drew went over by the only fire still lit. Everyone had gone to bed by this point. He threw a couple logs on the fire and laid on the ground, staring up at the stars. “We’ll be fine. And hey, who knew all my gaming may pay off,” he chuckled to himself. “This world is getting stranger by the day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the first time in the journey, John wasn’t one of the first up moving around in the camp. No. He laid on his makeshift bed of crates, staring at the city status page and going through the various options. In the short time he’d been awake, he had figured out how to make Drew an assistant mayor, but he wanted to wait for his input before finalizing it. Will Drew be able to manage the town better than me? Will he even want to? He said he had experience, but what did he mean? John swiped the screen away and prepared for the day.

While he moved around in the wagon, John debated with himself. “I really barely know him though. I’m going to have to see what he knows. Have things really changed that much in 6 years? He said it would be easy. Can I leave the running of things to him, the technical stuff, and me just help out where needed and travel. I mean my whole goal was to have a place to come home to. Wonder if he’d be willing. He doesn’t seem the adventurous type. This may be just his thing.” John put on his boots pausing the debate. “That does it. I’m just going to find out if he’s willing, and what his plans are.”

Having exited the wagon, John headed towards a table where breakfast was being served. He didn’t see Drew yet. Although John was later than normal getting going, it was still really early considering. “He’s probably thinking about all this, like I was all morning,” John said to himself. “I’ll just take some eggs this morning, please. And some bread and butter.” An older lady handed John his plate. “Thanks.” He took a few quick bites. “Bethany right? You’re a bookkeeper?”

“Yes John,” she said, cracking a few more eggs. “I was working for a merchant a short time ago. He had brought me along to Innsbruck on one of his trips, but he was just so snide and rude to me the entire time. I couldn’t do it anymore so I quit. I’ve been helping here and there. Why, if I may ask?”

“Hmm, well,” John replied, continuing to chew, “I may have a job for you, if you’d like. I’m not sure what you planned on doing here, but I may need some help. Keep it in mind would ya?” He quickly finished his eggs, keeping the bread and butter for his walk. “That was delicious, thanks.”

“I will. I planned on offering my help anyway. I’m good with notes and very organized. I’ll talk to you later when we have more time.” Bethany waved him away, putting his dishes in a tub to wash later.

“Wonder if Vin is up yet, or the Lumberjack. I’m going to have to work on names.” John took out his small notepad. “Lenz. Lenz the Lumberjack, he’s our man. If he can’t do it, nobody can.” He laughed a little. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two people walking north from the camp toward the mountain. “Leaving already to explore? Granted, we didn’t see any predators, but that’s still dangerous. I need to make a list of things I need to do.” He wrote in his notepad

Talk to people about being escorted if they’re going to explore

“Shit! That reminds me. Need to talk to the guards to see how long they’re staying, and find out who wanted to stay.” He continued to write.

Talk to guards about escorting villagers, see who is staying, and for how long

When he looked up, he saw Drew walking toward him. “What are you working on? Plans?” he said, holding a bowl of eggs, trying to see in John’s notepad.

“Yes and no. Writing things down so I don’t forget to do them. Things that need to be talked about or done quickly for the villagers. I doubt I’ll be doing much exploring for quite a while, taking care of all these little things. Which is why I’d like to talk to you.” John motioned for Drew to have a seat with him in some chairs, away from others. ”Nothing bad, I promise. I just kinda realized I’m in over my head here. This is more than I thought it would be. I thought we’d just come here, build some walls, some homes, Monty could farm. I was not expecting this.” He stopped, almost seeming embarrassed. “ And I’m going to need your help or I’ll never get to leave here. Sorry if that sounds selfish.” He looked around. “So my question is, are you still willing to help like you said? And how much? What are your plans now that we’re here?” He stopped, waiting for Drew’s reply.

“That was three questions, but I’ll still answer them,” he replied, smiling. He took another bite of eggs and a drink, then continued. “I don’t want to be mayor. That’s not me. That’s you, so don’t ask me to do that. I will help you run the town, if you want that. I always loved city building games. If I can somehow get access to the menu, I think I’ll be able to help out greatly with that. As to my plans? I don’t know. I told you a while ago I don’t really feel comfortable fighting. So maybe it really was fate we met after all. Maybe it was fate that I was brought here to help you. I thought about that a lot through the night. There had to be a reason I was brought here. What are the chances you’d be traveling through that very section of the woods and find me? So maybe, just maybe, you’re the brawn and I’m the brains in this operation.” Drew was serious, but smiling. “Think about it. I have experience in management; my job was managing others. You have none. You can fight. I can’t.” Drew continued to eat his eggs, looking up from his bowl.

John was dumbfounded and said nothing for a few minutes, while staring at Drew. Can it really be that simple? Was he brought here to help me? “I don’t know what to say to that.” I knew it wasn’t luck I found him. I knew it! “When you say it that way, it makes sense. I’m clueless out here. I should have asked more questions of the Baron. Or maybe this is just unique to me, to us. The city screen is much, much more complicated than our status screens.”

Drew put his plate down. “It definitely is, just the little I’ve seen. But it’s also not completely unfamiliar to me. So, if you’d like, I can take over the management. Not completely,” he said, putting up his hand. “I don’t want that responsibility. You’ll still be the mayor, make the big decisions. But I can do the small things. Where to place homes and businesses, monitor taxes, handle disputes.” He waited a moment, seeing John’s worried look. “I get it John. I do. Here I come from another world, like you, found in the middle of nowhere, by you. If it was me in your position, I’d think it was too good to be true, too. But you know the saying: never look a gift horse in the mouth. I wouldn’t be here, right now, if it wasn’t for you, and I am deeply grateful to you for that. So let me help. I have no reason to betray you. I consider you a friend. So what do you say? Partners?” Drew put his hand out to John.

John hesitated. Am I stupid? This could all be some huge cosmic trick to get me to agree with him. But he has nothing to gain from this. Ivan would squash him in a second if he backstabbed me. I have to trust him. He’s given me no reason not to. I need him. I need him to help me here. And he has been like a friend to me. One I’ve needed for years. And he knows about home.

Sighing, John finally replied. “Yes, partners.” They shook hands. “I’m going to be honest with you Drew. I agree with you that this is a little too convenient to be a coincidence. But you’ve given me no reason not to trust you. I guess I can always remove you if something ever happens. That has dual meaning by the way.” Drew couldn’t tell if John was serious or joking about the last comment. Then he laughed. “How the tables have turned huh? You being scared and needing my help, and now me, being clueless needing yours.” He put his arm around Drew. “Let’s get to work, friend.”