???

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‘Uhhhh… what the hell happened? Wait… WHERE AM I?!’

Waking up after his forced slumber, caused by the red pillars, Devin awakes to see himself soaring through space at a rapid speed.

Panicked, he tries to move around to try and at least go somewhat slower than he is going currently, but quickly realizes that he can not move his arms or legs. The only thing he can really do is look around.

Of course, the first thing that he does is attempt to look at himself as to why he is unable to move.

‘Ok, legs… check. Feet… check. Arms… check. Fingers… check. Great, I still have everything, so why can’t I move?’

Confused, he fruitlessly attempts to move for a few more minutes before giving himself up to fate. He is going somewhere, but he has no control over where he is going.

‘Might as well just wait for this journey to end.’

Resigning himself to waiting for the end, he decides to watch the astral scenery go by, as there really isn’t anything else to do other than count sheep or think to himself, and he’d rather give himself a distraction than ponder what the hell is going on.

...

As the planets and solar systems go by, he realizes something.

‘Aren’t I passing by planets and stars more often than I should?’

‘Sure, I’m not some space geek, but aren’t solar systems really spaced out?’

By now, he had gone through maybe fifteen or so different solar systems with the waits in-between each system being only around 30 seconds long. And each time they were going through a solar system, he was going at a speed at which he was able to easily look at the planets and asteroid belts that were in each system.

‘It’s almost as if there is something guiding me.’

Leaving himself confused about this fact, he unwillingly continues his journey and marvels at the systems passing by him.

Along his forced journey, he sees many planets and suns. One of the more interesting planets that he sees is a tidally locked planet that he flies right over. On the side of the planet facing the sun, he sees a burning wasteland with large lakes of magma on it. On the other side, the side not facing the sun, he sees another wasteland, but this time of ice.

This alone amazes him, as he is able to see the whole picture from so close but it is the center that fascinates him.

Right between the wastelands of ice and fire is a ring of green. Is there life on that planet? He does not know, but before he can think much more on it, he is sent on his way.

…

After a while, Devin gets bored of looking around at the planets as they now aren’t any different from the ones that he has seen before.

Gauging his very limited options, he decides to just look in the direction he is headed and wait for the end of the journey, whatever that is.

That decision, he realizes, was a very bad mistake.

‘Hooray… yet another solar system…’

‘Wait a second… that planet is pretty damn close to where I’m going… oh… OH…’

After slowing down yet again to pass through yet another solar system, Devin realizes that he is on an impact course with a planet. What’s worse is that he is not slowing down.

‘OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT…’

His self-preservation instinct kicking in, he starts to try and stop himself from ramming into the planet, or at least put his hands in front of him so he wouldn’t have to see what he is about to hit.

‘PLEASE STOP… PLEASE STOP… AT LEAST TURN DAMNIT!’

Continuing to panic, he gets closer and closer to the planet with no change in the speed at which he is going and before he realizes it, he is about to ram into the planet at a speed faster than light.

‘FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU....”

But right as he thinks he is going to hit the planet, everything goes black.

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???, 1 PT (Year 1, Post Transfer), Day 1, 8:00 AM?

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…

“SHIT!”

Awaking with a jolt, Devin panics and starts hyperventilating, still thinking he is about to die from ramming into the planet.

*Pant*... *Pant*... *Pant*...

It is only when he realizes that he is lying on grass, that he starts to calm down.

‘Was… was that just a dream?’

‘I’m on solid ground… but… hell I really thought that I was going to die.’ *Haaaahhh*

Knowing that his death is now not imminent, he gets into a fetal position, staring at the grass.

“Heh… hehe… haha…”

Not knowing what else to do, Devin starts to laugh at himself...

“Hahahaha… hahahahahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!”

...uncontrollably.

“HAHAHAHAHA… *inhale*... hehe HAHAHAHA…”

‘It was just a dream! Of course it would be!’

“HAHAHA *cough*... *cough cough cough*...”

Laughing himself into a coughing fit, he finally starts to calm down from his part euphoric, part fear induced state.

‘Oh… I’m an idiot… I’m such an idiot.’ *sigh* ‘Ok, then now where the hell am I?’

Finally getting out of the fetal position, he quickly looks around, only to see that there are numerous other people around him, all of whom are sleeping.