Once the metallic moron had gone, I spent a little time looking around the cabin. The 'basic survival tools' it had mentioned turned out to be an axe, a knife and some rope.
I walked over to the cupboards and opened them. They were absolutely full to the brim. The 'food' it had mentioned was kept fresh inside some sort of metallic packaging. I ripped one open and my eyes narrowed in distaste. It was a bar of something that looked like green sludge.
Tentatively, I lifted it to my nose, wondering if it would smell as bad as it looked. I was pleasantly surprised – it actually smelt of nothing. I took a bite. It tasted of nothing, too.
"I had to eat this tasteless shit for a year?"
"HEY! ROBOT! I'd like to go back and meet that truck please!" I yelled.
The robot did not return, so I continued my journey of discovery. Thankfully, there was a toilet and a sink. It appeared that hygiene was also considered to be important across the wider galaxy.
I caught my reflection in the mirror. Short brown hair, hazel eyes, pale skin, and the not-quite-a-beard that comes from being too lazy to maintain a shaving schedule. Would it have hurt them to improve my looks a little when they removed the 'human limiter'? Inconsiderate aliens.
Other than an empty fireplace, there appeared to be nothing else of note in the cabin, so I ventured outside.
I was in a… forest.
Not a bizarre alien forest with purple and blue leaves, talking trees and sentient shrubbery. It was a bog-standard forest you'd find in most countries on Earth. Green leaves. Brown trees. Dirt.
Honestly, part of me was a little disappointed. Perhaps they thought my feeble Earth brain would not be able to cope with any sudden drastic changes. Maybe the alien landscapes would show up further down the road…
I spent some time exploring, being mindful to keep the cabin in sight. Sure, I'd seen a few great outdoors videos on YouTube so I could probably be considered an expert-level survivalist, but I figured I'd take it slow, seeing as it was my first day.
The sun had dipped a little now, and a noticeable chill was starting to make its presence known. I headed back into the cabin to check out the fireplace. The robot had been kind enough to leave me a box of matches, but there was no firewood. I picked up the axe and went back outside, resting it on my shoulder like a seasoned lumberjack.
I looked around and caught sight of my first victim. It was a tall tree, but there were plenty of branches sprouting down the length of its trunk, many within my reach. I approached it cautiously, circling it a few times, casting a suspicious eye over it. It definitely seemed to be a normal tree.
I chose a branch, raised the axe over my head, holding the handle with a mighty two-handed grip, and chopped.
The wood splintered but didn't break.
Pathetic. I was glad the robot hadn't seen that one…
I stood and waited, ready to drop the axe and run for my life. Thankfully, the tree remained a tree. It did not come to life and start chastising me for not respecting the sanctity of the forest and whatnot. I finished the job with an incredibly powerful second swing, the branch clattering to the ground.
I almost shit myself when a line of text appeared in my vision.
You have gained 1 strength.Current strength: 2
I wasn't sure whether I should be happy or very disappointed in myself. Admittedly, I'd neglected my physical fitness a little over the course of my adult life, but I'd only had 1 strength?
I tried to imagine what that smarmy prick of a robot would have said if he was still around. "Of course you only had 1 strength. You are a puny human, and not even a particularly prime example of the species."
I'd show him.
Over the next few hours, I transformed. I was no longer Julian the Corporate Drone – I became Julian the Bane of the Forest.
I chopped branch after branch, and a considerable pile started to form outside the cabin. Unfortunately, it seemed the first strength gain was a bit of a freebie, like newbie gains in the gym. It took me an hour to earn the second.
You have gained 1 strength.Current strength: 3
I thought back on all the schoolteachers whose end-of-year reports included comments like: 'could try harder' or 'does not fully apply himself'. If only they could see me now.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face that night, a roaring fire to keep me company.