Lying on my back, I gazed upward at the leafy boughs as I pondered. Now, think about this logically. Regulator said that these were plants, and he also said that these trees around me were also plants. That must mean that they grow similarly. The plants in this forest seem to grow from the ground, so that follows that the seeds that I have can grow food from the ground as well! I quickly sat up and gazed around me. So eager was I with my discovery, I dashed back to the location of my awakening to put my plan into action, each of my tools bouncing up and down with my movement.

Eagerly removing the hoe from its current spot between my shirt and jacket, I studied the hoe in an attempt as to ascertain its purpose. Perhaps this is to flatten the ground that I put it on- no. That doesn't make sense. What about pulling the ground towards me as I push it into the ground?

Thats it! I'm not sure how, but it makes sense!

OK, at least I have this down. Now, to just pull up enough ground to put these seeds in. Wait- how deep do I put these, and how far apart should I put them? I really wish that Regulator had told me how this infernal procedure worked. I suppose trial and error is in order. I'll try these seeds at about

Regulator! Where are you when I need you? I don't know how to do this! I dont want to know what happens if I don't do this! Why...why can't someone just...help...me...

Angry and exasperated, I fell back onto the soft earth and rolled onto my stomach. Banging my head into the ground repeatedly, I gritted my teeth each time my skull hit the forgiving loam. The soft substance that was omnipresent below grass tasted vile, and my head soon became dizzy. Shaking my head free of any grass that imprinted itself on my head, I recentered my thoughts on the task at hand.

Should I cover them or not? Well, the trees only seem to grow where there is soil, because I didn't see any on the mountains where I got the stone for my tools. Maybe that means that more soil is good for the seeds.

I immediately felt relieved. Regulator! I'm so glad you're back. Wait, what's Earth?

Oh yeah. I guess I'm relieved to see you too, Basket.

Shut up, ye blithering idiot.

What happened, Regulator? Where'd you run off to?

Who's Overseer? What's fire? Regulator? Basket? Regulator- curses. Both of those two jokers are gone again. Just my luck. It wasn't the first time I had heard of Overseer, but it was the first time I wasn't confused enough to think about it.

I stared up into the sky. The blue orb hovering above had not shifted position, and the brief respite I was taking was cooling me off. I had grown accustomed to the pulsating heat. The azure sphere in the sky was now partially covered by dark gray shapes that raced across the sky, consuming the blue sky with their charcoal shades. That was strange, because I hadnt felt warm before. Maybe something about this environment was beginning to change. I decided to stop getting my hopes up. Even so, some change, any change, would be welcome. This static environment was beginning to worry me.

Curses. I left some of the tools Regulator helped me fashion back on the rocky hills. I suppose I better go and get them. The Scotsman had told me of each and every one of these tools, but my task was to determine their function in whatever way I saw fit. I lay down my hoe, knife, shovel, and rake- those were the only items I could carry back in one trip- and left my resting-place to retrieve the remaining items.

It was certainly much later that I arrived at my destination, because the sky had a different appearance to it. Finally, some change. It's about time. Something hit my head and caused a slight burning sensation. I pivoted around, attempting to find the source. Whatever it was didn't stop there. A few moments after that, another drop of whatever had hit me before struck again, and again causing pain.

I glanced up. The same object hit me in the left eye, and half my vision went blurry as my eye exploded in agony. The attack increased; I began to sprint for the hills, where hopefully I could find shelter from whatever this was. Where is this coming from? Who or what is assaulting me, and why? What had I done to be ambushed in such a matter from above?

The pounding increased; whatever this stuff was, I certainly wouldn't last long in it. Pain flared on every part of my neck and head. My clothes had the effect of protecting the rest of my body, because the precipitation just rolled off the garments like water. Trying to cover my head with my arms didn't help, because the substance falling from the now darkened sky would roll down the sleeves and again fall on my unfortunate head.

After locating my tools- I didn't want to fashion new ones without Regulators assistance- I eagerly ran into a nearby cave. I was eternally thankful for my curiosity in exploring these hills earlier. Luckily, the cave wasn't too deep, so there was still some light filtering in. I sat down against one of the cave walls, intending to wait out this precipitation to the end, whenever that might be.

Making sure my gloves were dry, I ran my covered hands over my head. The hair on my head, including my eyebrows, was completely gone. Obviously, the rain must have completely burned off my entire head of hair. But if the rain is able to burn off my hair, why wasn't the rest of my body burned as well? Then again, it might be- I have no reflective surface to tell me otherwise. It certainly feels burnt. The stinging sensation rippled throughout my body as tendrils whipped over every bit of my head, causing me to wince in pain.

I turned to look at the back of the cave. There was a piece of wood there, much like the material that the trees in the nearby forest were composed of. I don't remember bringing in any wood here, and I hadn't seen anyone else around. Maybe the people who put me here- wherever here was- put this wood here to give me a hint. Perhaps that "fire" that Regulator was talking about earlier?

I looked beyond the log of wood to a point just above it. In the center of the back wall, something glittered. Naturally curious, I picked up my pickaxe and began to chip away at the strange substance. It looked nothing like the stone around it, and was composed of a copper-like color.

Picking away with my stone pickaxe wouldn't break the stone surrounding the small sliver of the unusual object. Perhaps a little more force could shake the shale loose. Aiming carefully, I took a swing at the rock with my pickaxe. When stone met stone, there were red flashes of light that flew in many directions at once. One of these little pieces of light hit me on the nose and caused another burning sensation. My skin was already sensitive from the rain, and this made it sting with an incredible heat.

As I held my throbbing nose with both my hands- I had dropped the pickaxe on contact- I noticed the small burst of light had remained on the piece of wood for quite a few moments before it fanned out.

Well, whatever I had just accomplished, it did produce a lot of heat. I decided to give it another shot. This time, I swung the pickaxe at the wall closer to the ground after moving the log closer as well. The small flashes of light remained on the log, and they grew to consume the log itself. The red, yellow, and blue flashes shifted size and magnitude constantly, dancing a jig of heat and light.

Whatever just happened, I was much more content. The heat generated from the log was enough to warm my freezing body. I never realized how cold I was from the rain, and this simple act made me much more comfortable.

I looked at the glowing log. This is fire?

Thanks guys. Now, could you tell me what that viscous precipitation was and why it hurt me so?

Regulator- he was gone again. So was Basket. For the umpteenth time, I cursed. Well, I suppose I better take a look at whatever it is that Regulator wanted me to look at. I noticed a few flashes of light whenever I shifted position, so there was quite a large grouping of this metal- I think that's what the little voice in my head called it- here. I decided that the quickest way to see what was beneath the rock was to shatter all the rock between this metal and myself.

Hefting my massive hammer, I pulled the tool back in preparation to strike. Looking back on when I fashioned this, I'm relatively sure I made it too large. The handle itself was longer then my arm, and the head was thicker then I was. It took quite a bit of effort merely to lift the confounded thing.

I swung.

The rock shattered, and the cave walls shuddered around me. After steadying myself from the forceful blast, I checked what was left. There was a significant dent in the metal, obviously from where I hit it. I noticed two different things, however.

Where I thought there was one metal before, now there were two. As my gaze shifted further left, the coppery-colored metal ended, followed by more rock. However, to the left of the rock was a different metal; at least, that's what I thought it was. Unlike the copper- I figured that copper-colored could afford to be shortened- this glinted with a different color; It looked like a dull silver.

I dropped my hammer on the floor, my rear end following soon after to leave me in a sitting position. I'm not sure how long I sat there, merely pondering. When I became aware of my surroundings again, the rain had stopped. As I glanced out of the cave mouth, I noticed whatever had brought the rain had disappeared. The blue orb in the sky hadnt moved from where I had seen it last.

Id have to deal with this metal later. Right now, I wanted to get back to my settlement and see how my plants were growing. Taking a large chunk of each metal in my two hands, I gathered up my tools and began to head back to the settlement when a thought occurred to me.

What would happen when it rained again? There wasn't any cover at the settlement. Maybe it would be a good idea to bring some of this stone and make a shelter of some sort. A design like the cave that I stayed in would be useful. I began to gather enough large blocks of stone. Using my chisel and a smaller hammer I crafted, I fashioned five large slabs, each having a small groove in them to connect those plates to the others. Realizing that I couldnt convey all of the slabs, metal, and tools back at the same time, I decided to make a few trips. The slabs would be most important; I needed to make a shelter in case it rained again.

I noticed the plants had grown out of the ground a little higher. After my first trip, the plants had finally grown to ankle height. Some of the plants must have been growing at a slower pace than others, because some failed to grow beyond my foots height. After I had completed the third trip, the crops had grown to nearly half my height. I also noticed small flowers growing on some of the plants after my third trek. By the time I returned with the remainder of my supplies on the fourth trip, many of the plants had grown some strange substances off of the stalks, many of a different color.

As I reached forward to study this strange occurrence, I heard a peculiar sound emanating from my midsection, accompanied by massive pain. This caused me to double over and bite my lip in agony.

I gripped my stomach in pain. Regulator? Basket? What do you mean by food? Which is the food, the green plants or the objects growing off of them?

I was constantly surprised at how calm Basket was.

If I had thought about what Basket said, I would've let out a rather lengthy string of insults and curses that I had picked up from Basket throughout my time here on this grassy plain.

My head felt dizzy, and I fell to the ground. Despite the sharp feebleness, I felt that I needed an explanation. Regulator, you said something about ovals...what's that?

Well, if it doesn't matter, I suppose Regulator proves his point. Then again, I'm not really in a position to demand explanations. I reached for one of the foodstuffs, only to fall from my fatigue and fall face-first in the soil. Silently cursing, I slowly pushed myself up from the dirt, again reaching and pulling off one of the objects off a nearby plant. I eagerly ate the contents, spitting out the green piece that had connected the food to the plant.

After a few moments of continued discomfort, I felt the pain lessen and vanish. Regulator, what just happened?

Hungry? Whats that?

What's a human?

Why do you have to talk to Overseer about everything you do?

It sounds like this Overseer isnt that reasonable. Getting angry just because I know what humans are? Is that really worth becoming irate over?

Wait a minute- damn, he's gone again.

That's how it went. I discovered something new, Regulator would "come back", we'd chat for a little, and hed tell me the next discovery that I would have to figure out. Then, just as swiftly as he had "arrived," he was gone. As soon as he left, Basket arrived and would teach me "the things that make life worth living," such as the fermentation of alcohol and other mental stimulants. Basket did say that I had to recreate all of Humanity's discoveries, and that these were some of them.

During my advancement in the realm of knowledge, Regulator would introduce me to the other personalities in my mind, telling me about them. He told me of Glutton's...well...gluttony, Pest's exasperating insults, Felicity's sexual predator-like nature, Soldier and Paladin's constant arguments over the virtue of honor in war, and other assorted goings-on in the persona community nestled within the confines of my mind.

It sounded like a busy place up there, and it was equally busy down here; busy, but rather boorish. It was by the time I reached the "Iron Age" that something new and quite unexpected happened.

I was in the forest, chopping wood with my bronze axe. Having only recently reached the Iron Age, some of my tools hadnt made the transition yet. I took about four or five swipes to take down a thick tree, but I could only carry one per trip. The wood was for the foodstuff silo that I had been building for some time now. As I had advanced in discovery and science, my food crops had increased dramatically. Because I needed the extra space and somewhere to put the surplus food, a silo seemed reasonable. I didn't want my excess food to go to waste.

A few moments after the tree had been chopped down, I heard a noise unlike anything I had experienced. It sounded like me when I was breathing heavily, but much deeper and more strained. Sparing a glance back into the forest, I saw a pair of eyes stare back at me. The sound had emanated from that direction, and whatever it was, my new companion didnt look very friendly.

I was not sure why I always carried my spear. It was in a small, wooden sheath that I had fashioned for it and carried on my back. The strap across my chest was made out of tree bark and kept the sheath easy to wear. My spear had been fashioned out of iron, and the point at the end was as sharp as I could make it. Dropping my axe and hefting the spear with both hands, I crouched and balanced the weapon. The shaft was almost the thickness of my forearm, and could break through any metal except iron.

As the creature came into full view, I froze. My muscles refused to budge, and I simply stood there, staring at this enormous creature. The horns certainly looked sharp enough to impale someone unfortunate onto them with little chance of recovery. As it noticed me, it mimicked my crouched stature. The creature stared at me, and my eyes bored into it. After a few moments staring at each other, I could almost feel what it was thinking. After a little while longer, I knew exactly what it wanted.

Food.

Preferably alive and kicking.

That meant me.

Great. Just great.

I don't know. It's just so incredibly large and it looks so powerful.

Regulator? Basket?

My breathing became hoarse. Do something!

A few moments later, I felt a sudden wetness travel down my trousers.

The lad didn't mean do that, Basket!

Whether it was Basket's light-hearted banter or the relaxation in the muscular tension that had built up, I certainly felt less terrified. My breathing slowed down, and I refocused my attention to my foe.

We circled around each other a few times, eyes never leaving each other. I had the advantage of agility and it had balance; a bipedal stature is more agile but less balanced than having four legs. However, because it was much shorter than I, it could easily travel through some of the smaller underbrush of the forest.

Then again, I had a spear. I also knew how to use it. At least, I hoped that I did.

Obviously unknowing of the potential of the spear I carried, the beast charged. It ran straight at me, showing no strategy or planning whatsoever. It also didn't look like it was holding back. I wasn't planning for it to hold back, however. I leaped into the air, twisting my body as I aimed my spear. As my opponent charged beneath me, I threw the spear. Unfortunately, I lost control of my jump after I tossed the weapon.

I fell onto my rump. I looked at the beast with my spear impaling its head, as it let out a terrible squeal. I was willing to believe that I got the better end of the exchange. My breathing slowed, and returned to normal. I stood up, ready to retrieve my spear.

Thats when the beast moved. I froze once more. The cursed thing was getting up! I took a step back after regaining my wits. Seeing the beast totter for just a moment was all the invitation I needed. Rushing up to it, I dealt a massive kick to the side of its head, knocking it over once again. The beast let out another squeal as it fell to the ground. Seizing the shaft of my weapon with a powerful grip, I pulled the head of the spear out of the beast, ignoring the ear-shattering cries of pain.

Why wouldn't this monster die? I was getting incredibly, incredibly angry at the stubborn persistence of this brute.

The monster recovered more quickly than I could, as it smashed its head into my midsection, throwing me backward into a nearby tree and sending my spear in another direction. I felt the incredible impact, snapping my neck back into the tree. I saw a few brightly colored lights before I attempted to shake off the incredible force that had more than likely cracked a few ribs.

Groggily returning to a standing position with the tree trunk as a brace, I made a dash for the spear. The beast must have noticed this, for it cut me off at an angle and one of its horns smashed into my foot as I leaped out of the way. Ignoring the pain, I fell to the ground and limped the little distance between myself and my weapon.

After removing the spear from the ground, I stabbed again at the critter. This time, in the belly. Another squeal of pain. I grinned savagely at the obvious distress of my fallen foe. The brute fell again, but quickly regained its footing, despite the blood gushing from the wound. Once again, I removed my bloodied spear and attempted to back off as my foe charged me once more, its horns reflecting some of the sunlight that crept through the boughs above. One of the horns found its target in my leg, causing me to howl in pain as the pointed appendage gouged my leg down to the bone. As my head impacted on the ground, the beast withdrew its horn, covered in blue blood. Before withdrawing temporarily, one of its feet stamped down on my abdomen, crushing my stomach. Crying out again in pain, I forced my head up and pushed the monster back with a powerful head-butt, which left both of us reeling.

Pushing myself back against a trunk with my one remaining functioning foot, I gripped my limb in pain as I swam for breath. For a few moments, the two of us remained in our respective positions, staring back at each other. I gripped my weapon more tightly in my hand as the beast charged headlong once more. A simple, yet tactically brilliant, battle plan formed in my mind. I just hoped that my ankle could provide the impetus that was necessary to implement it.

As it came within a hairsbreadth of me, I squatted to gain power and leapt up, rising above the horned beast who forcefully rammed into the tree that I was standing in front of, jolting the tree and uprooting some of its foundations. The monster fell to the ground as the head trauma paralyzed it momentarily.

Now! As I descended, I stabbed my weapon into the critter's eye, running it through the entire skull until the shaft ran through the ground below the head of my foe. Orange blood gushed from the wound and splattered onto my spear as well as the surrounding shrubbery. Needless to say, a healthy dose was sprayed onto me, as well. My mouth, which was gaping open due to my physical exhaustion, also received a spray of blood.

That was an experience that I didn't need repeated. The blood of my fallen enemy was not very tasty compared to actual food, and the stinging sensation in my mouth quickly left my entire throat raw and a collective sound of disgust emanated from my two mental commentators.

Hefting the giant critter on my shoulder, I decided to carry it back to the settlement. I wanted to burn away all of the blood, because the dadacursed thing was certainly not on my high list of beings I want to spend my eating time with. Then again, I dont have the aforementioned list. Oh well.

I'm almost sure that title gets longer every time you say it, Basket.

Both of you certainly sound chipper. How are things up there?

Around when I had first discovered masonry, Regulator spent more and more time talking to me. Basket also appeared to be on Regulator's nerves less than usual; in fact, the two of them were somewhat cordial to each other. I asked him why.

There was a long silence as everyone waited for aforementioned armies of a certain canine-deity to attack a certain Scotsman.

Nothing happened.

Survival test? What do you mean?

I frowned, recalling the incident vividly. My hair was recovering slowly, being nothing but mere stubble now. The slightest touch sent waves of pain through my scorched skin. I winced at the mere thought of it.

You mean I can eat this for food?

Shut up, both of you! Good. Now, how about both of you stay quiet until I get some food in me, OK?

Idiots.