The Once and Future Man - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

There was no warning or even a noticeable transition. One moment he was sitting comfortably in a nice leather chair, the next he was lying naked in the dirt. "Really? Naked? You can take my soul out of my body, put it in a new body, and transport me to a new world but clothes are too much for you?" David yelled as he slowly sat up. Looking around the 'pre-designated area', which appeared to be a cave. A few torches in iron holders shed light on a compacted dirt floor. Smooth stone walls sloped up to form a dome maybe 40 feet across. David got up and brushed himself off. The dome looked complete with no openings, but the room didn't fill with smoke from the torches in the slightest. His supplies were in the middle of the room. Twenty-four wooden chests banded with iron, three rows of eight. On the other side of the cave from him, across from the supplies was a wall of tree trunks. One on the left had a door handle attached to it.

The box at the end of the middle row near him had a ring of keys on it. David could see that every chest was secured by a heavy padlock. On top of each one was an engraving to show what was inside. Some marked with a shirt, some with a coin, some with a pill, the rest with a book. A few minutes sorting through keys had all three of the chests on the end closest to him open. The left had clothes tightly folded and neatly sorted inside. He quickly got dressed - jeans, hiking boots, and a grey short sleeved button-down shirt. More clothes went into a small leather backpack just in case. The air in the cave was perfect t-shirt weather but who knew what it was like outside. The next open chest was filled with weapons.

A longsword rested on top of the pile. David picked it up and pulled it slowly out of its scabbard. It had a shining three-foot-long leaf shaped steel blade, the cross guard was carved to look like tree branches and inlayed with silver filigree. The handle was wrapped in leather and felt comfortable in his hand. It was lighter than he expected, he could swing it quite easily with one hand, though there was room on the handle to use both. Torchlight gleamed off the blade and the piece of jade in the circular pommel. There were more like it inside the chest, along with some larger two-handers. Some had handles of gold with precious stones set into them. David attached the sword to his belt on his right hip. A six inch knife went on his left hip. The last open chest was full of coins and jewels. He could see pearls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other precious stones. Each gold and silver coin was about an inch across and an eighth of an inch thick. There were eagles stamped on one side of all of them. Everything glittered in the torchlight invitingly. This one box held more money than he had ever had in his whole life, and there were 5 more of them.

David pulled a little sack from the open clothes chest and filled it with coins and a few of the gems. This went into the backpack with his spare clothes and another handful of coins went into his pants pocket. He opened the rest of the chests one by one to check their contents. Piles of coins, neatly folded clothes, and stacks of weapons were tightly packed into each one. One chest held unstrung longbows. Some were made of carbon composite while others were a more traditional horn and wood construction. Quivers of arrows lined the bottom of the chest. A few of the swords were real monsters, over four feet long with broad heavy blades.

Two of the chests contained his emergency drugs and medications. David pulled a small kit with bandages and ointments and added it to his clothes bag. The rest of the chests all contained old fashioned leatherbound books. Just on top he could see volumes on geology, math, metallurgy, a few on ship building and early industrial techniques. The runners of this 'experiment' had certainly been thorough. There wasn't really any use for the books yet, so he left them alone. Nothing more to do until he knew where exactly he was and what he was going to do. David closed up everything and made sure they were all locked.

He sat down on the last chest and looked around the cave again. Is this really happening? He thought. Am I really here or is this all in my head? His body looked and felt the same as it always had as far as he could tell. If I am really here, now what?

The rules of the experiment were that he could do whatever he wanted. But if he decided to just sit here forever would that really be allowed? Would the Aliens/Gods/Future People that sent him here really not care what he did after going to all the trouble to get him here?

"Now what?" He said to the ceiling. "Any directions? Any other rules I should know about?"

No response.

So, no more involvement from his mysterious benefactors. Some of the stories he read had a constant flow of new materials and supplies headed to the main character any time they needed them. Apparently, he wouldn't be so fortunate. He wished he'd been a little more thoughtful with his packing. Using half of his allowed space for books seemed stupid now. "For future reference, asking someone to come up with a good list of survival needs with zero information right after you tell them they should be dead isn't the best setup for clear thinking!" David flipped off the ceiling. Petty and useless sure, but it was all he could do to show his frustration. He stood up and grabbed his backpack. Nothing left to do in here for now I suppose.

David put the key ring into his bag, which was almost bursting at this point, and headed to the door.

It looked heavy, but the wooden door pushed out smoothly into a brightly sunlit forest. The roof of the cave extended out to overhang the door and hide it from above. Thorn bushes curled around the entrance on either side. David was careful not to touch them as he turned around to close the door. There was a large brass key already in the lock. He made sure the door was secure and put the key in his pocket. He stepped back and looked around. His cave wasn't part of a natural chain or in the side of a mountain. It was just a big mound in the middle of the forest with a door in it. Sunlight filtered through a loose canopy of oaks and maples, no mistaking those leaf shapes. Being careful of the thorns, he pulled the bushes over to hide the door a little more.

Every direction David looked in seemed the same. Broadleaf trees all around towering over him, here and there a few pine trees. One or two of the giants had fallen in years past, opening up holes in the treetops. Moss and ferns grew over the fallen logs. Bushes, loose branches, and berry brambles crowded around the bases of the trees. The air had that unmistakable green smell of growth. It was definitely cleaner than anything he had breathed back home. Birds chirped and fluttered around the higher branches. He could see squirrels, even a couple rabbits moving around looking for food.

It would have been pleasant to spend the day there, if he hadn't been so nervous about how he was going to survive. A little path ran from the door of his cave out into the woods. David shifted his backpack and headed down the path at a slow pace, his thoughts wandered as he walked. What was he going to do here? What was his purpose? With the amount of money he had brought with him he could probably buy a house and live comfortably for a long time. Somehow, that idea didn't appeal to him as much as it should have. He'd spent many dead-end jobs dreaming of a life of leisure, but now that it was an option it seemed like a waste. If he didn't get himself killed right away, he had a chance to do something great here. A chance to be more than just a faceless working stiff. David didn't have much of a technical background but even he could explain the benefits of an assembly line or sterile medical conditions to 17th century people.

Plus, I'm technically already dead, David thought. It was freeing somehow. He'd been given a second chance. And not in a lame, live your life over again and try not to embarrass yourself in high school, kind of way. He'd miss cars and the internet but other than that he could do whatever he wanted here. And if this was all in his head, why spend his coma just laying around doing nothing? He'd already be doing that in his hospital bed.

The path led more or less straight away from the cave, weaving around trees and shrubs. After ten minutes of walking David noticed it was getting brighter up ahead. The trees thinning out and the ground sloping down at a slight angle. He stepped out of the trees and looked down at a wide dirt road. Ditches on either side were dry at the moment but would fill with runoff when storms came through the area. Shallow ruts showed it was big enough for two wagons to pass each other. The sun shined down through the break in the trees from a clear blue sky. It hung low on the horizon, meaning it was either early morning or late afternoon.

If the sun even moves east to west here, David thought. There was so much about this place that he didn't know. This world was supposed to be the same as his in the 17th century. Did that mean that the people were the same? Europe was war after war in that time period. The Americas were being colonized and that ended up horribly for the Native Americans. Would this world be just as violent? Would it be just as affected by racial and religious bigotry? Personally, he didn't care what color anyone was or who they prayed to, it wasn't his business. He could only hope that when he did meet people here, they weren't xenophobic zealots that killed newcomers on sight.

David looked around for some kind of landmark so he could find his way back to the cave path. He saw a stump from a fallen oak tree across the road. He walked over, stopping to lift a large rock out of the gully on the way. He set the rock on top of the stump and stepped back to the road. It was about as noticeable as he could make it. A quick look in both directions revealed... an unchanging road through a forest. All things being equal, David decided to walk towards the sun.

He walked down the middle of the road at a steady pace. It ran straight more or less. He could hear more birds and even saw a deer cross the road a few dozen feet in front of him. David couldn't remember the last time he had been in a forest like this. He had lived in a suburb of Dallas all his life. He had always wanted to travel but a constantly empty bank account prevented that. The air was so clean here he could taste it. No ever-present background noise of cars, no highway gridlock, no skyscrapers. No social media influencers taking pictures everywhere and no social media in general. That made him smile, he'd always been a bit of a loner and the constant updates of everyone's perfectly curated lives drove him nuts.

David hoped that this world wasn't like all the movies he thought of about the 18th century. Tons of uptight people in tights and wigs, doffing tri-corner hats to each other when they met. That didn't appeal to him as a way to spend the rest of his life. Neither did out-houses come to think of it. He crossed his fingers that plumbing was more developed here. The sun was slowly rising over the trees in front of him. A cool breeze swept past him while he walked but he was starting to wish he had asked for bottled water in his supplies.

He'd been walking for about an hour when he saw a cloud of dust building ahead of him. After a few minutes he could see a man on a small wagon at the center of the dust cloud. David stepped off to the side of the road to wait. The woods were close enough to make a run for it if that became necessary. The sword was mostly for intimidation. He was more likely to cut off part of his own body than part of someone else's.

As it got closer he could see it was a farm wagon. The driver was dressed in simple homespun, loose wool shirt and vest with leather pants that had their fair share of patches on them. He was deeply tanned, a bit overweight but strong looking for his age. The top of his head was bald, whisps of white hair stuck out around his ears to match his thick mustache. He reminded David of the old guy from the Walking Dead. The wagon was stacked high with bags of flour on one side and chickens clucking away in their wooden cages on the other. The driver slowed to a halt when he noticed David standing by the side of the road. To his surprise the older man stood up and bowed towards David, who had stepped up to the wagon when it stopped.

"Good day to you, my Lord." The man's tone was polite but uncertain.

David was shocked to hear English. The man's mouth didn't quite match the words that were coming out, the shapes his lips made wouldn't sync up properly, but he heard English all the same. He said a silent prayer thanking his Alien overlords for not handicapping him with having to learn a new language to talk to everyone. He'd take anything they were willing to do to help him here, never look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. "Good day to you as well, sir." David stood relaxed with his right hand on the hilt of his sword. "I'm not a Lord, just a traveler who's a bit lost. Can you tell me anything about the area?"

"Well, this road here leads to Thaladon of course. If you keep going your way, you'll run into some farms eventually. Long way to go on foot though, my Lord." The farmer still hadn't sat back down on his wagon. He also overlooked David telling him he wasn't part of the nobility. "Not much but forest between farm and city. And there's bandits between the two as well. Not meaning to tell you your business sir, but you should be careful walking around alone."

David smiled to himself. He'd been headed in the wrong direction. If it weren't for this old man, he would have walked for hours out into the sticks. Off to a great start already. Hope the aliens aren't regretting their choice for this experiment. "If you don't mind, could I trouble you for a ride into town?"

The farmer seemed shocked that he should be given such an honor. "Certainly, my Lord, you would be most welcome to ride with me!"

David climbed up onto the seat next to the old man. He offered his hand to his new friend and introduced himself. "I'm David Winston, thanks for the lift. I didn't know I was heading the wrong way. And I'm not a Lord, just a regular guy."             

If the old man got any more surprised by the day's events his eyes would fall out of his head. He did reach out and grab David's hand after a moment. "I'm called Tolm. And I apologize, but no one other than a Lord would have clothes as finely made as yours. Or be walking around carrying a sword like that. Bandits around here usually have old cast-offs or farm axes."

"Where I'm from we don't have Lords, every man is responsible for himself." With the way things had been going with corporate America and all the billionaires David wasn't sure how true that statement actually was.

Tolm raised his thin eyebrows at that statement, "A strange place indeed then. Though I admit it sounds nice. My own Lord is a just man, doesn't take more than is necessary and leaves plenty for the rest of us to make a living on. There are others I know who are less fortunate."

They rode along easily for the next couple hours. Tolm of course asked how David had ended up in the woods not knowing where he was. The best story David could come up with was that he had been drinking and must have wandered off in the night. Saying that he came from a different world, had already died, and had been dropped here by he didn't know who... wouldn't go over well. Tolm accepted this explanation though, allowing David to relax a little. He told Tolm that he was traveling around the world trying to see new things, which was true enough. The old man laughed, "Not much to see wandering around in the woods is there? Ha! Not much to see in this country outside of the forest either. Wellon isn't a rich country, though not exactly poor either. I like to talk to the sailors when they come in, if you believe their stories there are cities across the sea with towers the size of mountains, men that eat fire, where even the average man eats off of golden plates every night. They're always a good listen but who believes sailors? I can't say for sure; I've never been farther from home than Thaladon. We don't eat off golden plates, but we've never gone hungry either and that's enough for me."

The forest was thinning out and David could see fields ahead. They started to pass stone walled grain fields and green sheep pastures, all very small compared to 21st century factory farms. Here and there were shepherds and farmers, along with their children. Some waved to Tolm, obviously familiar with him from his travels to the city. Everyone, from the oldest to the youngest, bowed deeply when they saw David. Tolm found David's discomfort with their reaction to him hilarious. "Better get used to it. Or buy yourself some plainer clothes in the city. They've never seen someone who looks like a noble out and about like this. They either stay on their estates, or if they need to travel it's in a carriage surrounded by their servants and guards. Keep carrying that fancy sword around and it won't matter what you're wearing though. People will think you're at least some sort of mercenary captain."

David frowned as he listened. He'd been hoping to move around unnoticed in the crowd until he had a good feel for what was what in this place. Jeans and a plain button-down shirt had seemed like simple comfortable clothes before he left the cave. Who knew that would be a sign of luxury here? The sword he couldn't do much about. The others in his weapons chests were either just as fancy looking or were so big he would have to wear them on his back, he was afraid he would accidentally cut his neck pulling them out.

"Don't make faces sir, haha! Better to be seen as a man to be respected and feared than as some dirt-poor peasant. Sure, you'll have to be careful about thieves, but you won't have to worry about people not listening to you."

That made sense to David. He'd do his best not to draw too much attention to himself, but if carrying a nice sword around made people more agreeable to what he had to say he was ok with that. Tolm continued to talk about what he knew of things in town. David did his best to soak up all the information he could.

"You get better prices selling down on the docks in Thaladon than back in my little town. Last trip for me this year though. Storm season will be starting soon so there won't be many ships looking to leave port. Royal fleet quartermasters are a bunch of crooked cheap bastards but a few of the merchant ships'll pay what the goods are worth. There's a few good inns down that way too, not too expensive. With how you handle drink you'd best stick to cider though, no woods around, just a pier and a deep bay to fall into haha." Tolm wiped sweat off his brow, the sun was climbing higher behind them. "If you do get some homespun clothes for strolling about town, make sure you keep your fancy trappings. Wouldn't want to go to the Courting Line lookin' like a beggar. The Queen's court would laugh you out of the room."

The wagon hit another rut and David had trouble staying in his seat. He made a quick grab for the corner post of the wagon. He managed not to fall off and settled back down next to Tolm. "What's the courting line?"

"It's just about the only reason a rich man travels to Wellon these days. The Queen, Lady Mialana, she's been of marrying age for about five years now. No marriage arranged by her parents before they passed, fever took most of the nobles about her age that would have been acceptable. Lost two of my own boys around the same time. So, anyone of noble stock or with really deep pockets can present himself to the court now and try his luck. Like I said, Wellon's never been a rich country, but royalty is royalty. Our best treasure is in the palace, so they come from all over lookin to bag themselves a Queen. Fewer and fewer trying each year, but there's always a new batch ready to go, and a few repeats that won't give it up. They keep coming to make fools of themselves in what we call the Courting Line."

"Why hasn't she picked anyone by now if they've been asking for years?" David asked, curious.

"No one knows. She sits there and receives them all when they show up, proper as can be from what I hear. My guess is that she loved one of them nobles that died of a fever and won't move on yet. 'Course most nobles think their dick is bigger than anyone's so why shouldn't she want some of it? And they keep tryin' to convince her of that."

David had to laugh at that one. It sounded like the people here really were similar to Earth. Rich overconfident assholes were the same no matter what world you were on. "I had no idea about the Courting Line. What I told you before is true, I'm just a traveler. I didn't come here to marry anyone."

At least I don't think I did. Who knows what the aliens want?

He was starting to hear the sound of waves. A city started to grow in the distance. It was built on a hill that sloped down to the sea. There was no moat around it, but a twenty-foot-high wall of smooth stone encircled that landward side of the city. The walls had a wooden planked roof, David could see guards walking on top, sunlight shining off the heads of their spears. Thirty-foot towers flanked the gatehouse at the end of the road. A bustling market spread out on either side of the gates to the city. More people waved to Tolm and bowed to David as they made their way slowly through the market. David could see mostly produce stalls, a few people selling chickens like Tolm, here and there a tinkerer offering shovels and pitchforks. The guards on gate duty flagged them down a few yards from the city.

"Morning Tolm. Time to give the sailors their due already?" This guard was short and round, sweating in his uniform of blue dyed wool tunic and round steel cap even though it wasn't even noon yet. He shook hands with Tolm when he leaned down from the wagon to say hello.

"Not just sailors Burl, you know that. Flour and chickens for anyone that's got enough coin to pay for them. One of my plow horses broke its leg in a gopher hole and we had to put it down. Plenty of meat for stew but that won't help my fields come spring. I need enough for a new horse so tell your friends to send their wives down to get dinner!"

All of the guards laughed at that, even Burl while he wiped sweat off his face. The attention moved to David next. Burl again took the lead "And who would your friend be?"

Before David could speak Tolm answered "This is David Winston, a nice young man traveling in to see the city for the day."

Burl and the other guards looked skeptical, but they didn't force the issue. They knew Tolm as an honest man and had no reason to doubt him. "Well while he's here make sure he keeps that sword of his put away. I don't want any more trouble than usual."

They both assured him that there would be no trouble and were waved through. When they were passed into the city Burl let out a low whistle and smiled at the others. "Another hopeful for the line if I ever saw one boys. That fancy sword would cost us a few years pay at least." All of them carried the spears and oak clubs of their office. Palace guards were issued plain short swords, but they were in the Queen's direct service, not the city's. "Well good luck to him. The Queen can't stand them off forever, so I suppose his chances are as good as anyone's. Better not let the folks at the palace know he rode in with a farmer though, eh?"

****

Tolm drove carefully through the busy streets while David took everything in. One- and two-story buildings dominated the architecture but here and there he could see a few larger structures peeking through. Those were either inns or warehouses, the only buildings that would command that much space. The streets were cobbled stone, trees planted at corners spread their limbs over the twisting lanes to provide shade. The smell wasn't nearly as bad as he had expected. A woman bent over and emptied a bucket onto an iron grate set into the edge of the street. Aha! A sewer system. That would explain the lack of smell. He asked Tolm about it and found out a main line went a few miles down the coast to keep the bay around the city clean.

They passed cloth dyers, bakers, blacksmiths, butchers, and every other trade a pre-industrial city would need to support itself. People were everywhere going about their lives. A few wealthy citizens rode by on horses. Guards mingled with the crowds, calling out to friends and catching up on gossip, all while keeping an eye out for trouble.

Tolm kept the wagon headed down towards the docks on the other side of the city. The farmers of his area kept a communal stall there for times when they had extra produce to sell after their lord took his share. The crowds thinned near the center of town which housed the palace and the homes of the city's well to do. David could see a couple inns with room to house the carriages of traveling nobles. He even thought he saw what looked like a theatre. Wonder what the rates would be to stay around here. Probably more than I want to know if they're in this part of town.

Looming over everything was the royal palace. All the buildings that he'd seen were wood with either plaster or shingles for siding. Some were made of stone such as the bakers and blacksmith shops. The palace was solid stone from top to bottom, a mix of granite and marble. It was built in the shape of a capitol A with the open end facing towards the main city gate. Even this far away he could see that there must be hundreds of stained-glass windows on each wall. Each point of the A was topped by a tall tower. The main building was three stories high while the lower towers were at least four. The tower at the peak of the A had to be over five stories high. A flag flew from the highest point, three silver stars in a triangle on a field of sea blue.

The closer they got to the docks the more the buildings were set up for sea trades. Rope and sail makers were plentiful. Warehouses for shipped goods, carpenters and blacksmiths crowded the dockside. Cheap taverns filled out the rest of the real estate. Many of the taverns had signs or names advertising very clearly what kind of hospitality a guest staying there could expect.

Tolm turned past all of these and headed up towards the northern end. The city docks were carved from the natural stone of the bay. Wooden piers stretched out into the deep water. He parked next to a stall set up next to the side of one of the quieter taverns. A couple other farmers were already there with their own wagon loads. They greeted Tolm warmly and were polite and welcoming to David after the standard bowing.

David had trouble controlling his excitement. The scene around him could have been pulled from any number or books or movies. Deeply tanned sailors wandered all over dressed in loose vests and pants, knives tucked in broad sash belts. Crews transferred freight to and from ships tied up to the piers. Quartermasters haggled loudly with merchants. There were trinkets and treasures from what must be all over the world for sale. The whole atmosphere screamed of opportunity. Everything he'd been through since the crash had felt abstracted, not real. Maybe it was all the talk at the beginning about it being an 'experiment'. He hadn't decided if his trip was real or still just in his head.

But here, all the sights and smells brought it home to him that this was all very real. His brain wasn't imaginative enough to set up all of this. He really was getting a second chance on a new world. And this wasn't a world where everything had been catalogued and analyzed to the point where there was no more life in it. Who knew what was out there to be seen in this place? The one rule he had for this 'experiment', that he was free to do whatever he wished, was front and center in his mind now. Here he was bound by nothing but his own ambition. Even a college dropout would know things that people here had never even imagined. And he had boxes full of gold in a cave to make things happen.

He leapt down from the wagon and started helping Tolm unload it. The older man protested saying it wasn't necessary, but David waved him off. His mind was full of possibilities and dreams of exotic adventures. Wild energy boiled out of him and helping his new friend was a good way to let a bit of it out. The wagon was soon empty and he was free to do as he pleased. He pulled a few coins out of his pocket and forced them into Tolm's hand.

The farmer stuttered another protest "N.. No, I couldn't possibly. There's no reason for you to pay me. The help emptying the wagon is more than enough for the ride."

"Certainly, there is. I was wandering and lost, you gave me a ride. Not to mention valuable information. It won't do you any good to argue, I'm not taking it back."

Tolm tried anyway, "All that talk was just friendly conversation. No need to pay for that."

David laughed "Then call it a gift to a new friend."

He thought about all the books in the cave and the impulse that made him pick them when he was planning his supplies. "Do you remember what I told you about where I'm from? How every man is responsible for himself?"

The old man nodded.

"Good. Do you have children? Grandchildren?" David asked.

Another nod.

"A farmer's life isn't for everyone. If they decide that isn't the life they want, send them to find me."

For the first time Tolm was nervous around the young man. "What will you do with them?"

"Teach them. Or at least I'll try to. Teach them things that they can't learn from anyone else in this world. Not having lords isn't the only thing that's different where I come from. Good luck to you Tolm. Good day gentleman."

David nodded to the other farmers and started pushing his way back through the crowd.

Tolm stared at the coins in his hand. His friends crowded around to get a look at them also. Five hefty gold coins with eagles stamped on them. "Do us all a favor and join the Line young man!" he yelled at David's back. He received a wave in acknowledgement.

The farmers went back to their haggling except Tolm and another man that lived close by him, he'd come in a few days earlier.

"Look at it Harv. I couldn't have gotten this much if I sold all our stock including the horses and wagons. He said he wasn't a lord but who else could give gold away like that and not miss it? And no bandit would give away a single coin like that. For our sake I hope he does get in line. The Queen won't do much better than that."

Harv looked at the man walking easily through the throngs of sailors and merchants. "It would certainly be nice to see gold going out of the palace instead of going in. What do you think he meant by he would teach your kids things?"

"No idea. But hopefully something to fill their pockets like his."