Broken Realities: What-if

Author note at the end. Enjoy.

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It's been a week and a half since his last talk with Glen and though it didn't go too well, it didn't end badly either. Alex had convinced him enough that at the first sign of trouble, he should bolt and secure a safe location.

Ever since then, Alex has been sticking to the same routine. Wake up, run up and down a 25 KM steep hiking trail, and train himself to be able to function on one meal per day. Was it healthy? Especially with his training schedule. No, it wasn't. The first three days, he vomited and couldn't sleep at night.

But he didn't have the time nor the patience to take it slow.

Even after all this time, he was doubting himself and his training and his preparation. He watched as his body deteriorated day after day. While he wasn't fit, having about 20% fat, the endurance training had brought that to less than 17% in 7 days. He was always dealing with headaches and nausea.

His vision would get blurry, and migraine wouldn't stop attacking his brain. But he continued anyway. If he stopped now, during the apocalypse, when he joined a group, he would be forced into this situation and be weaker.

'it's better to suffer now, so I can be used to it by then.' Alex thought.

Another small thing that he had begun was writing his thoughts in a journal. Such as what he had done during the day, how did he find it, what were his thought processes during those activities and such. Even planning the following day and if there had been any changes.

Things that kept him grounded and away from the absence of his system. If only he had researched how his simulation abilities worked to some point before throwing himself face first.

He also started to practice learning how to set traps for animals and build himself a slingshot for range. The aim could use some practice, but it did its job.

He also tested the solar chargers for his phone and laptop, and it worked beautifully. Even in a remote area with no internet, he could use the offline wiki he had downloaded alongside other books, videos, and resources.

Other than that, everything else was going downhill.

One thing that Alex found out was that the state of Georgia was surrounded by nuclear power plants. Things that if no one took care of them would explode and start another disaster like what happened in Europe.

And kill a bunch of people with radiation poisoning

Instead of flying into another stressful situation, Alex decided to just ignore everything that was outside his control. If they exploded, they would explode. He would die horribly, and maybe get out of this simulated world. Or just move on to the other one. He wasn't sure. The stress of the current situation had him forget all that.

The system couldn't expect him to turn them off by himself, did it?

Right now, what mattered was to find Lee Everette and stick to him. The only thing Alex really remembered from the Telltale Walking Dead, was the farm bit, and the way he died in a train or something because of a bite.

The unfortunate thing was, Alex never played the game because he had no money. He watched other people play the game on YouTube and enjoyed the reactions. He knew that if he wanted to meet Lee and the little girl, he would have to go to the meme farm. The old man with unlimited ammo in his shotgun. The problem was, he didn't know the name of the farm or the direction.

With a sigh, he tossed another stick onto the small campfire he managed to build. It was getting dark, and the night was starting to get chilly. Though his action cost him another intense migraines. If that wasn't enough, his stomach gnawed at him for food.

With another sigh, he flipped open his journal started to write down his plan for tomorrow. Forgetting the days, he turned to the previous page, before nodding to himself.

Day 11.

Finished running like a lunatic in the morning. Vomited twice during it, so progress. Tomorrow's plan is to do the same. Afterwards, go back to town-

'What was it called again?' Alex thought to himself, trying to remember the city closest to the national park he was at. 'Commerce?' He thought before writing it exactly like that and going back to writing.

Though there were other cities closest, Alex wanted to see a lot of people together for maybe the last time. He didn't want to visit a city with a population of a hundred or even a thousand. Those would be more common very soon.

I do need to socialize just a little bit. Calls from Glen are getting fewer and fewer. Last spoken with him, he said dorms had no electricity for a day. He's also getting a bit paranoid due to it, which is good. Anyway, I also need to search the internet to make sure in what state the world is in so far.

As soon as he finished writing that, he closed his journal and put it in the backpack inside the tent he had bought.

Alex leaned back against a pine tree, watching the flames dance and crackle in the dark. The campfire was small, its orange glow barely illuminating the immediate area. Around him, the shadows of tall pines swayed gently in the evening breeze.

His tent, a dull grey and a bit dirty due to setups and takedowns, was a few feet away, its entrance zipped. The problem camping in the wild was the rodents that would try to get in. Especially at night. To pull hair to build their nests. Ever since his second night of camping, he has hated the little rodents with passions.

Thankfully, all the food was in the pickup track in the parking lot. Which was about half an hour of walk from his camp site. Or half that while running.

The ground beneath him was a mix of dry leaves, twigs, and packed earth. A ring of stones encircled the fire, carefully arranged to keep the flames contained while also safe from the wind. Nearby, a makeshift drying line hung between two trees, holding his damp clothes—still smelling faintly of the creek water he'd rinsed them in earlier.

The quiet was unnerving. Occasionally, a faint rustling in the underbrush would draw his attention, but it was always a small creature—a squirrel or a bird settling in for the night. Still, Alex couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. His eyes darted toward the woods every few minutes, scanning for movement among the dense trees.

'Paranoia.' He concluded and while it was tiring, it would reward him in about a week and a half.

With a sigh, he tossed another stick onto the fire, watching as the flames greedily consumed it. The action sent another sharp stab of pain through his head, and he winced, pressing his fingers against his temples. His stomach growled, gnawing at him for food he didn't have.

'Okay, that's it.' He snapped with frustration. 'I'm a former medical student. I should know what's happening to me.' He thought to himself. He would also have diagnose himself tomorrow. While he did suspect lack of food, he still wanted to see if it was anything else. He knew that people that were used to always eating, would experience discomfort when following his diet.

'But was it as bad as this?' He asked.

With a tired sigh, he stood slowly, his muscles protesting with every movement, and extinguished the fire with a few scoops of dirt and watched as the flames died. Achingly, he walked up to his tent and got inside. His sleeping bag was as thin and uncomfortable as ever, but it was better than lying directly on the ground.

"Time to sleep," he muttered under his breath, as if saying it aloud would make the task easier.

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Morning came far too soon, heralded by the sharp calls of birds and the pale light filtering through the tent's fabric. Alex groaned, the stiffness in his body a cruel reminder of the previous day's exertions. As he rubbed his face, he noticed a stinging sensation near his temple.

"What the...?" His hand brushed through his hair, and he froze when he felt a small, tangled knot. Pulling his hand back, he found a strand of hair stuck to what looked like a mix of dirt and grass.

He sat up slowly, eyes narrowing. "Again?"

Outside the tent, tiny paw prints in the dirt confirmed his suspicions. Rodents. Again.

"I swear, if I ever get out of this simulation, I'm filing a formal complaint," he grumbled, raking his fingers through his hair to remove more debris. It was the third time this week. Apparently, his hair was premium nest-building material.

And that his tent had a hole somewhere.

But that wasn't important.

Crawling out of the tent with a scowl, he let out a sigh at the dawn slowly pushing away the night sky. With a huge yawn, he started his routine. Empty the liter and half of bottle water. Washup, and do some stretches. Afterwards, jump in places to get the body feeling warm.

Since he wanted to visit the Commerce city, he started to clean his camp site, and takedown his tent before he went for his usual run. Because afterwards, he would be too tired to do it.

And lazy.

Once done with that, he started to slow jog to the beginning of the hiking trail and as soon as he saw the imaginary start line in his head, he sprinted.

Alex sprinted up the trail, pushing his body beyond its limits as his vision blurred and his lungs burned after a minute. But he still pushed on. After 3 kilometers, he finally slowed down to a jog for 10 minutes. But when his rest time was up, he started to sprint again.

The rule was to never stop. No matter what. If he was too tired to continue, if he had a cramp, he was allowed to walk. Body wanted to vomit? Tough luck, swallow it back down until he reached the end of the trail. Only then he could stop. But he wasn't allowed to while running up or down the trail to his truck.

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The steep trail eventually led Alex back to his truck, his body trembling with exhaustion. By the time Alex reached his pickup truck, his body was on the verge of collapse and sweaty. He fished out a protein bar from the glove compartment. His fingers trembled as he unwrapped it, the gnawing emptiness in his stomach demanding immediate satisfaction.

Before he could bite, bile rose up his throat and he retched but nothing came up but liquid. A few seconds later, he tiredly took a filled plastic water bottle and washed his mouth before taking a bite off the protein bar and slowly ate it. Just the act of chewing it was tiring.

'Progress.' He thought with a grin.

While sweaty, he decided to get into the driver's seat and simply rest.

Only to wake up an hour later due to hunger. Though the good news was that he was getting used to the pit in his stomach now. It hurt less than yesterday.

"Commerce." He muttered after another water bottle, punching the destination into the truck's offline map app.

The drive was uneventful but relaxing. Though Alex was nervous a bit. He hadn't seen a face for a week now. Depressing, but anyway.

The city was quieter than Alex had expected. The streets weren't deserted, but there was an undeniable tension in the air, as if something huge had happened not too long ago. Alex saw groups of people gathered on sidewalks, speaking in hushed tones and eyes that looked everywhere in worry. There were others that speed walked away and practically jumped inside buildings.

Alex parked his truck in a public lot near a small café and stepped out, stretching his stiff limbs. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, and for a moment, he considered going inside before shaking it off.

Dehydration.

And addiction.

Maybe his headache was due to caffeine addiction as well. Since, medical student.

Instead, he wandered down the main street, his eyes scanning the storefronts and passing faces. He needed to gather supplies—non-perishables, first-aid items, and anything else that might come in handy. Though not in huge supplies since everyone looked ready to be snapped and he assumed he knew why.

And to confirm it, he needed information.

Thankfully, the information was kind of easy to find. A bulletin board outside a grocery store, covered in flyers and handwritten notices. Among the usual advertisements for yard sales and missing pets, a few papers caught his attention:

"Rolling Blackouts Expected—Prepare Accordingly!"

"Join the Community Defense Group—Volunteers Needed."

"Missing: Sarah and Emily, Last Seen Near Franklin Road."

Alex's brow furrowed as he read the notices. 'Blackouts, defense groups, and missing people. Yeah, it's close.' He thought.

A voice behind him broke his focus. "You new around here?"

Alex turned to see a man in his late 30s, wearing a flannel shirt and a wary expression.

"Yeah," Alex nodded, "I'm on a road trip." He continued and cringed inside at saying the last bit. 'Think before speaking!'

The man nodded after glancing at him up and down. "Things are getting rough around here. If you're looking for supplies, better stock up now. Won't be much left."

Alex offered a curt nod of thanks before heading into the store. The shelves were half-empty, the remaining items a mix of canned goods, bottled water, and cleaning supplies. He grabbed what he could, especially watered bottles.

Yes, he did have a 6 litters filtration system alongside maybe four cases of 24 plastic water bottle, but having more water didn't hurt. As Alex loaded the supplies into his truck, careful to not show more than necessary to any bystander, he spotted a small group of armed individuals lingering near the parking lot. One or two had some blood on their machete and wooden baseball bat. They weren't making a move—yet—but their presence was enough of a warning.

Which Alex took. Getting in the driver's seat, he immediately took off from the city and headed south. After he had exited the town, he left out a sigh, but continued driving through the highway for another 30 minutes. Once he confirmed he wasn't followed, he parked to the side of the highway and looked at the map.

On a whim, he decided to change his camp site. While Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests was good. He wanted to get close to Atlanta. From what he knew, the farm Lee had found was just outside Atlanta

Now, if only he knew which-

.

.

.

Alex froze and shivered.

"Fuck you." He cursed to no one.

Instead, he was mad at the literal memory that was implemented in his head. It was still creepy. As if something had poured ice cold water on his head during a heat stroke. But also as if a fog had cleared from that section of his brain, uncovering the knowledge. As if he always knew it and found out about it naturally in this simulated world.

This one.

It was the direction of the farm.

A place that he had supposedly found during a road trip that he and his friend took for getting their High School diploma. And in that trip, their car broke down in front of the man with unlimited shotgun ammo. Hershel Greene.

"FUCK. YOU." Alex muttered with passion.

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Author note:

So, a little glimpse at what or how the implemented memories feel to Alex. This one was more in the way of guiding Alex towards the main plot. Kinda like, in video games, when you mess around too much, your quest glows for a few seconds till you click on it to remind you about it. Or if your going the wrong direction, something or another points the correct direction. 

Regarding the quality of this chapter, I'm happy with it, far better than 2 and 3. I'll try to keep the quality to this level for the future chapters as well.

The goal of this chapter was to kinda show that the world doesn't revolve around the mc. Meaning, things DO render and do their own stuff while the "player" is away from it. I wanna write a world that is like One Piece. Oda did a very good job to show the readers this with the use of newspapers and cover stories. But I can't do that since this isnt a manga. And use of newspaper will be useless in the apocalypse. 

So for that, I need you, readers, help. Give me ideas and suggestions on how to SHOW time passing in the world for others as well instead of TELLING you.

Chapter 6 will start with another time skip, but just for a few days 2-3 maybe. Then meeting the main cast of the farm. From there, I have a rough plan for what will happen with Lee, Clementine, and other main casts. 

Also a vote, should I include the walking dead series as well into this? From my research, they are in the same timeline. Meaning while Lee is surviving and stuff, Rick is still in the hospital. And when Lee's group leave the farm, Rick's group gets to the farm.

Though my knowledge of the show will not be very accurate and will not know most of the casts. So, I will go with what I saw on YouTube and clips. But I'm down to write them.

So, a vote, just do a simple +1, if you have things to say, do it in the COMMENT one:

Include Series, Vote here.

Exclude Series, Vote here.

COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS/QUESTIONS: HERE.

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Stay safe.

Author out.