I stepped inside Aldith's home and was struck by its simplicity—bare essentials, practical and unadorned. Yet, there was a warmth to it, a subtle hint of who she was beyond the stern façade she wore so often. Two mats were set aside near a window, and she gestured for me to sit. This bare-bones place really made me understand, for the first time, what kind of situation I was in. I wasn't the type to get sentimental, but this new environment made me realize just how far from technology this world was. I didn't even know where to begin. How do I jump-start technology for people living in the dark?
I had some questions first. "Where are we, exactly? What's this planet called? What's this planet, well... like?"
Aldith began explaining, "This planet is called Voteran. We are located on the continent of Rusha, in the country of East Irun. This cave is part of Mt. Ironfall. Need I say more?"
All of that might as well have been gibberish to me—it sounded like made-up words. I asked again, "What's it like here? Are there stars? Do you have a sun? How long is a day?"
Aldith looked at me, confused. "Stars? Sun? Day?" Now I was the one talking gibberish. I resisted the urge to facepalm. These people had no concept of space? That was truly sad. I needed to calm down and take this one step at a time. I would start by making a roadmap. My first goal should be dealing with the problems in this town.
I could get them food, water—whatever they needed with science—but that wouldn't solve their most basic need. They were fighting against an invading enemy, one I had no idea about. "Never mind that for now," I said. "Tell me about this invading force."
Aldith responded plainly, "The Kingdom of Kilvaria. They have declared war on East Irun. They wish to wipe out all the plainbloods and have captured most of our country. Our government surrendered, and now we are being hunted like dogs in the mountains."
Suddenly, I had a flash of a memory—the blue prism had shown me a king being stabbed by his son. The son mentioned the Kingdom of Kilvaria when he killed his father. I decided to mention this to Aldith. She looked shocked.
Aldith gasped, "We had heard rumors that King Tyriel had been assassinated, but they told us it was the Empire of Lutz that sent an assassin. How could you possibly know it was his son who killed him?"
I frowned, understanding her skepticism, but I explained anyway. "I wasn't transported right here. I was first sent to some weird fissure in space. I can't even really explain what I saw, but in the fissure there were these prisms that had memories implanted in them. I saw the moment the king died—I even felt his emotions and thoughts. I don't expect you to believe me, but I think this could be important information to keep in mind."
Aldith tapped her fingers in deep thought. "I don't know if I fully believe you came from another world, but that technology you showed me... it was incredible. Assuming you aren't lying, that information alone could hold its weight in gold if we could prove it. Right now, though, our people have limited time left. We fight off invaders day and night, but sooner or later, we will be history."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of her people's desperation. I could see the weariness etched into her face, the burden of responsibility she carried for her village. This was more than just a small group of people fighting to survive—it was an entire culture on the brink of extinction, struggling against an overwhelming force. My mind raced, trying to process everything she'd told me. This world, Voteran, was vastly different from Earth, and the challenges it faced were beyond anything I had ever encountered.
I leaned back against the wall, trying to form a plan. The first step was clear: I needed to understand the resources available to me. This village, while primitive, had potential. The runeveil was proof of that—an energy source unlike anything on Earth. But to harness it effectively, I needed to learn more about it, and more importantly, I needed to gain the trust of the villagers.
"I'll need more information," I said, breaking the silence. "If I'm going to help, I need to understand everything I can about this world—its materials, its scientific history—and I'll also need a basic lab space. I can't make any promises, but if you allow me to study these things, I might be able to come up with a solution."
Aldith regarded me carefully, weighing my words. "You don't have much time," she warned. "The Kilvarians won't wait for you to finish your research. Every day they get closer, and every day we lose more of our people."
I nodded, fully aware of the urgency. "I understand. That's why I'll work as quickly as I can. But I need your help. I need to meet with the other villagers, to see what skills they have and what resources they can provide. If we're going to survive, we'll need to work together."
She sighed, her resolve hardening. "Very well. I'll introduce you to the others tomorrow. But know this, Dr. Aizawa: if you betray us, if you give the Kilvarians any advantage, I'll make sure you regret it."
Her words were harsh, but I understood her position. Trust was a fragile thing in times of war, and I was an outsider in every sense of the word. But if I could prove myself, if I could show them that science could be their salvation, then maybe, just maybe, we had a chance. Surely it would be easier to surrender myself to the Kilvarians or just run away, but something told me I could never forgive myself if I did that.
"Understood," I replied, meeting her gaze with determination. "I won't let you down."
With that, Aldith stood and began to stretch. "You should rest," she said, her tone softening slightly. "Tomorrow will be a long day."
I asked, "Where will I sleep?" Aldith pointed to a small straw bed in the corner of her kitchen. "You'll sleep there."
"A bed made of straw on the floor? Isn't that a little harsh?" I protested.
"You are privileged, doctor," she mocked.
"Fine, I'll sleep there, but only for today. Tomorrow I need to deal with your... conditions." I tried not to sound rude, but this place was more than just a fixer-upper—on Earth, it would be labeled a tear-down. No running water, a bed made of straw, shoddy wooden furniture, and from what I could see, the water was brown she seemed to be pulling from a makeshift well. The place also smelled like dust and mildew.
Aldith nodded at my words and gave me a final warning. "No running away, no working, and no getting up until tomorrow morning."
I nodded, too tired to argue. She left me some fresh water in a glass and some weird-looking meat I didn't recognize, then slid the door closed to her room. I drank the water quickly; my throat had been so dry from all the walking I did in that other dimension. The meat was edible but lacking in any real flavor. It seemed like it was from the hunt the villagers did today. The meat was tender and cooked right but had no seasoning. That was another issue I'd have to address—the food here was lacking.
As the night wore on, I lay on the straw bed, staring up at the rough-hewn ceiling. The scent of earth and wood surrounded me, a stark reminder of how far I was from the sterile, metal walls of my lab back on Earth. I turned on my side, trying to get comfortable on the lumpy mattress. The exhaustion from the day's events tugged at my eyelids, but my mind was too active to let me sleep. The problems ahead felt overwhelming, but I had to start somewhere.
I let out a heavy sigh, my thoughts turning to the challenges I faced. The first priority was to secure the village's immediate needs—food, water, and defense. I needed to think strategically, using the limited resources at hand to create a sustainable solution. The runeveil energy was a powerful resource, but without a proper understanding of how it worked, it was a wild card. That would require study, experimentation, and time—something we didn't have in abundance.
The lack of understanding about space, time, and even basic astronomical concepts troubled me deeply. How could a people survive without knowledge of their own planet's rotation or the stars above them? It was as if they were stuck in a medieval mindset, devoid of the curiosity that drove scientific progress on Earth. That would need to change, but it would have to be done delicately. I couldn't overwhelm them with too much information too quickly; I had to build their trust first.
Eventually, my fatigue won out, and I drifted off to sleep, my thoughts blending into dreams of inventions and solutions, of a world where science and magic could coexist.