The incident, something that seemingly happened so long ago yet so nearby. So many people suffered from it, yet it also revolutionised our world into a new beginning.
Unfortunately, to me, Marie Roberts, The incident still feels like yesterday, even if it happened years ago.
.
The reason is due to the person next to me, my brother, August.
We were never close, our major age gap was the reason... or at least I think it was that.
Life in a personal way didn't change much either, I think.
Sigh... Who am I kidding, it did change.
The incident happened at a previously neighbouring city, right at the center. This place was extremely safe, we knew outside our planet crazy creatures roamed crazy, but due to trained professionals being stationed outside the atmosphere at all times, we felt as if nothing was wrong.
It was wrong, it was very wrong. It must have been since somewhere from below creatures made from magma invaded and burnt down almost entirety of the city. Many died, too many to count. It was a huge city, yet it was reduced to smitharines and is now a restricted zone. The aftermath was insane, there were few trained guards to deal with this, many were on break from being outside, and even though it was subdued it took a long time since the creatures outside I must guess aren't made of magma and rock.
But as mentioned, it was a neighbouring city, so I was safe and sound. Especially since my house was honestly closer to a different city, but not my brother. He had a girlfriend, maybe a fiance I'm not sure and her family lived in that city.
He didn't die, he was one of the 'lucky' few that didn't.
But a strange disease, honestly I'd rather call it a curse was thrust upon him ever since.
His body was slowly turning into rock. He isn't the only one, there have been others and some honestly have worse cases of these.
The worst was probably that one girl who's body was slowly turning into lava from the inside out, unfortunately there was no saving for her.
But, since my brother is turning into a rock rather slowly (he was on the very edge of the explosion that occurred with the creatures appearance) they allowed him to stay under the surveillance of researchers and doctors. As I said, he isn't the only one in this state, there are still many there, and in case of something similar happening they're trying to create a drug that cures this disease.
It seems pointless in my opinion, it's been years now, his flesh is all stone, even his hair is stone, but I guess until his insides turn to stone they won't relent.
They should let this poor fool rest, he deserves to be at peace with his loved one instead of being looked after by me. I can't do anything to help, it's frustrating I hate it all so much.
I just know, I'm positive that even if by some miracle he returns to a normal flesh body, he'll be vastly different. A virtual stranger, I'm sure this disease permeates deeper than the body, but if we can't even cure his body yet how could we hope to get any further?
My eyes gaze upon the statue that I call my kin. His eyes are curled into a sideways cresent and his smile shows his dimples even as a statue. The moment the explosion hit him he froze. I wonder if it also stopped the thoughts or is he still conscious.
I sighed as I reached to touch the warm surface of the stone. It was rough, with a small bump next to his nose where he got a scar from being hit by a cabinet when he was young.
He used to pretend that he got into fights with all sorts of creatures to make himself look tough.
I chuckled at that thought whenever I saw it, but now that that memory is engraved in stone the memory is so much more bittersweet.
I wish I knew him more, he was an idiot sure, he was frivolous sure, he honestly had little manners sure, but he was my flesh and blood. Now I'll never have that opportunity, he'll forever be stone no matter what anyone else says.
Outside the wide window of his room, I see the neighbourhood we grew up in, even the little playground where he threw me off a swing is still there. After The incident mom nagged me to come live with her again. She's divorced from our dad but because she's better off than him my brother is under her care, but she is in a sense 'a frail old lady', so I obviously came to help.
Back to the topic of The incident, this incident wasn't the only occurrence of such a thing, we were just unlucky that the first and biggest occurred near us.
Now the world has changed, we not only needed to have deployed people in space but also on earth. Our planet isn't a haven anymore, but we're not knowledgeable enough to leave yet.
But to be honest, right now the biggest question is why I'm monologuing to myself.
I guess it's due to the fact I feel like I'm in a novel right now, and I guess this would be like a first chapter introducing people to our world.
But that's cringe, I guess I'm thinking about it like this so I don't forget.
. . .
I liked reading light novels when I was younger, I particularly liked the system ones, I don't know why, it just seemed fun. Doing random menial tasks to get outeageous rewards and become strongest in the world? Sign me up!
But I guess I was overestimating the simplicity. I became one of the fated with a system. No one knows yet, I honestly sometimes feel like I'm dreaming, but it's there, looking as stereotypical as ever.
I heard people's systems reflect the person's perception of what such a system should be, I guess due to all the systems webcomics out there I got that video game window that pops right in your face with that blinding blue light.
Unfortunately, it isn't like a leveling up system, that is the major difference. It is honestly more like a trade station with a higher being, you might even be able to call it me being an errand girl for the system. I collect things the system wants me to collect, I put it into a pouch only I can touch, it disappears and in its place I get a reward.
I also have ranks, depending on what rank I am I am able to unlock better quests.
There is one issue, I'm a botanist, and unfortunately the plants the system wants arent simply roses and chrysanthemums. They're plants deep in or on the edges of highly dangerous zones.
My system does seem to have a conscience, though I am indeed lucky enough to have one that is considerate, I guess.
In the upper ranks of the quests there are mystery potions and from what the system says they each have various effects, it can't tell me what effects but there are effects. There might be a chance that one of these turns him back from stone, and since this is a system quest reward, it possibly could turn him fully back.
The issue is again that to get into the zones with these plants, I need to get training, training through an academy for at the very least 4 years so I could even just get a license to go into one of the zones, and that is as a collector, someone who collects the plants and minerals native to these new biomes.
I just... Don't have the money for that, and I don't have the guts to ask my mother to pay for that. She already has her son in critical condition, could she really send her daughter off on a battle field when she herself is nothing but a plant lady?
I sighed in frustration and I threw my head down onto my brothers bed, fully forgeting the fact that he is now stone and getting a lovely little bump on my forehead.
Rubbing my forehead I groaned in discomfort when suddenly the pain disappeared and a blaring blue light appeared, signifying the appearance of the status window.
[I see that you're frustrated, but can you stop banging your head on the bed? It has been 3 times already （┬┬＿┬┬）]
I gawked at the screen, it can use emoticons? But that's beside the point. I guess it does have a right to be annoyed, healing it's master because they repeatedly are blindly hitting their forehead to stone must be annoying.
Honestly, I felt slight heat rising to my cheeks. This is severely embarrassing. I did realise it was healing me but I didn't realise the constant surveillance.
"So uh, system... Are you just constantly watching me? " I pondered out loud, it must since it clearly is noticing my slight blunder in intelligence.
[No, as an ever evolving system I need to make sure my abilities are within your reach, I'd be a pretty terrible system if you couldn't use me.... I replied to your actions since I get notified everytime you get hurt]
Oh. A system has notifications? Nevemind that.
"Does it notify you about the severity of them? Or does it just notify you about any physical harm that occurs to me? " I'm not sure why I'm conversing about such a strange topic with the system, but I guess I can't exactly hold a conversation with a statue and it is my turn to watch over him.
[Severity... No, no it doesn't. But that is a great idea! I'll make sure to add it to my next update :D though that might take a while so try not hitting your self against stone again, or anything that isn't soft (T^T) ]
I chuckle a bit at that, I guess I'm glad my system is so lively, makes it less awkward to talk to.
"So uh, system, do you have a given name or... Do I give you a name or.... Do I just call you system? "
[. . . ]
[Right, I don't mind what you call me, though if not system I'd like a more masculine name, I'd say something like that would fit me better.]
A more masculine name? I smirked with evil intent. Hehe I think not.
"Alright I guess I'll call you Daisy~"
[! ]
"So Daisy, how do you like your new name?"