Desert, Steel, and an Old Man - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Keaton is amazing.

Author’s note:

This is my first series.

I’m sorry if this series is unplesant to your eyes.

It’s sand.

Dry and powerdy.

Fine grains of sand.

The sand in the wind enters my eyes my mouth and my ears.

It annoys me.

It’s really hot.

The reflection from the sand is dazzling.

It’s really hot.

The dripping sweat sank into the sand.

It’s really hot.

I feel really sick.

I’m thirsty.

Am I, in the desert?

There’s sand everywhere. So it must be a desert.

There are knee-high grass here and there, something that look like a tree but I couldn’t tell whether it’s already withered or not, are those trees a cactus’s relative or something?

I don’t get it.

Is this place Tottori Sand Dunes?

Reminds me that there’s a large sand dune place in Aomori prefecture that’s off-limits to general public isn’t there?

Nah, what if this place isn’t even Japan to begin with?

Gobi Desert, Taklamakan Desert, Sahara Desert, Arabia Desert, etc.

The land mass on earth is only 25%, and 1/4 of it is desert, so it’s not weird for me at all for me to be in the desert, probabilistically, proportionally, and possibility.

Japan’s land is about 70% forest and agricultural land, roads, or river is only 20%, the remaining ten percent is the place where people actually lives, so it’s not weird.

What is weird is when, why and how did I even come here? Am I really here? Am I even standing?

Actually I’m already collapsed on the ground right now.

The heat woke me up.

I don’t get it.

I have no memories.

I’m already here before I knew it.

Has something like this ever happened to me before?

Ah, yeah it does happens actually.

Sometimes I found myself collapsed in an unknown farmland, sometimes collapsed in an unknown landfill, sometimes getting an IV drip in an unknown hospital, or sometimes collapsed inside a jail (Detention center.)

Well stuff happens.

Usually the results from getting carried away and drank too much alcohol.

Maybe what happens this time is the result of that too.

Where was the last place I was drinking again?

I think I went to Roppongi. After that when I’m at Nishiazabu my friend invited me to go to Ebisu, after that we went to Nakameguro.

That’s the most I could recall.

Well, it’s been a few years since I’ve had memory loss like this, I guess it’s probably because I’m dead drunk, taking a taxi and speaking nonsenses to the driver, then he drives me here and throws me away.

Wait is that a living thing over there?

I can see something wringling.

Or perhaps is this a safari park?

But no safari park wouldn’t be a desert like this.

I’ve never been to one though.

Aaaah, I felt so sick.

I’m feeling really thirsty too.

In any case, I’ll have to check my location for now.

My smartphone, my smartphone… wait.

Ahhh, crap.

It’s not there.

I didn’t even have my bag with me to begin with.

Ahhhh, now I’ve messed up big time.

I guess I’ll have to stop drinking for real now.

While making a resolution in his heart that he had made thousand of times before, the man checked his belongings. He’s wearing a red T-shirt and a denim, he still has his key case with his house’s key and workplace’s key with him. His wallet is also still with him, inside it is some money and various cards. His jacket is nowhere to be found.

He decided to start walking toward that wriggling thing that he’s seeing from really faraway, he doesn’t even know whether that thing is the taxi he took last night, or the last place he had a drink.

He still couldn’t tell what that wriggling thing is exactly yet, but if it’s a person or a car he’s lucky. Even if it’s a living thing, there’s probably no dangerous wild animals in the middle of a desert in Japan. There must be an owner or a facility that manage them nearby.

That thing doesn’t look like a tree swaying with the wind either, and even if it’s actually a tree it might just be some kind of landmark, and since he doesn’t know what to even do to begin with, so he decided to walk toward that thing for now.

The heat from sunlight is hot, the reflection from the sand is also strong.

It was in June that the man last drank, so while it certainly is a hot season, but this exceed even the extreme heat in July and August.

After a while of walking, the man thought.

Perhaps this place isn’t Japan after all.

Even if there are sand dunes here but it’s still completely different from the usual deserts found just directly below the equator line. This temperature is still that of normal Japan’s seasons.

This is clearly an abnormality.

And in the far horizon, one can see the mountain range that looks as if it’s made up of heat haze. I don’t think there’s such a scenery in Japan, even in Hokkaido where you can see the horizon.

Suddenly, he remembered a manga that he used to read before.

It’s about a certain incident that led to a salary man wearing his suit being abandoned in the desert, he has to make full use of his survival knowledge and skills, together with his friend he has to survive through the desert.

But still, that main character guy is a former special forces isn’t he〜

Oh yeah right, in the story that guy dug a hole during the day to use it to hide from the sun isn’t he.

Then, he’ll walk at night.

If this place isn’t Japan, then I guess I’ll have to do that as well〜

He thought jokingly about the worst-case scenario and continued to walk forward.

Fortunately the sand isn’t the type that your feet will sunk when stepped on, rather it feels like walking on a dry land with some sand as a sidekick, so he has no problem walking in the desert.

Suddenly, he started observing the knee-length grasses and cacti-like plants that are as tall as him.

Even if the man look like this he’s still an agricultural school graduate

That being said, even though this school is an agricultural school, it doesn’t have agricultural department, instead it has horticultural department, landscaping department, fashion department, and then the food department. A weird school to be honest, and the man was in the landscaping department.

To simply explain the landscaping department, it’s all about the art of creating a garden. Be it how to properly trim a tree, building bamboo fences, or pulling out paving stones. And naturally, they also teach the essential knowledge about flowers and plants as well, and so the man knew a little more about plants that most people. The man approaches the unfamiliar plants, hoping to learn something about it.

Fun fact!

This grass thing isn’t a flower, nor is it a fruit.

I tried pulling it out, it’s a bulb-shaped fist-sized onion-like thing, perhaps if I take a bite out of it I might be able to get some water to hydrate myself.

And I guess thing withered cactus-like plant right here might also contain some water too. But upon considering of the possibility that it might be poisonous, I don’t dare to take a bite out of it.

There are ants and other bugs that I don’t know the name of around the plants too.

So there’s a possibility that there are other large insects or lizards, even birds around here consuming these as their food.

That’s the most I can learn from this place.

Keaton is sure amazing. 1

I really want him to help me here.

I wonder how far I’ve walked so far. I don’t even know what time it is. My senses dulled down because of my hungover. What they said about hard times felt the longest is true I guess.

For example, you thought you’ve walked for 2 hours, but in reality it’s been only thirty minutes. Well that aside I think I’m getting closer and closer to that wriggling thing, finally able to tell what that thing is.

The real identity of that wriggling thing is sandstorm.

The sand is whirling around something.

I thought ‘Isn’t it a sandstorm at first?’, but then again I’ve never seen or experienced a real sandstorm in a genuine desert before.

I don’t even know if I can run away in time.

I braced myself and proceed forward. Apparently there’s something inside the sandstorm, and it rolls the sand up as it moves.

And it’s heading toward me.

Vehicles are in every’s man heart! I’m saved! I did a guts pose while thinking so.

That thing must be a jeep, or maybe a buggy, or some kind of road-vehicle for sure!

But then on the other hand.

If by any chance, that vehicle belongs to a fundamentalist terrorist group, or some outlaws group from『Mad Max 2』or『Fist of the North Star』 what should I do by then?

That thought also crossed my mind.

It’s not like I’m in Japan so it’s not impossible too…

But if I don’t do anything at all then I can’t get out of here.

Yeah, when push comes to shove I’ll show them my special low kick!

The man had been going to the mixed martial arts gym. About two times a week for two years, he worked hard during those years but then finally quit. His nickname at the gym is 『Gym’s weakest man.』

So weak that he lose even to a woman during sparring.

But that doesn’t mean his efforts were in vain, His skinny body’s muscle increases, he grew about two times bigger, his clothing size also increased as well. One time when he was working out on the sandbag, his coach compliments him “That’s a good low kick you got there”.

That made the man a little more confident about it.

Although the man has no way of knowing that his coach was just thinking “I guess I’ll have to compliments him from time to time.”

Now let’s return to the main subject.

He walks toward the sandstorm with both anxiety and expectations in his mind. Since there’s no any other objects for reference so I can’t tell the distance between me and that thing, or even how big it actually is.

The sandstorm gradually grew bigger as well as the thing inside it.

I also start to feel the vibration from the ground.

Isn’t its sound too loud for it to be just a car?

Gradually.

Gradually.

G r a d u a l l y.

G r a d u a l l y.

That dark shape is approaching me.

Wait, it’s huge!!

Real hugeeeeeeeーーーー!

The hell is this thinggggーーー!

Finally it’s close enough for me to understand the distance between us.

Huge and massive.

The ground roars and rumbles.

Rustic and violent.

The thing that’s running on the sand, the bottom of the ship glow dull black, with its caterpillar tracks that reach almost halfway to its deck.

On the deck are three giant mounted cannons that’s as if it’s from a movie prop, and also one gigantic cannon that surpasses all other cannons in size.

That thing, is a ship.

To be precise, it’s a humongous tanker ship-like thing with huge caterpillar tracks, as well as giant cannons poking out of the deck.

While the ship itself shook the very earth, its track leisurely proceed forward. Completely ignoring the man’s existence.

The man is dumbfounded, could only watch it moves forward with amazed expression.

The hell is this thing.

I can’t believe this thing is even able to move, just where the hell am I……

I’ve heard of land battleship, but they exist only in fiction……

I’m sure there were concepts and designs, although they were never built. And that was during the First and Second World Wars.

I stared at the ship about nearly an hour, before coming to my senses.

This place isn’t Japan, nor is it the modern day, I doubt if it’s even Earth.

Is this that reincarnation in another world thing? Or is this the world inside a brain just like in Matrix? Or is this a dream?

Let’s stay calm first.

Whichever the correct answer is, but now I can be sure that there is some kind of settlements or facility both from where the ship came from and where it’s heading to.

But in what direction I should go?

Although a bit worried, the man decided to change his direction and followed where the ship was going.

Maybe one of the sailors would see him and he’ll be rescued.

Well, in the end there is no resuce, but the man still try his best walking along with it.

Fortunately the ship’s speed is not that high, about a little faster than a bicycle.

I can keep up without losing sight of them at this pace.

I don’t know how much longer my legs will hold up though.

Now that the man had an objective, he’s motivated once again.

After that three hours passed.

The ship blows a loud steam whistle.

When a ship blows a steam whistle, it’s usually to signal another ships or when they’re about to change direction.

Maybe they’re stopping!

Although the man is exhausted from all the walking, but upon hearing the steam whistle signal, he motivated himself once again and walks even harder.

Perhaps the man’s wish is finally fulfilled, the ship starts to decelerate as it’s approaching its destination, and finally he could keep up with it.

The place the ship has arrived is a town surround by walls all around, Asphalt.

I think this is a reference to Master Keaton, a Japanese manga from ages ago. The main character, Keaton, is an SAS member (British special forces) and there’s one episode where he’s stuck in Taklamakan Desert. 1