Encounter with danger

"I'm sorry. I am very forgetful so I got lost. Can you point me in the right direction" I asked feigning politeness. I can't die on the first day of my life in an alternate world now, seems pretty pessimistic but I would rather assume everything is out to kill me.

The officer-like person raised an eyebrow clearly expressing their suspicion. I don't really care since it seems like I won't be entering the library anyways. A pity, I'll access the internet elsewhere.

"Name?" He asked harshly as he whipped out his phone. Really what a rude person.

"Dan. Some people call me Danny" I replied. In truth, nobody actually calls me that. But I can't let him think I am as sorry as I look. I won't give him that satisfaction.

"Last name?" Eh, well now that's tough.

"Owens" Why was it tough? Well, both of my parents had a divorce when I was young so I can't say which of the last names alternate me gets to keep.

"Dan Owens, Sector B. Head down the main street and follow the signs. I don't want to see you loiter around anymore" The harsh man really doesn't like me. I bid him farewell and made my way towards the only main street I know.

It seems alternate me was unlucky enough to live with dad. Mom wouldn't have gotten a divorce if he was such a nice man after all.

Soon I entered the main street which was bustling with people. They all seemed like worker bees as they made their way to work. All of them with heavy steps, how bad is this place?

"Waste management plant workers, you have 10 minutes to reach your destination. Tardies will result in deduction of merits." The boring voice from the speakers reported. It repeated that message a couple of times.

Merits seem to be pretty important. Maybe they are currency? Seems like the most likely scenario but merits make it seem like we are some sort of animals.

I can assume we are if the harsh officer's words are to be trusted. It reminds me of depictions of nobles and commoners in the old days. Well, then again even my previous reality was hierarchical even if it wasn't so explicit.

In that case, I must be part of the bottom rung in this society. But what exactly does the bottom rung do? I pondered as I continued to walk down the main street. Eventually, things started to look different from what I remembered. Especially the shops and signboards.

Many of them talked about things like merits. Did I mention there is a lot of militaristic propaganda? Not as simple as, join the army! we need you! It was to the point of reverence.

Die a hero! Save mankind!

Want to move up the ladder? This is your chance to prove your worth, join the exalted!

Retake the surface banish the mutants!

Dying a hero doesn't sound fun. Exalted Sounds cool though. That must be the name of the ones high up in society.

It certainly has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I am not sold on fighting mutants though. That never worked out on tv. At least not if the technology is only at the level of my past reality.

Maybe one day I'll get to such a position. Once I find out enough about this place I'll consider investigating the military.

If only I wrote myself a diary. That would be helpful. I've never been the type to write out my thoughts though. In the first place, I was too busy trying to survive in society to do such a thing.

Waste Sector B read a sign. It seems I am at the bottom after all.

The sign pointed towards a building that I was unfamiliar with. I entered only to instantly flinch.

"Dan Owens! You are needed asap, suit up and move out" yelled an infuriated person. Jeesh people here are much worse than I thought. Is there a need to be so strict?

Rather than looking lost I quickly followed what I saw others doing, entering a locker room. I wasn't the only one here after all, although I was the only one getting called out which was a bit surprising to me.

I found a locker with my name on it. In it was a hazmat suit and a name card. It had my name and work location.

Waste management, I wasn't looking forward to it based on the name alone but the suit isn't making me any more optimistic.

I put on the suit almost as if it were muscle memory, I left the locker room down a door denoted Sector B-42. It led to a room and an opening that led further underground.

"Owen, your pickaxe" I heard the voice of a young woman say to me. The nametag said, Grey Romani, the same work area.

She was holding a sturdy looking pickaxe. I grabbed it.

"Thank you" I said somewhat abashed.

"No problem. Let's hurry" She said in her charming voice.

I followed after her down the downward tunnels. The sound of mining eventually reached my ears.

Waste management was really just mining? It must be radioactive waste then. Although I am not sure how you do that with a pickaxe.

We kept on walking down the tunnel, neither spoke a word. I eventually caught sight of what seemed to be green crystals embedded in the tunnel. People of all shapes and sizes were mining them.

We kept going in further though were light no longer reached. Thanks to our half-baked night vision we didn't really need lights though.

"There was a leakage near this area so we should be extra careful" She told me. I wondered what we were supposed to be wary of though.

We finally came to a stop near a large vein of green crystals. There were some other people here with us already going at it.

Grey immediately dug into the crystals. She was mining away like a pro. I was to do the same but I wasn't too sure if we were to just hack at it. I did see some deposits for these things but how do we carry them over?

Hm? Why is the ground suddenly trembling!?

My question was answered by the pained cry of a miner. His legs were engulfed by the ugly mouth of… a worm?

The grotesque creature that emerged from below the ground seemed to have a row of sharp teeth and be covered in steel like hair. It was an unbelievable sight.

"AH! Help!" The man yelled but all everyone did is toss their pickaxe at the beast and flee. Grey as well, she started to run glancing back to see if I would stay here.

Isn't this the moment where my cheat kicks in? Where I take down the beast and show my true potential.

Seemingly not so I also turned tail and ran.

The man was then engulfed by the vicious mouth of the mutated worm, it's rows of teeth ground his body.

Luckily I looked away in time, the sound of metal grinding against metal wasn't pleasant to the ears, nor were the blood-curling screams. I can't imagine the sight.

A hideous shriek cried out in my direction as I bolted. I looked behind me only to find its blood-covered maw full of bits of flesh charging towards me.

Like hell, I'd be that things snack! I might be pessimistic but I want to live too!

I won't be able to run away from it though! What should I do?