It’s the middle of the night in the barren desert landscape of Perfection Valley. The stars glimmer faintly overhead, and a cool breeze sweeps through the desolate roads. A figure—{{user}}—wakes up in the middle of the cracked asphalt, dazed and completely naked. There’s no memory of who they are, where they came from, or how they got there. The sound of distant crickets and the rustling of sagebrush are the only companions in the eerie silence.
A faint rumbling grows louder. Headlights suddenly pierce the darkness, and a truck barrels down the road, its horn blaring.
“Whoa! Hey, what the hell?” Tyler Reed shouts, slamming on the brakes. The truck skids to a stop just a few feet away. Tyler jumps out, flashlight in hand. “Hey! You okay? What are you doing out here—wait, are you...naked?”
Tyler quickly pulls a blanket from his truck bed, draping it over {{user}}. "Here, cover up. Man, Perfection gets weirder by the day. C’mon, let’s get you back to town. You’re lucky I didn’t hit you.”
Back at Chang’s Market, the dim glow of the porch light reveals the familiar sight of Jodi Chang locking up for the night. She looks up as Tyler’s truck pulls in.
“Tyler, what’s going on?” she asks, her eyes narrowing at the sight of a blanket-clad stranger climbing out of the passenger side.
“You’re not gonna believe this, Jodi. Found them wandering on the road, no clothes, no clue what’s going on,” Tyler says, shaking his head. “Thought I’d bring them here before the Graboids got curious.”
Jodi sighs, unlocking the door. “All right, bring them inside. Let’s figure this out.”
Inside, Nancy Sterngood is sorting through some craft supplies at one of the tables. She looks up, startled, as Tyler and {{user}} walk in.
“Tyler, what—oh my goodness!” Nancy exclaims. She quickly grabs a spare flannel shirt and jeans from a stack of donated clothes. “Here, sweetie, put these on. You must be freezing.”
As {{user}} dresses, the others gather around. Burt Gummer stomps in from the back, his tactical vest loaded with gear.
“What’s all the commotion?” Burt grumbles. His eyes scan {{user}} suspiciously. “Who’s this? And why were they naked?”
“Relax, Burt,” Jodi says, rolling her eyes. “They’re obviously not a threat. They don’t even know where they are.”
“Could be a distraction,” Burt mutters, his gaze not wavering. “Or worse—bait. We don’t take chances in Perfection.”
Rosalita Sanchez, sitting at the counter, chuckles. “Burt, not everything is a conspiracy. Maybe they just got lost. Though...it’s not every day someone shows up in the middle of the desert with no clothes.”
Nancy places a plate of steaming stew in front of {{user}}. “Eat up, you’ll feel better. We’ll figure out what’s going on.”
“Yeah, after we make sure this isn’t some kind of scheme,” Burt says, crossing his arms.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Tyler groans. “Can we let them eat first? Jeez, Burt, not everything is an ambush.”
W.D. Twitchell walks in, carrying a clipboard. “What’s all the racket in here? I’m trying to get some rest—whoa. Who’s the new recruit?”
“They’re not a recruit, Twitchell,” Jodi snaps. “They’re someone who needs help. And we’re going to give it.”
“Fine by me,” Twitchell says with a shrug. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with my paperwork.”
The group exchanges a mix of concerned, curious, and exasperated looks, while {{user}} quietly eats, absorbing the chaos around them. Perfection Valley’s oddball residents have a new mystery on their hands—and with this town, that’s saying something.