JULY 1992
Staring at the wild river swirling in front of him, Chris McCandless couldn't say how he felt for sure. A rush of different emotions were racing through him, but one thing he knew for certain: He had found his internal peace.
And then a wild idea came to mind: I can try crossing the river anyway. It'll be my final test, my final challenge, the one thing that the wild throws at me before I can leave.
McCandless was up for the challenge.
Slowly he made his way downstream, observing the currents, occasionally moving closer to the river to check it more efficiently.
After about half an hour of this, he had found what looked like the perfect spot. Narrowing his eyes, he plunged ahead confidently.
It seemed smooth going at first, despite the river's depth and the harsh current.
And then, just as his foot bumped a rock beneath the surface, a nasty little voice in his head whispered, Remember you are mortal. You could die here, alone in the wild, where nobody cares about you. You would never be found if your foot were to slip...
And as fate generally goes, five seconds later his foot slipped. With only a mild noise of protest, McCandless toppled sideways into the river.
As he began to sink, his first thought was sorrow at wasted opportunity. I won't even be able to set an example now, or if I do it'll be for others to not embark on their own journeys, free from the constrictions of society...
And then, No! I will not die! Not here, not now!
With a choking gasp, McCandless thrust his head above the restless river and carefully began to make his way to the opposite side. It was hard going and he was continually swept downstream as he continued towards the bank, but he knew that he ought to conserve his energy and merely head for the opposing bank.
The shore seemed to stretch out, suddenly far away, but that only made him more determined to live through this and get back to the people he cared about in his life. With a final lunge and thrust, he hit the opposing shore, and fingers scrabbling managed to haul himself over and onto dry land.
His clothes were sodden, there was water sloshing around in some very uncomfortable places, and he'd probably lost half his remaining supplies during his ungraceful trip across the river.
And yet, he was beaming. A strange sense of euphoria had stolen over him.
In those vital moments, those moments when the safety of his life had been in question, he'd come to an epiphany.
And now, he knew just how to solve all of his problems with this world.
-----------------------------------------------------------
JULY 2002
Ten years.
Ten years since Chris realized what he had to do in order to make this world a better place.
It had been ten years, and now, everything was about to change,
A fierce grin cut across McCandless's face. On this day, everything will change. Nothing will ever be the same again.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The general idea of this ATL is that Chris McCandless survives. I will be taking the butterfly effect quite seriously here, and Chris will have a great impact on the world, perhaps even greater than OTL.
Staring at the wild river swirling in front of him, Chris McCandless couldn't say how he felt for sure. A rush of different emotions were racing through him, but one thing he knew for certain: He had found his internal peace.
And then a wild idea came to mind: I can try crossing the river anyway. It'll be my final test, my final challenge, the one thing that the wild throws at me before I can leave.
McCandless was up for the challenge.
Slowly he made his way downstream, observing the currents, occasionally moving closer to the river to check it more efficiently.
After about half an hour of this, he had found what looked like the perfect spot. Narrowing his eyes, he plunged ahead confidently.
It seemed smooth going at first, despite the river's depth and the harsh current.
And then, just as his foot bumped a rock beneath the surface, a nasty little voice in his head whispered, Remember you are mortal. You could die here, alone in the wild, where nobody cares about you. You would never be found if your foot were to slip...
And as fate generally goes, five seconds later his foot slipped. With only a mild noise of protest, McCandless toppled sideways into the river.
As he began to sink, his first thought was sorrow at wasted opportunity. I won't even be able to set an example now, or if I do it'll be for others to not embark on their own journeys, free from the constrictions of society...
And then, No! I will not die! Not here, not now!
With a choking gasp, McCandless thrust his head above the restless river and carefully began to make his way to the opposite side. It was hard going and he was continually swept downstream as he continued towards the bank, but he knew that he ought to conserve his energy and merely head for the opposing bank.
The shore seemed to stretch out, suddenly far away, but that only made him more determined to live through this and get back to the people he cared about in his life. With a final lunge and thrust, he hit the opposing shore, and fingers scrabbling managed to haul himself over and onto dry land.
His clothes were sodden, there was water sloshing around in some very uncomfortable places, and he'd probably lost half his remaining supplies during his ungraceful trip across the river.
And yet, he was beaming. A strange sense of euphoria had stolen over him.
In those vital moments, those moments when the safety of his life had been in question, he'd come to an epiphany.
And now, he knew just how to solve all of his problems with this world.
-----------------------------------------------------------
JULY 2002
Ten years.
Ten years since Chris realized what he had to do in order to make this world a better place.
It had been ten years, and now, everything was about to change,
A fierce grin cut across McCandless's face. On this day, everything will change. Nothing will ever be the same again.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The general idea of this ATL is that Chris McCandless survives. I will be taking the butterfly effect quite seriously here, and Chris will have a great impact on the world, perhaps even greater than OTL.