[10] MORGAN―▲

Behind Morgan and Wraith came a line of creatures and people. Most of the men and women behind her were of Raven Shield with varying degree of Ascension. There were others from other tribes she had alliances with, influencing the Sky Rangers. She had not been able to convince Kenneth to go with her which, given their agreement, hadn't surprised her. She could feel the weight of the simple metal band around her finger as she lead the procession down the final stretch to the cave.

The ring was a heavy reminder of her promise. She had stayed that night until early morning when she had taken her birds and returned to home. Where Kenneth had kept that ring, or for how long, she didn't know but the moment he had slipped it on her fingers so many things had made sense. But she still had to do this, to at least reach alpha Ascension. Her tribe didn't know her plans to stop trying, only that she and Kenneth had agreed to merge their tribes. Some had been excited at the potential to finally get the tall plateau that High Rock was built on. Others had been less than pleased. Some would stay, she knew, at the old place which was just as well. She had learned early on that pleasing everyone in the tribe was near impossible. Perhaps that was why she looked forward to this union with the Rangers. Kenneth had nearly four times as many people to look after than she did and he did it so naturally that she had admitted to him her jealousy of the fact.

Most of the trip had been more relaxed but as they neared the end of their trip to the TEK Gate, Morgan had ordered them to wear their armour and carry their weapons. It was a short trip from where they had camped as she wanted to make sure man and beast alike arrived ready for a long, hard fight.

The canyon walls widened and they entered the rounded, half covered entrance to the Cave. The octogonal slaps of pillars rose around them at angles and varying lengths up and around the pit. Vines and the tree canopy shaded most of the hot sun. They were on the edge of the redwoods and the desert. The dark rocks native to the redwoods mingled with the red sandstone of the nearby desert landscape. The TEK gate itself was of neither, created from a material that was metallic and alien. Lights pulsed around it, a steady rhythm that was both alien and exhilarating. As the procession entered the canyon, Morgan raised her hand and they all stopped, looking at her expectantly.

"Soren." She called the man forward sternly but proudly. He nodded to her and dismounted his allosaurus, several others following suit. Each went forward to the pedestal. Morgan watched as, one by one, each man or woman placed their implant over the pedestal after placing the items needed for tribute next to them. With a shimmer of hexagonal patterns, the items vanished, accepted by the gate as proof of their right to pass through. Soren was last, giving up the carno arm that they had acquired several days ago when she had met Richard on his way to the Red Obelisk...again.

Richard always wanted to hear about her battle when it was over. The scientist in him was full of questions but he was not one to actually risk his life himself. She thought it petty of him but Kenneth often reminded her that not all men are made to fight. Some are better at figuring out mysteries of life behind a desk instead of a sword or rifle. So she would often amuse him afterward. She didn't know if he was going to be disappointed that she wouldn't be going to fight the Overseer after this. He would have to find a new group of guinea pigs. After all, she and Kenneth had other plans. A lot of them. Merging their tribes wasn't going to be easy but she knew it could be done. They had already started some of their planning but when she got back she knew that there was plenty more to figure out.

Soren stepped back, head bowed as if the pedestal was an alter rather than the key to getting into the Overseer's lair. The gate opened, almost silently save for the sound of metal against stone. The lights around it flickered differently and Morgan couldn't help but grin as the dark maw of the TEK cave opened to them. The others were scrambling back onto their mounts when Morgan unstrapped herself from Wraith's saddle and stood, one hand holding the reins to the great beast and the other holding her TEK rifle up triumphantly.

"Today," she began, pausing until everyone had settled enough to realize she was talking. "Today you prove yourself. Not just to me, but to this world, to this ARK which has held us here for as long as anyone can remember. Today, with this victory, some of you will reach your final Ascension, leaving this ARK forever. We know not to where, but it is still my firm believe, no matter what others may say, that our final Ascension is the one that brings us home, to our families and our lives in the times and places we belong." A cry rang out and she waited a moment for them to settle, smirking. Kenneth still didn't believe in the going home part, and while she had agreed to stay for him, it had not changed that fact that she did. "Some are entering this gate for the first time. It is not an easy test. The other three bosses hold nothing on the Overseer and you will be tested. This is your day, your moment, your battle! Today, we prove to the world and this Overseer that we are worthy of Ascension! That we are worthy of the fight and the victory! That are worthy to survive!"

The cheer that greeted her invigorated her. Wraith roared and around her the canyon echoed with the voices of man, woman, and beast. Grinning she turn and sat back down, bring her TEK rifle to the front as the great white rex took a step toward the dark cave that awaited them.

"Keep in formation!" Morgan shouted, whipping Wraith's head around with everything she had. Her rifle had lost ammo long ago and she was depending on the brute strength of her tiring mount to get her through this. Around her, several of their beasts had fallen and she didn't have time to see if anyone had died. Casualty count would come later. Wraith was slowing but her determination was a match for her rider. They were in the home stretch now and despite it all she already had a gut feeling that they would win. Piece of cake, she thought, grinning.

Between the blast of various weapon fire and the creatures still attacking, Morgan never saw who got the last blow in on the shifting organism as soon as the shield went down. A cheer went up around her as the red light exploded around her and Wraith. For a brief moment Morgan felt sad at the sight knowing that she would never do this again, never watch it 'die'. But she was also satisfied with that. The cold band on her finger was her reminder that home could wait.

The light never faded however. It did not stream to the center pedestal and form the shell of the Overseer. It seemed to throb, as if it was land clutched by an earthquake. Wraith roared and nothing that Morgan could do could get the great beast to not turn.

"Morgan!" Soren called as she let go of the reins and sumersulted from the beasts back. She was pretty sure a bone or two broke at her fall but she didn't have time for that. The red light of the Overseer was spreading around them and she scrambled backward to escape it. Around her the terrified screams of creatures could be heard as well as the confused, fearful shouts of humans.

Something is wrong, she thought frantically. Something...this isn't suppose to happen...

The light around her exploded and she was tossed like a ragdoll across the room, landing hard on the Overseer's pedestal. Blood pooled in her helmet so she ripped it off and tried to stand. Looking up the light began to glow brighter and the shaking was starting to cause the entire deck to crumble. Panic welled in her heart as she realized that whatever was happening was beyond her power to stop.

The red mist at her feet reached for her and she panicked but could not move. A whisper came to her mind, soft, terrified, desperate. It was not malicious, she realized, but pleading. Help! Help! A part of her listened even while her body tried to rebel.

I listen, that understanding voice in her soul said. What do I do?

Forgive me, came the reply, and Morgan was plunged into a darkness filled with webs of light and currents. Information coursed through so quickly she wanted to scream. Listen. Learn. The voice whispered and she did. Slowly, things that she should never have learned she understood even as she fell through the darkness. The lights around began to make sense and she gaspt. He hand reached out and grabbed at the red light. Her body exploded with pain as it was disintegrated. The shockwave rushed over the others, taking them with her. The falling stopped and she floated among the tattered webs of light. Her mind turned to focus on her task on hand, her past slowly forgotten the more she reached for the webs until only a part of her name remained. Nothing else mattered now but repairing the ARK.

On the floor of the destroyed Observation deck, amid the broken pillars and discarded gear that had once held bodies, a single ring teetered on its side before falling over. The sound reverberated throughout the eerie silence that had settled in the oversized room.