Once alone, Helena couldn't help but pace nervously throughout the flat rubbing her neck with one hand, thinking about that sudden turn in her daily life. For three years she'd tried to remember the time spent on ARK as little as possible, except for the sporadic times when the topic was brought up again in a conversation, almost always by Rockwell: Edmund had never stopped dwelling on the things he'd learnt on ARK or that he would've learnt hadn't he left: Helena could sense a nearly morbid nostalgia in him. During those years, the biologist had tried above all not to think about the discovery she'd given up. It had worked until then: she'd gotten rid of Darwin's book right after returning to her old life, she looked at the mementos from the prehistoric island as rarely as she could and tried to talk little about it, especially with the help of Mei-Yin, who focused only on the present and had left the whole thing behind with surprising ease... or rather, that was what Mei apparently showed, you could never peer inside her thoroughly. Gaius also focused on his new life, although he still carried the burden of the trouble he'd caused on ARK.
Helena didn't have to wait long before her meditation was interrupted: after some time, Mei-Yin arrived. The warrior entered with her unmistakable bearing: she always looked ready to defend herself from something, even if she knew there were no dangers. But that was Mei's nature: caution and distrust would never completely abandon her, her penetrating and fierce eyes were always watching everything, ready to grasp the slightest detail that could be a threat. When the two women greeted each other, Helena's absent air and tone gave away her concern and the Chinese woman immediately noticed it: instead of going to the women's bedroom to change, she gave her a suspicious gaze and asked her what was wrong. Helena hesitated for a second, then began to sketch out an explanation, feeling increasingly nervous:
«What? Well, I don't know if it's fitting to say that something's wrong, but there's news I'd never have expected. Well, maybe I brought this on myself a little, but...»
Mei folded her arms and stared at her with a suspicious look:
«Helena, just speak. What happened?»
The biologist sighed and came to the point:
«A girl and three friends of hers retrieved that book I found on ARK before we left and traced me: they were here just minutes ago»
«What? What did they want?» asked Mei, alerted.
«They asked me a lot of questions about ARK, of course. And in the end, I really did it»
Mei raised an eyebrow:
«What do you mean?»
«First I confessed it's all true, then I convinced them to believe me. They asked me to keep in touch, to meet you and the others: I told them everything»
Mei didn't answer, she simply stared at Helena with an enigmatic look that made the biologist feel deeply uncomfortable. After a few moments of silence, she looked the other way and tried to press her friend to find out what her opinion was: Mei was her best confidant, even more than Rockwell. Talking to her about her thoughts and doubts always helped her understand what was the right thing to do.
«Mei? Why are you so impassive?»
«What do you want me to tell you? If these kids are really going to show up, I can't judge them before I see them in person»
Helena felt compelled to correct her:
«No, they're not kids, they must be at least three years older than my students»
«It doesn't matter»
«Anyway, nothing to say? I basically revealed what we've been through to strangers, was it a mistake? Do you think I should've let them believe it was all fictional or...»
«I don't care, Helena» Mei candidly replied.
A part of Helena expected a similar reaction, knowing Mei and the way she was always determined to turn the page, but she was still disoriented by that detachment, be it a façade or genuine. She tried to snatch an opinion from her:
«No, you can't turn a blind eye. I just revealed the existence of ARK to someone! Don't you think there might be consequences, sooner or later?»
Mei shrugged:
«I doubt it: even if you've convinced them, they can do nothing to prove it. And if you regret saying it all, I'm sure you'll find a way to keep the word from spreading. Is that all?»
Helena felt a hint of embarrassment:
«You really don't care what happened? For the first time ever, I told the truth about...»
Mei rolled her eyes:
«ARK belongs to the past and I'll never go back there. I have no reason to worry about that. What happened back there no longer concerns me, now I just want to think about living as I've done so far. We've already talked about this, you know what I think: you should let go of everything, just like me. Besides convincing Edmund to stop babbling about plants and obelisks: he's too fixated»
At that point, the Chinese warrior went to the bedroom without giving Helena time to react. The biologist had to give in to the fact that her friend wouldn't take a position on the subject, determined as she was to look only ahead. So neither said anything else, until Rockwell arrived. Once he crossed the threshold and closed the door, the old British chemist immediately began to carefully browse the large medicine book he'd decided to buy that day: Edmund wanted to finish the medical course as quickly as possible, since he looked down on the academic environment he was involved in and his teachers, so he'd get additional medical books whenever he had a chance to. He was so focused on reading that he didn't bother to greet Helena and immediately headed to his room. Helena shook her head with a sketch of a smile and called the doctor's attention:
«Edmund, there's news, we have to talk»
Rockwell lifted his eyes from the book only for a fleeting moment and replied in an almost annoyed tone:
«May I ask you to put off any kind of debate until later, Helena? I want no interruptions while studying»
«This time it can't wait: someone has found out about us and ARK»
At that point, exactly as Helena expected, Rockwell immediately snapped on the alert, closed the book and turned around to stare at her with an intrigued look, arranging his glasses.
«Sorry?» he asked, almost excited.
«Four young people in their twenties found the book that I hid in a library three years ago and have been here, I talked to them»
Rockwell began to rub his beard, as he always did when he found something to think about:
«That's interesting and unexpected... what did you tell them, exactly? Did they ask any specific questions?»
«I told them everything, Edmund. At first I was undecided whether to tell the truth or not, but then I chose to prove that ARK and everything about it is true»
«God forbid! Why didn't you warn me before?! This is an unprecedented opportunity, now that I've found people with whom I can seriously disseminate my knowledge about that island! Well, I don't know how serious it could actually be to discuss such important and complex subjects with four youngsters who got to know it by chance, but it's still a beginning...»
Helena curbed his enthusiasm before Rockwell got too excited:
«Come now, Edmund, first we need to think about the situation»
«Why should we? It's time to get out of this shell of silence where I've been forced to hide for three years! And if you value discovery at least as much as I do, you should agree. You'll be keeping in contact with these unexpected visitors, I hope...»
«Yes, at their request. I decided to discuss this with you, before letting them know anything»
Edmund smiled, excited:
«You have my approval, that's enough! Oh, this is just the beginning: in time, we'll devise a way to gather more irrefutable evidence and we'll prove the existence of that revolutionary place to society! I'll no longer have to hide all this extraordinary knowledge for fear of being ridiculed...»
Helena had to resist the temptation to face-palm: as she feared, Edmund had clung to the tiniest foothold to convince himself that the scientific revolution he'd dreamed of achieving for three years was within reach and now it would be a challenge to bring him back down to earth. Fortunately, however, Mei returned from the bedroom and rejoined the debate; the Chinese warrior interrupted Rockwell with her ruthless frankness:
«Telling four kids what you know about that accursed island won't get you anywhere. If you believe they can act as witnesses, it would be their word against what everyone believes»
Rockwell glanced angrily at Mei, while Helena breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a thankful look, while the old doctor wasn't looking. Before Edmund began to fantasize again, she spoke:
«Edmund, I understand your enthusiasm, but we have to think about one thing at a time: to begin with, we could try and get to know them better, let them get a clearer idea of us and ARK, then we'll see how many secrets we can let out. But remember that we must never push it too far: that island hides great potential, it's true, but we're done with it. Telling our story to strangers is already too much, as far as I'm concerned»
«That's right» Mei said sternly.
Rockwell stared at the biologist with an uncertain expression for a few seconds, before narrowing his eyes and replying with ill-concealed resentment:
«I see you still persist in hindering progress. But one day I'll lead human civilization into a new era, with or without your support»
«You've said that so many times, it keeps sounding emptier» Mei told him.
From Rockwell's face, Helena understood that he was about to claim for the umpteenth time that the warrior had no say in the matter because she was too backward and ignorant to understand how precious the secrets of ARK were and she was alarmed: it had never ended well, the sporadic times when Rockwell had given free rein to his outrage. She was about to intervene to calm both of them, when the door opened and they were joined by Nerva. The centurion, returning from his shift, hastened to loosen his tie and unbutton the jacket of his security uniform, immediately appearing more relaxed and serene, without abandoning his intimidating bearing. He'd never completely stopped behaving like a commander, it was in his nature: always confident, with his head held high and with a proud look, determined in speaking and acting, but never arrogant and always respectful of those in front of him. When he saw Helena and the others gathered there and with disturbed expressions, he gave them a questioning look:
«What is going on?» he asked.
Mei informed him of what Helena had already told her and Rockwell in very few words and Gaius immediately appeared somewhat surprised. He pondered, before asking the biologist:
«What are you going to do now?»
He asked in a calm and interested tone. Nerva was a soldier, so he was practical: he always came straight to the point, although he wasn't as cold as Mei. Almost reassured by the way that question was asked her, Helena gathered her thoughts and stated:
«When they left, I said that I'd ask for your opinion on a possible future meeting between all of us, so that you can meet them and get a clearer idea of them and vice versa. If you agree...»
Rockwell suddenly interrupted her:
«As I've already established and will never tire of reiterating, I believe this meeting with our new contacts who've come to know about ARK is not only a good idea, but it's also necessary. And it won't be a possible majority vote against my opinion to stop me from starting to spread my findings on that island»
Helena hesitated for a couple of moments, disoriented by the British doctor's nearly capricious stubbornness, after which she spoke again and concluded:
«Right, Edmund's just said what he thinks. What do you two think? Mei?»
Helena looked at her friend, waiting for her final answer. Knowing the warrior's position on the ARK issue, she was ready to get a rejection and, therefore, to appease Edmund's protests. Mei stared at her with an indecipherable look for several moments, to the point that Helena was tempted to pass the word to Nerva, but then the Chinese woman breathed a deep sigh with her eyes closed and replied:
«I don't like this at all. You confessed our secrets to strangers, you don't know what they might do with what they learnt and now you want to meet them to talk about it even more: nothing good can come out of it»
Rockwell gave her a provoking smile and taunted her in a mocking tone:
«I'm perplexed, Mei. Your reasoning gives me the impression that you're afraid because they know about the island... why's that, I wonder? You don't care about ARK, or am I wrong? You've always made it clear almost proudly, over the last three years»
Mei gasped for a fleeting moment, since Rockwell had pointed out a contradiction. However, she immediately recomposed herself and replied, angrily:
«That's right: I left that island behind. That's why I don't want to talk about it: interrupt the stability I finally found just to discuss some question left unanswered? It feels just like a waste of time to me. And there's a risk that over time it will turn into something more than a topic»
Rockwell adjusted his glasses, irritated:
«What you belittle as "unanswered questions" are research that would've revolutionized the whole world, if only I'd had the opportunity to carry it out! And surely Helena can say the same, about her biological studies on the Arkian ecosystem. But I don't expect you to understand: your only interest is to guarantee your own survival, you wouldn't be able to look any further even if you tried»
Mei was immediately ready to reply, with icy calm:
«Meanwhile, you insist so much on looking back that you barely live for real. And you're a hypocrite anyway»
«What did you say?!» said Edmund.
«You may stop hiding it, we've all figured out that your desire is to boast that it was you who unveiled those mysteries, not to help people. It was always clear from how you talk about it: Helena's really sorry for not knowing everything, you're furious because you can't take credit without evidence»
Helena panicked: she'd never seen Mei and Rockwell argue so fiercely, now Edmund had set off the most devastating bomb of all: the ARK matter had never been truly forgotten, it was more obvious than ever. She had no idea what to say to calm them down, but she knew that argument was about to turn into something way worse, when suddenly...
«Now calm down! Both of you!» exclaimed Nerva.
Everyone went quiet and they all looked at the Roman, astonished. Helena was relieved that Gaius had stopped the quarrel, but she knew that the situation was still very delicate. The centurion went ahead, in an authoritarian and firm voice:
«You are too rash. We have not yet seen how this situation really is. I recommend observing these young people better and understanding what they intend to do with the knowledge about ARK, before deciding what is right and what is wrong»
«That actually makes perfect sense, Gaius» Helena nodded.
Rockwell shook his head:
«There's nothing to decide: as a man of science, I have a duty to get to the bottom of unsolved matters, deduce how discoveries can be useful to civilization and share them with it. Helena, you shouldn't even wonder whether it's time to meet those youngsters again! Don't let Mei's forced indifference stop you»
The Chinese warrior immediately replied:
«It allowed me to live peacefully without tormenting myself about something that I can't explain»
«Enough! – thundered Nerva – I say the best choice is to get to know them better and adapt. And although I cannot command you to do it as I would my legionnaires, I think it right to leave the final decision to Helena, the one who already has an idea of them. So, Helena?»
All eyes were on the biologist. Rockwell stared at her, nervous and hopeful that she'd go along with him, while from the expression Mei had at that point, Helena got a feeling that her friend had given in to the fact that ARK was more present than ever in their lives, a memory impossible to erase or ignore. And so, after one last thought, Helena sighed deeply and declared:
«Maybe talking about ARK won't be so serious, if we talk about it with the right people. I'll present you to the four of them»
Rockwell smiled, satisfied, and told her that she'd made the right decision. Mei didn't look convinced at all, but she didn't reply: after all, she'd decided to respect her friend's choice. Nerva, on the other hand, just bowed his head as a sign of assent, serious and quiet. And so, the die was cast. Helena had no idea if she'd eventually regret it, but she felt determined. She didn't believe she could ever reveal to Rockwell, Mei, and Gaius the little secret of the discovery she'd given up, but she hoped at least that opening up more on ARK would help them all feel better. It was time to inform Laura and her three friends.
§§§
It was evening and the boys were having dinner. Laura, however, wasn't listening to the conversation that her friends were having: she ate absent-mindedly and with a lost expression, focused on thinking back to the meeting with Helena Walker. When they were about to finish, however, Chloe received a notification on her cell phone. Laura became attentive right away, clinging to even the slightest possibility that it was who she hoped it could be... and she had to curb her enthusiasm when Chloe checked, gave her a warm smile and told her it was Helena.
«What does she say?» asked Laura, agitated.
«Good news: apparently, her pals agreed with the idea. She asked me to let her know what day and time we're free for a meeting at the seaside» Chloe replied.
«Well, she was quick - Sam commented - Hey, Laura, you've finally found someone who takes these things as seriously as you do!» he joked.
Jack rubbed his neck, thoughtfully:
«If we all have to be present, I suggest waiting until next Sunday: in this way, we'll make sure that we have no commitments. And I have the distinct feeling that I'll have to work overtime next week...»
«I'm good with that: I won't risk messing up with course schedules» Chloe nodded.
«Count me in, too - Sam added – You can resist for a week before you can ask some more questions about non-extinct dinosaurs and invisible walls, can't you?» he asked Laura, with an ironic smile.
Laura glanced at him slightly annoyed, while Chloe kicked him stealthily under the table, and replied that there was no problem: what mattered was that she had this opportunity, since by now her interest was so high. Now all they had to do was answer Helena and wait.
§
The meeting was scheduled for the following Sunday at Bondi Beach, at six in the afternoon. Just like every time she was forced to wait days for something she looked forward to, Laura felt the weight of every single hour of those endless seven days, as the curiosity and enthusiasm within her got more and more burning with each passing minute. She did her best to distract herself: she reread countless more times the descriptions of the Arkian species on the encyclopedia, did some more research on her future workplace and got in touch with her future colleagues to start getting acquainted with them, she didn't miss an opportunity to pester her friends about the information shared by Helena, prompting them to ponder on it... it didn't exactly help to distract her from the thought of ARK, which was now tormenting her, but at least she managed to get to the end of the week.
And finally, the time came. The four of them were sitting at a drinks kiosk nervously swinging her legs, waiting with the others, watching their eyes on the ocean at sunset. They'd come half an hour earlier at her request, because she wanted to play it safe. Sam just mumbled telling her she was taking everything too seriously and Jack kept intervening to make excuses and defend Laura: she was tempted to smile every time, but she just thanked him in a low tone, making him whisper an embarrassed "don't mention it". Chloe had written to Helena indicating the exact spot where they'd be waiting for her; she also sent her a picture to make sure she'd find them. When she realized that Laura was beginning to look way too tense, she reassured her and gave her some typical tips of hers on how to manage shyness in an "important" conversation.
Shortly after the appointed time, Laura heard Helena's relaxing and maternal voice greeting her. Immediately, the boys turned towards the voice and finally saw her: she was in the company of her three companions. Laura carefully observed each of them: Sir Edmund Rockwell, with a thick white beard and not so well-groomed hair, ready to fix his glasses as soon as they slipped down his nose, made her think of the classic elderly scholar: polite and always calm, spending his days hunched over books and full of anecdotes to tell... yet, from his gaze, the girl perceived that the ardor of youth was more alive than ever in that old researcher.
Mei-Yin Li, the Beast Queen, intimidated her right away, as if she wasn't already nervous enough about the whole situation. The warrior from ancient China had long, straight black hair falling down her back and was short, even a little bit shorter than Chloe; despite that, it was clear that she had a slender and athletic physique, as she would've expected from the fighter and the formidable hunter Helena had told them about. But all the attention immediately fell on those eyes: Laura had never seen any gaze like that, it was as if it penetrated her soul to peek inside her and understand what she was thinking. Those suspicious and threatening eyes even gave her shivers.
Finally Gaius Marcellus Nerva, the centurion of the New Legion, was the one who surprised her most of all: because of what Helena had said about him, Laura had a specific mental picture of Nerva, she'd begun to expect a man who'd show wickedness and pride... instead the Roman gave her the impression of being the exact opposite. He was imposing and muscular and had a fairly authoritarian bearing, yet she sensed no nastiness in him. His serious but calm expression put her at ease and the girl pictured him as one of those people always willing to listen and give their moral support. In addition, his well-groomed beard and the cut of his brown hair gave him a certain charm, an added value to his remarkable physique. But now Laura had judged appearances for long enough: it was time to really get to know them. Then she broke through the wall of embarrassment with all her courage and began:
«It's a real pleasure to meet you! I'm Laura, and these are Jack, Chloe and Sam»
After the greetings, Helena proposed walking along the beach and the four friends agreed. Once they started walking, the biologist tried to start the discussion:
«So, are there any particular questions you'd like to ask us? If not, I can explain better some parts that I only mentioned last week...»
Laura began to think about what she wanted to understand better, but Sam was quicker than her to take the floor: he cleared his voice and, with a somewhat mocking expression, he spoke to Nerva:
«Yes, I have a question for you... so, are you an original Roman? Do you come straight from the "hail Ceasar" and "carpe diem" empire?»
Gaius frowned, perplexed:
«That is correct. Do you doubt it, young man? Yet my name sounds unequivocal to me»
The redhead shrugged:
«You know how it is, better safe than sorry... no offense, but as far as I'm concerned you three might just be professional actors»
Chloe pinched his arm, scolding him:
«Sam! What are you saying? This is the first time you meet them and you provoke them, after all the evidence we got?»
«To be honest, I believe that your question borders on offense» Rockwell commented, irritated.
As Laura blushed with shame, Sam raised his arms innocently and justified himself:
«What? I'm just curious! Can't you say anything to convince me?»
Nerva looked undecided and Sam made a satisfied grimace. Laura was ready to intervene, saying that wasn't necessary and that unfortunately Sam could be kind of rude, when Mei-Yin suggested:
«Perhaps you can tell him something in your language, since apparently few people know it in this age»
Chloe's eyes lit up:
«Oh my God, it's true! You're a native Latin speaker! Oh, this is a dream come true… come on, say something to Sam in Latin, I'll translate for him! Finally the classical language courses will actually be helpful»
Nerva, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm, nodded and said to Sam, in a stern tone:
«Vere molesta tua rusticitas est. Meis temporibus erant pueri multum verecundiores»
Sam looked at Chloe, bewildered:
«All right... what the hell's he just said?»
She chuckled, folding her arms, and translated:
«He slammed in your face that your rudeness is really annoying and that boys were much more respectful back in his day. You know what? You had it coming!»
Sam, embarrassed, looked at Nerva in disbelief.
«Is it true?» he asked him.
«Ita est» the centurion nodded.
The redhead took off his sunglasses and scratched his neck, embarrassed:
«Fine, I can say that was pretty convincing… sorry for being a jerk. So, did you really go through all of Asia and then cross half the Pacific? From Italy?!»
The centurion gave a sad sigh and continued:
«Yes, and I will always honor the souls of the legionaries lost during that accursed journey. Above all, those of my ten faithful friends of the first decuria whom I guided at the beginning of my career: they were always dear to me, from my command in Dacia to that mission in the East. The ocean claimed them before I landed on that island, and sadly, the shield on which I had carved all their names in their memory was left on ARK»
«Oh… that must be rough, man» murmured Sam.
After a short silence, Chloe called the Chinese warrior's attention:
«So, you used to call yourself the Beast Queen back on ARK, huh?»
Mei didn't answer right away; she just gave her a suspicious look, then looked away: she appeared to be uncertain. Chloe asked her if something was wrong, perplexed, then Helena encouraged her friend:
«Come on, Mei, loosen up! They could never have bad intentions, you can see that»
At that point, the Chinese woman heaved a resigned sigh and, looking back at Chloe, she told her:
«I didn't choose that title, it was given to me by a fisherman from the Painted Sharks tribe who came to hire me. I just accepted it, but yes: I was the Beast Queen»
«Painted Sharks? They know how to choose their names» Sam said, deliberately putting on an expression of admiration which couldn't be taken for mockery.
Chloe, keeping her vivacity, went ahead more interested than ever:
«Helena told us you owned a formidable pack of beasts… you had a personal dinosaur army, didn't you? Did you tame them all, with that strange method described in that book?»
At that point, Mei-Yin rolled up her sleeve and uncovered her right arm, showing her the impressive scars of two large bites.
«These marks were left by Wuzhui, my first raptor… and my most faithful companion on the island. None of my beasts were ever as noble and brave as he was. If he hadn't saved me from the New Legion, I would've died alongside him»
Laura noticed that Nerva pursed his lips when Mei mentioned the last part: it was clear that he felt guilty about whatever had happened, since he had been the general of the New Legion. For a few moments, a tinge of sadness and even nostalgia filled the warrior's voice, but she immediately regained her calm and aloofness. Then, as further proof of her exploits, she uncovered her other limbs and abdomen to show all her battle scars, some left by claws and fangs and others by cold steel. Chloe listened and watched, fascinated, and then said:
«You sure are tough! I already figured you were awesome, but you're definitely something else!»
Those compliments seemed to actually confuse Mei: she was dumbfounded and perplexed. Laura assumed that the Asian woman wasn't at all used to being flattered in any way. It was funny to see the menacing and skittish glance of the Beast Queen turn perplexed. Finally, Mei pulled herself together and said:
«Thanks, I guess… I was just doing what was necessary to survive. Nothing different from life in my village»
«Oh, that's right! May I ask you something about the Yellow Turbans' uprising?» Chloe asked hopefully.
At that point, however, Mei appeared to be out of details she was willing to share:
«No, I'd rather avoid talking about my life in China. It does me no good» she replied detachedly.
Chloe, albeit let down a little, nodded sympathetically:
«I understand, I didn't know it bothered you. Anyway, I also have a more general question: is it really true that the Arkians understand all languages?»
Helena nodded:
«It is, and they speak them with no difficulty. I'm no linguist, but I think there must be something in their mother tongue that helps them replicate all languages without studying them»
«I always found it strange when they understood me and answered my questions as if they came from my own land. They even had no accent. It almost felt like magic… like everything else on that cursed island» Mei added.
«Oh, how I envy them… you know, you'd better not hear my Mandarin: I still have a few issues with the tones, but I'm working on it. Just give me one year and we can have a conversation in Chinese! What do you think?»
«Why should I give you my opinion on that? It's your choice» she replied.
«Point taken» Chloe admitted.
At that point, Rockwell cleared his throat to draw attention to himself and, with veiled sarcasm, he said:
«Forgive me if I'm indiscreet, but is no one going to ask for a bit of wisdom from me, the one who made the most useful and important discoveries about the fascinating oddities of ARK? Of course, Helena made some in her own field, however I'd like to take this opportunity to enlighten you on what concerns me»
That said, the British doctor impatiently waited for answers, until Jack stepped forward and asked him, with a shy smile:
«Well, I do have a question for you, doctor: Helena told us that you invented some weird drugs with Arkian plants, may I know more about that? I'm curious»
Rockwell's face filled with satisfaction and he chuckled, gloating:
«I'm very pleased that Helena spelled out such an essential detail of my life on the island, and it pleases me even more that you asked me about it! All right then, where shall I start? Ah, of course! One of my most intriguing recipes: the Mindwipe Tonic»
Jack raised an eyebrow.
«Mindwipe? Is it meant to "wipe out" bad thoughts or…»
«No, of course not! It completely erases the subject's memory»
The four young people gave each other astonished glances and Jack replied,
«But I thought you made drugs! What's medical in a drink that makes you forget everything?»
Edmund rolled his eyes:
«Your naivety leaves me speechless. Imagine a patient who's suffered a trauma that severely damaged their psyche, to the point that they no longer have any chance to live a life compatible with society. Don't you think that forgetting what led them to madness would be an opportunity for them to redefine themselves with their own choices?»
Jack seemed to change his mind:
«Well, all things considered… I think it's kind of extreme, but better than nothing. Other drugs?»
Rockwell mulled, rubbing his beard:
«Well, for the most part they were meant to enhance the performances of the human body: the Fria Curry helps the subject to resist cold, the Lazarus Chowder increases lung capacity, allowing significantly longer apneas. The Battle Tartare confers vigor and stamina that a Spartan warrior would envy. Those are just small examples of the pharmaceutical miracles that I discovered by studying the Arkian flora, and who knows how many more I could've achieved, had I stayed...»
«What can I say, they do sound useful!» Jack exclaimed.
«As far as I'm concerned, you brought doping to the next level, Doc» joked Sam.
«I assume that's an ironic way of yours to pay me a compliment, so I thank you» replied the chemist.
By now any initial embarrassment or discomfort had been overcome and replaced by an interest in the stories of those four castaways from other times. It was thanks to this that Laura felt ready to speak to Helena and ask the question that had tormented her the most throughout that week:
«Helena, I've been thinking a lot about the details you gave us about the creatures of the island, I'd like to try and better understand a couple of things»
«Of course, ask me anything» the biologist smiled at her.
«So, about the unnatural balances in the Arkian ecosystem and the fact that there's a creature acting as a "king" of the fauna, that sort of King Kong in real life… do you think they're connected and in line with your theory? You know, that there's something controlling the Arkian nature, like it's a zoo»
Helena nodded.
«All the clues I gathered made me think so. The number of prey is identical to the number of predators, the creatures are easily tamed and even easier to train, the species from certain geological periods were able to adapt to those from other ages with no upheavals in the food chain... and furthermore, their behavior towards other creatures and humans is influenced by one animal keeping them at bay. All this could never be triggered spontaneously: behind it there must be a factor managing or controlling everything»
«What about the appearance of the animals? Do you know why they're so different from what the fossil records suggest?»
The woman shrugged:
«I simply think that living on ARK for many generations caused natural selection to promote new traits which appeared over time. Traits that wouldn't be necessary in their native lands appeared and made their survival on the island possible. Did you read the morellatops page in the book?»
«Oh yes! To be honest, that confused me. Well... it's not even a prehistoric animal with an inaccurate design, it just doesn't exist!»
«It doesn't exist outside of ARK. I observed many of them closely: my theory is that they're ceratopsids which, by evolutionary convergence, developed some of the traits of morelladons, until they became a new separate species»
«Uhm... I guess that makes sense. Anyway, what could possibly be controlling the island?»
The biologist pursed her lips:
«I'm sorry, but I really can't tell. Knowing what's on ARK, it could be anything. Literally»
At that point, Rockwell broke into the conversation with vehemence:
«According to the data I collected in my personal research, no matter how incomplete they might be, I find that a possible starting point are the three obelisks of the island. And the artifacts, by extension»
«Right, I too think that could be a possible answer. But that's not necessarily the case» Helena added.
«Oh… could you tell me more? I mean, besides the fact that you opened the barrier of the island thanks to those» Laura asked.
The old scholar began to explain:
«Putting aside the fact that they're complex structures, a sign that anyone who lived on the island in the past had a knowledge beyond our imagination, their tips and the inside of the artifacts placed underneath them are made of a specific material: the very same mineral forming the crystals the whole ARK is scattered with. And it can be no coincidence that such a bizarre material is so widespread»
«Right, the crystals! Helena, you told us you saw a lot of them when you shipwrecked on ARK… are they really everywhere on that island?» asked Laura.
«Yes, you can see them everywhere you look. Some are small, some are huge, but they're everywhere. And they also have different colors, depending on which biome you're in»
Rockwell nodded and carried on:
«And whatever the abnormalities of those crystals, they don't just create that time-distorting energy field. I was never able to figure out their actual chemical composition, but examining them gave me a strange feeling. They didn't look like simple crystalline minerals, they looked like something organic, something… alive»
«Organic minerals? Like amber?» Chloe asked.
«Amber is fossilized sap - Edmund corrected her - But I think you got the idea. However, the chemical properties of the ARK crystals have nothing in common with organic materials».
Those reflections reminded Laura of the detail Helena had confessed and the girl was immediately curious to know if, perhaps, the obelisks and the artifacts were connected to it in some way. And so, without thinking, she asked:
«Does it have anything to do with that discovery you let go of before leaving ARK?»
Helena turned pale and stiffened, as if terrified. As Mei-Yin and Nerva gave each other a stealthy puzzled glance, Rockwell stared at the blonde girl and the biologist with a questioning look:
«What are you talking about, if you don't mind?»
Laura, with absolute nonchalance, specified:
«You told us that at a certain point you found a new lead that you think would have provided you with proof of your theory, but then you chose to go home so as not to risk losing the opportunity. Do you think the obelisks have something to do with that?»
Only then did Laura notice Helena's anguished expression and stopped, starting to get confused. Shortly thereafter, she also saw that her friends were trying in vain to tell her to shut up with looks and small gestures, but it was too late now. Disoriented, Laura thought better and winced in shock when she remembered that Helena had added that she'd never had the courage to reveal that part of the story to her friends. Laura opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth in shame. Edmund was furious to say the least and stared at Helena, clenching his fists and making his beard quiver:
«Helena, I demand an explanation. Right now» he hissed.
The biologist closed her eyes, sighed and bowed her head in panic. Laura turned away, too embarrassed to look at her. When Rockwell pressed her in a much less calm tone, Helena gave up and got rid of the burden:
«That's true, there's something I've never told you about. I found it out on my own, on my last days of free roaming»
«Tell me what it is!» Rockwell insisted, less and less restrained.
Helena tried to remain calm and, with a melancholy and resigned tone, began to tell:
«On the summit of the Emberfall, the volcano... you know the tree in the center of its crater?»
Rockwell was now trembling:
«Of course I do! You could see it from every corner of ARK! Come to the point!»
«Around that plant there are hollows with the shapes of all the artifacts, just like those in the pedestals of the three obelisks. Taking them up must trigger something different, otherwise it would make no sense to carve separate "locks" in the obelisks. It's just that… I couldn't bring myself to dig deeper. Try to understand me...»
The British doctor, no longer able to control himself, thundered:
«No! I don't have to understand you, you have to apologize and hope for my forgiveness! How could you?! For weeks I pondered in search of the missing clue, trying to understand what I was missing to fully understand the secrets of ARK... and you kept me in the dark, after finding out what I was looking for?! Three years ago, I thought you deserved nothing but my contempt for trying to snatch credit for the most important discoveries in the history of science, but this... this! You found the way to the final answer and you turned your back on it! You denied me the chance to figure it out and finally change the world! Are you not ashamed, Helena?!»
«Stop it, you're putting on a show» Mei interjected, looking around.
The chemist glared at her:
«Don't interrupt me! And do me the courtesy to stay out of matters you don't understand»
«You're the one who doesn't understand that Helena had much more common sense than you» the Chinese woman replied.
«What she did wasn't common sense, she betrayed the search for truth, the scientist's vocation!»
«Enough!» Nerva suddenly exclaimed, drowning out Edmund's rasping tone.
The centurion's firm and authoritative voice was more than enough to silence the chemist, or at least to give him the opportunity to pause and compose himself, returning to his usual kind and composed façade. However, he didn't stop staring at the biologist with a look full of anger, almost hate. Helena was quiet for a few seconds, with a melancholy expression, before speaking again:
«It's not a choice that I made lightheartedly. But I believe it was the right thing to do: outside ARK I had a life, friends, memories… I missed them more than I wanted to find out the truth. So no, I'm not ashamed»
Rockwell started to reply, holding up a finger, but this time he stopped himself. Eventually he gave up, shaking his head and pacing back and forth, deep in thought and muttering nervously. It was then that Laura had the courage to talk to Helena:
«I'm sorry, Helena, seriously: I was so focused on all those details, trying to connect the dots... it slipped from my mind that you said you had never told anyone. yI didn't mean to make this mess. I know you'll hate me forever now, but...»
Helena interrupted her and reassured her:
«I'm not mad at you, don't worry»
«Really?» asked the girl, not very convinced.
«Of course not!»
This time, the unmistakably comforting smile the biologist gave her was enough to persuade the girl that she was telling the truth, so Laura let out a sigh of relief. When she looked at her friends, she saw that they looked relieved as well: the situation hadn't escalated too much. But suddenly, Rockwell stopped brooding and looked at them all with a determined gaze, before announcing:
«I'm going back to ARK»
All the others, both his three friends and the four young people, stared at him, shocked and incredulous at what the old Brit had just said.
§
As stealthy as a weasel, the bowler hat guy watched the friends and the four castaways from a distance, half hidden behind a small boatshed, listening carefully to their every word: the whole conversation, from start to finish, had been recorded by his inseparable partner: his faithful DOR-15. The more the two unsuspecting groups shared valuable secrets on the prehistoric island, the more the bowler hat guy's satisfaction increased: he smoothed his mustache and made mischievous grimaces showing off his awful crooked yellow teeth. When Sir Edmund Rockwell declared that he wanted to return to ARK, the man realized that he'd achieved much more than he'd hoped for.
«That's it, Doris: we have a lead!» he hissed through clenched teeth, elated.
He heard a buzz and felt a vibration on his nearly bald head, a sign that his "friend" had pulled out her viewer and was looking at their targets together with him. A mechanical and monotonous female voice came from his bowler hat:
«The odds are too low to tell: Edmund Rockwell has made a rash decision because of his current emotional state and temperament and none of the other subjects are in a position to support him. I can say with complete certainty that we need to collect further data»
The man bit his lip, frustrated:
«Are you sure?»
«Yes. If we can gather enough information to find out the geographic location of ARK, we will stop depending on them and we can immediately move to the next phase of our plan»
«Right, those damned coordinates... cross my heart, I'll find them, as sure as my name's Mike Yagoobian! By the way, are you sure they're keeping them hidden somewhere?»
«It is very likely. The copy of the encyclopedia in Helena Walker's possession is identical to the one in yours. That means that it must also contain the final page from which the author deleted the coordinates of ARK in our case. When I scanned the book in the hands of subject Laura Hamilton, I found that the last page had been torn out. Following the logic, Helena Walker must have been so fond of it that she kept it, before parting with the book»
Mike was astonished and wide-eyed for several seconds, struggling to follow the reasoning of his mechanical hat:
«You're always so cumbersome…» he commented.
«Does your statement have an ironic meaning?» asked DOR-15.
«Uh... no. Look, they're leaving!» Mike exclaimed.
By now the recording was off and Doris could no longer afford to reactivate it, or her battery would run out, but from the circumstances they understood that the two groups were taking their leave with tense looks and were moving away in two opposite directions. The meeting must be over: the "heated" part of their debate because of Hamilton's faux pas and Walker's confession must've compromised everything. The bowler hat guy reflected: he mustn't lose sight of them even for a day. By now, thanks to the intervention of the four friends, the survivors from ARK had shown more "activity" on the subject in a few hours than in the entire months over which he'd spied on them, eavesdropping on their conversations and hoping to catch even the smallest useful detail. They were about to reach an important turning point, he could feel it.
«The monitoring will continue. I recommend you focus on Walker and her companions: their reaction to what happened today might provide us with more helpful details» DOR-15 explained.
«Great idea» smiled Mike.
Before leaving, the bowler hat guy rummaged in the inside pockets of his scruffy black clothes and pulled out a mini-binder with a My Little Pony cover he'd picked up on the street, on which he'd written the passages of his brilliant plan, for lack of anything else. He drew a line through the first phrase and contemplated the other ones:
Keep an eye on the four nutcases
Find the coordinates
Go to the island
Grab Darwin's treasure
Get rich
«Oh, how I love lists! Hehehehehe…» Mike grinned, proud of himself.
At that point, he decided to go back to his quest for the historical mystery that would change his life forever.
§§§
AUTHOR'S NOTE
If you recognized the bowler hat guy... yes, he's Michael "Goob" Yagoobian with DOR-15, directly from 2007 Pixar's Meet the Robinsons... I don't know how many people actually know it, but I have such fun childhood memories of this "villain" that I decided to create an alternative version of him and remake his origins from scratch, in my ARK AU!