"So, how's He doing?" Heat beams down from the blue sky, making everything shine. Tall metal walls, lined in one large fence around us. Inside, the base grows. Survivors jog by, their weapons and armor glinting in the early day. Beasts that out tribe has overcome follow their masters, their sharp teeth and claws sharpened. My tamer walks next to me, a jumble of notes in his hands. "We are having trouble, your request has costed us some survivors." I give him a sideways glance, slightly gritting my teeth. "I don't need excuses or casualties, I need progress." We turn around a corner of the base, I get a quick peek inside. Smithys covered with tools, fabricators buzzing. My tribe mates working day and night, preparing. Fires and spikes line the outside of our walls, so much has to be done. Other tribe members outside the fortress, collecting resources in mass. Tranqs being made, gunpowder, metal, polymer, saddles, blades. So much, but it will be worth it.
"We are running into issues, it's trying to break out." A roar, one that sends shivers down my spine, echoes in the base. Our tames startled, tribe member jump. Flames flicker, grass vibrates. I hurry my pace, my tamer running to keep up with me. It might be a risk, we don't know if it can break through metal yet. It would be devastating if it can. Toward the back of the base, the floor changes, turning to foundations. They convert to ramps, two tribe members get out of my way. Another roar, my ears sting. I get to the top of the ramps, to a platform and railings. Out below, a large pen. The walls are closed gates, built tight to trap our prey.
It charges forward, skull slamming into the metal wall. The wall dents, the bang makes me lose balance. The Rex paces around the pen, every footstep sends shudders through me. I smile, happy to see an old friend. My first day on this island, I met this Rex, scars on my hands show how the encounter went. Two takers on both sides, taking turns firing darts into the beast. Those darts are one of the newer gifts the things from up on high gifted us, they couldn't come at a more useful time. The Rex charges at one of the tamers, before turning around, finding a new dart in its scaly skin.
Every day, my army grows larger. Our influence floods out, collective mind increasing. From what we can tell, the things from on high have tests for us, there is no other way to explain it. They get harder, and the artifacts we find in the deepest of caves, the trophies from the strongest creatures on this island, they all point to one goal. Ascend this island, become gods. But to achieve that goal, we need more. Always more. Never enough. There are other tribes on this island, I know that for a fact. They have resources, and better, they have people. I find myself glancing behind me, back toward the front of the base. Wooden cages, being made in mass. I grin.
"So, are you telling the truth?" I sit back, trying to get comfortable in this chair. Triton sits across from me, wooden walls surround us. Rock forges blast flames in the far corner, a smithy placed next to them. Storage cabinets, a motor and pestle, a bed. A door slightly to our right, where I can hear other survivors standing juts outside, listening. "Yes, I have been on this island for 93 days, I began on the south beaches." I didn't know what beach I started on, but from Tritons description, it's the best match. Triton writes on fiber made paper, before placing it down. "When you first woke up, was there anything noteworthy?" I think about it, memories traveling back to that day. A day when I want a person, just another animal, wandering in the wilderness. "I didn't do much after I woke up, though it was the day I met Athena." The raptor stands just outside, other survivors making their opinions of her. I can hear her hissing from here, but I asked her to stay passive, and do nothing. Triton sighs. "That's sweet, but that's not what I meant." He continues on, his Chitlin armor fits the color of the house around him.
"Did anything happen to the obelisks? Anything at all?" I fight to tug the memories back up. "Actually yeah, they were pulsing, and when I woke up, I acted primitively, like an animal." Triton grabs his face, letting his hand wipe down and off his chin. "That's not good." My interest gets reignited, I lean in. "Why?" Triton stands up, walking toward some of his storage cabinets. I don't know wether to get up and follow him, I decide to stay rooted. He comes back, holding a small chest. "Have you ever seen those ruins, dotted around the island?" "Yeah." Triton open the chest, fishing through papers. "From what we can tell, there were people on this island, long before you first came along." He finds his paper, taking it out of the chest. "There was one in question, from what we can tell, her name was Helena." I try to think about the name, but come up blank. "She travelled the island, taking note of the flora and fauna, and left notes where she went." He lays out the piece of paper on the table, unfolding it. "Her and others seemed to have been from a civilization, one that is long lost, and they were brought here by some unknown force."
On the paper, a sketch of one of the obelisks, with words underneath. "Helena found out many things on her travels, and a theory she developed as to what the obelisk's purposes are." I try reading the note, catching some words on the degrading paper. "She thought they monitored the island, like a simulation." I chime in, trying to help the conversation. "That would explain the implants." Triton nods, continuing. "The green monitors the plants of the island, the red for the animals. Then the blue monitors weather, and the temperature." I think to myself, that's pretty color coordinated. "There were people here before even Helena, and she couldn't figure out what happened to them." He drags his finger in a circle over the sketch of the obelisk. "Her theory continues, and if she's right, we are in danger." I'm guessing the survivors outside have already been debriefed, because the only one in the camp who is at a loss is me. "The obelisks have the ability to reset this island, to kill off everything with a simple command. She was guessing it's a precautionary measure made by whoever runs the island, put into effect whenever the island either gets corrupted, or us survivors grow too large, and start affecting the simulation."
I finally get a better look at the paper. "Then why haven't they rest yet, if you know about them now?" Triton hesitates. "That I don't know, maybe we haven't gone too far yet, but your info suggests something happened just before you woke up, the people who were here before us were wiped, gone." It's my turn to hesitate, the only noise comes from forges. "So, what can we do about it." Triton stashes the paper back into the chest, bringing it over to the cabinets. "Well, we have two choices, live out our lives on this Island, and never ask questions." He slams the cabinet doors shut, looking at the handles. "Or try and escape, and have the chance to perish in an instant." I frown. "That's a nice thought." He shrugs. "Welcome to being alive."
The door to Triton's house swings open, a fellow survivor pokes her head in. "Sir, our scouts are back." Triton walks past me, I stand up to follow him. "Finally."
Sunlight attacks my face, everyone who was outside have dispersed. The rest of the camp put into full swing, corpses from last night have mostly been cleaned up. A distant volcano on the horizon, tall trees surrounding the randomly assorted buildings. Campfires burn nicely, crops grow slowly. I pass by other survivors, following Triton to the other side of the settlement. Creatures and animals I've hunted or been hunted by move around freely, it throws me off. A Carno watched me, it's horns dark and green. I've met some of them in the wild before, I've never seen one standing still, or standing so close to me. "So, his long have you guys stayed here, how was your awakening?" Triton looks back, keeping his pace. "I woke up with three others, we survived together." He looks down, a small smile on his face. "Diana, Mark, and Ethan, good people."
"What happened to them?" He sighs. "Sadly they are not here with us today, we were attacked by other survivors, their gear and numbers outmatched ours." Athena follows me, wearily looking at the tame creatures around her. "So there are hostile survivors." Triton nods. "Our scouts have been keeping an eye on them, if we get wiped by the obelisks suddenly it'll probably be because of those guys." I check my inventory, eating some berries. "So, what do you call them?" Triton slows down, finding himself on the edge of the settlement. "Never game them a name, we just call them the enemy." I stop listening, observing. I find myself in a circle, five other survivors standing infant of Triton. He picks his voice up, becoming stern. "Status report?" One of the scouts speaks out, her voice just as Stern as Triton's. "The enemy is growing an army, their gear is suggesting an invasion." I'm surprised, Triton's face doesn't show emotion. "How long do we have?" "A few days, at most."
Triton strokes his chin, thinking. His eyes perk up, spinning around. "What level are you?" "I, Uh." I open my inventory. "57 now." The scouts lose their still forms, their eyes widen. Triton nods his head in an internal decision. "Sarah." The lead scout steps closer. "Gather everyone, I'm calling a tribe meeting." The woman named Sarah nods, running past us. The other scouts follow her.
"What are you thinking?" Triton looks past me, watching Sarah collect people together. He mutters something, I catch words of a gift from heaven. "You could not have come at a better time." He starts to move, but freezes. "Wait, do you want to help us?" I'm at a loss for words, I didn't think my allegiance was in question, I thought coming here was good enough. I finally settle. "Of course, I'm in favor of staying alive." He nods. "Hold out your hand for me." I hold out my hand, he taps my implant. The light splits between us, both showing a message. "If you will help us, then I ask that you join us." I accept the request, joining their tribe.
"It's done sir." I wheel around, excited. "Finally." I take a similar path to earlier in the day, finding myself in the taming pen. A Rex breaths slowly, laying unconscious on the ground. I grin shouting at my tamer. "Bring those pulmonoscorpius kibble, prepare my saddle." The tamer nods, taking two tribe member to go with him. I saunter into the pen, stopping in front of the Rex's rather large head. I stoke its scaly skin, almost wanting to laugh. Tribe member stationed above, their rifles aimed, just in case. The Rex's eye slides open, slowly moving to look at me. "Good to see you again, old friend."