Ark, The Adventure Continues, Alternate Ending

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 16 from the original adventure has seen a bunch of revisions as I develop the characters and the relationship with Scorched Earth's apex predator, the wild wyverns. It brings up the question what if the Red Alpha had not been killed. Not because it had killed everyone instead, but if some unforeseen chain of events resulted in her being defeated, then the torment she was suffering from is removed. What are the possibilities? Read the first 15 chapters of Ark, The Adventure continues. Then start with Chapter 16 in this adventure.

A second alternative ending had been added. What if Red Alpha took the chance for someone to help her? Start with the November 8 Posting.

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 16 The Red Alpha

Trading stories of our adventures, we start preparing our caravan for exploring the abandoned city to look for clues of this ark and its origin. Everyone has been so fascinated with Electra and her ability to communicate with them as an intelligent being. Everyone has taken turns getting to know her. She is becoming more relaxed among us, no longer having that fierce look. I have even observed her taking some of the undergrad students for a ride to show them Scorched Earth from the air. I'm so glad that I had that gut feeling to attempt a tame instead of taking advantage of her weakened condition to kill her. She has proven to be so valuable to our visit on this Ark. Yet, I believe that she's been studying us as much as we have been studying her, that she was placed with us for some unknown purpose.

We will be packing tents for our temporary shelter in case we are surprised by sandstorms or megaheat. An adobe shelter has been packed on the Parcur. The Morellotops will be coming along as a water source. All the wolves will be in use to clear out raptors and other dangers. The Argys will be flying recon as well as I on Electra.

But, I am soon sensing a problem as we prepare for the expedition.

Electra tells me she is very nervous about going on this mission. She tells me the city is close to the southern edge of The Great Split where the wild wyverns and their leader, the Red Alpha lives. I ask her if we should abandon the mission and leave Scorched Earth. She tells me no, the expedition is too important to abandoned it.

I tell the others about her concern. Michael tells me that he is also concerned about the danger we may face given his encounter with the wild wyverns the other day and how close the ruins are to The Great Split where they live. I have given Michael the super shock lance. We plan an attack strategy should we be forced into a showdown with the Red Alpha.

Michael and I spend the rest of the day leveling up Electra and the Argys for maneuvering, speed, and endurance. She is so happy to be flying over the Badlands with us as it has taken her mind off the expedition. I soon feel confident that we should be able to deal with any threat and have the ability to outrun it if things go wrong.

It is early morning when the convoy starts off heading South to the foot of the mountain. Michael and I head for the Argy pen. Electra is totally petrified as I prepare to ride her.

“What's wrong with Electra?” ask Michael

“This mission frightens her,” I answer. “She's afraid of the Red Alpha, that it will attack her there again.”

“Do you want to stay behind with her?” ask Michael.

“No,” I answer “Let me try to calm her down. It is important that we stay together with the convoy.”

I try to give Electra some of my confidence, but, in reality, I'm as scared as she is. There has to be a reason for the strange drop we found, the strange events that lead to obtaining her, our close bond, and now, that awful feeling we will be facing our ultimate test in aerial combat with a creature as dangerous as a boss monsters backed up by every wild wyvern in the area.

I finally tell her just how scared I really am, even more so then the day I was ambush while on a night rescue run in Vietnam. Still shaking like a leaf, she tells me lets get it over with and we take flight.

As the convoy rounds the Southern Peak with its ruins on the top, I spot a lightning wyvern in the distance to the North. It appears to be flying over our camp inspecting it. Thankfully, it hasn't spotted us. Electra sees it and dives in a panic as I hang on for dear life. The wyvern soon vanishes.

Michael flies close by on Horror as I tell him what we saw over the base camp. “If it's anywhere as intelligence as Electra, their leader will soon know where our base camp is. Should we turn around and head for the rafts?”

“No,” I answer. “If they come looking for us, they will have us at a disadvantage. We will be better off if we have the ruins of the abandoned city to take shelter in. Fly close by her until I can calm her down.”

It is noon by the time our convoy reaches the city ruins. A camp is set up, then our adobe shelter. Michael calls for a short meeting.

“Halsey and Electra spotted a lightning wyvern snooping around our base. It is safe to assume that their leaders knows we are in the area. We best be prepared for a possible attack.”

“We know it is relatively easy to tranc a wyvern, more so now that we have tranc darts for the long neck rifles. The materials are here, we should prepare several stone cages to hold them when they wake up. We can use Electra to measure how large they need to be.”

With that thought, everyone sets to work gathering and crafting the components needed for several wyvern cages.

“What is wrong with you and Electra,” Sarah ask me.

“This area of Ark frightens her,” I answer. “This is near where the Red Alpha killed her parents. It is scaring the wits out of me as well.”

“Incoming, three wyverns,” shouts Professor Narcy who is on watch. “There's a fire, poison, and lightning coming in fast.”

“Let us take care of this,” Michael says to me.

I stay with a most frightened Electra as four teams of Argys go out to confront the wild wyverns. She wants so badly to fly away from here as fast as she can and hide. My presence appears to be the only thing keeping her from taking off and abandoning us as I hold on to her tightly. The Argy team flank the faster lightning wyvern dropping it with four tranc darts, then take out the fire and poison ones in turn, as the rest of the group ride out on the wolves to cage them.

Then, the Red Alpha shows up and it is mad as hell.

“Electra, come on,” I shout to her. “If we don't do something, that thing is going to kill our friends.”

In spite of her fear, she flies out to confront her worst enemy.

Having a greater range then fire, I unleash her lighting charge. It hits the Red Alpha head on. I see the sparks flying off a chain hanging from a shackle in the Red Alpha leg. There is smoke coming from the shackle as the static charge grounds out on the surface below.

Unexpectedly, the Red Alpha falls to the ground screaming in agony.

“What just happened?” I ask in shock.

It takes Electra a moment to answer as she is just as puzzled at what just happened. “I don't know. There must be something very wrong with her. There is no way I could have hurt her that bad.”

Michael is there, before we can land, with the Super Shock Lance at the ready. He is going to use it on Red Alpha when they make eye contact. He hesitates for a moment. Then, she passes out from the pain.

The others, who had just arrived where the three downed wyverns were laying, in preparation to caging them, come running over to see what had happened. Caroline runs over to Michael and sees that look in his face. “What's wrong?” she asks.

“The Red Alpha,” answers Michael in shock. “She had that look in her eyes, a look of being in sheer agony, a look that said 'please put me out of my misery'. Then, she asked me to do so just before she passed out.”

“I saw that same look in a solder in Vietnam. We were on patrol in some very thick jungle. A thorny vine pulled the pin out of his grenade. It ripped a hole in his side when it went off. He was screaming in agony just like the Red Alpha. The medics shot him up with morphine in an effort to kill the pain. He died an hour later as the medivac was flying him out.”

Joe, Mary, Dr Sanders, and Denny quickly arrive as I dismount telling them about the shackle on Red Alpha's leg. Electra comes in behind me to have a look.

“What is that thing?” ask Denny as Michael comes up with a key for the lock in the Red Alpha's inventory.

“Some kind of restraint from whoever had confined her with it.” answers Michael as he unlocks the latching mechanism. “Help me get this thing off of her leg.”

“Oh, how awful,” says Denny as the shackle finally comes free of Red Alpha's leg.

“A Mid-evil torture device,” says Dr Sanders as he sees the spikes inside the iron shackle. “Designed to inflict pain if the creature it was placed on tried to escape.”

“I think that I'm going to be sick,” says Michael as he has to look away from that awful infected wound.”

“Mary, get me some medical brew,” says Caroline. “No wonder she was in so much pain. That's a bone infection. Electra's lightning attack literally knocked her out of the sky from the pain of that electrified shackle.”

“Can we save her?” ask Michael.

“Is she's worth saving?” answers Joe.

“If what you saw in her eyes is true, then we should make every effort to save her,” answers Caroline.

The discussion is interrupted by the three wyverns as they come walking up to Electra and start talking to her.

“Oh wow, we forgot to cage them,” says Tod.

“It doesn't look like that will be necessary.” I answer. “They must be friends of Electra.”

We continue working on Red Alpha's leg cleaning up the infection as best we can. As is the miracle in Ark with the Medical brew, the terrible injury is starting to heal up.

I am surprise to see Michael stroking the forehead of Red Alpha the way I had done with Electra when I first found her in need.

Another fire wyvern come flying in. It walks up to us, then comes in and embraces Electra. They are so happy to see each other. After a couple of minutes of excited conversation, the fire wyvern looks at me and says, “My name is Paragon. A friend of Electra is a friend of mine.”

I find myself talking to Paragon about our encounter and adventures of the past couple of days. She tells me how she and Electra had been secretly observing Michael's tribe, how they observed them taming the wild animals of Scorched Earth, how surprised they were that the Argys they tamed were not confined in any way back in their base, how angry the Red Alpha got at the wild argys when it saw Michael and Denny flying over the Great Split, and how angry it got with Electra when Denny and Michael dropped Sleeper when she was ordered to attack them.

The three wyverns that were knocked out earlier are astonished at the attention we are giving Red Alpha. Finally, the poison wyvern walks up and asks Michael why he is helping Red Alpha.

“I understand why she wanted us dead,” Michael answers. “That thing some disgusting creep locked on her leg must have drove her insane with hate. Yet, I saw something good in her when she was begging me to put her out of her misery.”

“My name is Sleeper. How did you knock me out? I didn't feel a thing.”

“We advanced our technology to using tranc darts,” Michael answers. “They are far more effective and humane then those tranc arrows we had a couple of days ago. I'm sorry that we had to use those on you.”

“Don't be,” answers Sleeper. “You did what you had to do to protect you and your friends.”

“Stay close all of you,” alerts Michael. “Red Alpha is starting to come to. She is going to be so confused when she wakes up.”

Red Alpha, as predicted, is very confused as she starts coming out of her unconscious state. She sees Michael close by with the three wyverns standing close beside him. She then sees the shackle lying on the ground nearby, then looks at her leg which has a bandage wrapped on it. Then, realizing she is no longer in pain as she sees Paragon and Electra close by, she looks at Michael and starts crying.

“Let it all out,” Michael tells her as he strokes her head. “Let your emotional state start healing along with your leg.”

“I'm so sorry,” Red Alpha answers as she continues crying. “I never knew.”

“It's alright,” Michael answers. “You were lucky you killed the ba$tard that put that thing on you when you escaped. By some quirk of Ark, you had the key to the shackle in your inventory. I don't think we could have got that thing off your leg without it.”

More wyverns continue flying in as the gather in a circle. Eventually, there are 17 female wyverns of all types gathered around us. I ask Paragon where are the males?

She tells me the Red Alpha killed them off one by one in a fit of rage after they had rebelled against her until none were left.

I ask her why all the wyverns hadn't attacked us with Red Alpha. She answers that they became afraid of us when they saw how easily we dropped the advance trio, then saw what happened to Red Alpha.

“The shackle was the reason Electra was able to knock her out of the sky,” I answer. “The pain from the injury it was causing became unbearable when Electra's lightning attack struck it.”

“I suspected that it was getting worse.” answers Paragon. “She kept getting more paranoid about the presence of Michael's tribe ever since they arrived. She kept trying to hide from us the amount of pain it was causing.”

“We found it had caused a bone infection,” I tell her. “That is one of the most painful injuries anything can experience. How long has that cursed thing been on her leg?”

“I really don't know how many years it's been on her,” answers Paragon. “Maybe, she will tell you once she is feeling better.”

“How is Red Alpha doing?” I ask Michael.

“My implant tells me that she is healing up nicely,” answers Michael. “But, her food is very low. Can someone get her some raw meat?”

“Electra and I will take care of it,” I answer. “Give us a couple of minutes to go after some of those Titanboas we saw nearby.”

We soon return with several stacks of raw meat along with two dozen prime. Landing next to Michael, we transfer the meat to him as he feeds the raw prime to a very hungry Red Alpha.

“She now wants to do something she swore she would never let any human do to her. She wants me to fly on her.”

“See if that bandage can come off now,” I answer. “We'll fly with you.”

“A miracle,” answers Michael. “The medical brew has worked wonders.”

It is a most amazing rest of the afternoon as the wyverns pair up with the members of our tribe to go fly with Red Alpha. She looks so beautiful flying in the sky as the rest of us follow.

It is evening when we return to our camp at the ruin city. Red Alpha asks Michael why we have come to the this location. “We came to look for clues to what went on in this place and what happened to it.”

“This place is so full of bad memories,” answers Red Alpha.

“It's all right,” answers Michael. “I've seen that reaction before among our fellow vets. You don't have to tell me what happened here until you are ready. Thinks pleasant thought about our afternoon together. Go renew your friendship with your wyvern companions. We can talk about this another time.”

I talk to Electra and convince her that she should go join her friends for the night. She thanks me, then files off to The Great Split with Paragon and Red Alpha.

We gather together before retiring for the night to talk about the day's adventure.

“What a strange twist of events,” I say “Electra is scared to death of Red Alpha, yet she proves willing to protect us from her.”

“I can't believe how that fight ended,” says Professor Narcy. “The Survivor's Handbook describes them as a foe as dangerous as a boss monster that would have the support of every wild wyvern in sight.”

“It had to have been caused by her weakened condition due to that shackle.” answers Mary. “She was in so much pain she couldn't take it any more. Michael showed her the kindness she had never expected any human was capable of. We all disregarded our own safety in giving aid to her. It is fortunate that we had Electra with us when the other wyverns woke up, then the others flew in to see what was going on.”

“We still must be careful around her until she has completely healed mentally,” answers Michael. “She could still have some traumatic flashbacks until she is willing to tell us what happened to her in the past. She is still emotionally quite fragile.”

“Such a wonderful day of flying,” answers Tod. “These wyverns appeared to be enjoying our company as much as we were enjoying theirs.”

“I see a fatal problem for them.” I answer. “Unless there are some eggs that hatch with males, they are doomed to go extinct. Paragon told me they were all killed a week ago when they started a fight with Red Alpha.”

“Paragon showed me her egg.” answers Sarah. “It registered in my implant as fertile. There may be hope that their species will continues.”

That night, I have this really weird dream that I am on Ark as a gray male wyerm spending a most wonderful night with Electra. Strange, I think when I wake up. That experience felt so real.

In the morning, we are treated to quite a sight. The wyverns have cleared out every threat in the area. Red Alpha, Electra, Paragon, Sleeper, Zippo, and Tesla, drop us off raw meat for our carnivorous tames. They have even brought us berries for our herbivores, campfire wood, and several metal drums with water.

“How did you know?” I ask Electra who is so glad to see me again.

“In the evening, we were called to the Green Obelisk for a visit by The Keepers. They were so pleased with how things worked out between your tribe and us. They provided us with the metal containers so we could bring you water from the oasis.”

“Then, that confirms the special contents from that strange drop before I found you,” I answer. “The Keepers gave us the tools needed to restore the balance on this Ark. It was your destiny to be the key to that success.”

“Why the sad face?” I ask her.

“The Keepers asked me to tell you that in seven Ark days, your tribe will be returning to your world possibly leaving us forever.”

“Don't be sad,” I tell Electra. “We knew that day would be coming once their study was over. Enjoy life on this Ark with your friends. Help raise their youngsters. We will certainly not forget you and your friends who gave us a most thrilling adventure. There is always that chance that we will be back again.”

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 17. The Nomads.

 

With being resupplied by the wyverns and all threats to us and our tames removed from the surrounding area, we have been freed to conduct a complete survey of this abandoned city. Red Alpha and Electra wants to have Michael and I fly with them to explore a part of Ark that none of us have been to. Dr Sanders, Professor Narcy, and Mary tell us to go and have a good time. Most interesting of all, Red Alpha ask me to fly on her for this trip. She has a ton of questions she wants to ask me about my relationship with Electra. Electra tells Michael he can fly on her. Why do I have this feeling those two had this planned this out ahead of time? Paragon and Sleeper are coming along with us as well. They wants to see this new area of Ark.

We take off heading Northwest towards a mountain range across from the Dune Desert. The force field no longer is in effect. That confirms the fact that we are on an alien planet and not in a simulator.

“Is Electra your tame?” ask Red Alpha.

“No,” I answer. “Like you and Michael, I found her in need of my help. She was hiding in the dome ruins, badly hurt, and so afraid of what was going to happen to her next.”

“The pain from the shackle was driving me crazy the day when Electra suggested that humans didn't appear to be so evil. I got so angry that I wanted to kill her.”

“After talking with her last evening, I'm so glad that I wasn't successful. She really likes you.”

“I know,” I answer. “We have become so close since the day I first saw her.”

“I'm so happy for you two.” answers Red Alpha.

“When Electra hit me with her lightning bolt, it caused so much pain that I was begging Michael to kill me. I'm so glad that he didn't. Do you know why was he staring at me like that when he had a weapon ready to use?”

“He saw that look of agony in your eye and had a flashback from the Vietnam war.” I answer. “Fifty years ago, he lost one of his best friends to a terrible war accident. Like you, the guy was in so much pain that he was begging to be killed. His team did everything they could to save him and relieve the pain, but he died in total agony an hour later en route to a field hospital. Michael was determined that it was not going to happen to you. His wife supported his decision. The rest of us joined in with total disregard to our own safety.”

“Thank you.” answers Red Alpha. “I'm so happy that things have worked out the way they did.”

“I'm still wondering if The Keepers had planned this all along,” I answer. “Without the wyvern milk and super test meat I found in an unmarked loot crate, I would have never been able to help Electra recover from her ordeal.”

“There must be something else they have planned for us,” answers Red Alpha. “They asked us to take you two to the mountains ahead. They wouldn't tell us why.”

“We may soon find out,” I answer. “There is a settlement up ahead. My spotting scope shows tamed Morellotops, thorny dragons, and two individuals.”

“Their camp appears to be more primitive then ours,” answers Michael. “Just some tents next to a well.”

“Steady Red Alpha,” I tell her as I sense her uneasiness over the presence of the strangers ahead. “We need to know what they are doing here.”

Sensing her building anger as we land, I grab my crossbow as Michael rushes over to calm her down. Electra, sleeper, and Paragon are right close behind me. The elderly stranger and his wife drop their weapons as they stare at us frozen in fear.

“Tell us why this wyvern is so angry with you that she wants to incinerate this place?” I ask sternly.

“It was forty years ago,” the nomad answers trembling in fear. “ My brother had captured a young Alpha Wyvern and sold her to the Sin City Emperor. He had wanted an Alpha to use in battle for selecting a brave warrior to wed his daughter.”

“When he ask me to help, I refused to do so telling him that he was inviting a disaster if he ever captured one.”

“As he knew where there was one living in the mountains by the Dune Sea, he placed a parasaur there as bait. It contained a tranquilizer hidden under its hide. The Red Alpha came in for an easy meal and fell unconscious shortly afterwards.”

“I watched from a distance as his team loaded her into a wagon and took her into the Arena.”

“When the Beastmaster placed the shackle on her, she woke up and killed him. After she ate him, she struggles to get loose finally breaking the chain that secured her to to the gate for the beast pen.”

“Then, all hell broke loose.”

“A violent earthquake shook the land as the Red Alpha flew off. The sky turned black as the ground split open along the Western Peaks and the Sand Sea. Lava bombs rained from the sky. My brother and I managed to escape the destruction that quickly followed. A day later, I went to my brother's camp to find that it had been incinerated. There were wyvern tracks with signs of a heavy chain dragging on the ground. I can only conclude that the Red Alpha had got her revenge on him.”

“I wanted so badly to undo that wrong. To somehow capture the Red Alpha so I could remove that shackle. But as fate has it, I never saw her again.”

“Why is she's crying,” the nomad ask me.

“As fate would have it, this is that Red Alpha you brother captured some forty years ago. Until yesterday, she still had that shackle on her leg. She is still suffering from the emotional scars of forty years of physical suffering.”

“Come to us nomad,” Michael says. “Bring your wife with you. Red Alpha wants to apologize for wanting to destroy your camp.”

“I'm speechless,” comments Nomad after spending several minutes with her. “I never knew these wyverns were so intelligence. I have seen those that were raised from eggs. They were no more intelligent then our tames.”

“Some of us tried to tame the adults and juveniles.” answers Nomad's wife. “They were all failures. How did you manage to tame these four?”

“We didn't,” I answer. “They made the choice on their own free will to be our good friends.”

“Red Alpha told me that the rest of your tribe is over by Sin City studying its ruins. Is there any way we can join you for that study?”

“Paragon and Sleeper could take you if they are willing,” I answer.

“What about our tames? Ask Nomad. “They have been with us all these years.”

“We can safely take them with us,” answers Electra. “Just leave the saddles and backpacks on them so our claws can grab them securely.”

“I don't believe it,” Michael tells me. “Red Alpha wants to have Nomad riding on her.”

“I think that her emotional scars have been healed by this visit,” I answer. “You always wanted to take Sleeper out for a spin. Now is that chance.”

“Thank you Red Alpha,” as Nomad, who is almost in tears, mounts her for the return trip. “You have been so understanding.”

“I want to thank you,” Red Alpha answer. “You have helped me face my mental pain from so long ago. I feel so much better now.”

We mount the wyverns for the return trip. Each one carefully picks up one of the Nomad's tames and we are on our way.

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 18 Sin City Ruins.

 

While we were gone, Dr Sander's has started his survey in the half buried arena dominated by the Mantacore statue above what would be a private booth for their leaders. “This must be where the rulers of this city conducted special events,” says Dr Sanders.

“Given the statue above and the evidence we have found below so far, this place had to be as brutal as what took place in the Colosseum of Rome,” answers Professor Narcy.

Continuing their exploration of the city, they find a structure resembling a place of worship. There is a huge mural, in back of an alter, depicting humanoid figures kneeling in front of a floating Obelisk as one of them ascends up to it. “One of the dangers of not following the Prime Directive in Star Trek,” says Tod. “If an advanced race reveals their presence too soon to a developing culture, they run the risk of being worshiped by them. That culture can become corrupt finally destroying themselves in the process.”

They continue exploring the market place, then the residential areas of that city. “Most evil,” says Mary. “There are murals and numerous other signs how the residences kept animals, slaves, and harems for their own personal pleasures.”

“For all we know, this place could have been the Sodom or Gomorrah of our biblical times,” answers Tod.

As noon approaches, They head back into the arena to talk about their findings. Surprise! They see us coming in to land carrying two saddled Morellotops and Thorny Dragons. “There is a total stranger riding Red Alpha and another riding Paragon!” Sarah says in surprise.

“This place still gives me the creeps,” Red Alpha tells Nomad as she lands in the arena.

“It's all right my pretty girl,” the Nomad answers. “This place can't hurt you any more.”

As the others come up to meet our guest, Mary comments, “I thought that we were the only humans on this world.”

“Nomad and his wife are the last of the original inhabitants,” I answer. “The Keepers arranged for us to find them when they asked Red Alpha and Electra to take us to their camp site.”

“Our Gods actually communicate with you?” Nomad ask in astonishment.

“Better sit down,” I tell Nomad. “This is going to take a while to explain.”

“The Keepers do not consider themselves as Gods. We have only heard their voices or have been sent messages such as what happened today. We have never seen them in the flesh. We believe that they are some superior beings from an advanced civilization that have created this place, using the three obelisk you can see floating in the sky, for the purpose of studying our behavior. We do not come from your world. We come from a place called Earth. We have been told that experiment will be soon over and we will soon be returning home.”

“As part of that study, we were given these implants to aid in our survival. They have proven most useful in allowing us to obtain those items we needed as well as aid us in obtaining our tames.”

“On occasions, The Keepers will drop us special supplies in those rotating beacons we call loot crates. The implants allow us access to the contents of those crates. One such crate gave me the items I needed to help Electra heal from her injuries when I first found her hiding in the dome ruins. The contents of that crate was responsible for the chain of events that led to my close relationship with Electra, then finally, the confrontation with Red Alpha when Michael was able to release her from forty years of suffering in extreme pain. All the wyverns have become good friends since.”

“Can you take us with you when you leave to return to Earth?” ask Nomad.

“Unfortunately no,” I answer. “Even if we could, you would be outcast in our world. What we can do is to relocate you to our base on The Center. It's climate is a lot more friendly then this place. Mary can show you how crop farming and pioneering life works there. And, you can do us a favor by caring for our tames there as well as yours.”

“I wonder if The Keepers have somehow altered the creatures here to aid in our survival,” answers Nomad.

“He may be right,” answers Dr Sanders.

“Looking through their library, I found references to the Morellotops being the result of a genetic experiment to produce a herbivore that not only could thrive in this harsh climate and defend itself from predators, it could serve to carry water for its masters during long trips through the desert.”

“We learned how we could tap the water from its hump without harming it,” answers Nomad. “It taste like pi$$, but has on more then one occasion, meant the difference between life and death in the Sand Sea.”

“I have also seen that if one of them is attacked, they all come running to the aid of the other. They will fight to the death to protect their companions, even us.”

“What else have you found out about Sin City?” I ask Dr Sanders.

“A most evil place,” answers Dr Sanders. “It appears that the people living here held sacrifices to the Obelisk of Ark when The Keepers revealing themselves too soon to those that lived here. We found such evidence in the stone mural at the back of a place of worship. The obelisk dominated its center with people kneeling on both sides as another ascended into it.”

“This arena they built to entertain their leaders and its privileged elites. We found evidence of all kinds of brutal bloody fights to the death between individuals and wild beasts. Worse yet, we found evidence of how they captured wyverns and secured them in chains so they couldn't properly defend themselves in such battles. They were responsible for the shackle that so tormented Red Alpha. We even found where she was chained up in this arena.”

“Even worse is what they did to each other and the creatures living with them. The elites kept slaves and creatures to use for their bidding and sexual pleasures. The evidence is there how torture was part of the indulging of those pleasures. We have seen similar evidence back in early Earth's history in the ruins of two cities called Sodom and Gomorrah, and another called Pompeii. They were reported to have been destroyed by a huge fireball from the Heavens while Pompeii was buried by a massive volcanic eruption.”

“That is most frightening,” Electra tells me. “Red Alpha never told us what happened in this place. We only learned about it when Nomad told us how Red Alpha was captured, then escaped from here.”

“Do not blame her,” answers Nomad. “It was only a few hours ago that she was able to overcome the mental pain she had been suffering from it's evil. It is why she asked me to ride her back to this place. She wanted to thank me for helping her defeat that mental demon.”

“What is most frightening to me is we are seeing similar signs of such evil starting to take place where I come from.” I answer. “It may be why The Keepers have allowed us to experience the Ark four times in the past several years. They have been testing us to see if we are worth saving from the evil that is happening in my world, or not.”

“I do hope The Keepers protect you and your wonderful friends,” answers Electra. “I would be so sad to lose any of them especially you.”

“Thank you Electra,” as I hug her by her neck. “We will certainly miss you when we leave Ark.” I tell her as the rest of the tribe come up for a group hug with her and our new wyvern friends

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 19. The Surprise.

 

(Author's note. That dream never happened for real.)

 

It is early morning as we break camp to head for the beach in preparation to sailing back to The Center. The wyverns have come by to clear away any threats to us making for a safe trip. Yet, Electra and Red Alpha are not with them. I'm left wondering what they are up to this time.

Surprise! We find four additional rafts on the beach. They have been prepared for our extra tames to ride back with us.

Paragon lands nearby to ask if their arrangements have met our expectations. “Outstanding,” I answer. “How was it possible for you to do these things for us?”

“The Keepers have given us the same ability to craft items as you have,” she answers. “We can even use the same creatures you have used in Ark to aid us in gathering the materials needed.”

“That's wonderful,” I tell her. “You even have the Specimen Implants in your left wing. It will make life so much easier for your kind. Use those powers wisely. Don't end up like that abandoned city or the Red Alpha before we saved her from herself.”

“Thank you for those kind words,” answers Paragon.

“I hope you understand when I say that you are my second best wyvern friend here.”

“I understand,” answers Paragon. “I'm so pleased with your close relationship with Electra. She's been so happy ever since she returned to us.”

We are about ready to sail back when Red Alpha comes flying in all excited. “She wants to show me something important,” I tell the others. “Start sailing for The Center. I will catch up with you later.”

She flies me back to the Great Split into the south end landing next to a new nest containing a light gray wyvern egg. Electra looks at me beaming with pride. Examining it I find that the parental stats imprinted to the egg is Electra's level of 92 and the father, my level of 90. It will hatch in six days.

“This is your egg?” I ask Electra.

“Yes,” she responds.

“How is a fertile egg possible when there are no male wyverns left on Scorched Earth?”

“After visiting The Keepers, I had this most wonderful dream being together with this kind and gentle gray male wyvern.”

“Oh. My. Gosh!” I interrupt in shock. “I had that same dream too. I was a gray male wyvern that spent a most wonderful night with you. Level 90 is where I was at after we saved Red Alpha. This has to be something The Keepers made possible. There is no other way this could have happened.”

“Somehow, I knew it had to be you,” Electra answers softly.

I hug Electra around her neck as I try to recover from the shock that it was possible for something like this to happen. Then, I suddenly find myself transformed into that gray wyvern. Red Alpha stares at me in shock.

“What just happened? “I ask.

“It was you!” answers an excited Electra as she embraces me with tears of joy nearly knocking me over.

“How am I going to explain this to my friends?” as I look at my strange new appearance through my implant.

“Your friends will understand,” answers Electra.

“Will you be OK when I head back to the raft?” I ask.

“Yes,” she answers. “You need to be with your friends. I will send someone for you when the egg hatches.”

“I hope The Keepers let me stay on Ark long enough so I can see our new offspring when the egg hatches.” I answer.

After regaining my composure from the shock of turning into a wyvern, Red Alpha tells us, “I'll keep watch over your egg while you two go spend some time alone together.”

“Thank you, you are most kind,” I answer.

It turns out to be quite a while before we return back to the nest. We find Red Alpha crying. “What's wrong?” I ask.

“I so regret killing all the males when they attacked me last week,” she answers. “The cursed shackle never allowed me to be intimate with any of them.”

“I wish I could help, but I can't,” I answer. “I made a commitment to be for Electra and Electra alone.”

“I'll try to understand,” answer Red Alpha who is still in tears.

Suddenly, Paragon flies in all excited. “Who is that gray wyvern with Electra?” she ask Red Alpha.

“It's Halsey,” she answers.

“Oh, that's so wonderful,” answers Paragon. “Her dream came true. But, why are you crying?”

“I so miss the company of the male wyverns,” Red Alpha answers.

“Well, you better fly over to the Green Obelisk,” answers Paragon. “Something wonderful is about to happen.”

“Electra, you better come too. Your egg will be just fine.”

We all fly off to the Green Obelisk where we land around it in a circle. One by one there is a most exciting reunion as all the male wyverns return to their respective mates.

Then, a real surprise, I get to meet Electra's parents. They are so surprised that she not only survived being attacked, but she has such a loving mate.

Red Alpha, meanwhile, is sobbing her head off, apologizing for all the awful things she has done to them the past. It is at that moment The Keepers start talking to us.

“Halsey, when we set up our experiment with Electra, to see what your tribe would do with her, we never expected the two of you to become so emotionally attached to each other. We created your Avatar so the two of you could fulfill that relationship to its conclusion.

We were speechless when we saw how Michael and your tribe worked so hard to save Red Alpha when you found how she was suffering after Electra knocked her out of the sky. We were equally amazed at Red Alpha, how she overcame her hate when she realized the risk your tribe had placed themselves in to save her.”

“To all of you. Forgiveness is such a hard thing to do when someone has treated you so badly in the past. You have all shown that you can forgive Red Alpha for what she did, just like Red Alpha now regrets having done such awful thing to you.”

“Red Alpha, we are so sorry you had to endure such pain for all those years. Because of the way things have worked out for the best, we have prepared a little surprise for you.

“Hi, pretty girl,” a voice in the tone of the Nomad and Michael is heard coming out of the shadow. Standing there is a dark gray male wyvern with a black crest on its chest.

Red Alpha is standing there speechless. Then, she rushes over to him almost knocking him down. “You've done enough crying pretty girl,” he says as they embrace each other. “Now, it is time to enjoy life.”

I'm not saying if the rest of the day and late into the night turned into one big happy party. But, I have to wonder if the others are getting worried that I haven't caught up with them as they sail to The Center.

You see, I never did get back to them that day as I promised. You will have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens next.

[rpicardi1]

Finished, Done. Time for another adventure. Maybe something along the line of Naked and Afraid.

Chapter 20 We return.

 

“How is Halsey going to get back to us?” Caroline ask Michael as the convoy of rafts sail past Scorched Island.

“I would assume that Electra or Red Alpha will fly him out,” answers Michael.

“Can they fly that far without resting?” ask Caroline.

“Quite easy for them to do so,” answers Michael. “They have the endurance, even our leveled up argys can now make that trip.”

“Something extraordinary must be taking place with him and Electra,” answers Caroline. “I have never seen anyone get so attached to a tame before.”

“That's part of the problem,” Michael answers. “Electra is not a tame. Neither is Red Alpha. They made a choice of their own free will to become our close friends. We had a long talk about that friendship when I rode Electra out to the Nomad's camp and Halsey was riding on Red Alpha.”

“I never thought that I would miss a tropical rainstorm,” says Caroline as it starts raining. “Scorched Earth was such a desolate place.”

“Has anyone seen Halsey?” ask Mary as the rafts all dock at North Tropical.

“No,” the others eventually answer.

“Then, I guess that we will have to wait until he shows up,” answers Mary. “So long as he is with Electra, he is in good hands.”

They land at the docks of Primitive Plus village and unload the tames from the rafts. The wolf pack is happy to be on familiar ground, the two new ones not sure about this new lush green surroundings. Patrick comes out to meet the Parcer they brought back from Scorched Earth. They both look happy to be in each others company. The Pteras are glad to see us, but have managed to go fishing on their own when the fish ran out in the Feeding Trough.

Our tames on The Center have thrived quite well without us in spite of being gone far longer then expected. With five day left on Ark, we make our preparations to release the rest of our tames where they can care for themselves in the safest environment we can find for them.

Nomad and his wife are quite astonished of the village of Primitive Plus. Mary gives them the grand tour showing off the accommodations as well as the resident tames.

They are not sure what they should do with the Thorny Dragons. Michael suggest sending them over to Volcano Island. He and Nomad take them there giving them their freedom. The local T-Rex quickly learns to leave them alone after he spends the rest of the day trying to remove the quills now sticking out of his face.

The Morellatops find a home on Scorched Island. There is vegetation there, no predator threats, and the temperature range is to their liking.

Denny take the wolves back to South Tundra which has always been their natural home They bid him farewell as he releases them back to the wild as has been done twice before.

The Jarboas stay with them for now. While their weather forecasting is less critical here then on Scorched Earth, everyone enjoys their cuteness and playful antics. The plan is to release them on Secluded Island with the Parcer pair before everyone has to report to the Green Obelisk for our return.

The day before the scheduled return, there is a surprise visit. It is late morning when four wyverns appear to the North coming from Scorched Earth. “Halsey's coming back,” announces Tod.

“Something not right,” says Michael as he places the spotting scope on them. “I see Electra and Red Alpha, but there are two other wyverns with them I have never seen before. The Dark gray has the name of Mike and the light gray is named Halsey.”

“Is Halsey riding on any of them?” ask Mary.

“No,” answers Michael. “That is the mystery of the name of the two gray males. Their names may hold that answer. Lets go ask them.”

“Sorry I'm late,” I say to the astonished group as I land. “It has been a most fascinating experience. The Morellotops look so happy over on Scorched Island. We landed there to rest after that long flight across the sea.”

“How did you become a wyvern.” ask Mary.

“Ark Primal Survival,” answers Tod. “The keepers must be experimenting with the concept of a Avatar.”

“I am definitely in this Avatar,” I tell them. “But Mike is unique. He has the personality of both Michael and Nomad, two of Red Alphas closest human friends. I believe that The Keepers created him to fulfill her emotional needs as a reward for her forgiveness from enduring the pain of those years of suffering. She has been so happy ever since he came into her life.”

“There is more,” I answer. “When I left on Red Alpha that day, she flew me to see Electra. Electra had laid a fertile egg. It turned out that I am the father. The night after we saved Red Alpha, Electra and I had this really strange dream of being together in an inmate setting. It turned out that The Keepers had made it happen. That's when I found myself in this Avatar. Electra has been so happy.”

“It didn't end there. We were called over to the Green Obelisk where The Keepers returned all the males back to their mates. They even returned Electra's wonderful parents to her.”

“Red Alpha was sobbing her head off. She was so sorry for what she had done to the males and Electra's parents. It was at that moment that The Keepers spoke to us and Mike appeared out of the shadows.”

“We have had such a good time that I lost track of time.”

“I figured that we had better make a trip here to let you know that I am all right.”

“Wow,” comments Michael. “My personality and Nomads are in Mike. That is one unique way to remain in close contact with Red Alpha.”

“What type of wyvern are you two?”

“I don't know,” I answer. “Lets find out. Stay clear of that palm tree. I'm not sure what I will do with it.”

I hit a palm with my primary weapon. Mike does the same with a second palm. My palms is frozen solid, then shatter into a million pieces when Mike's palm is vaporized by an explosive projectile.

“You're an ice wyvern,” says Sarah. “That's awesome. Mike is a night stalker, That's the rarest wyvern that ever existed.”

We spend the next several minutes talking about the events on both Arks. Nomad and his wife Sarah come up to hug their pretty girl.

“Would you like to take a flying tour of The Center?” I ask Nomad.

“I'd be delighted,” answers Nomad.

“Why don't you ride on Electra,” I answer. “She would like to learn more about you.”

“Michael, Fly with me this one last time,” ask Red Alpha.

“Come on Sarah, I'll take you,” says Mike.

“Dr Sanders,” I say. “Come fly on me. I don't bite, hard.”

Everybody breaks out in laughter.

“Ouch, you bit me!” exclaims Dr Sanders as everybody starts laughing again including me.

“Time for the grand tour,” I say as we take off.

We head South past the Green Obelisk of South Tropical observing the inhibited and uninhibited little islands along the way. “Wow, that flying reptile is nearly as big as us.” says Electra. “Is it dangerous?”

“No,” I answer. “The Quetz is a fish eater. Besides, we fly a lot faster then it does. I had one three years ago on Ark. Q-Bert was a very loyal tame.”

“Is that volcanic peak some sort of idol of worship?” ask Nomad.

“No,” answers Michael. “It is called Skull Island. We did find a friendly dragon living there name Draco.”

“I saw him once in my youth,” answers Red Alpha. “He is much bigger then us but has four legs instead of two. He was very nice.”

“He seems to have the ability to teleport between Arks and is often in direct contact with The Keepers,” I answer. “He tends to leave us notes with instructions when The Keepers want us to accomplish some task or go to visit another location using the Obelisk.”

“That forest is so huge and beautiful,” says Electra.

“That is is,” I tell Electra. “And, very dangerous. We lost some loyal tames there in a surprise attack by a pack of Allasaurs on our last visit. Even you would risk serious injury if you were forced in a fight with them on the ground.”

We continue west to the great arch, then fly under it turning North under the massive overhang. “What is over by those islands to the West?” ask Electra.

“I don't know,” I answer. “They only appeared when the Redwood Forest showed up during our last visit. This cavern appeared a couple of weeks ago. The Force Field has prevented us from flying over there.”

“That waterfall, it's huge,” exclaims Nomad.

“It's called Land's End,” explains Dr Sanders. “It used to fall off into nothing but now it lands in the sea far below.”

“A floating mountain!” exclaims Sarah. “I've heard of one but have never seen it.”

“It is actually hollow inside,” both Mike and Michael say at once.

“Looks like you both think alike,” I laugh.

We make it back to the village as evening approaches.

“That was a most enjoyable tour,” says Michael. “Where will you stay for the night?”

“We will stay on Scorched Island for the night, then leave early in the morning for Scorch Earth.” I answer. “Electra's egg is going to hatch soon. We need to be back there when it does.”

All too soon, it is time to leave Ark for the return to Earth. Mary had picked up a note with instructions on how to access the Obelisk for that return. Nomad and his Sarah will bring the two rafts back to the village where they will live and take care of our tames. They now have specimen implants like us and know how they function.

But, there is one unknown concern. I am still with Electra and the wyverns in my Avatar. I do not know if I am going back home or will be spending the rest of my days on Ark.

“Is Halsey coming back with us?” Mary ask as she enters the access code.

“There is no way he can as long as he is a wyvern,” answers Dr Sanders. “We would all be in extreme danger if he did. I'm sure that he knows that.”

Mary enters the code for their return. There is a crackle of light as the view beyond becomes distorted. Then in a flash, Professor Narcy's expedition is back in the Sinai as Dr Sanders returns to the Navajo dig.

“He didn't return,” says Mary to the others. “How are we going to explain his disappearance to his friends and relatives.”

“You don't,” I say as I reappear with a piece of gray wyvern eggshell.

“Is that Electra's?” ask an excited Sarah.

“Yes it is,” I answer. “I find it hard to believe but I am now a father of a gray baby boy wyvern.”

“That's wonderful,” answers Sarah “And Paragon?”

“She has a baby girl. Her and my son are already playing together.”

“How is Red Alpha doing?” ask Michael.

“She has been most happy since Mike came into her life. She is so grateful for all the good things we have done for her. In fact, she laid an egg this morning. She is still quite emotional. She was crying tears of joy.”

“What about your Avatar?” ask Mary.

“He is still there with Electra,” I answer. “And, I am still there in him as I stand in front of you at this moment. You see, The Keepers made a special arrangement that has allowed me to come back to Earth, yet allowed me to stay with the wyverns in my Avatar. In short, I appear to be in two places at once.”

“Absolutely amazing,” responds Dr Sanders. “If I hadn't been there to see Ark for myself, you would be certified nuts. I can see how such a bond could form giving the amazing time I had with that lady wyvern that took me for a grand tour of Scorched Earth. Even your Avatar was awesome to ride on. Just don't bite me again. That still hurts.” Everyone starts laughing.

“For now, we will classify Electra's egg shell as that of a Titanasaur. No one, but us, will know the difference.”

“We agree, responds Chief Terry and Pauline. Our wyverns were such gracious and gentle creatures. No one must ever know they exist for real.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It is a year later when Dr Sanders calls us together for a private meeting in the conference room. “Professor Narcy has sent us a video from his most recent expedition back into the Andes.”

We watch the video in awe as I go into a flashback, then return to reality. It is Chief Traska with his twin sons Marcy and Mincy. They are on Scorched Earth. The sons are both standing in front of two adult Ice Wyverns holding a conversation with one of them. “There's Electra,” I say. “She looks so happy. There's Paragon with her young daughter and a handsome looking fire wyvern. And, there is Red Alpha with Mike. She looks gorgeous. I just can't tell which of the light grays are my son or my Avatar. They look so identical.”

“Now, I can tell,” I answer. “I am standing next to Electra. Chief Traska's sons can't believe that they are actually talking to me.”

“Professor Narcy told them the story of our adventure on Scorched Earth.” answers Dr Sanders. “They found it most fascinating.”

“His warriors were able to recover the three artifacts of Scorched Earth for the tributes in plans for challenging themselves with the Manticore, but, they canceled that challenge. They quickly made the decision that they would do no harm to any of these wonderful creatures for their talons. They said Halsey being one of them was reason enough. They would find another way.”

And, they did. They find a loot crate containing the required wyvern talons. But, that is an adventure for another day.

 

[rpicardi1]

A second alternative ending. What if the Red Alpha came looking for help?

Chapter 16 The Red Alpha, Second Alternative Ending

 

Trading stories of our adventures, we start preparing our caravan for exploring the abandoned city to look for clues of this ark and its origin. Everyone has been so fascinated with Electra and her ability to communicate with them as an intelligent being. Everyone has taken turns getting to know her. She is becoming more relaxed among us, no longer having that fierce look. I have even observed her taking some of the undergrad students for a ride to show them Scorched Earth from the air. I'm so glad that I had that gut feeling to attempt a tame instead of taking advantage of her weakened condition to kill her. She has proven to be so valuable to our visit on this Ark. Yet, I believe that she's been studying us as much as we have been studying her, that she was placed with us for some unknown purpose.

We will be packing tents for our temporary shelter in case we are surprised by sandstorms or megaheat. An adobe shelter has been packed on the Parcur. The Morellotops will be coming along as a water source. All the wolves will be in use to clear out raptors and other dangers. The Argys will be flying recon as well as I on Electra.

But, I am soon sensing a problem as we prepare for the expedition.

Electra tells me she is very nervous about going on this mission. She tells me the city is close to the southern edge of The Great Split where the wild wyverns and their leader, the Red Alpha lives. I ask her if we should abandon the mission and leave Scorched Earth. She tells me no, the expedition is too important to abandoned it.

I tell the others about her concern. Michael tells me that he is also concerned about the danger we may face given his encounter with the wild wyverns the other day and how close the ruins are to The Great Split where they live. I have given Michael the super shock lance. We plan an attack strategy should we be forced into a showdown with the Red Alpha.

Michael and I spend the rest of the day leveling up Electra and the Argys for maneuvering, speed, and endurance. She is so happy to be flying over the Badlands with us as it has taken her mind off the expedition. I soon feel confident that we should be able to deal with any threat and have the ability to outrun it if things go wrong.

Flying back to the base, we spot a white wyvern with a chain dangling from its leg flying close to the base. Electra goes into a panic. It is the Red Alpha. She wants so badly to fly away and hide. Michael flies close by as we both work to tell her that we need her more then ever.

“Something is not right,” Michael tells us. “She has not made any effort to attack the base. She is also flying alone looking for a place to land. The chain has caught on the pen wall. She just fell into the Argy pen. She's not getting back up. She must be badly hurt.”

“Do you think that the other wyverns have rebelled against her?” I ask a stunned Electra.

“I don't know,” Electra answers.

“How did she get that chain on her leg?” I ask.

“She never told us,” Electra answers.

“Lets go find out,” I answer.

Although still frightened, Electra flies back landing in the Argy pen. Michael has landed next to the Red Alpha who is lying on her side screaming in agony.

As the rest of the tribe rushes into the Argy pen, she looks at Electra and I for a moment, then looks at Michael and makes eye contact. They stare at each other for a moment, then she passes out.

Caroline runs over to Michael and sees that look in his face. “What's wrong?” she asks.

“The Red Alpha,” answers Michael in shock. “She had that look in her eyes, a look of being in sheer agony, a look that said 'please put me out of my misery'. Then, she asked me to do so just before she passed out.”

“I saw that same look in my best friend Jerry in Vietnam. We were on patrol in some very thick jungle. A thorny vine pulled the pin out of his grenade. It ripped a hole in his side when it went off. He was screaming in agony just like Red Alpha. The medics shot him up with morphine in an effort to kill the pain. He died an hour later as the medivac was flying him out.”

“Can we save her?”

“Is she worth saving?” ask Caroline.

Electra then shocks all of us with her answer. “Before she looked at Michael, she looked at me begging for forgiveness.”

“I saw that too,” I answer.

“Then, lets get to work.” answers Caroline. “Lets get that thing off her leg. Mary, go get some narcs and medical brew. Someone bring up some raw meat.”

“Damn, it has a lock on it,” says Denny.

“Here is the key,” answers Michael, “it was in her inventory.”

Working on the lock, they finally get the shackle unlatched. “Joe, Halsey, help us pull this thing off her leg.” It takes a solid tug by the for of us until the shackle finally comes loose falling to the ground with a loud metallic clunk.

“Oh how awful,” says Caroline, “That looks like a bone infection. No wonder she was in such severe pain.”

“I think I'm going to be sick.” responds Michael as he has to look away from that awful infected wound.

“Get me some stimm berries, narcoberries, rare flowers, rare mushrooms, water, and clean cloth,” ask Pauline.

Caroline and Pauline go to work cleaning up the infection in the wound. Michael surprisingly is by the semi conscious Red Alpha's stroking her on the forehead. “Do you think Michael is suffering a flashback?” Caroline ask me.

“I don't know,” I answer. “I was doing the same thing to Electra when she needed our help.”

“We have a problem,” announces Michael. “I can't give her any food or narcs. She is literally starving to death. Careful everyone. She's starting to come to.”

Red Alpha start to slowly regain conscious. She sees the unlocked shackle and chain lying on the ground, then looks over at her leg to see Caroline and Pauline cleaning up the wound. She then looks at me and Electra. Then, she looks at Michael and starts crying.

“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I never knew.”

“Let it all out Pretty Girl,” Michael responds “Let your emotional state start healing along with your leg.”

After she has quit sobbing, Michael hands her a piece of raw meat. “Eat this,” he tells her. “You are literally starving to death.”

She is very reluctant to eat, but with Michael's encouragement, starts to nibble on the meat. Feeling better, she eats several more pieces, then ask Michael to keep stroking her forehead.

“How are you feeling?” ask Michael.

“Much better,” she answers.”I'm so relieved that awful thing is off my leg. I so regret that I didn't listen to Electra suggesting that I should have asked you humans for help, that you are not as bad as I believed.”

“Electra, I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I never knew.”

“Get some rest, Pretty Girl. I will stay with you throughout the night.”

“Thank you,” answers Red Alpha. “I never knew humans could show such compassion.”

“I understand why you felt otherwise,” answers Michael. “I'm glad that you had the key for that device of torture in your inventory. Without a key, we might still be working to remove it. You don't have to tell me how it got there until you are ready. Go to sleep now. Let your leg heal up. I'll be here for you.”

It is early morning when Joe alerts us to a wyvern flying in the distance. I get on Electra and fly out towards it.

As we approach the golden red wyvern, there is a sudden surge of excitement in Electra. “Do you know that wyvern?” I ask her.

“It's Paragon,” she answers excitingly. “I so missed her.”

“Electra, It is you,” answers an excited Paragon. “I was so afraid Red Alpha had killed you.”

“She almost did,” answers Electra. “If it wasn't for Halsey, I would probably be dead by now.”

I find myself hanging on for dear life as the two excited wyverns accidentally collide into each other. “Girls!” I say in alarm. “Find a place to land before we have another injury to contend with.”

“Are you all right?” ask Electra as she lands on a nearby plateau.

“I'm fine,” I answer. “It's just a long ways to fall without a parachute. I understand the excitement of missing your friend after what you have gone through. I don't want to see anyone of you get hurt.”

“I'll try to be more careful next time.” answers Electra.

“You've been such a loyal friend,” I answer.

“Where did you find this human?” ask Paragon.

“Actually, he found me.” answers Electra. “I was hiding in the dome ruins after Red Alpha had attacked me. Raptors were gathering outside waiting for me to die. Halsey and his friends found me and came to my aid. He stayed with me until I was fully recovered. We have been so fascinated with each other since.”

“That's so wonderful,” answers Paragon. “You were always so hopeful that humans were not as evil as Red Alpha kept telling us.”

“You won't believe what happened last night,” I tell Paragon. “Red Alpha paid us a surprise visit. She is at our base recovering from her injuries caused by a chain shackle. She was in so much pain that she was begging us to put her out of her misery.”

“I'm not surprised,” answers Paragon. “It had been bothering her a lot ever since your tribe showed up on this Ark. After she came back from chasing Electra, she caught the chain between some boulders while landing. She was screaming from the pain it caused. She got it loose but tried to hide from us how much pain it was causing. Then, she disappeared late yesterday afternoon.”

“Come with us back to the Argy Pen,” I answer. “The spikes inside that shackle had caused a bone infection. I'm told that can be extremely painful if not treated. She could use the comfort of another friend. She was still asleep when I left. Michael has been with her all night. She has grown quite attached to him already.”

“Lets take a quick side trip to the sand dunes to do some hunting. She's going to be hungry when she wakes up and we are running low on raw meat on the base.”

We make the hunting trip dispatching the raptors near the base and taking one of their kills. Then we return landing in a now crowded argy pen.

“Welcome back Pretty Girl,” says Michael as she wakes up.

“I haven't slept like that in ages,” Red Alpha tells Michael. “I feel so much better.”

“You have a friend here to see you,” I tell her.

“Paragon!” Red Alpha answers in surprise. “I'm so glad that you came.”

“I was so worried about you after you got caught in the rocks, then disappeared.” answers Paragon.

“Does anyone have anything for me to eat,” ask Red Alpha.

“We anticipated that,” I answer. “Michael, there is raw meat on Electra and Paragon you can use.”

“Thank you,” answers Red Alpha as she starts chowing down on the food.

“A miracle,” says Caroline as she removes the dressing on the leg. “The swelling is gone and your leg is nearly fully healed.”

Red Alpha stands up, then launches herself into the air. She flies around the base, then returns landing back in the Argy Pen.

“Michael,” shes says. “Come fly on me.”

Paragon stands there in shock. “I don't believe it. She swore that she would never let any human fly on her.”

“We better go follow them,” I answer. “She's still not fully recovered.”

Flying, we catch up with a most happy Red Alpha. “I have never felt so free before. Thank you Michael for removing that cursed shackle. Thank all of you for what you have done.”

We all land back in the Argy pen as the convoy starts on its way to the city ruins. “Would the three of you like to come along and fly escort for us?” I ask.

“Absolutely,” the three wyverns answer. “We'd love to have you fly on us.”

I am back on Electra who is most happy to have Paragon with her and so relieved that Red Alpha is now her friend again. Paragon is delighted with Caroline as they both strike up a conversation about her and Michael. And Red Alpha, she is thoroughly enjoying flying with Michael. She is so happy to be flying pain free for the first time in ages.

As the pace is slow compared to flying, we fly large lazy circles around the convoy. It's hard to believe that wyverns can glide so gracefully.

Most of the dangerous creatures flee in advance of the caravan. The one exception, a sand worm, is quickly dispatched by Paragon and Red Alpha. It provides raw meat for the wolf pack, argys, and the three wyverns.

We reach the outskirts of the city ruins by noon. “That arena gives me the creeps,” Red Alpha tells Michael. “It has such bad memories.”

“We'll camp here,” says Michael.

As the tribe sets up a base of operations among the edge of the city, Denny spots a green wyvern flying out their way. “Isn't that the one we dropped a couple of days ago?” Denny asks Michael.

“Yes it is,” answers Michael. “I'm not sure how she is going to react when she sees us.”

“Sleeper will be OK,” answers Paragon. “She understands why you knocked her out the other day.”

She comes in and lands by the three wyverns. She is so excited to see Electra and a most happy Red Alpha. Then, she flies off to The Great Split.

“We are about to have a lot of company,” I tell the others. “Electra has told Sleeper to bring all the wyverns here.”

As we finish setting up camp and securing it from any threats, the wyverns start flying in until there is a total of 18 of them landing around us. After a lot of excited conversation, Michael gets us together for an announcement. “Don't expect to get anything else done today. The wyverns want to take all of us on a grand tour.”

Michael, Caroline, and I are on our three we rode out on. Sleeper asks for Denny. The rest are picked up by the remaining wyverns, even the doubting Dr Sanders who is picked by Paragon's mate.

It is a most remarkable afternoon of flying over the entire area of Scorched Earth. We get the grand tour of The Great Split up close. It is quite hot along the Lava River but our Gille and Desert Armor protects us well. By evening, we return to camp.

I tell Electra to go spend the rest of the evening and night with her friends. Michael tells Red Alpha to do the same. They are reluctant to leave us but go ahead after promising to return in the morning.

“What a remarkable day,” says Michael. “Who would ever believe that we would end up with wyverns as our good friends, especially a Red Alpha.”

“They all seem to be enjoying us as much as we were enjoying them,” answers Sarah.

“I still don't understand,” says Professor Narcy. “According to The Survivor's Handbook, wyverns are suppose to be untameable.”

“They are,” I answer. “Electra was not a tame. Neither was the Red Alpha. They made the choice of their own free will to be our friends.”

That night, I have this really weird dream that I am on Ark as a gray male wyerm spending a most wonderful night with Electra. Strange, I think when I wake up. That experience felt so real.

In the morning, we are treated to quite a sight. The wyverns have cleared out every threat in the area. Red Alpha, Electra, Paragon, and Sleeper, drop us off raw meat for our carnivorous tames. They have even brought us berries for our herbivores, campfire wood, and several metal drums with water.

“How did you know?” I ask Electra who is so glad to see me again.

“In the evening, we were called to the Green Obelisk for a visit by The Keepers. They were so pleased with how things worked out between your tribe and us. They provided us with the metal containers so we could bring you water from the oasis.”

“Then, that confirms the special contents from that strange drop before I found you,” I answer. “The Keepers gave us the tools needed to restore the balance on this Ark. It was your destiny to be the key to that success.”

“Why the sad face?” I ask her.

“The Keepers asked me to tell you that in seven Ark days, your tribe will be returning to your world possibly leaving us forever.”

“Don't be sad,” I tell Electra. “We knew that day would be coming once their study was over. Enjoy life on this Ark with your friends. Help raise their youngsters. We will certainly not forget you and your friends who gave us a most thrilling adventure. There is always that chance that we will be back again.”

[rpicardi1]

Chapter 17. The Nomads.

 

With being resupplied by the wyverns and all threats to us and our tames removed from the surrounding area, we have been freed to conduct a complete survey of this abandoned city. Red Alpha and Electra wants to have Michael and I fly with them to explore a part of Ark that none of them have been to. Dr Sanders, Professor Narcy, and Mary tell us to go and have a good time. Most interesting of all, Red Alpha ask me to fly on her for this trip. She has a ton of questions she wants to ask me about my relationship with Electra. Electra wants Michael to fly on her. She has a bunch of questions to ask him about Red Alpha. Why do I have this feeling those two had planned this out ahead of time? Paragon and Sleeper are coming along with us as well. They wants to see this new area of Ark.

We take off heading Northwest towards a mountain range across from the Dune Desert. We find that the force field is no longer in effect. That confirms the fact that we are on an alien planet and not in a simulator.

“Is Electra your tame?” ask Red Alpha.

“No,” I answer. “Like you and Michael, I found her in need of my help. She was hiding in the dome ruins, badly hurt, and so afraid of what was going to happen to her next.”

“The pain from the shackle was driving me insane the day Electra suggested that humans didn't appear to be so evil and I should ask for their help. I got so angry that I wanted to kill her.”

“After talking with her last evening, I'm so glad that I wasn't successful. She really likes you.”

“I know,” I answer. “We have become so close since the day I first saw her in need.”

“I'm so happy for the both of you.” answers Red Alpha.

“When I fell into the Argy Pen, the pain was so bad that I was begging Michael to kill me. I'm so glad that he didn't. Do you know why he was staring at me like that when he got off his Argy?”

“He saw that look of agony in your eye and had a flashback from the Vietnam War.” I answer. “Fifty years ago, he lost one of his best friends to a terrible combat accident. Like you, the guy was in so much pain that he was begging to be killed. His team did everything they could to save him and relieve the pain, but he died in total agony an hour later en route to a field hospital. Michael became determined that it was not going to happen to you. His wife supported his decision. The rest of us joined in with total disregard to our own safety.”

“Thank you.” answers Red Alpha. “I'm so happy that things have worked out the way they did.”

“I'm still wondering if The Keepers had planned this all along,” I answer. “Without the wyvern milk and super test meat I found in an unmarked loot crate, I would have never been able to help Electra recover from her ordeal.”

“There must be something else they have planned for us,” answers Red Alpha. “They asked us to take you two to the mountains ahead. They wouldn't tell us why. They said that we would find out when we arrived.”

“We may soon find out,” I answer. “There is a settlement up ahead. My spotting scope shows tamed Morellotops, thorny dragons, and two individuals.”

“Their camp appears to be more primitive then ours,” answers Michael. “Just some tents next to a well.”

“Steady Red Alpha,” I tell her as I sense her uneasiness over the presence of the strangers. “We need to know what they are doing here.”

Sensing her building anger as we land, I grab my crossbow as Michael rushes over to calm down Red Alpha. Electra, Sleeper, and Paragon are right close behind me. The elderly stranger and his wife drop their weapons as they stare at us frozen in fear.

“Tell us why this wyvern is so angry with you that she wants to incinerate this place?” I ask sternly.

“It was forty years ago,” Nomad answers nervously. “The emperor of Sin City had wanted an Alpha Wyvern to use in battle for selecting a brave warrior to marry his daughter. He hired my brother to go capture one.”

“When my brother ask me to help, I refused to do so telling him that he was inviting a disaster if he ever captured one.”

“As he knew where there was one living in the mountains by the Dune Sea, he placed a parasaur there as bait. It contained a tranquilizer hidden under its hide. A Red Alpha came in for an easy meal and fell unconscious shortly afterwards.”

“I watched from a distance as his team loaded her into a wagon and took her into the Arena.”

“When the Beast Master placed the shackle on her, she woke up screaming in anger, then killed and ate him. She struggles to get loose finally breaking the chain that secured her to the gate of the beast pen.”

“Then, all hell broke loose.”

“She climbed into the grandstand facing the viewing booth as the spectators below fled in panic. The Emperor's guards responded with crossbows and lances. She incinerated them, the Emperor, and the other elites that were in the viewing booth, then flew off.”

“A violent earthquake soon shook the land. The sky turned black as the ground split open separating the Western Peaks from the Sand Sea. Lava bombs rained from the sky. My brother and I managed to escape the destruction that quickly followed. A day later, I went to my brother's camp to find that it had been incinerated. There were wyvern tracks with signs that a heavy chain was dragging on the ground. I can only conclude that the Red Alpha had got her revenge on him.”

“I wanted so badly to undo that wrong, to somehow capture the Red Alpha so I could remove that shackle. But as fate has it, I never saw her again.”

“Why is your wyvern crying?”

“As fate would have it, this is that Red Alpha you brother captured forty years ago. Until the day before yesterday, she still had that shackle on her leg. She still suffering from the emotional scars of living in such pain.”

“Come to us Nomad,” Michael says. “Bring your wife with you. Red Alpha wants to talk to both of you.”

“I'm speechless,” comments Nomad after spending several minutes with her. “I never knew these wyverns were so intelligence. I have seen those that were raised from stolen eggs. They were no more intelligent then our tames.”

“Some of us tried to tame the adults and juveniles.” answers Nomad's wife Ruth. “We found that they could not be tamed. How did you manage to tame these four, especially a Red Alpha?”

“We didn't,” I answer. “They made the choice on their own free will to be our good friends.”

“We are over by Sin City studying what happened there. Could you come with us to help us in that study?” I ask them. “Paragon and Sleeper could take you.”

“What about our four tames? Ask Nomad. “They have been with us all these years.”

“We can take them with us,” answers Electra. “Just leave the saddles and backpacks on them so we can pick them up without harming them.”

“I don't believe it,” Michael tells me. “Red Alpha wants to have Nomad ride back on her.”

“I think her emotional scars have been healed by this visit,” I answer. “You always wanted to take Sleeper out for a spin. Now is that chance.”

“Thank you pretty girl,” as Nomad, who is almost in tears, mounts her for the return trip. “You have been so understanding.”

“I want to thank you,” Red Alpha answer. “You have forced me to overcome my mental pain from so long ago. I feel so much better now.”

We mount the wyverns for the return trip. Each one carefully picks up one of the Nomad's tames and we are on our way.

Chapter 18 The Ruins of Sin City.

 

While we were gone, Dr Sander's has started his survey in the half buried arena dominated by the Mantacore statue above what was a private booth for their leaders. “This must be where the rulers of this city conducted their special events,” says Dr Sanders.

“Given the statue above and the evidence we have found below, this place had to have been as brutal as what took place in the Colosseum of Rome,” answers Professor Narcy.

Continuing their exploration of the city, they find a structure resembling a place of worship. There is a huge mural in back of an alter, depicting humanoid figures kneeling in front of a floating Obelisk as one of them ascends up to it. “One of the dangers of not following the Prime Directive in Star Trek,” says Tod. “If an advanced race reveals their presence too soon to a developing culture, they run the risk of being worshiped by them. That culture can become corrupt finally destroying themselves in the process.”

They continue exploring the market place, then the residential areas of that city. “Most evil,” says Mary. “There are murals and numerous other signs how the residences kept animals, slaves, and harems for their own personal pleasures.”

“For all we know, this place could have been the Sodom or Gomorrah of our biblical times,” answers Tod.

As noon approaches, They head back into the arena to talk about their findings. Surprise! They see us coming in to land carrying two saddled Morellotops and two Thorny Dragons. “There is a total stranger riding Red Alpha and another riding Paragon!” Sarah says in surprise.

“This place still gives me the creeps,” Red Alpha tells Nomad as she lands in the arena.

“It's all right pretty girl,” the Nomad answers. “This place can no longer hurt you.”

As the others come up to meet our guest, Mary comments, “I thought that we were the only humans on this world.”

“Nomad and his wife Ruth are the last of the original inhabitants,” I answer. “The Keepers arranged for us to find them when they asked Red Alpha and Electra to take us to their camp site.”

“Our Gods actually communicate with you?” Nomad ask in astonishment.

“Better sit down,” I tell Nomad. “This is going to take a while to explain.”

“The Keepers do not consider themselves Gods. We have only heard their voices or have been sent messages such as what happened today. We have never seen them in the flesh. We believe they are superior beings from an advanced civilization that have created this place. The three obelisk you can see floating in the sky are used for studying our behavior and teleporting between worlds. We do not come from your world. We come from a place called Earth. We have been told their study of us will be soon be over and we will be returning home.”

“As part of that study, we were given these implants to aid in our survival. They have proven most useful in allowing us to obtain those items we needed as well as aid us in obtaining our tames.”

“On occasions, The Keepers will drop us special supplies in those rotating beacons we call loot crates. The implants allow us access to the contents of those crates. One such crate gave me the items I needed to help Electra heal from her injuries when I first found her hiding in the dome ruins. The contents of that crate was responsible for the chain of events that led to my close relationship with Electra, Red Alpha begging for our help, and Michael releasing her from suffering in extreme pain. All the wyverns have become good friends since.”

“Can you take us with you when you leave to return to Earth?” ask Nomad.

“Unfortunately no,” I answer. “Even if we could, you would be outcast in our world. What we can do, if you wish, is to relocate you to our base on The Center. It's climate is a lot more friendly then this place. Mary can show you how crop farming and pioneering life works there. You can do us a favor by caring for our tames when we leave.”

“I wonder if The Keepers have somehow altered the creatures here to aid in our survival,” answers Nomad.

“I believe they did,” answers Dr Sanders.

“Looking through their library, I found references to the Morellotops being the result of genetic engineering to produce a herbivore that not only could thrive in this harsh climate and defend itself from predators, it could serve to carry water for its masters during long trips through the desert.”

“We learned how we could tap the water from its hump without harming it,” answers Nomad. “It taste like piss, but has on more then one occasion, meant the difference between life and death in the Sand Sea.”

“I have also seen that if one of them is attacked, they all come running to the aid of the other. They will fight to the death to protect their companions, even us.”

“Actually, I believe that all of the creatures here are genetically engineered.” answers Dr Sanders. “Even the ones that are extinct in our present world. Their size, intelligence, the way they can be tamed, and abilities do not match anything that we know about them. It is as if they have been created for our exclusive use in these Arks.”

“There are exceptions to that rule. Many of the insects, the fish, the sand worm, and the big snakes are too stupid to be tamed. Then, there are some, like our wyvern friends, that are so intelligent they are untameable. Yet, even they appeared to have been engineered for our use with their shoulders forming a natural saddle for us to ride on them.”

“What else have you found out about Sin City?” I ask Dr Sanders.

“A most evil place,” answers Dr Sanders. “It appears that the people living here held sacrifices to the Obelisk of Ark when The Keepers revealing themselves too soon to those that lived here. We found such evidence in the stone mural at the back of a place of worship. The obelisk dominated its center with people kneeling on both sides as another ascended into it.”

“This arena they built to entertain their leaders and its privileged elites. We found evidence of all kinds of brutal bloody fights to the death between individuals and wild beasts. Worse yet, we found evidence of how they captured wyverns and secured them in chains so they couldn't properly defend themselves in such battles. They were responsible for the shackle that so tormented Red Alpha. We found where she was chained up in this arena.”

“We know,” I answer. “Nomad told us what happened here some forty years ago.”

“Even worse is what they did to each other and the creatures living with them.” answers Dr Sanders. “The elites kept slaves and creatures to use for their bidding and sexual pleasures. The evidence is there how torture was part of the indulging of those pleasures.”

“You are most correct,” answers Nomad. “The marketplace held daily auctions where the well to do would bid on those most desirable slaves and animals they felt would satisfy their lust. More often then not, those auctions would result in a fight over the bidding. Those feuds would often be settled in the arena.”

“When the great quake hit after Red Alpha had escaped, we fled west into the Dune Desert. Ruth came with us and eventually became my wife. We watched a great ash cloud erupt from what is now The Great Split which buried the city and suffocated everyone there.”

“We managed to find solid ground as the Sand Worms moved in to attack the survivors following us. We were able to return to out camps while they were busy eating them.”

“We have seen similar evidence back in early Earth's history in the ruins of two cities called Sodom and Gomorrah,” I answer. “A father and his two daughters escaped with their lives. His wife stopped to look back and was incinerated by the fireball that destroyed it.”

“Another city called Pompeii was buried by a massive volcanic eruption. Like Sin City, the sex trade was a thriving business where anything could be had for the right price.”

“That is most frightening,” Electra tells me. “Red Alpha never told us what happened to this place. We only learned about it when Nomad told us how Red Alpha was captured, then escaped from here.”

“I do not blame her,” answers Nomad. “It was only a few hours ago that she was able to overcome the mental pain she had been suffering from it's evil. It is why she asked me to ride her back to this place. She wanted to thank me for helping her defeat that mental demon.”

“What is most frightening to me is we are seeing similar signs of such evil starting to take place again where I come from.” I answer. “It may be why The Keepers have allowed several of us to experience the Ark four times in the past several years. They have been testing us to see if we are worth saving from the evil that is happening in my world, or not.”

“I do hope The Keepers protect you and your wonderful friends,” answers Electra. “I would be so sad to lose any of them especially you.”

“Thank you Electra,” as I hug her by her neck. “We will certainly miss you when we leave Ark.” I tell her as the rest of the tribe come up for a group hug with her and our new wyvern friends.

 

Chapter 19. The Surprise.

 

(Author's note. That dream never happened for real.)

 

It is early morning as we break camp to head for the beach in preparation to sailing back to The Center. The wyverns have come by to clear away any threats to us making for a safe trip. Yet, Electra and Red Alpha are not with them. I'm left wondering what they are planning for us this time.

Surprise! We find four additional rafts on the beach. They have been prepared for our extra tames to ride back with us.

Paragon lands nearby to ask if their arrangements have met our expectations. “Outstanding,” I answer. “How was it possible for you to do these things for us?”

“The Keepers have given us the same ability to craft items as you have,” she answers. “We can even use the same creatures you have used in Ark to aid us in gathering the materials needed.”

“That's wonderful,” I tell her. “You even have the Specimen Implants in your left wing. It will make life so much easier for your kind. Use those powers wisely. Don't end up like that abandoned city or the Red Alpha before we saved her from herself.”

“Thank you for those kind words,” answers Paragon.

“I hope you understand when I say that you are my second best wyvern friend here.”

“I understand,” answers Paragon. “I'm so pleased with your close relationship with Electra. She's been so happy ever since she returned to us.”

We are about ready to sail back when Red Alpha comes flying in all excited. “She wants to show me something important,” I tell the others. “Start sailing for The Center. I will catch up with you later.”

She flies me back to the Great Split into the south end landing next to a new nest containing a light gray wyvern egg. Electra looks at me beaming with pride. Examining it I find that the parental stats imprinted to the egg is Electra's level of 92 and the father, my level of 90. It will hatch in six days.

“This is your egg?” I ask Electra.

“Yes,” she responds.

“How is a fertile egg possible when you don't have a mate?”

“After visiting The Keepers, I had this most wonderful dream being together with this kind and gentle gray male wyvern.”

“Oh. My. Gosh!” I interrupt in shock. “I had that same dream too. I was a gray male wyvern that spent a most wonderful night with you. Level 90 is where I was at after we saved Red Alpha. This has to be something The Keepers made possible. There is no other way this could have happened.”

“Somehow, I knew it had to be you,” Electra answers softly.

I hug Electra around her neck as I try to recover from the shock that it was possible for something like this to happen. Then, I suddenly find myself transformed into that gray wyvern. Red Alpha stares at me in shock.

“What just happened? “I ask.

“It was you!” answers an excited Electra as she embraces me with tears of joy nearly knocking me over.

“How am I going to explain this to my friends?” as I look at my strange new appearance through my implant.

“Your friends will understand,” answers Electra.

“Will you be OK when I head back to the raft?” I ask.

“Yes,” she answers. “You need to be with your friends. I will send someone for you when the egg hatches.”

“I hope The Keepers let me stay on Ark long enough so I can see our new offspring when the egg hatches.” I answer.

After regaining my composure from the shock of turning into a wyvern, Red Alpha tells us, “I'll keep watch over your egg while you two go spend some time alone together.”

“Thank you, you are most kind,” I answer.

It turns out to be quite a while before we return back to the nest. We find Red Alpha crying. “What's wrong?” I ask.

“I so regret never having a mate,” she answers. “The cursed shackle never allowed me to be intimate with any of eligible males.”

“I wish I could help, but I can't,” I answer. “I made a commitment to be for Electra and Electra alone.”

“I'll try to understand,” answer Red Alpha who is still in tears.

Suddenly, Paragon flies in all excited. “Who is that gray wyvern with Electra?” she ask Red Alpha.

“It's Halsey,” she answers.

“Oh, that's so wonderful,” answers Paragon. “Her dream came true. But, why are you crying?”

“I so miss the company of a mate,” Red Alpha answers.

“Well, you better fly over to the Green Obelisk,” answers Paragon. “Something wonderful is about to happen.”

“Electra, you better come too. Your egg will be just fine.”

We all fly off to the Green Obelisk where we land around it in a circle.

Then, a real surprise, Electra's parents are returned to her. They are so surprised that she not only survived being attacked, but she now has a loving mate. Electra is crying tears of joy as they are reunited with each other.

Red Alpha, meanwhile, is sobbing her head off, apologizing for all the awful things she has done to them the past. It is at that moment The Keepers start talking to us.

“Halsey, when we set up our experiment with your tribe and Electra, we never expected the two of you to become so emotionally attached to each other. We created your Avatar so the two of you could fulfill that relationship to its conclusion.

We were speechless when we saw how Michael and your tribe worked so hard to save Red Alpha when you found her suffering so. We were equally amazed at Red Alpha, how she overcame her hate when she realized the risk your tribe had placed themselves in to save her.”

“To all of you. Forgiveness is such a hard thing to do when someone has treated you so badly in the past. You have all shown that you can forgive Red Alpha for what she did, just like Red Alpha now regrets having done those awful thing to you.”

“Red Alpha, we are so sorry you had to endure such pain for all those years. Because of the way things have worked out for the best, we have prepared a little surprise for you.

“Hi, pretty girl,” a voice in the tone of the Nomad and Michael is heard coming out of the shadow. Standing there is a dark gray male wyvern with a black crest on its chest.

Red Alpha is standing there speechless. Then, she rushes over to him almost knocking him down. “You've done enough crying pretty girl,” he says as they embrace each other. “Now, it is time to enjoy life.”

No doubt, the rest of the day and late into the night turned into one big happy party. But, I have to wonder if the others are getting worried that I haven't caught up with them as they sail to The Center.

You see, I never did get back to them that day as I promised. You will have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens next.

 

Chapter 20 We return.

 

“How is Halsey going to get back to us?” Caroline ask Michael as the convoy of rafts sail past Scorched Island.

“I would assume that one of the wyverns will fly him out,” answers Michael.

“Can they fly that far without resting?” ask Caroline.

“Quite easy for them to do so,” answers Michael. “They have the endurance, even our leveled up argys can now make that trip.”

“Something extraordinary must be taking place with him and Electra,” answers Caroline. “I have never seen anyone get so attached to a tame before.”

“That's part of the problem,” Michael answers. “Electra is not a tame. Neither is Red Alpha. They made a choice of their own free will to become our close friends. We had a long talk about that friendship when I rode Electra out to the Nomad's camp and Halsey was riding on Red Alpha.”

“I never thought that I would miss a tropical rainstorm,” says Caroline as it starts raining. “Scorched Earth was such a desolate place.”

“Has anyone seen Halsey?” ask Mary as the rafts all dock at North Tropical.

“No,” the others eventually answer.

“Then, I guess that we will have to wait until he shows up,” answers Mary. “So long as he is with Electra, he is in good hands.”

They land at the docks of Primitive Plus village and unload the tames from the rafts. The wolf pack is happy to be on familiar ground, the two new ones not sure about this new lush green surroundings. Patrick comes out to meet the Parcer they brought back from Scorched Earth. They both look happy to be in each others company. The Pteras are glad to see us, but have managed to go fishing on their own when the fish ran out in the Feeding Trough.

Our tames on The Center have thrived quite well without us in spite of being gone far longer then expected. With five day left on Ark, we make our preparations to release the rest of our tames where they can care for themselves in the safest environment we can find for them.

Nomad and Ruth are quite astonished of the village of Primitive Plus. Mary gives them the grand tour showing off the accommodations as well as the resident tames.

They are not sure what they should do with the Thorny Dragons. Michael suggest sending them over to Volcano Island. He and Nomad take them there giving them their freedom. The local T-Rex quickly learns to leave them alone after he spends the rest of the day trying to remove the quills now sticking out of his face.

The Morellatops find a home on Scorched Island. There is vegetation there, no predator threats, and the temperature range is to their liking.

Denny take the wolves back to South Tundra which has always been their natural home They bid him farewell as he releases them back to the wild as has been done twice before.

The Jarboas stay with them for now. While their weather forecasting is less critical here then on Scorched Earth, everyone enjoys their cuteness and playful antics. The plan is to release them on Secluded Island with the Parcer pair before everyone has to report to the Green Obelisk for our return.

The day before the scheduled return, there is a surprise visit. It is late morning when four wyverns appear to the North coming from Scorched Earth. “Halsey's coming back,” announces Tod.

“Something not right,” says Michael as he places the spotting scope on them. “I see Electra and Red Alpha, but there are two other wyverns with them I have never seen before. The Dark gray has the name of Mike and the light gray is named Halsey.”

“Is Halsey riding on any of them?” ask Mary.

“No,” answers Michael. “That is the mystery of the name of the two gray males. Their names may hold that answer. Lets go ask them.”

“Sorry I'm late,” I say to the astonished group as I land. “It has been a most fascinating experience. The Morellotops look so happy over on Scorched Island. We landed there to rest after that long flight across the sea.”

“How did you become a wyvern.” ask Mary.

“Ark Primal Survival,” answers Tod. “The keepers must be experimenting with the concept of a Avatar.”

“I am definitely in this Avatar,” I tell them. “But Mike is unique. He has the personality of both Michael and Nomad, two of Red Alphas closest human friends. I believe that The Keepers created him to fulfill her emotional needs as a reward for her forgiveness from enduring the pain of those years of suffering. She has been so happy ever since he came into her life.”

“There is more,” I answer. “When I left on Red Alpha that day, she flew me to see Electra. Electra had laid a fertile egg. It turned out that I am the father. The night after we saved Red Alpha, Electra and I had this really strange dream of being together in an inmate setting. It turned out that The Keepers had made it happen. That's when I found myself in this Avatar. Electra has been so happy since.”

“It didn't end there. We were called over to the Green Obelisk where The Keepers returned Electra's wonderful parents to her.”

“Red Alpha was sobbing her head off. She was so sorry for what she had done to the males and Electra's parents. It was at that moment that The Keepers spoke to us and Mike appeared out of the shadows.”

“We have had such a good time that I lost track of time.”

“I figured that we had better make a trip here to let you know that I am all right.”

“Wow,” comments Michael. “My personality and Nomads are in Mike. That is one unique way to remain in close contact with Red Alpha.”

“What type of wyvern are you two?”

“I don't know,” I answer. “Lets find out. Stay clear of that palm tree. I'm not sure what I will do with it.”

I hit a palm with my primary weapon. Mike does the same with a second palm. My palms is frozen solid, then shatter into a million pieces when Mike's palm is vaporized by an explosive projectile.

“You're a frost wyvern,” says Sarah. “That's awesome. Mike is a night stalker, My mid evil history tells me they are very rare.”

We spend the next several minutes talking about the events on both Arks. Nomad and his wife Sarah come up to hug their pretty girl.

“Would you like to take a flying tour of The Center?” I ask Nomad.

“I'd be delighted,” answers Nomad.

“Why don't you ride on Electra,” I answer. “She would like to learn more about you.”

“Michael, Fly with me this one last time,” ask Red Alpha.

“Come on Ruth, I'll take you,” says Mike.

“Dr Sanders,” I say. “Come fly on me. I don't bite, hard.”

Everybody breaks out in laughter.

“Ouch, you bit me!” exclaims Dr Sanders as everybody starts laughing again including me.

“Time for the grand tour,” I say as we take off.

We head South past the Green Obelisk of South Tropical observing the inhibited and uninhibited little islands along the way. “Wow, that flying reptile is nearly as big as us.” says Electra. “Is it dangerous?”

“No,” I answer. “The Quetz is a fish eater. Besides, we can fly a lot faster then it does. I had one three years ago on Ark. Q-Bert was a very loyal tame.”

“Is that volcanic island some sort of idol of worship?” ask Nomad.

“No,” answers Michael. “We call it Skull Island. We did find a friendly dragon living there name Draco.”

“I saw him once in my youth,” answers Red Alpha. “He is much bigger then us but has four legs instead of two. He was very nice.”

“He seems to have the ability to teleport between Arks and is often in direct contact with The Keepers,” I answer. “He tends to leave us notes with instructions when The Keepers want us to accomplish some task or go to visit another location using the Obelisk.”

“That forest is so huge and beautiful,” says Electra.

“That is is,” I tell Electra. “And, very dangerous. We lost some loyal tames there in a surprise attack by a pack of Allasaurs on our last visit. Even you would risk serious injury if you were forced in a fight with them on the ground.”

We continue west to the great arch bridge, then fly under it turning North under the massive overhang. “What is over by those islands to the West?” ask Electra.

“I don't know,” I answer. “They only appeared when the Redwood Forest showed up during our last visit. This cavern appeared a couple of weeks ago. The Force Field has prevented us from flying over there.”

“That waterfall, it's huge,” exclaims Nomad.

“It's called Land's End,” explains Dr Sanders. “It used to fall off into nothing but now it lands in the sea far below.”

“A floating mountain!” exclaims Ruth. “I've heard of one but have never seen it.”

“It is actually hollow inside,” both Mike and Michael say at once.

“Looks like you both think alike,” I laugh.

We make it back to the village as evening approaches.

“That was a most enjoyable tour,” says Michael. “Where will you stay for the night?”

“We will stay on Scorched Island, then leave early in the morning for Scorch Earth.” I answer. “Electra's egg is going to hatch soon. We need to be back there when it does.”

All too soon, it is time to leave Ark for the return to Earth. Mary had picked up a note with instructions on how to access the Obelisk for that return. Nomad and Ruth will bring the two rafts back to the village where they will live and take care of our tames. They now have specimen implants like us and know how they function.

But, there is one unknown concern. I am still with Electra and the wyverns in my Avatar. I do not know if I am going back home or will be spending the rest of my days on Ark.

“Is Halsey coming back with us?” Mary ask as she enters the access code.

“There is no way he can as long as he is a wyvern,” answers Dr Sanders. “We would all be in extreme danger if he did. I'm sure that he knows that.”

Mary enters the code for their return. There is a crackle of light as the view beyond becomes distorted. Then in a flash, Professor Narcy's expedition is back in the Sinai as Dr Sanders returns to the Navajo dig.

“He didn't return,” says Mary to the others. “How are we going to explain his disappearance to his friends and relatives.”

“You don't,” I say as I reappear with a piece of gray wyvern eggshell.

“Is that Electra's?” ask an excited Sarah.

“Yes it is,” I answer. “I find it hard to believe but I am now a father of a baby boy wyvern.”

“That's wonderful,” answers Sarah “And Paragon?”

“She has a baby girl. Her and my son are already playing together.”

“How is Red Alpha doing?” ask Michael.

“She has been most happy since Mike came into her life. She is so grateful for all the good things we have done for her. In fact, she laid an egg for the first time in her life this morning. She is still so emotional. She was crying tears of joy.”

“What about your Avatar?” ask Mary.

“He is still there with Electra,” I answer. “I am still there in him as I stand in front of you at this moment. You see, The Keepers made a special arrangement that has allowed me to come back to Earth, yet allowed me to stay with the wyverns in my Avatar. In short, I appear to be in two places at once.”

“Absolutely amazing,” responds Dr Sanders. “If I hadn't been there to see Ark for myself, you would be certified nuts. I can see how such a bond could form giving the amazing time I had with that lady wyvern that took me for a grand tour of Scorched Earth. Even your Avatar was awesome to ride on. Just don't bite me again. That still hurts.” Everyone starts laughing.

“For now, we will classify Electra's egg shell as that of a Titanasaur. No one, but us, will know the difference.”

“We agree, responds Chief Terry and Pauline. Our wyverns were such gracious and gentle creatures. No one must ever know they exist for real.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

It is a year later when Dr Sanders calls us together for a private meeting in the conference room. “Professor Narcy has sent us a video from his most recent expedition back into the Andes.”

We watch the video in awe as I go into a flashback, then return to reality. It is Chief Traska with his twin sons Marcy and Mincy. They are on Scorched Earth. The sons are both standing in front of two adult Ice Wyverns holding a conversation with one of them. “There's Electra,” I say. “She looks so happy. There's Paragon with her young daughter and a handsome looking fire wyvern. And, there is Red Alpha with Mike and a young black night stalker. She looks gorgeous. I just can't tell which of the light grays are my son or my Avatar. They look so identical.”

“Now, I can tell,” I answer. “I am standing next to Electra. Chief Traska's sons can't believe that they are actually talking to me.”

“Professor Narcy told them the story of our adventure on Scorched Earth.” answers Dr Sanders. “They found it most fascinating.”

“His warriors were able to recover the three artifacts of Scorched Earth for the tributes in plans for challenging themselves with the Manticore, but, they canceled that challenge. They quickly made the decision that they would do no harm to any of these wonderful creatures for their talons. They said Halsey being one of them was reason enough. They would find another way.”

 

And, they did. They find a loot crate containing the required wyvern talons. But, that is an adventure for another day.

 

[rpicardi1]

Just some screenshots for the story. Here is Electra inside the Dome Ruins. There is a hole in the ceiling of the structure large enough for a wyvern to enter and land there. She can also take off and fly out with ease. As far as a hiding spot, down the ramp or in a corner seems to work well.

Also a screenshot with Red Alpha at my base outside the Argy pen.