Gabrielle's Journal (A Survivor's Experience)

[N7_Sinner]

My name is Gabrielle. I am (well I used to be) a Paleontologist tasked with investigating a string of mysterious fossils appearing throughout the world over the course of human history. I have decided to create this journal in the hopes that someone may stumble upon it should I die here or make it back home. On the bright side, Paper isn’t that hard to make. So, this one should be lengthy and extensive.

 

 

Day 1: It’s a strange world we live in. one moment; I am investigating a strange fossil and a strange diamond-shaped item. The next; I am sucked into some sort of portal…

I woke up on a beach, completely nude and unaware of when or how I got here. I have travelled all over the world and this place is alien to me. After all, the flora here is baffling and unlike any I have ever encountered on my travels. Even more strange, however, is the fauna. After wandering around for at least ten minutes, I saw a dodo; A living, breathing dodo! I had to pinch myself to be sure that I wasn’t dreaming.

Still, it’s strange. Dodos have been extinct for hundreds of years now and such creatures couldn’t possibly exist. I will investigate this place further. Hopefully, I can find the way home and maybe a clue as to where I am and how I got here. Maybe the anomalies I have been tracking and this place are somehow connected?

 

 

Day 1: I am utterly convinced that this place is indeed alien. I haven’t really adjusted to this place and as the night draws closer and the temperature grows cooler one thing is being made apparent to me; clothing is going to be a necessary tool for survival. The problem? I don’t know how to make some of my own.

 

As I began wandering further from the place I awoke from, I spotted a truly remarkable, but unbelievable sight. Towering above the trees was a colossal sauropod! It was a magnificent creature. I was cautious as I approached it and got so close that I could reach out and touch the beast. It made me feel very tiny in this bizarre world. Just as I was getting ready to study it further, however, a loud roar startled us both and caused the ‘Bronto’ to panic. It crashed through a nearby thicket as the roars drew closer.

I hid behind a nearby boulder as yet another large dinosaur made its way into the clearing. It was a Tyrannosaurus and It was much larger than any specimen I have ever seen in museums back home. Its mere presence in the area made my heart stop. I could tell that it was hunting, but was unsure of what it was looking for. Was it hunting the bronto or did it somehow sense my presence? It began making its way towards my hiding place breathing lightly as it hung low to the ground. In a matter of seconds, the rex was hovering right around the boulder as if to get a better idea of where I was.

Just as It began to peer around the boulder, something caught me by surprise. Yelling filled the clearing as a large number of humans leapt from the bushes and attacked the rex without fear or hesitation and within moments, the beast toppled over. I initially thought that the rex was dead, but upon closer inspection, I could see that it was breathing. It didn’t take long for the tribe to find me. I was nervous as I introduced myself and waited for something awful to happen. After all, I was a naked woman surrounded with no way to defend myself.

 

 

However, they weren’t hostile in the least. After the tribe introduced themselves, they offered me some clothing and a place to stay for the night. That was when I noticed something peculiar. One of the women in the group approached the rex and began feeding it some strange bits of food that looked like dog food. As it stirred in its sleep, I was certain that it would wake. She then gave it a handful of strange black berries that seemed to lull the creature back to sleep.

 

I was speechless, these people were able to take a rex down and did it with such skill that they seemed to dance around it. It almost felt like they knew exactly what to do which begged the question… How long have these people been here? I asked to speak with the person in charge and that is when one of the taller, bulkier men cried out. I was stunned to see a beautiful woman make her way into the clearing atop a large raptor. She was actually riding a raptor!

she glanced at me and smiled before asking me who I was and where I came from. I explained the events leading up to my arrival and she grew silent; they all did. She explained that something similar happened to her and her tribe and that they have been here so long that they have forgotten what home was like. As I listened to her story, I came to understand a great deal about this place, but it left me with even more questions about what the tribe has come to call the creators. Why did the creators bring us here? How long have they been doing this to other humans? What do they hope to achieve by bringing us to such a place? How did they create it? Perhaps most important of all; Are the fossils that I have been studying connected? I will take the tribe up on their offer for now, but If I am to return home, I must figure out what the hell is going on.

 

Day 2: I cannot believe these people! They actually had bunk beds, modern weapons, and a large number of tamed creatures at their disposal! How these people managed such a feat is beyond me… It’s almost like I was on an Armed forces base. The large walls surrounding their compound were made of steel and their tribe hierarchy was very well organized. I thought that I would sleep in some sort of makeshift shelter, but this caught me by complete surprise. I should have been more observant… After all, the party that rescued me were dressed in metal armor and had military grade weapons.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this place is how the creatures respond to humans. The rex that almost killed me yesterday is now a loyal battle mount. The tribe even let me name him and gave him to me as a gift of good fortune. Since then, ‘Wrex’ has been a steadfast ally in my search for answers as the wild creatures I have encountered since flee at the mere sight of him. Despite this, my search has produced no answers. I am no closer to getting home and I am beginning to wonder if I ever will.

 

Before I departed from the camp, however, I overheard several tribe scouts speak of a great obelisk that was red in color. They gave me the general direction and some tools to help me on my travels, but without a compass, I fear that I have quickly lost my way.

 

Day 2: I was wandering around trying to find the obelisk that the scouts spoke of when I discovered a most unusual sight. A streak of white light shined down from the sky and not too long after that, a strange object fell from a portal. I followed the light like a moth to a flame and after running several yards, made it to the object. There was some sort of holographic display on the object that vaguely resembled a human hand and as I placed my hand upon it, it opened up to reveal a cache of useful resources and items including a much-needed compass. I am finally ready to seek out the obelisk and maybe some answers…

 

Night 2: The second night came faster than I had imagined it would. Time seems to have been altered by the creators deliberately as if to test us… what’s worse? The tribe warned me of deadly creatures that lurk in the night. One such beast has me scared to wander too far from Wrex. The tribe called them phantoms, but their description of the creature’s physiology and intelligence leads me to believe that their true identities are troodon. If such an animal truly lives on this island, I cannot leave Wrex’s side for even a moment at night.

 

According to the tribe, a pack of troodon attacked a group of veteran scouts several nights before they found me. The few who survived were severely injured in the attack, but left alive. Witness accounts suggest that the troodon utilize some form of nerve toxin that is tailored specifically to paralyze humans. The surviving members watched helplessly as their fellow tribe members and even their tenacious raptors were torn apart by over a dozen troodon. Perhaps even more disturbing than that is fact that the troodon left those men alive deliberately. They attacked the Tribe’s camp only hours later after hunting the men using blood trails as a way to track the men. It seems that they not only learn at an accelerated rate, but enjoy the thrill of the hunt nearly as much as they enjoy tearing their quarry apart after successfully cornering it…

 

Still, Wrex is here with me and I have made a makeshift thatch shelter and a campfire. My experience in crafting has improved over the course of my time here and I feel more confident in my improving abilities. I will need to improve more though. My journey has only started and if I am to see it through, I will need to become smarter, stronger, faster, and tougher than I ever thought possible and will need to learn how to build sturdier structures and weapons. There are many things that Wrex cannot do due to his immense size and I can’t rely on him to protect me when my travels require us to be separated. I need to be strong for both of our sakes.

 

Night 2: I saw one! I saw a troodon wandering just outside of the circle of light created by my campfire. It’s almost as if it was testing me. Fortunately, Wrex saw it too and wrapped his immense tail around me as if to shield me from a suspected attack. For now, it seems that Wrex’s presence in the area will ward off these clever creatures. As I have said before, however, there will come a time when we may have to separate in order for me to find the answers I seek.

Should such an event happen, Wrex cannot protect me from them. I must learn how to defend myself before the troodon learn of this… If I don’t, I will end up just like those scouts. I will not allow myself to become an easy meal for these creatures. At dawn, I will learn how to craft sturdier structures and, hopefully, find the materials I need to craft a weapon. For now, I will retreat indoors and hope that Wrex can maintain a silent vigil as I sleep.

 

Day 3: I couldn’t sleep last night. The combination of Werx’s growling and the troodon’s shill cries was enough to send chills down my spine. I dared not to set foot outside of my hut to feed the fire as I wouldn’t see an attack coming if I did. Regardless of these shortcomings, I have learned a great deal over the course of the morning. Another loot cache provided me with the blueprints necessary to create a wooden building and I have spent hours memorizing all of them. I have also applied some of my time into learning how to hunt and create armor made out of hide. Wrex has been immensely helpful in this regard as he is able to store large amounts of meat and hide inside large pockets built into the saddle that the tribe provided me with. His hunting expertise has also helped me become a better hunter.

I am not saying that he is smart enough to teach me, but I am smart enough to observe his actions and replicate the results. How the creatures on the island perform such complicated tasks after being tamed is beyond me. Even more impressive is the fact that I created several spears out of some wood, plant fibers and flint that I had mined from boulders around my campsite. They aren’t impressive when compared to the tribe’s more advanced weaponry, but the simple, act of replicating the results to create multiple spears has left me quite gratified.

 

Such a feat would have been difficult for me back home. I have the tribe to thank for that though as were it not for the fact that they provided me with a metal pick, mining and creating one of my own would have been virtually impossible. Aside from that, I have also begun to experiment with the various fauna around this island to cook something to eat. For the time being, a berry and meat stew should sate my hunger. I knew how to cook before coming here, but with such a limited ingredient list, I will have to make do with this surprisingly delicious concoction.

 

Day 3: This island is truly magnificent. As Wrex and I were travelling to the Red Obelisk, we almost careened over a Cliffside that fell into a huge swamp. The wildlife was significantly more unique here. I could see large paraceratherium gorging themselves on the canopies of great tress seemingly unaware of the giant frogs that were hopping around beneath their feet. I looked around to see if I could find a way down and found a ramp that was safe enough for Wrex to descend with me. I thought that this would have been a great opportunity to learn a new skill. I had spotted many creatures that I wanted to tame for companionship and for the purpose of gathering and carrying large quantities of goods. While the paraceratherium would certainly be able to achieve the latter, I wanted a creature that would be more of the former.

 

After searching the swamp for nearly ten minutes, I found a very strange looking creature. A lone dimetrodon was wading near the water’s edge snatching fish as it skulked along. As I drew closer to it, it had been made apparently clear that it didn’t perceive my presence as a threat. In fact, it seemed to ignore me altogether. Then, I noticed something wonderful. The air around the creature was significantly cooler than the surrounding air. It was a relief after wandering around in a humid swamp for a while. I had spent a great deal of my time today using the strange black berries that I had observed the other day to create a powerful narcotic and, after creating a bow and several dozen arrows, dipped my arrowheads into the fluid and now, it was time to put them to use. I drew back my bow and launched an arrow right into the side of the reptile.

 

That was when it finally leapt into action. The skulking creature roared and then charged at me. I maintained my cool as I drew another arrow, drew my bow and launched another arrow. This time, the arrow lodged itself into the shoulder of the dimetrodon which stumbled it. The creature’s legs began to shake as it tried to recovered from it’s fall, but before it could charge me again, it toppled over and blacked out. I sprang into action immediately. I quickly grabbed some meat from Wrex’s saddle and hand fed the dimetrodon. Whenever it stirred, I was quick to pour narcotic fluid into its mouth to keep it asleep.

 

I repeated this process for nearly five minutes before my efforts had finally paid off. The dimetrodon nuzzled me as it stood up and I gave it some medical fluid to heal its wounds. After the dimetrodon had recovered fully, I identified its gender and named her. Aura seemed perfect given her ability to warm or cool the air around her to keep me safe from the elements. It will take more time before I learn how to do this as efficiently as the tribe did. Perhaps there is an alternate food source that the creatures respond better to?

 

Day 3: I have been wandering the nearly endless swamp for hours now and I feel as if I am no closer to the obelisk. More than that, however, is the fact the creators seem intent on keeping me from learning what I can about this place. Time has once again been altered and the sun is starting to set. My companions are growing weary and it won’t be long before we have to stop to make camp.

 

Night 3: Aura is a truly magnificent creature. The temperature has little effect on her and it is a relief to learn that she can not only keep me cool in hot days, but keep me warm in cool nights. Still, as the darkness settles in, the creatures of the night begin to come out of hiding. I can already hear the distinct cries of the troodon all around me and my companions. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the troodon from last night have been studying me all day. I cannot be sure what to expect tonight. It is possible that the troodon may have learned of my weakness and have already formulated a dozen different ways to attack me.

I am ready though I have spent nearly all day training in preparation for the long night ahead. If the creators are indeed manipulating time, then it is likely that they have plans to extend time tonight to see what I have learned (or they simply have a twisted sense of humor). In any case, I must test myself tonight. I have opted to remain outdoors for the duration of the night. I will stick close to my animals, but have pacified them until I have need of them. I can only Hope that it won’t come to that.

 

Night 3: The glow of their eyes scares me. There are at least six of them darting in and out of sight as if they are toying with me. I am courting death simply by writing this entry as my focus should be elsewhere. Still, I need to log their behavior should I perish during the extended night. I will hold my ground though. They are mounting for an…

 

Day 4: My wounds are aching. I can feel the after effects of their paralyzing venom. As I write, my body is quivering and going numb, my eyes are growing heavy, and I can no longer stand on my own. Despite this, I have four dead troodon lying at my feet. My training paid off, but nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced during their assault. The bastards were learning while they attacked me. I knew that they were quick learners, but this fight showed me that they could learn faster than humans. Their cunning was matched by their tenacity.

 

The first leapt out at me as I was writing followed closely by the second. I grabbed a spear, impaled the first, and hurled it into the second. It was quick to recover and after it got up, it called the rest of the pack. That was when I saw a full display of their prowess. They communicated with each other and grew far more organized as the fight dragged on. That was when I understood the danger I was in. I was distracted by a duo of troodon when another flanked me and scratched my arm. They had caught me by surprise! Their guerilla tactics were beginning to take a toll on me the longer the fight dragged on. It seemed like hours before I finally felled three more. Fortunately, they retreated before the fight dragged on any further, but the fatigue caused by their attacks was too much to sustain. I whistled at Wrex and signaled him to assume an attack stance. I don’t remember too much after that…

 

Day 4: The pain flowing though my body surged and caused me to collapse. Not only was the venom slow to act, but the amount of blood I have lost during and after the attack had done little to remedy the situation I find myself in. I am lying atop Wrex right now and he is doing his best to move where I need him to, but it is getting difficult to hold the reigns. I fear that I may soon black out again, but I need to find the red obelisk before I do.

 

Day 4: I am fortunate indeed. tribe scouts were patrolling the area near the red obelsk and upon recognizing Wrex, came to my aid immediately. They tried their best to get something of a response from me, but I was out cold. Fearing the worst, they guided Wrex and Aura back to their outpost near the obelisk and went to work. I remember fragments of various conversations and a faint red glow coming from the towering structure. Time passed quickly for me that day.

 

Day 7: I finally woke up today. The tribe scouts were prepared for the worst and had vials of anti-toxins at the ready should they have been attacked by troodon. Fortunately, the fighting took a toll on the troodon as well. Still, the scouts warned me against fighting them alone again as they are now aware of my weaknesses in combat and will only grow stronger for it.

 

I emerged from the tent and was immediately nuzzled by Wrex. One of the scouts had told me that Wrex watched over the tent as I was sleeping. They also told me that despite his limited capacity for emotion, he seemed to instinctively try to comfort me when I struggled in my sleep. This island grows more curious the longer I am here, but I am determined, now more than ever, to unravel its secrets. I want to go home, but this place seems to have a mysterious effect on me… I will ponder this strange thought later. Now, it is time to study this obelisk.

 

Day 10: I have studied the strange pedestal beneath the towering obelisk for three days and am no closer to uncovering a way to use it to go home. Is there any way to use it in such a manner? I have seen tribe members use it as a gateway, but where these portals open to is beyond me as it seems that I cannot use it despite the other’s being able to use it. Despite this setback, I am determined to learn more about it.

 

In my initial study, I noticed that the holographic panel displayed three distinctly colored portals. Alongside these portals was a lion’s head encircled by a familiar set of symbols. They were ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Egyptians were brought to this place! The hieroglyphs translated to “when you who is worthy places your hand upon this mighty beast’s head, you will awaken in a scorched earth where flying beasts threaten you with poison and fire. Take heed. For there is one beast who rules above all here whose might and fury strikes an undying fear in the hearts of the unworthy.”

 

How fascinating. If this is to be believed, there is more going on outside of this island… However, this raises several questions. The most important one being why the creators created portals to other worlds. If their goal is truly to test our survivability, I can think of no better place than a scorched earth. A desert world. Still, I am not ready for this challenge. Getting home is more important to me. Can I though? This place is pure, untouched by civilization.

 

My urge to learn more about this world is equal only to my wonder of it. Was that the creators’ true intention for this place? My time spent here has been nothing short of trying, but I feel much stronger as a human being for it. why am I feeling this way? Why am I conflicted with my decision to leave? It has been my goal since I woke up on that beach a week ago, to return home. Now that I am so close to finding the answers I was seeking, why do I hesitate? I suppose all that I can do for the remainder of the day is to contemplate my feelings and decide what I truly want…

 

Night 10: I am no closer to understanding why I am feeling conflicted about leaving… I’ve never felt like this in all of my years of traveling the world. The sounds of troodon skirting the camp is truly terrifying and is keeping me from falling asleep. Every cry I hear forces me remember the night of the attack and painfully reminds me that I was almost killed. Despite this, I want to remain here. Why? I wanted nothing more than to return home, to find answers. I am so close to that goal now… and yet…

 

Night 10: I saw something unbelievable a short time ago. The scouts released their captured dodos into the confines of a large pen just outside of the camp, but they never closed the gate. At first, I wondered why they left the gate open, but then I saw a pack of troodon closing in. I was going to close the gate, but one of the scouts told me to lay low and remain silent. I watched as the troodon entered the pen and hunt the dodos. The pen was fairly large and the troodon had plenty of space to perform coordinated assaults against the witless birds.

 

One by one, the birds were killed; each one a meal for a troodon. It was then that they looked right at us and slowly crept towards us. I prepared a spear, but that is when I saw the unthinkable. One of the troodon walked right up to one of the scouts and gently nuzzled him. I was taken aback by this. Where did the scouts learn the method of pacifying troodon? My thought was interrupted by a sensation. While I was lost in thought, I neglected to notice that one of them walked right up to me and began nuzzling my arm. I was scared and almost attacked the creature defensively, but hesitated and regained my composure once I realized that the creature meant me no harm.

 

I sat for a while and caressed its feathers as it lied down to sleep with its head in my lap. I was unsure of how to feel about it at first, but I caught myself smiling. Even the most terrifying creatures on this island can be tamed. The scouts warned me that I must provide it with an opportunity to hunt or it would eventually turn on me. I was quick to understand the dangers of keeping a troodon as an ally. I eventually discovered that the troodon was a female and named her Troody. I thought that the name was cute enough to offset her vicious nature. She didn’t seem to respond well to the name to my amusement…

 

Day 11: I’ve decided that I was going to spend today hunting with Troody. I need to develop my skills and build Troody and I’s relationship further if I am to survive the trials I face. Still, it is a strange feeling working with Troody. Days ago, I was almost killed by a pack of troodon. Now, I share company with one. I even startled another survivor when we crossed paths. She explained to me that she was cataloging the various species residing on the island and beyond.

 

I was impressed with her work. Her dossiers of each creature incorporated beautiful illustrations of each creature she saw and she even asked me if I would provide information of a troodon’s behavior in the wild and the method in which to tame one. I was happy to answer her questions and allow her to draw a detailed illustration of Troody for her dossier. I was ecstatic to have Troody featured in a dossier containing information of troodons. After we had concluded our business, I said goodbye and got back to the hunt. Troody really seemed to appreciate continuing our hunt.

 

Day 11: Our hunt went exceptionally well. We were able to coordinate with one another. As soon as an arrow hit a target, Troody sprang into action and pursued the injured animal. Eventually, the target would die from the number of arrows lodged into its hide or would collapse from the lack of stamina caused by Trrody’s vicious bites. Each time we brought down a creature, I could see a visible difference in Troody’s behavior towards me.

 

While she seemed weary at first, we are now a team. Her mental prowess compliments my own and I feel as if we are really working together to bring our targets down. I never considered the idea that this behavior could even exist in such a dangerous creature. As I write this entry, her eyes and head dart back and forth as they follow the pencil. She reminds me of a large cat. Her curiosity is a welcome reflection of my own. In some ways, I feel that she wants to learn more about me as if to develop a stronger bond.

 

Still, I cannot help but remember the scout’s warning. As docile as she is now, she may one day turn into an enemy that will know everything there is to know about me. Therein lies the danger. I won’t let it come to that though. I’ve come to respect the creatures of this world and feel grateful to the creatures I count as my friends. Without them, I never would have come this far. Troody will only help me grow stronger, smarter, and faster as we spend more time together.

 

Night 11: By now, I am setting up camp in under five minutes. One thing I will never get used to, however, is the sound of a troodon’s shrill cries. They are gathering outside the camp, but only seem to be interested in observing the scouts and I as we conduct ourselves in a unique nightly activity. It’s strange… Despite the amount of time the people here have been stranded, they have kept an acute memory of the date. I am aiding them in decorating for the upcoming Halloween celebration. I couldn’t help but laugh after they greeted me in Halloween masks when I returned from my hunt with Troody.

 

The landscape, moon, and even the creatures have been altered to reflect the coming of Halloween. The moon now glows with a bright orange tint, the landscape is dotted with pumpkin patches, graveyards, and skeletal dinosaurs. I almost wet myself when I saw that Wrex had received a “costume” from one of the tribe scouts as a joke to scare me.

 

Night 11: The stories these scouts have to tell of a creature known only as the Dodorex are truly terrifying. One tells of its immense size and ability to breathe fire while another tells of its ability to lead an army of zombie dodos. The second tale, while terrifying, is rather humorous to think about. Dodos are the least threatening creature on the island. Why, then, does this beast choose to lead an army of them? I chuckled at the thought. Still, as I look around and see the scouts working together, surviving, I cannot help but to think about my conflicted heart. This place is a marvel of science, a beautiful place untouched by civilization… I cannot pretend that this world has not a radical effect on me as a human being. I feel like I am part of something wonderful here.

 

The tribe scouts officially initiated me into their tribe upon my return from my hunt. I felt honored to be part of something bigger than myself, but joining has only made me feel more conflicted about leaving…