fanfiction Florian's Journal Chapter 4 (A Tower in the Sky and the "Noob" Mistake)

[FlorianWind9]

HELLO!!!

I would like to dedicate this chapter to all the innocent creature tames that have been killed within Ark Survival Evolved over the years. I don't mean the ones who were sent into battle by their war hungry masters, or those who died a valiant death defending their homes. No; I mean the ones who were mercilessly, or in some cases accidentally, killed while set to passive and therefore were unable to defend themselves or even run away. Those innocent creatures who had just been heeding the command of their master, minding their own business, and didn't have an aggressive bone in their bodies. Such deaths have been the source of great pain within the game; not only for those who lost beloved pets, but also for many who had mistaken the creature for a threat; only to discover too late what they had done. 

To Celebrate the Existence of This Game, and to Mourn the approach of its Death, I offer this chapter in dedication to all those innocent tames.

FIRSTLY: I would like to state that this story is NONFICTION, meaning that every event is completely true and really did happen. wildcard did not provide a nonfiction prefix for me to choose, only a fanfiction one, so I guess that's what I have to go with...

SECONDLY:

IMPORTANT CONTEXT!!

                The events of this story are Very Heavily based upon the true life events experienced through the perspective of the player character Florian, Nine, Wind. The events are marginally smoothed to convert video game aspects into real life description, and ever so slightly dramatized for entertainment purposes; to make the story more enjoyable.

                  These events occurred within the online video game “Ark Survival Evolved” which is owned by “Studio Wildcard”. So…while the original life events occurred through Florian and the other player characters mentioned within this story; the world scenery and visual assets, as well as the in-game story elements, were created by and are owned by “Studio Wildcard”.

              These events occurred majoritively upon the “Official The Island Server 39”, with only the very ending occurring upon the “Official The Island Server 2”; and the planned Epilogue on the “Official Ragnarok Server 65”; all of which no longer exist. Server 39 and 2 would be considered "Legacy Servers" if they still existed. Server 65 would be considered a "Modern Server Soon To Be Ended" if it also still existed.

               The player created events of this story occurred between the time period of the game’s early access launch, on the online video-game hosting service “Steam” owned by “Valve”, which debuted on June 2, 2015; and just slightly beyond the game’s "full 1.0 release" on August 29, 2017. More specifically; the story of Florian’s journey, which would be depicted within the completed version of this book(If I ever manage to fully complete it), transpired approximately between November 28, 2015 and November 4, 2017.

                I am hoping that this story will be a way for people who love Ark; that have friends that don't like playing video games; or not open world sand box video games; but who may like to read; to show those friends what the game Ark Survival Evolved is really like; or at least what it CAN be. I am also hoping to convey to those who may read it what This Video Game Has Meant To Me Personally.

              So...Without Further ADO...I Hope You Enjoy!

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Chapter 4

A Tower in the Sky

And The “Noob” Mistake

                I revived upon the island in yet another new location. I stood to find myself on a wide, sandy beach; sparsely covered in familiar berry bushes and beach trees, which extended quite a ways inland before gradually transitioning into a gently sloping grassy hill; which itself transitioned into a sparsely treed, moderately sloping knoll with a denser forest behind it.

            To my left, the beach extended in a fairly straight line as far down as I could see; with a fifty or so foot high cliff gradually rising above, and running alongside it…many large boulders could be seen piled at its base.  Far off into the distance, I could see a large sandbar running parallel to the coastline; and connected on one side, so that it created a small lake-like inlet of ocean water. To my right, the beach curved around and out of sight after about forty yards; so that I starred upon a seemingly endless expanse of water beyond it. The shore on this side rose even more gradually into a small, sparsely treed, grassy mound; and as my eyes followed along its incline, they grew intensely wide with surprise…as I saw what appeared to be just a short distance beyond it; ‘an absolutely enormous…metallic…floating tower…with a large beam of red light pulsating in lightning flashes of energy; which shot up from the ground through its four-pronged hollow center!’

           The beam of red light converged into a smaller, more concentrated shaft of energy as it left the tower’s sharply pointed summit; escaping into the endlessly blue sky. Most interesting of all though…was that on two of the tower’s four sides, approximately two-thirds of the way up, was; ‘a large diamond-shaped symbol…which precisely resembled the metallic diamond-shaped implant below my left wrist!’

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          At last! I had found something which might provide me with some answers! I decided right then and there that; ‘I had to reach the tower at any cost!’ After all the suffering I had been through…after all the brutal deaths…I felt I was owed an explanation!

          However…though the tower appeared to be quite close…I knew that looks could be deceiving when it came to large, distant objects. From this position, there was no telling for sure how far away it truly was; and with so many dangerous creatures inhabiting the island…there was no guarantee that I’d be able to make it, before getting killed again...

          With the shoreline in that direction curving out of view behind a hill, it made it difficult to gauge distant threat as well. ‘What if I found myself confronted with a Carnotaurus?; or an Utah-Raptor?; or a Dilophosaurous?; or some other dangerous beast?’ With that in mind, I determined that a little preparation was needed before I attempted this trek. ‘It was time that I made a weapon!’

            With no time to lose I strode quickly over to a weak looking sapling, which was a little taller than myself, and bent it; twisted it; until it snapped off at its base! Swiftly I tore off its leaves, and broke off its straggly branches; until I had a nice, straight staff of wood about as tall as myself; and as thick around as my wrist!

            I then picked up a solid, sharp looking rock from near the cliff; and began scrapping it vigorously against one end of the wooden rod; slowly sharpening it into a long and deadly point. After about a half-hour of diligent effort, at last, I had a sturdy spear!

            With a weapon finally in hand, I wasted no more time in making my way towards the gigantic floating tower!

            I followed the beach’s curvature alongside the water’s edge, as I cautiously made my way towards the tower; figuring that it’d be safer being in the open where I could see for long distances, rather than try to cut through the concealing forest up the incline. Fortunately however…it turned out that it wasn’t much farther away than around the bend of the hill; just another forty yards or so down the coastline.

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            As I made my way around the curving sand…I could see that the tower appeared to be floating over a very large, circular hole; which seemed to have been cut out of the shoreline, so that the ocean’s water had come flooding in to fill it as a huge circular inlet. The cavity’s steep, vertical sides were made of the hard rock it had been carved from; except for the edge touching the ocean, which was open; apart from a separated piece of land between two channels, that allowed the water into the unnatural inlet.

           Four large spires of rock rose around the mainland side of the pit; curving like claws up towards the floating tower in its center. Each of the pinnacles seemed infused with an equally alien looking technology, which resembled that of the tower itself; like-wise pulsating with red energy. There was also a fifth; similarly looking claw-like spire of rock upon the large, separated mound of land on the crater’s ocean-facing side; which pulsated red with infused metallic technology.

          As I continued to make my way towards it…I could see a large, platform-like pillar of the same rock; which rose up from the center of the water filled inlet, towards the base of the tower. I couldn’t tell for certain…from my vantage point a ways down on the beach…but it looked as though there were some sort of metal podium on top of that central rocky pillar; with a concentrated ray of pulsating red light flowing from its center, up through the hollow middle of the floating tower. I wasn’t sure how…but I knew that; ‘I had to make it to that point of light!’

          Traveling farther along the coastline’s arc, towards the base of the circular inlet, I noticed what appeared to be a gently sloping path; beginning on the beach near the bottom of the excavation, and continuing upwards as it followed along its inner edge. ‘Surely that path is no natural feature’, I thought; ‘it must take you up to the top of that central pillar of rock somehow.’

          With renewed haste, I ran towards the assumed pathway quickly as I could! My steps suddenly slowed however…as I saw the deadly…bloodthirsty form of a Dillo, blocking my way. The Dillo was standing right at the bottom of the path, which I suspected lead up to the tower! Memories of my deaths flooding to mind…I just stood there for a moment; hoping the Dillo would move along to some other locale. However…despite the fact that I was close enough for it to have seen me…it just kept standing there; casually swinging its tail, and looking around unconcerned.

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          This Dillo…wasn’t moving. It wasn’t even coming to attack me! It was as if it were purposefully blocking my way; daring me to try and get past it! ‘I was so close!’ I screamed in my mind with bitter frustration! ‘I have to get to that tower at any cost! I need answers! Nothing is going to stop me!’

          I gripped the spear tightly in my hands, and charged towards the Dillo! ‘It was Time for Revenge!’

          Yelling a battle cry; I was surprised to see the Dillo not take even the slightest bit of aggressive action, as I plunged the spear deep into its chest! The Dillo let out a painful and surprised sounding screech as I, not wanting to give it the chance to strike back, quickly pulled the spear out; and stabbed it straight up through the roof of its open mouth…burying the pointed end deep into its brain tissue! With this, the creature went limp…sliding off the end of my spear, as I angled it downwards in adrenaline induced exhaustion...

         Breathing heavily…I stood there for a moment; the creature’s blood slowly dripping off the red-soaked end of my spear... ‘I had done it…...I had done it! I had actually managed to kill one of these vicious beasts, and get revenge for all the suffering I’d been through!’ It was at this moment…as the victorious thought entered my mind…that I felt a sharp pain swiftly slice through my neck, from one side to the other; severing my head from my body, and sending me back to the void of death.

          ……again………I had died again…… With no warning and within a matter of seconds, I had been torn away from my moment of triumph……sent back to the empty void that always seemed to await me... But still. I had finally managed to take revenge, and kill one of my enemies! Even the pain of another sudden demise, couldn’t take that fact of conquering achievement away! I had absolutely no idea what had killed me this time but; ‘if I could come to kill even one of the deadly monsters on this death-filled island, then surely…surely…I could manage to learn how to kill them all in time!’

          Despite not having managed to reach the tower, and obtain the answers I was due, I quickly revived upon the island; with my spirit un-dampened, and my will to survive born anew! In a flash of blinding light, once again reappearing on the island, it was then; that I heard what may have been the most terrifying sound yet!

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         “SHHIITT!! DAMMIT!!” The familiar male sounds of the English Human language reverberated foreignly in my ears, as I heard them for the first time since finding myself washed upon this island of death!

          In a hopeful panic, I jumped quickly to my feet; swiveling my head franticly in attempt to find the source of the words! Yet…although I had once again appeared upon an open-sandy-beach, which stretched for miles in either direction…and though the sound had seemed loud enough to have been said right beside me…I could see no-one.

          Beginning to wonder if all this isolation and trauma had already begun to cause my mind to crack, I suddenly heard a second male’s voice respond calmly to the first; in an Australian sounding accent; “What’s the matter mate?”

         Startled, I fell backwards into the ocean water with a splash! The response had also sounded loud and clear enough, I could’ve sworn the person had been standing right beside me! But…there was no-one for miles. As the first voice began to respond to the second…it was then I realized…the sound was coming from the metallic, diamond-shaped implant embedded into the flesh below my left wrist!

        Dumbfounded…I stared blankly at the implant, as the first voice bellowed out in a furious tone; “ANOTHER EFFING; BARE-ASS NOOB; JUST KILLED ONE OF MY DILLOS!! I turn away from it for two seconds, to grab it some meat, and another RANDOM BEACH BOB COMES UP; AND STABS IT IN THE FACE!! I’M GETTING SICK OF THIS CRAP!!”

         A heavy weight suddenly settled upon my heart, as I realized that the random murderous ‘Beach Bob?’ had been me... The Dillo I’d just killed…hadn’t attacked me on sight…because, apparently…it must’ve been a tame one. Somehow…this person must have managed to condition the Dillo not to attack humans. It hadn’t been purposefully blocking my path…it hadn’t been taunting me and my weakness…it had merely been heeding its master’s instructions to stay, and wait until he had returned…

        Guilty tears sprung to my eyes, as I heard the second voice answer back in the same calm manner; “Well, that’s what you get for hanging out on the beaches mate. I keep tellin you; ‘They’re called BEACH BOBS or BEACH JANES for a reason.’ I keep tellin you; ‘The Southern Beaches are called NOOB ZONES for a reason.’ Rando Noobs can’t help being Noobs…that’s why we call’em Noobs...

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         …If you don’t want your dinos to get killed, then stay off the beaches; or command your tames to be aggressive with strangers.”

        The first voice merely grumbled in response…and then once again, there were only the sounds of the breeze and the ocean waves; with a random sea-gull call mixed in...

        A flood of emotions, which I had yet to experience in my time upon this isle, began overwhelming my senses! ...A mixture of Guilt; Sorrow; Sincerely Tentative Hope; Intensely Burning Curiosity; and a Cautious Dread, as the until now given-up-hope-for realization slowly set in that…; ‘There are Others?!’

Edited July 16, 2023 by FlorianWind9