Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 83: Last Supper

Warren and Sam walked out of the Capital’s airport and were greeted with a blast of warm, humid air that soaked their bodies in a luscious heat. Warren shielded his eyes with his hand, and he saw Son, Calem, and Jack waiting for them on the runway.

“I don’t mind soaking in the sun at the beach and getting a tan,” Calem commented, looking at Son’s skin, “I want something like Son’s.”

Son rolled his eyes, one hand in his pocket and the other holding onto a protein bar, which he was munching down on.

“I’m sure you do.”

Jack gasped in wonder at the city before them. There were tons of buildings scattered about the island, each one so tall they seemingly reached the clouds. Mansions and other huge homes were placed on the cliffs, facing the ocean’s fierce waves. There were definitely not as many people at the Capital as there were at Star City, but there were still a lot. The people, wearing t-shirts and shorts because of the weather, were walking along the streets, chatting about everyday life.

“Sheesh it’s hot here,” Calem said, fanning his face with the book. Even with loose clothing he seemed to already be sweating, “I’m not sure I like it.”

“It’s hotter than I anticipated,” Jack said, adjusting the scarf that was around his neck. Son looked around the area, confused.

“So the President lives here, right? Where is he?” Son asked, scratching his head. Jack seemed dumbfounded by Son’s question.

“You don’t know where the President lives? Everyone knows! Even me!” Jack exclaimed. Son gave Jack an annoyed look.

“I’m new here, to be honest. I’ve only been around here since 2026. Last year. So could you blame me?”

“Huh? You moved here?” Sam asked, her hands on her hips.

“Yeah. I came from the Western States. California, more specifically. That’s how I got my tan,” Son grinned. His grin faded away.

“I heard it’s ghetto there. Lots of violence,” Warren commented the obvious.

“It is. Why do you think I moved?” Son said, “It’s not like education was any good either. And the justice system was flawed in a lot of ways. So yeah. My family and I moved here. But now I’m really beginning to regret it, with everything going on right now. I did NOT think that my nephew would be placed on an island which happened to be the game we used to play,” Son said, his eyes squinted and his lips curving into an annoyed frown.

“And hey, I didn’t ask for it either but here we are,” Warren interrupted Son, “To answer your question, the President lives over there.’

Warren pointed his finger into the inner depths of the city, closer to the center of the island. There were large walls surrounding the perimeter of the inner city, and a huge tower jutted into view from the center of the inner city. It was shaped like a diamond near the top.

“That’s the ‘Obelisk’,” Warren explained, “It’s located in the Inner City of the Capital, which only government officials and law enforcement may access. The President lives there and does all his work there. Right at the tippy top is his office.”

“But how are we supposed to get to the President if we can’t access the Inner City?” Jack asked, scratching his head. A group of tourists watched the five, pointing fingers and whispering amongst each other. Sam looked at the tourists with a glare, adjusting her outfit.

“Let’s go somewhere more private. People are gonna think we’re scheming something,” Sam whispered to them. Jack opened his mouth to speak,

“But we are-”

“Shhhh,” Son hushed him. Jack apologized profusely. The five quickly made their way to the beach, where there weren’t as many people. A few ladies were laying on beach mats with their backs facing the sky, the rays of sunshine casted upon their tanning bodies. Children played in the waters, splashing each other and dunking each other into the waves, while adults and teens were playing volleyball at the nets, hitting the ball to each other and yelling in delight.

The five found a spot near a cliff where there was some shade, and began to plan.

~

After a half hour of scheming, all of them had concocted a game plan to reach the President. It would be a very risky plan, and there was a high chance that one if not most of them would die. Warren didn’t want to dawn on the thought, nor did he want to give them false hopes. The others recognized the threat and were willing to put their lives on the lines for their families.

For starters, they would need weapons. Guns, to be specific. With Sam being the only person in their team authorized to obtain them, Sam would enter the Inner City first and get them from the nearest police station, hopefully without being caught. After all, police officers were only allowed one firearm. If she were caught the whole plan would be foiled.

Then, during the night, when security was less tight than it is during the day, they’d climb the walls that surrounded the Inner City with Son’s rock climbing gear. Jack had suggested they blew it all down, but they preferred not to be caught. After all, the Capital was the United Republic of Democracies’ most coveted and precious city. They would easily be bombarded with police and military units alike. Being caught was not an option, no matter what.

And finally, they’d enter the Obelisk and interrogate the President at gunpoint. Once they got the information they’d need, they’d figure the rest out. Hopefully, if things went right, they might even manage to make the President release the scholars back onto Earth. Warren hoped this was the case, but chances were unlikely. The best case scenario was that there was a way to reach that island and get everyone off safely, one way or another.

It was already noon by the time they were done planning. The first step of the plan was already in action, and Sam was getting their guns at the moment. They were waiting in a hotel room close to the walls of the Inner City, waiting for Sam to return. Jack was already beginning to sweat, his leg bouncing up and down like a pogo stick.

“Truth be told, I’m scared,” Jack admitted, looking out the window, “I don’t think I’d be able to forgive myself if I died. What would Lil Jack think? I don’t know what he’d do without anyone to hold onto. I… Don’t want him to continue living his life as a rag tag thug. I want him to change like I did.”

Son looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s what you call your kid? Lil Jack?” Son snorted. Jack nodded silently.

“Yeah. Jackie, technically, but I like to call him that for short,” Jack said. Calem sighed, putting a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“I’m scared too, Jack. I want to see my little brother, Rick, again and just read a good book with him… But we have to put these thoughts aside. We can’t let it hold us back,” Calem told him, “They won’t survive otherwise.”

Son nodded, rolling his head back and massaging his neck.

“Calem’s right. Just be brave. Turn that anger for the President into the motivation we need to stop this once and for all.”

Jack looked at everyone with a smile.

“Thanks guys. Thanks.”

Warren looked out the window to see Sam approaching the hotel with Son’s large backpack strapped around her shoulder. Warren turned to the others.

“I need to tell you all something,” Warren finally said. All eyes turned to him.

~

As Sam entered the hotel room, she chucked the backpack onto the bed and took a seat on the sofa, turning her head to face the others.

“I got the guns. So are we just gonna wait around for night and head out?”

Jack got up from his seat, a little nervous.

“No. We’re going out for dinner. A last supper before our mission,” Jack claimed. Sam seemed surprised by this. Her eyes were wide in shock, but she had no complaints.

“I suppose. So, where are we going to eat?”

~

The five were standing in front of a bustling, busy restaurant near the beach. There were a lot of palm trees surrounding the building, dew collecting at the tips of leaves and dripping down onto the concrete ground. Warren looked up at the sign of the restaurant: Humble Jungle Grill.

“How about this one? I can smell the good food from inside,” Warren suggested, looking at everyone for an answer. Calem took a whiff of the air and nodded.

“Sounds good.”

Jack gave him the thumbs up, and Son nodded along. Sam smiled at the sight of the restaurant.

“I like the idea too. Let’s go,” Sam smiled. Warren looked at her smile with soft eyes.

“I haven’t seen Sammy smile like this in a long time,” Warren thought. Warren pulled his gaze away from Samuel and walked inside of the restaurant. He could hear the sound of a grill sizzling, and the clinking of glasses.

“Hey, table of five?” the waiter asked from the counter. Warren nodded his head. The waiter showed them a table that had seven chairs.

“We have a free table here. There are menus waiting for you there.”

All five of them walked over to the table and took a seat. Jack took a seat next to Son while Sam sat next to Warren again, making his heart jump in shock. Calem sat right next to Son.

“Alright what do y’all want to get?” a waitress asked, walking up to them. All five of them took a quick look at the menu, put their orders in, and the waitress left to go to the kitchen.

The table was completely silent. Could Warren blame them? This could be their last supper for all they knew. Sam eyed the bread basket hungrily. Warren recalled the little food Sam ate after their divorce and her wild change in behavior. It must have all been to spite him, but ever since the two began working together to uncover the mystery of their missing son, she was slowly returning to her old self. Warren pushed the detail past to the side though. Sam was probably just getting exhausted playing this game.

“But the plane was different,” Warren thought. He shook his head. No. That didn’t count. They had both been through that together, but it wouldn’t change Sam’s undying hatred for Warren. For letting their daughter down.

“That’s why I have to do this,” Warren pondered, blinking his eyes.

Sam looked like she was about to reach her hand out to grab a piece of bread, but finally she snatched it from the basket, munching down on it hungrily. Warren smirked at the sight, and Sam gave him a look, turning a slight shade of red.

Sam took a moment to pause, wiping her lips with a napkin,

“I don’t wanna hear it.”

Warren’s smirk stayed.

“Right, right.”

Unlike the other three, who were deep in conversation, Sam and Warren were a lot more awkward. The two stopped talking for a moment, looking off at the other customers of the restaurant. There were mostly couples eating here, which made Sam even more red.

“It’s not so bad,” Sam finally continued, taking another bite out of the bread. Even though they were sitting with the other three, their conversations were drowned out by the two of them. “I… Like this. It’s nice just eating good foods, telling bad jokes… Having a fun time.”

Sam’s expression softened, her lips curving into a smile. She looked at Warren’s eyes.

“I want to go back to how things were.”

Warren looked back at Sam’s smile, smiling back.

“Me too. If you’re willing to put it all behind… We can do it.”

Sam blinked her eyes slowly. Warren glanced at her soft, luscious lips. He noticed Sam’s head lean in slowly.

“Here’s your food, ladies and gentlemen!” the waiter interrupted their moment, placing plates down onto the table. Jack looked at the food with stars in his eyes, and Calem began to rub his hands together softly. Son smiled at the look of the food.

“This looks delicious!” Jack commented, taking a fork and a knife and cutting into the delicious steak. Calem grabbed a drinking glass, filled with grape juice, and held it up in the air.

“Cheers to saving our families!” Calem shouted. Everyone took their own glass and clinked it into Calem’s and each other’s.

“To saving our families,” they all replied.

They spent the rest of the evening dining and enjoying their last moments before their big mission. And although Warren couldn’t help but feel the heartstrings tugging, he could wait. He was a patient man.

~

After they were done, they paid off the bill and headed back to their hotel room. Son, Calem, and Jack all took a shower in the three bathrooms provided to them by the hotel, leaving Warren and Sam in the living room by themself. Sam smirked at him.

“Wanna continue where we left off?” Sam asked. Warren smiled back.

“Of course.”

The two walked up to each other and mashed their lips together.