Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 85: Judgement Day

Warren patrolled the streets quietly, hiding away in his black hoodie and his black sweatpants. He had his gun hidden away in his holster, and his eyes glanced back and forth to ensure that nobody was following him, and that nobody was watching him.

“I hope Sammy doesn’t try following me,” Warren thought gloomily, his head hung low, “And I hope she understands why I had to do this.”

The streets were eerily quiet this time of night. Not a single soul could be found in sight, and the only source of light were the dim streetlights that dotted the roads. All of the buildings had their lights left off, except for the Obelisk, smack dab in the middle of the Capital. Warren peered up at the building but couldn’t see anybody inside. The Capital seemed like a ghost town during the night. Something about it gave him chills, as if he shouldn’t be doing this.

“I can’t bring the others though,” Warren told himself, as he got closer and closer to the walls of the Inner City, “I won’t let them die on my watch.”

Warren finally reached the wall. He pressed the palm of his hand against the concrete, and he leaned his forehead against it. Everything he had worked for had led up to this moment. It was time to finally save his son.

“Here I come.”

Warren reached into the backpack Son had given him and pulled out a rope with a hook attached to it. He took out a climbing vest and placed it atop his hoodie, and then hooked it up to the rope. He threw the rope as hard as he could, and with major success, it landed on top of the wall. Warren pulled down on the rope, making the hook dig into the concrete. And then he began to climb.

Warren began to pull himself up with all of his strength, the thought of his friends on his mind and the stakes fresh in his soul. He gritted his teeth as he pulled himself meter after meter of the wall, his feet moving up with him. Halfway up the wall, his foot slipped. Warren let out a grunt, and he began to sweat a storm as he looked down at the drop. He lifted his foot up and placed it back on the wall, continuing to climb.

“Thank you, Jack,” Warren mumbled under his breath, “Thank you for the boots.”

Warren shut his eyes tight and continued to climb. His arms began to burn, and the sweat began to soak throughout the rest of his body. He whispered the names of those he cared about under his breath.

“Darren, Jack, Calem, Son, Rachel, Wren, Samuel… Sammy,” Warren whispered, “Darren, Jack, Calem, Son, Rachel, Wren, Samuel, Sammy.”

He repeated the names over and over in his head and through breath, and slowly but surely he began to make it to the top of the wall. The clouds above seemed to grow larger in size as he ascended, and the lights below grew dimmer, making the Obelisk’s lights buzz in his eyes brighter. Warren squinted his eyes as he grabbed a hold of the top with his gloved hands. The top didn’t have barbed wire, fortunately for him, otherwise the plan would have never worked. He boosted himself up and took a seat on top, looking down below while gasping for air.

As he regained his stamina, he let out a sigh of relief, placing his left hand over his heart and balancing his body with his right.

“Thank you, Son, for the climbing gear,” Warren said.

Warren quickly jumped down from the wall, the climbing rope slowing his descent. He landed on the ground softly, and he looked up to see a set of sliding doors that lead to the inside of the Obelisk. Warren unhooked the rope from his vest, and then slid the vest off his chest, tossing it to the ground. He would come back for it later when needed.

“Thank you, Rachel, for being a good friend,” Warren muttered, walking up to the sliding doors slowly. As he stepped foot near the door, they slid open for him. He walked inside, and a draft of cool air flew past his skin, which felt especially nice in the humid tropical weather. He looked around for a moment. There was nothing but a receptionist’s desk, a few waiting chairs, and an elevator. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, oddly enough.

DING!

The elevator doors slowly began to open up, and Warren quickly equipped his silenced gun, aiming it at the elevator. The elevator doors slowly opened up to reveal seven UIA agents. The agents reached for their guns, but Warren quickly shot at all of them.

BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM! BAM!

The agents all dropped to the floor, dead. Warren sighed to himself, his hands trembling and his body shaking. He quickly put his gun away and quickly walked into the elevator. He stepped over a corpse and looked at the elevator buttons. His eyes darted to the 200th button. He pressed it, and the elevator began to rise to the 200th floor.

“Thank you, my children, for making me realize my wrongs,” Warren murmured as the elevator slowly began to approach the 200th floor. Warren’s heart pumped against his chest, and alas, the elevator reached the final floor.

Ding.

The elevator doors swung open, leaving nothing but a long hallway for Warren to tread through, and a singular door at the end. Warren stepped over the dead bodies and out of the elevator, which closed behind him. Warren steadily put a hand on his gun and pulled it out, holding it out in front of him with a tight grip and slowly moving toward the office door.

Warren slowly looked to his left and right. There were six offices in total, three on each side. The only thing that separated the offices from the hallways were the glass barriers that let passers by look inside. Each one had a name stand, and each one was oddly empty. Rage, Neuron, Perseverance, Ash, Terra, and Jackpot.

“Special agents, I presume,” Warren realized, “These are probably the ones with the colored suits that always stick by the President’s side. It’s a good thing they’re not around to stop me.”

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

Warren approached the final office door, and reached his hand out, grabbing at the doorknob and swinging the door open. A bright light flashed in Warren’s eyes, and the President’s office was revealed to him. There was a singular granite table with a load of files and papers atop. Warren eyed it carefully and spotted a picture of his son on the top.

Samuel.

Implant Attribute: None.

Status: Alive.

“Samuel…” Warren thought, “You’re okay.”

Warren looked up at the wall to see a stand with a metal case that had blue energy coursing through it. A singular leather book was also leaning against the wall on the stand. It was Dan Walker’s book, Tales of Evolution and Survival. Darren was right. Dan Walker was the author.

“Thank you, Darren, for your sacrifice,” Warren said, as he looked at the President, who calmly sat on his office chair. The President looked at Warren with unamusement, blinking his eyes softly. His arms lay dormant on the armrests, and he stared at Warren as if he were a child that needed to be watched over.

“Are you done staring yet?” the President asked, raising an eyebrow. Warren glared at the President and pointed the gun at his head. The President didn’t move an inch.

“Bring everyone down from that ARK, NOW!” Warren demanded, his teeth gritted and his eyebrows furrowed in rage. The President rolled his eyes. A gun manifested in his left hand, and he aimed at Warren’s stomach and pulled the trigger.

BAM!

The bullet hit Warren in the stomach , and he let out a gasp as he stumbled back, clutching it tightly. His eyes began to waver as smoke poured from the barrel of the President’s gun. The President smiled.

“Fool.”

Warren planted his two feet on the ground, regaining his breath. He smiled, and with sudden speed he shot at the President’s left wrist.

POW!

The bullet slammed into a strange implant embedded into his skin, and the President let out a cry of pain as the gun flew out of his left hand and toward the glass walls. The implant’s purple orb began to fade away, and the color disappeared. The President clutched his hand, as if trying to create another gun, but nothing came. Warren took another shot at his wrist.

POW!

The bullet hit the implant again, digging further and further into his skin. The President let out another cry of pain as he clutched onto his wrist. The President looked up to see Warren’s gun pointed at his forehead.

“Did ya’ think you could kill me so easily?” Warren sneered. He reached for his hoodie, and pulled out a book from the hoodie pockets. It was Tales of Evolution and Survival, which Calem had lended to him before his mission. A bullet was wedged into the leather cover, the tip burrowed into the pages.

“Your own book will be your downfall, ironic huh?” Warren taunted him, pressing the gun further into his forehead. He sighed, closing his eyes, and whispering,

“Thanks Calem, for the book.”

Warren opened his eyes again. The President was glaring at Warren, his fists clenched and his eyes squinted.

“Fine… What do you want?” The President asked. Warren moved his finger to the trigger.

“You know exactly what I want,” Warren said, “I want you to bring all of the scholars back down here to Earth, and I want you to be put behind bars. You’ve done enough damage already…”

The President snarled.

“It ain’t that easy kid. There isn’t a button that can just magically bring them back. They all have to be gathered in one place at the same time if I want to teleport them,” Dan Walker glared.

“Then make them gather up in one place.”

Dan Walker looked down at the ground.

“I’ll do that if you tell me your story. Then… Do whatever you want to me.”

Warren’s eyes widened. The grip on his gun loosened. The constellations in the night sky seemed to be glowing brighter than usual. The stars twinkled, making strange buzzing and beeping noises that Warren didn’t bother deciphering.

“Fine. I’ll tell you my story.”

Warren started from the very beginning of his high school days, and then transitioned all the way to the very end. Now. He talked about Walt and Rachel, he talked about his family and his break up with Sam, he talked about the investigation and horrors he went through to find his last son, and he talked about his newfound friends.

“I told you everything,” Warren said, “Now. Bring them all in one place.”

The President smiled.

“Mr. Justice… You have a beautiful story to tell. I’ll make sure to put it to good use.”

Warren raised his eyebrow and barred his teeth.

“What are you talking about?! Enough stalling and just bring them back already!”

The President began to giggle like a little girl, and then showed his implant, which was glowing purple again. A wave of fear rushed over Warren’s body, and he quickly pointed his gun at the implant and shot at it again.

BANG BANG BANG!

The bullets merely bounced off the orb, and Warren looked at his gun in horror to see that it was disintegrating. It instantly collapsed into a pile of dust, and it fell to the ground in waves. Warren let out a scream of rage and slammed his fist into the President’s cheek, but the President didn’t even budge an inch as his fist made impact. The President waved his left hand again with a sinister smile, and Warren was lifted up into the air. He waved his left hand and Warren slammed into a wall.

“Ugh, get off me!” Warren screamed, trying to get out of his grasp. It didn’t help. It was like there were invisible hands pinning him against the wall. Warren looked around in horror to see the office shimmer away from his view. They seemed to be in a forest now, and there were prehistoric beasts everywhere.

“You can’t fight a god, Warren,” the President told him. The President sighed and closed his eyes. Warren dropped to the ground. Warren got up from the ground.

“What are you on about? I thought you wanted to finish your story? Not become a god!” Warren screamed out at him, “You can’t become a god! That’s impossible! Someone will always be there to take you down!”

The President smiled at his words.

“Finishing my story will make me a god,” the President revealed, “The constellations will finally be in my favor. Back then I was powerless. My story was flawed. It was nothing. But then a man named Scott Graham was a living proof that I could become so much more… And a constellation named Moonflight was proof that I no longer needed to be a constellation. I could become a creator. So now here I am. A real god. A being over heaven.”

The President lifted his arms in the air, and in an instant the trees came crashing down. A volcano in the distance billowed with lava. The reality around them began to shimmer, and they were brought back to the President’s office.

“The only difference is that I shall become a god of this realm, and not the other. That was the problem he had. That’s why his creations managed to take him down. But me? Nobody can take me down. I’m invincible. I’m the strongest,” Dan Walker snickered, “And a lower being like you never stood a chance. I was merely toying with your existence. My implant can be destroyed, yes, but you need to act fast. In just a minute it will return to normal… But you wanted to play the cop.”

Dan Walker pointed a finger gun at Warren’s heart and flicked it.

POW!

A bullet hit Warren’s heart, and he let out a gasp of pain. Warren’s vision began to fade as he collapsed to the ground. Warren let out a cough as blood spurt from his lips. The President looked on with a smug smile.

“Too bad. You know I don’t believe in good endings. So there’s that.”

The President turned away and sat back on his office chair.

“Goodbye, Warren. See you never.”

Warren let out a cough of blood. His eyes began to fill with tears, and he could hear his friends’ voices.

“It’s going to be okay,” Calem comforted him, “You tried your best.”

“You’ll always be my hero,” Jack claimed.

“You will always be a man of justice, Warren,” Son said, “Stand proud. You are strong.”

“Thank you,” Rachel simply stated.

“I forgive you Dad,” Wren softly whispered.

“It won’t be in vain,” Samuel muttered.

“I love you,” Samantha uttered.

Warren began to cry, as his life faded away.

“I’m sorry, Samantha. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it up to you. I failed you,” he thought grimly, as a white light flashed his vision, “I’m so sorry.”

“I love you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you Sammy. With all my heart, I love you…”

“Goodbye.”