Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 91a: Long Elevator

As President Loki, Sophie, and Brad got closer and closer to their settlement in the eternal snow, they could notice there were large stone walls surrounding the perimeter. Sophie and Brad gasped at the sight.

“Wow. Dr. Aston’s really been doing some work huh?” Sophie commented. President Loki nodded.

“Yeah he has been,” he replied, noticing the large tower posted in the middle of the village. The three of them walked up to a large gate and then knocked on it. The gate slowly opened for them, and two village goers were waiting on the other side. As they spotted President Loki, they bowed to him.

“Greetings President,” the man and woman said. President Loki’s eyes glanced over the two individuals’ necks. They were like collars, in a way. President Loki ignored the two and all three of them moved forward, on to the compound. The three stepped inside and were blasted with a wave of heat. President Loki looked up to see waves of heaters lining the walls.

Dr. Aston was sitting on his stool, with his arms resting silently on the now metal tables. The room smelled of a smog-like substance and it felt toxic. President Loki’s throat hurt from the smell.

“Good evening, President Loki,” Dr. Aston nodded his head. It was then that Sophie noticed the two metal collars that lay on the metal table. She quickly pointed at it, attracting the attention of Brad.

“What’s that?” Sophie asked, “The guards at the gate had them too.”

“That? That’s an explosion collar,” Dr. Aston answered calmly. Brad’s eyes bulged out of his head, and he took a step back.

“What?! Then why are they wearing it? What if it blows up? They’ll die!”

“That’s… kind of the point,” Dr. Aston replied, his eyes narrowed, “If the Knowers attack anytime soon, if they manage to defeat someone, the sensors will go off and on the brink of death, anyone about to die will have their collar blown up, taking both of them out. Isn’t it genius?”

President Loki glared at Dr. Aston, his fists clenched.

“Dr. Aston this is too big of a risk to take. What if it does go off without the sensors? And even so, what if someone doesn’t want to go this way? There has to be another way-”

Dr. Aston silenced President Loki, putting a finger to his own lips.

“It has to be this way. Otherwise the Knowers will grow too strong. You’ve already made an enemy of them too, it seems,” Dr. Aston noted, looking around for Chloe. Sophie’s head dropped to the ground, ashamed. President Loki stared at Dr. Aston as if he were insane.

“Okay. You prove a point,” President Loki said. His eyes wandered to the wall. There were elevator doors. He nodded his head toward that, and Dr. Aston swiveled around.

“Oh… that,” Dr. Aston muttered. He turned to Sophie and Brad, “You two. Out. This talk is between me and Loki alone. Take the collars with you too.”

Brad nervously bowed goodbye to the two and grabbed the collar, placing it around his neck and leaving without a word. Sophie followed, albeit more hesitant than her peers. As Sophie shut the door behind her, Dr. Aston continued to speak.

“I knew Mr. Mo’s plan all along. He told me,” he revealed without warning. President Loki turned to Dr. Aston, horrified. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It all came crashing down so fast that he didn’t have words to say.

“He told me that there would be someone waiting for us once we got off the island. The only way we’d be able to defeat that person would be to kill everyone on the island. He promised me that you and I would be the only ones left alive.”

President Loki suddenly pushed Dr. Aston. Dr. Aston went tumbling backwards and crashed into a metal table with glass vials and a strange metal arm. The table shook, and the glass vials fell down and shattered.

“And you never told me?! We could have saved Mr. Ma! HE DIDN’T HAVE TO DIE THAT DAY!” President Loki howled, his body shaking and his eyes teary. Dr. Aston grumbled to himself and slowly stood up.

“I fell asleep that day. Could you have blamed me?” Dr. Aston snarled. He got back onto his two feet and pointed at the elevator door.

“You are supposed to be his apprentice. You have to finish the job if we are to make it out alive. You’re the perfect fit especially with your implant attribute.”

“No! I refuse to do it!” President Loki snapped back, “I promised him that I would do it another way, one where as many people could have lived! Not a way where everyone dies!”

Dr. Aston rolled his eyes. He nodded to the elevator door.

“Just get to your office. It has all your belongings inside. It’s supposed to be your safehouse, now that those Knowers are probably on our tail. And if you ever change your mind… then there’s a button waiting for you atop. It’ll-”

As Dr. Aston rambled on, President Loki turned away. He walked up to the elevator doors and pressed the button, and the metal doors instantly shuffled open. He stepped inside, looking at his former teacher’s face one last time before the doors closed on him. The elevator began to move, the wires and bolts rickety and clearly primitive.

~

“Dr. Aston would have never been this way if it weren’t for Mr. Ma’s father,” President Loki muttered, his eyes closed. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, “He doesn’t even know that only two people can leave this ARK alive. And he doesn’t even know his real name…”

As the long elevator ascended, he felt someone walk towards him, putting his arm against the wall and staring at Loki with a goofy smile. He ruffled his combed back gray hair and adjusted the fur armor on his body.

“Loki?” the man asked. Loki ignored him.

“Loki!” the man screamed in his face. Loki turned to Mr. Ma with an annoyed look on his face, his eyes piercing through his transparent body.

“What?!” Loki asked.

“Are we there yet?” Mr. Ma questioned. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Does it look like we’re there yet?”

Mr. Ma looked around, scratching his head, and then shook his head.

“Yeah. So shut up and go away. I know you’re just a figment of my imagination so don’t even bother,” Loki shot at him. Mr. Ma seemed hurt by his words. Loki glanced at his frown and he felt a lump in his throat grow. Mr. Ma’s frown quickly turned into a smile.

“Well, are we there yet now?”

“No, we aren’t,” Loki murmured under his breath. Mr. Ma still seemingly was able to hear his words. Loki continued, “I’m still trying to process everything that’s happened and you’re trying to joke around and irritate me?”

“Why do you want me gone so badly?” Mr. Ma asked, “I’m just trying to cheer you up, and I just got here!”

Loki suddenly exploded in a mixture of anger and misery,

“COME ON! After what just happened back there with Chloe and Aurora you expect me to be all happy and cheery? They tried to jump me and I almost died! With all those close calls that almost had me killed? That almost led all our efforts to waste?” Loki crumpled to the ground in a sitting position, his head hung in shame. A tear dribbled down his cheek, “It’s… taken a toll on me.”

Mr. Ma sat down next to him, looking at the elevator wall silently.

“Loki you’ve taken everything like a champ so far!” Mr. Ma told him, “You defeated Jerry, you defeated those things at the cave, you’ve defeated that Knower group, and then you defeated that Knower group a second time! I think… you’ve done great so far.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your power,” Loki sniffled, “I’m useless without you.”

Mr. Ma put a hand on his shoulder.

“That’s why I’ll always be there for you! I won’t leave your side, ever! We can defeat them together!”

“That’s right Loki, we won’t leave your side,” Chloe suddenly said. Loki turned to his right and saw Chloe sitting next to him, her short bronze hair shifting gently as the elevator continued to rise. She had a soft smile on her face.

“I… I couldn’t even save you.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s those Knowers’ faults. That’s why you need to be strong so you can kill them once they come,” Chloe whispered to him. She tried to wipe away at Loki’s tears with her transparent hands, but it didn’t do anything. She scowled at this.

“I’m not strong enough though,” Loki responded, “I couldn’t even… use your attribute Chloe.”

“Loki, you’re probably the strongest kid on this island. And I’m not exaggerating,” Mr. Ma told him, “You have my telekinesis, Chloe’s poison claws, and the power of three artifacts. There’s no way with that amount of power anyone could stop you. Except for-”

“The Knowers. Yeah. And your dad who we have to face eventually.”

Chloe looked away, taking in the small elevator’s sights (which were none). She put her hands in her pockets.

“Then maybe we really do need to do it. Maybe… we can’t afford to go this route. We need to kill them. It’ll only take the press of a button after all, right?”

“Right,” Loki replied, “But what about you Mr. Ma? I can’t break that promise. I said that I would find another way.”

“Kiddo… I don’t think there’s another way. Regardless, I forgive you for breaking your promise. If you go through with it, that is,” Mr. Ma said gently, “Besides. Think of it as a… Plan B. It’s not your fault. It’s the Knowers’ faults. Make them pay for it!”

“And what about you, Chloe? I can’t just kill your friend.”

“It’s okay. I care about her. But it’s for the best. I think she would understand,” Chloe reasoned, “I won’t hold it against you. I care about you too. That’s why I want you to be safe.”

Loki wiped the tears away from his face, and the elevator slowly came to a stop. The elevator doors opened, revealing what was supposed to be Mr. Ma’s office, although now turned into Loki’s. The walls were made out of glass so he could see outside into the tundra and town. Loki stood up and stepped out of the doors, turning back to look at the loved ones he’d lost.

“Loki, you’ll always be my son no matter the outcome,” Mr. Ma reassured him.

“And you’ll always be my best friend,” Chloe comforted him.

The elevator doors closed on the two, leaving Loki truly alone once again. He turned back around and walked up to his desk, which had a singular red button attached to it. It smelled of death.

“Thanks, Mr. Ma. Thanks, Chloe,” Loki whispered to himself.

Loki stepped up to the desk and placed his finger on the button. He took a deep breath in and then exhaled, before finally pressing down.

The night was silent for a bit. And then, just mere moments later, Loki’s implant exploded with power, flashing a few dozen different colors all at once. Loki could feel his bones vibrate as dozens of new implant attributes rushed inside his memory. His strength began to grow, and he closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he stated blankly. He didn’t feel too bad. Loki didn’t understand why, but it didn’t matter. One thing was certain.

Finality was near.