The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 40: The Five

Original Post Date: Mar 23, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Castoroides, next chapter in Coelacanth.

~

“So, who are you taking for your party?” Skyler asked Samuel with a raised eyebrow. Samuel’s eyes darted to Aurora.

“Well. Aurora’s going. Obviously. She’s the navigator,” Samuel replied with a blank stare. Aurora looked up and smiled gently at the two. She seemed to be blushing.

“And then… Neddy and Ruby. Neddy could help detect the presence of humans with his implant, and Ruby is a master crafter who could definitely help us if we got in a pickle,” Samuel said. He looked around at the other members of the Book Club.

Rick had already served his purpose to Samuel. Giving him information. He didn’t need Rick anymore.

Bobby was just a builder.

And Simon’s infinite weight carrying was useful, but certainly not necessary with the help of a pack animal.

Paige didn’t seem to be a fan of Samuel. He didn’t think she’d cooperate with him if it came down to making sacrifices.

Gary? Gary was supposedly a skilled hunter. But his ideology seemed to be more grounded toward what Skyler thought. He would suffer the same situation as Paige.

Sunny’s ability wasn’t very useful.

And Ben?

Samuel looked at Ben, who was staring right back at him. Ben was sitting on a tree log and was tapping his foot against the grass impatiently. He was twirling a flower in his hand, and his left arm had many scars across, as if thorns had pricked them many times over.

“Unpredictable. I can’t let him on my party,” Samuel thought, his eyes glancing away. Samuel let out a sigh as he cracked his knuckles.

“Yeah and I think my last party member will be Star,” Samuel said, briefly remembering her strange enlightenment power.

“Star? It’s just a dodo bird though. What use would it serve in your party?” Skyler laughed, “You’re smarter than that Samuel.”

“SHE is more useful than you think,” Samuel replied with a smile, “And besides, she’s been around since the beginning here on this island. It’d be unhonorable to leave her.”

“Psh, okay then, whatever you say,” Skyler replied, the smirk fading away from her face.

Samuel united the team together, all Five of them gathered around in a circle.

“So, you remember the plan, right?” Samuel asked them all while crossing his arms.

“Yeah, yeah we do,” Neddy said with a grin, “Oh man we’re back on the road just like old times!”

“Psh, you’re saying that as if we’ve been at this camp for years,” Ruby giggled, elbowing him. Aurora looked down at Star and rolled her eyes.

“Samuel, don't tell me you’re bringing that thing again,” Aurora said.

“Sorry, but she’s coming along for the ride, whether you like it or not,” Samuel said. Star blew a raspberry at Aurora.

“Well, good luck, you… Five,” Skyler said with a soft smile. She suddenly seemed cheery. She was about to add something, but she stopped. Samuel turned around and began to walk off to the raft, which they’d use to sail up the river. Star hopped onto his shoulder, kicking Aurora in the face as she made her ascent. Aurora clenched her fist. Following the group was also Blueblaze (Samuel’s Raptor), and Goofy the Carnotaurus.

Skyler stared at Star with clenched fists. A CHECK button flickered within her vision, and she raised her fist, slamming it into the button.

“USER IDENTIFIED.”

As the hologram expanded, and Skyler stared at everything her power had to say, her eyes looked up at the leaving raft.

“So, THAT’S what you really are,” Skyler muttered under her breath.

And Ben stared at the raft that was coming out of sight, a sudden realization gaining on Ben what Samuel was trying to do.

“He’s trying to escape this island,” Ben thought with narrowed eyes. He smirked, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. He looked at the flower in his breast pocket, blinking slowly at the sight.

“Thank you,” Ben told the flower. He looked up again at the river.

If that was Samuel’s plan, and he didn’t seem to care about having the Book Club join along the ride…

Ben would have to make him.

~

“Ahhh, fresh sun!” Neddy gasped as he basked and spun around on the sand. Ruby laughed at the sight.

“You know this is pretty nice weather. Sometimes I forget the fact we’re on a-”

“Dinosaur infested island!”

The two laughed and began to prance around like little kids.

“Funny,” Samuel thought, his glance moving down toward the ground. Looking at the two reminded him a lot about Nova.

Samuel could feel someone nudge his arm. He turned to see Aurora.

“Samuel, don’t you think we’ve not eaten anything yet? How about we go hunt some fish for us?” Aurora suggested.

“Yeah. I suppose that would be sufficient,” Sameul replied.

The two of them took their spears out and dived into the river. Spotting a school of salmon, they decided that that would be their meal for the morning.

~

Just a few minutes later, Samuel and Aurora came out of the water, hauling a few fish that were as large as they were. Ruby and Neddy were sitting on the sand, and noticing the fish they were carrying, began to gawk.

“Woah, FOOD!” Neddy gasped.

“So much potential!” Ruby grinned, rubbing her hands together. Star squawked in approval.

Ruby took a few seconds to build a campfire. Then she took out a few pieces of thatch and wood, rubbed some sticks together, and started a fire. Neddy took a stick off the ground and put it to Goofy’s mouth. Goofy bit down onto it and moved its teeth from one end of the stick to the other. Goofy let go, leaving behind a stick that was barren of its bark.

Neddy did this for four more sticks, stuck a fish on each one, and put it above the campfire to let it roast.

Moments later, the fish was done, and everyone was given a share of the prize. Neddy and Ruby were taking big bites out of the fish, while Samuel was taking small bites. Samuel’s face scrunched up.

“This tastes bland,” Samuel thought sadly.

“That was a fine catch, this tastes great,” Ruby contradicted with a smile. Aurora turns to Samuel, and begins to speak.

“So. I guess it’s pretty nice food, huh? Even though it isn’t really professionally prepared.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Samuel meekly replied. He reached into his graduation robe pocket and felt the items inside. The piece of paper Star had given him, and then he found it. A fleshy piece of blubber. He pulled it out, and Aurora eyed it with wonder. It seemed to have some red glow.

“What’s that?” Aurora asked.

“No idea,” Samuel honestly answered. He glanced at Neddy and Ruby, who seemed to be in their own little love world. “When we were feasting on that Leedsichthys, all the way back before getting to the Book Club’s camp, when I was eating, my share of the meal was chewy and not very pleasant. That’s when I noticed it had some sort of red glow.”

“So, are you just going to keep it then?” Aurora asked.

“Yeah. I guess so,” Samuel replied, putting the blubber back into his pocket.

As they sat around the fire, Aurora took a few quick glances at Samuel. Then, she slowly began to scoot closer and closer to him. Samuel just ignored her and kept eating his fish.

Star smirked at the sight.

RAGHHH!

“What was that?!” Neddy asked, getting up from the ground. A strange dinosaur suddenly emerged from the water. It was bigger than them, that was for sure. It had large claws that flicked back and forth as it moved its wrists, and a large jaw that was shaped like a skinny alligator. It seemed to be at least 90% of Goofy’s size, however much more lean.

“Baryonyx,” Neddy said. He shielded Ruby with his right arm.

“Don’t. Engage,” Samuel ordered. Blueblaze blinked, its muscles tense, and Goofy growled. Star stared the creature right at into its eyes. The Baryonx seemed more concerned with Star than anyone else.

Slowly but surely, Samuel crept up to Ruby’s crossbow, picked it up, and aimed at the Baryonyx. He nocked a tranq arrow, pulled the string back, and with swiftness shot at it.

Pew!

It hit it right in the head, and the Baryonyx became more focused, letting out a shrill roar and beginning to chase Samuel. Samuel, with sudden speed, loaded and shot another tranq arrow at it.

Pew!

The Baryonyx stumbled forward, and Samuel rushed to Blueblaze. He hopped on the saddle, and slowly began to distance himself, moving round and round the Baryonyx. Then he ordered,

“Aurora, distract it!”

Aurora ripped off a chunk of fish and tossed it at the beast. It hit it in the head, and it looked down at the ground, and then back at Aurora.

It was too late for the beast though. With another load of the arrow, he aimed the crossbow and shot at the Baryonyx. Upon making contact and piercing its skin, it let out a roar of agony, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

“Woah. WOAH!” Neddy gasped as he jumped in the air, “You just knocked it out! And so fast!”

Neddy looked back and forth between Aurora and Samuel, his mouth agape. Suddenly a smirk grew on his face.

“Oh. Well I suppose that makes some sort of sense,” Neddy grinned.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Aurora snarled.

“Nothin’.”

Ruby looked at Aurora with pity.

“Poor you, you don’t even know what you’re getting yourself into with this freaky guy,” Ruby thought.

“Hold on, hold on, why’d you even knock it out instead of killing it?” Neddy suddenly asked Samuel. Star seemed confused too, raising an ‘eyebrow’ and looking at Samuel.

“Because it’d be easier to knock it out then to kill it,” Samuel replied, “And it’s always a good idea to have more backup.”

“Oh,” Neddy realized, “Well I suppose that also makes sense.”

“So are we going to tame it then?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah sure.”

With that, they gathered some of the fish that still remained uncooked and began to feed it to the Baryonyx. As Samuel watched his allies tame it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper with chicken scratch on it.

“Hmm,” Samuel thought, looking at it some more. The lines and dots seemed so random, yet so peculiar. Something about it felt familiar. It felt like translating an entire new alien language.

An entire new language…

“Is this-” Samuel realized with wide eyes,

“Morse code?!”