Terror of the Deep (Helicoprion Exclusive Story) Chapter One: The Reckoning of Blood: Part 1 Name’s Hacksaw, yours? Heh, doesn’t matter, we’re all gonna die. How, you ask? Dragons falling out of the sky, setting homes on fire. Course Buzzsaw thinks differently but I’ve been told what’s gonna happen… Stupid Helicoprion. But anyway I’ve gotta go fight in a losing war so uh….yeah…can’t wait to die. Light filters in through the cave entrance, revealing my many scars from past struggles with trappers. Buzzsaw, the female Helicoprion who’s yellow with black stripes, stirs slightly, like always when I awake and start my day. My stomach grumbles loudly. Swimming out from our cave and to the surface, I quickly locate a giant duck on the water. Submerging myself, I stalk my prey until I’m right below them, pause, then quickly dart up, snatch my prey and drag it underwater. The poor duck barely has time to squawk before it’s submerged. Its misery ends quickly, though, as instead of breathing it used its remaining breath to warn the other ducks to my presence. I release the body. A all-too-familiar tremor goes down my spine. I eat the bird whole then swim down for a crunchy ammonite snack. Then it’s time for battle.

ACT 1 - Cold Blood

This story was written by Ben (OBJ)

This is a Helicoprion exclusive story.

You do not have to read The Arks: Over Heaven to understand this story.

CHAPTER 1 - Ben

The boy woke up with a startle, a cold breeze flowing on his bare back. He slowly rose from the ground, and looked around. It all looked so real. He was on the sandy beaches of what seemed to be an island.

“Here we go again,” Ben thought to himself.

Ben looked down to see all he had was some dirty old underwear on, and he could feel a hum coming from his wrist. He irritably looked at it to see a strange gem embedded within. He scratched it, as a painful itch surged throughout. Just like always.

“I’ll have to do the same song and dance again,” Ben said to himself. He didn’t see anyone else, and he had no idea what to do. He looked at the implant again, but nothing changed, how would he survive?

“Okay, I can do this, I just have to get some shelter, food, and some water,” Ben muttered. He went around the beach to see if he could salvage some resources, and found a few pieces of torn wood and thatch on the ground, as well as a few stones. For some reason, there were a bunch of random animals around the beach, which was odd, because Ben didn’t think there would be many animals at a beach. As he took a closer look at what seemed to be a bird, it chirped almost obliviously, paying no attention to him.

Ben smirked at the sight of the dodo. He punched it on the beak, and it squawked angrily, beginning to squabble away at a slow rate. Ben looked at his knuckles to see a bit of blood, and he pushed the pain away. Ben knew he’d have to make some tools, so using his basic knowledge of survival, he constructed a pickaxe out of the stone, wood, and thatch around the beach. He looked at the crude tool, and decided it’s be best to kill some animals with it. He felt another chill on his back, and he looked behind him to see that the sun was setting.

“I have to be quick, or else it’ll be too dark to see and do anything,” Ben thought to himself. He went up to a large boulder that was on the grass, and began to chip away at it. Pieces of flint and stone fell to the ground, and he picked it up. He put his pickaxe down, and afterwards decided to make a torch with the flint he just made. He rubbed two pieces of wood together very quickly, and a fire started on the base of the torch. He held it up in the air, and wind breezed by, carrying the heat of the flames to his chest, warming him up greatly. He sighed in relief, and rested by the rock where he had just mined the stone and flint. As he was resting and regaining his energy, his stomach rumbled madly, and he let out a cry of pain. His stomach began to churn and twist in hunger. He had to eat something quick.

Should he try killing one of the dodos for their meat? No, it’d take too long, maybe there were some berries around in the bushes he could eat. He got up from the ground and went over to a bush, shoving his hand in there for anything to eat. He felt something round and smooth, and he pulled his hand out and opened it up. There were a few black berries in his palm. He didn’t care if they were poisonous or not, he’d either starve to death or get diarrhea, it didn’t matter. He got more of the black berries, and afterwards ate eight of the suckers. After a few minutes, his stomach stopped growling. He smiled happily, knowing he’d at least be able to survive for a few more nights.

All of a sudden, drowsiness overcame him, and he fell to the ground, passed out. Before Ben lost full consciousness, he could hear the flapping of wings, and a man laughing sarcastically at him.

“Would you look at that, the runt got himself knocked out,” Something blunt him in the head, and everything turned to black.

CHAPTER 2 - Will

The man awoke to a roar in the distance. He quickly opened his eyes and got out of bed… but it wasn’t his bed, it was the sand of the beach. The roar scared him again, and he looked off into the beach’s distance to see something sprinting towards him. The strange creature had two horns on its head, almost looking like a bull!

Will didn’t care that he wasn’t in his bedroom, he had to get out of there! Will began to sprint with all of his might, wiping the dust and crud from his eyes as he began to pant for air. Will was tempted to look behind him, but he knew that would get him killed. As Will kept on sprinting, he finally jerked his head behind to see that the beast was right upon him! It swung it’s head, and two horns pierced his back!

Will screamed in pain, and he punched the beast on the nose. The thing roared angrily and dropped him to the ground. It snapped its jaws at him, but he quickly rolled to the side, and got up from the ground. Now the two were facing each other off, the beast making more strategic plans, and not attacking as aggressively and wildly as before.

Will looked on the ground for anything he could use to deter the creature. There was a long stick on the ground, and Will quickly picked it off the ground. The beast made a move and lunged for Will, but he quickly dodged to the left, the beast losing its footing and falling to the ground. As it tried to get up from the ground, Will stepped in and stabbed it in the eye. The beast let out one loud roar, before eventually succumbing to the wound.

As he dropped the stick on the ground, he almost felt bad for it, that last roar sounding almost emotional, and sad…

No, that couldn’t be, it was just a mindless animal, always looking to attack or kill, that can’t be it, but maybe… maybe there was something else behind the scene?

His back felt a shock of pain, and he pressed his palm against it, to discover that there were two holes on his back. That monster had left its mark, and Will collapsed to the ground. He grunted, his eyes getting a bit blurry.

“I have to keep going!” Will screamed. He got up from the ground, and his vision returned to normal. He knew that that beast wasn’t normal, wasn’t something on Earth, this was something new, there was no escape, only survival… and evolution.

Will knew he’d have to make a weapon of sorts, there were going to be much more dangerous beasts in this world. He picked up the stick from before, and found more sticks along the thundering beaches. He looked through the bushes, and found some sort of fiber in there, which he uses to fasten and tie the sticks together. He picked a rock up from the ground, and began to sharpen the end, and after a few minutes, he was done making his trusty spear. He smudged some mud on his forehead, and grinned.

“I’m ready for anything,” Will said to himself.

CHAPTER 3 - Karma

Karma: The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

~

It was a quiet night.

Rain dripped from the sky, like paint dribbling down a canvas.

The woman looked up at the night sky, admiring its beauty. Everything looked so real. She felt the shivering cold, yet it did not bother her.

“Beautiful night isn’t it?”

The woman took a glance to her left. A man approached, his eyes also pinned to the swirling stars. She had heard about the violent tendencies of others within this world, yet it seemed to her that both of them had no desire for either.

“It is. So what is it to you?”

The man shrugged. He didn’t seem to have a definitive answer.

“I suppose hope. We both know the world isn’t as beautiful as it’s made out to be.”

The woman closed her eyes.

“I guess you’re right.”

She turned away. The cawing of strange things in the night seemed to strike the air. Even the man understood danger was nearby. He walked up to the woman. It was then she realized he was decked out in a full hide outfit.

“We should get out of here. I have a base not too far away from here. We can work together until you can figure this all out on your own.”

The woman nodded.

“Okay then. Let’s move.”

The two quickly made their way through the brush. The misty dew of the humidity that hung in the air clamped to their skin as they delved further into the jungle. The experience felt surreal to her. She could hear cries, both of human and of animal, in the distance. By now, the rain was already clearing up.

A few moments later, the woman could pick up the sight of stone walls in the distance. It was a small, simple stone structure. There was a turret attached to the top, but the gun attached was aimed downward. It must have been inactive.

“Welcome to my humble home,” the man said. He reached forward and opened the door up. The woman stepped inside, and the man followed suit. Everything seemed so cramped and tight. Even so, there was a sense of comfort and security within.

“I never got your name,” the woman said.

“It’s Gerald,” he replied softly, “Simple as that. And you?”

“Vani. But my true name is Karma,” she answered. She inspected his body. He was muscular and tall. She had a feeling this wasn’t what he - or anyone else that could have been on this island - may have looked like, but that was okay. She didn’t look like this either.

“Elaborate.”

She chuckled.

“What comes around goes around. I believe in it fully.”

Gerald smiled back.

“I suppose there’s some truth to your words.”

Gerald nodded his head toward a work table. There were a multitude of tools and trinkets atop. Metal ingots and straps of fiber littered the table. A large rifle made of metal rested on the table.

“I’ll tell you one thing right now. This island isn’t pretty. Lots of threats: humans and dinosaurs. You’ll need some supplies. If you get your hands on a smithy and a forge you’ll be set.”

Gerald walked up to the table and opened up a drawer. There was a crossbow and sword inside. He picked the sword up. A nearby torch’s light glimmered off of the blade.

“Loot drop beacons are scattered all over this island. They contain blueprints for powerful weapons. Do whatever it takes to survive.”

Gerald’s eyes scattered about. He was inspecting a nearby wardrobe.

“Tame the wildlife. You need to do whatever it takes to evolve.”

Karma’s eyes blinked.

“So it’s that easy, huh?”

“No. It really isn’t. Truth is, there’s a big threat as we speak,” Gerald explained, looking back into her eyes, “The most powerful tribe on this island: Walkers of the Void. Their leaders were long dormant, but their subdivisions still reign supreme across the ARKs. They’ve established a system. All who spawn will be enslaved, while the pre-existing tribe members must pay the fee for daring to live in their ARK-”

A knock rang across the door. Both Karma and Gerald’s heads jolted to stare at the door.

“Oi oi oi!” a gruff voice called from outside, “Open up, NOW! It’s time to pay your tax!”

A look of worry crossed Gerald, “That’s odd. I paid the tax a week ago…”

Gerald turned to Karma. He whispered,

“They can’t know you’re here. They might take you.”

He nodded at the closet.

“Go hide in there until they’re gone.”

Karma nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She rushed to the closet and opened it up. She snuck in, closing the door behind her. She could barely make out what was happening through the crack in the opening. She could see Gerald opening the door.

The door creaked open, and two men waited outside. One wore armor made of red leaves, the other wore a fur jacket that was gray and a fedora. Strange beasts that resembled purple lions with quills waited outside, each one with a rumbling emanating through their throats.

“Good day!” the man with the fedora grinned. The red one winked.

“Tax time! You know how it is. Five hundred metal ingots,” the red one giggled. Gerald snarled.

“One of your scouts already came around last week!”

“Not according to them,” the one with the fedora said, shaking his head. The red one nudged the fedora one with his elbow.

“Lookie, Sloth, he ain’t got any tames left!” he sort of whispered. ‘Sloth’ grinned.

“Well this’ll be fun.”

Sloth reached for his belt and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at Gerald. Gerald gasped, raising his hands in the air in surrender.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“Well you clearly don’t have enough. No tames to kill means that you’re next, unfortunately,” Sloth chuckled, “So do you have any last words?!”

Gerald sighed. He looked down.

“Yeah… You might want to call an ambulance.”

Sloth and the red one looked at each other, raised eyebrows. They looked back at Gerald.

Gerald looked up.

“Just not for me.”

Gerald instantly lifted his boot and shoved it into Sloth’s stomach. Sloth let out an “OOF!” and went tumbling backwards, firing his pistol.

BAM!

The bullet flew into the closet, hitting Karma in the implant that had been embedded since she landed on the island. Karma gritted her teeth, and searing pain shot up her spine and into her brain. It felt like it was on fire. She tried her best not to let out a noise.

Austin growled, and placed his fingers to his lips.

“Get that son of a bastard!” Austin howled. Austin whistled, and the purple lions behind growled and lunged at Gerald. Gerald’s eyes widened, and it was too late. The purple lions landed atop him and began to tear him to shreds. Gerald let out a howl of pain, and Karma could only watch on in horror as he was devolved into nothing more than flesh and bone.

When the purple lions were finished, they lifted their maws in the air and licked their lips, sucking up the blood of Gerald. Sloth got up from the ground, patting the dirt off of his clothes. He had a minor scratch near his eye.

“What an annoying beach bob who thinks he’s a pro,” Sloth muttered, “Too bad this is a hardcore world. Otherwise I would’ve found and killed him again.”

Austin scoffed, and then began to laugh.

“Too bad indeed. Just pull the trigger next time. These maggots don’t deserve the grace of getting last words.”

Austin and Sloth peeked inside. They seemed to be peering at the closet for a moment. Karma held her breath.

“This guy doesn’t even have loot. What a bum,” Sloth said.

“We should head out then. Moon will be mad if we take too long on our scouting mission. We’re supposed to be searching for more workers. If Pigeon finds more than us again we’re toast.”

“Tsk, freakin’ Pigeon, he’s such a goddamn tool! Thinkin’ he’s so high and mighty just because Moon likes him more. If I could kill him I would.”

The two began to walk off. Austin whistled for the purple lions, and they followed quickly. After many, many minutes of them being gone, Karma went tumbling out of the closet. She could feel her blood boiling with anger.

She stepped up to what was left of Gerald. Flies were already beginning to swarm. His implant remained intact, despite it all. She crouched down, and then grabbed onto it. It felt loose.

She pulled it out with ease, and it flickered for a brief moment. Karma sighed.

She got up and walked up to the table, grabbing a piece of fiber string and tying it into the implant. Soon, she made a cord, and she hung the implant around her neck. She took a deep breath and exhaled, before she reached into the closet and took out a spare set of hide armor.

She placed it onto her body. It was loose, but it would work for now. She strung a utility belt around her pants, then attached the sword to it and a box of ammo she found stored away in the corner of the room.

Finally, she grabbed the rifle and stored it away on a satchel on her back.

Her eyes glazed with disgust, not at the beasts, but at the humans of this world.

The footsteps in the earth were still fresh. There was still time.

“Karma’s coming for you,” she whispered under her breath.

She began to follow the tracks, as the sun was slowly beginning to rise and cast its rays through the thick foliage of the jungle.