Ultimus Chapter 17: Others

Paul Riddley stood there next to his newest tame that they acquired, a Ceratosaurus. She was young and honestly quite inexperienced and weak compared to what he had been riding for the past several months.

‘She may not be Brutus, but they sure great travel mounts.’ He thought as he mounted, The Scottish-American had ridden countless young and inexperienced horses where he was from but it was different riding an inexperienced dinosaur. He took a glance down at his wrist only to remember that he didn’t have a watch. He looked towards the blue sky, hating how it never changed. He hated having to worry about not knowing the time of day. Their Tek went dead on them a few hours after they arrived, three days ago. Erica said that Element would be easier to get here than on the Ark, but it would take time to get used to their new surroundings and strengthen their forces. They kept the armor, but Paul still missed being able to tell proper time everywhere he went and not guess at everything.

“Quit worrying about Jonathan and Sylas, Paul. They're fine, probably squabbling but fine.” A voice said next to him, that would be his right-hand woman Erica Stevens. A woman who had a reserved past but who he’d been friends with since they met on that place’s beach 8 months ago. She was riding a trike that she named Taurus.

“You make them sound like children. Do you mean squabble like arguing children or squabble like at one having the other at knifepoint? And I’m also worried about Freya if you must know, this place seems more dangerous than the Ark we came from. We should have helped her on this hunt.” Paul said, Erica looked at him with a goofy concerned look.

“You know that only happened twice with Jonathan in the beginning and Sylas was screaming like a chicken on both occasions.” Erica said,

“And about Freya?” Paul asked,

“Freya is an adult, Paul. She would’ve forced you to stay while she hunted by herself. To a point that she would knock you out.” Erica answered.

“I suppose you're right on that, but you should have stayed back with Sylas and Jonathan to watch over them while I waited here.”

“And listen to them bicker the entire time, why do you think I came along?” Erica said jokingly, Paul looked at her unamused. He sighed as he looked off into the distance of the vast wasteland.

“What else is bothering you, Paul?” Erica said smiling,

“Why didn’t you tell us? In the hallway to the arena… that one hologram, why didn’t you tell us that was our home now?” Paul said staring her down, Erica’s smile disappeared and she looked away.

“It was irrelevant at the time.”

“Irrelevant Erica?! The Earth hasn’t gotten dark since we got here?! The landscape of Earth is dead and so alien to what it normally was then?! The moon, the thing I looked at for its beauty for years is shattered into bloody pieces! How could you think it was irrelevant to anyone Erica?!” Paul confronted,

“It was irrelevant because it was Paul!! We were being hunted by Priests of Mictlantecuhtli forces and their psycho leader so I didn’t really think about telling you!! Plus I had never seen or had to deal with those caves before so that was stressful in itself. Now yes, the Earth was dying from a war that happened before I was born, but only its ecosystem at my time. Earth had a rotation and the moon was fine, I didn’t know about any of the rest. But it doesn’t change the fact that Earth is dying unless we get that station down! And for that, we have to find the system.” Erica spat in anger, the two then sat there in silence as they waited for their friend for several minutes. Paul felt bad for chewing her out. He hated getting angry at people, but he felt misled by her telling them how to get down here but not being told what happened to Earth. However, he heard a noise in the distance but didn’t catch it and tried to listen to it again.

“Look, Paul, I’m sorry that I-” “Pin yer lugs back.” Paul interrupted.

“Paul, you know how I hate apologizing for anything, so can you please just let me-” She said before pausing, noticing that Paul’s hand was over his mouth in the quiet motion and pointed towards the wasteland. She listened for a moment before hearing a voice.

“Paul, Erica!! I need help over here!” A voice’s shout echoed from the distance. It was Freya. The two looked at each other.

“What do you think she wants?” Erica said,

“I don’t know, but it would definitely be important.” Paul said.

Then they rode their mounts as quickly as possible to get over to where they saw Freya go off to. Where they found the ground lowered into a Sulfur Field. They didn’t know where to go from there, but they didn’t have to know where. They heard shouting and yelling coming from the left side of the Sulfur Field. They began to rush towards the noise to see what was going on. As they got closer, they began to hear what the shouter was saying.

“STOP SPEAKING LIKE THAT!! WHAT ARE YOU!?” The voice shouted, they began to rush, and as they got to a ridge. They saw what was going on.

There they saw Freya, hands in the air with her one Axe on the ground as she was trying to talk down a masked figure, with his face almost entirely covered. The man held a bow aiming at her head. Erica pulled from her saddle a longneck rifle and aimed it at the assailant. Paul looked over at her and his eyes widened.

“Erica, Don’t!!” He said a bit loud, a little too loudly as Freya and the masked person looked at them. Immediately the bow changed color to a red and his aim changed direction towards them. Erica lowered her rifle and scowled at Paul.

“Way to go.” She growled, Paul glared at her but was interrupted by the masked person.

“What are you things! Aliens? Ghosts? My Sanity? What Are You!!” The person yelled with the voice trembling, it sounded like a man from what Paul could tell.

“What are you talking about? We’re like you? Humans, survivors. From the Arks.” Paul yelled back,

“What?” The masked man said,

“The Arks, a place you were before, one that was lusher than it is here?” Paul said, the man seemed to pull his bow harder back as he aimed.

“Quit lying and tell me… What Are You?!” He said aimed it at Paul. Paul raised his hands in the air before he slowly put them on his saddle and dismounted.

“What are you doing!?” Erica said aloud as Paul got off the Ceratosaurus and began walking with his hands in the air down a path that led him to the masked man. As he got closer, he could see the man was wearing armor similar to Tek, and his bow also seemed to be. However the dark lensed goggles and what looked like a futuristic bandanna didn’t seem to be Tek, though they were futuristic to some degree and they seemed to be attached to each other. His hair was dirty blonde and messy. While his aim and movement was that of stone on Paul. His breathing was shallow and rapid as Paul got closer.

“D-D-Don’t get closer.” The man said, but Paul didn’t listen. He continued walking up to the man until he was only about 6 feet away. Paul lowered his hands and showed them to the man. He spun around slowly before facing the man once again.

“We are just like you. It’s okay.” Paul said, the man looked at him, at first he seemed to not care. But he lowered his weapon and dropped it on the ground. Slowly, his breathing began to increase in volume and turned into hyperventilating. He ripped off his goggles and mask to get more air, revealing his face. He was young, early twenties or late teens. His deep green eyes were red and teary as he stared at Paul.

“Please, please tell me your real? Please tell me I’m not imagining you all?” The man heaved, tearing as he did. Paul was confused by this question in its entirety, but the man was dead serious in asking the question.

“Yes, yes we’re real.” He said, the man started crying as he balled up on the ground and began to cry. Paul was shocked by this reaction. He honestly wasn’t sure what to do. He looked over at Freya, she grabbed her axe off the ground and walked towards him.

“He’s such a broken man. I could hear it through his voice.” She spoke, her mouth moving differently than what Paul heard. However, he had gotten used to it.

“I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean t- I’m so sorry.” The man began sobbing, repeating it over and over.

“Hey, hey, It’s okay. You did no harm, so there isn’t anything wrong. Now yer looking a bit peely wally, sit here and rest.” Paul said kneeling next to him. The man looked confused still crying but he nodded in compliance. Paul got up to see Erica running down to them with her rifle in hand. He started walking toward her and Freya followed carrying her axe. They were outside of earshot of the man at this point.

“So, what are we going to do with this guy?” Erica said, her tone serious and her face uneasy.

“I Havnae a Scooby.” Paul said thoughtfully, he was replaying the scene that just happened in his head.

“Well, I don’t think we should let him live.” Erica an

“What? What harm has he done? I don’t think we should leave him alone. He’s in pain.” Freya argued, Erica scoffed at this.

“He’s done a fair bit of harm. Especially since he’s in that armor and has that weapon. And you think it’s okay to let him into our tribe?”

“Well, why not? He can be a useful ally.”

“You’re too trusting in others, Freya.” Erica said irritated.

“And you are too distrustful of others Erica. What could he do to us?” Freya said.

“What if it’s a trap, what if he has allies and they are waiting to ambush our entire group? If they are all wearing what he is wearing, we’re all dead with no chance. That’s why we should kill him, we get the armor and gear and we would be a whole lot safer.” Erica said, Freya shook her head as she said this.

“You’re being absurd Erica.” Freya said.

“No, you are the only one who’s being absurd here Freya.” Erica said irritated,

“Both of you, keep yer heids!” Paul shouted stepping into the argument.

“Freya, you are being a bit too at ease here with this situation. It could be very well a trap.” Paul said, Erica huffed proudly, “Let me finish Erica. However, Freya, I agree with you.” Paul finished.

“What?!” Erica said,

“He’s having a breakdown Erica, and he isn’t faking it. And what it’s from that I’ve seen is believing that we weren’t and threatening to shoot us. He’s alone, and to be honest I don’t think it’s safe to leave him. Plus, he may have better experience in this world than any of us here.” Paul answered,

“What experience?! I lived here!! We don’t need him.” Erica stated,

“True, but you’ve even said it yourself that this place is different from when you were here. He may know this place better than you.” Paul stated, Erica gave him a scowl.

“Are you doing this to get back at me?” She said irritated.

“No, I’m doing this for our best chance at survival.” Paul fibbed, he knew that he did do it slightly because of that reason. He walked away from the other and went over to the man. He seemed a bit calmer. His breathing slowed and his sniffling more quieter. His nature seemed almost childlike.

“Hey, you good?” Paul asked kindly, the man nodded.

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions?” Paul asked, the man shook his head.

“I don’t mind, if you allow me to ask you some questions.”

“Alright, let’s start with an easy question. Where were you f-”

“Arat Prime Military Hospital, born 2353.” He said quietly,

“Alright, what’s your name?” Paul asked, but the man stayed silent. Paul sighed to himself.

“My name is Paul Riddley by the way. I don’t think we got off the foot before.” Paul said, extending his hand out to the man. He looked at him for a moment before extending his hand out to shake.

“Andrew.”

“Andrew?”

“Just Andrew, what’s the point in a last name when you don’t have anyone who would use it.” He said, he looked above him as though looking at someone else. Paul glanced over his shoulder to see Erica walking up, hoisting the rifle over her shoulder. She saluted them, showing her implant in her wrist and Paul nodded. He looked back to see the man confused at what had happened. He took this curiously as this was the first time a survivor took it as they didn’t know what it meant.

“Alright, final what Ark did you first wake up from?” Paul asked.

“What?” The man said,

“Ark, you know. That place you were when you woke up?” Erica butted in.

“The Camacho Forest?”

“What? How- No, I mean the creature-infested, overgrown space stations? The Arks?” She continued,

“I don’t follow. What Space Stations? What other places? The only places I’ve been before are a few small outcrops of ruined buildings and towns, Sanctuary, and Camacho International Forest. Nowhere else, ” Andrew stated in frustration, Paul looked at Erica who seemed dumbfounded by this. And to Paul, he was just as confused by this. If he was a survivor, how did he get down here?

“Could I ask my questions now?” Andrew asked, Paul broke free from his thoughts for a moment to answer.

“Yeah, yeah. Go on.”

“How can you understand her, are you both fluent in her language?” He asked, pointing to Freya who was beginning to harvest the carcasses. Paul shot a confused look at Andrew.

“Don’t you?”

“No, I couldn’t understand anything she said. It’s why I became so afraid of her. I didn’t know what she was saying or what she wanted.”

“Isn’t your translator working?”

“Translator?”

“Aye, the one in your implant?”

“Implant?”

“Aye, the one in your left wrist.” He said, the man looked confused.

“What implant?”

“Here, let me see your wrist.” Paul said as he grabbed his wrist.

“The one right here?” He continued before pausing in confusion. There was no implant. Nothing of the sort.

“Erica, he doesn’t have one.” Paul said,

“That’s impossible, everyone on the Arks has to have one.”

“But I was never on these “Arks”. I was here on Earth ever since I woke up from Cryostasis.” Andrew said.

“How then? How- Cryostasis? You were frozen?” She asked, he nodded.

“For how long? And how long have you been awake since then?” She asked again.

“I’ve been awake for just over 12 years. As for how long, I don’t know. The longest-running clock before dying that I’ve found has said just over a thousand years from when I went into Cryostasis.” He stated.

“A thousand years?” Freya repeated. For Paul. A deep feeling in his gut dropped harder than anything he had ever felt. And he sure didn’t feel alone in this moment of grief and pain. As he knew both Freya and Erica had to have the same feelings.