Into the Code : Ark Survival Evolved : Book 1

Chapter 2 : Into a New World

I could remember feeling everything, but my eyes were still shut, like I was half asleep. The feeling of free falling through darkness. The air rushing past my open arms and the sound of computer code became more noticeable as the Ark main menu music faded out. It left like a dream, but the worst of nightmares. I hear a metallic clicking from above me, a loud crash of what I could only picture as a dumpster being dropped from a 2 story building. My ears aching in pain from the noise, but I felt something pierce my chest. The pain was so indescribable I could only let out screams and cries of pain before I shot up awake wake. When I woke up, I was immediately blinded by an immense light. My fingers still twitching and slightly singed from the electric shock. The sound of the crash still echoing in my head. The smell of salt stung as I took deep breaths. Rubbing my head as I sat up right, I immediately froze in place... terrified. This wasn't my home, or my bedroom. Where I was sitting was not the carpeted floor of my bedroom, but rather a sand covered coast with small stones and shells strewn about. I had woken up sitting on a tropical beach... I felt my mind go into a panic-fueled-meltdown as reality started to bare down on me. I couldn't comprehend, make sense of, or just accept anything that was happening. All I knew at that moment was that I'm dreaming, and it was an extremely realistic feeling dream. I lay back down and allow a few moments for my senses to catch up, since they were still completely overwhelmed by the scene before me. Gathering my thoughts and forcing them to hold together, I sat there laying in the sand thinking to myself.

Ben : "This.. This can't be real. That pizza had to be drugged, I swear..."

After about 2 minutes of recollection, I sat back up, this time observing the environment around me, and my eyes were not disappointed.

Ben : "At least I hope."

It was truly the definition of perfection and beauty. Around me were forests filled with lush trees, some as big around as I am tall. I looked upon coasts and lapping water, large jagged snow capped mountains in the distance, but something on the mountain caught my eye.

Ben : "Ooooh nooo..."

My heart sank into my gut, which then both of them sank straight to the fiery pits of the 9th circle of hell. I see, and recognize what the thing I noticed was that rested on the mountain. No, not resting, floating... floating in the air above the mountain...

A pillar. A large chromed black structure of some alien architecture floated above the mountain, almost like the mountain's crown. A blue beam went through it from the ground under it and reached as far as the I could see into the sky. Near the top, a blue diamond outline rested, which is what sent the feeling of dread flowing through my body. A thought came into mind as I made this observation.

Ben : "Wait... Where's the other two?"

I asked out loud to myself in confusion. I felt like I remember seeing this structure before, but every helpful memory had been shatter and clawed out of my mind. I check the surrounding skies for a sign of two other pillars. Sure enough when I turned to the left of me, another of the structures revealed itself to me, but this time with red light. Turning to the left again, the final of the structures became clear, as it's green light indicates its variation. Three large pillars that dominated the sky of their own respective dominions. The green structure was the closest to me, the red being what I could guess to be several miles away, while the blue one was the most distant of them. A memory rushed forth and made me speak out.

Ben: "The Arks....WAIT!!" 

And then everything clicked into place, paving the path for me to understand my situation. A situation that gave me the strongest feeling of dread I have ever felt in my life.