Futuristic ARK: Survival of the Fittest (Closed)

[Deadwood Deer]

"Looking at the recipe," Jack started rattling off numbers, which was based on the assumption that, to maximize what they could take with them, they'd each need a raft. One thousand units of wood, five hundred of fiver, and three hundred of hide. "Did I mention we'd probably have to start really early in the morning?"

"Of course!", Anna threw her hands up. "Why do we need that much stuff? Why can't we just hop on your parasaurs, find a foot route, and go like that?"

 

[Silverwings]

"Because big mean beasts eat our parasaurs and we are good as dead," Roan said, being spiteful, "Jack is offering us the safest plan."

"Why don't we just have two rafts, two riding the parasaurs on the rafts and two driving the rafts?" Vera asked. It was actually a good point to be made.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"If you two are gonna fetishize safety so much," Anna asked, "Why don't you just stay here in your fortess of solitude for the rest of your lives?"

Ignoring that comment, Jack focused on Vera's query. "Because we've also gotta fit crates full of supplies on the rafts," he explained, "Building materials so that, when we get where we're going, we're not left in the open for days while we build a shelter, we can just put up a ring of spikes and build something strong on day one."

 

[Silverwings]

"Ok," Vera said, "Who's to say it wouldn't all fit on two. Maybe we should build two rafts and see if it would carry."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"We could try that," Jack agreed, "But it would take at least an extra day." Not that any part of this was going to be quick, if Jack had his way and could build up their fortress before heading out.

"How about this," Anna offered, "I'll take Roan on a dummy para back up the route Vera and I came from. We've been through there once already, I know places we can hide from predators if we have to. If it turns bad, we'll turn back immediately and go full tilt on your boat idea, but if it turns out we can get there quicker on land, we do it that way."

 

[Silverwings]

"I think maybe if we can tame something while we are out, we might be safer," Roan said, hesitant on the idea."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Fine, if you want to tame something, we can tame something," Anna shrugged, clearly only caring about getting this done in the way she thought best.

"That leaves me and Vera here to work on the rafts," Jack nodded, "Fine, we'll go with that." He opened the crates again to take out materials, "In the meantime, I guess go tame a 'dummy para'. I've got two houses and a watchtower to build before nightfall."

 

[Silverwings]

"It just seems to me like dinosaurs are our best chance of survival." Roan said, looking at Anna, "Just trust me on this ok?"

Vera sighed, moving to get the supplies they would need.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Alright," Anna shrugged, "If it bleeds it can be killed, let's just go get a dummy para so that if it dies you didn't lose your special boys." She rolled her eyes at that.

Jack whistled for Figaro and Hardhead to follow, going with Vera. The hide was the dangerous part of their needs, just because of all the things there on the beach. Dodos were easy kills, but trikes would prove much more dangerous when provoked.

 

[Silverwings]

Leading the way around the beach, Roan made quick work bolaing a parasaur, giving it some berries once it calmed some, "Here we go. A dummy parasaur."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Good," Anna nodded, "Do you have another saddle?"

 

[Silverwings]

"No," Roan replied, "I could make one but that leaves one of us walking.."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"We rode two in a saddle this morning," Anna raised an eyebrow, "That wasthe point." The saddles did look like they could easily sit two people, but not comfortablly.

 

[Silverwings]

"And were you comfortable?" Roan asked, looking at the spines on the creatures back. He looked at her, "I mean, I can go ahead and make it and we can both ride, but that can't be comfortable. "

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"No, but it did it's job," Anna shook her head, "We're not supposed to be comfortable, we're just supposed to be able to move quickly."

 

[Silverwings]

"I suppose," He shrugged, getting to work on a saddle.

 

[Deadwood Deer]

With the saddle ready and attached, Anna and Roan could ride back to load up on supplies. Jack by now had downed a weak old trike that got separated, and was using the hide to produce hide armor for the women and to complete his and Roan's set, while the meat cooked. The horns, he wasn't sure what he could do with the keratin but it must be useful for something. "Here, it's better than nothing by a longshot," he said as he offered the clothes to the two women.

 

[Silverwings]

Vera nodded, putting the armors on, "Thanks. This will probably protect us a lot longer than anything Anna and I will have for some time."

Putting on the rest of the set, Roan nodded, "We should be ready to go soon, we just need some supplies."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"It fits," Anna looked a bit confused.

"You two didn't have any clothes when we found you, and I can make hide stuff, so," Jack shrugged, "Keep you alive long enough to keep us alive. There's berries and meat in the chest under the feeding hammocks, Roan knows where."

 

[Silverwings]

Roan led the way to the chest, showing Anna and Vera where Jack was talking about, "Right here. If you're ever hungry."

Vera nodded, "Great. So then take what we need?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"Yep, just make sure there's enough for everyone. The paras and Roan's pegomastax eat berries and seeds, so make sure there's enough for them," Jack nodded from the top of the structure, soon followed by the sound of building as he started assembling Vera and Anna's huts. Once those were done he replaced the hole in the middle with a hatchframe and a trapdoor so there was less risk of fallint through on accident.

"Great," Anna scooped some cooked meat into her inventory and then headed back to the para tamed for the mission, which she was calling in her head 'Dummy'.

 

[Silverwings]

"We can collect more berries while we are out," Roan said to Anna as they went back to the para. He climbed onto the saddle, offer a hand to help her up, "Ready?"

 

[Deadwood Deer]

Anna grabbed Roan's hand and took her position on the saddle just behind him, since he knew how to drive this thing better than she did. She did draw her spear in case something did attack. "Ready." Once they'd left, following a route Anna plotted on the map based on what she and Vera had traveled to get here.

 

[Silverwings]

Roan went along the path they had plotted, growing wary of their surroundings, "This seems dangerous."

 

[Deadwood Deer]

"It's only as dangerous as what jumps out of the bushes," Anna replied, "When Vera and I last came through here, we were safe as long as we straddled the beach." True to her word, the path seemed relatively safe. The dummy parasaur was able to run faster than small dilos, and could detect danger early enough that they could find a way around the big predators most of the time. Right up until they came around to the small mountain near where their destination was. That was when things got hairy, as larger predators like carnotaurs began to appear.

----------------
Back at the base, the search for materials was leading Jack and Vera farther and farther from the fortress, and dangerously close to the swamps. If they didn't need these materials so badly Jack wouldn't let either of them near that hive of snakes, crocs, and spinos, but they didn't have much of a choice if they wanted to be sure they could build the rafts. Or even if they couldn't build the rafts, make the materials they'd need to build a shelter once they got where they were going.