[unreality]

The DEITY System

***

This is an RP, or roleplay- a collective story told by many people (as many that sign up), who each control a single character. They tell the story of their character as the characters interact with each other and the world, moving the story forward- sometimes toward a finish, sometimes not.

Only participate if you like to write ;D

***

Welcome to Epsilon, a world consisting of a tropical sea scattered with small islands. These islands, also tropical, are known as Epsilon-1, Epsilon-2, etc, all the way up to Epsilon-27, a sandbar off of Epsilon-26.

Nobody living in Epsilon decided on that, or the name of their world. They just know that's what it's called. Some of the islands are close enough together that you can see an island from the beach of another- the people there don't have the curiosity nor innovation to build a boat and explore- not yet, anyways. And nobody living on (for example) Epsilon-21 is curious that there may be 20 other islands, and maybe more... not yet, anyways.

The inhabitants are thus restricted to their own islands, all isolated from each other, where they make their living- a pleasant living. The weather is almost always good, except for the occasional monsoon. There is plenty of fish in the sea, fruit in the trees, and meat running around the jungle. Most of the islands have set up a sort of tribal leadership and community, living peacefully in beach huts or jungle houses, pretty sanitary too, though all the islands vary. Some are worse off than others. The people are usually very pacified.

This proclaimed "unrealism" is denounced by the mysterious DEITY System- the apparent boss of the world. It represents a god to the people of Epsilon- they know it exists, just as they know that they are living a place called Epsilon, just like they know their own island number. They also know that the DEITY System resides on the island Epsilon-0.

I say "apparent boss of the world" because the DEITY System does not interact with its world- not directly, anyway. The people fend for themselves. It does not interfere, for good or bad. It does not see the future. The people don't pray to it. But it is their god, their ruler - they just know that. I said "not directly, anyway"- and by that, I mean the DEITY System's propoganda. Yes, it interacts through propoganda- strange creatures known as Heralds may appear on the horizon, a couple of them in a long boat, using long paddles to bring themselves to shore. The people of whichever island the Heralds are visiting gather around, offering them food, drink, shelter. But Heralds don't eat, nor drink, nor sleep. They have no need. They are just there to give messages of the DEITY System, to spread propoganda. Slogans such as "Adapt. React. Be Independent. Be REALISTIC!"... or pictures of tribesmen gathering together, working in groups, or thinking of new ideas- or discovering new things, creating new inventions. Once the Heralds have given their message successful, whether it be verbal, a sand drawing, or an object they had taken with them, they depart as they had come, disappearing into the horizon.

It seems to you or I that Epsilon is a very strange world- but not so to the people that live there.

Epsilon does not really exist as you or I think of "existing"- it is inside a computer. It is the testing realm for an artificial intelligence computer system that its programmers call the DEITY System. The two programmers/scientists that made the DEITY System are currently in the fifth cycle of testing, terminating the world and starting over each time after a "failure". The cycle is a "failure" if a "success" is not reached within the 99th generation of the Epsilon inhabitants- a time span of a few hours in the real world.

The programmers are hoping that the inhabitants of Epsilon will form communities, they want leaders to emerge, they want diversity to spread, they want Epsilon-ians to develope the curiosity and skill to travel their world, they want them to adapt, to become more and more "realistic", as the DEITY System urges. And, of course, they want a "success"- not another "failure". If this fifth cycle is a "failure", their project will lose its financial support, and be over. So they want a "success" very much- it would also be a huge breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is the main goal.

So what is a "success"?

A success is when a member of the world of Epsilon develops the desire to seek out the DEITY System- tp find the island of Epsilon-0, where the Heralds come from, where the DEITY System abides. When that happens (when an Epsilon inhabitant reaches Epsilon-0) it is declared a "success", a major breakthrough in AI, and the cycle will be terminated- and the DEITY System will continue to be worked with by the programmers to continue their artificial intelligence program. That is a "success".

Spoiler for a moral question to consider:

If a "success" is declared, it means the 'AI' really is just 'I'. It means the people of Epsilon, Cycle 5, or at least some of those people, could truly be seen as living beings, capable of everything we are. Would it be wrong to just pull the plug after a success, to terminate their world once they reach Epsilon-0? To just end Epsilon, Cycle 5, and start a new cycle with even more goals? Think of that in the background- it's a long way off from now (at least in the point of view of someone living in Epsilon)

Intrigued? Want to join?

Before I post how to join and how to get started, I just want to see a show of hands of how many people are interested, if any. So post here if you're interested

[Brandonb]

Wow, these stories are getting intense! I hope beckib3lw gets back on soon so I we can continue ours too.

[Guest]

i will explain my plan further. it isnt realt a border more of a ock and as i pmed thuhchris a furnace to melt metal. put woodent door. then flap the wood to get in more oxygen more oxygen=more heat.

there for i could make nails. but if we leavin soon no point

[unreality]

((I'm putting Drone's whole story so far, the new part starts after the second trio of asterisks))

Epsilon-0

Ping... ping...

The drops continued to fall from the roof of the sewer tunnel, splashing with little pings on the metallic, sloping floor. Drone held his breath and groaned inwardly as he brought his foot down, making a diminutive splash. He froze, the fear binding him to the spot like an unseen vice. Time ticked by in the form of heartbeats, pounding nervously against his ribs. He must've waited at least ten minutes before loosening his muscles and taking the next step in the murky darkness. Fear coursed through his veins, heightening his senses- almost too much. Every little shadow made his adrenaline soar like a golden eagle. Every time a rat scurried across the damp surface of the sewer tunnel, his heart would leap drastically. Every time he heard a distant splash, his mind experienced a flash of panic.

Drone was running for his life.

More like walking agonizingly slow. But he knew what would happen if he sped up. If he made noise. They would find him, they would capture him, they would hunt him down relentlessly until he was theirs. Drone couldn't let that happen- he had discovered the truth- the ultimate truth... and he had paid for it with his brother's life and quite possibly his own.

Another step. Another. Another. Drone was so close to the escape ladder... but it was at least another ten steps. Eight steps now... five steps... three steps... one more step... he reach out to touch the ladder, his fingers trembling and tentative, as if he had never believed this moment would-

Something tackled him from the shadows, dragging him into the dirty water. All the adrenaline was suddenly justified: Drone whipped around and hurled himself upward, taking his assailant with him- his momentum drove them both into the wall of the tunnel, smashing his attacker against the hard metal. Drone felt something crush sickeningly, but he only felt the smallest tinge of regret. His brother had made him promise, on his dying breath, to get out alive. To make sure their sacrifice wasn't for nothing. Computer terms flashed through Drone's head... words he hadn't understood until arriving here: viruses... code... hexadecimal... unable to complete Cycle 5... ERROR.

His unseen opponent wasn't finished- whatever it was threw Drone off him and regained its composure. As Drone steadied himself and whipped around, he heard heavy breathing. Whoever it was, they were alive. A living being. Drone ignored his initial confusion- he had assumed the Heralds would've sent an assassin robot after him.

Until Drone saw the person- then he understood even less. "What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted, as the assailant ominously circled around him, trying to get the best fighting position. "Answer me!" No response.

"Why did they send you?"

"They didn't send me," the attacker rasped, his dark eyes surveying Drone. "They would send a robot."

"Then who did?"

"I sent myself." The attacker lunged, metal glinting in their hand- a knife. Drone caught the arm and heaved on it, kneeling down, flipping the attacker over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. The attacker instantly flipped onto his stomach, twisting Drone's arm 180 degrees. Drone screamed in pain, and the attacker launched himself forward, knife aimed for Drone's throat- he took full use of the millisecond he had, catching the attacker's arm and locking them in a death struggle... they grappled for control of the knife... the attacker was stronger, better trained... Drone gritted his teeth, growling in frustration. If the attacker gained the upper hand here, Drone would be dead. Like his brother.

That memory fueled him, unleashing a seismic force buried deep within him. His anger, confusion, and wonder combined about the truth of his world was like a volcano, it had been building up and up and up until it was about to explode... the volcano erupted inside Drone now, and he roared in his newfound strength, hurling the attacker against the metal ladder. His enemy's head smashed against the rung and the man fell limply to the floor.

The noise would have alerted the Heralds. It wouldn't be long before one of their deadly robots showed up- Drone scooped up the knife. He would need it.

***

As Drone pushed his way into the sunlight and stepped out from the dark sewer pipe, his face brushed against dewy dune grass and his hands rested on warm sand. He stood up, closing the hatch behind him- sand naturally rushed in to cover it up.

He was between two lofty sand dunes that flared up on either side, coming to a knifelike apex. The pipeline must've continued on and into the ocean. Drone shook his head wearily... the Heralds seemed to have no respect for the beautiful environment. A digital environment... pollution was never programmed in... More words he didn't know. Digital? Programmed? Words he had never even known existed until Epsilon-0.

Drone hiked up the sand dune to the top and stared out at the twinkling sapphire ocean. It was noon- the sun was hanging directly above him, casting a golden glow across the stretch of sand from here to the shore. Drone took a deep breath, inhaling. It was just like his home island of Epsilon-1. A place he could never return. Not after what he had seen here- he turned around to face the middle of the island. The vast tropical island, roughly circular, rose up from beach into jungle and then into a massive volcano, green-sloped and dormant. At the top was a mighty dome, flanked by pillars and ringed with towers. The Herald fortress known as The Origin.

Three days ago, Drone and his brother, Kelrod, had arrived at Epsilon-0, their raft floating lazily ashore. They had been the first to evolve intellectually, months ago, longing to explore their mysterious world. They began to build a boat... However, a man named Quarad had got the idea at the same time, and a deadly battle had been fought atop the boat as it launched into sea... Quarad had loaded explosives onboard, but Kelrod and Drone escaped on a piece of flotsam, a chunk of the hull that would serve as a raft. They had believed Quarad to be dead.

Then they had floated onto Epsilon-0. A Herald appeared to them, saying they could end Cycle 5 as a success, whatever that meant. The Heralds took them to The Origin and took them down into the lava chambers inside the volcano- where there lied a gigantic volcanic crystal. All they had to do was touch the Crystal, and Cycle 5 would be a success. The AI program would be successful, and it would be a huge breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence, Drone had wondered. What do they mean, "artificial"? The Heralds had revealed that the Crystal was not the DEITY System- neither was the island of Epsilon-0. They had shown Drone and Kelrod the truth- that EVERYTHING in Epsilon was part of the DEITY System. It was the computer-generated environment around them and the code that ran it.

Choosing whether or not to touch the Crystal "was part of the test", the Heralds said... though the programmers much wanted them to do it. Kelrod was first... he looked back at Drone. The night before, they had discussed what would happen if Cycle 5 "terminated"- what would happen to the people inside?

Kelrod had decided not to touch it.

And he had paid with his life.

Drone gritted his teeth in loss and anger at the memory of his brother being dragged away, never to be seen again. A Herald had returned, informing Drone that his brother had been thrown into the lava, and the same would happen to him unless he touched the Crystal. Remembering his brother's final shouted words as they dragged him away, Drone had decided. His life was not worth the many that would be rendered inexistant if the program ended.

He had refused to touch it. That was when the Heralds got nervous- their bluff hadn't work. So they had leapt on Drone and forced his hand onto the Crystal. What happened next was not "the success"- the Crystal had flashed, and a computer voice had asserted that there was a virus in the system. A programming error. It was unable to complete Cycle 5 until the virus was destroyed.

That was when Drone had taken advantage of his captors' confusion, breaking free of their grasp and running through the underground tunnels underneath the volcano until he found the sewer pipe.

Then Quarad had attacked him. Someone the man had also found his way to Epsilon-0. Drone had smashed his rival's head against the ladder, but he doubted Quarad was dead.

And now, Drone had no idea what to do as he stared up at the citadel of the rulers of his artificial world.

***

Zetsu opened his eyes to a youth in his mid twenties. He had a disheveled appearance and he said his name was Drone. He was excited to have the company, but Zetsu could tell the excitement was masking something else. Something awful most likely. Just what happened to this kid? Zetsu thought. Then he realized he had been asked a question and answered Drone in a proud and dignified tone: "My name is Zetsu. These are my apprentices Neji and Hinata. I am a village elder of Epsilon 13 and a former Shaman. We came here seeking the truth about DEITY. A truth that was initially revealed to me in a fore-telling dream. Now that dream has come true and I have met you, a foreigner from a land unknown to me and my people. So please Drone, tell me. Where are we?"

((we'll pretend you didn't know his name, lol))

Drone's uncertainty was broken by the sound of hurried orders and splashing. He turned quickly, his mind churning through the possibilities. Heralds, coming ashore? No, they don't make that much noise. Some of Quarad's goons, perhaps? Just in case, Drone grabbed a long piece of hollow driftwood and inched down the dune to the newcomers.

He reeled in shock when he saw their faces. One of them was covering his eyes with a long beige cloth, wrapped around his head multiple times like a bandage. Another was burdened with a bag of scrolls, and was flashing sign language to the other two. The oldest one, much older than the other two, was kneeling in the sand, eyes squeezed shut, face curled into an expression of pure agony... much like Drone and Kelrod when they had first arrived. Information is being downloaded, Drone thought absentmindedly. That small information was nothing, however, to the stuff he had learned underneath The Origin.

One other effect of the information download: the Heralds knew they were there.

Before his mind had even processed all of that, Drone had been overcome with emotion. Finally, some allies! No doubt other Epsilonians, traveling from other isles. It seemed to be a vast archipelago... Drone wondered how many islands there were.

He brushed his thoughts away and asked the obvious question, his eyes red-rimmed from suppressed emotions, which were colliding in his heart like fireballs.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zetsu. These are my apprentices Neji and Hinata. I am a village elder of Epsilon 13 and a former Shaman. We came here seeking the truth about DEITY. A truth that was initially revealed to me in a fore-telling dream. Now that dream has come true and I have met you, a foreigner from a land unknown to me and my people. So please, tell me. Where are we?"

Drone introduced himself and then answered Zetsu:

"Epsilon-0... the supposed home of the DEITY System, the force that runs everything. But that's a lie- it's all a lie. We are all part of the DEITY System- it's a computer program... but you don't know what that means, of course. I didn't either, until I washed up here with my brother. But now my brother is dead and the Heralds know you're here. We have to go!"

[itachi-san]

He had a disheveled appearance and he said his name was Drone.

((we'll pretend you didn't know his name, lol))

Come on, check out the second sentence you quoted... <_<

[Guest]

i will explain my plan further. it isnt realt a border more of a ock and as i pmed thuhchris a furnace to melt metal. put woodent door. then flap the wood to get in more oxygen more oxygen=more heat.

there for i could make nails. but if we leavin soon no point

Nails is good but I got a whole tribe of angry islanders coming to stick my head on a pole. How about bullets? Just kidding

[Guest]

Nails is good but I got a whole tribe of angry islanders coming to stick my head on a pole. How about bullets? Just kidding

then id have to make gunpowder and a barrel and a...

[Guest]

Ilyta started by telling Hector of the number of people on their island. There are 5 families on the island. Her family has 7 people. Oyates family has 13-Her grandparents are still alive, and she has 6 brothers and sisters. Oyates is the biggest family. Over the last few generations, the population on the island has dwindled down. More death than there ever was before. One family raised goats, pigs, and cows. That was the family that supplied the meat. Another family had a vast, luscious garden. They grew everything. That was the family that supplied fruits and vegetables. The wise mans family were the lawgivers and the healers. The 4th family repaired huts and carts, and the last family made clothes. Ilyta and Oyates generation was the 99th to have been born on Epsilon 4. They all lived together very peacefully. But no one seemed to ever even question the fact that they were not alone on the ocean. Ilyta explained to Hector, that before they saw him on the horizon in his boat, she never would have thought Oyate had the same feeling as she did. She told him that her grandmother had the same feelings and thoughts but kept them to herself for fear of punishment.

Oyate jumped up excited: We could bring him to the elders and then they would have to face the fact that there has to be more people out there.

Hector was unsure: I don’t think it would be a good idea. If your wise man is so against talk of other islands, what do you think he would do to me?

Ilyta agreed: We need to obtain one of the boats that the elders keep down by the fishing beach.

She explained to Hector that the heralds had indicated in a message that they should make boats to go further in the water. Even though this came from the heralds, the wise man let them make the boats, but forbade anyone to take them in the water.

They decided that Oyate would go to the village and bring back some food for Hector. When darkness falls, they’ll sneak down and get a boat, bring it back and hide it. When Hector feels strong enough, they would start out on a journey to find other islands. Until then they would keep Hector a secret, and continue their daily tasks as if they know nothing about another islander.

Oyate rushed off to the village for the food, while Ilyta and Hector waited in the clearing for her return.

[unreality]

itachi: oops ;D sorry man. I must have forgotten about that one

[Brandonb]

*Hector and Ilyta : Epsilon-4

As Hector and Ilyta sat together on the clearing, Hector kept toying with the oar he had salvaged from his near-death experience. Ilyta turned to him and asked what it was. Baffled, Hector told her that it was a paddle for rowing his boat, and asked her how they used the fishing boats on her island if they had no paddles. Ilyta said that the elders had made rules that no one was allowed to construct any form of rowing device. They dictated that the boats must be tethered to the shore at all times using the vines hanging from the tallest tree, so they may not go into the open water unless to fish. They were allowed to float out for a short distance, about as far as the height of their tallest tree. Then they could pull themselves back to shore using the vine. This way they could fish, without the danger of anyone floating out too far. “Or leaving the island.” Hector chuckled to himself. “What a clever idea”, he thought, “…using ‘safety’ as a method for controlling people.”

While waiting for Oyate to return, Hector and Ilyta clicked. They began talking about everything that they could imagine being on other islands. “This is nice” thought Hector, “maybe making this new friend would help to ease the pain from losing Andrell.” They sat and talked and laughed as a few hours passed.

As dusk approached they heard a rusting coming quickly toward them from the woods. A loud whisper came from the trees. “It’s me! Oyate!”

“What took so long?” asked Ilyta, “you didn’t tell anyone did you?”

Oyate: No I didn’t tell anyone! It just took a while b/c I had to barter for the food, then explain that we were going on a picnic and wouldn't be back for a while, THEN get rid of my brother Copernicus, you know he likes you Ilyta. He keeps trying to tag along and it gets on my nerves.

So Hector, Oyate, and Ilyta walked to the beach just as the sun's last rays gave them enough light to eat the food Oyate had brought back. Soon afterwards they walked back to the clearing, and decided to wait a few days before stealing one of the fishing boats because a missing boat would be quickly noticed the following day. They also knew that when they left the island there was no telling how long it would be before they would find food again. So they agreed to wait three days in order to unsuspiciously gather enough food for the three of them. The plan was to then steal a boat at daybreak after the 3rd night, and row out till they could barely see the island. They figured at that distance they may be able to see another island...

"Three days" said Oyate, "Three days till the end of our lives as we know them."

Edited June 19, 2008 by Brandonb

[Guest]

Epsilon 17:

Midnight. Frog approached the island cautiously, looking out for signs of life. The island was large and thick with forest. Anything could be lurking in there. But he didn't see any evidence of habitation, and proceeded to row around the island, examining the moonlit shore for a concealed spot where he might bring the boat ashore. All the while his senses were on high alert, looking for signs of danger. He tried to make no sound with the oars, just the smallest ripple on the water. The sea rose and fell with a gentle swell, as though he sat on the chest of some giant beast, breathing deeply and smoothly in its sleep.

He thought about what his options might be. He could hide on this island quite effectively, but it wasn't much of a long-term plan. His little boat was ill-equipped to withstand a larger journey. The weather had been kind to him this time, but perhaps it would not continue to be so. And his stomach cried out for food. At this last thought, a grin spread slowly across his face. "I have a spear", he thought. "I have a spear". Oh, the possibilities! The things he could kill, and eat...

Focus. Think clearly. How long would it take for the Odekites to come? The boat he damaged could probably be repaired in less than a day, and the other, who knows? But the boats were small, and could only hold three men, four at the most. The Odekites might think it necessary to attack in greater numbers, even though it surely wasn't. Building larger boats to carry a greater force would take time, perhaps several days. Frog's eyes stared into the darkness as he considered this last fact. His grin widened. He had a plan.

[Guest]

Epsilon 17:

Morning. Frog is exhausted. After hiding the boat, he has spent the remainder of the night running around, gathering wood. This he made into five camp fires spread out along the beach, and two on higher ground, further back in the forest. It was hard work, not only because of the distance he had to cover but because he had to do it in the dark, stumbling around amongst the trees. And then starting a fire. He'd seen it done so many times by the Odekites, but they had made it look easy. It had taken him two hours to get one fire going, and he was driven to despair, thinking there must be some trick to it that he had missed, and that all his effort would be for nothing. But eventually his little bundle of dry grass began to smoke, and blowing gently he breathed life into the flames. From the first fire, he lit a large branch which he carried to the second. Half an hour later, seven fires were burning on Epsilon 17, and not a minute too soon. The last fire lit was the one at the highest point. From there he could look out to sea, and his heart leapt as the light of the rising sun revealed the sight he longed to see; a small boat, just like the one he came in. It was quite a distance away, and he could not make out exactly how many occupants it had - two, maybe three. But it was not moving.

Now is the test. He waits...

The boat turns, and starts to proceed slowly back toward Epsilon 18. Frog sinks to the ground, completely shattered, but elated. They sent out scouts, using the one boat that could be easily repaired, just as Frog hoped they would. And the scouts saw what Frog wanted them to see; a populated island, awake and ready to fight. He has won himself a few days. He lets loose a guttural cry of victory, eyes welling up with tears. He has a chance to survive.

[Guest]

WELL I GUESS IM KINDA LATE RIGHT? bUT COULD I STILL JOIN?

[Guest]

WELL I GUESS IM KINDA LATE RIGHT? bUT COULD I STILL JOIN?

If you know the scoop, pick and island, create a character and go for it!

[Guest]

Nez awoke to the rumblings and thumpings of construction. Brodi and Josh were already busy erecting a shelter. Nez stared in awe…she had never envisioned such a feat…and here they were creating a structure before her eyes. Then suddenly it came to her, “Boys!” She screamed.

Josh and Brodi whipped around in terror expecting to see Nez in distress. Instead they found her giddy and speaking faster than they could understand.

“Slow down, Nez” said one of the boys. “Start over.” Said the other.

Nez tried to catch her breath and then began again…”Josh, you said that you came from another island. Brodi and I have never seen another island from the shorelines of our home. But you are proof that one exists!”

The boys both stared at her trying to grasp what it was she was getting at.

“A few months, or perhaps a few years…regardless, I once caught a glimpse, out of the far horizon of the sea, a vessel that floated ON TOP of the waves!” She stopped to catch her breath again, then continued…”Josh, you are a skilled craftsman, with your help the three of us build such a vessel!”

Brodi’s eyes popped, “We found each other…we can find others!”

And the three of them quickly got to work disassembling the shelter and using the materials to fashion an unsinkable craft.

According to my early stories I am approximately 13 years old. I'm assuming that we are all in our early teens unless Thuhchris has created Brodi to be an adult? Oh, and Pieman, I'm not actually pissed...just trying to scare you into being more patient for me to reply. Remember: Thuhchris...then ME...then Pieman. Repeat.

Im going to start from here...

________________________________________________________________________________

After disassembling the shelter Brodi stopped working and just sat there.

"What is it?" Nez asked.

"We haven't been to my side of the island yet..." Brodi answered.

"We don't have time for games Brodi." Nez said.

"No.. There is a giant tree on my side. It's already hollowed out. All we have to do is cut it down..."

"..And we can use it to make the boat" Josh finished.

"Well lets head over there" Nez said

They grabbed the axes that Josh made eariler and headed towards the west side of the island.

They went past about three different lakes and then came to a cave. Brodi's cave.

They heard a bark and saw a furry beast run past them, Jumping around in joy.

"Ok" said Brodi "It's not far from here."

They walked for a couple hundered feet and then came across the biggest tree they had ever seen.

It was about 20 to 30 feet in diameter(except for the fact it was hallow). They gazed at it in amazment.

"We aren't going to get anything done just standing here" Josh joked. "let's get started."

They Started hacking away at the trunk. they spent the whole day trying to cut it down.

The sun started to set so they called it a day. They went into Brodi's cave and started a fire, and used

it to heat and sharpen the tips to each ax. Brodi went out for about a hour and came back with dinner.

3 rabbit and some berries, he also had some grass looking things.

Nez and Josh cooked their rabbits while Brodi tore and smashed up the grass looking stuff. He sprinkled

some on each of the rabbits.

"What is that?" Josh asked.

"Basil." Brodi answered. "I started growing some food and spices right out side."

They finished cooking the rabbits, ate, and went to sleep.

When morning cam they got up and started chopping at the tree again. After about 5 hours of work

they heard the tree creak.

"It's coming down soon!" Josh announced.

After another half an hour the tree started to fall.

"Timber!!!" Nez yelled and then laughed.

"Now how are we supposed to get this to the other side of the island?" Josh said.

"Well i kind of have an idea, but we need alot of man power.. you guys up for it?"

"Sure" Nez answered.

"Ok" Josh said.

"So here what we're going to do. We need to roll this tree to the water, and then we can push it in the

water to the east side of the island." Brodi said.

Luckily there was a clearing right to the water big enough for the tree.

"Alright, let's get going" Josh said.

They pushed all there might, and it moved slowly. It started going a little faster each second.

"Keep it going" Brodi grunted.

It got faster and faster, soon it was at a walking pace. they were about 500 meters from the water now.

They were getting tired

"Com'on, not much futher guys" Nez Said.

It rolled faster and faster, then they heard a splash. They panted and feel on the ground.

"We did it" Josh said out of breath.

They rested for a while and took drinks from the water.

"Ok. let's get going" Josh said.

"Yeah." Brodi agreed

Brodi took off his shirt and got in the water. He pushed giant log as Josh and Nez walked along the shore

next to him. They soon came back to the east side of the island (about a 10 minute walk from Nez's cave)

Josh and Nez went to the front of the log and pulled, as Brodi pushed the log on to the shore.

"Let's get Some rest" Nez Said "We can work on it tommorow'

The boys agreed and went to the cave..

Pieman: Sorry for going back.. i just couldn't think

of how to add on to what you wrote hope your ok with that?

Also.. you guys can go in the normal order. just skip my turn.

The order was...

Thuchris

Puzzlegirl

Pieman

So just start with Pieman

Then Skip me

Then Puzzlegirl

Pieman

Thuhchris (ME)

Puzzlegirl

ECT..

Is that cool?

Edited June 20, 2008 by Thuhchris

[Guest]

Oyate and Ilyta hated the fact that they had to go back to the village, but it was getting darker and if they stayed out too late, the elders would question them. As Ilyta laid in her bed that night, she thought about the village: There are so many rules we have to follow, and they all seem to keep us from finding out anything about life beyond our island. I know grandmother said there would be terrible punishment if anyone speaks about another island or even questions where the heralds come from. No, no one can ever find out about Hector or mine and Oyates plans to leave here with him. It could prove to be too dangerous.

The next morning, the first thing the girls did was to get some of the eggs and meat that Oyates mother had made for breakfast, and also some food for lunch.

Oyates mother jokingly asked if they were planning on running away since they had taken quite a bit of food. Oyate stammered ‘no, we were just planning on taking a long walk and we usually get famished. We just wanted to make sure we had enough to keep up our energy-‘

‘Well have fun girls.’ Her mother said as they ran off.

Once they got to the clearing Ilyta told Hector what Oyates mother had said. That was close- I thought she had an idea. We need to make sure no one follows us.

They spent the day talking to Hector and telling him more about their people and their traditions. The one that had always bothered Ilyta was when somebody died, everyone said they went to the home of the heralds. If no one knows where the heralds came from, how do they know that’s where the dead go? And is it a good place? She hated to think that anyone she loved had gone to a terrible place. She also told Hector that the elders had been pressuring Oyate and herself to announce that they were ready to marry and to let the few young men in the village to court them. The girls had both declined announcing that because, although they didn’t know it at the time, both girls had felt there was something more to be found besides Epsilon 4.

By the time darkness fell, they realized that the girls had better be getting back before someone comes looking for them. They told Hector good night and headed back to the village. The next morning, it was pretty much the same thing as the previous day, although this time, Oyates brother Copernicus wanted to come with them. They had been gone all day yesterday, he was sure they were having fun without him. They finally snuck away and were off to the clearing. When the sun was at its highest in the sky, Ilyta said she would return to the village for more food and to make sure the boat that they were going to take would be ready for them. ‘Ill be back soon’ he told Oyate as she headed into the forest towards the village.

Oyate had the strange feeling that someone else watched Ilyta leave.

Edited June 20, 2008 by beckib3lw

[Guest]

Im going to start from here...

________________________________________________________________________________

After disassembling the shelter Brodi stopped working and just sat there.

"What is it?" Nez asked.

"We haven't been to my side of the island yet..." Brodi answered.

"We don't have time for games Brodi." Nez said.

"No.. There is a giant tree on my side. It's already hollowed out. All we have to do is cut it down..."

"..And we can use it to make the boat" Josh finished.

"Well lets head over there" Nez said

They grabbed the axes that Josh made eariler and headed towards the west side of the island.

They went past about three different lakes and then came to a cave. Brodi's cave.

They heard a bark and saw a furry beast run past them, Jumping around in joy.

"Ok" said Brodi "It's not far from here."

They walked for a couple hundered feet and then came across the biggest tree they had ever seen.

It was about 20 to 30 feet in diameter(except for the fact it was hallow). They gazed at it in amazment.

"We aren't going to get anything done just standing here" Josh joked. "let's get started."

They Started hacking away at the trunk. they spent the whole day trying to cut it down.

The sun started to set so they called it a day. They went into Brodi's cave and started a fire, and used

it to heat and sharpen the tips to each ax. Brodi went out for about a hour and came back with dinner.

3 rabbit and some berries, he also had some grass looking things.

Nez and Josh cooked their rabbits while Brodi tore and smashed up the grass looking stuff. He sprinkled

some on each of the rabbits.

"What is that?" Josh asked.

"Basil." Brodi answered. "I started growing some food and spices right out side."

They finished cooking the rabbits, ate, and went to sleep.

When morning cam they got up and started chopping at the tree again. After about 5 hours of work

they heard the tree creak.

"It's coming down soon!" Josh announced.

After another half an hour the tree started to fall.

"Timber!!!" Nez yelled and then laughed.

"Now how are we supposed to get this to the other side of the island?" Josh said.

"Well i kind of have an idea, but we need alot of man power.. you guys up for it?"

"Sure" Nez answered.

"Ok" Josh said.

"So here what we're going to do. We need to roll this tree to the water, and then we can push it in the

water to the east side of the island." Brodi said.

Luckily there was a clearing right to the water big enough for the tree.

"Alright, let's get going" Josh said.

They pushed all there might, and it moved slowly. It started going a little faster each second.

"Keep it going" Brodi grunted.

It got faster and faster, soon it was at a walking pace. they were about 500 meters from the water now.

They were getting tired

"Com'on, not much futher guys" Nez Said.

It rolled faster and faster, then they heard a splash. They panted and feel on the ground.

"We did it" Josh said out of breath.

They rested for a while and took drinks from the water.

"Ok. let's get going" Josh said.

"Yeah." Brodi agreed

Brodi took off his shirt and got in the water. He pushed giant log as Josh and Nez walked along the shore

next to him. They soon came back to the east side of the island (about a 10 minute walk from Nez's cave)

Josh and Nez went to the front of the log and pulled, as Brodi pushed the log on to the shore.

"Let's get Some rest" Nez Said "We can work on it tommorow'

The boys agreed and went to the cave..

Pieman: Sorry for going back.. i just couldn't think

of how to add on to what you wrote hope your ok with that?

Also.. you guys can go in the normal order. just skip my turn.

The order was...

Thuchris

Puzzlegirl

Pieman

So just start with Pieman

Then Skip me

Then Puzzlegirl

Pieman

Thuhchris (ME)

Puzzlegirl

ECT..

Is that cool?

i can see my creative genius isnt being appreciated <_< lol jk its cool

"We need to organize ourselves." Josh said.

"how and why?"asked brodi.

"so"Josh said,"we can work on the boat get food and store food.I willl work on the boat; Nez can prezerve food, and you brodi can hunt deer and/or rabbit and berries."

After brodi left with his equpment Nez asked"How do i preserve food?"

"Its easy I did it on my island."Josh said with confidence.

"Show me." said nez.

And Josh did show Nez. Josh took a big pot(we have pots right??? ) and filled it with sea water. Then Josh put the filled pot with water on the fire.

"I am boiling the water to lezve small grains of powder behind" Josh said."Tell me when the water is gone."

"Ok" said nez.

Then Josh began cutting small logs that he could jam into place to make a seat. He also started to make a paddle. When he was almost done with the first paddle Nez called. By that time brodi was back with the meat.

"I'll show you more tommorow." said Josh.

[Brandonb]

*****This is the accumulation of stories so far, I didn't do much if any editing. First, I need to say that the Josh story needs a better story for converging with Brodi and Nez. Second, I have put these into a rotational pattern so that the stories work better chronologically. Third, Nero needs to write a new story that fits into the parameters. And 4th, if you need to go back and fix something (like the aforementioned) or if you want to edit the timeline or something, then rewrite it then repost this story again.*********

Nero, a native of Elipson-26, used to think that his island was the only island until he saw a bird fly to near him. Nero knows the island like the back of his hand, but never has he seen a bird before. This made him think if there are other islands like his out there. He told his father about this, but his father said that there are no other islands and what he was saying is complete blasphemy. He dismissed the thought from his mind. Right now it is dark; Nero is on top of the mountain on his island staring at the stars. He is thinking about how and why he is there (on the island).

Nero fell asleep on top of the mountain. It started to snow while he was asleep. His girlfriend Eve came up to him wondering why he hasn't come back. She knew the mountain was his favorite spot to go to. She approached him and he woke up. Eve sat down beside Nero and they kissed.

"You're going to freeze up here hun."

"Ill be fine babe." They cuddled together and started to talk. "Hey Eve, do you think there's anything beyond this island?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it."

Nero and Eve fell asleep on top of the mountain. By the time morning came, they were covered in a deep blanket of snow. Nero's best friend Titus climbed the mountain to search for them. When he reached the top, he fell through the snow and landed right on top of the sleeping couple. After whitewashing Titus for his intrusive awakening, they hiked back to their village. Titus couldn't wait to get home to his girlfriend Cynn. Suddenly there was this dense feeling in the air, and the three of them started screaming because the pressure was squeezing their heads. The screaming continued until they were unconscious on the ground.

Nero woke up and saw a herald looking over them. He saw that he was in his house in the village. He sat up and asked the herald what happened. He said it was a glitch in the system. This confused Nero, so he dismissed the thought. He looked around and saw Titus and Cynn talking. He noticed that Eve was still sleeping right next to him.

"She took a real beating." said the herald. "Hit her head on a rock."

Titus Came over just then and said "The herald said she might die unless given proper care. If left here, she will die."

"SHE CAN'T DIE" shouted Nero.

"I am going to take her to my land where she can be treated properly. The problem is, once there she can never come back." said the herald.

"Then I'll come with you." said Nero.

"I am not allowed to do that. It's risky enough taking Eve back with me." Everyone sat in silence. "I must be going now. Don't worry about your friend; she’ll be fine with me." He took Eve in his arms and went to his canoe. Nero, Titus, and Cynn watched him vanish in the sea.

"I am going to see Eve again, even if it's the last thing I do." Said Nero.

"We will come with you." Said both Titus and Eve. Later that night, while the village was asleep, they got to work on building a boat. They have much experience in construction, so the boat wasn't that hard for them. When they were done, it was the biggest boat they have ever seen. It was large enough to hold up to 20 men.

"We will set sail at dawn." Said Nero after they loaded the boat with provisions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zetsu is sitting at the apex of the highest peak on Epsilon-13, only known to others of the island as the Mystic Mountain. Many mind venturers have climbed the dangerous crag to speak with the legendary Zetsu seeking his bountiful wisdom, and almost all of them were completely disregarded as if they did not exist. No one dared attack Zetsu for fear of his magical powers, most of which could be attributed to gossip and bedtime stories. Very rarely will Zetsu speak to anyone. But today, Zetsu was most impressed with the young brother and sister who had approached him one hour ago. He began by merely listening to them ramble on and on and then there was a long silence between the three.

Then, both unexpected and welcome, the young Epsilonian girl, Hinata, asked if Zetsu believed there are other islands than their home of Epsilon-13. Zetsu partly opened his eyes to see the world for the first time in months. This had been a question that had plagued the wise one all his life, only he had been warned in a dream when he was a youth to never venture the seas in search of other islands until a young pair of siblings seeks him out and not only has thought of the same revolutionary idea but is also prepared to join him.

Zetsu slowly walked over to them and clasped both of their shoulders and spoke softly between them. They both wore grins from ear to ear. When Zetsu returned to his spot of meditation the two each dropped to a knee and swore allegiance to Zetsu as their mental and spiritual master. For the first time in his life, Zetsu took on a couple apprentices.

Four weeks later, Zetsu woke the young siblings up 2 hours earlier than normal. He had trained them hard over the last month. They had come to learn that the legends of Zetsu's magic were indeed wrong, but the truth behind the actual man was far more interesting than a common fantasy. Zetsu was capable of maximizing his body's potential in a vast array of fields. His new apprentices had just begun to master handling the harsh conditions so high up the Mystic Mountain: a feat Zetsu made to appear as commonplace as breathing. The people of Epsilon 13 did indeed call it the Mystic Mountain, but Zetsu alone knew it as quite something else.

Today would be Neji and Hinata's first day of rest since they began training under Zetsu. He told them he would reveal the true name of the mountain to them tonight and finally after a long relaxing day, the sun began to dip below the horizon. Zetsu felt full of energy as he guided the twins around the peak of the mountain to the dark side which was seldom seen from below by those of Epsilon 13. Before they arrived, Zetsu lept in front of them with an almost frightening display of agility and shouted to the sky: "Don't think that tonight's full moon is a coincidence kids! You came to me on the night of the new moon just as was foretold in my dream. Hence, I have trained you for a month just as I had been asked. Now watch as the full moon reveals the truth of this mountain to your young eyes!"

Just as Zetsu finished speaking the sun disappeared entirely from the sky and a large cloud slowly revealed the full moon behind it. The light of the moon showcased the unimaginable to Neji and Hinata. There, at the distant edge of the ocean was an island! It was too far to make anything out, but it was there! What they had been dreaming of all their life now stood before them. Slack-jawed, they stood gaping at it as Zetsu added the finishing touch to the moment: "Behold the true identity of Moonlight Watcher."

Zetsu walked almost parallel to the ground as he guided his less nimble apprentices down the steeper parts of Moon Watcher. As they descended, the air began to retain more and more moisture until they finally felt the soothing steamy heat near the mountain's base. Neji found it difficult to believe that the air could ever be so cold as it was at Moon Watcher's peak; he took this to be a precursor for the many new experiences he would soon have.

In such a short time, Neji and Hinata's personal growth was remarkable, even for such a skilled teacher as Zetsu. It seemed to the Wise One that this indeed was the will of the DIETY System, for he couldn't have found two better apprentices if he searched his whole life, and these two sought him out!

After allowing the kids a few hours to visit with friends and family, Zetsu waisted no more time in their training. He ran hard with them for about two miles until they exited the heavy foliage of the the Tranquil Forest and into the large area of rock gardens and fire pits they had cleared away for their Shamanic rituals. Zetsu was once a Shaman of Epsilon 13, but now that seemed like a previous life. Perhaps it was, he thought to himself and barely began a smile.

Zetsu came to an abrupt halt in the center of the clearing. The sun's rays dazzled across his still form, standing straight, head raised, arms slightly spread at his sides, the long sleeves of his robe hiding his hands. Noticing Zetsu's attire, for what seemed like the first time, Hinata inquired about the pendant slightly swaying across his chest. "This..." Zetsu paused as he lifted the pendant up to his line of sight. "...this is my question to ask."

Having known Zetsu for even such a little while, the kids knew that the topic was closed and so asked perhaps a more pertinent question. Neji reviewed the landscape once more and asked: "Master Zetsu, what are we doing on these sacred grounds in the daytime?" Zetsu turned to him sharply. "Neither of your minds are focused right now!...sigh...Well, perhaps I can answer that question and remedy your impatience in one fell swoop." (Zetsu made the sweeping hand gesture and clutching hand motion to fully demonstrate just how ensnared the two had gotten into his web).

"This is a good spot to see many parts of the forest at once. I'm looking for the most suitable wood."

"For what, Master?"

"You and your brother are going to build a raft. And you're going to build it fast."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brodi from Elipson-17. Brodi is a very creative, open-minded man.

He was a very skilled hunter and scavenger. He knew the island well (his side anyway)

He has a black lab name Rocky, Rocky is his hunting dog.

They lived on the west side of the island, and explored the island each day.

Brodi had never met anyone else and wondered if there was anyone else out there...

I am Nez. I also live on Epsilon 17...on the east side of the island. I am a loner, a recluse, spending most of my time hidden away deep inside a cave when I have made myself a comfortable home. I have no interest in exploring the island and no curiocity about the existance of others or of the Diety System. I accept that I am alone and like it that way. On the occation that I find myself lacking sustanance, I venture out of my cave only long enough to fish and hunt and gather the food that I need to survive.

My cave sets mid-way up a cliff face on the rocky shore of East Epsilon 17. I can see no other islands. However, just the oher day, when I emerged from the depths of my cave, preparing to go in search of food, I saw off in the horizon something unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a long, narrow vessle riding ON TOP of the water! There seemed to be at least one unfamiliar being aboard. Startled and completely terrified, I retreated back into the dark of my cave and did not dare return to the sunlight for days.

Today Brodi and rocky went hunting.

Rocky had caught two rabbits and brodi had found a new fruit tree,

which he marked so he could later come back a gather more food from.

Brodi took rocky and the food back to the cave which they had lived in and cooked the rabbits.

Later they went out and got a drink from the lake by the cave when rocky picked up a scent.

He started barking (which he doesn't usually do). Brodi wonder what it was.

Could there be something else out there? he thought. Rocky never barks unless there was a new scent.

They went back to the cave and turned in for the night.

, Nez, having finally shaken off the chill of witnessing the existance of a being similar but not wholly like myself, have gathered the courage to go foraging in the wilderness of my home island, Epsilon 17. While gathering wild fruit, more deeply into the forrest than I am comfortable with, I hear, off in the distance, the echos of a barking beast. This sound, although animal in nature, is nothing like the familiar grunts of the wild bore I have learned to avoid.

My thoughts begin to race. What else is out there? First, strange beings that seem to hover on the water, now the call of strange animals! I am frightened and once again retreat to my cave.

Today Rocky and I went exploring further on the island.

It was a large island and we had only explored about one third of it so far..

Later that night Rocky picked up that scent again. So he took off towards it.

I heard barking in the distance, but fell back asleep.

He didn't come back that night... or the next day.

Nez awoke to the sound of a snarling beast right outside her cave. She jumped to her feet and snatched her weapon, a long twig she had sharpened at both ends to a fine, deadly point. She lit a torch, which was an effective tool to ward off the boars she had encountered on the island, and slowly creapt along the darkest wall of the cave. Her heart raced, her breathing quickened, her hands began to shake and sweat. Nez, afterall, was quite small for her age (...well, she did not actaully know her age, she only knew that her body had begun to change in weird ways and every so often she would, for no reason, and without being wounded, bleed.) and her tiny physique was unevenly matched against the larger boars on the island. Her weapons were her only hope. As she neared the mouth of the cave the daylight blinded her...she paused to let her eyes adjust. While her world was still a blur, she snarliung grew closer. She squinted to see through her sun-blinded haze a hairy beast, smaller than a boar but large enough to take her on...and it was in pouncing possition. She raised her spear and threw with all of her might, but with her poor vision she spear whizzed far left of the beast. It began to approach her. She could see it more clearly now. It was covered in thick, soft-looking fur from head to toe. It golden in color and had a long bushy tail. She had never seen such a creature! She took a step back, waving her torch infront of her. As she stepped back, she tripped and the torch flew from her hands...she was defenseless. The creature ran and leapt!

It bounded right on top of her legs...and then something strange happened. The beast began to wave it's long tail then it let loose of it's long wet tongue. The beasts drool dripped on Nez's chest...she screamed! Just then she felt something warm and wet against her face. Her eyes open to see the beast licking her and shaking it's hind end faster than ever. It was not going to kill her...in fact it seemed fond of her. For the first time in her life, Nez had a friend.

After i relized Rocky hadn't came back, i got really worried.

he never stays away from me for too long. So i packed my stuff and went looking for him.

I head towards the east side of the island my gear and searched for rocky.

I looked for hours and hours. I came by two different lakes.

I named one "Love Lake" because of it's heart shaped pattern.

"Rocky!!!... Come Here Rocky!!!" I shouted. i looked for about another hour.

and then i heard it... rocky's bark!! i ran for my life towards the sound.

i came through bushes into a clearing.

right in front of me stood a cave... "ROCKY!!!"...

Nez and her new companion, the furry beast, were enjoying a meal by the fire when it raised it's nose to the air and began to sniff. "What is it friend?" Nez asked the beast "Are we in danger?" Nez felt much safer with the beast as her ally. Then it stopped suddenly, stood perfectly still and perked up it's ears. And just as the beast had done when it pounced on her early that morning, it began to shake it's hind-end and flagged it's long fluffy tail. The beast seemed excited and began to run in circles...then bolted up out of the depth of the cave toward the moonlight. "Friend! Wait!!" Nez started after it. As she rounded the bend toward the mouth of the cave she heard his bark and saw the beast leaping up and down. Her eyes popped...something was behind the beast. Nez saw the dark contour of a figure much like her own. "AAAAWE!" She froze in fear, and her heart skipped a beat. The figure startled and turned to look right at her. It began to speak words that she somehow understood but did not have a chance to process or respond to because at that very instant her vision tunneled to black and she fell forward, slamming her tiny figure against the jagged floor of the cave...unconscious.

Brodi had never seen this girl on the island before...

He got this weird feeling when he looked at her. he didn't know what it was.

He picked her up and brought her into the cave. he pulled a mat out of his pack and layed it out for.

He lay her on the mat and noticed a cut on her forehead. he pacthed her up and grab some food out.

Brodi had never seen another person since he was a boy.. he contiued cooking the food and waited.

after about an hour she still hadn't shown any signs of waking up so Brodi took the food off the already

built fire and layed out another mat. he layed down on the mat and feel asleep.

Nez's head throbbed and as she slowly re-enter consiousness she was aware of her pain. Though her eyes were still closed she could hear heavy breathing next to her. "My beasty friend." she thought...but then she remembered the figure and the voice and...she remembered nothing after that. She reached up to her pounding head and found it wrapped in a bandage of some sort. She rolled to her side, opened one eye, and strained for it to come into focus. That is when she saw him. The figure. The being that was made like her.

He was sleeping soundly only a few feet away from her...and Friend was comfortably asleep at his feet. She was surprised to realize that she was not afraid. In fact, this was the first time in as long as she could remember that she was not afraid. She tried to sit up, but felt dizzy and nauseous and had to lay back down. And what was this she was laying on? It was some sort of make-shift bedding. She noticed the stranger was resting on a similar bed. Why was he being kind to her? Who was this being that looked so much like herself?

She studied him closely as he continued to sleep. He was longer than her, broader too. His hair was thick but not matted. He was a similar breed alright, but something seemed a little different. She gingerly stretched out her arm and with her finger gave him a swift poke at his breast. She was right. He was not as pillowy as she was. As soon as she withdrew her finger his eyes opened wide and he sat upright. He stared for a moment, still laying on her mat, then he spoke. This time when he spoke she had her wits enough to comprehend him; "Well, Hello" he said softly with a deep raspyness to his voice, "I was beginning to think you would never wake up." He smiled. Nez smiled back.

"Are you ok?" Brodi asked.

She nodded, "Yes. thank you" she said smiling.

Brodi leaned up to her and took the bandage off her forehead.

She pulled away in pain. A bruise was already forming.

"What's your name?" Brodi asked.

she waited a few seconds and said "Nez." she looked confused.

"Well i'm Brodi."

They smiled at each other, and Brodi got up and went over to the fire

where the soup sitting. He pulled out two bowls which he had carved,

and poured the soup into the bowls. He put one bowl by himself and

handed Nez a bowl. She grabbed it, and took a big whiff of the smell.

Brodi took a few bites of the soup and then got up to go get water from

the lake. When he got back Nez was done with her soup, She was

sitting there licking her lips.

Brodi stared at her for a second and said "Where do you get your food?"

she got up and said "I'll show you." they walked out of the cave and

headed down a trail.

!!!!!!!!!!!Josh’s story:

I am josh. I live on epslon 23. I have no family that i know of. I love to fish. I am curious about new ways to fish and how to get more fish.(at least im curious about something even if it is very small ) I also enjoy making fires and ofcource eating the fish i catch!

I normaly fish with my bare hand(which isnt very effective), so today I took the husk of a cocconut to make a line. Then, i made a small hook made from a hard black roch that I use to make fires. Finaly i attached the guts of other fish i have caught for bait. Then i threw the hook into the water. With this new thechnique I caught many more fish. Then i guted them and saved the guts for bait tomorow. I start a fire and cook and eat my wonderful catch. A very productive day!

Last night a saw a strange mountain faraway. I was very scared. It was a breach of scedual!(i know i spelled wrong)Today i just sat and ate my remaining fish.!!!!!!!!!!!!

::::::::::::::This needs to be redone in the 3rd person.::::::::::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andrell believes himself to have been a happy young man at one point. However, he had no memory dating back more than a few days. His earliest memory was of a fire that consumed the island of Epsilon 3 on which he lived. There were Four (including himself) that lived on the island. Though afterwards, once all the plants and wildlife were desecrated, only Andrell, his sibling, and another epsilonian were remaining.

They spent days walking the island, looking for something, anything for sustenance, but to no avail. The only things they were able to find were the easily carved half-burned trees, and the two islands that were observable from the shore. On one side of Epsilon 3, easily visible but well beyond swimming distance, was Epsilon 2 which appeared to be a wasteland. There were no trees to be observed, only distant echoes of animalistic sounds, and a strange glow the could only be seen at night, like the whole island was on fire.

The island on the other side (Epsilon 4) was green, but it was too far away to tell anything else. However, green is good, Andrell knew that it means life, and food, were plentiful there.

So that was it, the three began to do the only thing they could with the resources they had. They picked a few heavy shells from the ocean, and began to carve down a few of the trees. The problem was, at the rate that it took to cut down a tree (even half burned) with seashell, it would take weeks to create something that could be used to cross the waters. So with failing strength and a deep uncontrollable hunger, one night the siblings resorted to cannibalize the third Epsilonian. They didn't want to at first, but it was necessary. Though Andrell didn't seem to mind much, in fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

With renewed strength and a short supply of "food" remaining, the two continued their work on hollowing out the tree which was large enough to seat only themselves, in a last-ditch effort to make it across the waters to Epsilon 4.

Ilyta is a young woman who lives on Epsilon 4. In addition to her parents, 2 younger siblings, paternal grandmother and fraternal grandfather, there are 4 other families. Over the years they have made themselves a pretty happy life. They all share in tasks on the island. They have helped make each others huts and taken care of each others family members as if they were their own. Ilyta remembers when her grandmother became sick with the disease that crippled her and finally took her life. The old woman who is married to the wise man brought some roots and herbs that she had mixed into a paste and rubbed it all over her grandmother. The wise man said it would not work, she was too sick. He was right. Her grandmother died. Everyone joined in sending her grandmother to the place the heralds come from. No one really knew where the heralds come from or why they came to them. The wise man said when the heralds come, just feed them and give them drink. She wondered why that was because they never ate or drank and always seemed to be trying to give them a message. After the heralds would leave she would often sit on the beach wondering about the other island she could see in the distance. Wondering if the people lived there as well, and if they did, did the heralds go to them as well? She knew better than to talk about her thoughts. The wise man once told her brother and her to never worry about the island. It would only bring trouble. One day as she was sitting on the beach, looking at the island in the distance, she noticed a boat on the water coming towards her. She got up and started towards her home to tell the people the heralds were coming. But something wasn’t right about this boat. It did not seem like it was of the same splendor that the heralds boats were. But what could it possibly be? They were the only people weren’t they? Nobody else goes in the water besides the heralds. She was very intrigued and decided to stand and wait for the boat to hit the shore. She would find out who and what was on it.

Unlike his sibling Andrell, Hector had a very good memory. He remembered the days before the fire on Epsilon 3, he was a happy young man. Except for the torturous bullying from another Epsilonian named Brock. There were three Epsilonians that Hector knew of (including himself) before the fire. Brock, the one that bullied him (the one that died in the fire), was the sole source of unhappiness in Hector's life. Perhaps it was some divine intervention that caused the fire to take Brock's life in his sleep? It must have been, because Hector had no idea how the fire started. The other Epsilonian, Quincy, was always very nice to Hector. It was strange, but Hector had no recollection of having met his sibling Andrell prior to the fire that took the life of that bully. But Hector knew him to be his sibling, Andrell and Hector looked exactly alike and talked alike, their only difference is that they had thoughts and views of the world very different from each other. In fact, Quincy (the one they had cannibalized), never knew the difference between them either. Actually, before his death, Quincy had never even talked to Andrell....

Finally, Hector and Andrell looked down at the small canoe they had finished hollowing out. It was a strange incidence of mixed fortune. Even though they constantly alternated shifts working on the tree, it had taken them twice as long as expected to hollow it out. But on the flip side, the "food" had lasted twice as long as expected between the two of them. So with just enough "food" remaining to make the trip to Epsilon 4, Hector and Andrell hopped into the canoe and headed away from the shore of Epsilon 3. They had only made one ore, so they alternated turns, while one rested the other would row them closer to the next shore. It was perfect weather for the voyage, very smooth waters and a cool breeze. As Hector took his break, he looked over the edge of the canoe into the water. He couldn't see anything, then his eyes focused on the reflection in the water, and he saw Andrell's demonic little smile looking back at him.

As Ilyta waited for the strange boat to come closer to shore, she sat and remembered. She remembered her grandmother before she died and the stories she told. Her grandmother was the only one who ever had different ideas about their lives and the lives of the heralds. She had once told Ilyta when she was younger that she had questioned about the other island that they could see in the distance, and was punished for her curiosity. After that she never voiced to anyone besides Ilyta about her thoughts. She also cautioned her to never bring it up her own thoughts to anyone else. Ilyta asked her grandmother, had no one in their history ever been curious before? Grandmother said that no one in the previous 97 generations of life on Epsilon 4, had ever passed down stories of being curious, so she didn’t know.

Ilyta was shaken from her memories by the sound of someone approaching her from behind. Startled she jumped up to see her friend Oyate coming towards her. ‘What are you doing sitting here by the beach?’ Oyate asked her. Unsure of what was heading her way in the water, and remembering grandmother’s cautions, she assured Oyate that she was listening to the sounds of the waves gently lapping at the beach. Oyate started to turn and leave, when she too noticed the boat. Before she could catch what she was saying, Oyate said, I wonder if this is again the heralds or if it could be something else finally. Oyate quickly clasped her hand over her mouth and look at Ilyta to see her reaction. Ilyta was shocked but excited, could she actually be curious about the other island as she was. The boat was coming closer now; close enough to see a figure on the boat, and it was not a herald. Ilyta and Oyate grasped each others hands and held their breath. Waiting…..

As Andrell began to take his turn rowing the boat he looked out into the distance at Epsilon 4. He could finally make out the shoreline of the approaching island! He could even almost make out individual trees from this distance, so he knew that he was nearly a mile away. In fact, he thought he just might be able to make out a couple figures on the shore! “There’s no way there could be anyone else” he thought. Just then his feet felt cool and wet. Andrell looked down and saw that the ashy shell of the hollowed tree was compromised. Though his canoe had been easier to hollow out because of the burning, he failed to predict the susceptibility of the weakened wood to water erosion. So he planted his foot over the hole and tried to continue paddling. However, the pressure from his foot fractured the hole and made it larger!

Now they were sinking fast, and Hector knew that Andrell was not a good swimmer. So it was up to him to swim both of them nearly a mile to the shore of Epsilon 4. Hector abandoned the canoe and with a death-grip he took the oar with him as a pathetic flotation device (it wasn’t nearly enough to keep him afloat, let alone Andrell.) Even though Hector rolled over to his back and kicked for what seemed to be an eternity, he had never swam such a distance before. Eventually his strength began to fail him as he could no longer keep afloat…. and they were so close….

Ilyta gasped. She thought she had noticed something happened to the boat coming towards shore, and now she was sure of it. It was definitely not a herald because the boat had now sunk and the person was starting to go under the water. Oyate froze with fear as Ilyta ran and jumped into the water. Ilyta had never been a strong swimmer, and had certainly never ventured out into the water further than over her head. But she had to reach this person. The questions that could be answered just by proving there might be life on other islands. Concentrating, putting one arm in front of another, she finally reached the person. It was a man, not much older than she. She reached out for him, grabbed him and then panicked. How was she supposed to bring him to the shore? She was definitely not that good of a swimmer. Oyate had come to her senses as Ilyta hit the water, and she was right behind her. She grabbed this man and told Ilyta to hurry because she was unable to drag 2 people back to shore. When they were back on land, Oyate laid the man out and Ilyta couldn’t have been more excited. He was still breathing. Thoughts began racing in her head. What is his name? Which island is he from? What will they tell the elders? She decided they must keep him a secret for now. Wait until they can find some answers from him before they reveal him to the village. There were woods about a hundred feet from the beach, and to the south there was a clearing. They could carry him there and wait. It wouldn’t be long now, because just as they were entering the woods, he started moaning. Calling someone’s name. Andrell. Was that his name? Or had someone else been with him? She only saw one person. Better to not think of that right now. If there had been two, one was lost now. Wait and see what this man says.

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Frog is feeling ill. Days of eating only fruit have taken their toll. He feels like he ought to know how to do more than just forage, but he doesn't. Why didn't he learn more in his childhood? Where are his family? How did he come to be alone here? The questions are brushed away as they occur to him. He can't think about the past.

He stumbles about the island and finds more fruit. It only takes him 3 minutes to walk all around the small island. There are a few large rodents living in a burrow in the middle of the trees. Perhaps he could eat them.

Frog swims patiently, around and around the small island. One lap. Then another. Then another. At one point, he feels as though he is being watched. Glancing over to the beach he sees Chip sitting on a rock, observing him. Frog smiles and carries on. Frog still has scars on his forearms from his first clumsy attempts at catching the rodents. As it turns out, they had quite an impressive will to live. But so did Frog. His hunting skills became more efficient with practice, and as his constitution became accustomed to eating raw meat, so his strength started to return. One by one he took the rodents as he needed them. Now there is only Chip, the fastest and strongest of the bunch. Frog has grown quite fond of Chip, and watched with interest as Chip left the burrow and explored the island, looking for safer places to hide. It was at that point that he thought up a name for Chip, deeming him worthy of an identity. Frog admires Chip's tenacity, and his ability to move on and do what it takes to survive. But Chip will not survive. There is no good hiding place on the island and Chip cannot swim. Frog, on the other hand, is a natural swimmer. He has been training hard for weeks, aware that when the food runs out, he must move on.

Between Epsilon 19 and Epsilon 18:

This could have been a mistake. There were two possible destinations visible from Frog's island, and this one seemed to be both nearer and greener. But after a couple of hours of swimming, it didn't seem much nearer than it had at the start. Frog was starting to tire. Looking back, Epsilon 19 seemed far away, but not nearly so far as his destination. To carry on may be suicide. But if he turned back, death would be even more certain. He did not have the resources to survive. All the meat was gone. Frog felt a pang of regret. The rodent Chip had been the nearest thing he had to a friend. Was it wrong to eat him? Had he brought a curse upon himself? As he swam, he cried tears of sorrow, tears of desperation.

Epsilon 18, several hours later:

Frog staggers from the surf, collapsing face down at the water's edge. He feels the sun on his back and wants it to give him energy, but it is not enough. He wills himself not to pass out. The tide could take him back out. He must move. His head pushes round in the sand to see the tree line, so far away. He has to find food. He has made it to the island, but is closer to death than ever before. Just as he is preparing himself to move, the muscle cramps come and seize both his legs, sapping vital energy. The pain seems vague and distant. He waits for it to pass, then makes his move. Lurching forward he manages six steps up the beach, head spinning, before collapsing in the sand, unconscious.

~~~I’m not sure what to do here, this is where Nero’s story transitioned to the “Herald islands” which Unreality deemed “Unreal.” There have also been a few people that dropped out of the creative writing process so I removed them from the story, They can always be added back in if they want to continue: So Pretending that all the previous stories were each a chapter or something, the following are the next chapters.~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Epsilon-0

Ping... ping...

The drops continued to fall from the roof of the sewer tunnel, splashing with little pings on the metallic, sloping floor. Drone held his breath and groaned inwardly as he brought his foot down, making a diminutive splash. He froze, the fear binding him to the spot like an unseen vice. Time ticked by in the form of heartbeats, pounding nervously against his ribs. He must've waited at least ten minutes before loosening his muscles and taking the next step in the murky darkness. Fear coursed through his veins, heightening his senses- almost too much. Every little shadow made his adrenaline soar like a golden eagle. Every time a rat scurried across the damp surface of the sewer tunnel, his heart would leap drastically. Every time he heard a distant splash, his mind experienced a flash of panic.

Drone was running for his life.

More like walking agonizingly slow. But he knew what would happen if he sped up. If he made noise. They would find him, they would capture him, they would hunt him down relentlessly until he was theirs. Drone couldn't let that happen- he had discovered the truth- the ultimate truth... and he had paid for it with his brother's life and quite possibly his own.

Another step. Another. Another. Drone was so close to the escape ladder... but it was at least another ten steps. Eight steps now... five steps... three steps... one more step... he reach out to touch the ladder, his fingers trembling and tentative, as if he had never believed this moment would-

Something tackled him from the shadows, dragging him into the dirty water. All the adrenaline was suddenly justified: Drone whipped around and hurled himself upward, taking his assailant with him- his momentum drove them both into the wall of the tunnel, smashing his attacker against the hard metal. Drone felt something crush sickeningly, but he only felt the smallest tinge of regret. His brother had made him promise, on his dying breath, to get out alive. To make sure their sacrifice wasn't for nothing. Computer terms flashed through Drone's head... words he hadn't understood until arriving here: viruses... code... hexadecimal... unable to complete Cycle 5... ERROR.

His unseen opponent wasn't finished- whatever it was threw Drone off him and regained its composure. As Drone steadied himself and whipped around, he heard heavy breathing. Whoever it was, they were alive. A living being. Drone ignored his initial confusion- he had assumed the Heralds would've sent an assassin robot after him.

Until Drone saw the person- then he understood even less. "What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted, as the assailant ominously circled around him, trying to get the best fighting position. "Answer me!" No response.

"Why did they send you?"

"They didn't send me," the attacker rasped, his dark eyes surveying Drone. "They would send a robot."

"Then who did?"

"I sent myself." The attacker lunged, metal glinting in their hand- a knife. Drone caught the arm and heaved on it, kneeling down, flipping the attacker over his shoulder, slamming him into the ground. The attacker instantly flipped onto his stomach, twisting Drone's arm 180 degrees. Drone screamed in pain, and the attacker launched himself forward, knife aimed for Drone's throat- he took full use of the millisecond he had, catching the attacker's arm and locking them in a death struggle... they grappled for control of the knife... the attacker was stronger, better trained... Drone gritted his teeth, growling in frustration. If the attacker gained the upper hand here, Drone would be dead. Like his brother.

That memory fueled him, unleashing a seismic force buried deep within him. His anger, confusion, and wonder combined about the truth of his world was like a volcano, it had been building up and up and up until it was about to explode... the volcano erupted inside Drone now, and he roared in his newfound strength, hurling the attacker against the metal ladder. His enemy's head smashed against the rung and the man fell limply to the floor.

The noise would have alerted the Heralds. It wouldn't be long before one of their deadly robots showed up- Drone scooped up the knife. He would need it.

As Drone pushed his way into the sunlight and stepped out from the dark sewer pipe, his face brushed against dewy dune grass and his hands rested on warm sand. He stood up, closing the hatch behind him- sand naturally rushed in to cover it up.

He was between two lofty sand dunes that flared up on either side, coming to a knifelike apex. The pipeline must've continued on and into the ocean. Drone shook his head wearily... the Heralds seemed to have no respect for the beautiful environment. A digital environment... pollution was never programmed in... More words he didn't know. Digital? Programmed? Words he had never even known existed until Epsilon-0.

Drone hiked up the sand dune to the top and stared out at the twinkling sapphire ocean. It was noon- the sun was hanging directly above him, casting a golden glow across the stretch of sand from here to the shore. Drone took a deep breath, inhaling. It was just like his home island of Epsilon-1. A place he could never return. Not after what he had seen here- he turned around to face the middle of the island. The vast tropical island, roughly circular, rose up from beach into jungle and then into a massive volcano, green-sloped and dormant. At the top was a mighty dome, flanked by pillars and ringed with towers. The Herald fortress known as The Origin.

Three days ago, Drone and his brother, Kelrod, had arrived at Epsilon-0, their raft floating lazily ashore. They had been the first to evolve intellectually, months ago, longing to explore their mysterious world. They began to build a boat... However, a man named Quarad had got the idea at the same time, and a deadly battle had been fought atop the boat as it launched into sea... Quarad had loaded explosives onboard, but Kelrod and Drone escaped on a piece of flotsam, a chunk of the hull that would serve as a raft. They had believed Quarad to be dead.

Then they had floated onto Epsilon-0. A Herald appeared to them, saying they could end Cycle 5 as a success, whatever that meant. The Heralds took them to The Origin and took them down into the lava chambers inside the volcano- where there lied a gigantic volcanic crystal. All they had to do was touch the Crystal, and Cycle 5 would be a success. The AI program would be successful, and it would be a huge breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence, Drone had wondered. What do they mean, "artificial"? The Heralds had revealed that the Crystal was not the DEITY System- neither was the island of Epsilon-0. They had shown Drone and Kelrod the truth- that EVERYTHING in Epsilon was part of the DEITY System. It was the computer-generated environment around them and the code that ran it.

Choosing whether or not to touch the Crystal "was part of the test", the Heralds said... though the programmers much wanted them to do it. Kelrod was first... he looked back at Drone. The night before, they had discussed what would happen if Cycle 5 "terminated"- what would happen to the people inside?

Kelrod had decided not to touch it.

And he had paid with his life.

Drone gritted his teeth in loss and anger at the memory of his brother being dragged away, never to be seen again. A Herald had returned, informing Drone that his brother had been thrown into the lava, and the same would happen to him unless he touched the Crystal. Remembering his brother's final shouted words as they dragged him away, Drone had decided. His life was not worth the many that would be rendered inexistant if the program ended.

He had refused to touch it. That was when the Heralds got nervous- their bluff hadn't worked. So they had leapt on Drone and forced his hand onto the Crystal. What happened next was not "the success"- the Crystal had flashed, and a computer voice had asserted that there was a virus in the system. A programming error. It was unable to complete Cycle 5 until the virus was destroyed.

That was when Drone had taken advantage of his captors' confusion, breaking free of their grasp and running through the underground tunnels underneath the volcano until he found the sewer pipe.

Then Quarad had attacked him. Someone the man had also found his way to Epsilon-0. Drone had smashed his rival's head against the ladder, but he doubted Quarad was dead.

And now, Drone had no idea what to do as he stared up at the citadel of the rulers of his artificial world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Startled, Zetsu looked up from his work. His eyes darted back and forth around the hut in which he was preparing necessities for the voyage to the distant island. Something was amiss, but what? He burst through the Koala skin entrance and saw a plume of smoke rising from the grounds where his apprentices were constructing the raft.

Zetsu raced to the source of the fire, both completely shedding all the anonymity he had worked so hard to keep and also causing all the villagers to drop whatever they were doing and begin gawking wide-eyed at the reclusive witch doctor with magical powers running through the village as if he were racing for the Lunar Virgin Sacrifice! By means of a thin veil of confusion, discomfort, shock and terror, Zetsu managed to slip through the heavily populated village and make his way down the steep slopes to the now ashen rafts.

As he gracefully slid down the leafy muddy terrain dodging and using trees as hand grips and leverage bars, Zetsu was met at the base by the sound of someone sprinting through the forest basin. The runner was getting closer and was coming from the dense bush between him and the rafts. It was Hinata. She burst out from the foliage into Zetsu who caught her, spun her around his body and arrogantly caught a whizzing dart that was aimed for her neck between his thumb and middle finger. Her right arm was gashed and bleeding heavily: this being the seemingly worst of her many observable injuries. Then Zetsu realized the horror of her condition and the reason she was not screaming or speaking to him now. Her tongue was removed. She kept her mouth shut tight, but he knew it. Only one person on the island would dare perform such an audacious and merciless ceremony and that man is Sasori, the current Shaman of the village.

Zetsu knew Sasori would strongly oppose his departure from the island, or anyone's for that matter. Sasori's influence over the island was sweeping and almost total, so Zetsu never anticipated a fair fight. The island was all there was as far as Sasori was concerned and he would hear nothing to the contrary. Sasori was the reason Zetsu kept the distant island's discovery a secret all this time. He was also the reason they needed to build the raft and leave without anyone catching wind of their plan before it was too late to stop it. With little choice, Zetsu quickly tended to Hinata's wounds enough to keep her alive for a few more hours until he could properly take care of her. All the while, Zetsu kept a constant guard against the disciple of Sasori who had blown the dart and was still taking cover in the nearby area. Zetsu whispered in Hinata's ear: "I'll return for you, but first I need to save your brother and put an end to this." He sprung up to a ready stance, removed several bamboo canisters from inside his robe's hidden pockets and muttered to himself: "Looks like I'll be adding another story to my legacy. As if I haven't given the villagers enough to talk about for one day... hmph!"

Noticing a bright red spot on the wood, Zetsu kicked a large fallen branch up into his hand and trotted toward Hinata's former pursuer who was now hiding behind the large stump of a dead tree that had been shattered by lightning long ago. He regretfully left Hinata's side so he could save her brother. She had about five hours to live in the condition she was in now. Zetsu had little time if he was to save even one of the bright-eyed young apprentices he had so happily taken under his wing. He decided that swift action and injurious intent were necessary. He was never one to enjoy injuring another, but his racing mind could think of no alternatives to achieve a better outcome in this scenario. He was heavily outnumbered and more than likely, he would have to rescue not one, but two people, all the while dealing with Sasori. "One obstacle at a time." he silently thought to himself as he approached the man panting behind the stump.

Zetsu backed up into the other side of the stump, raised the branch, and plucked the tiny red tree frog that he spotted before off of the wood making certain to use only a leaf to touch it, never his bare skin. He scraped at the frog's body with the small bamboo shoots he carried and made a set of darts and a set of arrowheads. He could hear the man breathing heavily on the other side of the stump. He knew exactly who he was, an easily coerced, yet surprisingly motivated young adult named Yamato. The village was large, but very close, which is why it hurt Zetsu so much to be cast away by it. Cast away by the man he was about to see. The man who was toying with his fate once more! But Sasori would have to wait.

Poor Yamato was already regretting volunteering to help Sasori burn that cursed raft. As Yamato was panting in indecision he saw the leaves to his right blow up off the ground in a tiny cyclone, a quick shadow, then the sky as he lay on his back with no feeling in his body. Unable to move, unable to speak, the paralyzed Yamato could only pray for help. The paralysis was of course limited and would leave no lasting effect on him. Zetsu even reassured him that he would be fine by night fall and that he harbored no ill will toward him, and that he acted only out of necessity. Zetsu then crushed some liquid out of a plant he had been carrying inside his robe and caught the drops in his sleeve. As he covered Yamato's face with his sleeve Zetsu chanted a spiritual protective ward around Yamato to ensure his safety until he awoke that night.

Zetsu stopped just out of range from the burning raft and ducked behind a coniferous tree. Peering from behind the tree just enough, he could see the raft was completely destroyed. A little more and he could see Sasori. Neji was near him, unconscious and covered in bruises and blood, lying on the ground. There were five others... no six... and so little time...

When Zetsu noticed the bloody cloth wrapped around Neji's eyes he knew exactly what he was in for. Judging from the landscape his assumption was correct. Spirit wards, sacrifices to DIETY, and many holy artifacts were strewn about the area where the raft had been built. It looked to Zetsu as if the initial ceremony was complete, which meant that the group must just be entering the Spirit World: an out-of-body experience the Shaman led in order for the tribe to become one with the island and see at least some of DIETY that had before been hidden. Many of the island's plants, animals, stones, and water revealed their true forms to the villagers during this ritual. It would also be the perfect time for Zetsu to act.

Sasori's group began to chant as they reached the pinnacle of their visit with the Spirit World. As they reached that euphoric state of oneness with DIETY they almost leaped out of their skins when a hornet's nest was thrown in the middle of their dancing circle. Amidst the confusion one-by-one the villagers clutched their necks and fell to the ground paralyzed by Zetsu's darts. He left only Sasori standing for one reason. He couldn't let harm come to the artifact that Sasori held in his right hand.

Sasori's wild eyes burned as he stared into Zetsu's calm impassive gaze. Sasori let out a wild chant and lifted the skull he held up to Zetsu. It would seem Sasori was intent on completing the ritual. The skull belonged to the first Shaman of Epsilon 13, who was regarded by everyone as The Great Awakener for it was he who first opened the tribe's eyes to DIETY's existence which he showed them by means of some of the islands own growths no less. It was as if the island wanted them to see DIETY's splendor through a clearer lens.

"I must resurrect the spirit of Sarutobi, Zetsu." Sasori yelled menacingly. He looked to be more into the spirit realm than in reality. "I need to consult him about your recent defection from the Teachings. How dare you try to leave DIETY's graces!" Zetsu coldly returned Sasori's look. "Sasori, I have always felt that there is more to DIETY than Epsilon 13 and now I have seen it! There is a distant island that can only be seen from..." "Blasphemy!" Sasori began to speak in a different voice and moved the skull in front of his face as if he were now speaking for the deceased. The experience was quite surreal for Zetsu for the skull now contained the sacrificed eyes of Neji and the tongue from Hinata, his poor young apprentices.

"How dare you Zetsu!" The insane skull screamed at him. "You have angered DIETY beyond forgiveness in this life. As a former Shaman you should have know better. Now you must pay for your sins with your life energy itself!" Sasori began running around wildly screaming and then charged Zetsu with Sarutobi's skull still thrust in front of him. After a few steps though, Sasori tripped over the body of a paralyzed comrade and landed on a cluster of spears. He slowly slid down them and dropped the skull when he died. Zetsu picked up the skull, ripped the top part of his robe off and wrapped it with that. He then attended to Neji and brought both of the siblings out of the ravine and to a medical area in the village where he could properly heal their wounds.

Days later, Zetsu thought deep one sleepless night. Neji will be blind from now on. And Hinata will be mute. If this was fate then how cruel it is. Though the three of us will now be able to voyage to the new island unscathed. The villagers were outraged at the forbidden ritual that Sasori performed. They were so grateful when I returned the desecrated skull of Sarutobi to the stone altar at the worshiping grounds. It will be properly blessed I'm sure. The new Shaman for Epsilon 13 will work out much better. Jiriaya's philosphy is much more similar to my own. Although he does not agree with our search he does not oppose it and actually would welcome the discovery that DIETY is bigger that Epsilon 13! Perhaps we are evolving intellectually. Whatever the case, I just know there is more to DIETY... and I'm going to find it

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nez led Brodi down a path into the thick of the forrest. She could hear his heavy footsteps behind her but she dared not turn around out of fear that he might think she was suspicious of him...which, almost in spite of herself, she was not. They walked in silence for 15 minutes until they came to a thicket of berry-laden shrubs. She stopped, pointed to the shrubs and finally spoke: "I eat mostly the fruit from these plants, the roots from others, and if I search hard enough I can occationally find an edible fungus."

Brodi's brow furrowed in confusion, "But what about meat? Don't you eat any meat?"

"I eat fish when I am lucky enough to spear one, but I cannot venture too far out into the sea because the floor drops off rapidly just a few feet beyond the shore line. Sometimes I can turn rocks or logs to find the green beetles that are good for food. I can capture dozens at a time. If I do not eat them all myself I will use them to lure the fish closer when I am wading on the shore."

When she finished defending her diet, she looked up and noticed that Brodi was staring at her with an intense gaze that made her shiver. "Brodi?"

Brodi blinked rapidly and seemed to snap out of his daze, "Sorry." He said, embarrassed, "There is something about you that seems to familiar, like - well it's silly - like I have always known you."

His words shot through her like electricity* and she almost lost her footing. She had felt the same thing. But it made no sense at all; until today she had no idea that another being of her make even existed. Until today she knew that she was all alone. As excited and as surprisingly comfortable as Nez was with this new companion his very existance made her head spin. "What else is out there that I have not encountered?" she wondered to herself. "How did Brodi come to be here? How did Friend come to be here? How did I come to be here?" Her head began to throb again. She raised her hand to sweep her hair long, tangled hair away from her face then gingerly fingered the wound on her forehead. She saw that Brodi was watching her every move with a sort of fascination. Nez finally spoke in reply; "Yes, yes, I have had the same thought."

Brodi couldn't shake the feeling he had for Nez... he had never felt this way.

He was scared, but he liked the feeling. He now has somebody to be with.

Living "alone" on this island for years and years was not fun by himself.

"Maybe we should head back to your cave" Brodi said to break the silence.

"Yeah, your right" Nez replied

We turned around and Rocky was standing there wagging his tail.

"Hello friend" Nez said petting him on the head.

"Oh, im sorry" Brodi said "this is Rocky, he's my dog. i got him a long time ago.. it's been so long i don't remember where i got him." He laughed. "I like that name" Nez smiled.

They bent down and picked a few berries, and started back up the path. after a few minutes of silence spoke, "Have you ever had meat?"

"Yes" Nez said "I have fish once in a while.. when i catch them"

"Well tonight, i'm going to make you my famous Rabit Stew.. I'm the only one that has tasted it, but i think it's pretty good" Brodi smiled.

Nez smiled back, and they came to the end of the path. They walked into the cave and Nez noticed Brodi was holding something behind his back.

"what is that?" she said. Brodi pulled out a beautiful White Rose and handed it to Nez.

"I wanted you to have this, i've only seen a few on the island but I treasure each one that i find. They smell wonderfull, go ahead and smell."

Nez took a big whif and melted into it "I love it"

"Im glad you do. well if im going to make that Rabbit Stew im going to need a Rabbit" He smiled, "Rocky can stay here with you"

And with that Brodi was off. Nez curled up next to rocky and waited for Brodi to return.

"im alive!" said josh. "But where is this place?" Jjosh had commited suicide on the spur of the moment so he had some flint in his pocket. He went to the area where sand meets grass and started a fire. He also had some line so he went into the water to fish, and while he did so he thought," will this be the same as the other island?, should i just end it now." Then some one appeared behind him

Nez sits staring into the fire and begins to daydream about beasts and persons and what other beings could possibly exist. She had lived such a reclusive life…so isolated from everything but her crag and the crashing water below. Just then Rocky leaps and begins barking wildly. Nez snaps out of her hypnotic state, “what is it Friend?” She walked to the front of the cave and saw a man standing down the path a ways. “Brodi!” she called. The man startled and turned…but his was not Brodi’s face.

Josh saw the frightened look in Nez’s eyes. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I am new to this island and I was just looking for shelter for the night.” Just then Brodi returned from his hunt proudly carrying two skinned rabbits. As he rounded the corner he looked up to see the stranger right in front of him.

“Who…” Brodi began, but he was cut off. “Josh” was the quick reply, “I am Josh. I did not mean to intrude, but I noticed the light of the fire and...”

“Where did you come from?” Brodi questioned suspiciously.

“If you will let me sit by your fire for a while I will tell you everything you’d like to know.”

Brodi and Nez looked at one another. “Welcome, Josh” said Nez. And the three spent the evening enjoying a warm meal, listening to one another’s stories and discovering things about which they had never imagined.

When Josh woke up the next morning he forgot where he was.He screamed "this isnt epsilon 23!"(we know what epsilon were on right?) Rocky started barking and nez and Brodi woke up. "Your ok josh" nez said in a calming voice. "we didnt talk about this last night" said brodi, "; how did u get here?". "I had been fishing for 13 years." said Josh. "Its like living the same day thousands of times. I wnted to do any thing to stop the repetivness, so i drowned myself, becaust it was quicker than starving myself. Instead of dying i geuss i wnt unconuis and washed up here on this island." "Wow thats very interesting." said nez. "Well we beter get on with the day" said Brodi.

"I'm going hunting today, would you like to come?" Brodi asked Josh.

"Sure. It's got to be better than fishing." Josh chuckled.

Brodi got into his pack and whipped out a knife. He handed Josh the knife and dug

deeper, he pulled out another knife and closed his bag. He walked over to the

cave wall, where his spear layed. He handed Josh the spear and told him to follow.

After about a half an hour Josh spoke.

"What are we going to kill?" he asked.

No answer.

"Brodi, what are we going to kill?"

"A deer." Brodi finally said. "...get ready."

"Wha..?" Josh started.

"There!" Brodi said in a sharp whisper.

Josh brought his arm back and got ready to throw. The deer was standing there

eating grass not knowing that death could befall it at any second.

"Now!" Brodi said in another sharp whisper.

Josh threw the spear as hard as he could. It went soaring though the air right at

the deer, but didn't hit it. It went a few inches above the target. Brodi could see

the disappointment in Josh's eyes.

"You"ll get him next time, don't worry about it" Brodi said.

They walked for around for about 20 minutes when they spotted another deer.

this one was a little smaller, but it would do.

Josh readied the spear once again, and launched it through the air, this time it

hit right throught the heart. The deer fell and started breathing heavily. Brodi

pulled out his knife and forced it through the animals heart, ending his suffering.

Josh and Brodi picked the deer up and brought it back to the cave, where Nez

had been waiting for them. Brodi pulled the deer around the corner and cut into

it, Cleaning the blood off and seperating the meat from the organs and other

inedible part. Meanwhile Nez and Josh were talking and carving Josh was carving

a spear, using the fire to harden the tip. And Nez was carving eating utensils,

a new fishing pole. Once the deer was clean they started cooking the Rabbit Stew.

josh:what are we going to do today

brodi:what we did yesterday

josh;*groan*

brodi:what would you rather do?

josh:make a decent shelter we are living in a cave!(arent we???)

brodi:ok u do that while i hunt

The rest of that day Josh began making an axe. He realized he needed one after a few minutes of trying to cut down a tree with a kinfe and cutting less than an inch. He found some flint and aattached it to a strait stick. He sharpened one end to make a blade and flattened the other to make a makeshift hammer. He cut down a very easily. He was used to hard work having to do everything for himself. He cut down several more trees before Brodi Returned with dinner. That night he thought i could make little omes for a ll 3 of us, and if there are more people in this world we could make a villige. Then a restful sleep took him.

Nez awoke to the rumblings and thumpings of construction. Brodi and Josh were already busy erecting a shelter. Nez stared in awe…she had never envisioned such a feat…and here they were creating a structure before her eyes. Then suddenly it came to her, “Boys!” She screamed.

Josh and Brodi whipped around in terror expecting to see Nez in distress. Instead they found her giddy and speaking faster than they could understand.

“Slow down, Nez” said one of the boys. “Start over.” Said the other.

Nez tried to catch her breath and then began again…”Josh, you said that you came from another island. Brodi and I have never seen another island from the shorelines of our home. But you are proof that one exists!”

The boys both stared at her trying to grasp what it was she was getting at.

“A few months, or perhaps a few years…regardless, I once caught a glimpse, out of the far horizon of the sea, a vessel that floated ON TOP of the waves!” She stopped to catch her breath again, then continued…”Josh, you are a skilled craftsman, with your help the three of us build such a vessel!”

Brodi’s eyes popped, “We found each other…we can find others!”

And the three of them quickly got to work disassembling the shelter and using the materials to fashion an unsinkable craft.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's unclear how long the fever lasted. Frog felt sure that he would die. Reality and dreams came in a tumbling confusion, as did the extreme sensations of hot and cold in his body. When he was aware, he felt drained as he had never been before. Running a hand over his chest he felt nothing but bone. His arms were emaciated and feeble. Food was offered and he accepted it. Where was he? A cage surrounded him. This in itself was wondrous. It was a simple bamboo cage, but Frog had never seen such a construction. But beyond the cage were greater wonders. Beings similar to himself came and went. The noises they made amongst themselves seemed full of music and meaning. Their bodies were wrapped with something like animal skin, only finer. Looking down he found something similar wrapped around the lower part of his own torso. Its purpose was unclear. Frog had always been naked and alone, but now that he was not alone it seemed right that he should not be naked either.

As the days went by, he ate, slept, and pondered his situation. The beings who kept him could accomplish so much. They built shelters to keep the rain off, they channelled water to suit their needs, they seemed to have a bewildering variety of ways to obtain food, other necessities and even luxuries from their surroundings. Their weaponry was incredible. Their spears were tipped with stone, they even made tiny spears that could be sent flying through the air to kill at a distance. Frog watched them with amazement. He did not feel that he was their equal, they were like gods to him. They seemed to feel the same and looked upon Frog with the disdain that he deserved. He didn't know why they hadn't killed him, and felt immense gratitude for their mercy and kindness. Truly they were a great people.

As Frog sits in his cage, silently meditating, a strange thing happens. The noises made by the people of Epsilon 18 start to take on meaning. The less he consciously tries to understand them, the more they seem to make sense. His understanding of language is an innate ability, waiting to be activated. Eyes closed, relaxed, he lets the sounds around him come to life. He hears conversations about food, about the weather, about him. Perhaps he could also choose to speak, but he lacks the confidence to do so. When a bowl of scraps is thrust into his cage he responds with the customary grunt. But as the ability to comprehend settles in his mind, he listens, and learns.

The more he had observed the Odekites (for this is what they called themselves), the more disillusioned Frog became. His jailor was a man named Chanon, the son of Barok, the leader of the tribe. Barok was a big, self-important man but instinctively Frog distrusted him. Chanon was tall and powerful, and treated Frog with disdain, but Frog soon came to suspect that there was fear behind this. Why was he afraid of Frog? Frog kept his silence, and let no-one know that he could understand their words. By pretending not to understand, he was able to eavesdrop on all sorts of conversations. Chanon told stories of how he found Frog, told lies of how he and Frog fought, and how Chanon overpowered him. It seems that they were keeping Frog alive because he was from another land (the very idea seemed to strike terror into the Odekites). It was assumed that Frog's people would have aggressive intentions, and that Frog may be of some use as a hostage. They did not know that Frog was the only one. The more he heard, the more he doubted their superiority. They had so much fear, these people. Frog was angry. He had thought they were like gods, but they proved to be snivelling cowards. Frog ate, exercised, and learned all he could. He waited for his chance. Frog looked out through the trees, over the sea. A storm was gathering...

That night, terrifying winds blast the darkened island. Frog huddles in his cage. The palm leaves that offered him protection from the sun have long since blown off. His back is pelted by the rain and lashed by flying leaves, twigs and sand. He makes himself as small as possible. Out of nowhere, he hears a crashing sound, and looks up to see that a large branch has fallen on the cage, partially damaging it. There is not enough room to escape but Frog thinks that by using the branch as a lever he might be able to open up a larger hole.

Half an hour later he is free, crashing through the trees with the storm covering all noise of his escape. He eventually finds a small cave, and stops to rest.

Frog had found the boats. He had often heard the villagers talking about three fishing boats, and had spent most of the day looking for them. There they were: two on the beach, and one broken on the rocks where the storm winds had thrown it. Looking down from his high rocky perch he could survey the whole beach. It was strewn with leaves and branches, the debris of the storm, but there was nobody in sight. This could be a chance to escape...

He climbed down carefully from the high rock. He turned around to seek a path down through the trees, to find himself face to face with Chanon. Chanon seemed to be a little surprised himself, as though he had just stumbled on this place, but he raised his spear, ready to throw. Frog quickly weighed up his options. They were in a small clearing at the base of the rock. No place Frog could quickly dart into. Chanon was bigger, stronger, and armed. Frog had no chance but to surrender. He adopted what he considered to be a submissive posture, crouched, palms open, head slightly bowed, but kept his eyes on Chanon.

Chanon seemed unsure of what to do next. Frog could sense his fear. If he wasn't careful, this stupid man could kill him out of blind panic. Chanon made a series of guttural noises, brandishing his spear threateningly. What did he hope to accomplish by this? Chanon raised the spear to strike. Was it more posturing, or did he mean to kill Frog? Frog didn't wait to find out. He launched himself upwards, parrying the spear thrust with one hand while punching for the windpipe with the other. But Chanon was strong and threw him back. Frog staggered, falling over a log that was lying on the ground. Sprawling, he looked up to see Chanon leaping on top of the log, spear at the ready. One chance. Grabbing a branch that stuck out from the log, Frog pulled, rotating the log and unbalancing Chanon. Chanon fell on the other side but quickly gathered himself. Not quickly enough. Frog leaped over the log, a sharp stone in his hand and grim intent in his eyes. One strike and Chanon fell heavily.

Frog took the spear, and ran through the trees. His heart was racing. He could feel the blood pounding in his temples as he burst onto the beach, scanning for pursuers. He seemed to be alone, so he picked the best boat and set about smashing holes in the other with the biggest rocks he could lift. But he was barely started before he heard voices shouting in the distance. Not stopping to look up, he pushed his boat out to sea and jumped in. As he settled in a seat and grabbed the oars, he saw Odekites running along the beach, holding bows and arrows. They were close, too close. He rowed for his life, as arrows started to fly. Facing backwards to row, he could see them come in, clattering in the little boat, and even had to duck to avoid one. Soon he was out of range, and he watched the confusion on the beach as the islanders tried and failed to launch a boat in pursuit. "I'm safe", he thought. "I'll find another island. They won't come after me now, not with their fear of the unknown". Then he thought of Chanon, dead. The only son of Barok, the tribe leader. With a sinking heart, he realised that, fear or no fear, they would hunt him to the ends of the earth.

Later: Frog rows, making steady progress for the new island. As he rows, he practises talking for the first time, repeating little sounds like a baby, until they sound right; "Na, na, na, na. No, no, no, no." Forming them into words he knows but has never spoken. Thoughts crowd in on him, uneasy thoughts about the difference between him and the Odekites. He saw mothers with their children, children learning, capable children. He could never have had such a childhood. He still remembers the morning, many weeks ago now, when he awoke and spent hours staring at his hands, moving his fingers as though he had never done so before. That was the day he learned to walk. He cannot think about the past before that, but he is increasingly aware of the fact that he can not. What does it mean? He believes that his life existed before that, but there are no clear memories to support that belief, just vague notions. It doesn't make sense.

As he ponders, he looks every now and then over his shoulder to check that he is still on course. The new island looks pleasant in the light of the setting sun. Who knows what he will find there? Maybe some answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hector opens his eyes, and sees two women kneeling over him, a confused smile spreads across his face.

"Who are you?" he asks, still clutching the oar from the boat. "Is this heaven?", "Where am I?", "What's going on?", "Who are you?"

"You already asked that!" giggled one of the girls (Oyate).

"You were drowning", said Ilyta: I saw you from a distance, floating on the water. Then you sank and we swam out to get you. We brought you back in and you were saying a name... is your name… Andrell?

Hector: Oh, no... My name is... wait, where is he? Where is the one that was with me!? "ANDRELL!" he yelled.

Oyate: There was someone with you!? (She asked with a sad tone) We brought back only you. I could only carry one person, and you were the first that I saw...

Hector jumped up and asked the girls to take him to where they had seen his ship sink a few minutes ago. They looked out at the waters and called Andrell’s name, but there was nothing. No sign of him, not even tracks in the sand… Andrell was lost.

After a few minutes Hector went on to explain who he was, and that he and Andrell had come from another island far away. He explained that there was a fire that killed everyone but Andrell and himself, and that they had made a boat and left because there was nothing left on the island left to eat. Of course he left out a few details, but why would he need to tell them about the drastic measures that he and Andrell had to take in order to survive? The girls were astounded by the story and thrilled about the existence of another island. Though they weren’t sure about how to bring it up to the elders… or if they should even tell the elders at all. But if they didn’t, then how do they explain Hector?

Oyate and Ilyta discussed it with each other and Hector, while informing Hector about some of the culture and people on their island….

Ilyta started by telling Hector of the number of people on their island. There are 5 families on the island. Her family has 7 people. Oyates family has 13-Her grandparents are still alive, and she has 6 brothers and sisters. Oyates is the biggest family. Over the last few generations, the population on the island has dwindled down. More death than there ever was before. One family raised goats, pigs, and cows. That was the family that supplied the meat. Another family had a vast, luscious garden. They grew everything. That was the family that supplied fruits and vegetables. The wise mans family were the lawgivers and the healers. The 4th family repaired huts and carts, and the last family made clothes. Ilyta and Oyates generation was the 99th to have been born on Epsilon 4. They all lived together very peacefully. But no one seemed to ever even question the fact that they were not alone on the ocean. Ilyta explained to Hector, that before they saw him on the horizon in his boat, she never would have thought Oyate had the same feeling as she did. She told him that her grandmother had the same feelings and thoughts but kept them to herself for fear of punishment.

Oyate jumped up excited: We could bring him to the elders and then they would have to face the fact that there has to be more people out there.

Hector was unsure: I don’t think it would be a good idea. If your wise man is so against talk of other islands, what do you think he would do to me?

Ilyta agreed: We need to obtain one of the boats that the elders keep down by the fishing beach.

She explained to Hector that the heralds had indicated in a message that they should make boats to go further in the water. Even though this came from the heralds, the wise man let them make the boats, but forbade anyone to take them in the water.

They decided that Oyate would go to the village and bring back some food for Hector. When darkness falls, they’ll sneak down and get a boat, bring it back and hide it. When Hector feels strong enough, they would start out on a journey to find other islands. Until then they would keep Hector a secret, and continue their daily tasks as if they know nothing about another islander.

Oyate rushed off to the village for the food, while Ilyta and Hector waited in the clearing for her return.

As Hector and Ilyta sat together on the clearing, Hector kept toying with the oar he had salvaged from his near-death experience. Ilyta turned to him and asked what it was. Baffled, Hector told her that it was a paddle for rowing his boat, and asked her how they used the fishing boats on her island if they had no paddles. Ilyta said that the elders had made rules that no one was allowed to construct any form of rowing device. They dictated that the boats must be tethered to the shore at all times using the vines hanging from the tallest tree, so they may not go into the open water unless to fish. They were allowed to float out for a short distance, about as far as the height of their tallest tree. Then they could pull themselves back to shore using the vine. This way they could fish, without the danger of anyone floating out too far. “Or leaving the island.” Hector chuckled to himself. “What a clever idea”, he thought, “…using ‘safety’ as a method for controlling people.”

~~~~~Next rotation of stories~~~~~~~

Three months had passed since Sasori's death. Zetsu and his apprentices had stayed in the village after being cordially invited to return to the tribe. Zetsu was made one of the village elders and was highly regarded once again. He had just left his hut on his way to the raft and was glowing with joy about the voyage on which he was about to embark.

Neji and Hinata walked through the village toward the newly finished raft as well. Neji could be easily seen in the crowd due to the cloth that was always tied around his head to cover his empty eye sockets. He could also be spotted by the instrument he carried with him. He invented it himself during his breaks from Zetsu's training. He called the instrument a guitar and wore it by a leather strap across his shoulder. The guitar had become quite popular in very little time. It was even becoming incorporated into the music during important ceremonies and most children had already made their own with some initial instruction from Neji. Everyone was proud of the young boy's skill and purpose in spite of his new handicap.

Hinata could be picked out of the crowd fairly easily as well because of the scroll bag she now always carried with her. Since her injury that rendered her mute she had become a remarkably capable painter and writer in her off-time. She had invented painting on a portable, disposable surface and called the material paper. She always carried scrolls with her and expressed herself via written word.

Hinata once painted a portrait of Zetsu for him; he now always keeps it tucked into his robe near his heart. Upon reflection one recent night, Zetsu was perplexed about how that was the only object he ever thought of as his own possession, for no one else in the village, and to be kept safe for as long as possible. He was both worried by his feeling about an object of DEITY and comforted by the thoughtfulness of the gift. This would be one of many conundrums he would ponder during his daring voyage across the sea.

The three arrived at the raft after the farewell ceremony the village held for them. Zetsu was filled with satisfaction as they pushed off and began rowing toward the distant island. The trip was easier than he had expected. Days later they hit shore. The wind was tearing at their clothes which were making loud flapping noises anywhere there was the slightest bit of loose clothing. As Zetsu gracefully jumped from the raft into the low sea water and then onto the sand he felt so many different emotions all at once that he was as speechless as Hinata. "Blessed DEITY I have come closer to being with you." Suddenly Zetsu felt a sharp pang in his head. He fell to the ground convulsing and saw that Neji and Hinata did as well. Words and ideas were flashing into his head like lightning bolts. Things about artificial intelligence and Epsilon 0. Then there was blackness.

Zetsu opened his eyes to a youth in his mid twenties. He had a disheveled appearance and he said his name was Drone. He was excited to have the company, but Zetsu could tell the excitement was masking something else. Something awful most likely. Just what happened to this kid? Zetsu thought. Then he realized he had been asked a question and answered Drone in a proud and dignified tone: "My name is Zetsu. These are my apprentices Neji and Hinata. I am a village elder of Epsilon 13 and a former Shaman. We came here seeking the truth about DEITY. A truth that was initially revealed to me in a fore-telling dream. Now that dream has come true and I have met you, a foreigner from a land unknown to me and my people. So please Drone, tell me. Where are we?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drone's uncertainty was broken by the sound of hurried orders and splashing. He turned quickly, his mind churning through the possibilities. Heralds, coming ashore? No, they don't make that much noise. Some of Quarad's goons, perhaps? Just in case, Drone grabbed a long piece of hollow driftwood and inched down the dune to the newcomers.

He reeled in shock when he saw their faces. One of them was covering his eyes with a long beige cloth, wrapped around his head multiple times like a bandage. Another was burdened with a bag of scrolls, and was flashing sign language to the other two. The oldest one, much older than the other two, was kneeling in the sand, eyes squeezed shut, face curled into an expression of pure agony... much like Drone and Kelrod when they had first arrived. Information is being downloaded, Drone thought absentmindedly. That small information was nothing, however, to the stuff he had learned underneath The Origin.

One other effect of the information download: the Heralds knew they were there.

Before his mind had even processed all of that, Drone had been overcome with emotion. Finally, some allies! No doubt other Epsilonians, traveling from other isles. It seemed to be a vast archipelago... Drone wondered how many islands there were.

He brushed his thoughts away and asked the obvious question, his eyes red-rimmed from suppressed emotions, which were colliding in his heart like fireballs.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zetsu. These are my apprentices Neji and Hinata. I am a village elder of Epsilon 13 and a former Shaman. We came here seeking the truth about DEITY. A truth that was initially revealed to me in a fore-telling dream. Now that dream has come true and I have met you, a foreigner from a land unknown to me and my people. So please, tell me. Where are we?"

Drone introduced himself and then answered Zetsu:

"Epsilon-0... the supposed home of the DEITY System, the force that runs everything. But that's a lie- it's all a lie. We are all part of the DEITY System- it's a computer program... but you don't know what that means, of course. I didn't either, until I washed up here with my brother. But now my brother is dead and the Heralds know you're here. We have to go!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After disassembling the shelter Brodi stopped working and just sat there.

"What is it?" Nez asked.

"We haven't been to my side of the island yet..." Brodi answered.

"We don't have time for games Brodi." Nez said.

"No.. There is a giant tree on my side. It's already hollowed out. All we have to do is cut it down..."

"..And we can use it to make the boat" Josh finished.

"Well lets head over there" Nez said

They grabbed the axes that Josh made eariler and headed towards the west side of the island.

They went past about three different lakes and then came to a cave. Brodi's cave.

They heard a bark and saw a furry beast run past them, Jumping around in joy.

"Ok" said Brodi "It's not far from here."

They walked for a couple hundered feet and then came across the biggest tree they had ever seen.

It was about 20 to 30 feet in diameter(except for the fact it was hallow). They gazed at it in amazment.

"We aren't going to get anything done just standing here" Josh joked. "let's get started."

They Started hacking away at the trunk. they spent the whole day trying to cut it down.

The sun started to set so they called it a day. They went into Brodi's cave and started a fire, and used

it to heat and sharpen the tips to each ax. Brodi went out for about a hour and came back with dinner.

3 rabbit and some berries, he also had some grass looking things.

Nez and Josh cooked their rabbits while Brodi tore and smashed up the grass looking stuff. He sprinkled

some on each of the rabbits.

"What is that?" Josh asked.

"Basil." Brodi answered. "I started growing some food and spices right out side."

They finished cooking the rabbits, ate, and went to sleep.

When morning cam they got up and started chopping at the tree again. After about 5 hours of work

they heard the tree creak.

"It's coming down soon!" Josh announced.

After another half an hour the tree started to fall.

"Timber!!!" Nez yelled and then laughed.

"Now how are we supposed to get this to the other side of the island?" Josh said.

"Well i kind of have an idea, but we need alot of man power.. you guys up for it?"

"Sure" Nez answered.

"Ok" Josh said.

"So here what we're going to do. We need to roll this tree to the water, and then we can push it in the

water to the east side of the island." Brodi said.

Luckily there was a clearing right to the water big enough for the tree.

"Alright, let's get going" Josh said.

They pushed all there might, and it moved slowly. It started going a little faster each second.

"Keep it going" Brodi grunted.

It got faster and faster, soon it was at a walking pace. they were about 500 meters from the water now.

They were getting tired

"Com'on, not much futher guys" Nez Said.

It rolled faster and faster, then they heard a splash. They panted and feel on the ground.

"We did it" Josh said out of breath.

They rested for a while and took drinks from the water.

"Ok. let's get going" Josh said.

"Yeah." Brodi agreed

Brodi took off his shirt and got in the water. He pushed giant log as Josh and Nez walked along the shore

next to him. They soon came back to the east side of the island (about a 10 minute walk from Nez's cave)

Josh and Nez went to the front of the log and pulled, as Brodi pushed the log on to the shore.

"Let's get Some rest" Nez Said "We can work on it tommorow'

The boys agreed and went to the cave..

"We need to organize ourselves." Josh said.

"how and why?"asked brodi.

"so"Josh said,"we can work on the boat get food and store food.I willl work on the boat; Nez can prezerve food, and you brodi can hunt deer and/or rabbit and berries."

After brodi left with his equpment Nez asked"How do i preserve food?"

"Its easy I did it on my island."Josh said with confidence.

"Show me." said nez.

And Josh did show Nez. Josh took a big pot(we have pots right??? ) and filled it with sea water. Then Josh put the filled pot with water on the fire.

"I am boiling the water to lezve small grains of powder behind" Josh said."Tell me when the water is gone."

"Ok" said nez.

Then Josh began cutting small logs that he could jam into place to make a seat. He also started to make a paddle. When he was almost done with the first paddle Nez called. By that time brodi was back with the meat.

"I'll show you more tommorow." said Josh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Midnight. Frog approached the island cautiously, looking out for signs of life. The island was large and thick with forest. Anything could be lurking in there. But he didn't see any evidence of habitation, and proceeded to row around the island, examining the moonlit shore for a concealed spot where he might bring the boat ashore. All the while his senses were on high alert, looking for signs of danger. He tried to make no sound with the oars, just the smallest ripple on the water. The sea rose and fell with a gentle swell, as though he sat on the chest of some giant beast, breathing deeply and smoothly in its sleep.

He thought about what his options might be. He could hide on this island quite effectively, but it wasn't much of a long-term plan. His little boat was ill-equipped to withstand a larger journey. The weather had been kind to him this time, but perhaps it would not continue to be so. And his stomach cried out for food. At this last thought, a grin spread slowly across his face. "I have a spear", he thought. "I have a spear". Oh, the possibilities! The things he could kill, and eat...

Focus. Think clearly. How long would it take for the Odekites to come? The boat he damaged could probably be repaired in less than a day, and the other, who knows? But the boats were small, and could only hold three men, four at the most. The Odekites might think it necessary to attack in greater numbers, even though it surely wasn't. Building larger boats to carry a greater force would take time, perhaps several days. Frog's eyes stared into the darkness as he considered this last fact. His grin widened. He had a plan.

Morning. Frog is exhausted. After hiding the boat, he has spent the remainder of the night running around, gathering wood. This he made into five camp fires spread out along the beach, and two on higher ground, further back in the forest. It was hard work, not only because of the distance he had to cover but because he had to do it in the dark, stumbling around amongst the trees. And then starting a fire. He'd seen it done so many times by the Odekites, but they had made it look easy. It had taken him two hours to get one fire going, and he was driven to despair, thinking there must be some trick to it that he had missed, and that all his effort would be for nothing. But eventually his little bundle of dry grass began to smoke, and blowing gently he breathed life into the flames. From the first fire, he lit a large branch which he carried to the second. Half an hour later, seven fires were burning on Epsilon 17, and not a minute too soon. The last fire lit was the one at the highest point. From there he could look out to sea, and his heart leapt as the light of the rising sun revealed the sight he longed to see; a small boat, just like the one he came in. It was quite a distance away, and he could not make out exactly how many occupants it had - two, maybe three. But it was not moving.

Now is the test. He waits...

The boat turns, and starts to proceed slowly back toward Epsilon 18. Frog sinks to the ground, completely shattered, but elated. They sent out scouts, using the one boat that could be easily repaired, just as Frog hoped they would. And the scouts saw what Frog wanted them to see; a populated island, awake and ready to fight. He has won himself a few days. He lets loose a guttural cry of victory, eyes welling up with tears. He has a chance to survive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While waiting for Oyate to return, Hector and Ilyta clicked. They began talking about everything that they could imagine being on other islands. “This is nice” thought Hector, “maybe making this new friend would help to ease the pain from losing Andrell.” They sat and talked and laughed as a few hours passed.

As dusk approached they heard a rusting coming quickly toward them from the woods. A loud whisper came from the trees. “It’s me! Oyate!”

“What took so long?” asked Ilyta, “you didn’t tell anyone did you?”

Oyate: No I didn’t tell anyone! It just took a while b/c I had to barter for the food, then explain that we were going on a picnic and wouldn't be back for a while, THEN get rid of my brother Copernicus, you know he likes you Ilyta. He keeps trying to tag along and it gets on my nerves.

So Hector, Oyate, and Ilyta walked to the beach just as the sun's last rays gave them enough light to eat the food Oyate had brought back. Soon afterwards they walked back to the clearing, and decided to wait a few days before stealing one of the fishing boats because a missing boat would be quickly noticed the following day. They also knew that when they left the island there was no telling how long it would be before they would find food again. So they agreed to wait three days in order to unsuspiciously gather enough food for the three of them. The plan was to then steal a boat at daybreak after the 3rd night, and row out till they could barely see the island. They figured at that distance they may be able to see another island...

"Three days" said Oyate, "Three days till the end of our lives as we know them."

Oyate and Ilyta hated the fact that they had to go back to the village, but it was getting darker and if they stayed out too late, the elders would question them. As Ilyta laid in her bed that night, she thought about the village: There are so many rules we have to follow, and they all seem to keep us from finding out anything about life beyond our island. I know grandmother said there would be terrible punishment if anyone speaks about another island or even questions where the heralds come from. No, no one can ever find out about Hector or mine and Oyates plans to leave here with him. It could prove to be too dangerous.

The next morning, the first thing the girls did was to get some of the eggs and meat that Oyates mother had made for breakfast, and also some food for lunch.

Oyates mother jokingly asked if they were planning on running away since they had taken quite a bit of food. Oyate stammered ‘no, we were just planning on taking a long walk and we usually get famished. We just wanted to make sure we had enough to keep up our energy-‘

‘Well have fun girls.’ Her mother said as they ran off.

Once they got to the clearing Ilyta told Hector what Oyates mother had said. That was close- I thought she had an idea. We need to make sure no one follows us.

They spent the day talking to Hector and telling him more about their people and their traditions. The one that had always bothered Ilyta was when somebody died, everyone said they went to the home of the heralds. If no one knows where the heralds came from, how do they know that’s where the dead go? And is it a good place? She hated to think that anyone she loved had gone to a terrible place. She also told Hector that the elders had been pressuring Oyate and herself to announce that they were ready to marry and to let the few young men in the village to court them. The girls had both declined announcing that because, although they didn’t know it at the time, both girls had felt there was something more to be found besides Epsilon 4.

By the time darkness fell, they realized that the girls had better be getting back before someone comes looking for them. They told Hector good night and headed back to the village. The next morning, it was pretty much the same thing as the previous day, although this time, Oyates brother Copernicus wanted to come with them. They had been gone all day yesterday, he was sure they were having fun without him. They finally snuck away and were off to the clearing. When the sun was at its highest in the sky, Ilyta said she would return to the village for more food and to make sure the boat that they were going to take would be ready for them. ‘Ill be back soon’ she told Oyate as she headed into the forest towards the village.

Oyate had the strange feeling that someone else watched Ilyta leave.

::::::::::::::::::::I'll throw in my section here and then it will begin a new rotation of stories...

ALSO, we need Nero to join back in with stories that fit the parameters that unreality has set. So I can fill in the last two rotations:::::::::::::::::::::::::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edited June 21, 2008 by Brandonb

[unreality]

also, did you notice that Zetsu's story jumped 3 months in the middle of all of it? Meaning, his story BEFORE the 3-month jump has to be very first and the only thing until the division right before his 3 month jump. Cuz Drone wouldn't be standing on the dune staring at the citadel with uncertainty and without blinking, frozen in time for 3 months

my idea: it's a computer program, so if we need to do that, we can say that he "glitched" and "froze" for 3 months of simulation time, without realizing that that had happened

that way, there's no need to change around the story and no need to write about him glitching, since he didn't know it happened, to him, three months passed by in an instant

[Guest]

i can see my creative genius isnt being appreciated <_< lol jk its cool

"We need to organize ourselves." Josh said.

"how and why?"asked brodi.

"so"Josh said,"we can work on the boat get food and store food.I willl work on the boat; Nez can prezerve food, and you brodi can hunt deer and/or rabbit and berries."

After brodi left with his equpment Nez asked"How do i preserve food?"

"Its easy I did it on my island."Josh said with confidence.

"Show me." said nez.

And Josh did show Nez. Josh took a big pot(we have pots right??? ) and filled it with sea water. Then Josh put the filled pot with water on the fire.

"I am boiling the water to lezve small grains of powder behind" Josh said."Tell me when the water is gone."

"Ok" said nez.

Then Josh began cutting small logs that he could jam into place to make a seat. He also started to make a paddle. When he was almost done with the first paddle Nez called. By that time brodi was back with the meat.

"I'll show you more tommorow." said Josh.

Ok now it's puzzlegirl's turn then your again then we start over

Thuhchis

Puzzlegirl

Pieman

I can do more than hunt you know

lol.

and yes we do have ONE pot.

I have a bag of stuff that i got as a kid

but I dont remeber how or where i got it.

all i know is that i have it.

The bag contains:

A Knife

A Pot

A Canteen

Mats (make-shift beds)

Pieces of Flint

And More..

[Brandonb]

also, did you notice that Zetsu's story jumped 3 months in the middle of all of it? Meaning, his story BEFORE the 3-month jump has to be very first and the only thing until the division right before his 3 month jump. Cuz Drone wouldn't be standing on the dune staring at the citadel with uncertainty and without blinking, frozen in time for 3 months

my idea: it's a computer program, so if we need to do that, we can say that he "glitched" and "froze" for 3 months of simulation time, without realizing that that had happened

that way, there's no need to change around the story and no need to write about him glitching, since he didn't know it happened, to him, three months passed by in an instant

Yeah, the 3 month jump kind of effects everyone else in the story. So it seems to me that it wouldn't be just Drone freezing for three months, but everyone. Or at least, everyone would have to tell three months worth of stories in the mean time. Maybe the time line could change to merely a week in the Zetsu story, then it would be more understandable. maybe? I dunno

[itachi-san]

also, did you notice that Zetsu's story jumped 3 months in the middle of all of it? Meaning, his story BEFORE the 3-month jump has to be very first and the only thing until the division right before his 3 month jump. Cuz Drone wouldn't be standing on the dune staring at the citadel with uncertainty and without blinking, frozen in time for 3 months

my idea: it's a computer program, so if we need to do that, we can say that he "glitched" and "froze" for 3 months of simulation time, without realizing that that had happened

that way, there's no need to change around the story and no need to write about him glitching, since he didn't know it happened, to him, three months passed by in an instant

I actually thought that the time disparities were intended as part of the sprinkled truths in the story that this is an artificial reality. So maybe it takes 3 Earth days for a baby to grow up into an adult in Epsilon, and in our minutes months could have passed for Epsilonians Also, Hinata wouldn't be flashing hand signals at Neji

Drone introduced himself and then answered Zetsu:

"Epsilon-0... the supposed home of the DEITY System, the force that runs everything. But that's a lie- it's all a lie. We are all part of the DEITY System- it's a computer program... but you don't know what that means, of course. I didn't either, until I washed up here with my brother. But now my brother is dead and the Heralds know you're here. We have to go!"

As the voices and ideas in their heads began to calm down or at least got to a point at which the newcomers could slightly ignore them, it became easier to think and move and all three regained their composure. Neji's bandage slightly slipped revealing to Drone that the boy had indeed lost his eyes. Drone felt a mixture of admiration, empathy and maybe even the seed of friendship for this poor kid who must have endured difficulties on par with Drone's. Drone thought that Neji was probably 7-10 years younger than he. He helped Neji up, but then caught a careful glance of the enticingly tousled Hinata as she slowly rose to her feet, blinking hard in an attempt to clear her head. Drone almost let Neji fall as he leapt past him and helped the beautiful girl up with a gallant hand. As Drone spoke with the siblings, beginning to like them more and more, Zetsu still remained sitting cross-legged in the sand.

Zetsu leaned on one knee, raised a thoughtful fist to his chin and sighed, "Hmm... well Drone, you have a gentle aura, there is truth in your speech and there is certainly something special about this island. ...Something special indeed." Zetsu then rose to his feet as if he was weightless. Drone couldn't help but stare at the man as if he were watching a magician. Zetsu walked with such purpose, a steady gaze hitting Drone, and then scanning toward the center of the island, it was nearly impossible to ignore his presence.

"One thing about me Drone... I never leap before I look, even if I've leaped the ravine a thousand times before. These heralds you spoke of, I'd very much like to meet them."

Edited June 21, 2008 by itachi-san

[unreality]

one thing about RPs, you never godmod or powerplay, and I haven't seen any godmodding, which is great but i HAVE seen a lot of powerplaying, but nobody seemed to mind, so I let it go, until now... in RPing, standard etiquette is that you don't talk for, think for, act for, etc, other people's characters. Just telling you guys I noticed it mainly with itachi powerplaying Drone

anyway:

***

"One thing about me Drone... I never leap before I look, even if I've leaped the ravine a thousand times before. These heralds you spoke of, I'd very much like to meet them."

Drone looked at Zetsu, confused. "Did you hear what I just told you?" he snapped, somewhat taken aback by Zetsu's peaceful sitting-on-the-sand. His rant contined, his voice steadily rising throughout: "I don't think you fully understand the situation, mate. The Heralds on their way here right now, and when they find you, they aren't going to be ones for talking. They'll kill me, then drag you down beneath The Origin- that's their little ancient-dome-with-pillars-and-towers-and-crap up there on the volcano... they'll make you touch the Crystal, and if you refuse, or if it doesn't work, which it won't, because there's a virus, they'll throw you and your little apprentices into a giant pit of lava!!!" Drone finished in a desperate yell- nothing more than a hoarse shout- then he collapsed on the sand, curling on himself, shaking with sobs of grief and regret. He would never see his brother ever again. Ever again!!! He remained in that position, no longer caring if the Heralds found them. He didn't expect Zetsu to understand... until now, the old man had been ignorant of what his world really was. He was probably trying to process the information, not thinking it was a big deal.

It was.

But Drone no longer cared. If Zetsu didn't want to move, to run... then neither would Drone. He would stand and fight, for however limited seconds he would survive against the mighty Heralds. He thought of them: humans like himself, but taller, fairer skinned, as if they did not live under the Epsilonian sun... a light shone on them from as if from some other, invisible source. 3-D tags, his mind flickered, revealing new information. So that the programmers can identify the Moderator Creatures from their 3-D viewpoint. Drone didn't know what that meant. But he did know that the Heralds were strong, unnaturally strong, (The physics emulator of the program regards them specially, his mind offered, but Drone took no notice) and he knew that they had technology that he had never seen before- hard gloves of some strange bronze-orange metal that gleamed in the sunlight and crackled with electricity... they commanded robot assassins, lithe and white and sinewy, like mechanical acrobats... he knew he didn't stand a chance.

But if Zetsu wanted to meet the Heralds, he would meet them all right.

[itachi-san]

one thing about RPs, you never godmod or powerplay, and I haven't seen any godmodding, which is great but i HAVE seen a lot of powerplaying, but nobody seemed to mind, so I let it go, until now... in RPing, standard etiquette is that you don't talk for, think for, act for, etc, other people's characters. Just telling you guys I noticed it mainly with itachi powerplaying Drone

anyway:

***

"One thing about me Drone... I never leap before I look, even if I've leaped the ravine a thousand times before. These heralds you spoke of, I'd very much like to meet them."

Drone looked at Zetsu, confused. "Did you hear what I just told you?" he snapped, somewhat taken aback by Zetsu's peaceful sitting-on-the-sand. His rant contined, his voice steadily rising throughout: "I don't think you fully understand the situation, mate. The Heralds on their way here right now, and when they find you, they aren't going to be ones for talking.

Actually you're the one who began power playing Zetsu and I tried to take the power back. You assume Zetsu will jump at the words of a total stranger... I've developed him into a philosophical thoughtful character, not a panicked careless one. Zetsu doesn't even know what the heralds are so there is no way Drone could have scared him or even got him to run away. When the heralds arrive, I'm sure your experienced character and my wise character could have both thought of a way not to get caught.

Edit: Also, I don't see how this can work if there is no power playing to some extent. How can I tell a story about characters interacting if some of the characters are immobile and mute because I can't make them do anything? I would never do something drastic to anyone's character...

Edited June 22, 2008 by itachi-san

[unreality]

well it works along these lines (roughly, there's no set template or anything)

Unreality's post:

Drone: bla bla *does stuff* bla bla

(end of post)

Itachi's post:

Drone: bla bla *does stuff* bla bla (whatever Unreality had Drone doing)

Zetsu: bla bla *does stuff* bla bla

(end of post)

Unreality's post:

Zetsu: bla bla *does stuff* bla bla (whatever Itachi had Zetsu doing)

Drone: bla bla *does stuff* bla bla

***

that's basically how it works. Yeah it might go slower than if one person were in charge (which is okay if both people get together in PM and decide on a mutual story, then one person writes it), but it avoids pissing everybody off by having people control your characters. I'll give you a few examples why that can be bad:

"He helped Neji up, but then caught a careful glance of the enticingly tousled Hinata as she slowly rose to her feet, blinking hard in an attempt to clear her head. Drone almost let Neji fall as he leapt past him and helped the beautiful girl up with a gallant hand."

What if Drone already has a love interest? What if he's gay? etc (he's not, but I'm just saying "what if"). Or, what if he's too old for Hinata? (he's 25, aren't Neji and Hinata small children?) Or, what if he wants to avoid any sort of relationship because he knows he'll probably die soon. etc.

I mean, I'm fine with Drone x Hinata, but some people wouldn't have been, etc

***

As you said, I'm guilty of powerplaying, too, which is another reason why I wanted to stop it

so anyway, back to the story no hard feelings, I hope. You sounded kind of peeved (if that's possible on teh intrawebz)

I've developed him into a philosophical thoughtful character

yeah I know- you made the mistake of thinking me and Drone were the same person. We're not. Drone is not a philosophical thoughtful character (and he's not "experienced" either... just desperate and scared out of his mind) and doesn't appreciate it when someone sits down in the sand and ignores his warning. Don't take it as a personal tirade, man it's roleplaying

You assume Zetsu will jump at the words of a total stranger

see what I mean? I don't assume that, but Drone definitely does. He was expecting Zetsu to start running with em, that's why he's freaking out right now

[itachi-san]

unreality, the thing is, I didn't make Drone do anything that you couldn't have undone in a sentence or two. i.e. Drone sees Hinata again and realizes he doesn't like her. or: On second thought, Drone didn't trust Neji and decided he would never be friends with him - these are just examples of how you can easily counter something you don't like and set the record straight.

I suggest that a little power-playing be acceptable. Then if need be, when you see your character has been made to do or feel something you don't think fits them, you can write a counter in your next post. Using the example above, I suggested Drone might start to like Hinata in my post and then in your post you could easily write it so that it was just a fleeting emotion and Drone would never like her. Then I would know and I would drop that idea. And if we happen to like someone's outside idea about our characters, then that's pretty cool because it mirrors social reality in that others' influence shapes our character.

Just a side note. If you had written that Zetsu got up and ran at Drone's order to hide from the Heralds, I wouldn't have minded at all. I wouldn't have agreed with Zetsu's actions being in character though so I would have written a counter-balance where Zetsu realizes how careless he was being trusting a stranger and acting on impulse.

Another side note. I wasn't mad at all. It's definitely hard to convey tone when writing on forums. (I doubt I could ever get mad on this forum anyway) I'm just not a fan of the limitation on writing. I feel like as long as nothing permanent is done to a character we should have a reasonable amount of control over them.

You obviously disagree though, and since this was all your idea, I'll concede. I just wanted to clarify where I was coming from. So you're up next and then I'll go along with how you write your next post.