Starfall is the disaster that created this mess. Essentially before Starfall, researchers on earth detected something that was huge. It was massive. But more importantly it was moving fast. It traveled at the speed of light. Researchers discovered it was on course to hit the center of the milky way galaxy. And just days after their discovery, Starfall happened. They theorized that whatever was flying through space had struck the center of the galaxy, and the energy of it all came together into an explosion not seen since the big bang. All the majority of people on earth saw in their final moments was a flash of light. There is not information on where we are right now, but there is no way that earth could have survived that explosion.
The man explained this all with a grim expression, his eyes focused on the ground. I felt so many emotions. But more than anything, I worried for my family. What happened to them. All this time I was only hoping to reunite with them once I made it back to civilization. I had grown to have massive doubts about where I was. The lab, the lack of wildlife, the bizarre plant life, nothing added up to make a simple answer to where I was. I had assumed that I was still on earth because where else could I have gone? But now I had no idea. All I know now is that I truly am lost. The only source of comfort I have is knowing I am not the only one.
"We came here to search for more people." He continued. "After Starfall, everyone woke up in strange places. Fortunately there is a shelter up the river from here that many of us took shelter in. We are a rescue team who is currently searching for any other survivors and bringing them to the shelter. We heard explosions going off over here and came to see if there was a person at the source of it, or if we could take out any empowered creatures."
I paused for a moment and thought over his story. So humans have taken shelter in a facility up the river. The idea of this shelter was supported by the incomplete map I found in the lab under the mountain.
"If this isn't earth, then how is there a shelter? If this isn't earth then who could have made it?" I thought out loud, hoping for an answer.
"We aren't sure who made it, But from what we have gathered through our search of the shelter, it wasn't made by humans. Beyond that we know as much as you." He responded.
All that was left in the air was silence. The whole group looked at the ground, the air around us was suffocating. Daylight was waning to the horizon, illuminating the valley in beautiful orange light. The silence remained for who knows how long, until the leader finally spoke up, turning to his comrades.
"We should get a move on back to the shelter. I don't want us to lose our way in the dark."
He looked down to me, still laying propped up against the tree. "We will take you back to the shelter, and help you carry the thing you killed back with us."
"Is that thing useful or something?" I asked
"Very, every extra ounce of food is helpful, but there is more to them than just being strong." He responded, reaching down to grab it by the tail. "Come on, I'll tell you more as we walk"
I slowly rose to my feet. My right shoulder dangled at my side, and the pulling caused more pain. two of the people behind the man walked out and picked up my bags and grabbed the carcass from the the ground. I thanked them and we began moving. While we walked I got brief introductions of all the team members. The leader of the group was named Kyn. He didn't reveal any more about himself beyond that. Then there was Oleg, who was carrying the beaver carcass. he is bald muscular Slavic man, with stubby legs. He looked to be 40 years old. If I thought Kyn was silent then Oleg was another story. His introduction was brief, as in one word to say "Oleg". Beyond that he was a closed book, and I doubt I have courage to pull those muscle bound pages open. Then there was Kris. She was in her late 20's, She had olive colored skin and looked timid compared to the rest of the team. She was thin compared to Oleg, but more solidly build than your average woman. She was a bit taller than me, With black hair and equally dark eyes. She was more talkative than Oleg and Kyn, and talked some about her past before Starfall. She was a professional javelin thrower, and even went so far as to compete in the Olympics. Then there was Roe. He was the most colorful of the bunch, and it was hard to tell if it was a good or bad thing. He is 19, with bright red hair. He stood a bit taller than me but not by much. His eyes were a deep brown. He had sharp facial features, like a character out of a movie. And he had the arrogance to boot. It felt like during his introduction about himself all he wanted was opportunities to brag about himself. He talked for a majority of the walk to the shelter. It was about what sports he played in high school, how good he was at any given thing, it always was about a spotlight. He only seemed to pay attention to me introducing myself so he could find more ways to compete with me. Sometimes I get that some people are young and haven't experienced the world yet, but man this guy is insufferable. I tried my best to just ignore him.
After an eternity of walking, we were in front of the shelter. More than a shelter, it looked like a fort. The walls were high and made completely out of a dull metal. Scratches covered the surface, wear and tear seemed to have built up over dozens of years. It looked worse for wear, but still sturdy. The night sky was starting to take hold, but the light from inside the fort shining over the walls have us a beacon back. We approached the main gate, and once we were in front of it, Kyn motioned for us all to stop. He stretched his hand towards the sky, and shot out a ball of flame straight up, like a flare. Then he lit another one to illuminate the group. after a short wait, the main gate opened. Only enough for one person to enter at a time, but that was what Kyn was waiting for. He lead us through the gate and into the shelter.