The Island of Destiny
I have to get out of this dome, you think. The storm is rapidly approaching but this person running across the mesa definitely needs your help. As thunder strikes and the rain begins to pour down, you decide to run out from under the dome.
The robotic voice says loudly "Sentient, I cannot protect you outside the dome. Do not step outside the barrier."
But you don't listen and you approach the dome of red light. You yelp in brief pain as the red light stings your entire body as you run through it and out into the open. You take a moment to adjust to the shock from the dome and then peer in front of you. The rain makes it almost impossible to see but you see the outline of a person about thirty feet to your right.
You run towards the person and shout "Hey, over here!"
The figure keeps running but turns their head back towards you. You see that it's a female about your age. She stops and waits for you to catch up.
"What are you doing here?" she asks.
"I have no idea," you say earnestly. "I have a protective dome back there," you say as you motion towards the faint red light. "Come with me!"
The two of you run back into the grace of the red light, just as a lightning bolt shatters down to the earth about three feet behind you. You collapse on the dry grass, gasping for breath. The girl next to you is just as exhausted, if not more so.
"T-thank you for getting me out of there," she mutters to you after a moment.
You shake the water out of your hair. "No problem," you say. "Who are you?"
"My name is Melinda," she says. "I am the daughter of Remus, the Overseer. You will be handsomely rewarded for saving me from the Great Storm."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," you say. "What is an Overseer? What exactly is this island?"
She looks at you as if you're an alien. Then her face relaxes and she says "Why, this is the Island Torleo of course. The Great Pearl of the Oceans, and Truest Paradise on the planet."
"Okay," you say, not really sure how to respond after an explanation like that. "Is there any way I can get back to the real world from here. I need to go home."
She once again looks at you as if you all the sudden decided to start speaking jibberish and tells you "But, Torleo is the real world of course. What else could there be?"
Now it is your turn to stare at her in amazement. Is she being serious? Now you hear another voice emanating from the dome, this the voice of an older man.
"Melinda? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she responds. "I'm perfectly fine, someone saved me."
"Yes we know my dear," the cracking voice continues. "The storm will pass soon and then we will come to get you."
As Melinda continues to talk with someone who you guess is her father, you begin to think about your own situation. If you're being frank about it, all of this seems psychotic to you. Island Torleo, Overseers, the Great Pearl? You need to go home and this girl doesn't seem as if she even knows what you're talking about.
The sky begins to lighten a little and you see that outside of the dome the rains have cleared up some. If you wanted to, you could likely book it before these Overseer people get here. Or should you stay and try to get help from these bizarre people?
The robotic voice says loudly "Sentient, I cannot protect you outside the dome. Do not step outside the barrier."
But you don't listen and you approach the dome of red light. You yelp in brief pain as the red light stings your entire body as you run through it and out into the open. You take a moment to adjust to the shock from the dome and then peer in front of you. The rain makes it almost impossible to see but you see the outline of a person about thirty feet to your right.
You run towards the person and shout "Hey, over here!"
The figure keeps running but turns their head back towards you. You see that it's a female about your age. She stops and waits for you to catch up.
"What are you doing here?" she asks.
"I have no idea," you say earnestly. "I have a protective dome back there," you say as you motion towards the faint red light. "Come with me!"
The two of you run back into the grace of the red light, just as a lightning bolt shatters down to the earth about three feet behind you. You collapse on the dry grass, gasping for breath. The girl next to you is just as exhausted, if not more so.
"T-thank you for getting me out of there," she mutters to you after a moment.
You shake the water out of your hair. "No problem," you say. "Who are you?"
"My name is Melinda," she says. "I am the daughter of Remus, the Overseer. You will be handsomely rewarded for saving me from the Great Storm."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," you say. "What is an Overseer? What exactly is this island?"
She looks at you as if you're an alien. Then her face relaxes and she says "Why, this is the Island Torleo of course. The Great Pearl of the Oceans, and Truest Paradise on the planet."
"Okay," you say, not really sure how to respond after an explanation like that. "Is there any way I can get back to the real world from here. I need to go home."
She once again looks at you as if you all the sudden decided to start speaking jibberish and tells you "But, Torleo is the real world of course. What else could there be?"
Now it is your turn to stare at her in amazement. Is she being serious? Now you hear another voice emanating from the dome, this the voice of an older man.
"Melinda? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she responds. "I'm perfectly fine, someone saved me."
"Yes we know my dear," the cracking voice continues. "The storm will pass soon and then we will come to get you."
As Melinda continues to talk with someone who you guess is her father, you begin to think about your own situation. If you're being frank about it, all of this seems psychotic to you. Island Torleo, Overseers, the Great Pearl? You need to go home and this girl doesn't seem as if she even knows what you're talking about.
The sky begins to lighten a little and you see that outside of the dome the rains have cleared up some. If you wanted to, you could likely book it before these Overseer people get here. Or should you stay and try to get help from these bizarre people?