“Raven Rock Lookout, did you copy the afternoon weather?”
Picking up the microphone, a man brushed his dusty-brown hair out of his eyes, nodding to the voice over the speaker.
“Raven Rock copies and Pine Watch Dispatch, just an update, that nasty looking storm cell to my east is continuing to build. Do you have any reports of down strikes yet?”
The dispatch center paused, the individual on the other end pulling up a live lighting map on their computer display.
“That’s affirmative Raven Rock, we’re seeing a few strikes.”
“Copy, thanks for the info.”
As the radio went silent again, the man stretched, grinning at the nearly-black thunderhead in front of him.
“You, my friend, are going to cause me a lot of overtime.” he chuckled, glancing at the newly-installed digital weather station mounted next to the radio.
It’s not a normal job, but being a fire lookout has its perks. The view, the air…plenty of time to finish my degree. One more year, and then I’ll have enough saved to move. Jason mused, sitting down in the well-worn desk chair. The small square room swayed in the increasing wind, but the back and forth motion was more of a comfort than anything. The ‘recently’ built tower was anchored into the bedrock and had thick cables securing each of the four corners. Thanks to a nearby weather station, the tower had access to power, allowing a few modern amenities that others didn’t such as an oven, refrigerator, and stove. However, between those, the cabinets, and bed, the room quickly could become a bit crowded.
A distant flash lit up the windows that lined every wall of the tower, causing Jason to wave at the large thunderstorm in the distance, the man standing up to lean on the fire-finding instrument in the center of the tower which broke up the already small space.
“Greetings Thor! Do make yourself at home. I’ve got four lightning rods to herald your arrival!” the man chuckled to himself, refilling a small water filter and rubbing at his back.
“Must have hauled those water containers up wrong…ugh.”
Another flash caught his attention, the lookout’s eyebrows raising in surprise. That storm was building faster than expected...
Unplugging the base unit of the radio and turning on the small handheld unit, Jason also disconnected his laptop, then hauling out the small solar generator that was stuffed under a mountain of duffel bags.
“Well, if the power goes out again, I’ve got you.”
The man frowned, surveying the very literal pile of supplies in the corner of the room. It had started as an itch, a small urging. It had then grown this past week into a constant nervousness, causing the lookout to nearly empty the small storage container in the nearby city. Jason couldn’t pin down the reason; only that his nerves finally settled when his emergency supplies were secured in the tower.
“Well, if there’s a hurricane or power outage, I’m set for a good few months.” he muttered to himself, looking over the various items.
“Or a zombie outbreak for that matter. Why in the world do I need this stuff here? And why now?”
It almost felt like the calm before a hurricane; much like the one he and his family had endured a decade prior. Only this time, his belongings weren’t about to be washed away.
Or have to drink rainwater after that dam failed. Stuck on a roof for a week, baking in the sun and waiting for help…and then that nightmarish month afterwards.
Waiting for help that never came. Quite a harsh way to learn a logical lesson.
Another flash, and Jason’s light-brown eyes flickered over the literal wall of storm clouds bearing down at him, eclipsing the tall timber which ran out below his mountain for dozens of square miles.
“Give me some overtime, oh great thunder gods!” he chuckled, waving again to the storm. “But nothing too big! No property damage, no lives lost, just renew the forest with a lovely fire if you please!”
The storm seemed to rumble in reply, a sheet of rain now drumming on the lookout’s sturdy roof. Built sixty years prior, the building was still as solid as a rock, so such a storm was hardly a cause for worry. A worn blue pickup truck sat parked beneath the tower, rain beginning to wash out the dust that accumulated in every nook and cranny, pattering off the covered bed.
A pile of building materials sat half-covered by a tarp; the remnants of a cleanup a month ago. Some lazy bum had dumped a pile of farm materials mixed with trash halfway down the mountain, and it was easier to haul it up to the lookout pending official removal. Barbed wire, plastic drums, metal sheeting; the garbage was set to be removed the next week; currently a rather nasty (and now wet,) eyesore. He had already sliced himself on one of the jagged pieces of metal, thankfully bandaging it up without stitches. It certainly was handy to have the medical supplies ready to go, as well as the training to use it.
A week of medical practicing every other year for peace of mind and the ability to help others? Not bad at all.
The lookout tower shook; the wing gauge spiking.
“Pine Watch Dispatch, this is Raven Rock, I’m getting gusts of over fifty miles an hour here…” Jason reported, wincing as the windows lit up again, and again with lightning flashes.
“And I’m getting some really crazy lighting, just had five strikes in quick succession-even more now.”
The response was unheard as thunder shook the building, dozens of lightning bolts striking around the building, rain and wind rattling the windows.
“What in the world…”
The man backed up to the center of the room, watching as a tree next to the tower exploded into flaming pieces under the force of a strike.
“Raven Rock, I just had a tree-”
The flashes increase in frequency, and the world began to shimmer as though Jason was looking through an underwater window. Balance quite suddenly became optional, the man staggering to his knees. A final flash dominated his view; the world spinning and going black. The last thing the lookout heard was a chuckle; almost malevolent, but seeming to carry with it a hint of sadness as the world faded away.
Reality made its presence known by the throbbing headache echoing through Jason’s head. Levering himself up and wincing at the bright sunlight streaming through one of many broken windows, the man looked around at the slightly-cloudy sky.
How long was I out? What in the world happened? There was the storm, that close strike…
First snagging a dose of painkillers, the lookout then donned some sunglasses, peering out at the surrounding area. The world seemed to shimmer, his own hands taking on a slightly softer appearance before stabilizing into a somewhat ‘normal’ image.
“Must have hit my head.” he muttered, trying to get a closer look at his mountain. For a split second, everything was as it should be; tall trees spreading out underneath his tower on top of a rocky mountain.
And then it was gone, his vision blurring as a thick carpet of green unrolled itself across.
“What the…?”
The tower was still secured atop some rocks- but these were mossy and well-worn, the thick securing cables and concrete supports buried into large boulders. The trees that reached up towards the lookout were wide and bushy, large vines draping over their dark wood limbs as large leaves waved in a slight breeze.
The air that swept through the lookout was clear, but bore with it a strange heaviness with the mild temperature, as well as a strange number of earthy scents.
Slowly stepping backwards, Jason move to use the radio- but the device was dead, no power available to the device. Switching on the battery powered handheld unit, he depressed the microphone switch, voice shaking slightly.
“Pine Watch Dispatch, this is Raven Rock Lookout.”
Five attempts yielded the same response; static buzzing through the speaker. Five more attempts on a multiple-frequency setting did nothing either.
Pulling out his cell phone, Jason felt apprehension continue to creep into his veins, a simple message showing across the top menu.
*No Service*
The sun set.
Seeing the mighty celestial orb move like it was a ping-pong ball across the sky was enough to twist the knot in Jason’s gut. The alien-looking moon rose as abruptly as its companion had fallen, and the stars that shone were alien, the sky an odd, purple-ish color at times.
I’m not on Earth anymore.
Such a thought had been confirmed when he had seen a chicken, or the top half at least. The fact said animal had a reptilian tail had given him goosebumps, especially when it had stared at him.
He had been salvaging the various supplies stored in the ruined pickup at the base of the tower when the creature had come clucking along. It had promptly stopped, stared, and then moved on after seeming rather perplexed.
A Cockatrice.
The truck itself was a total loss, a tree embedded in the middle of it rendering the vehicle useless aside from the odd piece of metal. The supplies in the bed, however, were mostly intact.
He had promptly returned to the top of the tower, using the various screws and loose boards to fashion a somewhat sturdy ‘door’ at the base of the final level. Large shutters were screwed over the shattered windows, usually put in place during the winter to keep out the snow, but they served a decent enough purpose now.
A gas mask hung near the door; an upgrade from the respirator usually kept there in case of severe wildfire smoke. The filters wouldn’t last long, the stockpile being meager due to their expense, but it was a precaution that at least made Jason feel better when working down below.
Of course, I’m breathing the same air up here. But perhaps it’ll avoid anything ground level. That’s flawed logic of course, but it’s something.
Setting up one of the many rechargeable devices he had available, Jason turned on the lantern, letting it swing slightly above his head as he sat at the desk. Different options were written out on a piece of paper; the man staring at an underlined phrase.
‘In coma?
Exposure to drugs/chemicals?
Dead?
Advanced simulation….’
It was a mathematical certainty that there was life else ware in the universe, but that he had been the target of it?
Aliens. I’d say that’s up there in craziness with the ‘being dead’ option. Especially on seeing that creature.
Jason wrote a few more lines, at least wanting to put something down so it wouldn’t continue to spin around inside his head.
‘Current theory; targeted by advanced civilization. Currently in a hyper-realistic simulation utilizing Earth Mythos to gauge reactions of me, and likewise, humanity. A good thing my newest book was going to revolve around mythology. I’d have never known what that thing was. Weren’t they supposed to be able to turn their victims to stone? Why was I not affected? Perhaps that is part of the simulation; the creatures don’t have their mystical powers, just appearances.
What else will I be shown? Harpies? Gryphons? Minotaur’s?
I don’t know.’
“I mean, it sounds a lot better than being higher than a kite on some bad shrooms…but that’s all I’ve got.” Jason muttered, walking around the tower to adjust the small solar setup powering a few batteries inside. The panels on the roof, as well as the batteries and controlling device had seen its fair share of use during camping and now it powered both his laptop and fridge, at least for a day or two.
I’ll eat that food first.
“Aliens. Is that the best reason I can come up with? But then again, is that why I had that urge to haul all of my gear up here?” he mused, opening a pre-made military ration. “They wanted me to have the best chance of survival? Go figure, I’m ready for anything spanning a nuclear war to an afternoon power outage, but I’ll still run out of water eventually. I’m glad I just refilled my stocks.”
After downing the preservative-heavy meal, the man examined his water supplies, coming to a sobering conclusion that had already been swirling around in his mind. Unless it rained, (to which he set out numerous containers at the base of the tower and roof,) he’d run out of water in about two weeks.
At least he’d die fat and happy. His food stocks could last six months….if he had water. As it stood, he had about a month of food that could be reasonably used without hydration. Hearing a few distant howls, the man walked out onto the dark balcony, shining a flashlight down at the imposing forest. The fact dozens of red and green eyes looked back at him sent a shiver down the lookout’s spine.
They then continued to stare even after the flashlight clicked off.
“And there’s creatures with glowing eyes. That’s perfect.”
Double-checking the trapdoor to make sure it was locked; Jason closed the shutters on the windows, having installed hinges on most of them with the spare parts lying around in the tower. The howls and screeches increased, the tower starting to vibrate as a light wind kicked up above the forest.
Digging into his more aggressive preparations, the man took out two large cases buried under the backpacks and duffels; one large, one small. The flare gun rested in the latter case, along with twelve shots.
Plugging the larger, more powerful base-station radio into the solar setup, Jason’s voice quavered as he keyed the mic.
“To anyone listening, this is Raven Rock Fire Lookout. I will be broadcasting this message every day in the evening, just after the sun sets. I am located in the middle of a large forest, trees as far as the eye can see. I will be launching flares every night for three days; and then a flare every three days. If anyone is out there, please respond.”
Leaving the radio on, the lookout loaded the small, signal-shot device and aimed upwards. Pulling the trigger and sending a red flare skywards with a loud *BANG*, he took a bit of pleasure in noting that the howls silenced themselves for a few moments.
“Yeah, humanity says hello. You stay out there, I’ll stay in here, and we’ll all be happy.” Jason muttered, going back inside and retrieved another from the other padded case, one of a few last-resort options he had stored.
“I’d really rather not use these, but I’m not getting eaten.” He muttered, sliding in a few shells into the shotgun now cradled in his arms. A few similar firearms were stored around the lookout, the product of more than a few carefully laid plans.
That, and there were bears, cougars, and other threats that a fire lookout had to deal with.
I’ll bet that one bear from last year is still sneezing.
The fact his belt had a holster for both a pistol and a new can of bear spray proved the adage better safe than sorry. When a curious black bear last season had gotten too nosy during a hike and decided to lurch towards him, a blast of the pepper mixture had made sure the creature steered clear.
“I’d really rather not shoot anything, but glowing eyes? Nope,” Jason muttered. “If this is a simulation, I’d rather avoid some sci-fi serotypes. Let’s not give these creatures a bad impression of humanity.”
Glancing around at the supply-laden tower, the man let a chuckle out at that thought.
“Instead, I’ve given them a look at what an episode of ‘hoarders’ or that doomsday show might be. Fantastic…’
His head starting to pound again, Jason set the loaded shotgun next to his bed, then lookout sitting on the mattress with a sigh as the alien bellowing now restarted
“I don’t know if prayers can reach across dimensions, time, or space, but I’m assuming they can.” Jason whispered, fear creeping down his spine as something scratched at the tower’s base with some yelps and howls. “But I could really use some help right now. Maybe send a legion of angels?” a shaky breath left his mouth, the battery-powered lantern affixed to the ceiling swaying with the tower slightly.
“I’d be fine with one though, a single angel if you can spare them. I’m a bit lost at the moment.”