Jason Lee Scott (Altered)'s Arc

Chapter 10 of 11

Jason climbed down from the elephant structure and circled back toward the nearest settlement marker. The coordinates in Zack's journal showed three locations, but only one was close enough to reach before nightfall. If the network was real, someone there would know about the supply runs. The workshop sat between two collapsed warehouses, its torn canvas awnings fluttering in the wind. Half-finished stone sculptures lined the entrance, and above the doorway someone had painted an elephant design — same style as the markers, but larger, more deliberate. Jason checked the journal again to confirm the location, then tucked it back inside his jacket. He stepped through the open doorway and found three people inside sorting through medical supplies. They looked up when his shadow crossed the threshold. The woman closest to him reached for something behind a crate — not aggressive yet, but ready. Jason kept his hands visible and didn't move forward. The woman stood slowly. "We're not recruiting. And we don't take strangers." Jason pulled Zack's journal from his jacket and held it where she could see it. "I'm not here to take anything. I need you to know someone's watching out for this place." The woman's eyes went to the journal, then back to his face. She studied him for a long moment before stepping closer. Jason opened the journal to the page with the settlement coordinates and supply schedules. "Three locations. Medical gear from the outpost, food from the west, water tablets from the north. The elephant markers show the routes." The woman took the journal from his hands and flipped through the pages. Her expression shifted from suspicion to recognition. "Where did you get this?" Jason met her eyes. "From someone who built something worth protecting. And I'm trying to make sure it stays that way." The woman closed the journal and handed it back. "You're one of Drakkon's." It wasn't a question. Jason didn't deny it. "I was. Now I'm trying to be something else." She looked at the others, then back at him. "The coordinates are right. So are the schedules. If you wanted to destroy this, you wouldn't need to show us proof first." She stepped aside and gestured toward the back of the workshop. "We've got a supply run heading west tomorrow morning. You can travel with us if you keep your head down and don't bring trouble." Jason felt the weight lift slightly — not trust, but a door opening where there had been a wall. He nodded once. The woman turned back to the crates, and Jason knew he'd crossed a line he couldn't step back over. He wasn't just carrying Zack's network anymore. He was part of it.