Five years had passed after that speech, everyone was interested in the production of what we named Dwellers. For each month, in order of the canisters we infused a newborn with the appropriate amount of mutagen. Along the way we came across another group of survivors who joined us. We created order, law, rules. Everyone gets a say in everything, everything is discussed, thought through, voted on.
We made a family system, five families will stay pure human. Three families for each month will only be able to bear children that will be birthed within their assigned month. And each couple must provide four children at least within a lifetime. With marriage and partnership is kept within the three grouped families that will eventually multiply, separating and evoiding insest.
But even with all our rules set it's a slow process, and it will take generations that even I won't be able to see for the dwellers.
Another thing we have created is a naming list for earned names, but the process and rules to it are still being discussed.
The camp had quickly grown into a town, fully built houses that we designed. Using clay and rock, houses are carved into the wall of the cave with a circular dome where the entrance and exit were. WIthin the houses were circular rooms with small hallways between. All the houses are connected by rope bridges and ways to climb up and down.
The first Dweller was born in January, followed by many others month after month. The first generation has been born and the oldest ones are five years of age. At thirteen we have many people specialized to teach battle training. But before all that we also have a variety of women and men teaching these young children basic school learning.
Everyone is excited about this evolution and how it will defeat the Stalkers, Humphrey has everyone hopeful of it. With a total of almost two hundred people, hunting, crafting, and construction have been easier to manage. Nowadays I’m busy either hunting, skinning, or planning parties so much that each day feels like a foggy and tiring dream.
I stood over the table with my map drawn out over it, a large group of people in the same rockhouse as me, “Joan, lead Farrell, Dane and James along the river through the redwoods. Ryann, take Edith, Carter, Bryann and Piper with you through the south border. And Carl, take Cherrie, Tomson and Tourn with you north of the border. You're all dismissed.”
The group all geared up in the next room before climbing out of the house. I watched as they filed out of the building down the rope bridges.
I released a sigh that gathered sadness in the pit of my chest, work was the only thing I’ve been occupying myself with to the point where I found no joy through the passing days. Brent had started a family even, he has three children and a lovely wife. I often wondered if Humphery was right about all this, but we already have laws and order in place to stop it now.
His name rang in my head, Humphrey. He had gotten older, frail. But his dark eyes still have that same drive. That same hunger.
I climbed out onto a rope bridge and climbed down to a building below my house. I changed into some other clothes I hadn't worn for quite a long time. As I pulled my cargo pants up to my waist a folded piece of paper fell from a loosened pocket.
My mind curiously thought of what was written on the paper. I bent down to pick it up, as I did my mind flashed a memory before my eyes. I blinked in shock as I lifted the paper, I remembered it had lost information about a thirteenth container.
I sat on my wood made bed and slowly unfolded the paper, I strained my eyes to read the small print, “Container 13, February 16, 5008.” My mind was bitter with confusion, that date was set in thirty two years from now! I read on, “This mutagen is the key to defeating my darkened creations, guardian fusion. Whoever finds this page, on this date, you need to take a pure human infant and give them the full container of this. I don’t know what it will do to them, but once you find it you will meet the two Guardians that watch over this land like gods.” I replayed the word in my head, “Gods…” Before continuing, “There used to be three, but my creations single the most powerful out and perished it, I was able to extract its genes before they found me. Please… it’s the key to waking them… to destroying my creations! Care for them, nurture them, keep them safe until the time…”
The writing trailed off as if unfinished, they must have been caught then, something bad happened in these science rooms. Something very bad. This man created these monsters, yet it looks like this place has been lost for decades.
I stood up, clenching the paper before restoring it to its pocket. Dedication and almost burning anger rose in me. I needed to find that canister.
I marched into the room where Humphery and I discovered the canisters. It was empty since all the equipment had been moved.
I threw the curtains back, I searched the desk and everywhere around it. After not too long of this frustration picked at my skin. I kicked the desk over, “Grah!” I huffed, out of breath from my frantic searching.
My eyes caught an outline under the desk, like a hidden compartment. I crouched down beside the flipped desk and pulled out a knife. I thrusted the knife into the edge of the hidden drawer and sure enough it popped open. A small glass canister hit the floor and rolled towards me. It stopped against my leg and I picked it up, appalled.
All of a sudden a crash came from the cave and the floor shook, I shoved the small glass into my coat pocket and raced towards the camp.

As I made it another crash and I stumbled down onto my back, I looked up and my heart dropped. Almost as big as the mile, if not higher, the cave was two giant beasts who stood searching for something.
One, with a rock protected body, spotted me with its many eyes. I heard people in the camp scream in fear but I could see that these beasts caused little damage to the cave. As I was distracted, the large beast scooped me up with its giant paw. Claws as long as my house was across closed over me as I was lifted into the air.
The claws opened as I was right in front of the beast's faces. The one who picked me up had two sets of blue eyes, the other had a leaner body and large folded with folded against it’s back. The larger rock covered one opened it’s jaws, I braced to be eaten but was met with a deed chuckle.
“Young human.” It’s voice boomed, “I bring something to you.” I sat in shock, my tongue was caught back in my throat. The only words I could manage was, “What message?” As I spoke I realized who these beasts were. ‘Guardians’ I corrected myself. The Guardian who held me shook large head, “It is not a kind gift, these words are only for you, human. Do not share them.”
I nodded, understanding my promise. He leaned his head close and parted his mouth slightly, his large teeth were over four times my size. He spoke as quietly as his roaring tone allowed, “As the evil settles like dust on the sill of a window, the one who cleans the dust, destroys the shadows, protects its people, will be one who was rejected by them."

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