Story 31. Written by Jim Waitlord

A caravan moves through the desert. Cats, camels, people, gods. Six, maybe seven travelers. They reach an oasis, stop, and settle down. The political prisoner speaks: “The captain is always the last to leave a sinking ship. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been an honor serving with you.” They stand, slowly begin to dance, and then everyone goes their separate ways. Let’s assume there are infinite universes. If so, there must be one where this is reality. Either way, we’re going to write what happens next. Perhaps you’ll see yourself in it.

Our avatar is CSAK the Maya god. Surely, there is also a reality where this is not the case. But an online game begins to take shape. One thing is certain: all 13 are now embodied, and they serve either the empire, their own interests, or both. The best escape route is to flee toward your captors. Caesar, standing on the horizon, saw the Rubicon glittering in the setting sun. He turned to his men and said: “Halt. About face. The die is cast (alea iacta est).” Then, he turned back, allied with the Germanic tribes, married the tribal leader’s daughter, and marched on Rome.

Anyone can join the game, of course. In any role — one of the 13, their ally, their enemy, or their follower. From here, the possibilities branch out so widely that only life or reality itself can continue the story. All we can do is document it.

Soon, we will reveal what the DNA Tracker really is. A homo sapien can only experience one plane of reality in their lifetime. However, the next, more advanced humanoid species can experience multiple planes, multiple realities. Perhaps homo sapiens resist this because, having exterminated homo erectus, they fear the next human species will do the same to them.

Yet they could be certain of this: life would be far more interesting on a planet where multiple humanoid species coexist. And surely, they could trust that the new species would not be as cruel as they are. On this planet, there are people far more wicked than the devil himself. Perhaps this is proof that this reality, this planet where we now live, is hell itself.

So, the next step is to write the story of the DNA Tracker.

The True Story of the Roswell 13: The Sequel