Elohims wrath

Anna and Bjorn walked side by side through the dimly lit corridors of the ancient spaceship, their footsteps echoing softly against the metallic walls. The air was thick with the scent of rust and age, a constant reminder of the vessel's long-forgotten purpose. They made their way towards the center of the ship, where the communal fireplace flickered with a warm, inviting glow.

As they entered the central chamber, all eyes turned towards Bjorn. The families gathered around the fire looked at him with a mix of hope and anticipation. Among them were Arne and his wife Elin, the Olander family—Father Arvid, wife Helene, and their sons Tobias and Magnus—along with the village elders Lars and Mikkel. The Thors family was also present Father Olaf, daughters Sigrid and Ingrid, wife Astrid, and son Erik.

Bjorn cleared his throat, his voice carrying the weight of his announcement. "Arne and I managed to catch an animal," he said, his words met with a collective gasp of relief. "A big one."

Olaf stepped forward, his weathered face etched with concern. "This is good news, Bjorn. But we need to talk about the food shortage. It's becoming a serious problem."

Arvid nodded in agreement. "We've been lucky this time, but we can't rely on luck forever. We need to consider moving to a new location, somewhere with more resources."

Astrid, her eyes filled with worry, spoke up. "But where would we go? This place is all we've ever known. It's our home."Bjorn sighed, glancing at Anna for support. "I understand your concerns, Astrid. But we can't ignore the reality. If we stay here, we might not survive the next shortage."

Lars, one of the village elders, stepped forward, his voice calm and measured. "We need to weigh our options carefully. Moving is a risk, but so is staying here. We must decide what is best for our families."

As the discussion continued, the younger members of the group listened intently, their minds filled with questions and uncertainties. Ingrid and Sigrid exchanged worried glances, while Erik and Magnus whispered to each other, their youthful curiosity piqued by the prospect of a new adventure.

Bjorn looked around at the faces of his friends and family, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. "We'll make a decision together," he said firmly. "For now, let's share this food and be grateful for what we have."

 The families nodded in agreement, their spirits lifted by the promise of a meal. As they gathered around the makeshift fireplace, the flickering flames casting shadows on the walls, they found solace in each other's company. Despite the uncertainty of their future, they knew that as long as they had each other, they could face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Smiles spread across the faces of the families, their worries momentarily lifted. They knew this meant they would have enough food to survive for another month. Bjorn took a seat by the fire, next to Arne, and the younger children eagerly gathered around him, their eyes wide with curiosity.

"Let me tell you about the hunt," Bjorn began, his voice steady and reassuring. As he recounted the tale, the older members of the community huddled together, discussing how the food would be divided among them. Meanwhile, the elders Lars and Mikkel sat apart, their gazes fixed on Bjorn and Arne with an intensity that suggested they had something important to discuss.

Lars, the older and more enigmatic of the two, had a past shrouded in mystery. Mikkel, once a hunter like Arne and Bjorn, understood their struggles to some extent. The two elders exchanged a glance, their silent communication speaking volumes.

Bjorn finished his story, his eyes meeting those of the children who had listened with rapt attention. "Now, it's time for everyone to return to their duties," he said gently. "Arne and I need to speak with Lars and Mikkel in private."

As the families dispersed, an uneasy silence settled over the room. Bjorn and Arne approached the elders, their expressions serious. They knew the food they had caught would only last for two weeks at best, and it seemed the elders were aware of this grim reality as well.

Bjorn and Arne settled by the fireplace, the flickering flames casting long shadows on the elders' faces. The air was thick with tension as Bjorn broke the silence. "It's not good," he began, his voice heavy with the weight of their predicament. "We need to be fully honest and open."

Mikkel nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I knew you were gone too long to bring back just one creature."

Arne's temper flared. "Well, it's not easy, you know! You two old geezers don't help in any way."

Bjorn placed a calming hand on Arne's shoulder. "There's no place for fury here, Arne."

Taking a deep breath, Arne continued, "There are no animals within a 25 km radius of the ship. Anything beyond that is extremely hard to traverse due to the abnormalities and rough terrain."

"We need a plan, and we need it fast," Bjorn added.

The elders exchanged glances before Mikkel spoke up. "What about agriculture? We have radishes and carrots in storage from last time. We could try planting them."

Arne's face turned red with anger. "No, we can't! Last year, we used tons of water, and since it's too cold outside and there's no sunlight inside, we can't grow anything. That idea is stupid. Forget about it."

Bjorn nodded in agreement. "It's impossible to grow food at that rate. We'd die of starvation before anything could grow."

As Arne and the elders continued to argue, Bjorn's mind drifted back to his memories. Last month, he had caught two gigantic creatures 4 km east of the ship. Now, there was no sign of wildlife. The month before that, they had barely managed to survive on one big and one small creature. Anything before that was harder and harder to recall as he tried to see some kind of pattern in animal movement.

Then, a memory surfaced. When he was just a kid, listening to Mikkel's stories from the hunt, one of them wasn't about a hunt but rather about their home. Mikkel used to call it Spaceship Altera, some sort of device that could fly and had many hallways packed with rooms filled with useful items and luggage.

"What about exploring the Altera?" Bjorn asked suddenly.

Both elders froze, their faces pale as if they had just heard the name of some forgotten evil. "I forbid it," Lars said without a second thought.

Arne looked confused. "What is even Altera?" he asked.

"It's the name of this ship, I used to tell you two stories about it, but you were too young to remember any of them Arne" Mikkel answered.

"What—" Arne started to ask, but Bjorn cut him off. "Why can't we explore it?"

Lars stared him down. "There is nothing down there. Your father died trying to restore it, not to mention many other people."

Arne was stunned into silence, but Bjorn continued to push the idea. "We need to explore it. There might be something useful down there."

Mikkel cut the conversation short. "There is no more to talk about. It is strongly forbidden."

Arne, full of anger and questions, stood up abruptly. "We will go down there. You two old geezers can't stop us. Let's go, Bjorn."

Bjorn, seeing the determination in Arne's eyes, knew his friend had made up his mind. He stood up and followed Arne, leaving the elders behind in the flickering firelight.