Just like everybody else, I didn't know much about Cobalt, except it was some kind of organization, probably responsible for whatever was going on on this island, that abandoned their facilities long time ago. 

I woke up on the beach. Like everyone else, I didn't have any memories from the past. First days my mind was full of questions about why, where and who am I. Soon those questions were replaced by the urgent need to focus on survival. And that - as months went by - replaced by the feeling of normalcy and routine. Everyday became the same: wake up, go hunting, search for scraps in the abandoned Cobalt facilities, avoid hostile groups, sometimes fight if I have to, come back to my little hidden stone shack that I built under a rock, cook the meat, relax and go to sleep. This routine had became my life and I stopped questioning things.

Until I met him...

Late night I heard someone walk up to my base heavily panting and groaning from pain. It's not the first time someone finds themselves on the beach, scared and disoriented, chased by a neighbouring insane group of cannibals. If it was my will I'd kill them all but there are too many of them. So I never intervened. They also haven't touched me yet because I had guns. I grabbed a rifle. Whoever it was outside my base, I was going to put an end to his suffering and save from being tortured by the cannibals. I walked outside. The man was on his knees, holding his chest, bleeding, struggling to breathe. Two silhouettes appeared on the horizon running towards us. He looked at me. I expected to see a begging expression. Instead, I saw... determination? He couldn't speak but he was trying to say something with his eyes. As if it wasn't just his life he was fighting for in that moment. 

Honestly, I don't know what came over me that day. But I raised my rifle. 

Shot. 

A body falls down.

Shot. 

Another one falls.

"Shit... what am I doing"

Cannibals were dead.

I took the man in. He had light gear, and a backpack. He was in a terrible state. Coming in an out of consciousness. I was taking care of him for about a week as he was mostly lying down, sometimes moving and saying something in his sleep. Something about the snow. Later I wished I'd listen closely.

It was about 7 days in when he first spoke to me.

"Give me my backback" - he groaned.

I was startled after hearing him speak to me for the first time. I gave him his backpack. 

"I had dreams. I was..." - he coughed struggling to speak - "in the dream I was in Cobalt. It was... it was not now. it was different. There were people in white. They were everywhere there. I had something very important with me, I hoped I wouldn't get caught. In a dream I hid it in a place no-one would find it."

He started frantically throwing things out of his backpack that landed all around the room.

I rolled my eyes, getting annoyed with the mess: "look man, I have dreams too and they're weird. Please, stop throwing your shit around"

He ignored me: "I don't know you, I don't trust you but it doesn't look like I have other choice. It doesn't look like I'm going to make it. If I don't, I need you to bring this somewhere. You must. I saw it in a dream and..." - he continued to throw things out.

Whatever it was in a backpack of a person that newly appeared on the island was of no interest or value to me and I was already very irritated by my room covered with useless shit.

\-Listen man, you don't have to...

I could feel goosebumps and vibrations all around my head when I saw it.

"... and I found it."

He was holding a Cobalt keycard.

It is somewhat common knowledge among those who've been on this island for as long as me or longer - that there are hidden military facilities. The most protected and hard to access are the ones that require Red keycard to open a heavy unbreachable armored door. I heard rumors that inside those bunkers are the most sophisticated weapons and most valuable resources. Out of all 3 colors of keycards - red granted access to the most protected bunkers.

Red keycard wasn't the one he was holding. It was black with golden engravements and cobalt logo. What can this keycard possibly open?

He quickly started to fade, probably after getting so worked up going through his backpack. He was only able to say two more sentences, before losing consciousness and never waking up again.

What he told me changed the course of my life forever.

A dying man collapsed outside my base with a Cobalt keycard that doesn’t exist