by Robert Lyon
Mike stood astonished at the display and said, “I’m gonna be over there in the bushes…no one come over there for a while.” Tommi looked at him startled and Michelle blurted out,
“Be sure you bury it.” and Mike replied, “I’ll bury as deep as I can as soon as I get the chance.” Tommi watched him walk away, once he was gone she got Michelles attention and did the male masturbation gesture with her hand. Michelle said, “Oh” and started laughing with her hand covering her mouth.
Mitch said, “Gruble, Lyon, let’s try this net…we’ll probably catch them flying up with it anyways.” Michelle glanced down at her feet and wiggled her toes in the sand and said, “Rob’s getting more materials for the boat.” Michael was falling asleep so Mitch looked around and said, “Where’s
Mike?” Tommi gestured with her thumb in the direction mike left in and Michelle said, “He had to go wank it.” Mitch replied,
“I’ll go find Rob.” Michelle rubbed the top of her feet noticing her pedicure was being sanded off slowly by the beach and she polished the nail of her big toe in a day dream as she said, “He went further down the beach.” Jennifer rolled her pant legs up to just below her knee, some leg hair had grown around her ankles.
Mitch said, “Jenn…” Jennifer responded, “Ya, I’m going.”
Mitch replied, “Okay.” Mitch started toward the boat wondering
just how hairy things were going to get as he scratched at his light beard. He Glanced back as they walked to the boat. Tommi said, “I’ll leave my pant legs down.” Mitch asked, “Because of that?” Tommi replied, “Ya, my hair is growing too.” Jennifer said, “What hair.” Mitch interjected, “Don’t worry about it, I’m married and have seen it a lot worse.” Just as they were launching the boat, I had dragged another log down, the last that had naturally fallen near where we were to the best of my reckoning. Michael heard the log dragging and sat up, Michael asked, “What are we doing with that.” I replied, “Well…we’re gonna burn the outside, hammer keys into it to spit it and find a way to plane it, the sand it with these pumas stones and sand, then drill holes in it to use peg fasteners, peg it together and seal it with smoke…but first I need to weave a long bark fiber rope with some ceramic nuggets in it to make a saw to take another tree…and eventually we’ll have a real boat.” Mike emerged from the bushes and said, “I’m tired just from hearing all that.” I asked, “Mitch go for more fish? …those others might die without food soon.” Mike interjected, “They started drying and eating sea weed.” Michelle crossed her legs and started flipping her feet and said, “Ya, they went fishing again…I want you to get that boat done Rob.” I replied, “I’ll do what I can.”
Athena stood up in the cabana looking at the opening in the brush and said, “Hey guys.” Tim brock and Tammy Melad stepped through followed by Ebony Allick, Kelly Yodal, Joseph
Leos, Edward Gardin , and David Miles . “We got exiled, there’s not enough sea weed and they don’t want to watch us die!”, said Kelly Yodal. Ebony Allick interjected, “The captain was in the pentagon and doesn’t know anything about it, but does know we’re ready to kill each other.”
I stood there with the log I had dragged in dismay and asked, “How many more came over?” Tim Brock replied, “Just us.” I said, “Okay, build another cabana and you’ll need to expand this stone courtyard.” Kelly Yodal blurted out,
“Okay…what about food?” Michelle replied, “Their out there now trying the net for the first time, the ones we speared were just enough for us over here.” Joseph Leos said, “Cabana it is then…we seriously need food though guys.” I said, “No worries.” Michelle showed them how to build the cabana while
Athena supervised; I started setting up the trench fire to split the log. Ebony and Tammy started gather stones to add to our courtyard .
Mitch, Jennifer, and Tommi came back and it took two of them to hold the net; it squirmed like a sea snake. Everyone cheered, and Tommi said, “There’s a trick to it.” It was about three pounds of fish they had taken, and everyone was hungry but we knew we would have to ration the fish and send some over to the landing.
As they started smoking the fish tying them to sticks run horizontally across two sticks shoved in the sand, which nearly looked like a loom, I was less concerned about being embarrassed over an experimental project. I took the log over to the trench we had dug for the fire to cook the mud into a ceramic and prepared to roll the log occasionally in the fire to guide how much wood was burnt off from the outside in. At the very least I needed to accomplish a squared off approximation of a four inch by four inch section of lumber, which I would hope to plain down to planks.
Tim brock offered to help and said he didn’t think it was too outlandish an idea. David Miles asked, “Is there was anything other than a cabana to work on?” I replied, “There’s
still expanding the courtyard with the smooth stones from out of the surf and we’ll need a sundial.” David Miles laughed, “A sundial? I still have my watch man…and so do you.” I replied,
“Mine is certified to thirty meters…I went down farther than that.” Dave looked at his watch and realized it had water in it and gave no display of time. He was a little choked up as he asked, “How far down do you think we went?” I said, “I have no idea, I only remember how dark it was beneath us, I saw people much deeper than I was and I thought I saw a whale or submarine diving deeper dragging people down…but it turned out to be the ship.” Dave looked around trying to breathe normally and asked, “Which way do you think is north?” I responded, “We’ll have to wait for nightfall and find the northern star.” Dave walked out to the surf to pull out smooth stones and brock and I set up the log. I pulled out a shoe lace again and took off my boot my feet were sticky and there was an odor so I decide I would leave them off as many had. I once again used a shoelace tied at the ends to a somewhat flexible stick to rapidly turn a straighter stick against dry wood piled with tinder. Brock asked, “We need to save our shoelaces for that, don’t we?” I said, “It’s a good idea.” Brock said, “Artimus said the rescue is just delayed by ongoing operations.” I looked at him and we was in a daze, I said, “The bottom line is we are on our own…even if a rescue came we would be on our own until then.” Brock said, “We’ll need guards they’re getting crazy over there…some sentry posts.” Once the fire was a full fire we spread out the burning wood and rolled the log into place, the extreme ends protruded from the trench and would serve as handles .
Kelly Yodal sat with Jennifer taking a break from the building of the second cabana with the others and asked
Jennifer, “So…seen any planes or ships” Jennifer said,
“No…nothing, the fish smells good though” Kelly replied, “Ya, it does.” Ebony snorted in the distance, “Someone help me keep this damn thing standing up.” Jennifer patted Kelly’s leg and said, “Those need to be put in a hole about a foot and a half deep.” Kelly groaned and called out, “Hold on…need a hole .”
As Kelly started digging the small holes Ebony asked,
“Why are we actin’ like we stayin or something?” Joseph Leos replied, “Just a camping trip vacation.” Ebony responded, “Then give me room service.” Edward Gardin said, “I’m not serving anyone.” To which joseph whisper the response, “They just got fish man, be positive…we just got here.” Edward smiled and held up the work he was doing on a column and went back to forming it.
At the landing Dave Artimus was conducting interviews to determine who would have access to the pentagon, who would guard the perimeter, and who was just wasted space. They’ve had nothing to eat but seaweed dried in the sun by hanging it from the pentagon walls since they had arrived. Smity had gone from group to group soliciting loyalty to the Captain and had made some claims on his behalf. As the Captain interviewed the selectees Smity continued his campaign.
Smity strolled up to a group guarding their fire and said, “I need to know who all is still loyal to the Captain .” Kim Luds responded, “Fuck you gunners
mate.” Smity responded, “That’s why your over here enginemen.” Kim responded, “I’m a
G.S.M.” Smity scoffed, “That isn’t what I’m asking G.S.M. three, I’m asking who is still loyal to the captain.” Justina Mier interjected, “You mean the guy that sank the ship…his own ship that is?” Smity leaned in in an attempt to be intimidating and said, “When you’re a captain then you can talk that shit. But
then that’s the word of a second class. So, are still a third class petty officer loyal to his captain, or some damn mutineer?” Kim responded, “No food, one vase with water in it and no ship…doesn’t seem like anyone’s the captain now; and ah…you need a ship to be a captain.” Smity replied, “First, us military guys know you don’t need a ship to be a navy captain. Second, who do you think got us that vase of water, because it sure as hell didn’t walk here itself.” Charlie McCree and the master chief sitting nearby were watching the dialogue and it seemed heavy handed to them. Hauldbalm nudged McCree and said,
“You’re a second class…maybe you should say something.”
Charlie moaned, “Alright…” Hauldbalm laughed and Charlie sat up and interjected, “And third or finally?” and paused as she observed Smity preparing to verbally assault her until he noticed the master chief was lying next to her and she continued, “Look were all doing the best we can and we don’t need you stirring things up. But, I was here.” Smity looked at her squinting and cocked his head asking, “You were here?” Charlie replied, “Ya.” she glance around and scratched at her upper lip to conceal her mouth from anyone lip reading and said, “Even the captain doesn’t know where that vase came from.” Smity chuckled and said, “The last time the natives brought it over the captain said they said they would get us some fish, there McCree…I don’t think you know what the hell you are talking about.” Smity looked up and around with his hands on his hips then scratched at the back of his head glancing at the master chief seeming confounded as if inquiring as to why he would be with the riffraff, then looked back at the group he was speaking to and said, “We’ll continue this later, seems I came at a bad time.” then he turned and walked back to the pentagon .
Chris Dragie a survivor of the loss of USS Paul F Foster
DD-964, formerly an Operations Specialist first class petty officer stood at attention speaking with Dave Artimus the former captain. Artimus said, “Would you agree O.S. one Dragie, that I am still your captain?” Chris Dragie replied, “Yes, sir.” Artimus responded, “Good, Good…it seems I may need your help handling these kids that don’t seem to get that.” Dragie replied,
“They’re just kid’s sir, sometimes it’s a trick to get them to understand.” Artimus leaned in with a scowl and then slouched back and said, “I don’t need tricks, I need you to continue to do your job. Pull them back in line, I already resent what it is our rescuers will find. And in the event we are rescued by someone other than the United States military our military demeanor may mean the difference between life and death.” Dragie appeared dizzy and inquired, “You think we have a fight coming sir?”
Artimus responded, “Let’s be very clear, I will not have any of these crew members turning cannibal, seaweed will have to suffice.”
Their conversation bordered on gibberish caused by dehydration and delirium, but Dave Artimus wasn’t concerned with the dialogue he was attempting to gauge their level of hostility and determine who constituted a threat. He was looking for the type of loyalty that came out of admiration he had seen in the past and made use of, ‘it can’t be wrong if the captain has ordered it’ was the response from many defending orders he had issued while admittedly angry and on impulse. He might find a way to survive, but it wasn’t enough for him alone to survive he was determined to assert himself into a position of his own creation that empowered him to be the one to decide who lives and who dies. The thought of being on the island indefinitely
was something he couldn’t conceptualize on, as though it were a concept in a foreign language he did not speak.
Artimus said, “If they break and attack each other again I want you to give them space, but if it becomes cannibalism kill the person attacking instantly. I’m only issuing these orders to my most trusted crewmembers only the most loyal.
Confidentially, the female officers deserve a little more consideration if they are present take the risk of using some of the security force you will be with to pull them away, which I understand further risks your safety. It is a bias I admit, but it is my bias. You are one of the few that will have access to the pentagon and some of your forces will only have access to the posts I will set around it.” Dragie smiled and replied, “Yes sir.”
Artimus added in closing, “There can be no question of loyalty here, if anyone seems disloyal or disrespectful notify me immediately. These things grow out of control quickly.” As
Dragie walked away Smity walked up and watched Dragie walk away, Smity glared at his back in suspicion. Smity asked his captain, “What do you think sir.” Artimus replied, “I think you should get me some water.” Smity looked down humbly and smiled as he said, “Sure thing dave.” Artimus replied,
“Captain…it’s Captain, don’t lose it in front of them.” Smity said, “Sorry, Captain. I’ll get you that water.” Artimus gauged smity’s movement in the sand trying to determine how slowed he would be because they were in sand. He looked at the foot prints in the soft sand that appeared at least two inches deep then glanced back at the wet sand near the surf.
Down in the wet sand stood Firemen Megan Carale she was bent over washing her face with seawater; with her tee shirt gone her shirt hung open affording glances of her once white bra and her cleavage. She wet her hair by scoping up the incoming
surf and dumping it onto her head in a fashion seen with famous models and movie starlets. Her socks hung out of her back pocket and pant legs were rolled up. Just as Artimus was considering calling to her and warning her of the risk of further dehydrating herself she reached down her pants and scratched at her crotch, seeing this Artimus just shook his head and scanned the crowds for his next interview candidate.
Artimus glanced over near the brushline feeling as though he had forgotten something, but the noticed Ensign Spayner digging in her crotch as well as he walked up to her to ask why all the women were ‘so itchy down there’ he saw her sniff her fingers after scratching. He asked, “Were you just masturbating?” Jane Spayner replied, “No, Dave. I itch right now.” Artimus asked, “Did all the women get island crabs?”
Jane looked at him noticed he was squinting and looking her all over and decided to refrain from telling him to ‘Eat me’ and then continued to respond with, “Eat me.” for some reason it came out anyways, she continued after noticing that saying that didn’t faze him at all, “It’s hot and dry and the saltwater isn’t making it any better.” Artimus was staring at her ankles and started check himself for a beard as he walked away.
Smity stepped up with a deep cup with a little water in it and hand it to his captain. “Here you are sir.” said Smity. The captain took the cup and sipped slowly, Smity asked, “When will the natives deliver more sir?” Artimus said, “They’ve been making it as fast as they can.” Smity asked, “What do they look like…bone through the nose or red paint or anything?” Artimus looked into the cup and smelled the water, “Have you been drinking this?” Artimus asked. Smity replied, “We all have, just small amounts sir.” Artimus said, “Start drink more than you were.” Smity smiled and said, “Well, being the Captains man
has its advantages.” Artimus noticed the smug smile on Smity’s face and became nauseous.
Smity went back to scouting for the truly loyal, and
Artimus headed into the pentagon. Clarkson sat under a lean to in the pentagon fanning herself with a palm branch sitting in the shaded sand, her shirt was fully open and she had removed her tee-shirt, her pants were down just too her thighs and she sat there as though she were defecating. Artimus said, “Tell me you’re not shitting right th
ere.” Clarkson replied, “No I’m not.”
Artimus went to one of the other lean-tos and lay down. The body odor emanating from Clarkson was strong and Artimus couldn’t stand it he blurted out, “Skank, go clean yourself.”
Clarkson said indignantly, “In front of them!?” Artimus responded, “Do it with your clothes on.” Clarkson replied, “I’ll get trench foot” Artimus looked at her and noticed she was fevered looking and out of sorts and uttered, “Trench foot? In your twat?”
At the work site the cabana’s were up and the fish was well smoked, cooked well but still moist. It was about four in the afternoon but as far as laying marks for our sundial we were still guessing. I said, “I’ll take over their rations.” Mike Elper retorted, “Good luck. Oh and watch your back.” I laughed and said, “On that ship I always have.” I lifted the stick we had selected for them from the smoking rack and picked up a vase of water and Jennifer carried a second vase.
Once we arrived we saw some were crowded around the pentagon and it was my first time seeing the dirt covered walls around it, I thought ‘maybe they’re doing more than I thought.”
Smity ran up and asked, “Did you get those from the natives and are you still loyal to the captain?” I couldn’t help but answer to the part about the natives, “There are no natives”, I said. I set
down the vase and piled sand around it, as did Jennifer. We were both on key and they certainly noticed. They stood up but kept their distance. There was no stand for the rack of fish so I placed the stick across the vases. Tammy had followed us and gestured to Megan a come here gesture, Megan glanced behind herself and point at herself mouthing the word, “Me?”
Megan avoided getting too close to the rations and slipped through the brush telling Tammy, “I need to eat tammy.”