by Michael Bray
Chase picked up the vaccine gun and stared at it. All his daughters suffering, all the suffering his family had gone through, could have been resolved by that one little vaccine. A single jab then cured within two days He could barely comprehend it. There was so much he wanted to say, questions he wanted to ask, but his tongue was uncooperative and sat on the floor of his mouth, unable or unwilling to move. Lomar grinned, not crocodile, but friendly now. He was enjoying the show.
“Strange isn’t it, how just a simple thing can have such a big impact?”
Chase nodded. “And you can get more of this? I mean, after the show, if I won, could you get this for my daughter?”
Crocodile grin was back. “Of course. The prize is anything the winner chooses after all. Why settle for giving her the best healthcare money can buy, when you could eliminate the problem and assure her of a happy and long life free of her disease?”
“If I win,” Chase muttered, staring at the vaccine.
“If you win,” Lomar repeated.
Chase stared at Lomar, then at the vaccine. He removed the rubber stopper from the end of the needle, and touched it to his forearm. “Do I just jab it?”
Lomar shook his head. “Hold it there where you have it then pull the trigger.”
Chase’s palms were sweating. He couldn’t bring himself to go through with it, knowing that he had the power to cure his daughter in his hands and was about to administer it to himself. He glanced back at Lomar, who seemed to be enjoying the mental struggle. It was then that Chase made a decision. He depressed the trigger, the sting as the needle fired into his arm and administered whatever miracle cure was inside a distant thing. One thought now cycled around his mind. No matter what it took, no matter how far he had to go to make it happen, he was going to survive The Island and cure his daughter.
“Congratulations,” Lomar said with a smile. “You are now cancer free.”
There was no joy. No excitement. Just an overwhelming desire to reach their destination so he could give his daughter the life she deserved. If that meant having to murder a few strangers he had just met, then so be it. He was more than prepared to do it.
FINAL PREPARATIONS
NECKER ISLAND, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLES
MARCH 8th 2044
Richard Glebe reminded Chase of a bug. A praying mantis maybe or some kind of stick insect. He was tall and skinny, his bulging eyes not complimented by his gaunt features. His hair was slicked down with a gallon of oil, and when he talked, he gestured with his hands, something that, for Chase at least, had quickly become annoying.
The last two days had been anything but the luxurious relaxation that Lomar had suggested it would be before he had jetted off on whatever business he had (pausing to wave to them as his private helicopter transported him from The Island to the mainland). If anything, there was a sense of apprehension mingled with eagerness to get started. As Lomar had said, Chase’s cough had subsided, and he felt better than he ever had before. The vaccine he had been administered was certainly potent. All of them had spent the last two days differently. Moses and Alex had been quiet and reflective, Alex the most as he continued to become more and more isolated from the group. The two girls, Ellie and Perrie were like chalk and cheese. Perrie was almost the stereotypical ditzy girl, a happy-go-lucky party animal who seemed oblivious to what they were about to undertake. Ellie on the other hand was an enigma. Although she was quiet, there was something about her that Chase couldn’t quite place. Something between fierceness and a determination to succeed. She had spent the majority of the last two days sitting in the sun, earphones jammed in as she listened to music. Chase supposed that like him, she was assessing the competition, which was her right. The complete opposite again was Ryder. He was brash and cocky, and took great delight in telling everyone that he was the favourite to win with the bookmakers, a fact that was impossible to verify the validity of. Chase watched him now, doing push ups by the pool, skin slick with sweat as he moved with piston like efficiency. Chase had tried to make conversation, but Ryder it seemed only wanted to talk about one subject, which was himself and how he was going to win. He had taken great delight in telling them how he had learned to live off the land and build shelters, start fires and survive in the most hostile environments on the planet. Chase wasn’t certain how much of it was bullshit designed to intimidate or true. Either way, Ryder was confident of his chances. Chase decided he didn’t want to think about Ryder or the rest of his competition anymore, and turned his attention back to the mantis-like Glebe, who was gesticulating at the team of men who were setting up a green screen towards the rear of the pool area. It was rare for Chase to take an instant dislike to someone, but Glebe had all the qualities he hated in people. Smarmy and arrogant, he spoke like a man who was far superior to those around him as he buzzed from location to location checking everything was in order. As if hearing Chase’s thoughts, he turned towards them and clapped his hands together.
“Contestants, to me, please. Stop what you are doing and come to me.”
They all complied, Chase’s heart rate increasing just a little. Every small event was now leading to the first tentative step onto The Island.
“Come on, a little closer so I don’t have to shout,” Glebe said, his patronising tone not going down too well with any of them. They all stepped closer, forming a semi-circle around him. Satisfied with their positioning, Glebe spoke, the insincerity of his friendliness easy to spot.
“Okay, as you can all see, we have a green screen set up here behind me. What I want to do is have each of you record little vignettes. For those of you who don’t know what that means, we want to shoot little interviews, promotional segments where you tell the people at home a little bit about yourselves and why you applied for the show.”
Chase switched from partly listening to giving his full attention. This was what he had been waiting for, to find out the motivations of the others. It seemed Glebe and Lomar didn’t want to make it so easy. “You will do this one at a time in privacy. These vignettes will not air until you are already on The Island, so any attempts to glean a little information on your fellow competitors will be fruitless. If you would please wait in the reception room until my assistant calls each of you in turn, we can begin.”
And so it went on. One by one, they went and stood in front of the green screen and told their stories about why they were there and why they thought they would win. When it was done, Glebe gathered them all back outside. The day was already hot, the sun unforgiving as it burned down on the concrete yard.
“Alright, if you would all gather your belongings, and report to the dock, we will be on our way.”
“We’re going now?” Perrie said.
“Of course.”
“So soon?”
It occurred to Chase that Perrie was at last starting to understand what was going on. For a while he had thought she was just a little bit shallow, but now he was starting to wonder if it wasn’t a touch of denial.
“What did you expect?” Glebe said, reaching new levels of pomposity. “That you could stay here and sun yourselves on Mr. Lomar’s island? No, the boat is waiting for you at the dock ready to take you to The Island. Remember that feeling of the beds you slept in last night. When you lay down this evening, it will be beyond the walls.”
Although it was obviously delivered in a dramatic fashion for the television cameras which were all over the property, Chase thought it had done a good job of raising the drama. Even Ryder seemed a little quieter. Chase could see Glebe in some kind of amateur dramatics society, maybe Shakespeare or Macbeth. He suppressed a smile.
“Take all of your belongings with you,” Glebe went on. “If you forget anything, or neglect to take it, you will have to survive without it. Once you have your belongings, please make your way down to the dock and board the boat. From there, you will be transported to The Island.”
People started to move and gather their things. Chase’s legs felt light as he moved around, that bi
tter fear taste he had first experienced in the Lomar building coming back. His stomach felt light, and danced as the terror and adrenaline mingled to make a potent combination. His bag had been packed since the end of the survival course on day one, but he still double checked the straps, wondering if he had missed anything, if anything had been forgotten which would put him at a bigger disadvantage than he already felt he was. He shrugged into his backpack, the weight of it reminding him just how unfit he was compared to Ryder particularly, who was wearing his pack and bouncing from foot to foot like a tennis player waiting to receive a serve. Glebe led them to the boat, the three-man camera crew filming them. They each wore small cameras on the shoulders of their shirts which filmed everything as they saw it. For Chase, the walk down the dock was when it really hit home. Gone was the luxury boat with the free bar and the sun deck. In its place, a rough workman-like vessel complete with armed guards who waited on deck, watching them approach. This boat wasn’t meant for them to relax on. It had an entirely functional purpose. There was no greeting, no warm welcome. It was now all business. One by one, they climbed on board. Perrie first, then Ryder, Moses and Ellie. Chase was fifth. As he approached, he wasn’t sure he would be able to go through with it. He envisioned himself standing there on the dock, unable to step over as the others looked at him like a pack of hungry wolves. However, there was no hesitation. He stepped over the side, boots landing on the old boards with a finality that reminded him he was too far gone to back out. The disappointment on the faces of the others was welcome, and as much as he hated himself for it, he joined them and watched, curious to see if Alex would go through with it. He was skinny, and looked positively ridiculous in his backpack, which seemed much too big for his slender frame. He was sweating, and Chase was sure they would be heading to The Island with five instead of six, but Alex too got on board, giving them all a cautious glance as he stood with them. Glebe stood on the dock, hands on hips, beaming his impossibly white grin. He waited for the cameras to get into position, one filming him, the other pointed at the six of them in the back of the boat.
“Alright, there you have it,” Glebe said, addressing the viewer’s rather than them. “Our first six contestants of the season one premiere of The Island are on board and ready to go. This is their last glimpse of the civilised world. Their next stop will be The Island and whatever secrets it holds.” He waited, grin firmly in place. One second. Two. Three. One of the cameramen gave him the thumbs up to say they were off the air, and then moved to new positions ready to get shots of the boat as it left the dock.
With the cameras focused elsewhere, Glebe was his usual pompous self. “It’s a twelve hour ride out to The Island. Fifteen if you hit bad weather,” he said, looking at them with contempt that was barely hidden. “Remember, only one of you can win, but that doesn’t mean one of you has to win. If you all fall to The Island, then so be it. Just because this is a television show, don’t make the mistake of thinking you will be protected. Once you reach The Island and go through the gates, you are on your own. Remember, one winner. Make the show good, make what might be your last hours memorable. Good luck.”
Chase thought that was the speech they should have aired. He may have come across as a pompous prick, but at least he seemed like a real person. Either way, Glebe didn’t stay to watch them leave. He made his way back up the dock, maybe to flit around the pool as the crews took down the cameras and returned Lomar’s home back to its previous state. The six of them watched as lines were cast off, and the boat put into gear. They moved away from the dock towards open water. All of them watched as their last glimpse of the civilised world melted away into the horizon, and then thoughts turned to their destination, all of them aware that as of that moment, the game was underway.
ARRIVAL
THE DISCOVERY
ATLANTIC OCEAN
MARCH 8th 2044
One thing became apparent as the discovery and its boat full of contestants made for The Island, and that was that twelve hours wasn’t as long as it seemed. It equated only to seven hundred and twenty minutes, or, broken down even further, just forty three thousand, two hundred seconds. Chase sat at the galley table, staring at his hands and wondering if everyone else could feel the relentless countdown as they neared what for all of one of them, would be their final destination as a living human being. The engines of the boat hummed as it powered them along. Chase half hoped for some kind of breakdown, something that might delay them just a little so he could fully come to terms with what was happening, but the old boat went on, driving them closer to their final destination.
His solitude was disturbed by Ryder, who sauntered into the kitchen, muscled arms swinging. He nodded at Chase, then went to the fridge and took out a carton of milk, drinking straight from it, and then putting it back. Rather than leave, Ryder sat opposite him across the table, cocky half smile on his lips.
“You don’t say much, do you?” Ryder said.
“I don’t really have much to say.”
“You think you can win?”
Chase looked at Ryder, trying to figure out if it was genuine curiosity or a sign that some people had already started to play the game. “Do you?” he replied.
“Oh, I’m going to win. It’s inevitable.” There was no arrogance in the statement. Just an unwavering self-belief in what he was saying.
“I wouldn’t say it was inevitable. The way I see it, you have a one in six chance.”
“Come on, you don’t believe that. I see it in your eyes.”
“You don’t know me,” Chase snapped, unsure why Ryder was getting so under his skin.
“No, but I know the type.” He was doing that thing with his fingers again, each one touching his thumb in turn. His grin reminded Chase of the one Lomar wore, knowing and confident.
“I didn’t realise I was a type.”
“No offence, pal,” Ryder said, standing and cracking his knuckles. “I’m sure you had good reasons for coming here. But I know for a fact, not one of you has thought about it and what you might have to do. I have. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. Not one of you means anything to me. I don’t say that to be a dick, it’s just a fact. When it comes to either me or you, I’ll back myself every time.”
Chase was still struggling to formulate some kind of an answer, when Moses ducked into the door. He had a look on his face that told Chase everything he needed to know before he had even opened his mouth.
“We’re almost there. You can see it from the deck.”
Chase felt his stomach tighten, contracting into a tight ball of heat before relaxing and filling him with a chill. He glanced at Ryder, who was still grinning. “Well, let’s go take a look, shall we?”
With that he was gone, following Moses upstairs to the boat deck. Chase sat there for a moment, trying to compose himself before he let the others see him, then he got up and followed the others upstairs.
TWO
At first it just looked like a smudge on the horizon. Only when they got closer did they see the true scale of The Island. The hilly terrain of lush greens was shrouded in a light mist beyond the immense concrete wall which ringed the entire island. All of them stared at it as the boat moved closer. Chase glanced at Alex, who was still wide eyed. His lips moved in silent prayer as he wringed his bony hands. Only Ryder was grinning, looking excitedly about the group. Nobody returned the gesture or shared his sentiment. The biggest reaction was from the armed guards who had accompanied them. As The Island loomed closer into view, they flicked off the safeties of their automatic weapons and stood ready. The two cameramen who had come with them were filming The Island, grinning as it loomed closer. Chase envied them. It was fine for them to grin. They were going back with the boat.
“Bigger than I thought.”
Chase turned. Alex was standing next to him, Adam’s apple bobbing in his skinny neck. It was the first time Chase recalled hearing his voice.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “A lot bigger.”
&n
bsp; Alex turned to him, those blue eyes unable to hide how afraid he was. “Do you ever feel like you made a mistake by coming here? I do.”
It was a valid question, and one that Chase had asked himself with increasing frequency as the day drew closer for them to start the game. If anyone else had asked, he would have acted with bravado if only to keep up appearances, but he felt nothing insincere in Alex’s questioning, and so decided to be honest.
“I thought about it, I mean, who wouldn’t? Underneath all the posturing and showing off, I think everyone here would rather be somewhere else.”
“Almost,” Alex said, the faintest smile appearing on his thin, pale face as he nodded towards Ryder. “He loves every second of it. Best to keep a close eye on him.”
Chase watched Ryder as he tried to talk to Perrie, chest out, muscles flexed as he pointed at The Island.
He turned back to Alex, surprised to find that he was looking right at him. “Why are you here?” Chase asked.
Alex shrugged. “Same as everyone else. Sometimes you have to do things just to try and make a difference.”
“What do you think is in there? Behind the walls?”
“I have my suspicions, but I don’t think it will help anyone for me to speculate on them. Besides which, it might be the one advantage I have.”
“Do you think you can win?” Chase asked, only because it felt like the right thing to do.
“Oh, I’m going to win. There is no doubt about that at all.”
Chase stared at him. For all of Ryder’s posturing and posing, for some reason Alex was much more convincing.
“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” Chase said.
“Oh I am. I’ll win, mark my words.” Once again, Chase couldn’t help but notice that there was more to Alex than he had initially thought, than he suspected any of them had thought. Behind the uncertainty and the fear, there was a certain determination, even if it was probably misguided. “You know what we might have to do in there don’t you, if we want to win?”