|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:38 pm
(0%)
Alcyone had decided to wander after the first initial shock of her arrival. Being thrown overboard wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world. It had put her in a foul mood that ultimately resulted her imagining entertaining ends for the captain of that ship.
A few days had passed since that wet arrival and the shock of what the island's true purpose was hadn't faded as of yet. Still, she couldn't help but be curious. Was it all real or another fanciful dream her mind worked up during the night? Would she find any prehistoric animals... Her face brightened at that thought. The lure that had brought her here would at least be partially true then.
Her injection mark itched crazily as she settled in the shade of a nearby tree that grew atop the cliff. Before her was a remarkable view, unique even in her experience, but it's hidden depths cast a shadow she couldn't shake off. Lost in thought, she began to wonder how things would turn out.
For the time being, anyway, she could imagine was all just another one of her fantacies. She feared that eventual pinch that had the potential to bring her world down around her ears.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:18 pm
(25%)
The cliffs were a nice place to get away, to see the island, to forget about the cares of the world with just the sky above you and the ground below. And thats probably why the ex-pilot, Alexander, had trekked up there earlier on, a bit higher up than Alcyone had, sitting on one of the rocky outcroppings where he could stare up at the sky, his jacket as his pillow.
He ran his three fingered hand through his hair, although by now, parts of the hair had started to sprout small feathers. He sighed softly as he slowly sat up from his perch, and adjusted his mirrored shades that sat on his face. Slowly he rose, picking up the leather coat that had been his rest, and moved to head back down from his spot.
It didn't take him long through, to spot the visitor who had taken up a spot under a shady tree nearby and under his rocky perch. He wasn't expecting visitors, but he wasn't about to ignore someone either, so he carefully made his way over to the tree, and looked to the her. "Hey", he said, waving his three fingered hand to her. Maybe it wasn't three fingers per say, as much as the outer three just seemed to be merging together.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 12:19 am
Alcyone visibly jumped. She had thought she was alone. With a self-conscious smile she ran a hand through her hair as she looked back over her shoulder.
"Sorry! I didn't anyone would be up here! It seemed so peaceful..." She trailed off as she caught sight of yet another changed Islander. Was anyone around here normal? She hoped she caught the frown that had threatened to taint her smile. "I haven't met you before." She quickly got to her feet in one smooth motion, the results of countless days spent perched among rocky outcroppings or oddly shaped holes. Balance was the key. "Sorry, I was daydreaming. Kind of wondering where fate would carry me now. The name's Alcyone but you can call me Ally if you want. I don't really have any other good nicknames."
She stopped, realizing she was rambling as she usually did around people she didn't know. Grinning uncomfortably, she fell silent, hoping she hadn't just scared this man off. Then it struck her. She'd been here less than two weeks and she was already used to the altered appearances of those around her.
She studied the man's appearance and realized he seemed to be turning into something feathered. A bird most likely.... unless the Labs had decided a velociraptor would make a good injection; or maybe even an archaeopteryx? Current theories had slated many dinosaurs as feathery and the possibilities just kept growing. Her imagination took off on her and she broke eye contact, looking down at the ground, suddenly shy. "I don't suppose you know what you're becoming? You see, I'm a paleontologist and if Feral Labs has managed to recover dinosaur DNA and splice it into something else... well the Paleontological world would be falling over itself to see the specimens..." Her eyes grew wide. Had she just said that? She felt horrible, talking about these people like they were lab rats.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that. It's just that it's difficult to guess colouration, diet, and all that based in fossilized bones and poop." She grew self-conscious once again, "I guess I've spent too much time digging holes..." She sat down again, fully expecting some kind of rant or sarcastic remark. And believing she fully deserved it. Alcyone bit her lower lip, she was usually more polite and considerate than that. The Island certain worked its magic quickly. A bitter laugh escaped her throat. "Not that it'd matter anyways..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 4:32 am
To say Alex was a bit taken back by Alcyone's talking of dinosaurs and DNA and stuff about fossils, would be to put it lightly. He did chuckle a bit though, as he steadied himself though on the sloped of the cliff. "Right.. Is that always how you introduce yourself, or just to folks like me?" He held out one of his altered hands, even as the other held his leather coat. "Name's Alexander Barrett. I was a cargo pilot before I got hired to come here. Its nice to meet you miss."
"And to answer the question, no, I have no clue what I'm becoming. Trust me, knowing that I'm probably becoming sort of bird is more than enough info for my tastes." He then moved his feet a bit, steadying himself a bit more as a few loose rocks slipped under his foot.
"I guess you being a paleontologist explains why you decided to yack about all that stuff about dinosaurs and fossils." He smiled a bit, and turned his attention to the island, "What brings you all the way up here anyways?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:11 pm
She sighed, thankful he hadn't gotten angry like she had expected. Smiling, she rose and gripped his hand, shaking it with no hesitation. "Ah, well, I can be a little... off around people I'm familiar with." She chuckled, "Nice to meet you. Hope I didn't scare you."
"Hired? A wild goose chase brought me here. Thought I'd find an undiscovered bone bed and finally make it big." She shrugged, dismissing the folly that had brought her here. "Er, I did talk a lot didn't I? Sorry..." She smiled apologetically, "It's my field of specialty and well, I'm a little passionate about it."
She turned around to look out over the majesty of the island. Beautiful and deceptively serene, she could almost imagine she was on a vacation at some luxurios beach resort. "The view. I find heights help me clear my head. It's beautful, isn't it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:28 pm
He shook her hand a bit. It was nice to see that she wasn't afraid ot what was happening to him, because it did scare him a bit when he thought about it. Thats probably why he was up there, to not think so much about it. "Its quite alright. And no you didn't. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be all the way up here. Usually folks stay closer to the rivers and beaches."
"And no, you didn't talk too much, I guess. I've had customers who would just ramble on and on. Its not really that unexpected really. Not suprising that you got tricked coming here though. Happens to quite a few it seems." He moved over to stand beside the tree, resting his feet on some solid rocks, as to not slip.
"Its really nice up here. Real quiet. And yeah, I'm the same way. Then again, this really isn't that high for me. Used to love cruising along at 20 thousand feet, just me and my baby. Ah, those were some great times. Just look out the window and see nothing but the skies and sea..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:01 pm
She laughed, "That's a little high for me. I'm usually the one looking for the center seat when I have to fly somehwere." She scuffed her feet, "As long as there's good solid ground beneath me feet, I'm perfectly good - gotta see the sky though, I hate caves."
She grimaced, eyes flashing residual anger, "Don't get me started about the sea. There's a certain Oil Tanker Captain I'd like to hang up by his toes and use as a pinata." The anger faded quickly enough though, she had no reason to be angry with this man. "At least you'll be able to experience flight... differently by the end of it. If it's not too rude of me to say it. There has to be some good that comes of this place, right?" Her smile returned, though it was less enthusiastic then before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:14 pm
He shrugged a bit. "Eh, it used to be where I'd do a lot of my flying, before I came here anyways. Its real nice at about that high. You can see for whats like forever, and its quiet, except for the roar of the engines and the rush of air, but hey, its quiet otherwise."
"Sorry, didn't mean to get you steamed about whatever got you here... and from the sounds of it, it sounds rather interesting." He chuckled a bit and moved to sit down, since it seemed he wasn't in any rush to head back down towards the village. He looked up at her and then back down at his hand. "Flying... eh, this isn't exactly what I thought I'd be getting when they asked me to 'fly for the company'. And I guess its good... in some fashion, although I doubt I'm gunna be flying many airplanes once I have 'earned my wings'."
Yeah, the fact he sort of sighed the last comment made him probably seem less than thrilled at the idea that he was going to be some sort of bird at some point, if he wanted to or not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:01 pm
"I suppose it's better when you're alone. I've always had that annoying two year old who won't stop screaming or the inconsiderate buffoon who cranks his chair back so far you can't move. No problems like that with your own plane, though eh?" She waved her had across the sky, "Complete freedom."
She nodded as she dropped to the ground beside him, "At least you know what you're in for now. And it's not like you're turning into some kind of hideous monster. And your soul will always be you even if the body's no longer there...." She pushed a couple pebbles around with her fingers, "I don't even have the slightest clue about their decision for me. Kind of scary actually, I don't want to end up a blob of jelly or a cockroach... or anything like that." She shuddered, imagining walking around with the body of a cockroach and a human head. It was horrible and amusing at the same time.
Clapping her hands together, she dry-washed them and asked, "So a week really hasn't shown me much beyond the village and this cliff. Any advice? Good places to go, or avoid, as the case may be. Maybe where a library is, if there even is one." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. Experience had taught her drowning in depression definitely wasn't the way to acheive a productive life, however altered that was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:35 am
He chuckled. "No problems with my own plane?" He laughed even harder, threatening to slide off his stable sitting spot and potentially slide himself partway down the cliff. Needless to say, it seems to find the thought most hilarious. "Are you kidding me? That PBY was always needing work done on it. Bad fuel lines. Needing new props. Salt water corrosion. I had to gut most of the plane when I first got it." After a bit, he contains his laughs down to a soft chuckle. "They were some of the best days of my life. I actually went to school to be an aircraft mechanic before I got myself my own business. Probably a better mechanic than a pilot, actually."
Alex picked up a few of the rocks with his hands, rolling them around some on his palm. "I'm not sure about my soul or not turning into a hideous monster. I mean, its probably better to be a bird than some of the others around, but everyone's got their own problems in the end. What happens happens." He dropped the rocks, letting them roll down the hill, before looking back over.
"As for a library, the closest I think we have to something like that would be the Entertainment center. I know there was a ton of books in there on different animals. If that isn't what you're looking for though, you could always request stuff from the lab." Alex closed his eyes behind his mirrored shades and sighed, enjoying the quiet of the area for a bit, before turning his attention back to the discussion. "Beyond that, the beaches are nice. So is the river, and the lake", he said, pointing them out with his hand.
"Other than that, I'd stay out of the jungle. Not unless you want to get lost that is. Past that, eh, I'm sure you'll find someplace around here to check out. Heck, I think I've only seen maybe 25 percent of the island so far. Sure others could suggest places for you though..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:08 pm
She looked at Alex as her burst into laughter. Was it really that funny? Puzzled, she watched him and couldn't help but grin as well. She knew what he meant though. The equpiment in her lab was continually if need of repairs but she wouldn't give them up for anything else. "A mechanic, eh? Working with your hands is always a fulfilling thing, at least to me."
She nodded, agreeing to his statement. What happens happens. It had held true throughout her life and doubted it would suddenly change now.
"Entertainment center as in TVs and all that?" She laughed, "I haven't watched TV in over a year. Kind of hard to get any reception in the middle of nowhere. Radio and newspapers, though, I've kept up to date on." It was odd, to realize she'd been trapped more or less in the middle of nowhere with most of the convienances of everyday life. She wondered how things had changed.
She followed his line of sight, and nodded, commiting their locations to memory. She couldn't navigate in a city but she could hold her own in the wilderness. "Thanks, I'll keep them in mind. Wow, only a quarter of it? Must be bigger then I thought." She chuckled, "Leaves room for exploration at least."
Alcyone watched the stones stirred up their movements bounce away, "So are there any interest groups around? Or maybe even some kind of sports league? I've always enjoyed Ultimate. Have you heard of it?" She shrugged, she might as well get involved and make the best of her new home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 8:08 pm
He nodded a bit and smiled. "Yeah, I was a mechanic before a pilot. It seemed like an easier route to getting to fly planes, or at least be around them." He tilted his head, listening to her some, then nodded. "Yeah, they've got this large center to keep folks entertained. TV, movies, games, this and that, lots of books. You can at least catch up with some reading there, if you really do want to read though. Like I said, most of them seem geared towards animal information though."
He looked the area over, then looked back to Alcyone, smirking. "I think they said it was something like 16 square miles of prime undiscovered island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. I figure even seeing 4 square miles of this place isn't that bad. Most of its jungle anyways. Or it would seem like it."
The pilot tilted his attention back up towards the sky, although he did blink at the idea of an 'interest group'. "Huh? No. I can't say I know much about it. As many islanders as there are around here, I don't think some of them would do well with sports. I heard there's this snake guy here, that used to be some sort of big soccer person. Now he's got more tail than leg, and I hear he's a bit messed up in the head though. At least... thats what I've heard."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:10 pm
She nodded, suddenly embarassed, "Sorry it hadn't occurred to me. I figured there could be, well you know, activities geared towards everybody's ablities. Even if it's just something like swimming or flying kites, a little activity helps a person from going stir-crazy." She paused, listening to Alex's comments, "Do many people go crazy?"
The last thing Alcyone wanted was to be admitted so some kind of asylum. She shook her head, shooing the images that had crowded together depicting something like the Lord of the Flies. She slung the pack she'd been carrying down onto the ground and pulled out a small hammer-like object. It flashed in the sun as she picked up a good-sized rock and set it down so it was quite stable. With a sudden thwack, she struck the rock and watched as it fractured down the middle; a second impact split the two halves revealing a decently sized Geod. A pleased sound came from her as she handed half the stone containing thick purple crystals that glittered in the afternoon light to Alex.
"And that is what I'll be out keeping busy with." She smiled, "There's more beauty in the ground then you'd think. You only need to look... I just hope there's a good-sized bone bed around. I might as well get a collection going, I doubt I'll be able to get access to my lab equipment back home." She tilted the Geod back and forth, admiring the crystals. "They make amethysts from these little guys you know. That's why they're so expensive in the stores."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:29 am
"Don't ask me about how many folks go crazy here. I mean, it would make sense if a few folks did. Considering what they're doing to our bodies, its not that suprising. Might even be a case where instincts might make someone act crazy. Or who knows what?" He sighed softly. "I bet the lab tachs know, but I doubt they're gunna tell folks anything really useful."
Maybe the stories of crazy folks were just that, stories. But on the island, people changed into animals like something out Greek mythology were anything but stories. The thoughts didn't help ease Alex's mind as he watched Alcyone break a rock in two with her hammer, then have her hand him half of the shiny geod.
"Heh. Never would have expected something like this to be here. Very nice though." He looked the crystals over a bit, then moved to offer the half of the geod back to her. "Not sure about any bones around here, unless they're fish or something. Then again, I'm not much on geology. Good luck keeping busy though. Having something to do around here always seems like a goal around here." He wondered if part of the reason folks tried to stay busy was to not think about what was happening to them, or was going to happen. He knew thats why he tried to keep himself occupied.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:47 am
Alcyone smiled, "I guess you're right. And don't worry about it, not many people are interested in rocks. To tell the truth, I'm not either but it's kind of hard to find things in them if your don't know what to look for." She took the geod and pried a few of the bigger pieces out then dropped it back on the ground. Maybe she could make something with it later.
Putting the hammer back into her pack, she sighed heavily. Tears welled up in her eyes but she fought them down. Everytime she paused, thoughts of home inundated her and she couldn't help but keep a little flicker of hope alive that she might see everyone again.
She looked up at the sky once more, watched the puffy clouds go by, and was suddenly struck with inspiration. Maybe they could send a message in a bottle. She chuckled, realizing that was a ridiculous idea that worked only in fairy tails. Strecthing her legs, Alcyone yawned and turned her face to the sun. It felt warm and envigorating on her skin, almost as if it was embracing her.
"Feel like a hike of somesort? I've got tons of energy for some reason and I'm itching to get moving." She looked over at Alex, waiting for his answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
