Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Return to the Lost Island ❯ where i found myself in deep sh... ( Chapter 1 )

RETURN TO THE LOST ISLAND

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Iridia Sunheart.

 

Notes: Just another writer's block. A little adventure of my feminine avatar in what I called survival mode. Inspired by Jules Verne, one video-game and various books about marooned characters trying to survive with their wits.

 

 

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Where I found myself in deep sh…

 

`I'm alive?'

 

That was the first thing that passed through my head as I stayed on the sand of an unknown beach.

 

I was flying in a commercial night-flight in the Pacific when suddenly the plane was experiencing some unknown problems during a sudden storm.

 

I rapidly went from happy-tourist-in-vacation to hysterical-little-girl-plunging-to-her-death. The pilot managed to crash relatively softly in the water. I thought most of the passengers evacuated to the emergency rafts when a sudden wave plucked me from my place.

 

I spent the night fighting for my life against the waters when a current pushed me almost drown on a sandy beach.

 

I stayed on this beach for the rest of the night in a state between consciousness and deep slumber. It was almost like a dream or more exactly a nightmare.

 

At first, it was the noise of the gulls flying over me that brought me back to the realm of coherent thinking. That and the shadow of a tall man looking over me.

 

That jolted me into a sitting position and…nothing. There was no one around me and the sand was virgin of any traces except my own.

 

Since I was awake I checked myself: Just some bruises and scratches from the crash and some residual tiredness from the swim. So far, so good. However, my current equipment was reduced to a black T-shirt, a pair of jeans, socks, tennis shoes, a certified-professional-diver watch and my still functioning cell phone.

 

I was overjoyed. Wherever I was, I could signal my position. There was even a GPS option build into this model and his waterproof and shockproof shell had been made for heavy-duty use.

 

Unfortunately dizziness seized me as I tried to stand up. I was hungry, very hungry and thirsty from my forced swim. I needed to eat something very quickly or I wouldn't be able to do anything except waiting to die from inanition.

 

My heart sank as I examined my cell phone. It was working perfectly but the energy cell was almost empty. I gulped. I knew by experience that I didn't have a sufficient charge to make a call, especially a satellite one since it received no signal from the standards networks.

 

It meant that I had to find a way to recharge it before using it. I almost laughed hysterically at that. Yeah right, recharging a cell phone using what you can find on the isle of Robinson Crusoe. Nice one Iridia.

 

I sighed and decided to explore the area to find something to eat and drink before trying to find if this was an inhabited area or not.

 

Hum… Apparently I was in a volcanic area. The configuration of the stones around me was this particular. I frowned as I looked to the horizon. There were beams of light, rendered tiny due to the distance, seemingly bursting from the ocean around the beach. As I looked around I could see those beams evenly spaced around my position. Where the hell I was?

 

I gingerly tested to see if I was in another dimension, but none of my powers granted as a Guardian of Dimensions were responding. I still had my innate sixth sense and my empty sub-space pocket, but that was all.

 

I smiled as I looked on my right: Already one problem solved. There was a waterfall of fresh water nearby. I cautiously tested it and was surprised by the purity of it. In our polluted world, it was not easy to find pure water sources.

 

With the waterfall, there was, of course, a cliff that looked promising with the many gull's nests.

 

I jumped back in fright when I reached the cliff. Someone, I saw someone looking at me from the aperture of a cave near the summit of the cliff. Strangely, he seemed to dissolve into nothingness as I hailed him. I only retained the impression of a bearded face and an intense stare.

 

I frowned as I looked at the cliff and the entrance of the cave. I needed to be a monkey to be able to scale this cliff.

 

Lady Luck finally smiled to me as one of the nests was accessible and I found one egg. Of course, I couldn't eat it raw, but it was a nice beginning. I smiled as I found another sign of civilization apart from the vision of the bearded man: A rusted but still sharp nail. I gingerly secured my first findings into my sub-space pocket.

 

Speaking of civilization: I found the rests of a raft stuck in the sand. There was a particularly interesting piece of wood still serviceable with a metal piece imbedded in it. Unfortunately I needed a hammer to salvage it. There were also algae in profusion. I frowned: there was something one could do with algae, but I couldn't remember it for now. Shrugging I took a good load of it and searched another area.

 

Near an arch of rock, I found a small pool of sea water from the last tide. I winced when I found only four oysters. I never really liked oysters, especially raw. In fact I needed a source of fire if I wanted to eat all my edible findings so far. There was also a fish trapped in the pool, but I couldn't catch it with my hands.

 

As I continued to walk along the beach I found a marine turtle finishing the ancestral custom to bury her eggs in the sand before regaining the ocean. I was too late to capture this big source of meat, but I could see two separate traces that indicated two turtle's nests.

 

I smiled when I found two eggs and… I blinked. Was it really a treasure chest buried in the sand with the eggs?

 

Yes, it was really a small wooden chest that I managed to open with my rusted nail. I found many silver ancient pieces and a damaged telescope. Using anew the rusted nail, I managed to salvage the intact lens.

 

I smiled: I found one of the many ways to make a fire. I could use the lens to focus the rays of the sun. I just need some combustible and coincidence, I just found nearby some dry lichen which would make an excellent primer for my future fire.

 

I gathered two more eggs of turtle from the second nest. The nest was near some palm tree, but I couldn't reach the tantalizing coconuts, unless I was a monkey or had some better equipment.

 

A sudden noise of something heavy falling on the ground caught my attention and I followed the noise. My sixth sense screamed to me to move and I barely dodged the falling coconut. Apparently, the fruits were ripe. Good for me, although I wouldn't like to test the solidity of my skull right now. Well I just needed to find a way to break through the solid shell to reach the white treasure inside.

 

Reaching the source of the noise, I found another green coconut and one that was partially dehydrated by the sun. I blinked as I also found the ripe corpse of a porcupine being eaten by some crabs.

 

Risking some heavy pinching, I captured two big crabs and decided to also take the carcass for a latter use. Perhaps as bait for a bigger creature. I also took the time to gather palm twigs to have a good supply of combustible.

 

Finding nothing more in the area, I returned near the point of my arrival to explore a way in the cliff that looked promising. It was then that I heard a strange noise.

 

The sound was like a generator reaching its maximum charge. I gasped as I suddenly found myself literally bathed into pure energy. Something was emitting a powerful pulse of energy somewhere nearby. I couldn't pinpoint the location because the pulse was so strong that it encompassed all my perception. In fact, it was strong enough to affect matter: I could sense the sand vibrating under my feet.

 

I blinked when I saw a small alcove in the cliff. That looked like… I walked to it and passed my hand on a black trace on the wall. Yes, it was soot produced by a fire. I smiled as I found the rest of a fireplace nicely protected from the wind and rain. Now I was sure that at least others like me had lived here.

 

I also found some of their own tools: There was a flint and a heavy and solid piece of sandstone rock that looked like it could be used as a crude hammer and a primitive sharpener. I immediately ran back to the ruin of the raft and used my new tool on the piece of wood. I salvaged a solid length of wood and a metal plate.

 

Working again with my pseudo-hammer and a flat rock, I transformed the metal piece into a crude but serviceable knife. I even strike it on my flint and was awarded by some nice sparks: I COULD MAKE FIRE!

 

I laughed and laughed. Finally, my dark situation was lighted by the spark of hope.

 

I continued to search nearby the alcove and the sandy pathway inside the cliff. I gathered some solid and sharp needles from a rugged plant. I also found some worms under a rock that would do nicely as bait for my future plan for the fish still blocked into the pool on the beach.

 

The most curious discovery was another metal plate of stainless steel with the inscription “Nautilus 1860”. I frowned at that. It did not compute with the rest of my discoveries so far. I shrugged: It was, perhaps, a memento from a previous visitor.

 

The sandy pathway gave place to some crude, but visibly man-made stairs in the rocks of the cliff and leading to the interior of the island. I stopped at that thought. Why was I convinced that I was on an island and not on the coast of a continent? I frowned. Probably because there was a profusion of islands in the pacific and that the nearby continents were out of reach.

 

My frown transformed into confusion as I noted some strange rusted devices implanted into the walls of the stairway. I prudently examined them, but there were non-functional and I couldn't determine their functions. The best I could guess was that they reminded me of an alarm system.

 

I reached the exit, but sighed as I saw the numerous fallen tree trunks blocking it. I could displace them, but I was too feeble right now. I needed to eat before doing that. However I found a solid forked staff and some amadou, generally used in lighters. I also found and cut some lianas for a future use.

 

As I went back to the alcove, I remarked another plant in the wall of the cliff. It was too high for my height, but I fixed my knife on my staff to reach it and salvaged some curved and sharp needles from it. I smiled: My fish-pole was ready to be build.

 

At least that what I thought before losing no more than four worms before I managed to catch that damn fish. Here was someone that I will like to eat. Triumphant I went back to the alcove and prepared for the next experiments.

 

First I build a fire and managed to start it using my crude lighter. I smiled. It was as if I was returned to the time when Man was beginning to learn about his environment and when fire was the most precious of all treasures. I laughed as I thought of those who thought only about money. Having a full belly: Here was something truly important.

 

I improvised a feast. I ate the pesky fish first. Ah! Ah! Who was at the height of the food pyramid now? Then I took another small revenge against my crabs for their nasty pinching. I used the heat of the fire to open the oysters: It was neater than using my crude knife. I didn't want to cut myself doing it, thank you.

 

Let me also tell you that eating turtle eggs was a delicacy. I finished my feast by using my knife to break open the coconuts. First time that I drunk their milk: Not bad. Of course, the tender white flesh of the fruit was perfect for dessert. I manage even to salvaged and braided the fibres from the shell of the coconut into a crude rope. It was always good to have another rope. I also skinned-off the porcupine to salvage its sharp and more solid needles.

 

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