The Island

[Messalina]

Messalina

Messalina stuck around long enough to see the latest arrival enter the cave, but didn't have the heart to follow. There was something about him that just made her uncomfortable, but she knew enough to realize that everyone dealt with trauma in different ways. Angie had hurried to prepare food and Messa could still hear Julie's sobs, though Trowbridge had soothed her somewhat... the others were either speaking quietly or still mulling over what they had been told. And there was the pilot... He couldn't have gone far.

Walking the perimeter of the clearing, she noticed footprints in the rain-sodden soil and followed them. It didn't take long. She used the sound of his voice, low and heavy-hearted as he chastised himself as a guide.

Not wanting to encroach on his privacy with useless words, nor wanting to embarrass him with her presence, Messalina silently sat beside him, her arm barely touching his. Sometimes, she knew, just having someone near to share the pain helped greatly.

 

[Steiner]

Robert almost flinched as the squelching footsteps rounded the rock he was resting behind. Her face was pretty grim too, and he wondered if he was going to be taken to task again - he was ready for it, he realised, almost looking forward to someone asking the questions he'd asked himself a hundred times an hour since the crash.

To his surprise she didn't speak a word, just sank down next to him, her arm barely brushing his, but the warmth and... ...presence... of her like an electric field that covered him. Badly needing the company and so grateful for her perfect silence - a mute acceptance of him that made tears stand out in the corners of his eyes, he let his shoulder press against hers, leaning towards her and just sitting in a silence that now seemed companionable rather than opressive to him.

 

[Butch]

Kwame Uhuru

The man who'd been brought in was apparentley still alive and Kwame couldn't help but to heed the call.
"I guess you could say I'm a doctor" his deep baritone anounced "At least that's what I was called after med school!"
He instinctively disliked the man, whom he thought was called Sean, who'd brought in the injured. He seemed overly agressive.
"Now, I'm not handing out any promises. All I can do here is improvise, seeing that I don't have my gear. I'm gonna need some space to work and someone to assist me. Is this okay with everyone?"

 

[Maid of Marvels]

In the Village of Kapa'a-he'o

Leilani

"At the upcoming feast we will celebrate her life as much as we will offer thanks to Lono for our abundant crops. I am sure she would have wanted us to celebrate the wonderful ways in which she touched our lives at such a joyous time rather than weep for her."

All twittering and whispering stopped and Leilani stifled the gasp that rose unbidden to her lips when the Ali'i placed his hand on her shoulder as he spoke. It wasn't kapu, but a way of "claiming" a woman, though Leilani doubted Kawaihae's intent was such. As a rule, he tended to invite the more mature women of Kapa'a-he'o to his hut.

Leilani, like her friend Makani, had long since seen her first moon flow, though she had been rather successful in fending off the advances of the men in her village, sometimes inviting naughty teasing from other women who were certain that she was not interested in mating -- at least not with a man.

Nothing was further from the truth. Not only did Leilani like men, she liked a particular man, though it seemed, until now at least, he had never paid her a moment's notice. Not in that way. But such was her lot.

Leilani felt a flush creep over her as she looked up into Kawaihae's penetrating gaze and nodded, grateful for his concern. "Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua... Thank you for celebrating with us." she replied, quickly averting her eyes.

 

[Vikingstone]

reggie

Reggie stood wearily as he saw Messalina go off to search for the once again distraught Captain. The poor man was visibly shaken by Julie's momentary loss of control and Reggie was glad Messalina was the one who took the initiative. She had a light touch and Reggie was confident she'd handle the situation with sentive aplomb.

Julie had evidently spent the last of her adrenaline reserves on her outburst and seemed to have calmed considerably. Reggie had assured her that everyone in the cave including himself and especially Captain Robert, felt exactly as she did. They had been, somehow, removed from reality. NONE of this made a pittance of sense. They all were hovering in some sort of blasted limbo with nothing to give them even a shred of hope for an early resolution to their predicament. Despair warmed itself by the fire with them and they would need every sliver of fortitude they possessed to keep it from scattering them to their ultimate doom.

"I guess you could say I'm a doctor" his deep baritone anounced "At least that's what I was called after med school!"

Bloody hell, a ray of light in this interminable series of disasters. The angry looking businessman was actually a physician! And the surfer spoke with authority as to the condition of his human cargo as well. Reggie sighed deeply, knowing that the seriously injured might be given a chance. A snowballs' in hell perhaps, but it was something. His training was limited to first aid...stop bleeding, bind broken bones, administer morphine, call for evac...these men knew what to do after.

"Brilliant, my lads," Reggie exclaimed with all the good cheer he could muster, "apply thy craft, physicians and know that we know the limitations that you must contend with."

Reggie hoped his last comment would reassure Kwame and the exhausted lad that their efforts would not be judged harshly should any of those seriously injured pass on while in their constrained care.

Reggie stumbled back over to where the lovely Julie slumped dejectedly. He placed his hand on her shoulder and was greeted with a troublingly empty stare.

"Oh hell, she's exhausted, she needs sleep, we all do," Reggie thought as he clumped to the floor of the cave and leaned back against the wall. He gathered Julie in a fatherly embrace and within moments he could here her breathing even out as she dozed against his shoulder. How utterly spent she must be to be able to sleep when her arm so obviously agonized her. An ugly contusion was already surfacing, from her shoulder to mid-forearm. She must have been violently dashed against the wall of the cabin.

Reggie called quietly to the pulchritudinous blue-eyes-in-boots whom he now knew as Kit, "I'm terribly sorry, Ms Kit, could you toss one or two more of those dried chunks onto the fire, I'm a bit encumbered at the moment?"

Kit smiled and nodded, snuck some more fuel underneath the pot and grabbed several from the wet pile and placed them strategically to dry. Reggie smiled and winked sleepily at her concientious efforts. The woman was well aware that the fire was of paramount importance to them all at the moment.

Reggie registered that Kit had moved around the fire to speak to him but he found himself unable to make sense of her words. He struggled to hear what she was saying but fatigue overwhelmed him at last and he passed into nothingness, her sparkling blue eyes filling his sight as his eyes closed.

Reggies head lolled to the side, away from Julies', and he fell hard into a dreamless sleep.

 

[Lady_Kit]

Kit Duvall

Sleep well, good Sir Knight.

Kit patted Reggie on the knee and hoped that his sleep would be undisturbed by dreams of the days events. She doubted that rest would come easily to her, but saw that several of the other passengers followed Reggies example.

They didn’t have much to work with, and Kit held out little hope that the doctor, Kwame, would be able to do much more than assess the wounded. She wasn’t even sure they could find some space for him to work in; it would be primitive medicine at best. Aside from Reggies assurance that everyone understood the limitations placed on the physician there was no response to offer of help. No one moved to assist him either, she wasn’t sure if apathy or exhaustion kept the others quiet, maybe it was a bit of both.

The recent arrival, the “surf lifesaver” looked completely done in from carrying his burden to the cave. He leaned back against the rough wall, and she thought he might have already started on the nap he wanted. He’d done enough for the moment; she wished she could do something to make him more comfortable after his labors.

Another minute passed, still no one answered the doctors’ request for help. Oh, well, she wasn’t planning to sleep anyway.

Doctor, I’ll lend a hand, for whatever its worth.

Kwame looked in her direction, Kit wasn’t sure what she saw in his gaze, but he gave a curt nod and moved toward one of the still forms lying near the fire.

Angie moved around the cave, offering water and whatever comfort could be had under such conditions. God alone knew how she’d been caught up in their disaster, but Kit was glad she was here. Right now they needed all the help they could get.

Jacques quietly announced that he’d see what could be done about additional firewood. Kit gave him a grateful look.

Be careful, Jacques. It must be getting late in the day, and we don’t need anyone getting lost or hurt in the dark.

He grinned back at her, looking somehow boyish and devilishly sexy at the same time.

“Not to worry. I’ve got eyes like a cat.”

She watched him leave and moved to help the doctor with the wounded. She had no idea of the time, her watch was lost was long gone, but the dim light from the cave opening suggested that the day was nearly at an end. She was pretty sure it was going to be a long night.

 

[Snow-Guy]

Sean

"Surf Livesaver" is Australian / New Zealand speak for beach lifeguard. More or less. Sean couldn't be bothered explaining exactly what it was.

Sean chuckled to himself at the big black man's self-importance, and remembered one of his favourite jokes - what do you call a doctor who graduates last in his class? Doctor. If anybody cared he'd explain later. Hell, he'd probably tell the joke tomorrow, just to pop mister "medical school" 's ego.

"Well, 'doctor', " Sean sounded very tired but he still managed to make the title vaguely insulting "let me know if you want my help. I haven't been to 'medical school' and I'm not going to kiss your arse, but I can still do the basics right."

 

[Butch]

Kwame Uhuru

That damned punk of a surfer was the exact reason why Kwame had become the loner that he was. He was loud mouthed, ill-mannered and was so damned self righteous that he could puke. In other words; an asshole. He was clearly picking a fight but Kwame decided to be the bigger man. There would be other times for fighting.
"Thanks for the offer..." he said, doing his best to disguise his underlying disgust for the man "...but you look pretty beat. This doesn't look like anything I won't be able to handle. I'm just gonna need someone to boil me some water for the wounds. Go ahead and rest, if I'm in dire need of a trained assistant I'll wake you."
The girl called Kit prooved much helpful and didn't get in his way.
Although he had finished second in his class (it was the A- in math that sunk him down) he hadn't practiced in a few years and now he had to proove to himself and everyone else that he was up to the task.

 

[Snow-Guy]

Sean

"Good. I'm pretty sure I've got a hell of a concussion, so if you could arrange for someone to wake me up every hour or so, and make sure I'm still a coherent arsehole, instead of an incoherent one, that would be much appreciated."

With that Sean lay down, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

 

[Cordae]

Julie Malone

Julie woke up disoriented, scared and screaming in pain. She found herself resting in the arms of the British man, Reggie was it? Grabbing her dead arm, she doubled over, tears dripping from her nose onto the wet rock of the cave floor. The pain was hot and it seared all the way from her fingertips up to her neck.

When she finally got a grip on the pain, she wiped the tears from her eyes with her good arm and looked up at the man holding her. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I woke you, didn't I? I had a dream that I was at home, and I never took this trip, but then it was like I was watching a movie of my life at home, and a hole burned through the film, and all I could see were the faces of my friends. I must have jerked my arm. It really hurts! Do you still have that bag of booze? I could use some of that about now."

Reggie fished a bottle from his bag and handed it to Julie. As she quietly guzzled the spicy liquid, she thought of her outburst at the captain.

"Ohhh... God. Where's the captain? I yelled at him, didn't I? I have to apologize! I'm so stupid. It's not his fault we're here, and I acted like it was." Julie took another long swig from the bottle before attempting to stand. She made it half way up before the pain in her arm forced her back down.

"Maybe I'll wait until this stuff kicks in." She smiled weakly up at Reggie.

 

[Messalina]

Messalina

Disoriented, it took Messalina a few moments to adjust her eyes in the darkness when the sound of someone screaming woke her with a start, but when she heard it a second time, she realized that it was only a bird of some sort and started to giggle. It wasn't until Garrett shifted beside her that it all came rushing back like a tidal wave that she struggled ineffectively to hold at bay.

Even so, she kept giggling; nervous laughter that eventually evolved into something else altogether -- a deep, smoky chuckle that started at her toes and tickled its way out. Before long, Garrett had joined her, unable to resist the sheer joy of its resonance. Laughing together until their sides ached and tears ran from their eyes, it somehow lifted the enormous burden from their hearts.

"We're alive, Garrett," she finally managed. "And we're gonna make it, dammit."

Messalina sought his eyes and nodded with conviction. "Tonight we rest and tomorrow... tomorrow we see what we can salvage. Two more came up from the beach earlier. Men," she added as an afterthought. "We'll figure out who's good at what and divvy up assignments. Me? I'm an archaeologist, but I think I know some of the plants I saw and Angie seems pretty resourceful that way, too."

Standing, she offered her hand, wrapping her arms around him when he rose -- taking as much comfort and reassurance for herself as she offered to him.

 

[Steiner]

Robert was caught as aback by the hug as he had been by Julie's blow, but whilst he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, he managed to contain his emotions this time. Feeling her hugging him tightly, he sagged into the embrace himself, letting her feel how much this contact meant to him, his eyes closing as he savoured the closeness of a human being, his cheek settling to the top of her head in reflex.

He felt his breathing slow, and something like an elastic band easing inside him, the stress slowly ticking down, bleeding off him in waves as his breathing deepened and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Thank you" he mouthed silently into her hair.

 

[Vikingstone]

Reggie

Well, the girl seemed to be an experienced imbiber. The whiskey brought a bit of color back to Julies' cheeks but she was still in no condition to wander off in search of the Captain to apologize. Reggie assured her that the Captain was a big boy and would take their present dilemma into consideration when judging her critiques fairness.

"As I said earlier, Robert feels the same way you do, the way we all feel," Reggie spoke quietly to the girl, misdirecting her from her pain. "So, stiff upper lip as it were...you stay here and rest a bit longer, help Ms Kit maintain the fire and I'm going to see what's become of the Lady Messalina and our intrepid captain."

Reggie rose unsteadily, crouching to avoid knocking himself unconcious. A pull off the bottle had warmed him as well as bestowing that lovely familiar feeling...at least his booze still existed in whatever alternate universe they'd been lucky enough to discover. Bloody hell.

Reggie search ends as quickly as he began it when he meets Robert and Messalina at the mouth of the cave. Both seem to be in much better spirits and Reggie was pleased to see it so. The mood in the cave was damned dark and a bit of uplift, as shallow as it might be, would be helpful.

"Glad tidings indeed to see the two of you smiling through your pain, or have you both slipped to the land of happy and are ready for a long stay at Bedlam?" Reggie enquired with head waiter elegance.

"No, we just decided that having an hysterical laughing fit would be better than freaking and screaming," Messalina said with brassy sarcasm and a punch in the arm for Reggie.

"A sound course of action, you are both to be commended, Victoria Crosses for everybody," Reggie announced boldly to the trees and rocks around them.

"And who's ready for Bedlam?" Robert snickered.

Messalina also laughed quietly at Reggie's performance. She knew he was trying to keep his own spirits up with his personal method of hysteria avoidance.

"But enough of this folderol my compatriots, I was attempting some thought while you two decompressed and I think you'll both agree that someone needs to have a look around and find out which way to go so we don't have to be here any more...as it were." Reggie looked a bit confused for a moment then continued, "I believe I'm the suitable choice as I've had about an hours sleep and can function on alcohol for a few more hours. Robert, soon you're going to come apart entirely and that can't be allowed to occur, these people will be in sore need of your fortitude so I really must insist that you try to rest, even for just an hour or two."

Reggie then moved to the last point in his address without waiting for any sort of acknowlegment, "And I believe I'll ask the lovely Dr. here to accompany me, she knows dirt and such and will be able to glean information from things I would miss entirely. Plus I've been simply dying to get her alone," Reggie winked lasciviously causing Messalina to again swat him on the shoulder.

 

[papillon24]

Anige finished making her rounds with the coconut liquid and made her way back to the fire. She watched through the dancing flames as people around her began to fall asleep. It was all she could do not to break down and cry.

With a quick movement she breathed in her tears and set back on her task. She filled each of the coconut halves with a bit of rice making sure to scrape a bit of the coconut meat in with it. She looked at the portion. It wasn't much, but it would give a bit of nourihment and comfort. Besides, it is a good amount for having to gather and cook in the dark. In th morning she would fins others to help her gahers taro and other sustanance to help the rice last longer.

Angie made her way around the cave handing out the bowls to everyone except for Butch. She left his by the fire for him to get when he was finished with his patient.

She took a bowl over to Julie hoping to check on her and her arm. she handed the bowl to her ." Here I hope this helps. I'm not much of a cook."

Next she made her way out of the cave to find the captian and Messalina carrying three bowls. It had a been a while since she had heard them in the cave. She found him and Messalina out in the open air.

"I thought I would come and find you. Everyone else has a little now. Here capt'" She handed him one. "And here you go," handing the other to Messalina.

"It's not much but we will go and find some more tomorrow. i thought I saw some taro in a flooded area on my way back."

 

[Steiner]

Robert would have protested, but he felt like he had to make sleep up on a previous life, never mind this one. He reluctantly acquiesed to Reggie's logic and found himself feeling pretty human for the first time in what seemed like a million years.

He was just about to head inside when Angie arrived with a bowl of something hot, and his stomach made a noise like a petulant house cat. Laughing he took the bowl from her and began scooping rice and coconut into his mouth with his fingers, the heat stinging them. He could see the strain on Angie's face, and broke off his eating long enough to thank her effusively. What Reggie had said about him, applied to her too - and they would need her resourcefulness too in the coming days. He gently took her elbow and turned her back towards the cave.

"Somebody made an excellent suggestion about getting some sleep, Angie. You look as done in as I am - care to join me?"

 

[Messalina]

Messalina

Messalina accepted the coconut shell of rice gratefully and was pleased to see that Garrett had as well. They'd all need their strength over the next little while. "Make sure you eat that," she said pointedly, giving his arm a squeeze. "And then sleep. Morning comes fast enough... " Turning back to the Brit, she commented drily, "You know, if we had two shells we could go on horseback."

"Hop on, M'Lady! I'd be more than pleased to give you a ride," he replied like a proper Casanova, wiggling eyebrows and all.

"You're such a pig, Trowbridge," Messa retorted as she watched Garrett and Angie go into the cave. Suddenly remembering her pack, she stuffed the bowl of rice into his hands which were in the mid-flourish of an exaggerated bow. "Be right back!"

It didn't take her long to slip the straps over her shoulders and return. There were some things in it that she thought might come in handy.

"Blimey! It certainly took you long enough!" he whined. "I said I was picking you up exactly at... mumble... and now we're going to be late for the ball." He looked pointedly at his watch.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied looking around the clearing. "I had to get all dolled up for this bash, dontcha know. I guess your car's in the garage again?"

"Regretfully so, dear lady. And all the cab's are in use as well. The best I can offer is shank's mare."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Taking back the coconut, she stuck her free hand through his proffered arm and winked. "Let's be off! Beach first, if you don't mind." He didn't.

By the time they cleared the footpath from the cave, Messalna's stomach was growling in protest and she touched her fingers to the rice, pleased to find that it had completely cooled. "Some?" she asked him, holding her hand up to his mouth. Messa had never been comfortable eating in front of anyone without sharing -- or at least offering.

"No, no. You eat," he said, waving her off. "I already did."

Whether he had or not, Messa didn't know, but she was famished and ate the small portion gratefully and quickly. Tomorrow they'd start gathering things that were growing on the island and if they were lucky they'd be able to snare a bird or two and maybe some fish.

Setting the coconut shell down in the sand, she shrugged out of her pack. Fun and games were over now and it was time for more serious things. "Okay, Trowbridge. Spill. What do you really have on your mind? You should know I have more than a few thoughts myself... and I don't exactly mean about how we got here. That's moot. Garrett found that cave easy peasy which means it exists on the Oahu in our reality... and that, Sir Knight, begs a gazillion questions more."

 

[slowandeasy]

Jacques

Jacques wasn’t much of a joiner much less a leader and he had felt like he could use some fresh air and some solitude. He watched Kit for a while wishing he could help her but it looked like she had plenty of that Too many opinions or unneeded advice would have only escalated the already emotionally charged atmosphere.

It was then that he had decided to scavange for more wood. Kit’s grateful smile when he suggested that it might be a way for him to help made him anxious to please in a way he wasn’t used to. Interesting he thought, how the simplest of tasks could have so much value.

He found the wood to be somewhat drier now that the rain had stopped. It was getting dark so he hurried ignoring those that seemed to be moving in and out of the caves mouth. Each time he placed a load of wood next to the fire he glanced towards Kit curious as to how her patient was progressing but wanting also to see if she had noticed his progress

Before he made his last trip inside he rested on a nearby rock ledge and looked toward the sky. The first star had appeared in what he judged to be north and he looked for others to check the constellations he might be familiar to get an accurate idea of which way was indeed north. The night air seemed different clearer perhaps but then the air in the tropics tended to be purer than most places in the world and he dismissed that thought for a moment and searched the sky again

“What was he looking for?” he wondered other than the stars that began to pop out there was no sign of a plane or a satellite that seemed to usually pass across the night sky. “A pleasant feeling was soon replaced by a sense of foreboding. He dismissed it as a feeling created by the lack of food. Angie had offered him a bowl of rice on one of his trips but he had declined her gift explaining that he was not hungry, but not going into detail about his usual pattern of fasting for three days before beginning a new painting project.
This feeling he was now experiencing would soon pass and he would get his second wind so to speak.

He looked off toward the beach thinking maybe if he walked down there he may catch the light of some nearby village …Or maybe there would be nothing ….And when he returned to the cave after a lengthy absence he was sure to be questioned. He shrugged his shoulders. If civilization were just around the corner …or not … He didn’t want to be the bearer of good news or bad…. Besides he had left his shirt drying near the fire and the night air was getting chilly. And also back in the cave, was Kit doing her best to make the situation bearable.

“No” he decided he would go back now The morning would be soon enough to strike off in a new direction and he would ask Kit to go with him if he did.

Back in the cave with his last armful of wood he sensed a more relaxed atmosphere The warmth of the fire and the hot food had obviously soothed some jangled nerves and some survivors had succumbed to much needed sleep. He quietly lowered his last load of wood to the caves floor and gathered up his now-dry shirt. Stepping over to Kit He said softly . “ Here, put this on it’s dryer than that jacket you’re wearing.” Suddenly he blushed realizing that below the desire to please was another desire. The desire to see more of this woman he felt so attracted to.

 

[Destiny]

KerShawn

Walking through the jungle Kershawn' s burnt copper hair was pulled back and away from her face by a strip of cloth left to dangle along her temple and contrast against her darkened skin. Eyes the color of liquid gold skittered across the trees and bush as she lifted the minature bow she held and took aim on the bird she had sighted. Just as she was about to shoot a sound scared off the bird and Kershawn quickly moved into the shadows of the bushes to hide her activities. It was forbidden for woman to hunt the bird of the island but she couldn't help it, she was drawn to it like fish to water.

Kershawn was not of the island it would seem her father had been traveling in something called an airplane of some sort and had her with him. He crashed on the island and survived along with two others and herself. She wasn't like the others on the island yet she didnt' know of her father or the others in fact as before they crashed she was ejected and found alone and crying on the beach by a female native who only the year before had lost her child to a snake bite. Kershawn it seemed to the native woman was sent by the gods to replace her dead girl child. Wrapping Kershawn up in the cloth she carried she took the 3 year old child to the village to raise as her own. That was 17 or so years ago. Kershawn still had the nightmares of falling from the sky a man's face in her vision that seemed to be coaxing her to fall and a promise to return to her someday. But these were only dreams and when she would awaken these dreams would subside.

Whatever had spooked the bird soon seemed to moved off and Kershawn scrambled up a tree and looked out over the jungle vista toward the smoke that travelled up into the night sky, the moon was full and she could see the white smoke easily along with the stars that guided and also told of stories to the village folk of the jungle. Stashing her bow and minature arrows into the tree's branches she moved from the foliage and dropped back to the ground and began to straighten the wrapped sarong she wore, her mother had shown her how to dye the material and wrap it so she would be decently dressed. A bird call nearby drew her attention and she sighed as she realized she would soon be required to head back to the village. The rains had been hard today and the water collected would be used in a ritual for the burial of Makani tonight. Moving through the jungle she would have to pass near the caves to head back into the village and she wasn't looking forward to meeting any of the new comers she had heard about.

 

[Vikingstone]

Reggie

Reggie stared into Messalinas' eyes for a moment trying to guage what her reaction might be to some of the outlandish things that were buzzing around in his tortured brain.

"Unvarnished, eh?" Reggie looked at her sideways as he sucked at a bottle of Bacardi Anejo.

"Absolutely, all of it," was Messalinas' firm response.

"Very well, my dear doctor," Reggie began. "The possiblities *hic* pardon, as I seem them...one, some sort of unprecedented atmospheric space/time continuum, wormhole, blackhole, whatever...two, extraterrestrial, the little green men are here and have shut everything off so they can begin to harvest us...three, supernatural, God, Allah, The Devil, ghosts, goblins. The bottom line, as you Americans say, is that we must go looking for something, anything."

Reggies voice began to rise a bit as he continued, "And furthermore, if the bombs were going off we would have seen something by now. And that still wouldn't explain why the sats have fallen from the sky! There was no airburst, just that incredible lightning!"

"Yes, yes, that lightning," Messalina mused. "Even in my terror I remember that bizarre lightning."

"Yes, exactly, bizarre is the word." Reggie responded with enthusiasm. "When I got up to the cockpit one of those bolts seemed to me to last far longer than normal, in fact, that blast went through us so violently that I was knocked nearly senseless and only held it together enough to help Robert through sheer instinct."

Messalina looked at him with realization in her eyes, "it means something, doesn't it, that lightning. You're worm hole, black hole...my God."

"Great Caesars Ghost, woman," Reggie was incredulous. "It's not that they can't come to help us...they're simply...not there."

 

[penprick]

The sun had set and the fires crackled, providing him with flickering orange light with which to work. Makani's body was laid out straight on the stone slab with feet together and arms at her sides. He began with the toes, wrapping the swath of kapa tightly and neatly around and around as he had done countless times before. She may have been a common girl of the village but she was no less important than anyone else, barring the Ali'i. An incense burning torch stood in the sand to ward off evil spirits as he worked. There were always opportunistic entities about when death occurred, attempting to snatch up an unsespecting soul in a state of newfound conflux as Makani's was.

He wrapped in silence as one of the lesser preists helped by lifting the corpse in places for the shaman to pass the cloth beneath. Past the hips, over the torso and chest, and around the head he wrapped tightly, before making his way back down to the toes. The next day, she would be buried. Until then, she would remain on the stone, guarded by insence torches.

Mako'a needed to bathe again.

 

[Messalina]

Messalina

Messalina had already considered Trowbridge's hypothesis. As unlikely as it was, there could be no other explanation. They had been over the Honolulu airport when the plane... Even more impossible was that they could have been misdirected to some out-of-the-way, "uncharted" island. No, she'd decided. This was definitely Oahu. But when??

"I agree, Trowbridge. Definitely an anomaly. Kind of like the Pacific's version of the Bermuda Triangle." He nodded and she continued calmly. "Thing is, the likelihood of us ever getting back to our own time, our own reality is slim to none, which you well know. So what do we do? Play Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble meet Alley Oop by the look of thing."

"I believe this is still Oahu. It's the 'when' I'm not so sure of. But I'd venture pre-discovery. That means some time before Cook showed up in 1778. If I'm right, and there are ways of determining this. Coconut, for instance, was brought to the islands. No bird carried that seed in their beaks. Anyhow, we're dealing with an almost six hundred square mile island inhabited by a Stone Age culture of Proto-Polynesians." The Brit looked at her curiously without commenting and waited for her to go on.

"On the plane I started to add the letters that go behind my own name when I decided to give you Pfft instead. Truth is, you weren't far off when you called me Doctor. Just not of medicine is all. Archaeology with a couple smaller letters in Cultural Anthropology." There wasn't a scintilla of vainglory in Messa's voice as she spoke, despite the fact she was quite proud of her achievements. She told him simply and succinctly merely so that he would understand where her head was at and why.

"Honolulu was just a detour of sorts for me. Call it a mini vacation," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "But I digress. My ultimate destination is... erm... was... South Island, New Zealand and a possible Class IV pa site funded by someone in the private sector through the auspices of the Te Awamutu Museum. Kind of same-same, if you see my point."

"Indeed I do, dear woman. Migration to the northeast would have put them... here. See? I've read a bit myself. It's not all been pornographic," he leered.

Messalina rolled her eyes and swatted him again. "You know, Trowbridge, this is getting to be a habit that I believe you're far too fond of."

"Attention is attention, my sweet. Good or bad. Besides," he added in a conspiratorial tone. "It hurts soooo... nice!"

The best she could manage was a groan and an even stronger determination to circumnavigate his one-track mind. "The people that I believe are on this island, Trowbridge, are Stone Age only because there are no metals to be found in the Hawaiian Islands. Their society was highly developed and," Messalina paused for effect, before lowering her voice, "we can only hope that they don't have a fondness for long pig. In which case, I think they'd quite enjoy a certain British variety."

"Oh, I'm far too tough," he rejoined. "You, on the other hand, would be quite... delectable."

"Flatterer!"

"Indeed. But now it's my turn for some further conjecture based on your proposition." Messa nodded. "Considering the size of this island, what are the odds that we will even cross paths with these people?"

"Depends on where they fish or which way they sail to trade. The other islands are only a stone's throw and there's always a fair chance of someone just wandering. Look. Nutritionally we can survive. Easy peasy. Shelter can be built over time and there are no large animals to threaten us. Then again... we might be right in their back yard."

"Gods! Can you even begin to imagine?? An entire society whose past is preserved through remnants of oral history with a few biased accounts by Cook and missionaries... " Overwhelmed by the veritable treasure trove of knowledge at her fingertips, Messalina stood, staring off dreamily toward the mountains behind them.

The touch of his hand on her shoulder brought Messa back from her reveries. "I suppose we should go back to the cave," she said reluctantly. "If you're up to it, I wouldn't mind taking a better look around in the light of day."

Automatically slipping her hand through his arm as she had done when they walked down to the beach, they walked slowly, in companionable silence until Messalina spoke again. "That detour, I mentioned... There was a reason for it."

"It's not necessary that you tell me the reason, my dear. I wouldn't pry, though I would guard your secret with my life."

"You know," she said, stopping to look up at the rather enigmatic man standing beside her. "I believe that you would. Maybe that's why I want to tell you."

"I'd be honored."

"You'll be shocked."

"Perhaps not."

Taking a deep breath, Messalina told it all. The unexpected pregnancy. The side trip to Hawaii to decide whether she would keep it or not. The realization that, if the fetus remained viable, she would come full term here on the island. "It's not the birthing that worries me, it's the complications -- I'm not exactly a spring chicken, you know."

Trowbridge nodded thoughtfully. "And your... husband, is it? You've been dealt a rough hand, dear one. I... "

"No husband. No man. Just the babe." She almost giggled at the way that sounded. "Erm... well, there was a man. Obviously. But I don't need a man to validate myself," she added defensively. "He legged it. Just as well, really. He was a wuss. And not very good in... "

Without a word, Messalina suddenly found herself wrapped in the Brit's powerful arms. Melting into him as he kissed her deeply, she was surprised both by his sudden ardor and by her own.

 

[slowandeasy]

Jacques

Jacques watched as Kit turned her face to his looking up from where she was kneeling. Seeing her smile in acceptance as he held his warm dry shirt out to her. She must have been feeling the discomfort of her wet clothing he thought so he urged her again.

"It's ok I'll try not to watch." Dutifully he turned his head and tried not to let his imagination wander as he heard the rustle of clothes He felt her touch his outstrethed hand and take the shirt from him. then anoth.er rustle and the feel of wet cloth against his arms. Turning he saw her buttoning up his shirt, watching the shadows hide from his view that which he had just a few moments ago yearned to catch a glimpse of. Sighing he moved towards the makeshift rack he had constructed and felt that now familiar urge rise again. The feeling only intensified as he discovered she had shed not only her jacket but her shirt as well as her bra. Resisting the urge to look directly at her from the front, at least not just yet he stepped behind her and straightened her collar.

"Have something to eat." he suggested as he picked up a steaming bowl of rice. Theres little you can do for that poor man now, except to wait and see if he comes to."

His attention was drawn to a discussion between Trowbridge and Messalina, that seemed to have everybodies attention. He shrugged his shoulders thinking it was ar ather wild assumption but then it seemed they were much better qualified than him to make assumptions about their situation. If it were true the people who possible inhabited this Island would make interesting subjects to paint and he became intrigued by the idea of being the first person to actually record on canvas what they really looked like.

But if what they said was true they no longer existed in the time that they had before. And would, or could, he and the others return to that time. It was all too confusing, but still an adventure that even in his wildest dreams he couldn't believe was taking place.

 

[papillon24]

She felt his touch upon her elbow as he began to guide her back into the cave.

"Sleep sounds like a wonderful idea to me. I cooked, now someone else can do the dishes"

She laughed at her own comment. She realized then that it had been the first time since she arrived that she had even attemped a smile. The thought that she wans't heartless warmed her. So did the glowing from inside the cave and the sight around it. The fire was dying down low but not quite to the coals. The flicker here and there amongst the glowing wood hypnotized her as she took in the sight.

"SO, my good sir, where should we sleep tonight.....the president suite or the get one with a view." She laughed again as she pointed to two open spots. one was near the entrance and the other was hidden away in the faar corner. "It was your invitations so it should be your choice."

 

[Steiner]

Robert smiled at Angie as he gestured at the corner in back.

"I don't know about you - but after today I feel the need to have my back to nice, solid, stone." he smiled, but they both knew that the joke only went too far.

"How about I get on my side back there, and you sort of curl up in front of me? You keep my front warm and I'll heat your back?" he realised that they were all going to have to get pretty matter of fact about this sort of thing for awhile. Until the rescue services turned up (God, where were they?!) they'd have to use every resource.

Scrunching himself into the corner, he extended his floorside arm, trying to make it a bit more comfortable for her.

 

[Drinking Cap]

Kawaihae

"Mahalo nui loa na ho'olaule'a me la kaua... Thank you for celebrating with us."

Kawaihae nodded as he heard her say this and returned the sentiments. He couldn't help but notice the flush that grew on her cheeks and the way her eyes were reluctant to meet his, however. There had been whispers that Makani and Leilani were more than just good friends, that the reason neither of them had chosen a man was because they had chosen each other as lovers. Kawaihae had dismissed this as mere gossip among the women that was common enough when beautiful women of any village did not accept the first proposals they heard.

Kawaihae did not object to the notion of two women or two men who chose to lie with each other. It was one of the many ways his views of the world differed greatly from those of the rest of the tribe. Still as he caught Leilani's eyes and what she communicated with them, he knew that the rumours had been untrue. Leilani clearly felt a stirring at his touch. Kawaihae felt one as well but Kwaihae felt that stirring often. Many were the young widows of the village he'd often enjoyed in his hut. Kawaihae knew that as Ali'i it was well within his right to take as many lovers as he liked and as such he had avoided choosing a bride. His baser thoughts of before returned as he looked at Leilani's face. If Leilani was indeed interested in men, Kawaihae knew there would be many who would be interested in her, himself among them.

Kawaihae heard the chatter of the women as they returned to the cabin and he stood up quickly, removing his hand from Leilani's shoulder.He stood up and made his way towards the door before turning back towards Leilani. His eyes caught hers and he gave her a broad smile.

"Perhaps, sometime tonight you would seek me out, Leilani. There are words I would wish to speak with you" Kawaihae said before leaving the cabin. He based a gathering of women returning to the cabin and nodded hello. They all looked shocked to see him leaving their hut, although a few of them, ones he'd been with, had something of a jealous gleam in their eyes.

Kawaihae returned to his cabin and retrieved his pipe. He began to smoke some of the medicinal herb he'd ordered planted in some of the gardens. Mako'a used it in his rituals and Kawaihae enjoyed the soothing effects of it greatly. Kawaihae called for one of his attendants and the young man entered his hut.

"I would like to eat now. Send for some roasted fowl, some poi and some bread."

The boy nodded and ran off. Kawaihae smiled as the effects of the herb washed over him. Despite the sad news of Makani's death and the bizarre stories of the message from the gods, it was feast time. Kawaihae would not let anything affect his enjoyment of that.