New Homeport Island (25 page)

I stood there with the log I had dragged in dismay and
 asked, “How many more came over?” Tim Brock replied, “Just
 us.” I said, “Okay, build another cabana and you’ll need to
 expand this stone courtyard.” Kelly Yodal blurted out,
“Okay…what about food?” Michelle replied, “Their out there
 now trying the net for the first time, the ones we speared were
 just enough for us over here.” Joseph Leos said, “Cabana it is
 then…we seriously need food though guys.” I said, “No
 worries.” Michelle showed them how to build the cabana while
Athena supervised; I started setting up the trench fire to split the
 log. Ebony and Tammy started gather stones to add to our
 courtyard .  
Mitch, Jennifer, and Tommi came back and it took two of
 them to hold the net; it squirmed like a sea snake. Everyone
 cheered, and Tommi said, “There’s a trick to it.” It was about
 three pounds of fish they had taken, and everyone was hungry
 but we knew we would have to ration the fish and send some
 over to the landing.
As they started smoking the fish tying them to sticks run
 horizontally across two sticks shoved in the sand, which nearly
 looked like a loom, I was less concerned about being
 embarrassed over an experimental project. I took the log over to
 the trench we had dug for the fire to cook the mud into a ceramic
 and prepared to roll the log occasionally in the fire to guide how
 much wood was burnt off from the outside in. At the very least I
 needed to accomplish a squared off approximation of a four inch
 by four  inch section of lumber, which I would hope to plain
 down to planks.
Tim brock offered to help and said he didn’t think it was
 too outlandish an idea. David Miles asked, “Is there was
 anything other than a cabana to work on?” I replied, “There’s

still expanding the courtyard with the smooth stones from out of
 the surf and we’ll need a sundial.” David Miles laughed, “A
 sundial? I still have my watch man…and so do you.” I replied,
“Mine is certified to thirty meters…I went down farther than
 that.” Dave looked at his watch and realized it had water in it
 and gave no display of time. He was a little choked up as he
 asked, “How far down do you think we went?” I said, “I have no
 idea, I only remember how dark it was beneath us, I saw people
 much deeper than I was and I thought I saw a whale or
 submarine diving deeper dragging people down…but it turned
 out to be the ship.” Dave looked around trying to breathe
 normally and asked, “Which way do you think is north?” I
 responded, “We’ll have to wait for nightfall and find the
 northern star.” Dave walked out to the surf to pull out smooth
 stones and brock and I set up the log. I pulled out a shoe lace
 again and took off my boot my feet were sticky and there was an
 odor so I decide I would leave them off as many had. I once
 again used a shoelace tied at the ends to a somewhat flexible
 stick to rapidly turn a straighter stick against dry wood piled
 with tinder. Brock asked, “We need to save our shoelaces for
 that, don’t we?” I said, “It’s a good idea.” Brock said, “Artimus  
 said the rescue is just delayed by ongoing operations.”  I looked
 at him and we was in a daze, I said, “The bottom line is we are
 on our own…even if a rescue came we would be on our own
 until then.” Brock said, “We’ll need guards they’re getting crazy
 over there…some sentry posts.” Once the fire was a full fire we
 spread out the burning wood and rolled the log into place, the
 extreme ends protruded from the trench and would serve as
 handles .
Kelly Yodal sat with Jennifer taking a break from the
 building of the second cabana with the others and asked

Jennifer, “So…seen any planes or ships” Jennifer said,
“No…nothing, the fish smells good though” Kelly replied, “Ya,
 it does.” Ebony snorted in the distance, “Someone help me keep
 this damn thing standing up.” Jennifer patted Kelly’s leg and
 said, “Those need to be put in a hole about a foot and a half
 deep.” Kelly groaned and called out, “Hold on…need a hole .”
As Kelly started digging the small holes Ebony asked,
“Why are we actin’ like we stayin or something?”  Joseph Leos
 replied, “Just a camping trip vacation.” Ebony responded, “Then
 give me room service.” Edward Gardin said, “I’m not serving
 anyone.” To which joseph whisper the response, “They just got
 fish man, be positive…we just got here.” Edward smiled and
 held up the work he was doing on a column and went back to
 forming it.  
At the landing Dave Artimus was conducting interviews to
 determine who would have access to the pentagon, who would
 guard the perimeter, and who was just wasted space. They’ve
 had nothing to eat but seaweed dried in the sun by hanging it
 from the pentagon walls since they had arrived. Smity had gone
 from group to group soliciting loyalty to the Captain and had
 made some claims on his behalf. As the Captain interviewed the
 selectees Smity continued his campaign.
Smity strolled up to a group guarding their fire and said, “I
 need to know who all is still loyal to the Captain .”  Kim Luds
 responded, “Fuck you gunners mate.” Smity responded, “That’s
 why your over here enginemen.” Kim responded, “I’m a
G.S.M.” Smity scoffed, “That isn’t what I’m asking G.S.M.
 three, I’m asking who is still loyal to the captain.” Justina Mier
 interjected, “You mean the guy that sank the ship…his own ship
 that is?” Smity leaned in in an attempt to be intimidating and
 said, “When you’re a captain then you can talk that shit. But

then that’s the word of a second class. So, are still a third class
 petty officer loyal to his captain, or some damn mutineer?” Kim
 responded, “No food, one vase with water in it and no
 ship…doesn’t seem like anyone’s the captain now; and ah…you
 need a ship to be a captain.” Smity replied, “First, us military
 guys know you don’t need a ship to be a navy captain. Second,
 who do you think got us that vase of water, because it sure as
 hell didn’t walk here itself.” Charlie McCree and the master
 chief sitting nearby were watching the dialogue and it seemed
 heavy handed to them. Hauldbalm nudged McCree and said,
“You’re a second class…maybe you should say something.”
Charlie moaned, “Alright…” Hauldbalm laughed and Charlie sat
 up and interjected, “And third or finally?” and paused as she
 observed Smity preparing to verbally assault her until he noticed
 the master chief was lying next to her and she continued, “Look
 were all doing the best we can and we don’t need you stirring
 things up. But, I was here.” Smity looked at her squinting and
 cocked his head asking, “You were here?” Charlie replied, “Ya.”
 she glance around and scratched at her upper lip to conceal her
 mouth from anyone lip reading and said, “Even the captain
 doesn’t know where that vase came from.” Smity chuckled and
 said, “The last time the natives brought it over the captain said
 they said they would get us some fish, there McCree…I don’t
 think you know what the hell you are talking about.” Smity
 looked up and around with his hands on his hips then scratched
 at the back of his head glancing at the master chief seeming
 confounded as if inquiring as to why he would be with the
 riffraff, then looked back at the group he was speaking to and
 said, “We’ll continue this later, seems I came at a bad time.”
 then he turned and walked back to the pentagon .

Chris Dragie a survivor of the loss of USS Paul F Foster
DD-964, formerly an Operations Specialist first class petty
 officer stood at attention speaking with Dave Artimus the former
 captain. Artimus said, “Would you agree O.S. one Dragie, that I
 am still your captain?” Chris Dragie replied, “Yes, sir.” Artimus
 responded, “Good, Good…it seems I may need your help
 handling these kids that don’t seem to get that.” Dragie replied,
“They’re just kid’s sir, sometimes it’s a trick to get them to
 understand.” Artimus leaned in with a scowl and then slouched
 back and said, “I don’t need tricks, I need you to continue to do
 your job. Pull them back in line, I already resent what it is our
 rescuers will find. And in the event we are rescued by someone
 other than the United States military our military demeanor may
 mean the difference between life and death.” Dragie appeared
 dizzy and inquired, “You think we have a fight coming sir?”
Artimus responded, “Let’s be very clear, I will not have any of
 these crew members turning cannibal, seaweed will have to
 suffice.”
Their conversation bordered on gibberish caused by
 dehydration and delirium, but Dave Artimus wasn’t concerned
 with the dialogue he was attempting to gauge their level of
 hostility and determine who constituted a threat. He was looking
 for the type of loyalty that came out of admiration he had seen in
 the past and made use of, ‘it can’t be wrong if the captain has
 ordered it’ was the response from many defending orders he had
 issued while admittedly angry and on impulse. He might find a
 way to survive, but it wasn’t enough for him alone to survive he
 was determined to assert himself into a position of his own
 creation that empowered him to be the one to decide who lives
 and who dies. The thought of being on the island indefinitely

was something he couldn’t conceptualize on, as though it were a
 concept in a foreign language he did not speak.
Artimus said, “If they break and attack each other again I
 want you to give them space, but if it becomes cannibalism kill
 the person attacking instantly. I’m only issuing these orders to
 my most trusted crewmembers only the most loyal.
Confidentially, the female officers deserve a little more
 consideration if they are present take the risk of using some of
 the security force you will be with to pull them away, which I
 understand further risks your safety. It is a bias I admit, but it is
 my bias. You are one of the few that will have access to the
 pentagon and some of your forces will only have access to the
 posts I will set around it.” Dragie smiled and replied, “Yes sir.”
Artimus added in closing, “There can be no question of loyalty
 here, if anyone seems disloyal or disrespectful notify me
 immediately. These things grow out of control quickly.” As
Dragie walked away Smity walked up and watched Dragie walk
 away, Smity glared at his back in suspicion. Smity asked his
 captain, “What do you think sir.” Artimus replied, “I think you
 should get me some water.” Smity looked down humbly and
 smiled as he said, “Sure thing dave.” Artimus replied,
“Captain…it’s Captain, don’t lose it in front of them.” Smity
 said, “Sorry, Captain. I’ll get you that water.” Artimus gauged
 smity’s movement in the sand trying to determine how slowed
 he would be because they were in sand. He looked at the foot
 prints in the soft sand that appeared at least two inches deep then
 glanced back at the wet sand near the surf.
Down in the wet sand stood Firemen Megan Carale she was
 bent over washing her face with seawater; with her tee shirt
 gone her shirt hung open affording glances of her once white bra
 and her cleavage. She wet her hair by scoping up the incoming

surf and dumping it onto her head in a fashion seen with famous
 models and movie starlets. Her socks hung out of her back
 pocket and pant legs were rolled up. Just as Artimus was
 considering calling to her and warning her of the risk of further
 dehydrating herself she reached down her pants and scratched at
 her crotch, seeing this Artimus just shook his head and scanned
 the crowds for his next interview candidate.            
Artimus glanced over near the brushline feeling as though
 he had forgotten something, but the noticed Ensign Spayner
 digging in her crotch as well as he walked up to her to ask why
 all the women were ‘so itchy down there’ he saw her sniff her
 fingers after scratching. He asked, “Were you just
 masturbating?” Jane Spayner replied, “No, Dave. I itch right
 now.” Artimus asked, “Did all the women get island crabs?”
Jane looked at him noticed he was squinting and looking her all
 over and decided to refrain from telling him to ‘Eat me’ and then
 continued to respond with, “Eat me.” for some reason it came
 out anyways, she continued after noticing that saying that didn’t
 faze him at all, “It’s hot and dry and the saltwater isn’t making it
 any better.” Artimus was staring at her ankles and started check
 himself for a beard as he walked away.  
Smity stepped up with a deep cup with a little water in it
 and hand it to his captain. “Here you are sir.” said Smity. The
 captain took the cup and sipped slowly, Smity asked, “When
 will the natives deliver more sir?” Artimus said, “They’ve been
 making it as fast as they can.” Smity asked, “What do they look
 like…bone through the nose or red paint or anything?” Artimus
 looked into the cup and smelled the water, “Have you been
 drinking this?” Artimus asked. Smity replied, “We all have, just
 small amounts sir.” Artimus said, “Start drink more than you
 were.” Smity smiled and said, “Well, being the Captains man

has its advantages.” Artimus noticed the smug smile on Smity’s
 face and became nauseous.
Smity went back to scouting for the truly loyal, and
Artimus headed into the pentagon. Clarkson sat under a lean to
 in the pentagon fanning herself with a palm branch sitting in the
 shaded sand, her shirt was fully open and she had removed her
 tee-shirt, her pants were down just too her thighs and she sat
 there as though she were defecating. Artimus said, “Tell me
 you’re not shitting right there.” Clarkson replied, “No I’m not.”
Artimus went to one of the other lean-tos and lay down. The
 body odor emanating from Clarkson was strong and Artimus
 couldn’t stand it he blurted out, “Skank, go clean yourself.”
Clarkson said indignantly, “In front of them!?” Artimus
 responded, “Do it with your clothes on.” Clarkson replied, “I’ll
 get trench foot” Artimus looked at her and noticed she was
 fevered looking and out of sorts and uttered, “Trench foot? In
 your twat?”  
At the work site the cabana’s were up and the fish was well
 smoked, cooked well but still moist. It was about four in the
 afternoon but as far as laying marks for our sundial we were still
 guessing. I said, “I’ll take over their rations.” Mike Elper
 retorted, “Good luck. Oh and watch your back.” I laughed and
 said, “On that ship I always have.”  I lifted the stick we had
 selected for them from the smoking rack and picked up a vase of
 water and Jennifer carried a second vase.
Once we arrived we saw some were crowded around the
 pentagon and it was my first time seeing the dirt covered walls
 around it, I thought ‘maybe they’re doing more than I thought.”
Smity ran up and asked, “Did you get those from the natives and
 are you still loyal to the captain?” I couldn’t help but answer to
 the part about the natives, “There are no natives”, I said. I set