The Crash Site

[blindandlost]

It doesn't matter who you are. It doesn't matter how you were travelling. All that matters is the Island, and the Island wants you. All are drawn to the same stretch of shoreline; your plane suddenly loses power and drops from the sky to crash into the sand. Your boat runs aground. Your helicopter plows a deep furrow until the blades tangle and catch in the thick growth of the jungle.

However it happened, now you're here. You belong to the Island. There might be something salvageable in the debris, but no matter what you find, no matter who is with you, one thing is certain:

You are lost.

Comments

[missfunction]

[But it was too late.

As soon as the doctor had been so casually demoted from captain of his vessel, the robot was already stepping out of the boat and easily hefting it up over her head, the shrieking man now being completely ignored as the automaton simply stepped one long leg over him and continued on her way back up the beach. The wooden boat certainly did nothing in slowing the automaton down, but at least the sand kept her stride from increasing into anything faster than a sludge-like walk back to her family's home base.

Plenty of time for the doctor to catch up and try to talk some sense into her, right?]

Hey! [Calling out across the beach to anyone who might listen.] Look what I found! I g-g-got a boat!

[yesterdaystomorrow]

Bodies. Strewn across the narrow walkway or still strapped safely into their assigned seats, the plane's interior was still horrifically filled with the lifeless corpses of those who had not survived the crash. And unfortunately for The Spine, it only took a single sweep of glowing photoreceptors to realize there could not possibly be anyone still living amongst the sheer number of dead in this place-...

But wait! A flash of blue and white stuck beneath a broken luggage compartment, a striped stockinged leg freckled with red splotches. But more importantly than that, there was a twitch of movement from the body, a signal of life still fighting on despite the fact the woman was being crushed.

[doctoral_bird]

[ Why not both? Clearly his shipwreck is... of a much tinier sort. The man is also just a bit delusional, judging from his insistence against all logic. ]

What on earth are you talking about? Look!

[ He knocked a knuckle against his beak, ruffling his long black oilcloth sleeves. Because clearly the issue was that this man just wasn't astute enough to notice! ]

I'm quite certain I'm from where I'm from! Though...

[ His eyes glanced down at his tiny boat, quickly retaining water. ]

Shipwrecked may be accurate now.

[doctoral_bird]

[ Malkus quickly scrambled to his feet against this horrible horrible sand! His delicately crafted and sturdy boots sunk into the grainy earth as each step was slightly engulfed. God help him, this truly was hell. ]

Help! She's got my boat! MY BOAT!

[ He sprawled forward, falling to the ground like a frog. Rather than imitate her slow trudge, he sprang forward in little leaps like... well, like a frog. Eventually his arms will lash out and cling to one strong metal leg. ]

Halt! I'm making a citizen's arrest! I'll have you in chains! In irons! Huuaaagh!

[ With much straining, the doctor was struggling to strangle her leg with his delicate hands. Take that! ]

[notinvayne]

[He notes the water gathering in the bottom of the boat with lifted eyebrows, and quickly offers a hand. Perhaps two. The doctor's mind seems unsound enough, how does that bode for his footing?]

I... think it might be best if you join me on the beach.

[Then they might together proceed to unravel the mystery of a plague doctor appearing on a tropical island.]

[awfulsentimetal]

The one question that The Spine found himself dwelling on as he slowly made his way through the cabin was: how could anyone survive? Perhaps with the robots it made more sense, their crates could take a bit of a beating and, well, they clearly hadn't fallen far. There were so many bodies, all deathly still, that he was beginning to fear the worst. Perhaps nobody had survived, aside from himself and Rabbit.

Just the two of them, surrounded by an impassible and uncaring ocean until they rusted to a stop.

Then he saw her, striped leggings and white frock stained with blood, and he wished for a moment that his programming wasn't capable of simulating emotions. Sometimes they hurt. Right now, he felt as though his core had just been ripped right out of his chest. "Brianna--!"

There. Had she moved, or was it just wishful thinking? The Spine hurried forward, putting his shoulder to the caved metal and plastic.

[yesterdaystomorrow]

The ruined hunk of twisted metal and plastic groaned as The Spine was pushing that hefty weight up and off of the bloodied Walter Girl, and just as the crushing pressure left her small frame, Brianna was shifting again--Alive!!--curling onto her side as blue eyes flew open to seek her rescuer. But just as quickly as her very human gaze met his inhuman one, the woman was shuddering in pain, eyelids squeezing shut and hands wreathing into tight fists.

Even amongst the dirt and sand and blood on her uniform, the misshapen piece of shrapnel that was piercing out of her side was all too easy to spy, so innocently skewering Brianna in her abdomen as the Walter Girl twisted and writhed about in fevered, delirious pain.

"Spine...Spine--" She was trying to grasp at him, tiny hands snaking out without coordination, confused , as the woman refused to sit still now that she was free from her luggage compartment prison. “Don’t go….”

[missfunction]

[STOP THAT. You will wreck your hands trying to strangle her, weirdo.

Even if her steps in the sand weren’t halted in the slightest by the extra weight clinging so desperately to her shapely leg, the automaton’s attention shifted downwards to where Malkus clung like a hungry koala, her crooked mouth dipping into an unhappy twitch before her forward movement stopped.

The boat was swung to her side with ease as the automaton gave an exasperated sigh, free hand waving about in some sort of animated show of her mild irritation at the man sticking to her leg.]

Stop that! I ain’t d-d-d-doin’ anythin’ wrong! Ya were tryin’ t’ l-l-l-leave us stranded! I’m just gettin’ everyone offa this island—

[CRACK]

Uhhhhhh— [Oops, that waving around had been a little too enthusiastic, the robot somehow managing to punch a giant hole through the bottom of the wooden boat, the annoyance in her expression melting away to minor surprise and disbelief.]

…..R-really don’t make these things as sturdy as they used to, huh? Heh heh….

[doctoral_bird]

[ Perhaps Malkus was in a bit of shock. Understandable, given how damn hot this island is under these robes! The tall gangly doctor rose to his feet and uneasily shambled out of his little boat like a marionette on loose strings. ]

P-Perhaps. A beach. Sand! Wh-Whoah-

[ Yes doctor, sand was a pain in the ass to walk in. ]

Do you know how- well of course you wouldn't. Are you also a uh- whatsit- shipwreckee?

[awfulsentimetal]

"That's okay, Hatchy, we'll just have to get you outta there the old-fashioned way." It had been a tiny flicker of a hope, anyway. The Spine suspected sandwiches. He frowned, stepping forward to dig his feet into the sand. His silver fingers worked into the tear again. Steam wafted from his vents and gears ground as he worked to widen the gap. "How's it lookin' in there?" Not that he needed more incentive to hurry.

[hatchworthy]

Hatchy moved back to put his own weight against the tear again, glancing around as he did so. "It is very fiery. the Spine. But I am not anymore." That was one good thing, right? At least he wasn't actually on fire as they were talking.

After a moment of silence, he added: "There are people. here." With fewer wars behind him than his older brothers, it had been a very long time since Hatchworth had seen bodies.

[notinvayne]

Steady there--

[Thomas does his best to keep the doctor from losing his footing to the wet, sucking sand.

At the question, he glances back over his shoulder at the wrecked plane.]

You could say that, yes. There was a mechanical failure, or so I assume. Myself and a handful of others survived.

[doctoral_bird]

[ The gritty sigh of sand shifting under his belly stopped when his struggling seemed to work. His words bounced right alongside hers, in a poor attempt at interrupting her to no avail. ]

No- you are! I'm not leaving anyone- I- I was just-

[ CRACK? ]

What was- [ He staggered to his knees, keeping an arm around her leg to brace himself against this unruly beach. The doctor has never had to deal with walking on such loose earth before! Almost immediately, he leaned to stare at his hole-y boat with somber realizations.

She sabotaged him. ]

Y-You-

[ The reality hit him directly in the throat and his voice began to waver and wobble. ]

You broke my boat...