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

[awfulsentimetal]

[After rescuing the few he could, The Spine has taken to wandering up and down the beach. It isn't what he wants to do--what he wants to do is stick to his family and tend to Walter Girl B. He can't do anything for her, frustrating as it is, and he knows that his hovering would be useless.

So he wanders until he spots the dark woman sitting on the sand. The automaton pauses, noticing that she looks about ready to break. He also notices the gun. It's given a long stare, the automaton weighing the wisdom in approaching.

Compassion wins out. He decides to ignore the gun unless it becomes a problem, which he trusts it won't.]

Hey, there. Mind if I join you?

[parasitus]

[Wh--

She's not alone.

And when she sees who exactly is looking at her, she stares with round blue eyes for a moment before answering.]

N... no. No, not at all, I must say. In fact, I...

[She hugs herself.]

I do rather dislike being alone.

[awfulsentimetal]

I don't think many people'd disagree with you, Miss.

[The Spine likes his solitude, but there's a difference between solitude when your family is all around and being truly alone. He knows this, and his heart--or the code that makes him sometimes feel as though he might have one--goes out to her.

He hesitates for a moment before carefully lowering himself to a seat on the sand with a hiss of hydraulics and quiet clicking of gears.

Turning towards her, he holds out a gleaming silver hand.]

I'm called The Spine. What's your name?

[parasitus]

[She watches him as he moves, curious and confused... but when he offers his hand, she accepts it, marveling at how solid the metal is. He's real. A real... robot?]

Genie.

... may I ask you a bothersome question?

[awfulsentimetal]

No such thing as a bothersome question, Miss Genie. [The Spine smiles faintly. The smile isn't quite right, a mechanical approximation of a human expression. His mimicry isn't up to it's usual standard, his headwiring drifting elsewhere.] Shoot.

[parasitus]

[Unreal... but it's almost comedic to her that they would design a robot to be so handsome.

That's beside the point.]

May I ask you what, precisely, you are...?

[awfulsentimetal]

[It wasn't an unfamiliar question. In fact, it was one that he had fully expected to be asked eventually, and his smile briefly widens.

He's just happy to give her something to think about other than whatever had her on the brink of tears when he'd approached.]

I'm a robot. Or, well, an automaton if you wanna be exact. There's not much of a difference to most people's thinkin'.

[parasitus]

An automaton... how terribly fascinating. May I ask how such a no-doubt valuable creature such as yourself came to be here?

[awfulsentimetal]

[Uh...]

I dunno about "valuable". [Not here, anyway, or so he suspects. A plane crashing anywhere near civilization is usually cause for alarm, and no one has come to investigate yet.] But to answer your question, I got here the same way that did.

[He twists to point at the wreckage down the beach.]

I'm guessin' your story is about the same.

[parasitus]

...

[Her momentary flicker of something approaching cheer fades at that. She glances over to a pile of wreckage within walking distance of them, the remains of what seems to've been a jet built for transporting only a handful of people.]

I was in the process of relocation due to my, uh... job. But, as you can no doubt see, we didn't quite make it to our destination.

[awfulsentimetal]

... Yeah. [The Spine follows her gaze to the wreckage.] Yeah, I kinda guessed. Did anyone else, uhm... y'know. Make it?

[parasitus]

...

... no. I... suppose I was very fortunate. If that is how one would interpret such a fate.

[awfulsentimetal]

Well, now, I think that's gonna depend on what you do from here, don't you?

[The automaton shifts his attention back to Genie with a warm smile, focusing enough for it to look very nearly human. He knows a bit about loss and continuing in spite of it.]

We'll get rescued and everythin' will be just fine, you'll see. In the meantime, you're welcome to come back up the beach with me. I don't like the thought of anyone bein' stuck by their lonesome out here.

[parasitus]

[She ponders that for a moment before responding.]

... would you, per chance, desire a bit of... protection, in light of recent events? A sharp eye, and a quick trigger finger.

[awfulsentimetal]

[Annnnnd his attention is drawn to the weapon that he has been so very carefully ignoring. The Spine suppresses a repulsed grimace.]

I, uh, appreciate the offer, but I don't think you're gonna have to be shootin' much of anything, Miss Genie.

[The survivors he's met so far seem trustworthy enough. The idea that any of them might be violent doesn't bear consideration.]

But we could use an extra pair of hands buildin' shelter, if you wouldn't mind.

[parasitus]

[Genie saw that.

It isn't an unfamiliar reaction at all, and she says nothing, although something odd creeps into her expression-- a tone of something dark or secret, almost smug.

A pacifist.]

Fair enough, then. I shall do what I can to aid you in such, although I am somewhat unsuited to physical labor... you see, my strengths lay elsewhere.

[awfulsentimetal]

"A sharp eye and a quick trigger finger"? [The Spine guesses, crooking a heavy black brow and displaying a hint of a wry smile.] I'm sure we can find somethin' else for you to do if you're willing to help. Either way, I ought to be getting back--comin' along?

[parasitus]

It seems I've given myself away, how embarrassing.

[She smiles in return. Such a handsome machine she's found. Now that her grief about being alone has passed, she begins to wonder the ways in which a machine can be broken.

Or should she harm him at all? He isn't human, doesn't seem to display their flaws, although perhaps he's a bit quick to trust someone like her.

She will simply have to see.]

Yes. I do believe I will.

the beach is now diamonds

[awfulsentimetal]

[The tall automaton gets to his feet with some difficulty, the sand shifting under his great weight, and offers a hand up. It looks like he's made a friend of this odd woman.

If only everything else could be so easy; if only a few kind words and a smile could heal Miss B's wounds.]

Glad to hear it. It's just a ways up the beach--oh, and uh, we found some luggage. Maybe some of it is yours?