Chapter 6
Dawson had packed a small backpack, which included his journal, a raincoat, and a bottle of water. It felt as though he’d packed too much, but since no one knew what was going to happen, perhaps it was too little.
He met up with the others, and they descended onto the island. The moment his feet touched the grass, he expected the soldiers to rush towards them, but that’s not what happened. They remained sitting near their tent, watching.
“What do you want to do? Head toward the river for water or greet the people who have been waiting for us?” Joe asked.
They couldn’t collect enough water for everyone, but that wasn’t the goal today. All they needed was to get a sample to ensure it was drinkable. Given the situation, Dawson figured any water was drinkable once it was boiled. It wasn’t as though they had the luxury of being fussy.
“We can’t stay here, and it is rude not to say hello since they have been waiting,” Katrina said.
“Joe, why don’t you and Matt get the water sample, and we’ll greet the soldiers? Just watch out for those cows.” Brett, who was in charge because he was the engineer, pointed at the gray beasts, which were much bigger up close, grazing not far away.
Sure, the cows looked slow and harmless now, but they all had dangerous-looking horns. Dawson would rather take his chances with the soldiers.
Brett led the way, and Dawson and Katrina followed. The soldiers, who had been sitting around the fire and enjoying their morning before going about their jobs, stood. Or at least three of them did. The other two remained sitting and watchful.
The one who appeared to be human gave them what sounded like a greeting.
Brett said hello, and Dawson waved like he had every morning from up on the platform.
He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching from the platform.
There were a few people on the deck peering down.
He didn’t blame them. This was the most exciting thing to happen since the collapse.
It also meant that there’d be witnesses to their deaths if that’s what came next.
But the soldiers hadn’t reached for their weapons even though they were armed with swords and knives.
The human-looking one spoke rapidly, pointing at them, the platform, and then at Joe and Matt, who were on their way to collect water.
It was easy to imagine that he wanted to know who the hell they were and what the fuck they wanted because that’s what Dawson would be doing if a bunch of randos had arrived on his island.
Brett stood there staring at the two blue-skinned guards. His mouth opened a couple of times, but nothing came out.
“Do something,” Katrina whispered.
Why didn’t she do something? Or was it because she was the only woman standing there? No one had thought about that before they descended, or perhaps they had, but they needed volunteers so badly that it was fine.
“Hi, I’m Dawson.” He put his hand on his chest. He pointed at Katrina and said her name, and then repeated the process for Brett. Establishing names seemed like a reasonable first step.
The guard with horns said something, and there was a rapid conversation between the five of them.
While Dawson had done bits of French and German in school and picked up a little Spanish when he’d been on holiday, the language they spoke wasn’t anything like any of them.
But then why would it be when blue-skinned people with tentacles, and men with horns and hooves hadn’t existed until a few days ago?
The human soldier, who must have been nominated to deal with the human-looking invaders, spoke more slowly and pointed at Matt and Joe.
“I think he’s asking what they’re doing,” Katrina whispered.
“No shit.” Dawson pulled his drink bottle out of his bag and gave it a shake before pointing at it and then at Matt and Joe. He pointed at the water bottle again and up at the platform and shook his head, hoping they got the idea that there was no water up there.
Brett found his voice and glared at Dawson as if he shouldn’t have said anything. “They are fetching water because there’s none on the platform. We’re also running out of food, so we’re hoping that we can come to some kind of agreement.”
And if there was no agreement, what did that mean?
Were they going to have to fight for water and food?
While one of those large cows might keep them fed for a day or two, they couldn’t live on beef alone. And whoever owns the cows wouldn’t be too impressed if they started killing them.
Even though their situation appeared better than other places, Dawson appreciated how precarious it actually was.
Like the mythological people in England, America, and elsewhere, they were dependent on the kindness of the people in front of them.
And if these guys reacted the way some humans had, they were fucked.
A blue-skinned soldier stood. He pointed at the castle in the distance. Dawson wasn’t sure if he was talking to the other soldiers or to them; either way, it didn’t matter as Dawson didn’t understand.
The blue-skinned soldier pointed at them with one of the tentacles that seemed to come out of his back and at the castle with a different one.
“I think he wants us to go to the castle…which makes sense. If we are going to make an agreement, we should do it with their king.”
Brett glared at him.
“It might be a queen,” Katrina muttered.
“It’s not going to make any bloody difference if we can’t understand them,” Dawson snapped.
“No one is going anywhere,” Brett said. “We just want some water and food, and then we will leave you guys alone. We don’t want any trouble, and I’m sure they’ll send a boat to pick us up as soon as things settle down.”
The human-looking soldier pointed at them and then at the castle.
Dawson nodded. Nothing in the agreement said he needed to listen to Brett, who was clearly not listening to the people who lived on the island. Dawson tapped his chest and then pointed at the castle and continued nodding like he understood exactly what was going on.
The blue-skinned soldier smiled and motioned for him to come closer and then at the grass as if wanting him to sit.
Brett turned to him. “You are not in charge. I make the calls, and we are not going to the castle. That was not what I volunteered for.”
“We volunteered to make contact and sort out food and water, and if that involves going to the castle, that’s what I’m going to do,” Dawson said.
Katrina nodded. “I agree with Dawson.”
She tapped her chest and pointed at the castle.
Together, they walked over and sat on the grass near the other blue-skinned soldier, who offered them a cup of tea with a three-fingered hand. If it was a hand, given that the fingers seemed to be small tentacles. He caught himself staring and looked away.
Up on the platform, people were still watching.
Brett crossed his arms. “I’m not going to the castle.”
“Then you should go back up to the platform and tell management that Katrina and I are going.”
“What about the water?” Brett frowned. “Without that, we’ll die in a couple of days.”
Dawson shook his drink bottle. “Water.” He pointed at Matt and Joe in the distance. “Okay?” He nodded and smiled, not sure why he was suddenly the interpreter when he didn’t speak any second language fluently, and some of his English teachers at school would say he didn’t even speak English.
There was another rapid discussion, which involved pointing at both Matt and Joe and then to the platform. A couple of the soldiers shrugged.
The blue-skinned one, who’d given him the cup of tea, pointed at the water bottle and at Matt and Joe and nodded.
“There you go. You now have approval to collect water for the platform.” Dawson took a sip of the tea.
He wasn’t sure what it was made of, but it tasted okay, and since the others had all been drinking it, including the one who appeared to be human, it probably wouldn’t kill him.
And given a choice, he’d rather death by tea than death by dehydration.
“You’re serious about going to the castle?” Brett asked.
“Why not? I’ve got nothing better to do.” He took another sip of the tea.
“Katrina? You don’t know what they’re like. It could be dangerous.”
“I’ve been a medic on oil platforms for five years.
I know exactly how dangerous people can be.
And as rations are cut, I can’t imagine tempers are going to improve.
I’ll take my chances. But thank you for your concern.
Please make sure you include it in your report to management.
” She lifted the wooden cup and took a drink.
“Fine. How long before we send out a search party?”
Dawson glanced at Katrina. “We were stuck up there for ten days, so give it another ten? By then, you should have a pump hooked up to the stream, and hopefully, there’s fish for you to eat.”
“God, I hate fish,” Katrina said. “I hope they eat beef in the castle.”