The Comet

Jacob and Elsteba sat in the shade of the one and only tree that was on the beach. They waited for Amorak to return from the island. After a while Elsteba spoke “do you think we should go find him” “I don’t think he wants us to” Jacob replied. Athelia nodded “that young man has a lot on his mind.” They were quiet for a while longer watching the tide roll out.

“well, I believe that our first priority should be securing an adequate food and water supply, seeing we are in a survival situation.” Gammon said pointing to the lowering water. “our greatest food source is the ocean right in front of us, we must prepare a way to catch some food so that when the tide comes in we can effectively catch enough food for the entire party. That just leaves the freshwater…what do you suppose we do master Jacob?” gammon asked facing Jacob.

Jacob watched the waves and then looked back toward the sparse forest of tropical trees behind him. “Gammon, you and Elsteba go find a source of fresh water, me and Athelia will try and make something to catch some fish.” The hologram nodded and then floated over to Elsteba, “follow me miss Elsteba, and keep a good look out for running water, or anything else that might be useful” she stood up and followed the hologram out into the light. His features faded but he still was faintly visible.

Athelia immediately began to offer suggestions about different ways to catch fish, “Athelia, how do we catch fish when all we have readily available are tall grasses and small sticks?” she was quiet for a moment. “Well we could always weave a net if the tall grasses are strong enough.” Jacob nodded. It sounded like a good idea. He needed to test the grass.

Elsteba and gammon patrolled the shores for evidence of any small streams that emptied into the ocean. After a quarter mile trek through the beach sand they found a small stream. As they neared several rocks seemed to raise themselves on eight legs and move toward the ocean very quickly.

“stand back Miss Elsteba!” gammon warned, they soon disappeared and gammon let her come forward. “now we follow it to the source! There it will be freshest.” He said beginning to travel up towards the interior of the mainland. The trees got thicker though Elsteba would hardly call them trees, she had seen a few trees before but they were nothing like these, they were more like Giant ferns. Eventually the stream led them to a pool at the bottom of a rocky outcropping.

“I calculate that this is only 500 lengths from where we started.” Gammon stated “what’s a length?” Elsteba asked, “it is approximately the length of your body. We need to return to Jacob and see how we can transport this water back to the camp.” Elsteba sighed More walking, walking was so slow! She should have asked if they could take Jacobs hover sail.

The net ended up more like a large spherical basket of sticks and grass, half Jacobs height. The grass was not strong enough on its own to hold wriggling fish. Jacob was forced to improvise, every now and then Athelia would offer some advice but for the most part she watched satisfied with his design. “now we need some bait.” He said frowning. “you could try the fruit in those trees, there is also a rotting log that might provide some good bait.” Athelia answered. “we’ll do both, the more there is the more fish we catch right?” Athelia bobbed up and down “ I am unsure what the fish of this planet find attractive, but it’s worth a try.”

Jacob bent down over the rotting log and split it open easily with his hands. Many strange creatures crawling and slideing through the decaying tree matter. He cringed for a second and then picked up an entire section of the log and placed it in the basket. He then picked up several fallen orange oval fruit that where slightly mushy and threw them in as well.

Jacob picked up the basket and carried it out to the beach closely followed by Athelia. He found a place in the rocks where the tide would soon cover , that would keep the basket in place. His idea behind the basket was that fish would swim into the basket to eat and leave when they were done but as soon as he tilted the basket up any fish inside would be unable to escape. Now all there was to do was to wait.

On the way back to the shade of the trees, he saw gammon and Elsteba returning. “we found some water” She reported pointing back towards the way they had come. “about 500 lengths from here.” Jacob nodded. “Master Jacob, how will we transport the water.” Gammon asked. Jacob looked around, “I don’t know, for know we will just have to take trips between here and there to get drinks.” “what about Aquatic Pathogens?” Athelia asked sounding concerned. “Gammon did you scan the water?” Jacob asked quickly “no” he replied “go back and scan the water, we need to make sure the water is drinkable as it is.” Gammon nodded and began his trip back to the pond.

“as for us” Jacob said a little tired. “we need to make a fire and some shelter.”
As Jacob and Elsteba worked on making a fire, gammon returned and reported that the water was safe. The tide began to roll back in and Soon they were all working, Jacob had sent Athelia to go see if they could find Jacob, to see if he wanted anything to eat, He and Elsteba where making shelters, and keeping a small fire going.

A thing Jacob found slightly Strange about Elsteba was that she knew a lot, a lot about fishing and building and other things to do with survival she just never had done any of it. it Prodded him into asking whether or not she had ever been out in the wild. “no” she replied “all the places like this are preserves on my world, hardly any one is let into them.” it boggled Jacob that a place could be so dominated by technology.
His world had very high technology but he had always been able to do things on his own without the aid of Machines. His world may have been a war torn waste but he still had done things mostly on his own.

When the water line on the beach seemed at its highest, Jacob ran out to the basket trap and rolled it until the hole faced the surface. Struggling to lift the slightly wiggling basket he made it back to shore and tripped spewing a large quantity of fish across the beach. He Raced to pick up the fish closest to the water, but was less concerned about the ones farther away.

Jacob always had a knife with him and so began the laborious task of gutting all the fish, he kept the entrails hoping to use them as more bait. Elsteba watched With a slightly interested gaze.
“you find this Entertaining?” he called finishing with the last fish. “No, I’ve just never seen it done before.” “You’re going to be seeing a lot of it.” Jacob said grimly. He took the fish carcases to the fire and then hung them over the fire on the newly made rack. They had breakfast, even though it was closer to noon.

Athelia and gammon returned reporting they could not find Amorak. Gammon Began a tale about how They had found his tracks but the trail ran cold Athelia scolded Gammon for thinking like they had been hunting Amorak. “not hunting no, Tracking” Gammon Said defending himself. The whole argument caused Both Elsteba and Jacob some laughs but they both where a little worried.

As they day wore on, the spent more and more time under the shade of their newly build shelters. They were insubstantial and small due the fact they had used up all the materials around to make them but they served their purpose. Jacob dosed off several times into a dreamless sleep. Every time he woke he found the sun had sunk only a few degrees. The day was proving more and more boring. Before the tide pulled out for the last time that day, he made sure the basket trap was up so that the fish inside would be trapped for later but still fresh.

Elsteba Didn’t sleep, she was too worried. Too worried about Amorak, too worried about survieing on this world. As the day grew ever closer to Night she grew more and more restless. Until finally she could stand it no longer she got out of her shelter and stepped over to his. “Jacob!” she said prodding his shoulder lightly. “hmm?” He mumbled rolling over and opening his eyes. “we need to find Amorak.” She said almost pleading. Jacob Sat up, he knew she was right, it would be getting dark soon. “ok, Let’s go.” He said getting to his feet.

He started up his hover Sail and they Flew over to the island. Where they scanned the Beach but found no sign of him. They called his name and Flew over the dense tree tops close to the center pinnacle of the island. No responses to any of their calls. All was silent and empty. The sun began to set and they were forced back to the main land.

They waited till the sun went down, and then they roasted and ate some more fish. Soon the moon rose, Elsteba watched it in wonder. It was a very large moon, Jacob noted this earlier, which explained why the tides came so often. The Moon on his world was much smaller and farther away.

Suddenly Amorak strode into the firelight, without a word and took a fish that was on a stick from the fire and began to eat. Elsteba immediately questioned where he had been, he didn’t answer, he didn’t even look in her direction. As soon as he had his fill he went straight to his shelter. Both Jacob and Elsteba exchanged worried looks but didn’t Question any further.

Before the moon was directly over head, they all were asleep. Except Amorak he stared out at the moon with almost a hateful glare his eyes reflecting a sad tone of color. Suddenly he felt something, he wasn’t quite sure what but he knew something was coming. He noticed a new star light in the sky. Brigher than all the stars around it. after a while it became apparent that the star was moving slightly and growing larger. Amorak watched it for hours weary of what it might be. at first he thought it would pass by and dissipear but then there was a sudden change of direction it was headed straight for them. he knew then who it was that was comeing.

amorak didn’t feel threatened in the least. There was a loud boom that woke the others as it broke through the atmosphere and Brightened dramatically out shining the moon. “It’s a Comet!” Athelia Shouted “it’s going to impact this Planet! We need to find higher ground!” “no!” Amorak shouted over the Wailing of the wind “we are safe now, safer than we ever have been, this is a good thing! not a Bad thing! i will explain later!” Both Jacob and Elsteba gave him Shocked Looks of unbelife. The roar grew to a deafening volume as the comet soared over head. The heat was just barely felt as it went by and flew farther inland.

For a brief Second there was a light Brighter than 10,000 suns blazing far inland and then it dimmed leaving everyone Blinded for a few moments afterward. Now there was only a faint red light. “hold onto something!” Amorak Shouted dropping to the ground, suddenly a huge Torrent of wind ripped past them sucking the air out of their lungs and ripping up trees and blowing sand from beneath their feet. To Elsteba it seemed the world was being torn apart, she could no longer hold to the ground as it was blowing away, the tree Jacob was clinging to just blew away and Amorak was nowhere to be seen. She let out a scream that was never heard.

When the First light of morning broke over the horizon, the beach was gone. Now in its place was water. Few trees remained though they tilted away from the impact crater which was far over the horizon. The only thing remotely familiar was the island. Though stripped of trees it was still enact. Near the shore lay Amorak his arms clinging tightly to Jacob and Elsteba. All three were still unconscious.