Hands of Fate - Survivors of Flight AA214

Chapter 7

Bianca - Day 2 of Landing

With a stick, Orion drew the rectangular foundation outline and support beams for the hut we were going to build on the flat area of dirt and grass we had picked out close to the beach. Slate had deforested a sizable chunk of land while we were eating and making plans by the campfire, leaving a pile of logs neatly stacked in a designated stockpile. There would be four log beams dug into the ground in each corner and four more support beams to complete the rectangular shape. Once the shape was clear in my mind, I used a Build card for the hut and placed it over the area. Slate would chop the logs into uniform sizes and plant the support beams in place.

After Orion suggested adding rafter beams across the top of the hut, Slate held still while Orion and Cass mounted the golem’s back and shoulders to tie the rafters to the foundation beams. Meanwhile, Alex and I gathered flat banana leaves to use for flooring and roofing. Slate watched Orion carefully tile the roof with the leaves, placing the long, waxy sides on top to shield against potential rain while the fuzzy sides rested across the roof grids. I asked Orion if we should make walls, but he told me we wouldn’t be able to finish by today.

Slate had become a literal machine, tiling the roof one after another like an assembly line. We all rushed to gather and hand him more leaves, venturing further into the forest as we stripped the nearby bushes bare. Orion and Cass built a fire pit just outside the hut and transferred the beach fire to the new campfire.

Exhausted, we rested on the floor of our new temporary home while Slate continued to double-layer the roof, making sure it was waterproof. The fire blazed in the forefront with the beach in view ahead of us.

“A light breeze would blow this thing over,” Orion said. “I don’t know anything about making a house.”

“I think it’s great,” I beamed. It was amazing what we---or mostly Slate---had accomplished in such a short time.

“I’m hungry,” Alex said. “I could go for more of those oysters.”

“I think they’re clams. We’ll need another source of food. Umm...” I hesitated, knowing Orion was stuck on Alex’s name and didn’t want to embarrass himself.

“Alex,” Alex said with a smile.

“Sorry, did you find anything in the forest while you were gathering those leaves?” Orion asked.

“I think I saw a few birds, they looked like turkeys. Mushrooms too, and berries.” Alex said.

“Can you round up some of those berries and mushrooms? Leave any of the red or purple mushrooms alone, just the brown ones. I’ll go catch those birds.”

“I’m beat. Can’t you just get those oysters again?” Alex asked.

“You might get a class,” Orion said. I rolled my eyes. This was how Orion always got Cass and Alex to do something he wanted. They still hadn’t met the strange card dealer yet. Alex sighed and got up. I could see the sweat stains darken the back of his shirt and armpits. All of us smelled of body odor and were drenched in sweat. We would need a bath soon and new clothes. Great, just another thing to worry about.

“Can I come with you?” Cass asked Orion, who holstered the obsidian knife he carried in his belt.

“Sure, just stay close and don’t make a lot of noise,” Orion said while straightening his clothes as he started to depart. Orion picked up the leaf bucket I made yesterday and handed it to Cass. Cass also holstered the knife Slate made him, like his brother.

“Come back before nightfall,” I told them.

“What are you going to be doing?” Orion asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll wash up and boil some more water,” I said, though honestly, I planned to make Slate do it while I lay down.

“Okay, but make sure you have Slate working to clear the area of those trees I told you about. Leave the bushes standing, just harvest the leaves. We’ll need more leaves and logs for tomorrow.”

“Jeez, can you relax for one second?” I said rubbing my head in stress.

With the nag gone, I ordered Slate to fetch water while I went to wash myself on the beach. I took off the hoodie Orion gave me, my shirt, and my top, and took a swim. When I came back, I realized I had no towel to dry myself and instead used Orion’s hoodie before putting on my clothes. I had an idea, and after Slate returned with the water pot, which I placed on the fire to start boiling, I made a drying rack.

Drying Rack

Quality F

Will dry clothes and food 5% faster

Food, huh? Orion’s gonna love that. I wonder what’s taking those guys so long. As I waited for their return, two figures appeared on the distant horizon which was now in full sunset, the sky turning dark hues of orange and gray. They spotted the fire in front of the hut, and I could hear distant shouting. I waved to them after seeing their modern-world clothing.

“I can’t believe we found another survivor,” the young woman gasped as she approached.

Her midnight hair was damp with sweat, and her copper skin glistened. The weather was fair, so she must have been running. The couple both looked like they were in their early 20s, though they both seemed more mature and older than Alex and Orion. So far, all the people I have met were in their early twenties or late teens. Then it hit me, and I realized why. It was the flight from Florida back to New York on the last day of March Break. We must have all been students vacationing or visiting family during the break from school or college.

“I’m Ethan Tran,” the young man introduced, adjusting his black-rimmed eyeglasses.

“I’m Anika Sharma,” the young woman introduced, bowing slightly. “It’s so nice to meet another survivor.”

They both nodded in agreement. Wanting to break the silence that followed, Ethan spoke up first looking around at our newly built shelter. “How did you make all this yourself, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“My name is Bianca, Bianca Crestwood. I have a lot to explain, but before I say anything, please do not scream if you see a rock golem.”

Ethan was in denial and straight-up hysterical when I explained everything to him. His previously calm voice and demeanor erupted into expletives and frantic pacing. Anika just stared in quiet observation, watching the golem hack away at another tree and carry it to the stockpile.

“Look... it’s hard to explain and I don’t expect you to just believe me, but... well, trust me,” I reassured them.

“You say there’s another one of you that can... do this special ability?” Anika asked.

I nodded.

“And this is another planet?” Anika reiterated our whole story so far.

“That’s what Orion and Cass say, but I’m not sure. They mentioned something about the sky being different at night,” I shrugged.

“There’s no scientific basis for that rock creature there. How does it move exactly? Its joints aren’t even properly attached,” Ethan said. “And magic cards? You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re in some kind of simulation; it’s the only explanation.”

“Hmm, where I woke up, there were animals and plants I’d never seen before. A blue seabird that doesn’t resemble any animal I know of and several species of fish and mollusks that seem like they evolved differently from anything on Earth,” Anika pondered aloud and glanced at the sky, her eyes widening as the moon revealed itself in the growing darkness, "No way."

“It’s a simulation. It’s not real,” Ethan insisted, denial evident on his face as he followed Anika's gaze.

“We're clearly somewhere not of Earth. I just don’t believe in the simulation theory. The amount of processing power needed to maintain such a universe is beyond what humans could come up with. We might have entered a wormhole,” Anika speculated, rubbing her chin.

“A wormhole? Our plane just happened to enter a wormhole? Do you know how crazy that sounds?!” Ethan argued, looking dizzy and on the verge of collapse.

“If what Bianca says is true, there’s no way we could have survived out at sea for an entire day without realizing it. Some space and time must have been altered for it to happen,” Anika reasoned.

“Can I ask what you guys studied in school? You’re college kids, right?” I asked.

“I’m a chemistry major,” Anika said still examining the moon.

“I’m in medical school,” Ethan answered.

“Cool, so we have a doctor and a chemist. That’s perfect,” I said, already thinking about potential medical emergencies.

“I’m not a doctor yet,” Ethan corrected.

Anika wandered around the hut, examining the construction. She stared at the pile of discarded shells, our pots full of boiled clean water, and our stockpile of leaves, wood logs, sticks, string, rope, and vines.

“It’s good you saved these,” Anika said, pointing at the seashells and empty clam shells. “We’ll need them. We also need charcoal. Where is the rest of the group?”

“Orion and Cass are hunting, and Alex is gathering berries and mushrooms,” I said.

“Three people seem a bit excessive for food alone. We can survive without food for weeks, but I guess you have your reasons,” Anika commented.

“Cass doesn’t really count. He’s just a little kid who always follows his brother,” I explained.

“And what about you?” Anika asked, examining a pot.

“I was, umm... well, I was waiting for you guys,” I stammered, still feeling sick from yesterday. “We get new arrivals all the time apparently, so we needed someone to stay here and welcome them. And oh... I was boiling water, yeah...”

“Thank god you did. I would have run away if I saw that thing,” Ethan said, pointing towards Slate.

Anika nodded and put down the pot. “You guys have done an amazing job so far. I think next, we need to build a kiln to make charcoal and better pots. We also need some seaweed and more seashells.”

I nodded, thankful for her help. “What do we need those for?”

“Charcoal is a good fuel source and can filter water. We can also use it to write and make ink. Seashells can be used to make lime, and seaweed can make baking soda and other things like soap,” Anika explained as she sat on the leaf flooring, her legs crossed and her chin resting on her palm. When Anika mentioned soap, I thanked god she was here.

We sat around, talking about our lives before the crash and our school life and part-time jobs, to the sounds of Slate thumping on trees in the background with his new stone axe. Anika was working as a pharmacist intern with plans to work in the pharmaceutical industry, and Ethan was preparing to enter his residency. When I asked if Ethan and Anika were a couple, they both flat-out denied it, saying they had only met on the plane today (though it felt like yesterday to them), sitting next to each other. Then Ethan raised an important question.

“It’s really dark out there. Are you sure those guys aren’t lost? Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Ethan asked.

“I, uh... well...” I wondered what was holding them up.

The sun was nearly set when finally, someone came out of the woods with a basket full of berries and mushrooms and a gash across his leg. Alex winced as he entered the hut, mildly startled by the new arrivals, and made light introductions before clutching his leg. His pants had a red mark and a tear through the shins.

“Geez, are you alright?” I asked, examining his wound.

“Some stupid boar. I tried to take it on one-v-one, but it gored me before running off,” Alex gasped, gritting his teeth.

Ethan came over, looked at the wound, and said, “This will need stitches and probably antibiotics.”

“I’ll just grab some from my cabinet, doctor,” I joked, which Ethan and Alex didn’t find too amusing.

“Come by the fire so I can take a look at it. Do you have any needle or string?” Ethan asked, his serious and professional demeanor returning.

“We don’t have anything except for seashells and leaves,” I said, now seriously worried for Alex.

A frown crossed Ethan’s face as he shrugged as if accepting he had no other choice. He grabbed a long obsidian stone and placed it into the fire. Wrapping some string around the other end to hold, he dipped it into the blazing embers.

“No way! You’re not getting that thing near me!” Alex protested.

“We have to cauterize the wound. I don’t have a needle and string here,” Ethan explained.

“It’ll heal on its own!” Alex insisted, but Ethan shook his head.

“I won’t force you, but the wound will fester and get infected. It won’t heal properly without stitches. Out here, we don’t have any antibiotics. Worst case, you’ll need to amputate your leg. That’s if we even get out of here. I don’t think I’m gonna find a hacksaw in that pile of rocks,” Ethan said calmly, still focused on the rod of obsidian.

“Will it hurt?” Alex asked.

“Like hell,” Ethan nodded, not looking at Alex.

“Oh god. This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen,” Alex cried in disbelief.

“Alex, he’s right,” Anika said. “We have nothing out here. You need to close it up, we have no soap or alcohol. It's just a disaster waiting to happen.”

Ethan handed Alex a piece of wood. “What’s this for?” Alex whimpered.

“Put it in your mouth and bite on it. I’ll need you to hold him still, Anika and Bianca,” Ethan instructed grimly.

“Oh god,” Alex sighed, putting the wood in his mouth and accepting his fate.

The cries, whimpers, and smell of searing flesh were something I wished I could forget as Anika, Ethan, and I held Alex to the ground. He writhed like he was having a seizure in our embrace. Alex’s eyes rolled back in their sockets, and his body shook. He spat out the piece of wood and gave a blood-curdling shriek. I watched Ethan finish, his eyes flashing blue for a split second before a card appeared in his palm. The card, “Anesthetic Touch,” depicted a doll with X’s over its eyes and an S near the top. The card shimmered before Ethan tapped it.

Alex went out like a light, his body going stiff as a log and flattening on the leaf floor. We all let out a deep breath as we released the now-unconscious Alex, and Ethan finished cauterizing his wound and then boiled some water to clean the wound with a makeshift bandage. Leaves were wrapped around Alex’s shins and tied with string.

As we sat around Alex’s unconscious form, trying to regroup from the ordeal, two more people emerged from the darkness. Orion had the carcass of a red-feathered bird hanging by its leg in one hand and a knife ready in the other. Little Cass was by his side with a basket full of herbs, his wide eyes taking in the scene.

“Did we miss anything?” Orion asked, eyebrows raised.