"So, why are we meeting?" Collin asked the smartly dressed Air Marshal, who cleared his throat in preparation to clarify the situation to all those currently crowding around him.
"You are all presently gathered because, as best as I can tell, you are all the most crucial individuals to this group's survival, possessing either skills or aplomb needed to corral the five hundred or so civilians who chose to board North Pacific Ocean Flight 119."
It was a fair enough assessment, though, Collin questioned his judgment in the case of Jonah. The shifty eyed lad, while certainly admirable in how he'd conducted himself so far under pressure, still felt awfully unreliable to the veteran boxer. All his life he'd known people who saw life as their game to win, and he'd be damned if Jonah didn't give off that vibe in spades throughout the short time Collin had known him.
Of course, Collin's disapproval was obvious to see, especially for the one it was directed at.
"I see somebody isn't all too happy with your choices. That's quite the subtle scowl you're wearing, Mr. Merriweather." Jonah jested while fiddling with his knife.
"Merriweather? Wait, oh my… you're Megaton Merriweather!" Blake nearly shouted, only Clarice's quick hands over his mouth muffling his excitement. After a few seconds passed, she withdrew, and he got ahold of himself.
"Err, sorry. It's just, well, my kids are big fans of you is all..." Blake clarified, rubbing his scalp nervously.
"I see." Was Collin's simple, tact reply. He had nothing against fans, quite the contrary, he greatly appreciated them. He just never knew how to act in their presence was all.
"Can we please get back on track," Florence huffed.
"My apologies for allowing the matters at hand to become sidetracked." Kaleb said, before straightening his tie. "As I was saying, there's roughly five hundred people onboard, and far too little food for the lot of them. Now, I and the staff have already spoken with the civilians, asked around for anyone who'd be willing to miss a meal for the sake of others getting their fill. About one fifth are fine with starving themselves for the foreseeable future, while others have accepted an offer to miss out on an immediate meal... provide they get recompensed for their good will later down the line, preferably after we've found a stable food source. All in all, about two hundred to three hundred people are expecting a meal today, and even with that monster snake Mr. Merriweather and Mr. Dunkel pulled in last night, that's barely enough for a small rationed serving for every needy soul on-board."
"Let's also keep in mind the children," Blake spoke up, looking awfully awkward as he tripped over himself finding the right words, nervousness radiating off his smallest movement. "I mean, that is, its common sense that the children get full meals, more than anyone else, besides maybe the injured. It's humane, it'll satisfy desperate families, and it should keep them quiet. I mean, let's face it, children aren't exactly known for being calm and rational when their belly starts grumbling."
"Fair enough." Florence said, stroking her chin as she thought about the situation. "If anyone on the flight has real leather on hand, I might be able to make a soup or something out of the stuff once I have enough water purified."
"That still only delays the inevitable. Come on folks, it's pretty fucking clear what we need to do!" Clarice said, looking oddly peeved off to Collin.
"...We need to stop wasting time and go exploring already!"
"Captain Ferrell, I understand your impatience, however, moving around so soon after landing would be unwise in my professional opinion. The most sensible thing to do would be to stay by the plane, create a base camp, and carefully wrap our heads around the local geography before sauntering out to parts unknown."
"He's got a point you know," Florence agreed, "maybe we can explore the immediate surroundings? Go at it in big groups, in case there are any more monster snakes, or worse. Because, friendly reminder, the wildlife is crazy around these parts little miss captain."
Jonah erupted into laughter at that quip, in spite of how red Clarice turned.
"Wow, okay, you are really catty today Florence." He chuckled, clutching his chest as it heaved uncontrollably, "and here I thought you got along with Clarice."
"Just annoyed at a stupid suggestion is all." Florence said plainly, looking thoroughly unamused at her fiancée's behavior, her forehead wrinkled and brow furrowed in a way that Collin had only seen in-person on his uncle, usually after Collin had screwed something up.
"Care to elaborate, Florence?" Clarice inquired, starting to look just as, if not more, ticked off than Florence had gotten.
"We don't need to pile more injured people up at the back of the plane for the sake of a gung-ho plan that'll probably fail. No matter how you slice it, if a pro-fighter and my knife nut of a future husband could barely deal with one fish in the pond, what happens when an exploration group runs into a whole school? I wish it weren't so, but odds are, somebody wouldn't be coming back. "
Clarice stomped right over to Florence, arms crossed, eyes narrowing into an apprehensive glare.
"That's only the case if the group is too big. I'm not saying we rush in like a gaggle of brain dead morons. Just five or so people, all volunteers, could probably make some good headway if they were careful!"
"Calm down now, both of you... I see what you are suggesting, Captain Ferrell…" Kaleb considered, adjusting his spectacles as some new plan of attack brewed in his head. "Well, why don't we start off small, and go from there. Collin, you've been awfully quiet, what do you make of Captain Ferrell's suggestion?"
He shrugged.
"A foraging mission, not an exploration mission, that sounds like a good compromise. Going as far as needed to find food, yet staying as close to the plane crash as possible. It's the sort of thing we need to get done, regardless of consequences. Even if a few people get attacked, I'd bet more will end up hurt from the unrest that'd come from five hundred hungry souls all cramped together in overly confined quarters."
"Well, that sounds like an agreeable compromise indeed. Any other thoughts, for or against, or shall I put it to a vote?" Kaleb suggested, with only Jonah speaking up.
"You know, we could just cannibalize the corpses we're storing at the tail end of the plane. There has to be about a dozen or so bodies… and… why are you all looking at me like that?'
Nobody had the heart to even comment on what he'd just said.
"What? Jeeze, forgive me for being practical! What are we even going to do with them?! You all know they'll start rotting sooner or later, right?"
"That is a matter for their families to decide," Kaleb declared, "or me, provided none are present. We are all civilized men and women, cannibalism, or any likewise desecration of the dead, is both out of the question and entirely inappropriate."
"If you insist…" Jonah whined with a hit of theatrical sarcasm, before going back to idly playing with his knife.
Well, looks like I'm better at plans than I thought, Collin observed, as only Florence and Blake voted against his suggestion, with Kaleb abstaining.
The fact that Jonah's blood stained right hand was raised high in agreement was about as surprising to Collin as it was uncomfortable. And not just because the least fit mind amongst them seemed to think he had the right idea…
"Jonah, what the hell are you doing?" Florence questioned her fiancée, looking awfully peeved at him, eyes narrowed in disdain. "You know you'll-"
"Florence, I told the big boy as much when he went rushing off to save that kid." Jonah explained, looking quite enthusiastically at his gleaming, red tinged knife. "It's probably suicide to go too far away from the plane, but then again, last time worked out, might as well push our luck just a bit."
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Spoken like somebody who only cares about what he wants!" Blake said angrily, the mild mannered man's unexpected fury startling every last one of them. "Listen to your woman, she's trying to stop you from getting yourself killed."
"Butt out, co-pilot. I'm in the mood to hunt something, so why don't you just shut it and let me do my thing."
"Actually, you'll be staying with the plane..." Kaleb declared to Jonah's shock and surprise, his mouth agape at the mere thought he'd be missing out on the excitement. "I'll be leading the party, Collin will be going as the most accomplished fighter here, and Captain Ferrell can come along if she wants as a representative of the flight crew. As for the other two, we can gather them from civilian volunteers."
Jonah didn't look angry, look being the key word. Collin could feel him radiating malice, his fingers twitching ever so subtly, his veins bulging more than usual, his breathing becoming rougher, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
Best nip this in the bud. Collin thought, walking over to him and putting a hand on the irate lad's shoulder.
"Calm down. I'm sure the Air Marshal just wants you to stay here so the normal folk will have somebody to protect them. Isn't that right Marshal?"
Jonah looked to him too, expectantly, and Kaleb nodded ever so hesitantly.
"You hardly seem like the most stable person, even so… a test to see how trustworthy you are is in order. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Dunkel?"
Jonah could only bite his tongue at that. With one exasperated shudder the displeasure at this new turn of events melted off of him, and with a fresh cocky grin, he laughed the whole thing off.
"Heh... if you insist..."
***
Collin spend his time waiting like he usually did; by training. Shadow boxing and basic calisthenics by the outside work station they'd built earlier seemed, at least to him, as good as any other way to make ready for their upcoming group excursion. Not to mention it'd actually be productive, keep him in tune with his usual schedule, and so it. It just made sense for him to do, so he did it. Simple logic, effective outcome. Just the way he liked things.
I needed this... he thought, feeling his mind body and soul one more tune up with one another, everything blurring together and getting in synch.
I'm doing the right thing, right? This is best way forwards, right? He asked himself those questions as he relaxed the only way he knew how.
They need food, and I'm expendable as far as real use goes. I know you probably wouldn't like me risking my life, fair enough, but I need to do what feels right. And, well, this is that.
He was sure his father would understand, he had been the one to teach him right and wrong after all, the importance of following your heart, and sticking to one's conviction. Although he couldn't help but feel his uncle's voice in the back of his head, nagging him about what a brain dead move this was, not to mention the colossal risk he'd be putting himself in.
It'd be just like him to say that, the massive fucking hypocrite, Collin thought, taking care to renew his breathing exercises at that stray thought, pivoting back to an immediate calm.
"I don't think I've seen you get flustered before." Florence mused as she came down the emergency exit ramp, empty makeshift water vessels in tow, ready to be refilled. "Good to know the famous 'Megaton Merriweather' has his rough spots like the rest of us."
"If you're trying to make small talk, drop that subject right now," Collin insisted in a harsher tone than he'd intended. "It's best not to speak about matters you don't understand."
"Excuse me?" Florence questioned him, for which he stopped his exercises, turning to face her.
"You've never seen me fight, you've never seen me pushed. I don't just do this for fun. My routine keeps me balanced, keeps my mind healthy, and keeps my soul on the right path. If I don't watch where I am, bad things happen."
"You're being a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Florence said. When she didn't get a response, she did her best to shrug it all off.
"Suit it yourself."
It does suit myself, he thought, wrapping up his exercises as best as he still could, far better than how I used to act.
"It is good to see you ready for our imminent excursion, Mr. Merriweather." Boomed the dulcet voice of Kaleb Jones as he looked down upon the pair from the emergency exit doorframe.
Collin looked around at his surroundings as the Air Marshall descended from the ramp. The midday light was still bright enough to move around in, though the inability to actually see the sun through the thick fog bank that covered the swamp didn't sit right with Collin.
Without any clocks, any knowledge of the seasons, we don't have an accurate read on time. Ugh, that could end up being a real headache somewhere down the line...
"So long as we leave and return in quick order, I don't imagine we'll have any problems."
"Agreed, Mr. Merriweather. It doesn't look like there's anything dangerous lurking around. Though, looks can be deceiving, and we can't see what's under the swamp waters. So... there's no real telling what manner of creature might be squirming about beneath our feet."
"Well then, you two'll just have to hope we don't run into anything too dangerous, won't you boys?" Florence quipped, and Collin turned to her in surprise.
"We?"
"I don't know too much about toxicology, but I certainly know more than anyone else here about chemical reactions and harmful substances." She said, matter of fact, looking somewhat proud of herself. "You can be killed by a lot more than some big beast in a swamp. Suppose something small bites you under the water, suppose you wander too near to a pocket of toxic gasses, or try to bring back poisoned food and end up wasting everybody's time? What then?"
Collin looked to Kaleb, who seemed more than pleased by this impromptu arrangement.
"It's well enough that you want to come, I could only find one brave soul possessing both useable skills and the will to risk their own safety after I'd finished explaining the dangers we may face on this excursion. Better to have one man who understands the risks, who will conduct themselves under stress, than ten do-gooders who lack proper understanding of the situation."
"Speaking of the away-team roster... Kaleb, I hope you don't me asking, but who exactly is this mystery man you've booked in for our little excursion into lands unknown?" Florence asked before Collin got the chance to, a course of conversation Kaleb had surely been expecting, because he didn't miss a beat when giving his reply.
"An accomplished mountaineer, wilderness explorer, trail trekker, forest dweller, and survivalist aficionado. Every question I threw at them regarding their outdooring expertise they answered instantly, and with professional insight into every last detail of every last topic. He calls himself 'Tantoo', and apparently he runs some manner of outdoor exploration blog. While I can only imagine he's volunteering despite the danger in a bit to earn fame and exposure once this mess is behind us, he does seem completely understanding of the peril we may face, and I for one would rather him than the likes of Mr. Jonah Dunkel by our side should something go wrong out there..."
Collin figured that made sense. At least, from the way Kaleb of all people was speaking about this 'Tantoo' fellow.
I wonder... what manner of person are they...
Collin supposed he'd get his answers when it was time for them to head out. Until then, he cleared his mind, relaxed his body, controlled his breathing, and got back to his calisthenics routine...