Hello! Yes, this is what you think it is, a Sailor Moon casting of "The Island Of Doctor
Moreau." Like with my sister's DBZ cast, I couldn't resist the obvious rhyming of Moreau to
Tomoe. This will be a little more in depth than hers though, for various reasons. Also, there will
be more swearing; you have been warned. First, the disclaimers:
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, DiC, Pioneer, and Cloverway, in that
order, none of whom are me.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau belongs to H.G. Wells and his descendants(if any), also not me.
_This_ is emphasis, and *this* is thought.
Now, let us begin...
******************************************************************************
The Island Of Dr. Tomoe
by Scorpinac
Chapter 1: Journey To A Strange Land
Where do I begin? I suppose I could tell you my name. I'm Rini Shields of the New York
Shields. Yep, I'm from a rich family; well, sorta. Even my family didn't come through the crash
of '29 too well. I'm rambling, sorry. Let me start over.
As I said, I'm Rini Shields, and I was born in 1931. In April of 1940, my parents, Serena
and Darien Shields, along with me and my nanny, Trista Meioh, went to Europe for a vacation.
Everything seemed okay, but the continuing aggression of Mr. Hitler's Nazis got mom real
nervous, so dad decided to take us home early, in June instead of August. From what I
understand, the Nazis are trying to unite all of Europe into one country and, personally, I think
it's a good idea. When I told Trista, she said it's not a bad one, but that Mr. Hitler and the Nazis
are doing it wrong. When I asked why, she said something about purse-a-cutting Jews, whatever
that means.
Dad booked us passage on the H.M.S. Millennium, and we began heading home on June
6. As whoever is reading this account can plainly guess, we never reached New York harbor. On
June 8, four days away from New York, everything went bad. I was out on deck, watching the
sea, when members of the crew started shouting about something coming toward us. Trista said
we should get back to our cabin, and then suddenly everything was shaking, the whole boat!
Somehow I managed to hold onto the railing, and when it all stopped, I could _feel_ the boat
tipping forward.
Everyone started dashing everywhere, and before I knew it, I'd lost Trista in the crowd.
Everyone was panicking, and that was when I saw it, the mast of a submarine fleeing into the
distance. As my readers are no doubt aware by now, the Millennium was sunk by a "U-boat"
belonging to the Germans. But this point has naught to do with my story.
As everything seemed to be going crazy, I tried to find my way back to my nan, or my
parents. But then I was pushed, hard, and fell backwards. The next thing I recall is lying on my
back on an empty seat of a lifeboat that had begun lowering a few moments before. Only two
other people, both grown men, were in the boat with me; one was a sailor, and one looked to be a
passenger, like me. And from what I could see, they had begun lowering the lifeboat without
waiting for anyone else to get on!
They glanced at me only passingly as they got the boat to the water and then untied the
big ropes holding it to the Millennium. Afraid they would hurt me or worse, I chose to stay still
where I was, and wait for another lifeboat to come around and join us. And then another man up
above tried to leap from the quickly sinking Millennium to our lifeboat, but caught his foot on
something, it looked to be a rope loop, and his head smashed against the side of the ship, where
he then lay stay still forever.
As it happens, as unlucky as it was for him, it was just as lucky for the three of us in the
boat he did not make it, and perhaps just as lucky for him, now I think about it. I will explain in a
moment why I say this, but first I must now say that, sadly, my two companions then decided not
to wait for anyone else to try and make the boat, and proceeded to row us away like the cowards
they truly were.
Then, as if God sought to punish us all for vacating our fellow man, a storm suddenly blew
up from I know not where. When it finally stopped, our craft was a quarter to half full of rain
water, and neither the remains of the Millennium, nor any other lifeboats with survivors, were
anywhere in sight. We three were adrift and alone...and now I truly feared for myself.
My companions began to bail out the water with their hands, and I decided to risk moving
in order to help them, and in due course pulled off my small shoes to use them as scoops, which is
how I came to lose them when the boat suddenly rocked, scaring me and making me drop them
into the briny depths.
Once the water level was down to merely a few centimeters deep inside the boat, my
companions examined what supplies we had with us, and found we had no food, and only one
canteen of water, and not a very big one, either. Hence why I say it was lucky the person who
sought to become the fourth member of our small group never made it - though I suppose that is
a little selfish. But, as I hope to bring you to see, I would soon have reasons a plenty to think of
only myself.
As we floated onward, not knowing where we were or which direction to try paddling in
to find land, my two companions began to talk bitterly about how little water we had to drink,
which, at the time, I did not understand, as water was at that very moment around us every way
we looked. Not wanting them to hurt me, and feeling they would just be annoyed with me if I
said anything to them, I stayed on my seat, three more between me and them, and drew my legs
up against me and wrapped my arms around them, staying as quiet and still as I could.
But eventually, as I had to, I found myself growing thirsty, and it was then I finally came
to speak with my only companions at that particular time, as, no one having ever told me before
not to, I went to quench my thirst from the ocean water outside the boat, I still being too nervous
and scared to ask for the canteen. The former passenger must have seen me, as his voice
suddenly traveled to me:
"What are you doing?" I turned timidly to face my two shipmates, finding them both
staring at me with great intent.
"I'm thirsty," I told them. "I was gonna get a drink."
"From the ocean?" the sailor then said. "Is it your intent to hasten your departure from
us?"
"Huh?" I said back. "But...isn't it just water?"
"It's seawater. It'll dry you out even faster than if you just wait for it to happen," I was
told by the once passenger. I stared at them both, trying to decide whether or not I believed
them, and then the sailor picked up the canteen and handed it to me. Deciding not to argue about
it, I took the canteen and put it to my lips, taking three gulps all in one go, and then the sailor
pulled it away again.
"Not too much now," he said. "We need to conserve it as much as possible." So saying,
he took one gulp for himself, and then handed it to my other companion, who also took only one
gulp. I returned to laying quietly on my seat.
Time passed, a day, and then two, then three, then four, and finally our water began to run
low. From my second drink on, I had been allowed but one small gulp at a time, though I was
now no longer so nervous as to keep me from asking for a drink when I really, really, _really_
wanted one. But with our water finally going low, my companions began to return to their true,
greedy selves, and began discussing how to make the last of our water stretch until we found land.
The sailor suggested we draw lots, and the loser be thrown into the sea to the sharks that had
been staying near us for the last two days.
Growing nervous that my companions would finally turn on me and throw me away like
an unwanted toy, I looked around within my immediate reach for something to protect myself
with, and spotted a knife lying on the bottom of the boat - I can only imagine it had been there
from the start - and I grabbed it, tucking it quietly into my dress where I could reach it at a
moment's notice. I doubt now if I would have had the strength to truly lift it to do anything, but I
knew that I would have tried if I'd had to. But as it happens, though, the problem never truly
came up.
One of my companions, the passenger, I think, stated that I could be readily ignored as I
didn't require as much water as they, anyway, and the two continued to argue for what felt a
great while, and then they took some buttons for lots from the passenger's shirt, marking one to
be different from the others, and the sailor insisted that I draw too, so reluctantly I did.
The sailor drew the marked button, which I must regretfully say I took relief in as my
selfishness had again overridden my manners, but then the sailor turned on the rest of us, refusing
to acknowledge his loss. As he and the passenger argued about it, I quickly returned to my seat
and curled up once again, choosing not to look at them as I now feared them more than ever.
They continued arguing for several minutes, it seemed, before I heard the tremendous splash - one
had gone overboard.
I took a grip on the knife I had procured, prepared to protect my life from my remaining
companion when he came, as I felt certain he soon would, to toss me into the sea as well. But
then I heard _both_ scream in fear and terror, and I looked up to see that not one, but _both_ of
them had fallen out of the boat.
Now, I know I should have tried to make momma and poppa proud of me by trying to
help them both despite what had transpired but moments before, but by the time I saw what had
happened, it was already too late, for as I have said, several sharks had come to swim apace with
us two days before, and even as I watched and what had happened sank in, they made quick of
the meal so freely proffered to them. Mere seconds or moments after I saw the two men in the
water, the sharks had taken them into the deep, never to return.
And now, I was alone.
I don't know how long I sat there just staring at the spot in the water where my
companions had been, but eventually I dropped my weapon, now useless, back to the floor of the
boat, and moved over to where my companions had left the canteen. I looked inside to see how
full it was, which wasn't much as had already been determined, and, feeling thirsty once more, I
regret to say that I then finished off my supply in only four quick gulps right there. Only after I
realized the canteen was now empty did I realize my own mistake, and why my companions had
been so stern about rationing the water to begin with. With nothing else to do, I curled up on the
seat where I was, and just laid still, waiting...
I'm not sure at all how long I sat in my lifeboat, alone in the middle of the vast and
merciless ocean. I know that at least a day, maybe two, went by while I lay there motionless,
praying God would forgive me and send someone, _anyone_ to save me. Within a few hours of
my isolation I realized that, despite my fear of them, I had been welcome of my two late
companions, for now I suffered from a malady as terrible as my ever present hunger and growing
thirst, that of loneliness.
But then my prayers were answered, as I suddenly heard a sound, the loud, piercing wail
of a boat whistle. I tried to move, but my body refused to acknowledge my commands to it. And
my thirst was so bad, I couldn't concentrate on anything but my tummy's constant pleas. And
then, just as I thought for sure I was doomed, I heard something nudge the boat, then something
landing in the boat with a thud. The next thing I recall was hearing a voice near me, as my eyes
had finally begun to lose their focus.
"It's a little kid," someone said. "What's she doing out here all by herself?" I remember
feeling someone lift my arm, and then release it again, my arm dropping limply, and then another
voice:
"Forget her, she's dead," the second person said, sounding very annoyed. "Just toss her
in the drink for the fish!" I then remember feeling something pressing against my neck, then:
"No, she's alive!" the first voice said. "Barely. Let's take her on board, there's still time
to save her."
"What the hell for?"
"Hello! She's just a kid! She deserves a chance for making it this long!"
"And I should care...why?!" The first voice groaned, and there was the sound of
something rustling.
"Four hundred dollars?"
"Fine," then the sound of more rustling of whatever it was, most likely the money
changing hands. "But you have to bring her aboard yourself."
"Fine! Jadeite! Come here and give me a hand!" The last things I remember before
losing consciousness completely was something pressing against my lips, and a face with yellow
hair attached to it...and that it was somehow a thing from my most horrid nightmares.
And then I drifted off into sleep...
When I next opened my eyes, my first thought was that I had come to the gates of
Heaven, and was waiting to be judged by God. Then I saw I lay in a bed inside a rather dingy
looking cabin of a boat. My head lay upon a very comfy pillow, a warm blanket covering my
body. And sitting near me on my right was a lady with blonde hair and orange-gold eyes wearing
a white doctor's coat, black heels, and wire-frame glasses writing something on a pad of paper. I
also noted a sharp pain in my left arm. Before I could look to see what caused it, she saw that I
had awoken, and stopped writing.
"Hey, kid," she said, and I immediately recognized her voice as belonging to the first
person who had come to my rescue in the lifeboat, the one who had paid for my survival.
"Welcome back to the land of the living!" It took a moment, my throat was dry and a bit sore
from not being used for so long, but I finally managed to reply.
"You saved me," I croaked like a frog, "Thank you."
"Hey, no prob!" she said. "I couldn't leave a tough little cookie like you out there to die."
She then batted her eyes over her shoulder to the door leading to the rest of the ship. "Unlike
some people I could name." I then turned to look at my arm, and saw a plastic tube taped to it,
the tube attached to the underside of my elbow by a needle that had been sunk into my arm,
causing the aforementioned pain. On the other end of the tube on a small hook on a stand above
me was a plastic bag full of fluid, which was flowing down the tube into my arm.
"What?" I managed to ask, sounding a little less froggy, but not very much, and she smiled
warmly.
"It's a makeshift IV drip," she said. "That's Intra-Venus fluid drip. You were almost
completely dehydrated when we found you out there, tried to give you some water on the spot,
but you couldn't even swallow, so I threw this together to keep you going till you recovered
enough to take in sustenance on your own." She then got a glass of liquid and offered it to me.
"Want a drink? You sound like a frog."
"Ribbit," I croaked out, and reached for the glass. She moved over and put it to my lips,
and I drank the whole thing rather quickly, I must report. It was something ruby red, with an
interesting flavor that I could not readily identify. When I finished, she refilled the glass, and I
drained it again willingly as she spoke once more.
"Oh, yeah, you were ready for this," she said. "It's a special mixture of my own making,
with lots of important nutrients to help super-charge your system. You should start feeling much
better real soon now."
"Mm, thanks again," I said after I finished the second glass, now sounding _much_ less
like a frog. "Who are you? Are you a doctor?"
"More of a vet," she replied. "I'm Patricia Mimete. What's your name?"
"Rini. Rini Shields," I answered, smiling. I remember my heart singing then: I was alive.
I was alive!
"Rini, that's a pretty name," Ms. Mimete said. "In case you're wondering, you're
currently on board the _lovely_ S.S. Nemesis, a slow moving cargo tug owned and operated by
her captain, Crimson Rubeus. When we spotted you, I had to pay him fifty bucks just to get him
to take the boat close enough to check you out. Currently, we're about three days away from my
little 'island paradise'."
"Can you take this out?" I asked, glancing at the needle still in my arm.
"In a little bit," Ms. Mimete told me. "First I wanna look you over and make sure you're
okay. But right now, I'm thinking you're in the mood for some food, right? They're making
some boiled mutton right now, so I'll go get us some. And I'll see that you get a nice big helping,
okay?"
"Sure, sounds yummy," I said. "Thank you, again."
"Hey, you're welcome," Ms. Mimete said. "Be back in a moment." With that she stood
up and left the cabin. I took the time I waited to carefully sit up and look around my little cabin
properly. As I had noted at my first glance, it wasn't the cleanest place in the world, but it had
served my immediate needs. The only light came from a lantern hanging from the ceiling and the
one small porthole in the port side wall. Around me sat some boxes filled with lord only knows
what, and the chair that Ms. Mimete had sat in. I also noticed then that I was naked, my dress
having gone while I slept, which shocked me no end. The cabin door then began to creak open,
and I shyly pulled the blanket up with my right hand to hide myself. A moment later, Ms. Mimete
entered with our meals on a tray.
"What happened to my clothes?" I asked while Ms. Mimete closed the door and brought
our bowls over and set them on a crate, then pulled out a miniature table that she set up before
her chair, and then pulled out a bed tray that she set before me.
"Oh, I did that," she said as she set a spoon and one bowl of boiled mutton on the bed tray
for me, then set the other on the mini-table and took her seat. "They were a little dirty, so I took
'em off of you and gave them to one of my helpers to be cleaned. I'll go get them later. You just
eat now, okay? Don't worry, I've declared this cabin off-limits to all of the boy persuasion until
later, so it's just us girls." I thought about it for a moment, then let go of the blanket and picked
up the spoon. As soon as the first bite reached my stomach, I began to dig in with relish,
forgetting completely my state of dress.
As I ate, somewhat greedily I must shamefully report, Ms. Mimete ate some of her own
mutton, then rose and took out a stethoscope and other tools, taking a quick listen to my heart -
the metal part felt really cold next to my bare chest - and running some other checks, then took a
gauze pad and pressed it to my left arm where the needle went in to it, and pulled the needle out,
putting a clothespin on the tube to cut the flow of fluids for the time being before hanging it on
the hook for the time being. She then pulled out a cloth bandage and wrapped it around my arm,
telling me I would have to leave it on for at least three hours, and not to try to lift anything heavy
with that arm during that time, not that there was anything I wanted to lift, anyway. She then
returned to her seat and her own meal.
When I finished my meal I looked up to her quietly, once again pulling the blanket up to
cover myself.
"Ms. Mimete," I said, "What's going to happen to me?"
"Oh, just Mimete will do. The Nemesis will pull into an official port four days after they
drop me and my 'entourage' off," Ms. Mimete answered. "I've 'persuaded' Capt. Rubeus to
allow you to remain as a passenger until they get there, and then you'll be put ashore and on your
own. Just go right to the nearest police station, and they should be able to help you get in touch
with your family. You _do_ have a family, right?"
"Yes, I have a momma, a poppa, and my nan," I told her.
"A nan? A nanny? Hey, how'd you get in that lifeboat, anyway? What happened?" she
asked me, and I then told her of how I was going home with my family when the Millennium was
sent to the bottom, of the man who killed himself trying to get to my lifeboat, and of my two
companions who left me to 'befriend' the sharks, and when I was done, Mimete just stared. Then
she finally said, "Wow. You're a tougher kid than I thought. Not many kids your age would
have been able to handle all that as well as you seem to have done, I don't think."
"Thank you, but I was just lucky," I blushed a little. "After all, you did say I nearly died
out there, right? That is what you meant when you said I was almost 'dehydrated'?"
"Uh, huh. You were almost totally dried out," she said, then leaned in and gave me a little
tickle, which made me giggle, as she added, "You were almost Rini the human raisin! Yes you
were."
"So," I said after she leaned back, "When you say you 'persuaded' the Captain to take me
to a mainland, you mean you paid him more money, right? Bought me a late ticket, sorta?"
"Kind of like that, yeah," she replied. "A six hundred dollar 'ticket'. Greedy bastard." I
gasped lightly at her language, and she blinked at me in surprise, then chuckled. "What's the
matter, kid? Haven't you ever heard your momma or poppa or nan swear in earshot of you
before?"
"No, never! It'd be unladylike and uncivilized!" I replied hastily. She chuckled again, a
little louder this time.
"Well, you better get used to it, cause on this craft you're gonna hear a _lot_ of cussing
and swearing before you make it to shore. The Captain himself cusses almost every other word
he says, I swear!" she told me, and I lightly swallowed. Suddenly I was becoming very nervous
about being alone on this craft for four days, with no one for company except a bunch of naughty
mouthed sailors. "Don't worry," she continued calmly. "It won't be so bad. You've survived so
far, haven't you?"
"I guess," I said. "Um, do you think my clothes are clean yet? I'd sorta like to get
dressed now." She got up and removed the tray, then gently laid me back into the bed, tucking
me in almost like mom used to.
"Don't you worry about that," she stated. "I'll go get them later, okay? Right now you
need to just rest, and regain your strength. You wanna be all healthy and well when momma and
poppa and your nan come to pick you up, don't you?"
"Okay," I said. It was then I heard it, or maybe I'd heard it before, and simply not
listened as my tummy had right of attorney. It was a roar, of an animal in a _very_ bad mood! I
let out a tiny gasp of fear and grabbed Mimete's sleeve. "Mimete, what's that?" I asked timidly.
Once more, she just smiled down at me calmly.
"Cougar," she said.
"Cougar?" I blinked. "As in a big, wild, kitty cat?"
"One of the fiercest," Mimete confirmed. "It's one of several animals I'm currently
transporting to the island where I live. Don't worry, it's not gonna break out and eat you, or
anyone else. It's kept locked in a cage, and I have a man on it at all times with a tranquilizer gun.
If it ever gets too rowdy, poof!, nap time!" At the last, she pointed her finger as though it were a
gun, tapping her thumb against it as she pretended to shoot the imaginary tranquilizer into the
cougar. I still felt nervous at the prospect of sharing a boat with a vicious animal, but with
Mimete's reassurances, I tried my best to relax.
It was two days after I came to board the S.S. Nemesis, the bandage on my arm now long
gone, that I managed to get up out of bed and walk around again for a bit, and took a moment to
look out the porthole to see the sea still surrounding the craft I rode in. I felt a little stiff, and had
to wrap myself with my blanket as my clothes had _still_ not been brought back, though I had
also not yet seen anyone other than Mimete. I have to say I thought I was really lucky to meet
her as she seemed so nice. But eventually I wouldn't be so sure.
As I shuffled around a bit to get used to walking again, after all it _was_ the first time I
had walked in many days!, I again heard the sound of the cougar growling and fidgeting
somewhere outside, a sound I had by now actually managed to get used to, though it still made
me nervous, and then came the sound of someone talking. Though muffled and a bit distant, I
quickly recognized Mimete's voice as she spoke to someone else.
Curious - I'm just a kid, remember? - I walked over to the door and opened it a creak to
peek outside. Mimete was standing a short ways away talking with a man with short red hair and
deep brown eyes wearing a sailor's uniform, cap, and black boots, and smoking a pipe. His chin
seemed a little scraggly, and he had this mean look in his eyes. The moment I heard him talk, I
just _knew_ he had to be the one who wanted to just throw me in with the fish when they found
me. I instantly decided I _did not_ like this person.
"...and I told you that they are to be treated with respect! What exactly is your problem?"
Mimete snapped at him. "If I say I want them forward, they will be forward, jackass!"
"It's my friggin ship!" the man snapped back. "An' I'll do whatever I shittin' feel like! I
don't want them damn freaks near the bow!" In case I forgot to mention it earlier, my ears and
cheeks also became quite red due to listening to them right then.
"Hey, we're the passengers, remember?!" Mimete snapped back. "And I expect my
animal cargo to be kept an eye on, so god damn it, I want at least one of my people forward with
the ones that are there!"
"Ask if I give a crap!" the man snapped back. "I'm doing a god damn favor taking you on
board to that island of yours, you know? And I'm really going out of my friggin way to let you
bring that little sea bitch aboard!"
"Hey, that's no way to talk about an innocent child, sir!" Mimete roared, attempting to
look like a ferocious lioness! And a very good job it was, too! Well, it looked convincing to me,
at any rate.
"Who the hell cares if she's innocent or not?!" the man all but screamed. "That brat is a
friggin drag on our supplies!"
"Yeah, well you already accepted payment to take her to the next port, so stuff it!"
Mimete replied. They started to move off then, and I started to poke my head out to take a look
at the ship itself when someone else suddenly popped up in my face. The person was about my
height, or a little bit taller, and was heavily covered up; even his face was covered so all I could
really make out were his eyes and some loose locks of hair. Something about the person seemed
like a boy to me, though I'm not sure what gave him away.
He stared at me as I let out a light yelp of surprise, then stepped back timidly from him.
At first he continued to stare, then shuffled forward in a very odd gait, moving closer to me. I
took another step back, and missed my footing, falling to the ground on my backside.
Unfortunately, in the process the blanket flew open, giving my visitor an unwanted candid view of
myself. However, I quickly pulled the blanket back around me, blushing as I did.
Momma had raised me to be a very decent lady, and I wasn't about to let myself become
one of those 'easy girls' on the street she always groused about. The brief view of my nakedness
must have been enough for my visitor, as he shuffled forward and seemed to sniff at me intently. I
tried to crawl backwards away, but he kept getting closer, sniffing more and more. And then he
reached forward and tried to pull the blanket away from me, and I pulled it around myself even
tighter.
"No!" I screamed, pushing him away, but he nudged himself forward. I cried in protest
again, and again he seemed to ignore me. And then...
"What are you doing?!" Mimete's voice carried across the room. I looked up, as did my
unwanted visitor. Mimete was focused on him at the moment. "Kyusuke! Get your little butt
out of here, now!" she snapped, and he motioned toward me. "No, you can't have her. Scram!"
Mimete repeated herself, and Kyusuke finally left. I sighed in relief, then went to get back up
when Mimete caught my arm and helped back to my feet. "You okay, Rini?" she asked me,
worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "Who was that?"
"Kyusuke, one of my entourage," she said. "You'll have to forgive him, he was probably
just curious about you." She began to walk me back to the bed.
"Sure," I replied. "Um, who were you talking to before?"
"Huh?" she blinked at me.
"Outside, the man with the red hair," I explained. "Who was he?"
"You heard that?" she asked as we reached the bed and I got back in.
"Well, most of the end of it," I told her. "Well? Who was he?"
"Our illustrious Captain, Crimson Rubeus," Mimete finally answered.
"_He's_ Rubeus?!" I exclaimed in a rather unladylike manner.
"Yep," Mimete said. "Like I said, expect to get a big education in the language of cussing
over the next few days. Actually, I would suggest you stay here in the cabin and just keep out of
his, and everyone else's, way while you wait to reach port. It'll probably be best that way." I
thought about that for a moment.
"Okay, you're probably right," I told her. "Hey, Mimete, when you reach your island,
could you maybe send your 'entourage' on ahead with the animals you have while you, um, stay
with me until I get to the port? I don't wanna stay here all alone."
"Oh, I'd love to kiddo," Mimete said. "But my boss is waiting for me on the island, and
he _really_ doesn't like it when I'm overdue. Sorry, but you're just gonna have to tough it out on
your own. Hey, you made it this far!"
"Yeah," I agree quietly. "Um, could I _please_ have my..." But before I could finish,
Mimete pulled out a package and handed it to me.
"Fresh from the cleaners," she said boastfully. "Sorry it took so long, things got sorta
backed up out there." I took the package and opened it to find my fresh, cleaned clothes within,
and smiled happily to my new friend.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I said. I started to take off the blanket to get dressed
at long last, then paused, looking at Mimete. "Um, could you, uh, that is..."
"Trust me, girl, I've already seen everything," she said. "You got _no_ secrets from me."
I stared a moment longer, and then she said, "Alright, I'll turn away if it makes you feel better."
She stood up and turned her back to me, and I took off the blanket and put on my undergarments
and then my dress, which felt really good right then.
"Thank you," I said, and she turned back.
"No prob.," she replied. "Well, I got to go butt heads with the Captain some more.
Really only popped in to give you your clothes back." Smiling she headed back to the door,
stopping only to give one more aside before she exited. "Oh, and just a bit of advice, don't
eavesdrop at doors anymore. Someone might take offense." And with that, she was gone. I sat
back down on the bed, and thought over my new plight. Mimete thought I could handle it, but I
_really_ didn't want to stay on this ship for four days by myself with only Captain Rubeus and
lord knows what sort of ruffians for company.
But as fate was to turn out, I wouldn't have to...
It was the next day, and I'd come out of the cabin to bid Mimete and her friends goodbye
when fate changed my fortunes once again. I awoke that morning to the sound of someone
shuffling around inside my cabin. I rose my head up a notch and saw the boy from before,
Kyusuke, and someone else collecting the boxes sharing my cabin with me, Mimete near the door
directing them.
"Careful!" she cried at them. "Those are _delicate_. You have to be _gentle_. And
speed it up! Rubeus wants us out of here quick as we can." As I watched, the two people picked
up box after box and carried them out, both in the same odd shuffling gait Kyusuke had
demonstrated earlier, until finally the last box was removed and both they and Mimete left the
cabin forever. I rose completely and dressed, I had disrobed for the night as I had, abashedally,
become somewhat accustomed to sleeping nude over the last three days, and walked to the cabin
door and opened it.
Outside, even more ruckus was going on, more of Mimete's curious "friends" moving
boxes and crates somewhere. Among them were a full hutch of rabbits, some leashed up dogs,
which I would later learn were Staghounds, a couple of Llamas, and a few others. Stepping out
of the cabin, I carefully picked my way through the area, and found a small bench out of the way
to sit on while I waited for them all to finish.
While I watched them work, I noticed one man with blonde hair among them who seemed
malformed, and when he turned his face toward me, I was struck with shock and disgust. His
face was twisted and misshapen, almost inhuman, and I felt almost nauseous, yet at the same time
I had a sense of deja vu, as though I had seen this terror before, but could not remember from
where it could be. After awhile it occurred to me that maybe his face was the last thing I had seen
at the time of my rescue before passing out, but it is only a guess.
Some of the sailors on board ship also aided in the offloading of the boxes, crates, and
animals, and I saw a tight little cage containing the Cougar being swung on a tackle over the side.
Deciding to take a chance, I got up and moved to the railing, glancing over to where everything
was being taken, and saw it being loaded onto a small launch boat, meant for short range sailing
only. In the distance I could see Mimete's jungle island, but couldn't make out anything that
looked like somewhere to live from our current distance, so returned my attention to the loading
of the launch.
I counted two more of the odd people who were with Mimete, at least one of whom
seemed to be a woman, I think, and watched as they finished loading up, so full that the five of
them and Mimete had just barely any room to stand in it. One other stood at the launch's wheel,
and then Mimete looked up and saw me for the first time that morning.
"Oh, hey Rini!" she called to me. "Good morning!"
"Morning, Mimete!" I called back. "Are you sure you can't stay with me?!"
"Yes, I'm sure, kiddo," she said. "I gotta get going now. My boss is waiting, and I'm
sure he has someone on the beach waiting to help supervise the transporting of this stuff into our
compound. Good luck getting back with your parents!"
"Thanks!" I said. "I hope we meet again someday!" Mimete suddenly had an expression
of uncertainty, as though I'd said something wrong, then smiled again.
"Sure, maybe," she told me. "Well, goodbye, Rini!"
"Bye!" I waved, and the launch's motor revved to life and it began to putter off toward
the island. I'd been watching it recede for about five minutes when I realized there was someone
next to me. I turned to see the Captain standing to my left, also looking out at the sea. A
moment later he turned and looked at me.
"What the f**k do you want?" he asked me, making me once again pink a bit at his
language.
"Um, hello, Captain, sir," I said timidly. "I'm Rini, the one you picked up in the
lifeboat..."
"I know who the hell you are, you little sea urchin!" he barked. "And that's your name,
Sea Urchin!" I felt very nervous at this, but decided to push bravely forward.
"Um, Captain, sir, where exactly is the next port?" I asked shyly. Just then one of his men
came up behind him, and stared at me with a nasty glint in his eye I _decidedly_ didn't like!
"Bermuda," Captain Rubeus said. "Not that it makes any difference to you, you're not
going!"
"Huh?" I blinked. "But Mimete said..."
"To Hell with that bitch! And all her freak manservants! Didn't like a one of them!"
Captain Rubeus barked.
"Hey, Captain," the sailor spoke up. "Can't we keep her? Me and some of the other men
wanted to have some 'fun' with her, now that bitch Mimete is gone and can't stop us."
"Forget it, I don't want her draining any more of our supplies!" the Captain roared, and
grabbed my arm, very tightly I would like to add, causing me great pain - for a time I was sure
he'd broken it - and he dragged me to the stern where I saw the lifeboat from the Millennium had
been tied to the Nemesis and towed behind it. Later I realized that I could have told him who my
parents were, and that they might give him a reward for having saved me and brought me to shore
alive, but then again, if I had he might also have decided to hold me for ransom, so I suppose it's
just as well I never thought of it at the time.
"Wait, Captain, please!" I cried out in full panic. "I promise not to get in the way! And I
don't eat that much, honest! I swear on my mother, I'll stay in my cabin and be quiet as a mouse!
You won't even know I'm there! Please, I beg you!"
But he didn't listen to me, not one word that I screamed. He instead put me bodily into
the lifeboat, which had regained some of the water that had been previously bailed out of her, and
then pulled a knife and cut the rope holding it to his craft. In shock I watched as he gave orders
to get underway to his men, at least a couple of whom looked at me dejectedly, as though they'd
lost some sort of prize.
"Captain, please!" I cried out once more futilely, "Don't leave me alone out here!!" In
moments, though, alone I was, again. I sat in the lifeboat for I'm not sure how long before I took
a look at what I had available, which can be summed up as the clothes on my back. The knife I
had found in the craft before had long since gone, as had the empty canteen, and I had no oars or
anything else with which to paddle my way to the island. I could have used my hands, yes, but
remember that sharks had begun to trail the lifeboat prior to the untimely ends of my first two
companions, and for all I knew they were nearby still, lying in wait for me to throw myself to
them as well.
The best I can describe my feelings at that moment is that of being a raggedy old doll that
had been thrown away with the trash, like something nobody else wanted, and so I curled up on a
seat and began to bawl at once again being cast into my personal Hell.
But fate was not done with me yet, and I was not as abandoned as I believed. As I
continued to sit there and bemoan my fate, my ears suddenly perked at the sound of a motor, and
I looked to see to my delight the launch coming back to me! As it got up close, Mimete came to
the side, smiling happily.
"Well, I suppose dumping you in the water is better than what he _could_ have decided to
do with you rather than take you to Bermuda," she commented somewhat idly, and I noticed
something was in her hands. "Unfortunately it doesn't change the fact that I have no room up
here for you, so you'll have to ride in on that. Here, catch!" she stated, and tossed part of the
something in her hands to me - a rope!
"Tie that end to the bow of the dingy," she instructed, and began tying the end she held to
a loop at the back of the launch with expert ease. I immediately started tying my end to the small
jut at the front of my boat, but with...less ease. When Mimete finished she glanced at my work,
and instructed me to wrap some of the excess rope around the jut. "Like this," she said, wrapping
some of it around her end in an upward spiral to show me how, then undoing it. I did as I was
told, and when I reached the top of the jut with the rope, bringing us closer together, she leaned
down and took the loose end on my boat and tied it in a last quick knot for me near the top, then
repeated the procedure on her end, binding my small craft tightly and closely to hers.
"Okay, Catsy, take us on in!" she called to the person at the launch's wheel, and it revved
back up and began moving toward the island at a fast clip, dragging me and my lifeboat with it.
"Mimete!" I called up to her, gaining her attention. "Thank you, you saved me again!"
"Hey, don't mention it," she smiled back. "Enjoy the ride, we'll be there in a minute."
"Okay!" I said, smiling myself, and sat back and relaxed as we came up to the island, my
nightmare finally coming to an end.
But what I didn't know was that my nightmare, in fact, had just begun...
******************************************************************************
Next time, Rini meets the rest of the scientist's and "helpers" on the island, and something really
strange is afoot. Heh, heh, heh...
Comments? Questions? Insults? E-mail to Scorpinac@sa-tech.com!
Moreau." Like with my sister's DBZ cast, I couldn't resist the obvious rhyming of Moreau to
Tomoe. This will be a little more in depth than hers though, for various reasons. Also, there will
be more swearing; you have been warned. First, the disclaimers:
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, DiC, Pioneer, and Cloverway, in that
order, none of whom are me.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau belongs to H.G. Wells and his descendants(if any), also not me.
_This_ is emphasis, and *this* is thought.
Now, let us begin...
******************************************************************************
The Island Of Dr. Tomoe
by Scorpinac
Chapter 1: Journey To A Strange Land
Where do I begin? I suppose I could tell you my name. I'm Rini Shields of the New York
Shields. Yep, I'm from a rich family; well, sorta. Even my family didn't come through the crash
of '29 too well. I'm rambling, sorry. Let me start over.
As I said, I'm Rini Shields, and I was born in 1931. In April of 1940, my parents, Serena
and Darien Shields, along with me and my nanny, Trista Meioh, went to Europe for a vacation.
Everything seemed okay, but the continuing aggression of Mr. Hitler's Nazis got mom real
nervous, so dad decided to take us home early, in June instead of August. From what I
understand, the Nazis are trying to unite all of Europe into one country and, personally, I think
it's a good idea. When I told Trista, she said it's not a bad one, but that Mr. Hitler and the Nazis
are doing it wrong. When I asked why, she said something about purse-a-cutting Jews, whatever
that means.
Dad booked us passage on the H.M.S. Millennium, and we began heading home on June
6. As whoever is reading this account can plainly guess, we never reached New York harbor. On
June 8, four days away from New York, everything went bad. I was out on deck, watching the
sea, when members of the crew started shouting about something coming toward us. Trista said
we should get back to our cabin, and then suddenly everything was shaking, the whole boat!
Somehow I managed to hold onto the railing, and when it all stopped, I could _feel_ the boat
tipping forward.
Everyone started dashing everywhere, and before I knew it, I'd lost Trista in the crowd.
Everyone was panicking, and that was when I saw it, the mast of a submarine fleeing into the
distance. As my readers are no doubt aware by now, the Millennium was sunk by a "U-boat"
belonging to the Germans. But this point has naught to do with my story.
As everything seemed to be going crazy, I tried to find my way back to my nan, or my
parents. But then I was pushed, hard, and fell backwards. The next thing I recall is lying on my
back on an empty seat of a lifeboat that had begun lowering a few moments before. Only two
other people, both grown men, were in the boat with me; one was a sailor, and one looked to be a
passenger, like me. And from what I could see, they had begun lowering the lifeboat without
waiting for anyone else to get on!
They glanced at me only passingly as they got the boat to the water and then untied the
big ropes holding it to the Millennium. Afraid they would hurt me or worse, I chose to stay still
where I was, and wait for another lifeboat to come around and join us. And then another man up
above tried to leap from the quickly sinking Millennium to our lifeboat, but caught his foot on
something, it looked to be a rope loop, and his head smashed against the side of the ship, where
he then lay stay still forever.
As it happens, as unlucky as it was for him, it was just as lucky for the three of us in the
boat he did not make it, and perhaps just as lucky for him, now I think about it. I will explain in a
moment why I say this, but first I must now say that, sadly, my two companions then decided not
to wait for anyone else to try and make the boat, and proceeded to row us away like the cowards
they truly were.
Then, as if God sought to punish us all for vacating our fellow man, a storm suddenly blew
up from I know not where. When it finally stopped, our craft was a quarter to half full of rain
water, and neither the remains of the Millennium, nor any other lifeboats with survivors, were
anywhere in sight. We three were adrift and alone...and now I truly feared for myself.
My companions began to bail out the water with their hands, and I decided to risk moving
in order to help them, and in due course pulled off my small shoes to use them as scoops, which is
how I came to lose them when the boat suddenly rocked, scaring me and making me drop them
into the briny depths.
Once the water level was down to merely a few centimeters deep inside the boat, my
companions examined what supplies we had with us, and found we had no food, and only one
canteen of water, and not a very big one, either. Hence why I say it was lucky the person who
sought to become the fourth member of our small group never made it - though I suppose that is
a little selfish. But, as I hope to bring you to see, I would soon have reasons a plenty to think of
only myself.
As we floated onward, not knowing where we were or which direction to try paddling in
to find land, my two companions began to talk bitterly about how little water we had to drink,
which, at the time, I did not understand, as water was at that very moment around us every way
we looked. Not wanting them to hurt me, and feeling they would just be annoyed with me if I
said anything to them, I stayed on my seat, three more between me and them, and drew my legs
up against me and wrapped my arms around them, staying as quiet and still as I could.
But eventually, as I had to, I found myself growing thirsty, and it was then I finally came
to speak with my only companions at that particular time, as, no one having ever told me before
not to, I went to quench my thirst from the ocean water outside the boat, I still being too nervous
and scared to ask for the canteen. The former passenger must have seen me, as his voice
suddenly traveled to me:
"What are you doing?" I turned timidly to face my two shipmates, finding them both
staring at me with great intent.
"I'm thirsty," I told them. "I was gonna get a drink."
"From the ocean?" the sailor then said. "Is it your intent to hasten your departure from
us?"
"Huh?" I said back. "But...isn't it just water?"
"It's seawater. It'll dry you out even faster than if you just wait for it to happen," I was
told by the once passenger. I stared at them both, trying to decide whether or not I believed
them, and then the sailor picked up the canteen and handed it to me. Deciding not to argue about
it, I took the canteen and put it to my lips, taking three gulps all in one go, and then the sailor
pulled it away again.
"Not too much now," he said. "We need to conserve it as much as possible." So saying,
he took one gulp for himself, and then handed it to my other companion, who also took only one
gulp. I returned to laying quietly on my seat.
Time passed, a day, and then two, then three, then four, and finally our water began to run
low. From my second drink on, I had been allowed but one small gulp at a time, though I was
now no longer so nervous as to keep me from asking for a drink when I really, really, _really_
wanted one. But with our water finally going low, my companions began to return to their true,
greedy selves, and began discussing how to make the last of our water stretch until we found land.
The sailor suggested we draw lots, and the loser be thrown into the sea to the sharks that had
been staying near us for the last two days.
Growing nervous that my companions would finally turn on me and throw me away like
an unwanted toy, I looked around within my immediate reach for something to protect myself
with, and spotted a knife lying on the bottom of the boat - I can only imagine it had been there
from the start - and I grabbed it, tucking it quietly into my dress where I could reach it at a
moment's notice. I doubt now if I would have had the strength to truly lift it to do anything, but I
knew that I would have tried if I'd had to. But as it happens, though, the problem never truly
came up.
One of my companions, the passenger, I think, stated that I could be readily ignored as I
didn't require as much water as they, anyway, and the two continued to argue for what felt a
great while, and then they took some buttons for lots from the passenger's shirt, marking one to
be different from the others, and the sailor insisted that I draw too, so reluctantly I did.
The sailor drew the marked button, which I must regretfully say I took relief in as my
selfishness had again overridden my manners, but then the sailor turned on the rest of us, refusing
to acknowledge his loss. As he and the passenger argued about it, I quickly returned to my seat
and curled up once again, choosing not to look at them as I now feared them more than ever.
They continued arguing for several minutes, it seemed, before I heard the tremendous splash - one
had gone overboard.
I took a grip on the knife I had procured, prepared to protect my life from my remaining
companion when he came, as I felt certain he soon would, to toss me into the sea as well. But
then I heard _both_ scream in fear and terror, and I looked up to see that not one, but _both_ of
them had fallen out of the boat.
Now, I know I should have tried to make momma and poppa proud of me by trying to
help them both despite what had transpired but moments before, but by the time I saw what had
happened, it was already too late, for as I have said, several sharks had come to swim apace with
us two days before, and even as I watched and what had happened sank in, they made quick of
the meal so freely proffered to them. Mere seconds or moments after I saw the two men in the
water, the sharks had taken them into the deep, never to return.
And now, I was alone.
I don't know how long I sat there just staring at the spot in the water where my
companions had been, but eventually I dropped my weapon, now useless, back to the floor of the
boat, and moved over to where my companions had left the canteen. I looked inside to see how
full it was, which wasn't much as had already been determined, and, feeling thirsty once more, I
regret to say that I then finished off my supply in only four quick gulps right there. Only after I
realized the canteen was now empty did I realize my own mistake, and why my companions had
been so stern about rationing the water to begin with. With nothing else to do, I curled up on the
seat where I was, and just laid still, waiting...
I'm not sure at all how long I sat in my lifeboat, alone in the middle of the vast and
merciless ocean. I know that at least a day, maybe two, went by while I lay there motionless,
praying God would forgive me and send someone, _anyone_ to save me. Within a few hours of
my isolation I realized that, despite my fear of them, I had been welcome of my two late
companions, for now I suffered from a malady as terrible as my ever present hunger and growing
thirst, that of loneliness.
But then my prayers were answered, as I suddenly heard a sound, the loud, piercing wail
of a boat whistle. I tried to move, but my body refused to acknowledge my commands to it. And
my thirst was so bad, I couldn't concentrate on anything but my tummy's constant pleas. And
then, just as I thought for sure I was doomed, I heard something nudge the boat, then something
landing in the boat with a thud. The next thing I recall was hearing a voice near me, as my eyes
had finally begun to lose their focus.
"It's a little kid," someone said. "What's she doing out here all by herself?" I remember
feeling someone lift my arm, and then release it again, my arm dropping limply, and then another
voice:
"Forget her, she's dead," the second person said, sounding very annoyed. "Just toss her
in the drink for the fish!" I then remember feeling something pressing against my neck, then:
"No, she's alive!" the first voice said. "Barely. Let's take her on board, there's still time
to save her."
"What the hell for?"
"Hello! She's just a kid! She deserves a chance for making it this long!"
"And I should care...why?!" The first voice groaned, and there was the sound of
something rustling.
"Four hundred dollars?"
"Fine," then the sound of more rustling of whatever it was, most likely the money
changing hands. "But you have to bring her aboard yourself."
"Fine! Jadeite! Come here and give me a hand!" The last things I remember before
losing consciousness completely was something pressing against my lips, and a face with yellow
hair attached to it...and that it was somehow a thing from my most horrid nightmares.
And then I drifted off into sleep...
When I next opened my eyes, my first thought was that I had come to the gates of
Heaven, and was waiting to be judged by God. Then I saw I lay in a bed inside a rather dingy
looking cabin of a boat. My head lay upon a very comfy pillow, a warm blanket covering my
body. And sitting near me on my right was a lady with blonde hair and orange-gold eyes wearing
a white doctor's coat, black heels, and wire-frame glasses writing something on a pad of paper. I
also noted a sharp pain in my left arm. Before I could look to see what caused it, she saw that I
had awoken, and stopped writing.
"Hey, kid," she said, and I immediately recognized her voice as belonging to the first
person who had come to my rescue in the lifeboat, the one who had paid for my survival.
"Welcome back to the land of the living!" It took a moment, my throat was dry and a bit sore
from not being used for so long, but I finally managed to reply.
"You saved me," I croaked like a frog, "Thank you."
"Hey, no prob!" she said. "I couldn't leave a tough little cookie like you out there to die."
She then batted her eyes over her shoulder to the door leading to the rest of the ship. "Unlike
some people I could name." I then turned to look at my arm, and saw a plastic tube taped to it,
the tube attached to the underside of my elbow by a needle that had been sunk into my arm,
causing the aforementioned pain. On the other end of the tube on a small hook on a stand above
me was a plastic bag full of fluid, which was flowing down the tube into my arm.
"What?" I managed to ask, sounding a little less froggy, but not very much, and she smiled
warmly.
"It's a makeshift IV drip," she said. "That's Intra-Venus fluid drip. You were almost
completely dehydrated when we found you out there, tried to give you some water on the spot,
but you couldn't even swallow, so I threw this together to keep you going till you recovered
enough to take in sustenance on your own." She then got a glass of liquid and offered it to me.
"Want a drink? You sound like a frog."
"Ribbit," I croaked out, and reached for the glass. She moved over and put it to my lips,
and I drank the whole thing rather quickly, I must report. It was something ruby red, with an
interesting flavor that I could not readily identify. When I finished, she refilled the glass, and I
drained it again willingly as she spoke once more.
"Oh, yeah, you were ready for this," she said. "It's a special mixture of my own making,
with lots of important nutrients to help super-charge your system. You should start feeling much
better real soon now."
"Mm, thanks again," I said after I finished the second glass, now sounding _much_ less
like a frog. "Who are you? Are you a doctor?"
"More of a vet," she replied. "I'm Patricia Mimete. What's your name?"
"Rini. Rini Shields," I answered, smiling. I remember my heart singing then: I was alive.
I was alive!
"Rini, that's a pretty name," Ms. Mimete said. "In case you're wondering, you're
currently on board the _lovely_ S.S. Nemesis, a slow moving cargo tug owned and operated by
her captain, Crimson Rubeus. When we spotted you, I had to pay him fifty bucks just to get him
to take the boat close enough to check you out. Currently, we're about three days away from my
little 'island paradise'."
"Can you take this out?" I asked, glancing at the needle still in my arm.
"In a little bit," Ms. Mimete told me. "First I wanna look you over and make sure you're
okay. But right now, I'm thinking you're in the mood for some food, right? They're making
some boiled mutton right now, so I'll go get us some. And I'll see that you get a nice big helping,
okay?"
"Sure, sounds yummy," I said. "Thank you, again."
"Hey, you're welcome," Ms. Mimete said. "Be back in a moment." With that she stood
up and left the cabin. I took the time I waited to carefully sit up and look around my little cabin
properly. As I had noted at my first glance, it wasn't the cleanest place in the world, but it had
served my immediate needs. The only light came from a lantern hanging from the ceiling and the
one small porthole in the port side wall. Around me sat some boxes filled with lord only knows
what, and the chair that Ms. Mimete had sat in. I also noticed then that I was naked, my dress
having gone while I slept, which shocked me no end. The cabin door then began to creak open,
and I shyly pulled the blanket up with my right hand to hide myself. A moment later, Ms. Mimete
entered with our meals on a tray.
"What happened to my clothes?" I asked while Ms. Mimete closed the door and brought
our bowls over and set them on a crate, then pulled out a miniature table that she set up before
her chair, and then pulled out a bed tray that she set before me.
"Oh, I did that," she said as she set a spoon and one bowl of boiled mutton on the bed tray
for me, then set the other on the mini-table and took her seat. "They were a little dirty, so I took
'em off of you and gave them to one of my helpers to be cleaned. I'll go get them later. You just
eat now, okay? Don't worry, I've declared this cabin off-limits to all of the boy persuasion until
later, so it's just us girls." I thought about it for a moment, then let go of the blanket and picked
up the spoon. As soon as the first bite reached my stomach, I began to dig in with relish,
forgetting completely my state of dress.
As I ate, somewhat greedily I must shamefully report, Ms. Mimete ate some of her own
mutton, then rose and took out a stethoscope and other tools, taking a quick listen to my heart -
the metal part felt really cold next to my bare chest - and running some other checks, then took a
gauze pad and pressed it to my left arm where the needle went in to it, and pulled the needle out,
putting a clothespin on the tube to cut the flow of fluids for the time being before hanging it on
the hook for the time being. She then pulled out a cloth bandage and wrapped it around my arm,
telling me I would have to leave it on for at least three hours, and not to try to lift anything heavy
with that arm during that time, not that there was anything I wanted to lift, anyway. She then
returned to her seat and her own meal.
When I finished my meal I looked up to her quietly, once again pulling the blanket up to
cover myself.
"Ms. Mimete," I said, "What's going to happen to me?"
"Oh, just Mimete will do. The Nemesis will pull into an official port four days after they
drop me and my 'entourage' off," Ms. Mimete answered. "I've 'persuaded' Capt. Rubeus to
allow you to remain as a passenger until they get there, and then you'll be put ashore and on your
own. Just go right to the nearest police station, and they should be able to help you get in touch
with your family. You _do_ have a family, right?"
"Yes, I have a momma, a poppa, and my nan," I told her.
"A nan? A nanny? Hey, how'd you get in that lifeboat, anyway? What happened?" she
asked me, and I then told her of how I was going home with my family when the Millennium was
sent to the bottom, of the man who killed himself trying to get to my lifeboat, and of my two
companions who left me to 'befriend' the sharks, and when I was done, Mimete just stared. Then
she finally said, "Wow. You're a tougher kid than I thought. Not many kids your age would
have been able to handle all that as well as you seem to have done, I don't think."
"Thank you, but I was just lucky," I blushed a little. "After all, you did say I nearly died
out there, right? That is what you meant when you said I was almost 'dehydrated'?"
"Uh, huh. You were almost totally dried out," she said, then leaned in and gave me a little
tickle, which made me giggle, as she added, "You were almost Rini the human raisin! Yes you
were."
"So," I said after she leaned back, "When you say you 'persuaded' the Captain to take me
to a mainland, you mean you paid him more money, right? Bought me a late ticket, sorta?"
"Kind of like that, yeah," she replied. "A six hundred dollar 'ticket'. Greedy bastard." I
gasped lightly at her language, and she blinked at me in surprise, then chuckled. "What's the
matter, kid? Haven't you ever heard your momma or poppa or nan swear in earshot of you
before?"
"No, never! It'd be unladylike and uncivilized!" I replied hastily. She chuckled again, a
little louder this time.
"Well, you better get used to it, cause on this craft you're gonna hear a _lot_ of cussing
and swearing before you make it to shore. The Captain himself cusses almost every other word
he says, I swear!" she told me, and I lightly swallowed. Suddenly I was becoming very nervous
about being alone on this craft for four days, with no one for company except a bunch of naughty
mouthed sailors. "Don't worry," she continued calmly. "It won't be so bad. You've survived so
far, haven't you?"
"I guess," I said. "Um, do you think my clothes are clean yet? I'd sorta like to get
dressed now." She got up and removed the tray, then gently laid me back into the bed, tucking
me in almost like mom used to.
"Don't you worry about that," she stated. "I'll go get them later, okay? Right now you
need to just rest, and regain your strength. You wanna be all healthy and well when momma and
poppa and your nan come to pick you up, don't you?"
"Okay," I said. It was then I heard it, or maybe I'd heard it before, and simply not
listened as my tummy had right of attorney. It was a roar, of an animal in a _very_ bad mood! I
let out a tiny gasp of fear and grabbed Mimete's sleeve. "Mimete, what's that?" I asked timidly.
Once more, she just smiled down at me calmly.
"Cougar," she said.
"Cougar?" I blinked. "As in a big, wild, kitty cat?"
"One of the fiercest," Mimete confirmed. "It's one of several animals I'm currently
transporting to the island where I live. Don't worry, it's not gonna break out and eat you, or
anyone else. It's kept locked in a cage, and I have a man on it at all times with a tranquilizer gun.
If it ever gets too rowdy, poof!, nap time!" At the last, she pointed her finger as though it were a
gun, tapping her thumb against it as she pretended to shoot the imaginary tranquilizer into the
cougar. I still felt nervous at the prospect of sharing a boat with a vicious animal, but with
Mimete's reassurances, I tried my best to relax.
It was two days after I came to board the S.S. Nemesis, the bandage on my arm now long
gone, that I managed to get up out of bed and walk around again for a bit, and took a moment to
look out the porthole to see the sea still surrounding the craft I rode in. I felt a little stiff, and had
to wrap myself with my blanket as my clothes had _still_ not been brought back, though I had
also not yet seen anyone other than Mimete. I have to say I thought I was really lucky to meet
her as she seemed so nice. But eventually I wouldn't be so sure.
As I shuffled around a bit to get used to walking again, after all it _was_ the first time I
had walked in many days!, I again heard the sound of the cougar growling and fidgeting
somewhere outside, a sound I had by now actually managed to get used to, though it still made
me nervous, and then came the sound of someone talking. Though muffled and a bit distant, I
quickly recognized Mimete's voice as she spoke to someone else.
Curious - I'm just a kid, remember? - I walked over to the door and opened it a creak to
peek outside. Mimete was standing a short ways away talking with a man with short red hair and
deep brown eyes wearing a sailor's uniform, cap, and black boots, and smoking a pipe. His chin
seemed a little scraggly, and he had this mean look in his eyes. The moment I heard him talk, I
just _knew_ he had to be the one who wanted to just throw me in with the fish when they found
me. I instantly decided I _did not_ like this person.
"...and I told you that they are to be treated with respect! What exactly is your problem?"
Mimete snapped at him. "If I say I want them forward, they will be forward, jackass!"
"It's my friggin ship!" the man snapped back. "An' I'll do whatever I shittin' feel like! I
don't want them damn freaks near the bow!" In case I forgot to mention it earlier, my ears and
cheeks also became quite red due to listening to them right then.
"Hey, we're the passengers, remember?!" Mimete snapped back. "And I expect my
animal cargo to be kept an eye on, so god damn it, I want at least one of my people forward with
the ones that are there!"
"Ask if I give a crap!" the man snapped back. "I'm doing a god damn favor taking you on
board to that island of yours, you know? And I'm really going out of my friggin way to let you
bring that little sea bitch aboard!"
"Hey, that's no way to talk about an innocent child, sir!" Mimete roared, attempting to
look like a ferocious lioness! And a very good job it was, too! Well, it looked convincing to me,
at any rate.
"Who the hell cares if she's innocent or not?!" the man all but screamed. "That brat is a
friggin drag on our supplies!"
"Yeah, well you already accepted payment to take her to the next port, so stuff it!"
Mimete replied. They started to move off then, and I started to poke my head out to take a look
at the ship itself when someone else suddenly popped up in my face. The person was about my
height, or a little bit taller, and was heavily covered up; even his face was covered so all I could
really make out were his eyes and some loose locks of hair. Something about the person seemed
like a boy to me, though I'm not sure what gave him away.
He stared at me as I let out a light yelp of surprise, then stepped back timidly from him.
At first he continued to stare, then shuffled forward in a very odd gait, moving closer to me. I
took another step back, and missed my footing, falling to the ground on my backside.
Unfortunately, in the process the blanket flew open, giving my visitor an unwanted candid view of
myself. However, I quickly pulled the blanket back around me, blushing as I did.
Momma had raised me to be a very decent lady, and I wasn't about to let myself become
one of those 'easy girls' on the street she always groused about. The brief view of my nakedness
must have been enough for my visitor, as he shuffled forward and seemed to sniff at me intently. I
tried to crawl backwards away, but he kept getting closer, sniffing more and more. And then he
reached forward and tried to pull the blanket away from me, and I pulled it around myself even
tighter.
"No!" I screamed, pushing him away, but he nudged himself forward. I cried in protest
again, and again he seemed to ignore me. And then...
"What are you doing?!" Mimete's voice carried across the room. I looked up, as did my
unwanted visitor. Mimete was focused on him at the moment. "Kyusuke! Get your little butt
out of here, now!" she snapped, and he motioned toward me. "No, you can't have her. Scram!"
Mimete repeated herself, and Kyusuke finally left. I sighed in relief, then went to get back up
when Mimete caught my arm and helped back to my feet. "You okay, Rini?" she asked me,
worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. "Who was that?"
"Kyusuke, one of my entourage," she said. "You'll have to forgive him, he was probably
just curious about you." She began to walk me back to the bed.
"Sure," I replied. "Um, who were you talking to before?"
"Huh?" she blinked at me.
"Outside, the man with the red hair," I explained. "Who was he?"
"You heard that?" she asked as we reached the bed and I got back in.
"Well, most of the end of it," I told her. "Well? Who was he?"
"Our illustrious Captain, Crimson Rubeus," Mimete finally answered.
"_He's_ Rubeus?!" I exclaimed in a rather unladylike manner.
"Yep," Mimete said. "Like I said, expect to get a big education in the language of cussing
over the next few days. Actually, I would suggest you stay here in the cabin and just keep out of
his, and everyone else's, way while you wait to reach port. It'll probably be best that way." I
thought about that for a moment.
"Okay, you're probably right," I told her. "Hey, Mimete, when you reach your island,
could you maybe send your 'entourage' on ahead with the animals you have while you, um, stay
with me until I get to the port? I don't wanna stay here all alone."
"Oh, I'd love to kiddo," Mimete said. "But my boss is waiting for me on the island, and
he _really_ doesn't like it when I'm overdue. Sorry, but you're just gonna have to tough it out on
your own. Hey, you made it this far!"
"Yeah," I agree quietly. "Um, could I _please_ have my..." But before I could finish,
Mimete pulled out a package and handed it to me.
"Fresh from the cleaners," she said boastfully. "Sorry it took so long, things got sorta
backed up out there." I took the package and opened it to find my fresh, cleaned clothes within,
and smiled happily to my new friend.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I said. I started to take off the blanket to get dressed
at long last, then paused, looking at Mimete. "Um, could you, uh, that is..."
"Trust me, girl, I've already seen everything," she said. "You got _no_ secrets from me."
I stared a moment longer, and then she said, "Alright, I'll turn away if it makes you feel better."
She stood up and turned her back to me, and I took off the blanket and put on my undergarments
and then my dress, which felt really good right then.
"Thank you," I said, and she turned back.
"No prob.," she replied. "Well, I got to go butt heads with the Captain some more.
Really only popped in to give you your clothes back." Smiling she headed back to the door,
stopping only to give one more aside before she exited. "Oh, and just a bit of advice, don't
eavesdrop at doors anymore. Someone might take offense." And with that, she was gone. I sat
back down on the bed, and thought over my new plight. Mimete thought I could handle it, but I
_really_ didn't want to stay on this ship for four days by myself with only Captain Rubeus and
lord knows what sort of ruffians for company.
But as fate was to turn out, I wouldn't have to...
It was the next day, and I'd come out of the cabin to bid Mimete and her friends goodbye
when fate changed my fortunes once again. I awoke that morning to the sound of someone
shuffling around inside my cabin. I rose my head up a notch and saw the boy from before,
Kyusuke, and someone else collecting the boxes sharing my cabin with me, Mimete near the door
directing them.
"Careful!" she cried at them. "Those are _delicate_. You have to be _gentle_. And
speed it up! Rubeus wants us out of here quick as we can." As I watched, the two people picked
up box after box and carried them out, both in the same odd shuffling gait Kyusuke had
demonstrated earlier, until finally the last box was removed and both they and Mimete left the
cabin forever. I rose completely and dressed, I had disrobed for the night as I had, abashedally,
become somewhat accustomed to sleeping nude over the last three days, and walked to the cabin
door and opened it.
Outside, even more ruckus was going on, more of Mimete's curious "friends" moving
boxes and crates somewhere. Among them were a full hutch of rabbits, some leashed up dogs,
which I would later learn were Staghounds, a couple of Llamas, and a few others. Stepping out
of the cabin, I carefully picked my way through the area, and found a small bench out of the way
to sit on while I waited for them all to finish.
While I watched them work, I noticed one man with blonde hair among them who seemed
malformed, and when he turned his face toward me, I was struck with shock and disgust. His
face was twisted and misshapen, almost inhuman, and I felt almost nauseous, yet at the same time
I had a sense of deja vu, as though I had seen this terror before, but could not remember from
where it could be. After awhile it occurred to me that maybe his face was the last thing I had seen
at the time of my rescue before passing out, but it is only a guess.
Some of the sailors on board ship also aided in the offloading of the boxes, crates, and
animals, and I saw a tight little cage containing the Cougar being swung on a tackle over the side.
Deciding to take a chance, I got up and moved to the railing, glancing over to where everything
was being taken, and saw it being loaded onto a small launch boat, meant for short range sailing
only. In the distance I could see Mimete's jungle island, but couldn't make out anything that
looked like somewhere to live from our current distance, so returned my attention to the loading
of the launch.
I counted two more of the odd people who were with Mimete, at least one of whom
seemed to be a woman, I think, and watched as they finished loading up, so full that the five of
them and Mimete had just barely any room to stand in it. One other stood at the launch's wheel,
and then Mimete looked up and saw me for the first time that morning.
"Oh, hey Rini!" she called to me. "Good morning!"
"Morning, Mimete!" I called back. "Are you sure you can't stay with me?!"
"Yes, I'm sure, kiddo," she said. "I gotta get going now. My boss is waiting, and I'm
sure he has someone on the beach waiting to help supervise the transporting of this stuff into our
compound. Good luck getting back with your parents!"
"Thanks!" I said. "I hope we meet again someday!" Mimete suddenly had an expression
of uncertainty, as though I'd said something wrong, then smiled again.
"Sure, maybe," she told me. "Well, goodbye, Rini!"
"Bye!" I waved, and the launch's motor revved to life and it began to putter off toward
the island. I'd been watching it recede for about five minutes when I realized there was someone
next to me. I turned to see the Captain standing to my left, also looking out at the sea. A
moment later he turned and looked at me.
"What the f**k do you want?" he asked me, making me once again pink a bit at his
language.
"Um, hello, Captain, sir," I said timidly. "I'm Rini, the one you picked up in the
lifeboat..."
"I know who the hell you are, you little sea urchin!" he barked. "And that's your name,
Sea Urchin!" I felt very nervous at this, but decided to push bravely forward.
"Um, Captain, sir, where exactly is the next port?" I asked shyly. Just then one of his men
came up behind him, and stared at me with a nasty glint in his eye I _decidedly_ didn't like!
"Bermuda," Captain Rubeus said. "Not that it makes any difference to you, you're not
going!"
"Huh?" I blinked. "But Mimete said..."
"To Hell with that bitch! And all her freak manservants! Didn't like a one of them!"
Captain Rubeus barked.
"Hey, Captain," the sailor spoke up. "Can't we keep her? Me and some of the other men
wanted to have some 'fun' with her, now that bitch Mimete is gone and can't stop us."
"Forget it, I don't want her draining any more of our supplies!" the Captain roared, and
grabbed my arm, very tightly I would like to add, causing me great pain - for a time I was sure
he'd broken it - and he dragged me to the stern where I saw the lifeboat from the Millennium had
been tied to the Nemesis and towed behind it. Later I realized that I could have told him who my
parents were, and that they might give him a reward for having saved me and brought me to shore
alive, but then again, if I had he might also have decided to hold me for ransom, so I suppose it's
just as well I never thought of it at the time.
"Wait, Captain, please!" I cried out in full panic. "I promise not to get in the way! And I
don't eat that much, honest! I swear on my mother, I'll stay in my cabin and be quiet as a mouse!
You won't even know I'm there! Please, I beg you!"
But he didn't listen to me, not one word that I screamed. He instead put me bodily into
the lifeboat, which had regained some of the water that had been previously bailed out of her, and
then pulled a knife and cut the rope holding it to his craft. In shock I watched as he gave orders
to get underway to his men, at least a couple of whom looked at me dejectedly, as though they'd
lost some sort of prize.
"Captain, please!" I cried out once more futilely, "Don't leave me alone out here!!" In
moments, though, alone I was, again. I sat in the lifeboat for I'm not sure how long before I took
a look at what I had available, which can be summed up as the clothes on my back. The knife I
had found in the craft before had long since gone, as had the empty canteen, and I had no oars or
anything else with which to paddle my way to the island. I could have used my hands, yes, but
remember that sharks had begun to trail the lifeboat prior to the untimely ends of my first two
companions, and for all I knew they were nearby still, lying in wait for me to throw myself to
them as well.
The best I can describe my feelings at that moment is that of being a raggedy old doll that
had been thrown away with the trash, like something nobody else wanted, and so I curled up on a
seat and began to bawl at once again being cast into my personal Hell.
But fate was not done with me yet, and I was not as abandoned as I believed. As I
continued to sit there and bemoan my fate, my ears suddenly perked at the sound of a motor, and
I looked to see to my delight the launch coming back to me! As it got up close, Mimete came to
the side, smiling happily.
"Well, I suppose dumping you in the water is better than what he _could_ have decided to
do with you rather than take you to Bermuda," she commented somewhat idly, and I noticed
something was in her hands. "Unfortunately it doesn't change the fact that I have no room up
here for you, so you'll have to ride in on that. Here, catch!" she stated, and tossed part of the
something in her hands to me - a rope!
"Tie that end to the bow of the dingy," she instructed, and began tying the end she held to
a loop at the back of the launch with expert ease. I immediately started tying my end to the small
jut at the front of my boat, but with...less ease. When Mimete finished she glanced at my work,
and instructed me to wrap some of the excess rope around the jut. "Like this," she said, wrapping
some of it around her end in an upward spiral to show me how, then undoing it. I did as I was
told, and when I reached the top of the jut with the rope, bringing us closer together, she leaned
down and took the loose end on my boat and tied it in a last quick knot for me near the top, then
repeated the procedure on her end, binding my small craft tightly and closely to hers.
"Okay, Catsy, take us on in!" she called to the person at the launch's wheel, and it revved
back up and began moving toward the island at a fast clip, dragging me and my lifeboat with it.
"Mimete!" I called up to her, gaining her attention. "Thank you, you saved me again!"
"Hey, don't mention it," she smiled back. "Enjoy the ride, we'll be there in a minute."
"Okay!" I said, smiling myself, and sat back and relaxed as we came up to the island, my
nightmare finally coming to an end.
But what I didn't know was that my nightmare, in fact, had just begun...
******************************************************************************
Next time, Rini meets the rest of the scientist's and "helpers" on the island, and something really
strange is afoot. Heh, heh, heh...
Comments? Questions? Insults? E-mail to Scorpinac@sa-tech.com!