He could see another pair of footprints starting in the distance, so there must be someone else on the beach. He ran so he could catch up with them.
-----
Whoever he was following just seemed to gather more people. Every 5.8 miles another pair of footsteps started. He was following at least 5 people now.
The plantlife annoyed him as well. every 5.8 miles he passed the same repeating sequence of plants. He even passed a burnt tree, much like one he had shot at the last time he passed a new set of footprints. he wrote his name in the sand then started following the footprints again.
-----
He was sitting in the sand, with a burnt tree behind him and his name written down next to him. he had figured it out. He wasn't following anyone. It was just a very small land mass. He had walked around it seven times.
It was starting to get dark, and though he wasn't scared of the dark, and could see through it perfectly easily, he would like to find some shelter. He could search for a way off the landmass tomorrow.
He looked towards the inner part of the small landmass. There would have to be shelter in there. By his AMAZING calculations there would have to be at least 4 squared human miles in the inner part of the land mass, probably more if he counted the raised part of the island. He had learnt that word in his human geography class.
He headed towards the forested part of the island. This was a strange place, and anything could roam it during the night. Nothing too big, because it was a small island, but Zim wasn't too big either, so whatever lived there might be able to cause him damage. He didn't doubt that something lived there. There seemed to be things everywhere on this planet.
After five minutes of stumbling through the dark and tripping over exposed roots and large fallen branches he found a large tree. It had branches that were close together, and if he jumped he could reach the bottom branch. He wanted to get off the ground for the night, because most earthen animls lived on the ground. Snakes, spiders, beetles, birds, bats they all lived on the ground. He would be safe in the tree, where he could assess the situation, make a list of things that would work against him, and things that would work for him, and think a way off the island with his incredible mind powers.
-----
His list of things working for him was completed. Number one was that he was Zim, and so would get a way off he island. Zim was too great to perish on some forsaken rock, on another forsaken rock, so he would get off the island.
Number two was that the humans would notice he was missing, and would search for him. Though it would be degrading to be rescued by a human, dying on the island would be worse. Though the alternative was living as a subject in the humans' scientific collection. Anyway, how would the human find him. He crossed number two off his list.
He didn't need to eat. His PAK provided all his nutrients, so he wouldn't starve on the island.
The list of things against him was much longer. Number one was he was on an island, surrounded by water. The water would burn if he went in it, so he couldn't escape that way.
Number two was he didn't know where he was, so when he escaped, he wouldn't know what direction to travel in to get back home.
Number three was his inability to cross the water. he knew humans had boats, but he didn't know how to make one, so it would probably sink. He also didn't want to get too close to the water, so travelling n it was out of the question.
Number four was the destruction of his PAK. It didn't have any defensive capabilities, or aanything he could use to help him get off the island.
He sat in his tree, and decided to search the island tomorrow to find a way off it. A find a way he would, because he was Zim, and was superior.
-----x
Zim was not asleep. Irkens do not sleep. No Irken has slept for thousands of years. Brief periods of unconsciousness, yes, but not sleep. He was just relaxing, which Irkens can do in times of extreme stress or boredom. He hadn't expected there to be anyone on the island, so was quite surprised when his rest was disturbed by three men walking through the forest.
All of them were carrying guns and wearing jungle camoflage suits. They were looking about themselves as if they had lost something, or were searching for something. The one to the left looked up and saw something that he thought of as supicious. It was Zims' head leaning over the side of the thick branch that he had lived on for the night.
The man stared at Zim for a long time before shaking himself and going back to the other two, who had stopped and were looking at what he was staring at. 'Did you see something, Scorby?' The man who had been in the middle of them asked in a loud whisper.
'No, Mister Chase, sir. I thought I did, but it was just leaves.' He replied, looking once more at the suspicious "leaves", before rejoining the other two.
'Don't start going mad on me know, Scorby. You're one of the best to bring on a hunt with me,' Chase said when he was within low whispering distance from them.
he nodded and they continued.
Zim was confused. What did he mean by "hunt", and why didn't they see him? He then looked closer at the tree he was sitting on. The leaves were almost the exact same shade as his skin, and he had been squinting, so they hadn't seen his eyes fully. He laughed and wrote this on his "things going for me" list.
Number three: My amazing Irken skin fools these humans.
To find out the answer to the other question he would have to follow the humans and listen in on their conversation. He jumped out of hie tree and went in the drection they had taken. Five minutes later he had passed the same tree six times, and didn't know where that tree was in relation to the other trees on the island. In other words; he had been walking in circles and was hopelessly lost.
-----
There was a large boat anchored two nautical miles from the beach. It was in sight of the camp that had been set up. The man at the helm of the ship looked through his binoculars at the camp again, and settled down with his beer and magazine. He was halfway though an article about the late, great Hugh Heffners' life, but kept on getting distracted by the pictures.
He didn't need to worry about being drunk driving the boat. Mister Chase would signal with a flare when he had caught the creature, and he usually liked to skin whatever he caught on the boat. There would be plenty of time to sober up later.
-----
Zim had managed to unlose himself, ending up on the beach. There were more footprints on the ground here, and they weren't his footprints. They were around a tent, which Zim decided must be the base camp of the humans. Near the base camp was a deflated inflatable dinghy. The noise that the water from the sea made unsettled him somewhat, so did the bases proximity to the water. Plus what kind of fool would leave his base unprotected from intruders.
Curiosity was greater than his uneasiness though. If he went into the enemies (of corse they were his enemy. What else would hey be?) base, he might find a way off the island, or at least a weapon to use against them.
He walked over to the tent and looked inside. It was a very large tent, and contained not only sleeping bags, but also guns, a large box with a red cross on it, and several cold boxes. He was going to go further into the tent, but stopped when he heard a sharp click behind him. He turned around and saw one of the humans behind him. It was the one that the others had referred to as Scorby. He was holding a large gun and its' end was pointed towards Zim.
Scorby grinned and said, 'I knew you'd come here. You're smarter than Mr. Chase thinks. If I bring you to him alive, he'll reward me handsomely. But if I kill you myself, I might be allowed to keep a souvenir.' He pulled the trigger.
--- -- -- - -
Dimensions of the island:
Circumference: 9.4 kilometres or 5.828 miles
Radius: 1.496 kilometres or .9276 miles
Area: 7.031 kilometres(squared) or 4.3592 miles(squared)