Upset no one took the invasion seriously, Gilligan fell asleep for an hour. Then that night, when he should have been sleeping, he was up half the night worrying and trying to think of where any weapons would be. Finally he remembered one and fell asleep.
The next morning Gilligan got up very early and made his own breakfast. Later he was crawling on the ground picking up small stones.
Mr. and Mrs. Howell walked by. Mrs. Howell asked "Why are you gathering those tiny rocks?"
Mr. Howell asked "Are any of them diamonds?"
Gilligan said "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Howell. I'm getting slingshot ammunition to fight the alien. What weapons are you too getting?"
"A Howell enter combat? With the likes of them?"
Mrs. Howell said "My dear boy I checked carefully and none of their kind is in the Social Register. Besides it's such a hot tropical day. You know we always have tea in the afternoon on Wednesdays."
(That wasn't quite true, but Gilligan didn't always keep track of their schedule.)
Soon the Professor walked by carrying some vials. "Hey Professor!" Gilligan asked "Are you going to build an invention to defeat the alien?"
The Professor replied "No Gilligan. I've got to measure the nutrients in the soil so we can make informed crop rotation decisions."
"But tomorrow we could be… conquered."
"That makes it extra important to maintain the food supply. Do you think an alien overlord will go to much effort to keep us well fed?"
"I suppose not."
The Professor nodded and walked away.
Gilligan went to Ginger and Mary Ann's hut and knocked.
They were both in. Ginger said "Hi Gilligan."
He said "Hi Ginger. Hi Mary Ann. Are you girls going to come help fight the alien?"
Mary Ann said "No Gilligan we have to work on lunch and dinner."
Ginger added "And my soap opera is on the radio. I listen and during commercials I act out lines I just heard. I need to keep my acting ability sharp."
Gilligan said 'But we'll get conquered."
Ginger said "Even more important to know how to act. How else could I be in the resistance movement?"
Gilligan said "Right." But he seemed confused.
Even though it made more sense to him not to let the Earth be conquered in the first place with both Ginger and the Professor he had automatically agreed because he was used to other people being smarter/more knowledgeable then him.
Just then the island's most experienced warrior walked over the one Gilligan had complete faith in his ability to steer them through any crisis. Gilligan turned and said "Hey Skipper."
The Skipper asked "Hey Little Buddy. What are you doing?"
Gilligan replied "Getting ready. I found the slingshot that fed-up mother took from her bratty kid who was shooting at seagulls during one of our cruises. She hid it at the bottom of the rope locker." [On the Minnow.] "I'm gathering ammunition. You see that board there?" He pointed to a board he'd set up on a tree stump. Then he fired at it. At a range of about 15 yards he missed high by about four inches. [Metric= at about 14 meters he missed high by about 10 centimeters.] "And I have a staff ready." He picked it up to show then said "Like Robin Hood and Friar Tuck had. I'm not letting those tentacles get near me. What weapons are you making Skipper?"
"Gilligan, I've had a busy week. I think I'll go fishing in the lagoon."
"But I need you to help fight the alien."
"Gilligan I'm old. You can do this without me."
"But you're the skipper!"
"Gilligan, as far as the alien is concerned, you're the skipper. You can find a way to beat him."
Behind his casual nonchalance the Skipper, like the other nonfighting castaways was worried about Gilligan. But they hoped their attitude would allow Gilligan's mind to work out his issue. Leaving Gilligan ignorant of their concern.
Gilligan had been devastated that all seven castaways weren't facing this crisis together as they had so many others. Even when he'd been alone being hunted by Kincaid or put forward as Gilliana the White Goddess (to name two examples) he knew the other castaways were working with him as much as they could.
Still he'd kept on until he knew the Skipper wasn't with him. More than the other castaways, physical danger had been their specialty. Afloat they'd faced hurricanes, ashore they'd faced other dangers side by side as Skipper and First Mate.
And now the Skipper had deserted his "Little Buddy" in an Alien Invasion to go fishing?
The fear of going on alone hit him. He ran to his hut and lay down in his hammock.
