By the week's end, both Moxxie and Charlie told Blitzo that they were on board with the project. And they both asked if they could bring others along. Moxxie wanted to bring his family and Charlie wanted to bring her friends Vaggie and Angel. Blitzo agreed to let Millie and the kids come, he was bringing his own daughter and receptionist Loona to the island, but he wasn't sure about two college aged people. But once Charlie explained that Vaggie was a geologist and Angel was technologist, who could prove useful, he consented.
It didn't take much for Charlie to convince Angel and Vaggie to come along. Angel would never turn down a free vacation and Vaggie had always looked out for Charlie so she chose to come too. Millie and the kids were beyond excited. Millie had not had a real outdoors and adventurous vacation in years and the kids never even had one.
For a whole month, everyone carefully prepared for the trip. Packing their bags, their books, and their equipment. Gathering up all the research they needed and going over every legality. Hiring guides and protectors. Stocking up on all the supplies they would need. It would seem that they were leaving nothing to chance.
But Stolas could not help but still have a few reservations about it.
"Mr. Pentious do we really have to take this trip next month?" Stolas said to the CEO. "I was thinking maybe we could wait a little while longer. Do more research, send a form of camera surveillance to the island first."
"I'm not a paitent man Professor Goetia." Mr. Pentious said. "Since Dr. Hamiliton died, this company has been going bankrupt. We need to start bringing money fast, and both Dr. Bodine and Mr. Walker have assured me that this theme park idea is our best bet. Unless you know of any reason why this wouldn't work?"
"Not really but I do have a few suspicions regarding the disappearances."
"Do you have evidnece that those three people are dead? Or that anyone died on that island due to it's conditions or it's inhabitants?"
"No sir."
"Then these disapppearances mean nothing to me. Stop wasting my time with your paranoia, time is money."
Stolas said no more about it after that. He just went home to finish packing for the trip. His seventeen year old daughter Octavia was staying with him that night. Octavia was a computer prodigy with a passiong for astronmy and astrology. She had big dreams of going to a university with a space program which could lead to an internship at N.A.S.A. But getting into that school cost half of Lucifer Morningstar's pay.
There was a time when Stolas could afford for such an expense college but since the divorce with his shrew of wife, Stella, she had picked him clean of every last penny. Now money didn't mean jack squat to Stolas but Octavia was his sun, his moon, and his stars, and money was needed for her to get what she wanted most. He just couldn't disappoint her.
"Dad are you sure you want to go on this trip?" Octavia had asked him when she took note of the sweat on his brow. "I still remember the day you came back. You looked like you were scared that you weren't ever coming home. I never thought you'd return to that place."
For a moment Stolas could only stare at his little girl. Stare and think about how much she had grown and changed. She was the spitting image of her mother but had his eyes and his hair color. She also inherited his love of science and sensitive nature, though she had gotten her high IQ from both of them. While Stolas was gifted in science, his ex wife Stella had been a natrual at mathematics, hence why they married in the first place. Smart people breed smart children.
But Octavia was more than just the biological product of two geniuses. She loved science and math but also music and the arts. She was sensitive and caring. She loved to read, loved plants like her father, and she loved animals. Espeically birds. One of the happist moments of her life was when her father gave her a blue-crowned parakeet for her thirteenth birthday. She named him Apus after constellation and when she wasn't in school, he was everywhere she went. Always on her shoulder, singing or just perching. Stella never liked the bird very much but she allowed Octavia to keep him.
All in all, Stolas was very proud of his daughter.
"I never thought that I would go back either Via but as the old saying goes, never say never." He said.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Octavia asked.
"No honey. You have classes, and there's no one to take care of Apus while you're gone."
The parakeet tweeted at the mention of his name.
"I won't be gone too long. A week at most." He assured her. "If you want to stay in the apartment by yourself that's fine but your mother will be checking in on you, lock the doors every night, no going out after dark, and no boys over."
"But Dad-"
"I mean it. No boys. Especially that Francesco kid from your astronomy class."
"But Dad we're partners in a class project. We have to work together."
"Fine, he can come over but during the day only and you stay six feet away from him."
"He doesn't have covid Dad."
"No but he has hormones and that's worse. I've seen the way he looks at you."
"Dad, Fran is a cold fish. I'd be more likely to make a move than him."
Stolas looked at her suspciously.
"Hypothetically speaking that is. Believe me Dad, norhing has happened. We're just holding hands right now."
"It better stay that way."
"Oh yeah? For how long?"
"Til I'm dead."
On the last day of the month, everyone took a plane to Argentina and went down to the docks where two boats had been rented to take them to the island. Among the scientists and the guests, was the guide Valentino hired, Quinnlan Hickey and his armed assoicates. Moxxie didn't like the looks of them. To him they looked like thugs.
"Ah so this is the famous Moxxie Hamiliton." Valentino geeted him when he arrived at the docks. "I'm Dr. Valentino Bodine, I'm very pleased to finally meet you. I want to thank you for granting us permission to use your father's research and equipment."
"You're welcome." He said giving him a handshake.
"And this must be your charming wife and adorable children. Welcome." He said to Millie and the kids. "I do hope you will enjoy yourselves on this trip."
"Thank you sir." Millie said. "We're very grateful to you for allowing us to come."
"It's an honor to entertain the family of my old friend Edward."
He greeted Charlie and her friends next.
"The lovely Miss Morningstar, Dr. Hamiliton had told me so much about you. He said you were extremely bright and deidcated to causes like these." He said.
"Thank you, I'm glad he thought that about me. Oh and these are my friends Vaggie Ramírez and Angel Gianelli."
"Yes I've heard of you Miss Ramírez, you're geological work is most remarkable and it'll prove quite useful on our expedition." He turned from Vaggie to Angel. "I presume that you are the ladies's valet, eh handsome?"
"Valet?" Angel said insulted. "Look buddy I'm no one's servant. I happen to be a scientist like them."
Valentino took note of Angel's bleached white hair, tight clothes, and sunglasses. He burst out laughing.
"Good looking and a sense of humor. I like it. Seriously what do you do?"
"I'm a scientist who studies technology. And I'm very good at it."
"Of course you are. Now then, you three make yourselves comfortable on the boat while I go over a quick check list. Excuse me."
Angel and Vaggie flashed him a glare as he walked away.
"Okay I don't like him." Angel said.
"Shifty-eyed little creatin isn't he?" Vaggie asked.
"He's probably one of those know it-all science snobs." Charlie said. "Just ignore him."
"I'd like to push him overboard." Angel said.
They took their seats across from where the Hamiliton family sat. Angel put on his ear buds and started jamming to his tunes, Vaggie and Charlie pulled out books to read. Vaggie read one on rocks and minerals, Charlie read one on animal classification. Charlie's book featured a lot of animal photographs, including a bunny which looked similar to Maisie's toy Fluffles.
Her parents were busy talking at the moment, so they didn't notice her walk over to Charlie to get a better look at the picture in her book.
"Oh hello there." Charlie said smiling to the child. "Can I help you?"
"That looks like Fluffles." She said pointing to the picture.
"Fluffles?"
Masisie held up her toy bunny for clarification.
"Oh." Charlie said understanding. "You're right, it does look like him. The bunny in the photo is a cotton tail rabbit."
"Does that mean Fluffles is a cotton tail rabbit too?"
"Probably."
"I like bunnies."
"I like them too."
Charlie thought that Maisie was so cute. With her black curls, those bright grey eyes, and those dimples. She was absolutely precious.
"Maisie." The girl's father said coming over. "Don't bother this nice young lady. She's very busy with her book. I'm so sorry about her Miss-"
"Oh no it's fine." Charlie said. "Really. I'm always eager to make new friends."
She then looked at Moxxie.
"You're Dr. Hamiliton's son, right?"
"Yes. Moxxie Hamiliton." He introuduced. "Sorry I didn't make my introduction sooner."
"That's alright. I wanted to tell you that I knew your father."
"You did?"
"Yes. He was an old friend to someone I knew and he would sometimes come to my school for biology demonstrations. I became very fascinated with his work. I've read all his books and I've always wanted to see what he found on this island."
"From what I hear it's suppose to be quite the marvel."
"Are you a biologist too?"
"Sort of. I teach biology to high schoolers. Doesn't pay much but I enjoy my occupation."
"Hey Mom, Dad, look at me!"
Moxxie turned around to see his son hanging off the edge of the boat.
"Maximus Alexander Hamiliton Jr, you climb back on to this boat right now before I take a switch to your behind!" Millie demanded.
"Alexander Hamiliton?" Charlie held in a laugh.
Moxxie blushed.
"My father enjoyed history on the side and I always loved the theatre so..."
Charlie giggled again, Vaggie just rolled her eyes.
"Of course there would be kids on this trip." She thought.
Francesco is an amazing, oc created by the beautifully talented Ackershells. You can find her on Twitter at @Ackershells