Riddick at Sea
Chapter 6
Riddick awoke to the sound of seagulls. He opened his eyes and saw birds circling above him in the deep grey sky. A blue faced hobo looking man appeared in his vision.
"Ahoy mate. Welcome to my barge." He smiled showing off his three pointy teeth.
Riddick quickly stood up and looked around.. He was on a big boat surrounded by garbage and seagulls. HE wobbled a little bit then decided to sit back down.
"We're on our way to Lunas Isle. It's on the opposite side of where you were. Councillors thought I should tell you that. O, and never to go back there"
"Krista." Riddick looked around again.
The blue man just laughed and walked away.
Riddick swiftly walked around on the uneven garbage boat. Nothing useful, just piles of muck. He stood on the edge of the barge starring out at the blank sea.
"Can you swim mate?" The blue faced man came up beside him.
"Push me and I'll kill you"
"No need to get hasty mate. Just askin' since you're new and all. But you better learn fast since you're gunna be here a while"
"Fishin' time." Another blue man appeared. He had a large hook in his hands. He grinned t Riddick then jumped in the water. The boat kept moving and Riddick watched as the blue mans head slowly bobbed further and further away, a rope trailing in front of him attached to the barge. He sunk under that water and came back up 5 minute lter with a large fish.
It took a day for them to reach Lunas Isle. It was a smaller island then Emerald Isle and made of metal. Cunner, the blue man, offered Riddick a place to stay and a tour of the island. There were huts all over the island and no tall buildings. It was a family island, children were running around playing and women were watching and dancing about. Cunner said that all the men work on an island called Polaris while the women stay here. Polaris was a business island made of garbage. The barge was headed for Polaris to dump the waste to create new buildings and expand. Looking to the east, Polaris stood as a big mountain. He also pointed out that there was a phone on Polaris, but they would have to wait until tomorrow to go there. When they got to the centre of the island there was a large metal box, filled with dirt and sprouting beans.
"Do you ship out the beans?" Riddick starred at a few woman how were farming and harvesting the beans.
"Yah, but not to Emerald Isle, if that what you're thinking. To the Hunter islands. There's a group of small islands to the North. They ship out every month, you've just missed the last one"
Cunner then took him to his hut. He had a rather large hut due to having 14 children. Riddick didn't understand why, Cunner's wife was a blue blob, he didn't see the attraction, but then again, he didn't understand a lot of things on this planet. Cunner's wife was rather nice though, she made one of her children give up there room and move in with another so Riddick could have a room all to himself. It was away from the exit. They were a little suspicious of Riddick and didn't want to give him any chance to block them in. She also made sure he ate plenty of food. All made of beans.
Riddick was sitting on the edge of the island starring out at the big open sea in deep thought. He needed a plan. He had to go back to that island and get the ship, and Krista. He felt a little responsible for her, but only a little. He'd have to contact Tallia. Get an army together, and some weapons like the scientists had.
His thoughts were stolen from him when a group of kids came up to him and started talking in their language. Riddick just ignored them. When they got bored the dove into the water and began playing around One of them, feeling daring, began to splash Riddick. He was tempted to go in there and get him. But drowning was not near the top of his list of things to do at the moment. The rest of the kids joined in the splashing. Riddick got frustrated and left. The kids began to shout things at him, but he didn't listen and went back to Cunner's hut.
Riddick awoke to Cunner's face again. "If you want to go to Polaris, now's the time." Cunner smiled then went outside to await Riddick. Men were rushing around to the boats that lined the edge of the island. Cunner lead Riddick to a large boat that had women on it. "This is the public ship, widows and guests can go on it." Cunner hopped on then held out a hand for Riddick. He ignored it and jumped on. "It'll only take a few minutes.
The closer they got to the island the worse the smell got. An island made of garbage really did smell like and island made of garbage. The locals didn't seem to mind it, they must have gotten used to it. The island was smaller then he thought. When they got closer he realized it was not a mountain but a stretched hill. Everything was made of garbage, the buildings as well. Compressed or cubed garbage made up everything. These people sure knew how to recycle.
When they got on the island Cunner began to lead Riddick through the alleyways. He kept his head down the whole way and only glanced back a few times to make sure Riddick was following. This body language struck Riddick's curiosity and would have to be questioned later. Eventually they got to another information desk. Cunner talked to a perky woman behind the desk. After a few seconds he came back to Riddick "Is there anyone in particular you wish to make contact to on Emerald Isle"
Riddick searched his mind for a moment trying to bring up a name. "Tallia"
"Does Tallia have a last name"
"I don't know…She has a sister named Krista"
"Oh." Cunner sounded disappointed. "I know her." He went back to the information woman, then came back to Riddick. He said "Now we wait." then sat down silently.
It was a full hour before the information woman called Cunner over. He then called Riddick over. "Here you go." He smiled and handed Riddick the phone. It looked more like and old re-wired walkie-talkie.
"Hello?" Riddick wasn't sure which area to talk into.
"Mr. Riddick?" Tallia's voce came from somewhere on the walkie-talkie.
"Tallia"
"Oh, Riddick. Is my sister alright? Where are you"
"I'm on Polaris. I don't know if your sister is alright"
"What do you mean you don't know"
"We went to Siren. I got shot. I don't know where she is"
"oh"
"But I'm going to go back and get her, but I need you cooperation"
"What?" Tallia's voice sounded fuzzy and faded.
"Bad connection." Cunner chimed in.
"Can you come get me"
"I can't hear you"
"Find a way to get to me." Riddick shouted into the one end of the walkie-talkie.
"I can meet you on the hunter Islands in 15 days. Cashish"
"15"
"No, 15! It's the best I can do"
"well I-…rel…cam….nerg" The phone cut out.
Riddick slammed the thing on the table. The perky information lady didn't seem pleased.
"15 days is pretty fast." Cunner seemed relaxed.
"It took us two days"
"No, you were out for a while mate. And barges may look slow, but they go pretty fast"
"What am I supposed to do for 15 days"
"22 actually. She may be at the Hunter islands in 15, but you cant get there for 22. The bean trucks, your only way across"
Riddick looked pissed off. The information lady closed her desk and Cunner backed up a little bit.
"The boys can teach you hot to swim." Cunner offered.
