It seemed like a simple day. For once there was nothing in urgent need. No serious injuries and no new discoveries. Charlie and Claire were happily talking, while Kate was "sinking," as she often did. Shannon (still alive at this point in time) had just awoken with Sayid, and now they were beginning to get some food. All seemed almost satisfying, and they were quite happy for being stuck on an island.
There were still a few troubles. Locke and Jack would never get along, and so contention remained between them. Claire, with Charlie, had to help take care of Aaron; and one can only imagine a baby on an island with only so many diapers could be nothing but exhausting. Then there was Walt, Michael, Jin, and Sawyer; who were last seen boarding a raft several days before, with no sign since. This caused worry for Sun and Kate most of all, being the girls who had loved ones aboard (whether or not they admitted it.) Though these troubles seem like many, on this day even they seemed far away.
While rocking Aaron once more, Claire walked down the beach with Charlie.
"I just don't understand how you could have been so certain that your band would make it, that you never even considered going to college and having another career," said Claire, sounding a little confused and disappointed.
"Haven't you heard us, Driveshaft? We're great! Of course we'd make it!" argued Charlie. Claire turned her head, seeming to not want to listen to anymore.
"I actually haven't," she said, turning to look him right in the eye. It seemed almost in challenge. Charlie, in return, had never looked more appalled and shocked.
"You never heard Driveshaft!"
She shook her head in response, after which he began to sing in a high-pitched tone:
"You all everybody! You all everybody! What?"
She was laughing, but then, looking past him and above him, had stopped.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the sky. He turned a followed her gaze towards the sky.
It was obvious to see. There was something in the air, moving somewhat wildly. It seemed small or in the distance, or both; either way it was difficult to fully identify what it was.
Claire wasn't the only one to see it. Kate had stepped out of the water to head closer in its direction. Jack and Locke (both near each other from their discussion of a certain hatch) were looking more baffled than most. As everyone began to take notice at this thing – whatever it was that was so eye catching – they began to move closer together.
"Is it a bird?" asked Shannon. Jack shook his head.
"Can't you hear that noise?" he said. "Birds don't make noise like that."
"I don't think they move like that, either," said Charlie.
"It's getting closer," Sayid said with a sort of excitement. And he was right; the shape, still moving wildly, was growing larger.
"Is it a plane?" Sun asked.
"I've never seen a plane that looked like that," answered Kate as it got clearer to her vision. After a silence, Hurley broke it with what most hoped was humor.
"Is it Superman?" he asked, sounding serious.
"I don't think so," Charlie answered. Throughout this whole conversation, not a one of them had taken their eye off of the moving shape.
Larger and larger it grew, and clearer it became. It looked nothing like a plane any of them had seen. Its shape appeared almost bug-like.
"It looks like a giant, mechanical bumblebee," said Charlie, sounding completely baffled by this UFO that continued towards their island.
"Or a firefly," said Locke calmly.
"It's gonna crash!" exclaimed Claire. They were all aware that its erratic behavior appeared unintentional. It flew in circles, then from left to right; and it seemed upside down at one point, the whole time getting closer.
As it got closer the noise became more apparent as well. The noise helped support the theory of crashing; it sounded like a very large car falling apart in the air. As it continued closer, the noise became so loud that most of the castaways had to cover their ears.
"Is it coming right for us!" Sayid shouted. Most people had realized this as well, and began heading aware from the falling UFO.
As it seemed like it would crash right there on their beach, it made a swift turn into the jungle. They could hear trees crunching beneath the falling object, then a loud crash, and then no more. Smoke was now arising from its direction, but no more noise could be heard. So it did not crash as they had expected, but by their luck had turned the jungle, joining all the mystery that was already in there.
Not too long after the smoke had appeared had the crowd begun talking. Amidst discussion of what it was that landed on the island, Kate walked towards Jack, who had said nothing for some time.
"Are we gonna go look for it?" she asked quietly. All he did was look back at her, and she new his answer.