Tsubaki [CH1] – On the Brink

Keith Research & Laboratory Center – Main Building, January 2005

 

“Ryan Kevin! Little King, beautiful at birth…Ha ha” Adrian mocked me with his phony joke.

 

I sit still on my chair, not breaking any focus I have on my laptop screen even an inch, disgruntled to his manly greet.

 

“Mr. Keith wanted to see you” he spoke up when his laugh gradually fades into chuckles.

 

“Why wouldn’t he ask me directly? I’m his son!” I said being totally annoyed and I could see he raised his shoulders behind my back without even a glance.

 

“Oh wow… what’s this?” he gushed his excitement over my screen, snatched the computer a bit off from me and scrolling the page up and down thoroughly.

 

“Camellia. I found a new species. You know how much they serve human lives. Scientists love it… industries commercialize it” I know I exaggerated it and my lips betrayed me into a wild smile.

 

“Oh my goodness” he paused a breath to crease his forehead, as if the data indexed on the screen are the gruesome menaces, gnawing him.

 

“Ooshima Island? An inhabited island? Have you lost your mind?” he continued.

 

“I’m not!  Nearest village within few kilometers” I tried to calm him down, not giving up on my plan asking him to be my partner of this huge discovery.

 

“Oh yeah. But we are in the world’s second largest inhabited island, you pretty boy! Don’t you think what I think? Trapped, lost and assaulted by wild predators and…”

 

“Why don’t you tell me you’re not interested to know about this, Mr. McKenzie?” I cut his words off wryly and I knew my glower killing his next words. If he meant to infuriate me, he succeeded.

 

“Fine. I’ll go by myself!” I said gritting my teeth and shoved of the room but he tailed me.

 

“Ryan! I’m still talking to you!” I stopped, giving him a second to continue.

 

“I’m not telling I won’t go. You better hurry see Mr. Keith” he tapped my left shoulder twice before disappears himself and I crook my lips into a smile. I won this time, I always win.

 

Adrian was my workmate since years. We worked together under this building. I wished to be independent and work alone but always dragged by the power of my father, forced me back here working under him. I hate him. I hate his style. I hate his workers. I hate, everything related to him except this young man.

 

My father told me that I am just a kid, who requires thousand years of lessons, fields of experiences and rooms to improve in skills.  I am unsure in which aspect – as a human or a researcher, but no matter how immature I was I would never listen to bunch of craps were told by a man that I never feel the slightest respect ever! This discovery will prove him that I am no longer a kid.

 

***

 

May 2005

 

Adrian and I set up a team with the other two men – Colin, a scientist & a computer genius that will be our most reliable info resources and Nicolas the forest ranger to ensure our security & safety are protected during the leave.  We will be in Ooshima Island for a week, on my assumption.

 

Day 1st

 

We landed safely on this foreign island couple of hours ago. The 9.73 square kilometers land is unexpectedly less covered by plants. We move throughout the stratovolcano easily because there are almost tiny plants – mosses and herbs in green carpeting its earth. We continue our walks until we reach the area with dense moss colonies and taller trees can be seen. Adrian, who is side-walking to me wears the nonchalant face and spoke only few words in these hours. The high sense lens camera hung to his neck swinging to left & right whenever we encounter rough paths. I remember he vanished from my sight few times to shot any interesting and might be useful things captured on the film. I know his eyesight is more sensible than the lens! Meantime, the two other men at the back, who are the less friendly to me, seemed to enjoy their chats a lot.

 

Somehow we were in the darker place where the ray of lights is less penetrating through the branches & twigs. I miscalculated we’re welcoming the night but the weak spectrum reflected on the gleaming faces of wide green leaves proved I was wrong. And it’s not only with me. There is something wrong with the place too. The land was almost quiet but I can hear the long distance chirps or high pitched squeals earlier. And they were all gone now – the lights fading, the wind breeze dies en masse. I felt a twinge toward my own thoughts and started to cringe when I first realize we are alone. I am no longer in Illinois.

 

I persist to keep my legs move forward though my body gradually produces the tremors. I told myself again and again in my head that everything is fine and will be fine in spite of my chilling spine and sweaty palms. And then I hear a gunshot. I can’t remember what was happening in the previous seconds as my thoughts were all conquered by my fears. And I was almost forgotten our forest ranger presence at the back. The pale fading smokes from the mouth of his gun told me it was him who made the shot. I shifted my glance to where the sound echoed only to find the huge tree meters in front of me has its twigs swayed reluctantly in high incoherent frequencies. It’s like an impact of a sudden movement. Something has escaped from Nicolas gunshot. I squinted over the dark green leaves, looking for the subject. I concentrated on the swinging twigs and the branches but to find nothing. I waited. We stood freeze to where we were. And when I decided to make my move closing myself to the tree, a pair of bare feet landed below of the tree trunk.

 

It’s a human feet. I swallowed a big lump in my throat and it hurts my trachea. I switched my sight to Adrian, Colin and Nicolas. They are all shared the same expression – left their jaws dropped. I wondered if I do the same when my eyes reflected the figure of a girl was the owner of the feet. She has long black hair that loses to her waist while a few on her forehead were tied in tiny braids. She’s wearing a worn white sleeveless gown lengthen to her chubby calves. She looks like a human.

 

I scuttled toward her crushing the dead leaves and twigs scrunched underfoot. I tried to be brave to apologize of our misunderstood. We might have killed her for mistakenly thought it was the wild animal while she caused no harms to us, yet.

 

“We’re sorry” I made it short but clear. She stared at me expressionless with her rounded eyes and serene face.

 

“We… we’re just arrived here. We didn’t know any human’s presence… so” I added fervently, but listlessly. Her unruffled, or the still face she has had somehow produced a qualm on me. I am unsure about the rest – Adrian, Colin & Nicolas but they’re too out of earshot to hear our conversation.

 

“I… I’ll take it that you’ve forgave us then” I grinned awkwardly just to sweep away the guilty feeling that seemed to aggravate me. And to my surprise she curved her lips upside for seconds flashing a smile and the smile lingers for a while when the three approached us.