THE NEYVEN MAYHEM

Chapter 7

JULY 2nd, 2045. 10:15.

- Neyven -

IAN'S POV:

"This is gonna be anything but a summer vacation," June says flipping her transmitter off, as we eye each other thinking of the same thing. Aria's expression grows tense, " We're on the clock now. June, the thing you told about the core energy, what was it again?" June recalls, " That it is growing weak?" " Seems you had heard it right." " Of course I heard it right. Dad was telling us the same thing. I wonder how Ben, Chad and Zoe would learn that this island is basically sinking."

"No time to fret about that." Aria says determinately and puts all three transmitters in front of her on the floor, " I wouldn't have asked for it if the situation didn't force me to. Can you possibly help?" It seemed like she was asking me, "Me?" I ask back. " Yes you," she replies curtly and hands me the toolbox before I can respond. "Okay. I'm gonna try." She sits down folding her legs. Then deftly unscrews and dismantles the components of one transmitter within minutes as if she's done it a hundred times before. "Did you observe?" she looks up at me. " Huh? Observe what, you or your work?" She passes me a transmitter without answering and continues her work. No, I misjudged her, she really is mad at me.

I sit down to face her, " What did I do wrong?" I demanded. She lifts her head once and stares at me with her intense eyes, " I'm hoping we get out of here as soon as possible, so help if you can. Then I won't bother you, we go back home and be on our ways." she continues working without really answering my question.

I take up a driver and start undoing the screws absent-mindedly. 'Sure, and I won't bother you too.' Only she knows what it's all about.

God knows where and how Zoe and the rest are, and if they are alright. I should have listened to her earlier when she warned me about this place. I had jumped up as soon as she told me Neyven is a tropical island, I wanted to start packing right away. I remember her telling me, ' You don't have any idea what lies amidst those forests, and trust me when I say it can be anything.' She was being truthful about it. Now she herself might be in danger, maybe fate brought me here.

"Done yet?" I snap back to present at Aria's question, " Where are you lost?" she takes away the transmitter from my hand.

After about 20 more minutes the improvised little instrument was finally ready. "I had made one like this before, but in a better set-up. But I'm almost sure this will work." Aria says turning it around in her hand. It looked like our transmitters -rectangular and the size of a handspan, only with a small antenna that would work as our transducer. " Almost? Why not definitely?" June pops in from where she's been lying on the rear seats and watching us work. " Says who?" Aria rolls her eyes at June. " I'm just doing my part of being a critic. But all the best to us, start it." she says crossing her fingers for luck.

Aria takes in a deep breath as if trying to prepare herself, " Okay. Here goes nothing." She clicks a button and the instrument makes a whirring noise. " It's working?" June asks getting on her feet. " It seems so, I could only send an SOS." Aria says unconvinced. " It might take some time to find out if it's working." " Somebody needs to catch our distress signal and send us back one." I ponder, " So we're looking at some 3 to 4 hours or 3 to 4 days.."

" 3 to 4 days?" June exclaims widening her eyes, "How are we supposed to survive till then? I'm feeling hungry already. We have only three bottles of potable water and I don't even have my bag with me." "Stop complaining June," Aria bickers, "And you, stop exaggerating things. It surely won't take all that time. We should hope for the best." I wasn't exaggerating a bit.

"What I was saying is that we can't just sit idle and not do anything at all. You know, maybe we can still try to trace our way back to the headquarters. With the correct measures it might be possible." I put up, the thought of Zoe ticking inside my head. "That, with those creatures roaming unleashed? We should be doing just that - sit here till help comes. In all this uncertainty we can't risk it, no." she says.

"Hey Aria, I think Ian isn't that wrong about this. We can't just sit here doing nothing, well except for waiting. I know it is dangerous out there but is it by any means safer here?" June sides with me, " I know you just want us to be safe," Aria cuts her mid-sentence," I want you safe June." she emphasised on 'you', " My life is dear to me and you should feel the same about yours." she stands her ground, " Moreover I'm not leaving the pod here. There are spare Oxygen tanks in it and a roof over our heads. I consider these things important for survival if that's what you're talking about."

I couldn't hold myself back any longer, " Okay, so if you're done being selfish I would like to remind you we came here in the first place to look for Zoe, which is not even a consideration now. Now I don't f*cking care if you stay or die." I hiss through gritted teeth, " Rot yourself in the middle of this hellhole. I am leaving." I am done with all this drama. Zoe matters to me and even if the world doesn't give a damn, I will look for her.

"Sure enough, who stopped you? Did you hear me pleading with you ' Please stay! '?" Aria grimaces, " That way we don't have to waste Oxygen on a third person. You can go, even right now. It would get dark soon, not that I care." "Mhm, you have a point. It's one already. I'd better leave." I storm out of the pod and advance towards where my AI band said is the headquarters.

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Hey there! Though this was a short chapter, hope you liked it. If you've got this far I would like to assure you, you won't be disappointed. So I guess a little support by voting wouldn't harm. (: 

PS: ( Spoiler ) I got a whole box of all kinds of twists and turns ahead, so stay tuned.