Chapter 4: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Chapter 4: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

A stewardess dressed in a navy blue suit greets you warmly as you snuggle deep into your first class seat. She smiles as she passes you a steaming hot citrus scented towel with a pair of gleaming silver tongs. Assuring you that she will return if you need anything, she glides back down the aisle towards the kitchen area, her shapely figure disappearing behind the velvet curtain. The video monitor in front of you turns on with the unmistakable four note jingle of the airline, and a red, white and blue logo appears, framed with the golden words “Fly the friendly skies!”

A small touring ship steams into the coastal waters surrounding the island, the warm sun shining on the hull, warming the interior cabins. Mary emerged from the stairs wearing a bikini top and a sarong, her husband following a few steps behind admiring the view.  She walks to the rail and watches the island grow larger and larger as they get closer.
“I can’t believe we’re really here!” she said, peering through her oversized sunglasses.  Mike put his arms around her and nodded, observing the island over her shoulder.
“It’s prettier than I’d have imagined,” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze.  
A tall dark man walked towards them, his deckhands uniform soft with wear, but immaculately maintained, and his bare feet padding quietly across the deck.  He cleared his throat as he approached the couple. “Sir, Ma’am, we’ll be docking shortly, if you want to gather your hand baggage, we’ll get the rest onto the island for you.”
They both turned to look at him, and smiled, as they padded back down inside the ship. Arriving at their cabin, Mike grabbed his camera and small bag of essentials, and Mary grabbed her large pink and orange raffia tote. She had purchased it years earlier and never had an occasion to use it until now. Checking it’s contents, she was sure that it held the things she knew she would need. They slipped on their shoes, both wearing comfortable but brand new thong sandals.
The couple returned to the deck and watched the ship approach the dock as the captain skillfully navigated the boat to it’s mooring. Lines were tossed to two large men who shouted words of greeting to the large dark man on the deck. After the lines were properly secured, a small gangplank was pushed into place allowing easy access to the dock from the deck of the ship.  The dark man stepped across first and was greeted with hugs and slaps on the back from his laughing friends. “Okay bruddahs, lets get them moved on into the island, they’re spending a night in the grand hotel. C.C says that the ship’s captain will escort the young lady” said the man from the boat with a shrug. It was met with sounds of assent, as the trio made their way onto the boat.
Mike and Mary smiled at the three men who clambered aboard, seeming totally at home on the vessel. She waved at them and they greeted her politely with a little bow, and wishing her a good trip. The smallest of the three men paused and complimented her bag and hat, telling her that they were very pretty, and along the same style his wife adored in his deep accented voice. She thanked him wholesomely, and he whisked away vanishing into the below decks area of the ship. Moments later two of the three men had the couples bags, the other was carrying a black knapsack and a blue duffel bag, and carefully removed them from the ship, traversing the gangplank swiftly, placing them on a waiting golf cart. The two men from the dock sat in the seats up front, and turned to the ship, calling to their compatriot. “Marco, you got it okay here?” Marco called out an affirmation and the golf cart sped away up the path towards the hotel on the hill.
Marco turned towards the couple and spoke in his richly accented voice, “Well, folks, lets go on and get you both checked in." The couple followed his lead across the gangplank, and stepped onto the wooden dock.  They walked back off the dock and onto a path leading up to a building richly decorated with plants and sculptures. The path itself was decorated with inlaid sea glass and mosaic tile designs of fish and other sea creatures.  The couple admired all the interesting things they passed on their way up to the hotel. They pointed out all the things they recognised and oohed and ahhed at the things that impressed them.  Marco opened the heavy door and headed inside with Michael in tow. Mary looked at Mike and told him she’d be inside in just a minute, she wanted to look at something.
Just outside of the ornately decorated front door sat two small trees, heavily laden with oranges, lemons and limes. Mary was intrigued and walked closer to the trees to examine them.  She tentatively reached out her hand and touched the trunk of the tree looking for the splice between the three varieties of trees. She marvelled at how she couldn’t find the seam, that she should be able to find it, but just cannot.
“We simply do have the best gardeners here,” said a thickly accented soft female voice in front of her. Startled, she looked up, and saw a short dark skinned woman. The woman smiled at Mary, and said, “Well, I suppose that’s just me being slightly inaccurate, and incredibly immodest.” The woman shrugged but had a grin on from ear to ear. Mary visibly relaxed and smiled as she reached out to the tree and pointed out the joins further up than where she was looking. They were smooth, and almost nonexistent, as if they had always been there.
“I take great pride in my trees, you know,” she said as she plucked a fallen leaf out of the large pot the tree was sitting in. Marco and Mike walked out of the large door again, looking for Mary. The other two men were walking around the building, and passed near the front courtyard of the hotel chatting and laughing. “Nadine!” said Marco, as he spotted his wife chatting with Mary off to the side by the citrus trees.  Nadine turned her head and smiled broadly as she saw the trio.
“Hello, Husband!” she called out to him.  The other men were walking towards the group. “Mary, I take it you’ve met the inseparable trio? My husband Marco, and his brothers,” she gestured to the tallest man, “Javion, the eldest of the trio” then the shortest man “and their little brother Enrique”.
“I got to meet them briefly as they took the luggage off the boat.” said Mary as she waved at the men. With long strides, they made short work of the distance between them. Marco reached over to Nadine and his long arms enveloped her in a long hug.
“Okay, okay, guys, go and get a room!” laughed Javon and Enrique as Marco lifted his wife off the ground and spun around in their big hug. She squeaked and swatted at him with her free hand while she laughed. “Ok, ok, I give! Put me down!” Javon and Enrique laughed and patted their brother on the back as they continued on their way.
Marco obliged her request, and set her gently back on the ground.  “Aww, a man should show affection to his wife sometimes” said a smiling Mike as he put his arms around his wife and pecked her on the cheek. “Mary I hate to say it, but lets go upstairs and get straightened out and freshened up so we can be ready for the welcome dinner tonight.
“Welcome dinner?” she asked cocking her head to the side as she asked the question.  “Yeah,” answered Mike. “From what Marco told me it’s a tradition here.”
Marco and Nadine nodded in affirmation. “Whenever we get a new group in, we throw a party. Kind of a thank you for coming.” said Marco.  “The Captain really takes great pride in her parties.” said Nadine. “You can’t not go, it’ll be so much fun.”
“Well, I think that settles it,” laughed Mary as she nodded her head and put her arm around Mike’s waist. “Okey dokey! Lets head on upstairs and get settled, then We’ll be there wth bells on.”
...
Back on the boat, well after the couple had left, a knock was heard on the door of the tiny stateroom at the front of the boat. After a few moments, a quiet voice called out, “Hey, you can come on in!”
The ship’s captain was carrying a small bag in his hand as he stepped into the stateroom. “The island should be a great place for you to get away from it all for a while.” Mae looked at him, with a look that clearly said, “are you kidding me?”
The ship’s captain continued, acting oblivious to the evil stare coming from the small woman’s eyes.  “The Captain is very exclusive to what population comes to join us here. I know it sounds very Wizard of Oz, but seriously, if she says that no harm will come to you and that you really don’t have to hide, you don’t have to.  
“I really hope you’re right.” she said, as she walked off the boat and across the gangplank.  Mae wasn’t angry to be on the island, instead, she was her usual slightly paranoid self. She always dismissed the mild paranoia because it was the one thing that she could always count on keeping her alive and fairly healthy.  She didn’t feel comfortable in such an open area. In the distance were a few people doing different things, some tending the flowers some sunning themselves on he beach.
Mae looked around as she walked, looking for familiar faces in the expanse around her. She walked quickly taking in more information, and trying to figure out what was where, and in the case where she would disappear off to if she needed. Preparation now prevents desperation later was one of her standard mottos.  With several brisk strides, the ship’s captain caught up to her. She stopped, and turned to look at him. “Okay, I understand you’re afraid,” he started, holding his hand up as he spoke, “But here, rabble rousing just doesn’t happen. The Captain hand selects each one of her guests- and if there would be any risk of issue, she is extremely well known for denying entrance visas and permits.” He gestured to the building and waved for her to come along as he began walking towards the large ornate doors before continuing. “She knew about your issue and ensured that nothing would happen. She radioed me before I got you off the boat only then to tell me your entrance permit had been approved.”
She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “They went through all that trouble for me?”
“Yeah, you’re a very important person to your Aunt, and The Captain owes her a favor. Probably a big one from the looks of it.” said the ships captain as he looked Mae up and down.  They continued down the path towards the door looking at the sculptural elements, making small talk the rest of the way, discussing the weather and the features along the path. After a few minutes, he opened the door for her and she walked into the large lobby, her soft shoes inaudible on the floor to check in.
…
The noise started from a distance, barely audible on the north end of the island. It became louder, enough to call some attention to itself, a small helicopter circling the island, hovering over the points of interest for a few moments at a time. Inside the helicopter, Lydia looked out the window awed at the scenery below her. The pilot tells her what they are seeing below, his voice tinny in the headphones.
After they had completed their aerial assessment of the island, the pilot radioed the tower, and he received permission to land after a moment. Slowly, they made their way down to the helipad. Lydia looked out the window and saw that the pad was marked with red and white concentric circles with numbers painted on in large figures, with a yellow smiley face in the center.  She was wondering what it meant as they landed.
As soon as the helicopter touched down, the pilot whooped and flashed the thumbs up to Lydia. “A solid 100 points, right on the kisser!” he exclaimed excitedly.
“A hundred points?” she asked trailing off a bit.
The pilot laughed. “It’s something the Captain cooked up. Whichever pilot gets the most points, gets a full weeks paid vacation for your whole family with all the amenities.” She nodded as she finally understood the reason for the bullseye. “I have the most points thank goodness- there’s a little bit of a crosswind you get when landing, it’s no real trouble to land near the center of the pad, but getting dead center is another thing altogether. This should be my fifth perfect landing in a row!”
“Great job then! I hope you get it then!” she said, nodding in appreciation of his accomplishment.  
“I’m in the lead, but not by a lot. This should have pushed me a little closer to where I need to be. I need another couple hundred points, and I’ll be there!” He smiled and winked at her conspiratorially as he powered down the rotor and prepared to exit the helicopter, “I’m just the best- those other guys are nothing compared to me.” The pilot laughed good naturedly as he helped Nadine out of her seat and then down onto the tarmac. “The Inseparable trio will go and get your things, and get them up to your room in a little bit. I’ll lead you down to the path to the hotel where you can go ahead and check in, they’ll fill you in with everything.”
“Inseparable trio?” she asked as they walked down off the tarmac and onto the path a little ways.

“Yeah, they are these three local-transplants that live here. They help out the resort as a favor to The Captain.” They continued to chat about the locals until they came to a fork in the path labeled with a simple picture only sign. The arrow to the left was marked with a cocktail glass and a fish. The Arrow leading straight ahead was marked with a castle, and the one to the right was a very basic log cabin.  He explained that the left path led to the beach, the right to the forest lodge with the outlying cabins, and the center path led to the hotel. The pilot told her to stay on the path to the castle, that as soon as she made it up the little hill,  she’d be able to see it with all the flags flying in the early afternoon breeze. He was going to be heading down the path with the fish, to go and brag to the other men about his perfect piloting. Lydia went to shake the pilot’s hand to thank him. He took her hand, and smiled. “Aw, come here!” He said, and she laughed as they hugged. Moments later, she was on the path towards the hotel.

She made her way up the path, enjoying the mosaics on the ground, the well tended shrubberies, and the unique sculptures along her walk. Every now and then she’d pause to look at something a little closer, laying her hands gently on the objects d’art that she’d pass by. After several minutes of slowly strolling up the path, she found herself standing at the large ornate doors.  They were heavy and wooden, with large panels of stained glass depicting mermaids and other sea creatures swimming in an ocean paradise.  Lydia smiled as she grabbed the large brass handle on the door and pulled.
The door swung open easily, the hinges well oiled and free moving despite the door’s apparent weight. She passed through into the large foyer, her sandals clicking on the tile floor. She looked up at the high ceilings and elegant furniture strewn throughout the room, making it a cool and breezy place to relax in the warmth of the day, and a cozy place to relax at night. Lydia thought that it would look perfect featured in one of those better homes magazines. An older woman sitting behind a desk writing in a ledger looked up as she heard Lydia walking in.
“Hello!” she said in a very cheery voice. “Coming to check on in?” she asked as she stood in greeting.
Lydia turned and looked at the woman with a smile. She nodded and walked over to the old fashioned wooden desk. The silver haired lady smiled and turned her ledger around, and pointed to an empty line in the book. “Just need your name here, if you please miss.  Everyone’s in the system already, we just like to have a note of when you came here. Captain’s orders!”
She handed Lydia a pen, and she signed the book with a flourish.  “Nice to meet you, and thank you,” said Lydia as she returned the pen to the silver haired lady. “This is a beautiful lobby, I’ve never quite seen anything this grand ever!”
“I’m not quite sure there is anything like this place anywhere, it really is special.” she said as she took a folder out from the drawer and passed it to Lydia. “This folder has all the information about the places to see and the things to do here. We’re all inclusive as you know, and we can provide you with just about anything you’ll need.” She rummaged in her drawer again, and took out a necklace- it was a black leather cord with a small silver rectangular pendant. The pendant had what looked to be a blue star sapphire cabochon set into its center. The stone picked up the light and showed off the distinctive star pattern very strongly. She set the pendant into a small holder on her desk, then pushed her wire framed glasses up further on her nose. She touched the stone on top briefly, and it flashed red three times before returning to its original blue color. A few moments later the stone briefly flashed green three times. She removed the pendant from the holder, and passed it over to Lydia who took it with a questioning look. “You look confused.  This is our newest technology- it allows you to contact us if you’d like anything, and it serves as your room key. It makes carrying keys a thing of the past.”

“Oh cool!” said Lydia as she slipped the necklace over her head.

“If you need absolutely anything,  just touch the stone, it’ll turn red, and tell us what you need, one of us will be over in a jiffy. You’ll see the stone turn green when we’re on our way. It’s such a great system. Go ahead, and give it a try!”

Lydia tapped the pendant which laid on her chest. Just like the lady said, the stone turned a brilliant shade of red, waiting for her request. “Where is my room?” she asked, and saw the stone flash green. A small box on the desk beeped softly but insistantly as a small light blinked red on top. The silver haired lady tapped the box, and the glass display on top illuminated with a red triangle. The silver haired lady touched it while explaining, “Delta Alert, that means a guest needs help.” The image changed into a text message format- Lydia peered into it a bit closer- it read “Lydia Duncan needs delta assist- ‘Where is my room?’.” Next to the message was a small map with a flashing red light indicating her position on a small simplified map.
“That’s really cool- you guys really are high tech here!” said a very impressed Lydia.
“Well, The Captain is really big into all sorts of high technology. She makes these things for fun.” She smiled, and then continued, “Ok, onto business now, I just need to remind you of the welcome dinner tonight- It’ll be in the dining room over there.” She pointed to another door with stained glass palm trees and coconuts. “About Sevenish, and we’d love to see you there. We’re also having a guest orientation at two pm, right here in the lobby. It’s just a tour of the grounds, to let you know where everything is, we encourage everyone to go to this, it’s so useful.”
Lydia thanked the lady for all the information, and promised that she would be at both events today- and that she was looking forward to both of them. After a few more moments of light chat, the front door opened, and the inseparable trio was pushing a small baggage cart with her bags neatly piled on it. “I was going to take you up to your room, but if you want, the trio here will be more than happy to show you the way,” said the silver haired lady, while waving to the three dark skinned men who headed over her way. They heard the end of the conversation and readily agreed to show her the way.
Marco walked to Lydia and shook her hand warmly. He introduced himeslf and his two brothers, and led them towards the grand staircase that was leading up to the guest rooms on the second floor. Javion pulled the luggage cart to the very start of the steps, and pushed a button on the handle. The cart raised up a few inches on its legs as a specialized set of triangular wheels extended from the bottom.  Sliding forward, the triangular wheels began to climb the stairs, like a gear meshing with another gear.  In no time, Javion had the cart on the second floor, and the triangles retracted, and were replaced with the original softly gliding wheels. Lydia followed behind with Marco, fully impressed.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that- I loved how the wheels changed!” exclaimed Lydia, nodding her head in approval.
Javion looked down and smiled. “Miss, no wheels to change, just lowering of attachments. Magnetic levitation technology in the casters for the floors and paths, but the stairs posed a unique challenge. I got to work with the Captain, and we figured out a way to get these things up and down without needing a ramp or an elevator.” He shrugged as he continued. “I guess the Captain just isn’t a fan of certain technological advances, but what we do here is pretty darn impressive.”
The continued off down the hall, looking over a railing above the open lobby. From this angle, Lydia could really see that whomever arranged and designed the room really took care to keep it open and airy, but very intimite at the same time. Large open windows with gauzy curtains ran from floor to ceiling all around the room, with stained glass sun catchers strewn here and there, catching the light, and glistening in the sun, showing little scenes of the island life. Sisal rugs over a bare wooden floor were both cool and warm, and very comforting. The furniture was a hodge podge of overstuffed comfort and intricate rattan canework. Brightly colored throw pillows adorned the light colored furniture. Banana palms, and brightly colored orchids lent pops of color here and there, tying the room together. She extended her gaze up and saw the four separate doors, evenly spaced around the hallway, bordering two of the tall walls.  The men led her to the last door on the end.
Marco pointed to the door. “This one is yours,” he said.  Lydia looked at the door and was instantly puzzled. There was no doorknob. “How do I get in?” she asked looking utterly perplexed.
“The door is electronically keyed to the rfid chip in your necklace, it triggers when you put your hand on the door. It’s a mild galvanic conduction between the necklace,your skin, and the door.” said Javion, “Go ahead and touch the door, it’ll open- it really is pretty cool.”
Lydia walked up to the door and lightly touched the door. She felt a slight click under her hand as the door unlocked. With a gentle push, the door opened, the room bathed in bright early afternoon sunlight. She stepped into the room, and took a few steps as her eyes adjusted to the bright sun. The trio followed her inside quietly and set her luggage to the side of the anteroom, then stepped back to let her get the full view of the room.
She dropped her bag on the floor, and set her folder down on the small table in the entry way as she wandered into the room, looking around. “This is bigger than my apartment,” she murmured. The walls of the first room were floor to ceiling windows with white gauze curtains pulled back to let the sun come in. The door to the balcony was open, a cool breeze causing the small silver wind chime tinkle softly. A dinette table and kitchen were along one side of the room, blue tile of the kitchen island bright amongst all the shiny white china in the whitewashed cabinets. The far side of the room had soft white puffy couches set around a small round dark glass table. French doors with more white gauze curtains were set into the rear wall. Lydia walked over to the doors, and pulled them open, the bedroom coming into view. A huge bed with a soft white spread graced the center of the room. Blond wooden furniture sat against blue and white striped walls.  The door to the enormous bathroom was open, revealing a huge whirlpool tub and a shower enclosed in dark granite. Lydia smiled and whistled, utterly impressed by the accommodations.

Stepping back into the great room, she saw the trio standing in the entryway, “Would you like us to leave your bags here, or bring them in the bedroom, Ma’am?” they asked politely.

“Here’s fine,” she said as she hastily scrambled to the pocketbook she dropped on the floor. She started fumbling in it, but the men stopped her. “Thank you, but you don’t have to do that,” said Marco with a smile. “We are more than happy to help you with this, our treat!” Lydia thanked them, and on their way out they reminded her about the orientation and the welcome dinner.
After the door closed behind the trio, Lydia walked towards the couches, and sat down, snuggling into the soft cushions. From here, she had a great view of the beach, the crystal clear blue water breaking over the pearly white sand. After a few minutes of enjoying the view, she decided to start getting ready for the orientation. Always better to start earlier than later she thought, it wasn’t like she was doing much here, and she knew she’d have plenty of time to relax later.

She got up, and pulled her suitcase into the bedroom, and plopped it down on the bed. Popping it open, she picked out a fresh tank top and sarong. She grabbed a bathing suit as well, and laid it out, figuring she could come back and change after the orientation to go sunning before dinner.  She hopped into the shower and played with the seven adjustable shower heads. She sat under the hot steamy water for what felt like a very pleasant eternity. After she got out of the shower, she was very happy that she set aside some extra time for getting put together. She dried off with a very large and extremely fluffy blue towel while thinking that she really liked the blue and white theme to the suite. Glancing at the clock, she started getting dressed, happy that she only had to go downstairs for the meeting. As she finished, she got a glass of water and walked back to the soft couch, setting it on the black glass table.

Her fingers barely brushed the tabletop, and the center of the table illuminated like a television coming on, an image of a flag waving in a breeze appeared, a yellow sun sitting on a field of azure and white stripes. She was very intrigued to see what the table was, and touched it again, a bit more firmly.

The screen changed again, this time showing more information about where she was, her agenda for the day (Orientation at 3 in the lobby, Dinner at 7 in the Dining room), the local weather (84F, low humidity, no rain in this section of the island).  She found that she could touch different parts of the screen to get more information, and was playing with it until she heard a chime, followed by an extremely pleasant female voice say that it was nearing time for her next scheduled event. Lydia looked at the small clock in the top corner of the screen, and saw it was now 2:45P, and had fifteen minutes to get downstairs. She slipped on her sandals and put on her earrings.  Then she started to grab her pocketbook, but thought better for it, remembering that the necklace she now wore was her key back to the room. She touched her door and felt the tiny click as she pushed it open.

Lydia was making her way down the hallway when she heard another door click open next to her. The young couple walked out of the door, chattering back and forth, laughing as they closed the door behind them. She kept walking down the hallway, not wanting to interrupt their conversation, figuring that she’d get to meet them in orientation. Looking down the far end of the hall, she saw a young woman with very dark short hair exit the room nearest the stairs. The young lady darted down the stairs, practically running. Lydia thought it odd, but quickly reminded herself that the world takes all types to spin.

Lydia walked down the stairs, and found the young lady perched nervously on a rattan couch next to the Silver haired lady who had checked her in. They looked like they were chatting quietly.  The Inseparable trio was milling around the far end of the lobby, talking and laughing, generally looking like they were having a genuinely good time.  She made her way over to a rattan chair fitted with a soft pillow seat that was just across from the couch the two women were sitting on. A few moments later, the couple sat on a small comfortable looking loveseat that was right next to Lydia’s chair.

The silver haired lady looked up once the couple had sat down, and spoke up so that everyone could hear. “Hi everyone! I’m Sheryl, I got to meet most of you before, but if you’re anything like me, you forget names unless you hear them a million times.” The small group smiled at Sheryl as she continued. “Well, I figure we might as well introduce ourselves to each other. Let’s start here on my left, a Mickey Mouse Roll Call if you will.” Sheryl gestured towards Lydia.
“Hi Everyone! I’m Lydia.” she said pleasantly with a wave, more than willing to play along. Smiling back, the group all said in unison, “Hi Lydia!”
Lydia shook her head and started laughing, everyone was playing along and being silly except for the dark haired girl it seemed, but even she was beginning to crack a smile. The couple introduced themselves, “Hi, I’m Mike,” and “Hi, I’m Mary” followed by a now smiling “Hi, my name is Mae!”
“Now, with the introductions out of the way, I’m just going to get you aquainted with all the amenities here on the island.” Sheryl stood, “And, if we will, let’s get going on our little tour.” The group stood and followed her as she walked back to the front door.
“Well, I know you have all seen the path on the way up, The Captain had some of the sculptures custom commissioned, and some of the others were gifted to us by various artists. A few of them were even created here, on the island. The mosaics are all inspired by different aspects of life here on the island. If you haven’t already done it, checking it all out makes for a very interesting experience.” Sheryl walked around the lobby to the large door set with stained glass midway down the next wall, and pulled it open, ushering the group inside. “This is the dining room, with our acclaimed chef Mario working now.” She waved to a man wearing chef whites and a New York Mets cap working in the open kitchen,  who waved back and called out, “Yo! Nice to meet ya’s” in a thick Brooklyn accent before returning his attention to his work.
She led them through the restaurant, pointing out the view of the beach, and the outdoor patio. This room was darker and cozier than the living room, and a large brick fireplace dominated the inside wall.  Mae took a better look at the fireplace, and saw the kitchen through it, the chef’s assistant was shoveling baguettes and rolls in and out. The assistant waved at her through the flames.  She laughed and waved back, then returned to the group, where Sheryl was continuing the tour, talking about the art on the walls, and the dark granite on the floors--it was all from the cave system under the island.
“I hope we’ll all get to see you here later tonight,” said Sheryl, as she continued the tour, leading them from the dining room. Everyone waved at the cooks in the kitchen. Chef Mario waved briefly as they started walking out the door “See ya later guys!” he called out as they left the dining room.
“Follow me, we’re going to head outside now. If anyone needs sunblock or a parasol, we keep them in a large container here by the door.” A large umbrella stand was full of various colored parasols, and a tray sat on an end table with little packets of sunblock. Mike took a packet of sunscreen on the insistance of his wife, and handed it to her. She opened it and liberally applied it to the top of his head, and neck while he took a little and smeared it on his face. “Yes honey, thank you!” he said, followed by a little peck on the cheek, as she finished applying the sunscreen to him. Mae and Lydia each took parasols- Mae’s was black lace with a jeweled handle, Lydia looked for a moment before selecting a bright pink frilly parasol with a flamingo head for a handle. She felt as if she was in Alice in Wonderland’s croquet adventure as she stepped outside with the rest of the group. Mary had a large floppy pink hat with several silk gerbera daisy’s pinned to the brim. The group walked down the path a bit, until there was a fork in the way.  
“To the right, is the beach, we’ll head there in a moment. To the left, that is where the lodge and cabins are, it’s on a little overlook, and you can see for what seems like days into the forest.” Sheryl looked at Mike and Mary, “You two will get to go there tomorrow, cabin two is reserved for you guys. Between you and me, that one’s my favorite, so much to look at- That’s where the Captain’s antique picture book collection is.” she added conspiratorily. “The lodge is open for all, it’s a bit of a hike up the path, in the trees.”
“In the trees?” asked Mary.
“Mmm-Hmm,” replied Sheryl. “The lodge is a tree-house, full of modern amenities. It’s based on the Captain’s lodge, which was her first home here, and I imagine she’ll tell you more about that later. The easiest way to get there is to take one of the carts, they’re electric, so they’re quiet and convenient. They’re programmed for all the trails here, if you want to use one, feel free to tap your pendants and say that you’d like a cart to the lodge.” She pointed to Mike and said: “Mike, go ahead and give it a try, it’s pretty neat.”
Mike shrugged and tapped the pendant sitting at the base of his throat. “I would like a cart to the lodge, please.” he said while looking around for where the buggy would appear. Mary heard a soft hum coming from down the path. “I hear it!” she exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the path leading to the forest. “It’s over there!”

The whole group turned to look at the path, and sure enough, just a moment or two later, a softly humming vehicle that looked like a sleek black golf cart appeared over the hill and slowed to a halt in front of Mike. “Wow, that’s pretty slick,” he said very impressively. “Does it handle well off road?” he asked Sheryl.

“Well, we don’t advise off road travel- that itself requires an approved safety course, and then vehicle training, followed by an approval by the Captain herself, but, with the help of the computer guidance and the special equipment inside for stability and safety, I’d have to say it handles pretty darn well.” Mike laughed as his wife scowled at him. He really had no plans to off road while he was on vacation, but if he needed to, he thought, it’d be alright.  He took his wife’s hand, squeezed and said, “Okay, okay, no offroading.” She smiled, and squeezed back in approval.

“Ok, folks, onward now, we’re going to head to the lodge.” said Sheryl as she tapped a button on her bracelet. Lydia took a look, and asked, “Is that another of the fancy dancy electronic thingamabobs that you guys tend to have around here?”
“Yep, that’s exactly what it is,” she replied with a nod. “This is the physical input to my pda.” she said as she tapped her glasses. “The glasses are a prototype I’m testing for the Captain.  She was working with one of the larger multinationals on it for a little while, but had just about perfected it on her own here on the island. It basically serves as a heads up display, and instead of a touch screen, I have my bracelet for input.”
“Functional and classy looking,” said Mae. “Much sleeker than a smartphone or a crackberry.” Sheryl nodded in agreement as two more rovers came over the hill.
“Mike and Mary, you get to share the lead car, Mae, if you please, the middle car is all for you, and Lydia, do you mind riding in the back?” Everyone nodded in agreement and filed into the vehicles. A little screen popped on in the dashboard of each rover and displayed a small map, with dots indicating where they were and where they were going. Sheryl tapped a few times on her wrist, then a purple dotted line connected the two dots. As it turned green, the rovers started moving smoothly along the path and over the first hill.
“All hands inside the moving vehicle,” sounded Sheryl’s voice from a little speaker inside the dashboard.  “If you will look to the left, you can see the beautiful forested region of the island. We have few large animals here, but a few decendants of the Captain’s pet monkey Mongo are the most prevalent species here, at least visually” said the voice, as in the distance, small white faced monkeys began to show up here and there in the trees. They seemed friendly enough, and stayed a bit away from the cars. “They don’t tend to come to the cars, or bother people too much,” started the voice, who continued on, “They do however tend to greet the Captain when she goes on her walks.”
The cars headed up another hill, this one very steep and rocky, but the cars continued on as if they were traveling on glass. “These rovers use the same technology as our luggage carts, these rovers were actually designed first, to help the builders get their equipment and supplies up these hills when they were building the lodge.” The forest was turning older and darker here, deep green leaves in the canopy above shading the suns rays. The spots that the sun could peak through were brightly illumminated like a spotlight being shone from the heavens above. The ground was littered with leaves and small plants, the chirping of birds and insects nearly drowned out the hum of the vehicles.
“If you’d be so kind to look ahead, you’ll see the bald spot, our own special name for this special clearing in the trees.” The trees thinned out almost immediately, the sun shining bright overhead.  “Now, ladies and gents,” started the voice excitedly, “Look up!”
Above them in the trees was a network of treehouses, all with thatched roofs and bamboo walls, windows open to the air. They were interconnected with rope bridges strung from tree to tree. In the center of the network was the largest cabin. It rested in between four trees near the edge of the clearing. A fifth tree went straight up through the middle of the cabin, and continued out the top, its leaves a verdant shade of green. The group was looking up, speechless, admiring the beauty and construction so high up in the air.
The rovers stopped, and Sheryl stepped out. Snapping out of her revery a moment later, Mae followed suit. Lydia and the couple were last out of their cars, but continued to look up at the buildings as Sheryl continued the tour. “Well, Ladies and Gent, this is the Lodge, and our three out-cabins. Each cabin contains a different collection of interesting things, including the world famous and prized Picture Book collection in cabin two.” She smiled at the couple as she continued. “Only one way to go, and that’s up!”
Sheryl walked to the base of the tree that went clear through the lodge, the rest of the group in tow behind her. set into the tree was a simple spiral staircase, with a very fine wrought iron banister wrapped around and around. “Everyone, please step onto the staircase and hold the railings firmly. Mary, if you will tap your pendant, and say ‘up’ if you will when you’re ready”
Mary swallowed, then stepped onto the staircase, holding the railing firmly with her left hand. Once everyone was on and ready, she tapped the pendant and softly said the word “up.” The staircase began to move around the tree. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the helix around the tree was a track set just outside the tree, and moved up like an escalator. The group oohed and aahed at the view as they got up higher and higher into the canopy. After a few moments, they were all deposited into a beautiful and opulent sitting room. Soft couches and comfy poufs were scattered around the giant room creating intimate seating areas. The walls were almost all entirely open, with a verandah surrounding three of the walls, thin sheer gauze curtains waving gently in the breeze, tied back to the bamboo supports lending a visual representation of the airyness of the room. On the one solid wall, pieces of  bamboo were lashed together with a smooth cord, creating a surprisingly solid yet green wall. “The bamboo is all harvested locally,” said Sheryl as she touched the solid green wall. “The Captain cultivated a particular variety here that is exceptionally strong and solid, and self renewing, so that we always have building materials when we need it. This bamboo is also used to make all the furnishings- when properly treated, it can act like rattan, or like silk if you treat it just right.”
The group nodded in appreciation of the technology. Mae started to think to herself that she had really gone down the rabbit hole this time.  Sheryl continued along, talking and showing off the photos on the solid wall, airmen and women, sailors and scientists all relatives of The Captain. After a few minutes of that, she encouraged Lydia and Mae to explore the space as she spoke to Mike and Mary.
“Tomorrow night, you get to start your stay in Cabin two,” said Sheryl happily. “Please feel free to look at anything in there, all the books are for your perusal. There is a beautiful outdoor bath there, the way it’s situated, cabin two is above the others, so you can see out but they can’t see in, and a nice fireplace in the middle. At night it we set it to smoulder slightly, with some of the local herbs- all in all it’s a pleasant fragrance that keeps the insects away.”
“Another of the Captain’s inventions?” asked Mike.
“Nah, its just a trick the Inseparable Trio came up with from back home.  It’s so much better than the old mosquito netting over everything truth be told. There was an electrified version we were testing that was all shades of awful. The Captain comes up with a lot of great stuff, but some of it goes right back to the drawing board for refinement.” Sheryl shrugged, “Can’t get it every time, I guess.”  Mike agreed readily, happy to see that not everything this mysterious captain has done is perfect first time every time. “Ok, now you two, take a nice look around!” she said, shooing them back into exploring the space.
After a few more minutes of looking around, she called them back together. “Ok, last place we’re going to go is the canteen on the beach. Back to the rovers, if you please.” The group took one last look around, then headed back down the tree, and filed back into the rovers. Again, they started up and cruised smoothly down the path. This time, the cars moved a bit more swiftly down the hills, but maintained their even and quiet trajectory without any difficulty. After a few minutes, the forest began to thin again, and the ground became sandy as the cars moved towards the beach. They all began to hear the sound of surf in their ears as they drove over the last hill, and headed down the path marked with a cocktail glass and fish on the marker. As the ground became sandier, the rovers slowed to a very gentle pace to keep the sand from scattering as they drove.
The beach was to their left, the crystal clear blue water breaking over the bright white beach, small shells and starfish strewn here and there. As they went further down the beach, large crabs moved slowly in and out of the water. “These crabs tend to be rather gentle,” started Sheryl’s voice through the speaker, “It’s almost like they want to be eaten. They practically crawl into the cook pot on their own. All in all though, we request that you all stay away from them if possible, we don’t have any reports of anyone being nipped, and we’d like to keep it that way if you please.” Lydia laughed, and thought that knowing her luck she’d be the first known case of crab-nip on the island.
The vehicles slowed and came to a stop in front of a tiki bar with a side area covered with more of the white silken gauze that was so prevalent all over the island. Under the awning was a bunch of picnic tables set in the sand. The table in the far corner nearest the tiki bar had a chalk board with a list of four names, with little marks near the names. Two names were just about neck and neck points wise. At the table under the board sat three men who were enjoying pints of beer, laughing and carousing the way men are like to do. Lydia recognised one of the men as the helicopter pilot who had brought her here earlier today. She decided that she would go over and say hello after the orientation, the men seemed like good fun.
Sheryl showed off the tiki bar, “It’s staffed by the worlds finest bartenders, and we pretty much have anything you’d like here. The tables are always open, and no matter where you are on the beach, tap your pendant and make your order, we’ll find you and bring it over to you. All in all it’s a very convenient system.” She showed off the beach chairs, and where to find a towel and shower. She also showed off a short cut on a path behind the tiki bar that headed back to the main hotel. “When you use this path, it cuts along The Captain’s front yard,” Sheryl started, as she led the group back a ways. “She doesn’t mind, we all tend to go this way, as it’s much shorter.
All of a sudden, there it was, a huge grass hut set just against the tree line on the border of the beach and meadow the hotel sat on. It was large and round, like the tree houses out by the lodge, but had two smaller outbuildings grafted onto the central yurt like structure. Windows graced the center structure, but the two outbuildings had open walls, like the lodge. The same white curtains were pulled back and the tinkling of many wind chimes could be heard. Just in front of the cabin stood several flagpoles, bright white flags waving towards the shore, the slightest breeze causing the flags to flutter brightly against the lush dark green backdrop of the trees.
“Alrighty then, lord and ladies,” said Sheryl, “the rest of the afternoon is yours to do with what you will!” Mike and Mary looked at each other and giggled, infecting the others with their naughty laughter. Sheryl smiled and shook her head as she composed herself. “Feel free to explore on your own, and I hope we’ll get to see you all at seven in the restaurant. Dress casual, we’re all friends here now.” Sheryl waved at the group, and made her way back up to the hotel. Mike and Mary followed her, holding hands and chatting with Sheryl on their way back to their room.
Mae and Lydia looked at each other, “Looks like it’s you and me, kid,” said Lydia with a smile. Mae smiled and laughed with her as they both headed back down to the canteen.

“Some interesting guys there,” said Lydia.

“Yep, can’t deny that, do you know any of them,” said Mae, who had slowed down and was very intently looking at the group from the distance.

“Yeah, one of them is the pilot who took me there. Why? Are you looking for someone?”

“Nah, not really, just glad that I don’t think any of them know me.” said Mae with a shrug. “Makes life easier.”

“I think I agree. I’m not exactly popular back in the office, but here everyone is so nice, you forget about all your troubles pretty darn quickly.” said Lydia as they were nearing the covered awning. The two women were heading towards the table with the helicopter pilot.

“Hi boys!” said Lydia, waving at the men.

“Lyd!” shouted the helicopter pilot, sounding like he had already had one or two large drinks. “How ya doin? Enjoyin’ your stay?”

One of the other men pushed him on the shoulder. “Pete, you should leave these nice young ladies alone,” he laughed then turned to the women. “Hello ladies, I’m sure you’ve met this old hound Pete, I’m Fred, and over there,” he pointed to a man who was examining the chalkboard, “is John. We’re the pilots to and from the island, from Isla Major and the various tour hubs. Care to join us, we’re waiting to see how something should be panning out in a little bit.”

Mae and Lydia joined the men at their table, and Fred called out to John. “Ay, John, you mind bringing over another round, with some for the ladies?” John’s head snapped up at the word ‘ladies’, causing the two men to break out in laughter. May smiled and admonished the men with a wagging finger and a smile. “Now, you boys play nice.” John shook his head as he walked up to the bar, and returned a few minutes later with five cold bottles of beer in his hands. He passed them out then looked up at the sky.

“He’s coming!” he murmured as he squinted his eyes and looked out over the horizon and pointed at a tiny speck of black in the otherwise perfect sky. “Chopper, three o’clock!” John called. The men whooped and whistled at the helicopter. Pete jumped up and touched the large chalk board, causing the tally sheet to fade, and a real time image from the helipad to appear. He stood so close to the board that his nose was nearly touching it.

“This is the last flight scheduled for this quarter.” started Fred to the ladies. “We have a contest for perfect landings. Pete and Matt are neck and neck, just a few points difference. Matt needs an absolutely perfect landing to get ahead of Pete, but he’s not entirely consistent, and of course he’s bound to be nervous.”
“Nervous? Nervous about what?” asked Mae.
Fred replied,”Well for one, the point victor gets a really nice round of paid vacation here on the island, all inclusive, all expenses covered for the whole family, I should know it’s really nice, I won last round, and took myself out of the running for this time. Secondly, he’s got some very precious cargo on board.” The helicopter neared the landing pad, and Fred became silent as he trained his gaze at the image on the board.
The helicopter hovered and lowered slowly, making an obvious attempt to land gently. As it was setting down, the intermittent breeze started to blow across the island, rustling the flags and wind chimes that seemed to be everywhere. Fred, and John cringed as they saw the landing, while Pete jumped up and cheered, hooting and hollering his way around the table. As he completed his lap, he started to do what could only be described as a happy dance. Lydia and Mae looked up at the screen, and saw a big dot just a tiny bit off from the center of the bullseye. A large white number ninety-seven flashed on the center of the bullseye.
A few minutes later, the girls were on their second round, and were talking animatedly to the men about Pete’s upcoming vacation, and all the things he was going to see and do. He was talking about his week on the beach as a very tall very nicely built man made his way to the table after picking up a bottle of beer from the bartender.

With a smile he slapped Pete on the back. “Three freakin points man. I tell ya, Pete, man, you’re a machine!” said Matt as he sat down on the bench next to Pete who lifted his glass and nodded. “Next time, I got it.” said Matt with a smile. Fred looked at Matt, and then pointed to the ladies. “Meet Pete’s new buddies, Lyd and Mae.”

“Howdy ladies,” said Matt in his slow deep southern drawl. Lydia smiled and replied with a genteel “Howdy” as Mae blushed and semi-seriously considered swooning. The table laughed at Mae’s sudden silence and rapidly deepening pink hue. Fred laughed, and popped her on the shoulder softly just as if she was one of the guys. “Mae, honey, that guy is nothin’ but a hound dog,” he said as the rest of the table howled up to the heavens. “Yo want nothin’ to do with him, I tell ya. Now, me, on the other hand,” finished Fred as he was interrupted by laughter and “Oh No he Didn’t” coming from the table, along with all the men going to pop him one upside the head. “Oof, okay okay!” he laughed, then sighed as he looked at the girls.
“Flashers.” he said, shrugging to the other guys. Mae and Lydia looked at him very perplexed, the looked around themselves. They didn’t see anyone streaking on the beach, actually, they didn’t see anyone on the beach at all.  Fred pointed at their chests. “You’re flashing.” Lydia instinctively covered up while May looked down as the men laughed. “No, not that, although it’d be plenty nice to see,” Fred ducked as that comment earned him another round of swats. “Your necklaces- one sec, Lyd, go over and touch the chalk board for me, please, and hold your hand there for a minute.”
Lydia got up and stepped over to the board, gently laying her hand on the bottom corner. The same screen she saw on the table in her  room popped up here.  There was a blinking clock icon in the center with a thirty minute warning for the Welcome Dinner. “Aw crud, I nearly forgot about it,” she muttered as she took her hand off the screen which returned to the chalkboard it was before. “Hey Mae,” she called over to the young lady. “We probably should go in and get washed up for dinner.”
“Yeah, I s’pose so.” she replied as she got up. “You guys will be here later?”
Matt nodded while John replied with his chair tipped back and his feet resting on the seat of the bench. “Yeppers, we’ll be here till next week- we get the rest of this week off, and the next quarter starts on Monday.”
Fred and Matt stood, “You ladies have a good time at the dinner. They tend to be very interesting, especially since y’all got such special stuff coming in the cargo Matt here shipped over.” Matt touched the brim of his hat and said his farewells to the ladies, prompting a blush from both of them as they walked back to the hotel giggling. They took the back path up to the hotel, and heard something they didn’t hear before up near the Captain’s house- Monkeys were scattered on the porches, enjoying little bits of fruit that sat on a platter, chirping to each other softly. Mae thought she could hear music playing softly from the building, but couldn’t be sure with the bar behind her.  They watched the monkeys for a moment, laughing at their antics before they walked back up into the hotel to freshen up.