The Island (7 page)

ARRIVAL

THE DISCOVERY

ATLANTIC OCEAN

MARCH 8
th
2044

One thing became apparent as the discovery and its boat full of contestants made for The Island, and that was that twelve hours wasn’t as long as it seemed. It equated only to seven hundred and twenty minutes, or, broken down even further, just forty three thousand, two hundred seconds. Chase sat at the galley table, staring at his hands and wondering if everyone else could feel the relentless countdown as they neared what for all of one of them, would be their final destination as a living human being. The engines of the boat hummed as it powered them along. Chase half hoped for some kind of breakdown, something that might delay them just a little so he could fully come to terms with what was happening, but the old boat went on, driving them closer to their final destination.

His solitude was disturbed by Ryder, who sauntered into the kitchen, muscled arms swinging. He nodded at Chase, then went to the fridge and took out a carton of milk, drinking straight from it, and then putting it back. Rather than leave, Ryder sat opposite him across the table, cocky half smile on his lips.

“You don’t say much, do you?” Ryder said.

“I don’t really have much to say.”

“You think you can win?”

Chase looked at Ryder, trying to figure out if it was genuine curiosity or a sign that some people had already started to play the game.               “Do you?” he replied.

“Oh, I’m going to win. It’s inevitable.” There was no arrogance in the statement. Just an unwavering self-belief in what he was saying.

“I wouldn’t say it was inevitable. The way I see it, you have a one in six chance.”

“Come on, you don’t believe that. I see it in your eyes.”

“You don’t know me,” Chase snapped, unsure why Ryder was getting so under his skin.

“No, but I know the type.” He was doing that thing with his fingers again, each one touching his thumb in turn. His grin reminded Chase of the one Lomar wore, knowing and confident.

“I didn’t realise I was a type.”

“No offence, pal,” Ryder said, standing and cracking his knuckles. “I’m sure you had good reasons for coming here. But I know for a fact, not one of you has thought about it and what you might have to do. I have. I’ve done it before, and I’ll do it again. Not one of you means anything to me. I don’t say that to be a dick, it’s just a fact. When it comes to either me or you, I’ll back myself every time.”

Chase was still struggling to formulate some kind of an answer, when Moses ducked into the door. He had a look on his face that told Chase everything he needed to know before he had even opened his mouth.

“We’re almost there. You can see it from the deck.”

Chase felt his stomach tighten, contracting into a tight ball of heat before relaxing and filling him with a chill. He glanced at Ryder, who was still grinning. “Well, let’s go take a look, shall we?”

With that he was gone, following Moses upstairs to the boat deck. Chase sat there for a moment, trying to compose himself before he let the others see him, then he got up and followed the others upstairs.

TWO

At first it just looked like a smudge on the horizon. Only when they got closer did they see the true scale of The Island. The hilly terrain of lush greens was shrouded in a light mist beyond the immense concrete wall which ringed the entire island. All of them stared at it as the boat moved closer. Chase glanced at Alex, who was still wide eyed. His lips moved in silent prayer as he wringed his bony hands. Only Ryder was grinning, looking excitedly about the group. Nobody returned the gesture or shared his sentiment. The biggest reaction was from the armed guards who had accompanied them. As The Island loomed closer into view, they flicked off the safeties of their automatic weapons and stood ready. The two cameramen who had come with them were filming The Island, grinning as it loomed closer. Chase envied them. It was fine for them to grin. They were going back with the boat.

“Bigger than I thought.”

Chase turned. Alex was standing next to him, Adam’s apple bobbing in his skinny neck. It was the first time Chase recalled hearing his voice.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “A lot bigger.”

Alex turned to him, those blue eyes unable to hide how afraid he was. “Do you ever feel like you made a mistake by coming here? I do.”

It was a valid question, and one that Chase had asked himself with increasing frequency as the day drew closer for them to start the game. If anyone else had asked, he would have acted with bravado if only to keep up appearances, but he felt nothing insincere in Alex’s questioning, and so decided to be honest.

“I thought about it, I mean, who wouldn’t? Underneath all the posturing and showing off, I think everyone here would rather be somewhere else.”

“Almost,” Alex said, the faintest smile appearing on his thin, pale face as he nodded towards Ryder. “He loves every second of it. Best to keep a close eye on him.”

Chase watched Ryder as he tried to talk to Perrie, chest out, muscles flexed as he pointed at The Island.

He turned back to Alex, surprised to find that he was looking right at him. “Why are you here?” Chase asked.

Alex shrugged. “Same as everyone else. Sometimes you have to do things just to try and make a difference.”

“What do you think is in there? Behind the walls?”

“I have my suspicions, but I don’t think it will help anyone for me to speculate on them. Besides which, it might be the one advantage I have.”

“Do you think you can win?” Chase asked, only because it felt like the right thing to do.

“Oh, I’m going to win. There is no doubt about that at all.”

Chase stared at him. For all of Ryder’s posturing and posing, for some reason Alex was much more convincing.

“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” Chase said.

“Oh I am. I’ll win, mark my words.” Once again, Chase couldn’t help but notice that there was more to Alex than he had initially thought, than he suspected any of them had thought. Behind the uncertainty and the fear, there was a certain determination, even if it was probably misguided. “You know what we might have to do in there don’t you, if we want to win?”

“Of course. I think I’m the only one who does.” He flicked his eyes towards The Island, which was looming closer. “Once we’re in there, it’s going to be a war of attrition. Survival. Physical attributes is only the start of it. A lot of the battle is going to happen up here.” He tapped his temple with a bony finger.

Chase nodded; part mesmerised and a little bit scared. He hadn’t considered the psychological aspects of what was about to happen, and felt completely unprepared.

“Well then,” Alex said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I suppose we better take a look and see how the land lies.”

He walked away towards the side of the boat, shoulders hunched as he leaned over the side with the others who were staring at The Island.

THREE

Camera crews were on the dock filming them as they approached. The boat pulled in, the contestants paying no attention now to the television cameras or even each other. All they could do was stare at was the two-hundred-foot concrete and steel wall which loomed high above them. Beyond the dock was a short road and a series of port-a-cabins surrounded by thick vegetation. The contestants climbed off the boat and stared at the structure, craning their necks to see the top. Rain sat on the edge of the air, threatening to turn into a downpour at any time. The dock extended towards The Island, then down to a pebble beach, before ascending again. Beside it, an access ramp let to The Island proper. The wall was dirty and covered in moss. Other than a recessed section which contained a half dozen access doors, it was completely featureless. No windows. No texture. It was reminiscent of a dam wall, although instead of water housed something much more deadly. They stood on the dock, letting the cameras film their reactions, letting them savour the shock.

A sign, white and red was attached to the dock, one of many which were identical to it. It read:

ABSOLUTE SILENCE.

NO NOISE from this point forward.

A man approached. He was dressed in grey combat pants with black patches on the knees, and a black jumper, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Dark hair, sharp blue eyes. He walked down the dock, coming to a halt in front of them.

“Welcome to The Island,” he said. He offered no introduction. Gave no name. He simply looked at them. “The waivers you signed prior to agreeing to take part on the show start from the moment you set foot through the gate there.” He jammed his thumb over his shoulder to the small steel access door. “Your temporary HWLF licences will also be active the moment you step foot through the gates. For those of you who don’t know, weren’t listening, or thought this was some kind of a joke, HWLF stands for Hunting with Lethal Force licence. That means that anything you do when on The Island is not punishable by law, and I do mean anything. Inside the confines of The Island, anything goes. The only objective is survival.”

The man stared at them each in turn, eyes cold. “Make no mistake; you will encounter things on The Island. Things that will want to kill you. Remember your basic survival lessons; remember your reasons for being in here. As a courtesy, the first mile beyond the wall is a designated safe zone, that’s why we are able to converse beside these warning signs demanding silence. You will encounter nothing that will harm you until you reach the edge of the safe zone. This is clearly marked. After this point, you are in control of your own destiny. If any of you are thinking about backing out or changing your mind, the time for that is long gone. The six of you will enter The Island, and you will do it now. If you would make your way down the dock to the recessed area of the wall, you will receive your final camera checks then you will go inside. Good luck to you all, and to the eventual winner, I will see you on the other side. Remember, the exit is two hundred miles away as the crow flies. Depending on your pace and how determined you are you could reach there in just a matter of a few days. If you take one piece of advice with you, make it this. Do whatever it takes to win. Remember your motivations. Remember why you are doing this.” He looked at them again, making sure his words had hit home, then nodded. “Alright, now if you would make your way to the wall, we can begin the game.”

He stepped aside, and waited. For a few seconds, everyone stood where they were, then Ryder started to walk down the dock. A little of the swagger had gone from his step, but he was still the most confident. One by one they all followed. Moses, Perrie, Ellie, Chase, and as always, Alex bringing up the rear. Hands still thrust in his pockets, head down as he stared at the dock. They went down the dock, crunched across the gravel beach, then up the ramp on the opposite side. The wind still threatened to bring rain, but so far it had held off. The recess was around ten feet deep, an angled depression cut out of the main wall. They gathered near an access door, one which was no bigger than a door which would be in any home anywhere in the world, except the ones at home tend not to be made from titanium and carry a warning on the front. Like the signs on the dock, it was printed in black on white with a thick red border.

STRICTLY NO ADMITTANCE.

RISK OF FATALITY

As far as signs went, it was short and got straight to the point, telling the reader exactly what could happen to anyone who chose to ignore such a warning. The cameras rolled, catching their reactions. Their unnamed guide saw them staring at the door and interjected, the words he said next doing nothing to reassure them.

“I suppose you were expecting something grander, maybe a giant gate like in the King Kong movies?”

“Actually, I was,” Ryder said, grinning and winking at Perrie. Their guide didn’t see the funny side.

“Well, unlike the movies, we keep the doors small for a reason. We don’t want anything in there to be able to get out. Think of it as insurance.”

There.

Chase had been waiting for it, to see the first crack in Ryder’s armour. The grin faltered, and a moment of panic replaced it.

If he had been less afraid himself, he might have enjoyed it. As it was, he was struggling to retain a calm exterior. New York seemed like such a long way away, more so now that just a single door separated him from what could well be the end of his life. He looked at the other contestants. Some he had painted a half decent picture of, some he was no closer to knowing anything but a name. One thing was for sure. Soon enough, there would be no hiding their true intentions. Soon, the bullshit would stop.

A red beacon above the door started to flash. There was no accompanying sound. Their guide accessed a panel by the door beneath a black and yellow striped cover and punched in a number. The door opened, and instead of seeing lush greens of The Island, it was a narrow dark corridor, at the end of which was another door. Low wattage lighting ran across the roof of the tunnel.

“Alright,” the guide said to them as the cameramen started to pack up their equipment and load it onto the boat, apparently having got the footage they needed and wanting to get as far away from The Island as possible. “Proceed to the end of the corridor and wait by the door there. It’s automatic. As soon as this one is secured and locked, that one will open. As soon as you reach the other side, it’s game on.”