Kara's Diary [Rough Draft]

05 – 28 – 7092

I set foot in the remains of Dad’s lab today. The emotions I felt while traversing the charred rubble were… overwhelming to say the least. It’s been nearly a week since that fateful night, when an explosion destroyed the summit of South Mountain, taking Dad and his beloved laboratory with him. One week, and yet the pain feels so fresh.

Joan and Sophie have already searched the lab for anything salvageable, so I was just looking for whatever they missed. I was able to find the remains of Dad’s research. The first thing I found was camera Dad used to record the lightning storms that passed over our home. Scrolling through the footage, I relived all the times I was up in the lab, watching those storms alongside him. I also found a book, singed but still readable. “An Illustrated Guide to the Seven Nations of Nizo,” the only glimpse I’ve ever had of the universe beyond this island, Jeva. I still dream of the day that I can finally see the vistas in that book with my own eyes.

Sophie eventually showed up, asking if I was able to find anything. Desperate to prove that found something of practical use, I picked up a butch of metallic rods lying at my feet and made up some story about how I could use them as harpoons. Sophie saw through my bluff. “It’s okay Kara,” she said. “I know what it’s like to lose a dad. Take all the time you need, but you do have to move on someday. Live like you did when he was alive, it’s what he’d want you to do.” As I stood there, fighting back the tears, all I could do was ask how. “…How? It’s, um… I… you know what, how about we start by heading back home? A nice warm dinner with your favorite stew will cheer you up, right? Besides, we need some rest before the sun rises tomorrow.”

As I write this journal while listening to Sophie’s violin, I realize she was right. I did feel a lot better after a nice warm bowl of fugo stew. Dad might be gone, but I least I still have people like Sophie and Joan to call family.

06 – 01 – 7092

Today marks the first sunrise I’ve watched without Dad at my side. It was still a beautiful sight as the sun slowly climbed above the clouds on the horizon and then faded away once again when the fog rose from the sea. Yet even from behind the fog the sun bathed my body in warmth and light for the first time in two weeks. I thought about Dad and how dearly I wanted to share this moment with him, and those thoughts turned my joy to sadness. But I remembered Sophie’s words and promised myself that would enjoy this sunrise like the ones from days past, to live like I did when he was alive.

Back in my room, I took a look at the rods I had collected from Dad’s lab. When I found them yesterday, I told Sophie some stupid story about how I was going to turn them into harpoons, but looking at them again I realized that idea might have had some merit after all. Using the smallest blade I could find in Joan’s collection, I whittled away at the rods. The fire had already burned the ends of the rods to points, so all I had to do was refine those points into barbed spearheads and then cut out a hole that I could string a rope through. At least that was my initial plan.

Whatever these rods are made out of, it’s tough. It’s not unbreakable, but it’ll take longer than I initially thought to carve these harpoons. And then there’s the issue of what to use for rope. Perhaps I need to make another trip to Dad’s lab.

06 – 03 – 7092

My trip to Dad’s lab yesterday went well. I found something I could use for rope: a bunch of wires scattered all over the place. When I tied them all together, I was able to get something at least ten feet in length and fairly strong. When I got back home, I had plenty of time to finish up of the harpoons I had started the day before, though I was exhausted by the time they were all done.

The sun’s finally high enough in the sky to clear away the fog, and for me it wasn’t a moment too soon. I was tired of being cooped up in the tunnels inside South Mountain and was ready for some fresh air, and I was also eager to test out my new harpoons and catch some fish down at the lagoon.

Unfortunately, that eagerness slowly turned into frustration as the day went on. Throwing them proved useless since the fish were quick to react when a harpoon hit the water, and then I had to retie my rope when I lost a harpoon. Eventually I decided to just stand waist-deep in the water and wait for the fish to come to me. The waiting was unimaginably boring (not to mention uncomfortable with my clothes getting soggy), but after an hour and a few close calls, I finally managed to catch a nice-sized basse.

I must admit that I got a little overenthusiastic over catching a fish after so many failed attempts, and my subsequent cheering attracted the attention of other fishermen. They were quick to realize that I was Dr. Darcel’s daughter and offered to trade some of their own fish for my harpoons. I tried to tell them they had already shown enough generosity at Dad’s funeral, but they insisted on trading.

So I came home today with only half of the harpoons I started with but I also had a half dozen fish. Combined with the greens Sophie had foraged and our reserves of dried food, it’ll be more than enough to keep us fed until the Four Pillars Colony arrives.

06 – 05 – 7092

Today I got my Pro-Bowl uniform from school, and when I unboxed it at home it was met with Sophie’s mockery. “Wow, I knew girls in Pro-Bowl wore short shorts, but this is just ridiculous.” I tried to defend the uniform, explaining how the shorts allowed for greater freedom of movement, which was important since Pro-Bowl involved a lot of running. “’Greater freedom of movement.’ So that’s what they’re calling fanservice these days?” Sophie smirked. I hesitated, and then admitted that I had my own doubts about the uniform. “Face it, Kara. You’ll be running around on that field without any pants on. But hey, at least you’ve the legs to make that outfit look good, right?” I blushed, just like I always did when Sophie flattered my looks. “Don’t worry. Mom and I will handle the pervs.” Joan, who had been listening to us from the other side of the living room, reacted to Sophie’s remark with a glare. “Okay, I will handle the pervs.” At that point, I decided our conversation was getting too uncomfortable, so I put the uniform away and changed the subject.

As I write this journal, I realize it’s kind of silly to worry about revealing sports uniforms when there’s a bigger problem: the Four Pillars Colony hasn’t shown up yet, even though the sun rose days ago. The colony folk can be a little weird, especially since they’re actually robots artificial life forms, but they’re always so punctual, and I’m starting to wonder if something bad happened.

Now that I think about it, how is the colony going to handle Dad’s death? Are they even going to support us now that he isn’t around? They’re machines, they think practically. Maybe guarding and feeding our colony is a hassle to them.

No, I shouldn’t think like that. The colony’s been friends with Jeva since before I was even born. I should have some faith in them. And get some sleep.

06 – 06 – 7092

Today was the first day I practiced playing Pro Bowl in my uniform. I have to admit the outfit’s not that bad; in fact, it’s actually quite comfortable and indeed it’s easy to run around in. Not only that, but the whole uniform, including the socks and shoes, dries quickly, which I learned when I went fishing after school. I think I’m getting better at using my harpoons; I managed to catch two fish this time.

In short, I think I’m actually starting to like this uniform. In fact, when Sophie told me that I forgot to change into my regular clothes after fishing and walked around town in my uniform, I wasn’t that embarrassed.

06 – 07 – 7092

Today started out like any other day; school followed by a game of Pro-Bowl by the lagoon. But then a susehpen colony surfaced just outside the reefs. However, this wasn’t the Four Pillars Colony; instead of four walkers there was only one. This walker looked similar to those of the Four Pillars; a cone-shaped spire that walked on a set of 6 crab-like legs. However, it was far more massive than any of the walkers of the Four Pillars; if I didn’t know better I’d say it was taller than the twin peaks of the island. The walker was also jet-black in coloration, like a living shadow rising from the ocean.

The walker didn’t do much besides standing there and looking foreboding. However, when I got home I saw that Joan was having a meeting with the town elders in the living room, so I hid in the corner to eavesdrop on them. They were talking about the black walker: apparently it didn’t send out any signals indicating that it was an ally of the Four Pillars, which had the elders worried. Joan was trying to calm them down, saying that she would try and get in contact with the black walker. However, she also said the elders should be ready to give “the order.” Could they possibly mean the order for everyone to flee the North Mountain Fortress? “If only Dr. Darcel was here,” one of the elders lamented. “He’s not here, at least not in person,” Joan said bluntly. “But we still have the fortress he built in North Mountain. We still have the weapons he acquired from the Four Pillars. We’ll stand our ground and fight if this black walker is a threat, and we’ll find a way to persevere.”

Is it really possible? Could our tiny little island colony go to war with a susehpen colony? Could we really survive against something so big, so monstrous?

Dad, are you up there watching us? I miss you. I miss you so much.