From Sand to Nand

Chapter Sixteen

Nearly a year had passed. The island of Caranos was completely indistinguishable from the day the Elevation sank. The amount of industrial burning required to support over 800 lives for eleven months had all but depleted the once human-less landscape, leaving it barren for kilometers. Only artificial buildings, architecture, and primitive technology could be seen without squinting to the distance.

There were no longer trees surrounding the southern beaches nor atop the plateau where the community had turned the woods into farmland. It was decided around month 6 that any plant consumed was to be replaced out of necessity for the future. Tiny tree seedlings that had barely sprouted from their soil were fastened to bamboo posts in all the areas that had been slashed. The rubber trees, nearly depleted of their latex, also had an adjacent plot of saplings.

As wood retrieval grew more tiresome, the community elected to adopt cyclical principles of sustainability to replenish the nearby resources it had comfortably consumed for too long without consequence. The community was happy just to have enough variety of crops to sustain their now complex diets of fruits, vegetables, spices, wheat, and nuts. Luckily, there was an overabundance of human feces to maintain the health of the soil in which the plants were growing.

One of the waste chutes, irrigated through the dirt and down into the valley, created a swampy area that had overflown the day the water line was completed. Naturally, the workers overseeing the project were outraged at their mistake until someone advocated to use the area to plant rice. Much to everyone's surprise, the accident miraculously worked out in the end, as it provided the ideal conditions for the crop.

More buildings were constructed, and even more machines filled them. The ability to cast metal and shape tools into intricate mechanisms allowed for a limitless engineering boom. Pei, as well as anyone with industrial experience, worked daily to automate as much production as possible. A sustainable rotation of weekly gathering, foraging, and hunting duties made life for most people fairly simple. Hunting, however, had no longer been a necessity because many types of animals were already domesticated from a number of bird species to hogs, marsupials, fish, and several species of other 4-legged mammals.

Enough chickens had been captured and bred to provide a surplus of eggs. The added protein between the eggs, fish, and poultry caused those who had become gaunt to regain much of their strength and natural weight. A few people overindulged, consuming too much sugar— particularly fruits—causing visible weight gain, oily skin, and acne.

There were some incidents of dissidence, though it was minimal, but conflict still happened and the jail remained routine for some repeat-offenders.

One man had committed suicide by hanging himself. Some questioned the nature of his death, though, and whether the incident truly was a suicide. Thus, an investigation ensued. The idea that someone could have been a murderer was chilling and so many were grilled for information for days. The community was in an uproar. However, no evidence proved foul play, and although unsettling, life moved on as it was.

"One is too many," the white bearded sailor began. "We've named this island after our friend, a loving mother. She took her own life...and now this young man. I want each of you to know that being your Captain was, at first, an occupation. After getting to know so many of you personally, I want to express to anyone struggling out there, please, I welcome you to come to me for any reason at all."

Most people were able to work through any psychological problems by attending small group or working with Thi, the island's most popular counselor. Additional amenities also helped people feel better about their seemingly permanent tropical paradise. A gym was built so people could stay active and fit, and attached was a barber shop for clean grooming. The spas were still perhaps the most popular attraction for relaxation. A group of yoga instructors had their own personal building constructed as well, after being adamant that they couldn't teach yoga in the gym facility for lack of space.