No Man's Land

It is incredibly taxing to recount all of the pertinent events of our history, let alone the full account of mine without mentioning some horrific details I had only discovered this month. My memory has been rather hazy due to severe shock and trauma throughout the past few months. I suppose I should begin there while I have my faculties.

Part One: Travail

We had set sail on a journey across an ocean that had not been traversed for generations. Our entire community was blighted with an affliction causing the population to dwindle to just us men aboard our ship. The last vestiges of humanity as we saw it. A dangerous and likely suicidal journey was ahead of us, but we were without anything to return home to anyway. Desperation can make any task seem less daunting, I suppose. Our young had been dying off while our elders ceased to bring us offspring. We were not certain of the cause any more than we were certain of our impending extinction. 

Yet we had hope. An old tale of a far-off island known only as No Man’s Land, named such as a warning against all who tried to reach it. The surrounding waters breed only sickness, misfortune, misery, and death for all who try to approach it. All who have attempted have done so for one purpose. The Goddess of Immortality, a special idol that was rumored to grant eternal life, was told to be stored there. For most, a chance at eternal life, rumored to be true and never proven, was never worth the higher risk of losing their life. But, we had run out of options. All we had left was promise of myth and legend. Off to No Man’s Land we set sail.

Among rank on ship was one of the oldest and only surviving members of our village’s officials. Fortunately for us, he was our local doctor. He became quite handy while we were aboard the ship. Many had never left the island and the voyage was cruel on their bodies. Despite our doctor, named Banks, helping, we lost a few of our already small crew. The air grew full of stink as we could see the island on the horizon. The waters were full of dead marine life. No monsters of the sea to ward off, only the foul, gut-wrenching odor of the salty dead. 

“No, you don’t ever get used to the smell. No matter how often you smell death, it smacks you in the face each time. Then in the stomach,” Banks put his arm around my shoulder as I lost my lunch overboard. The putrid water stared back at me and tempted my breakfast as well before the Doc spun me around. “You hang in there, Bub. We are almost there! We are but a day’s journey from fortune and glory,” and he was not wrong! The island was growing ever closer. We had only to look for a spot to anchor before we set out on our pontoon. 

There were not many of us left for a proper split party to maintain the ship and the sick while we sent a crew out to search for the idol. However, Banks could not be persuaded to stay and tend to the sick and dying. “They won’t make it anyways, and I’ve come too far to die with those who are already dead,” was his only argument. Who were we to question his call? It’s not like we could if we wanted to. If they had no chance at surviving, maybe he had a point? We hardly even knew one another as it were. We had all been dying off so much, even before our journey, that we hardly saw it fit to properly get to know one another. It is quite an effort, especially for one to suddenly drop dead the next day. Banks happened to know most of us, being the village medical official that is. Perhaps that gave him the authority to boss us around at the time. He led those of us who were still able-bodied, which amounted to but four crewmen including myself and Banks who stood at the bow of the pontoon before barking at us,

 “Listen up, men. I have a bit of a confession. Admitting this is hard, but you must understand where I am coming from in order to trust me properly going forward. I have been here before. To this island. Put your hands down. I will answer questions later as I see. I need you to hear me out now. I have been here before and I am the only one to have been here and lived to tell about it as far as any of you lot or I know of! The inhabitants of this island are very dangerous and very territorial. They hate visitors, especially us. When we make landfall we will need to be quiet and discrete if we hope to have any chance of survival. Nod if you all understand me, because I will not go down WITH any of you for not paying attention to me now! Good. Now the other thing that is very important; if they do talk to you, the inhabitants, and they might try to, but if they do, do not listen to anything they say! They are liars and tempters. You have never encountered their kind before and I promise you will regret not being careful if you do! They are mystical and have magics they can use against you. I’ve seen many a man do strange things as a result of encountering these kind. Heed my warning, I will not think twice to strike one of you down if I think you are compromised by them. Nod again if you all understand! Good. Now, let’s start rowing,” he sat himself down after the speech and stared at us with a pleased grin as we all rowed in unison to the shore.

Part Two: Booty

Our main source of entertainment in the village was stories. We had many written works. Most of our free time was spent recreating stories we had read with variations or twists. Mostly tall tales much like the one we were following. My favorites of those were always the ones of pirates in search of booty. Not mythical treasure, just unfathomable wealth. Yet, here I was on a quest for immortality, something I wasn’t even sure I wanted. Living forever seemed a bit long then. Now, no time would seem like enough to me.

We reached shore as night fell. Banks held us in a single file line and used hand signals and whispers. He warned none of us to make a sound as we got out and quietly pulled our pontoon to a dry section on the beach. The ship looked impossibly far away anchored off-shore, the moonlight passing through the cracks in the sails giving her an eerie glow. I could see the death emanating from her. A harsh tap on my shoulder spun me around to see that Banks had gathered our attention. There was a small clearing ahead at the edge of the treeline. He put his finger to his lips before turning to face the clearing and slowly we began our approach to it. As we could make out the tree line edge, we began to notice that it was actually a beautifully painted mural.

“Shit,” Banks managed to sigh before collapsing to the ground in a slump. Before any of us could make any sense of what had happened, I felt a sharp sting in my neck just as my knees went weak and also began collapsing to the ground before my eyes refused to stay open for me. 

Part Three: The Friends Along the Way

I awoke in a small room on a very comfortable bed. The clothes I was wearing were neatly pressed at the foot. I found myself to be wearing a very comfortable sleeping gown. I changed back into my clothes and found the door to be unlocked. As soon as I  opened it the aroma of a fresh meal being cooked pulled me in its direction. I followed my nose down a set of winding steps and into a massive banquet hall. At the head sat a very oddly proportioned man. His face was rather slender and pointed with long flowing blonde hair held back with a band at the forehead. His body seemed even more perplexing, along with the fashion. At his chest, there were significantly swollen masses almost perfectly proportioned to each other and evenly distributed to take up the entire section between the arms. He looked at me with mutual curiosity as he gestured for me to have a seat.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions. Allow me to try to explain,” he spoke with such a soft and sweet voice, that I found to be soothing. He sounded nothing like Banks. “Your… friend, “doctor” Banks,” he said doctor while holding up both hands and scrunching his middle and index finger in rhythm with the syllables, strange behavior, but it definitely gave the impression that this man did not believe him to be a doctor, there was a tone that carried with it as well that I could not place, aside from when Banks had something to say about our ineptitude. “...he has been here before. He stole some things of ours, as well as one of our women. Ah, yes, you don’t know what we are, do you? My apologies for this crash course in history but, it is necessary. Have you never wondered why only Banks and a few of your other officials could speak? Never crossed your mind? What DO they teach you where you are from? Nevermind, you can’t answer quickly enough, we have much to discuss. Help yourself to some food while you have the stomach for it. Yes, the chicken is delightful! As is everything else on the table. Help yourself to drink, you have had quite the journey,” the woman took a sip from his chalice as I began to eat feverishly. 

The food was delicious and my stomach screamed for more after the first bite. I had never had such foods. “Banks had come here long ago, as I said,” he continued, looking even more relaxed after having some of their drink. “The wine is quite good, you should try it. It was opened this morning at its natural peak! You won’t get another glass like it. You see, we have cut out a safe haven here. We need or want for nothing. Men like you have come here intermittently, rarely do they get this opportunity. I suppose you are wondering what happened to the rest of your men? Banks is being held in our barracks, awaiting our decision on what to do with him. The rest of your crew, minus one and you, are in the infirmary. We do not have much hope for them making it through the night. One already has passed, and you are here. You are all very sick. You may be experiencing some of the symptoms already, but it will only get worse.”

 I was mid-sip of the wine when this was said, causing me to choke a bit and spit some out on myself and the chalice. It was still one of the most delicious things  I had ever tasted, even with the news of my impending demise. 

“You see, humans, what you and I are, have many, many different forms and identities and cultures.  Or, at least they used to. We of this island are but a few of the variations on our kind. You are a man. I am a woman. A long time ago we cohabitated. That is not important though, much too far in our past to matter. Now, we live in isolation on this island. Protected from men by their own actions. You seek a magical artifact that grants immortality, no?” The woman began rapping his fingers against their chalice before gulping more.

“I regret to inform you that no such thing exists here. We are not magical. The founder of this community is the goddess you seek,” he pointed at a portrait hanging on the far wall from the head. It displayed someone who looked very much like the person speaking to me, enough to make me look back and forth a few times. 

“The resemblance is uncanny, I know. All a result of her work. You see, before she founded our island community, she was one of if not the head of genetic and reproductive research. One of her discoveries was a method of reproduction that did not involve sex. Something, I know you know nothing about, unfortunately for you. Her ideas were eventually stolen and used for abhorrent means. Before the catastrophes that were to come could unfold, our founder, Dr. Godowski, decided to bring her best and brightest colleagues and friends, all of whom were women, to this island. We thrived here ever since, while the man’s world fell apart. You fought and murdered each other over dwindling resources. You tainted the waters and ruined the lands. You destroyed the very essence of humanity. For a long time, your world was on the verge of extinction, I suppose it still is. But this paradise exists, through science, hard work, dedication and the strength of community, we have outlasted all of the destruction your kind have caused. Make no mistake, I don’t blame you at all. This was so long ago, that most have forgotten or never had the chance to learn of it. Much like yourself,” the man paused again before pouring more wine from the decantur and consuming it in one gulp.

“Banks, had made his way here. Your history had become muddled, but rumors of our island of women with the science to restore humanity and even grant eternal life, which I assure you we have not solved! Though, we do live much longer than anyone else in recorded human history now. Due to our founder’s medical and scientific expertise and equipment. Banks had made his way here in hopes of discovering these secrets. And he did, for the most part. He grasped our technology enough to attempt it on his own elsewhere. He kidnapped one of our women. We assume under the guise that he would show her things outside of our little safe haven. I admit, we are confined here for our own safety. We do not allow our kind to leave. Poor child. She did not understand how cruel the intentions of men can be or how utterly hopeless their world has become. He only got access to part of our supplies and equipment. His process was not true to ours and still required a woman to bear children. But he knew enough to learn how to breed a community of slaves. Sterile, speechless slaves. Flawed in so many ways,” he put his head in his hand for a moment before raising again to speak.

 “All of you and your crew’s organs are failing. Shutting down even as we speak. We have ways of eliminating all disease, ailments and flaws before insemination even occurs with our equipment. Unfortunately for you, we cannot stop what has already been done any more than we can reverse it. Occasionally we have want for breeding men, whom we send out to the world in hopes they can find a community to branch out to, maybe to revitalize humanity one day. I fear this has brought men like him here. Banks had realized his methods were flawed and unsustainable, and after many decades of his abductee, you and your whole community’s mother, giving birth to sterile, speechless men, born to die in their 20s, he decided it was at last time to come back for the rest. Stupid fool. The damage he had caused. He was too short-sighted to see how he was only pushing along extinction. I am so sorry to be telling you all of this in this way. You truly don’t have much longer to live. You are welcome to stay here in comfort for the rest of your days. You are also welcome to leave, return to whatever may be back where you came from. Perhaps visit your poor mother if she is even still alive.”

The woman got up and left as soon as he had finished explaining everything to me. I finished my meal with a feeling of emptiness rotting away inside.

Part Four: Yo Ho!

They allowed me to visit Banks one last time before I left their beautiful community. He only handed me a vial with handwritten instructions that meant very little to me. He told me they would kill him and there was no hope for either of us, but if I were to find their treasure store, which I now know is their lab where they create life, I could fix everything with his instructions.

Now I am aboard the ship. Uncertain if I can manage to sail it back home before I die, let alone manage the entire thing by myself safely the whole way. I want to see my mother, alive or dead, whom I only just now realized existed. They gave me a bunch of books to read for my journey home. They told me the least they could do was let me go with knowledge. I’m not sure how much better it feels to die knowing more. Our whole history was made up and lied to us. My whole life is a lie. I have no future. Perhaps I'm better off reading some more of those pirate stories I loved.