h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

* The water just outside Peaceful Bay is the only place to fish without incurring the wrath of the mighty ocean waves that pound the Island... *

* The Tribe currently in possesion of the small one man rowboat can use this area to fish & contemplate things... *

* Although nobody is stopping the challengers from going further out into the deeper water... *

*finds the trunk of a fallen palm and begins hacking away the inner pith until it resembles a kayak. Cutting down a young palm, ox fashions an oar with two paddles and a long pointed spear. Climbing aboard, he fully intend adding fresh fish to the evening menu*

* Ox ponders whether to go out to open water, stick to the rocks near the tidal way, or stay closer to the corral reef along the basin of the bay... *

*the kayak can bounce along all of them*

* After Ox decides to divide time between all the sections of coastline available, the spearfishing venture begins in earnest... *

* Despite showing determination & some skill. The venture appears to be fruitless, until late in the day a small fish is nabbed in the waters in the middle of the bay, neither to deep to effectively spear, or to shallow and exposed for fish to venture... *

* The fish has enough meat to feed at least 3 people heartily... *

*Geez...and I thought I'd done so well!*

*In the shalows near the beach they see Kiddo trying to catch fish with some cargo netting*

*So far he has only cought one tiney fish and a jelly fish that stung him*

*once again in the kayak ox goes spearfishing to add to Kiddo's catch for dinner*

Ox, you've been refered to as the 'hard nut of the group, who never tires of helping us survive!' is this, in your opinion, justified? Are the pressures of responsibility beginning to circle around you, have they caught up with you even on this far-away isle?

Nah...I'm just a dweeb that has such a dull life I've enjoyed the adventure. But read the posts...I seem to spend a lot of the time alone! *maybe I resemble the seaweed odor*

ahh, yes, I wasn't going to mention the odor

Is that a shark I see heading towards us, I'm outta here....
*William vanishes and is replaced by a.....pair of sun-glasses (something to do with matter transference).
Will Ox mannage to kill the shark with the glasses, or will the shark be eating steak tonight?

*cursing the vanished reporter turned shark lure, ox turns the kayak by paddle to face the shark, and just in time as it's horrible silent wake misses hitting the hapless ox head on. Not having on bright colors, no fresh blood in the water, and smelling like seaweed all factor into the shark ignoring the kayak giving ox time to follow the dorsal fin to shallow waters where spearing it through the brain would be a possibility.*

*From the shore Kiddo suddenly realizes what Ox is doing*

Kiddo shouting: Be careful Ox! For crying out loud it's a shark!

*puff puff paddle paddle*


Near the reef the shark turns and comes dead on the kayak. Ox rises to his knees, poises, and as the shark scrapes the nose of the kayak the spear is sunk deep into the tiny brain and connecting nerve ganglia.

The shark is big and the trail of blood attracts other sharks. Ox doesn't know how to get his prize to shore so paddles back without it.

Kiddo: *Paces the beach*

*drags the kayak ashore and crawls up beach near Kiddo*

Man! What a drag! I'm pooped!

*runs up after watching the scene from the Peaceful Bay*
Jeez ox, sit down! No wonder you're tired...
*looks out to sea and watches the shark carcus*
Are you sure you want that thing?
*takes stock of ox's raised eyebrows and Kiddo's nudge in the ribs*
Ok, ok.
*points out to sea and transports the body to the bay*
There you go

* The body of the shark has enough meat to entertain at least 20 hardy souls... *