A daring rescue - Part II
Marlon woke up to the sharp sound of his alarm clock. He abruptly opened his eyes and squinted quickly after as he left his shutters open last night and the sharp blinding sunlight was entering his bedroom.
It was a rough night. Marlon was among one of the Cape Carless Port Authority's (CCPA) best "MIDAs" - Marine Infrastructure and Damage Assesment technicians. His job was to inspect shoreline installations and make sure they are in good technical condition. He was also responsible for valuation of losses resulting from collissions between water vehicles. When the storm struck Cape Careless yesterday, it was instantly clear that he is going to have a busy night...
Already off the bed, he went to the bathroom to refresh himself, still thinking about the last night's "coastal stampede". The damage from the sailors' panicked rush back into the safety of Flapjack's Stormalong Marina were extensive. According to the preliminary report by Marlon's team, the total financial damages in their area neared 52 000 €. His team worked from 7:30pm to past 3 o'clock in the morning so it was understandable that Marlon was dead tired and wanted to stay at home today.
Unfortunately, not long after he finished his evening activities, it became clear that his expectations will not materialize. His boss - Falkon Huey - called him at around 2am and ordered him to report to Cape Careless Hospital at noon. From what Marlon understood, there was a shipwreck off the coast of Cape Careless last evening and he was asked to interview the survivors and gather information for the CCPA's records.
While recalling yesterday's events, Marlon noticed that it was already 11 o'clock... However, he stoically decided that before rushing off to the hospital, he will make himself a late breakfast and prepare a mug of coffee that his friend gifted him last week. It was a coffee from the Activator's plantations deeper within Udanani. The friend managed to buy some of it from a Swedish merchant vessel which resupplied in Cape Careless last month.
Marlon did not really understand why he was the one chosen for the job of interviewing the people rescued yesterday. He was a MIDA Technician. As such, he was not responsible for documenting actual shipwrecks. However, according to Huey, the castaways were almost certainly foreigners and CCPA needed someone who could communicate with them.
In an uneducated society of Slackers, the knowledge of foreign languages has been a rare skill, chiefly enjoyed by those who served aboard seagoing vessels. By Slacker standards, Marlon was a citizen of the World as he knew four foreign languages. This was probably the reason why Huey decided that Marlon is the best interviewer available as he spoke fluent English, French and had some basic knowledge of Italian and Greek.
It was already noon when the "interviewer-against-his will" went outside and started up his car. He wasn't too worried about being late, as it was customary and socially acceptable among the Slackers to arrive late to the meetings. The traffic in the city was quite light too, so it didn't take the MIDA technician long to reach the island's only medical facility...
He entered the building and directed his steps to the reception desk. He introduced himself and asked where the patients from yesterday's shipwreck could be found. Marlon's request caused a lot of consternation in receptionists who looked at each other questioningly, then, started to rumage through their files believeing that this had to be a mistake.
Marlon didn't mind. Failure to organize one's workplace was also quite specific for his tribal brethren. This kind of disorder was often leading to delays and organizational hiccups but to the Slackers it was just a natural fact of life like traffic jams or queues were for others.
Eventually, the receptionists managed to confirm that a group of castaways had indeed been admitted to the hospital last night. They directed their guest to fourth floor and wrote him down room numbers under which he could find the people he was looking for.
The MIDA Technician took an elevator and entered the ward on the fourth floor. He approached the first room on his list in which one of the injured crewmembers was recovering. He hesitated for a little while before entering. He reached for his ledger first and reviewed some of the questions that he planned to discuss with the patient in room 439. Just as he reached for the doorknob, the door opened and the lead doctor, looking rather tired, emerged from the room and looked questioningly at Marlon without saying a word. After a short but awkward silence, Marlon introduced himself again and stated his business. The doctor didn't seem to pay any attention to his words though...
- Look, I really don't care. Just go in and do whatever you need to do.
- But... is it the right time for me...
- Sir, please! I spent entire night patching these people up and I should have finished my shift two hours ago. I'm going home now! I am tired and very irritated. Go ahead, gather your intel, talk to this guy, I don't know, smother him with a pillow if that be your wish, I don't care. Good day to you... sir...
Upon which the doctor dashed off, performing a spectacularly angry stride across the ward.
"Moron" Marlon thought to himself and took a deep breath, bringing up a polite expression onto his face as he entered the room.
On the bed he noticed a young, perhaps thirty year old individual with a fairly short, dark and slightly curly hair. He had a four-day stubble across his face and dark hazel eyes which curiously fixed onto Marlon's face. The young patient was rather stocky but looked quite fit too. Judging by his appearance he looked a lot like the stereotypical boatswain or mechanic. He had fairly minor injuries - it appeared that he had a twisted ankle. He was also bruised all over the right side of his body but other than that, he was well and in a good psychological condition. Marlon cleared his throat and said:
- Good afternoon Sir. My name is Marlon Pilsmooth and I am a CCPA official. I am here to gather some information regarding the shipwreck that you and your...
The Slacker stopped and shook his head in disbelief, then, closed his eyes and stiffened his lips as he recalled that Huey said the castaways were foreigners who did not speak Udananian. Apparently his mind was probably still sleeping. He started over and asked slowly...
- Do you understand my words?
- Of course I do, pleased to meet you! Boatswain Karfloo Kasterlan at your service. Please excuse me for not standing up. You know, my ankle is... "off duty" at the moment...
To Marlon's surprise, the stranger spoke fluent Udananian. His choice of vocabulary was a little odd but apart from this, his command of the language was flawless. The CCPA officer froze for a moment as it was unusual for a "foreigner" to speak this language so fluently.
- I... I'm sorry, I... didn't expect you know my language. Not many foreigners do you know.
- Oh, ah... actually I am not a foreigner. I am Udananian. Just like the rest of my crew.
This statement has really captivated Marlon's attention. He forgot all about the sleepless night and focused on his interviewee. An Udananian? This meant that the person across the room belonged to another tribe because he was definitely not a Slacker... But which tribe exactly?
- I see... Wow! I did not expect that. You are not one of us for sure. The Slackers I mean. In that case, may I ask where do you live? Are you from Mainland Udanani?
- Ah, no - Karfloo responded - I actually come from the Western edges of New Udanani! Far away from the Mainland. In fact, our goal aboard "GS Navigator" was to sail East and see if we can find other Udananians to make friends with. But due to that storm...
- I see. And I'm sorry for the loss of your ship - Marlon said sympathetically - The good thing is that you are all safe now. But, coming back to your home, I'd like to know where exactly do you live. Western reaches of New Udanani you say?
Instead of answering, Kasterlan looked around the room and pointed to one of the corners.
- Ah, there it is. Could you please pass me my sailor's sack? I have a map of my city there!
Marlon passed the sack to his new acquaintance and he reached into it. The sack was still quite damp after yesterday's night and Mr Kasterlan expressed concern whether the chart was still in a condition good enough to view or was it just a wet, colorful stain. Eventually, the castaway found the chart and carefully opened it. Looking relieved, he said "It's fine! Here, this is where I come from!" passing the map to Marlon.
The Slacker looked at it for a good, long while, analyzing the unfamiliar city. Then, continued the lively discussion with Mr Kasterlan, asking many question regarding his local homeland, society and culture, marking the first historical exchange between The Slackers and The Gridlayers. The two men have also exchanged important navigational data, necessary for the return of the Gridlayer crew to their starter city. Unexpectedly, Marlon's extra "chore" had turned into an amusing and interesting afternoon...
Two days later, Marlon filed his report to CCPA. Rather than the circumstances of GS Navigator's sinking, it mainly contained information on castaways themselves.
In time, the news of the discovery of a completely new tribe have also reached the Slacker tribal council. Once their guests recovered from wounds, the sociable Slackers invited the crew of GS Navigator to Cape Careless City Hall for a "meet & greet" party where further friendships were made and The Gridlayers had an occasion to express their gratitude towards their rescuers, including the crews of STS Rain, Skylark II and Cirrus V.
Despite the fact that the meeting between The Gridlayers and The Slackers was a coincidence caused by a dangerous event at sea, it turned out to be a positive moment and a geographical breakthrough as well. Also, as a result, The Gridlayers tribe have permanently entered the canon of Udananian history, having been defined by the researchers with the following description:
"The Gridlayers favor traditional city-building models and assets. They refrain from experimenting and using non-standard solutions in their cities."
Comment replies:
@TogaMasterJohn - Although I have never seen Lake Michigan with my own eyes, I always consider it to look more like an inland sea rather than a lake. It's huge! 
I believe it takes considerable skills to sail safely on such a large body of water. If you capsize, there is little chance you will manage to swim to the shore!
Thank you for the compliments - I hope that today's storytelling holds up to the standards too! 
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