Quantum Leap - Vol. 2 Exile Island (formerly Till Death Do Us Part)

C011 Fucked...!

I slowly opened up my eyes and found that the whole surroundings to be totally unfamiliar to me. One moment I knew I was resting on the bed and then someone had placed a headlock over me and tried to suffocate me with a cloth over my nose and mouth. The next moment now, I find myself being propped up against a rotting tree trunk and was literally lying sprawled on the ground. 

I looked around and found nothing befitting to the campsite that I was in a few hours ago or so. There was no scenic duck ponds, no barbeque pits nor even any signs of the cottage that we were all sleeping in the night before.

The sun rays above were breaking through the foliage of the forest as it definitely showed little clue whether it was in the morning or in the afternoon. I tried to shake off the grogginess that had been bugging my head ever since and I knew that something dreadful had gone wrong. The feeling of grogginess that I was experiencing right now was the same feeling that I had when I happened to have too much of a drink back at Bamboo Village. 

"Urrgghh...! Where the f**k am I right now?! This is not the campsite that we had arrived last night. There's something wrong with this setting and my gosh...! I can't even think straight right now...!" I thought aloud in my head as my eyes began to gradually adjust to the surroundings.

I rubbed my eyes and somehow I felt something heavy was strapped around my neck. I felt around it and found it was some kind of metal contraption and after groping it around I discovered a small padlock at the back of my neck. It was like a big dog collar meant for a small person like me.

"WHAT THE f**k IS THIS COLLAR DOING ON ME?!?!" I hollered out as I tried to somehow remove it from my neck but the thick metal band around my neck prevented me from doing so. The huge padlock behind my neck was also restricting it from being removed by force and I knew that only one can either pick the lock or simply use a bolt cutter to remove it with force.

I looked down at myself and discovered that the night clothes that I had changed into last night were missing. It was now replaced with a type of digi camouflaged pants and a matching long sleeve shirt. I had also a pair of green coloured canvas jungle boots on. The digi camouflaged was of a dense jungle type design. I can't help to admire the military getup and was also surprised at the same time that some people had managed to change my clothes against my will, just because I was knocked out cold earlier...!

I tried to struggle and stand up and felt that nothing else was restraining me except for the metal dog collar around my neck. There were no chains or shackles but I felt there was something else was strapped at the right ankle of mine, just underneath the canvas of the jungle boot. 

I took off my right boot and found another device with a blinking red light attached to it. There was a thin metal clasp with a small tiny device and there wasn't a lock or anything to properly secure it. A set of 'hinges' was used to lock the device in place.

*** Somewhere in the other secluded parts of that God-forsaken island ***

The rest of the students slowly stirred out of their stupor and discovered that they were in the same peril as me. Although they were all separated from the main group, everyone seemed to be scattered all over the island. There was no way to actually find out where they were at this moment and everyone seemed to be left to survive on their own right now.

One was near a creek, one was on top of a cliff's edge, another was awakened inside an abandoned wooden but dilapidated hut while the rest ended up in the hearts of the jungle surrounded by nature. As everyone slowly stirred up and soon discovered that their clothes that they wore the evening before were missing and had been replaced by the military-grade clothes and jungle boots. As they searched around their bodies to ensure that they were not violated in any way, they soon realized about the metal dog collar that was slapped around their neck with a padlock securely fixed behind their neck.

"Hello!!! Is there anyone around?!? Hello!!! Can you hear me...?!? Guys...! Can you hear me...? Whistle if you could and I will come to you...!" I shouted aloud and I was greeted by the echoes of the forest answering me beside the numerous insects that buzzed around me in the hot and humid parts of the jungle.

I looked around and discovered that there was no path or any indication of a way to get around this Godforsaken place. I suddenly realised that we had been kidnapped and wondered how many of us were in this jungle and wished that we were all back at the campsites instead and going about the normal activities instead of being forced and submit into this k********g scheme...! I was neither a rich kid from a rich family and all I have in the Bank was slightly over a quarter million Yen...! Could that be considered as a rich man's son????

I scanned my surroundings carefully and I saw a small canvas bag that resembled a "china bag" or a satchel bag that could carry some necessities. As I rummaged through it, I discovered that it contained a folding pocket knife with a can opener, a water bottle that contained a pint of plain water, I presume, a roll of aluminium foil and a flint and magnesium strike match. 

This was the basic survival kit that I could think off and I was wondering what the aluminium foil could be used unless one makes a barbeque. I immediately slung the bag across my shoulders before putting the pocket utility knife into one of the cargo military pants and the flint and magnesium striking match into the inner pocket as well.

The rest of the item was considered as second-tier importance to me and was placed inside the bag instead. I really had no idea on how I should find the rest of my classmates and also how to find my direction as there was no map and no compass provided. Even if they do, there was no proper bearing inside the jungle except for tress, tress and more trees...!

I knew that I have to get to higher ground so that I could see if I could detect or signal to someone from that alleviation. Right now, it is quite difficult for me to go and rescue the others since I need to survive myself...!

"MAX...!!! WHAT KIND OF LEAP HAD YOU THROWN ME INTO THIS TIME ?!?! WHY AM I STUCK IN A JUNGLE AND I PREFER TO BE SORT OF BAMBOO VILLAGE KIND OF SETTING, UNLIKE THIS ONE...!!! MAX...!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME ?!?!" I hollered out as loud as possible to attract some attention as well as to give me some kind of confidence since I knew that this situation does not bode well and had a bad omen kind of ring to it.

Just imagine - one moment you were expected to spend some time with the students in a barbeque and camping setting and in the end, ended up in such a predicament and had no idea of where you are and what you are supposed to do. There was a big ass dog collar on my neck right now and it is being padlocked shut. There's another f*****g device on my right ankle and I do not know what this means and what all these happenings were all about.

I heaved a huge sigh as I slowly stood up and balanced myself. I tried to find any kind of answers from my befuddled head. I was hoping that my earlier leap as Bo would prove to be an advantage for me as I orientated myself out of this f*****g mess. Who wanted to be in this s**t and all I could think of was to find shelter and a source of food and drink within this freaking jungle. I was hoping to find a creek with a constant supply of water and that would be essential to my survival.

I took up my courage and decided to use the rotten tree stump as my marker as I walk straight into the jungle with no God damn idea of where I am going in the first place. "Fuck...Fuck...Fuck...! This better be good, Sam...! Time to put your JCC skills into action. (JCC is Jungle Confidence Course. A course that every guardsman in our unit had to pass in order to earn the badge and get a 3 months additional bonus by acquiring them. It was a military course that I had graduated many years ago...!)

Suddenly an electronic like voice boomed from within the Goddamned forest. It was amplified by some loudspeakers that were hung high up from the tree trunks. A camera with PTZIR or pan tilt zoom infrared capability was affixed on some trees away and this enabled the voice behind the loudspeakers to constantly monitor our movements...!

Goddammit...! It is just like in the sniper course where we need to stealthily clear a ground undetected by the marshalls and one single mistake would jeopardise the whole course during that time...! Fuck...! It is like basic military training in school once again...!!!

"Hello everyone...! I hope all of you had already awakened right now. Welcome to Exile Island! Hahaha...! You are now our guests of honour that comprise of 6 boys and 6 girls. You all came from Shimizu Higashi High School and what we need from you is not money or fame, but what we need from you is to see how long you can survive in the wild. Hahaha...!"

"You may not realize your importance in surviving till the end, but I can tell you this, all of you are Superstars in my reality game show...!!! " the voice boomed through the loudspeakers that bounced off in a string of echoes within the forest.

"WHAT THE FUCK...!!! REALITY GAME SHOW...!!! WHAT KIND OF SICKO ARE YOU...?!?!" I screamed in anger as I kicked the nearest tree that had the loudspeakers attached to it as it shook slightly. If there are loudspeakers, there would be wires and those wires transmit power. 

There must be some kind of junction box around here that supplies power to these devices...! Now the only thing is to locate the wires and locate the junction boxes and then from there, I would be able to find the location of the bastard that was playing a game of mouse and cat with our lives...! I thought aloud as I tried to maintain my composure and straighten my thoughts.

"Before I continue, I would like to tell you something very important. LISTEN...!!! Do you see the contraption that is attached to your neck right now?! Hur... Hur... Hur...!!! Do not attempt to break free from it because I planted an explosive device that will trigger and explode once any of you try to tamper with it."

"Whatever manner any of you tried to remove it from your neck, it would explode and it would definitely decapitate you in an instance...! LISTEN TO WHAT I HAD TOLD YOU...!!!" the electronic voice boomed and crackled once again through the forest and it seemed to mock me regards to the collar that was fixed on my neck. "FUCK...!!! EXPLODE IF I TAMPER WITH IT...?!?! WHAT KIND OF GAMES DOES THIS BASTARD TRIED TO PLAY WITH US...?!?!?"

Suddenly a muffled boom was heard in the far distance that resonated through the jungle and I was immediately taken aback...!

"TCHICK...TCHICK...TCHICK...!!! YOU ALL THINK I AM f*****g JOKING RIGHT NOW, HUH?!? Let me see... *Ahem* (some rustling of papers and electronic devices were heard in the background) Ah, Yes...! It seems one of your friends decides to end her life and despair so soon by tampering the device that goes BOOM!!! Haaa... Haaa...Haaaaaa....!!! It was MEGUMI...!!! Such a pity, don't you think so, huh?!?" the electronic voice boomed and crackled as he mocked us further and I was half believing what was being transmitted over the loudspeakers right now...!

"TCHICK...TCHICK...TCHICK... Megumi Nishiwaki. With green luminous hair that accentuates with the uniform that she was wearing... Such a pity to end her life right at the beginning of this show!!! But hey...!!! Despite ending her life so soon, she had generated quite an income for me because my audience loved to see blood and gore from this reality show after all. MUUAA HAHA HAHA HAHA..."

This Kenzo body of mine shivered uncontrollably as the name was mentioned across the loudspeakers and I truly believed that the fucker behind the microphone was a sadistic old bastard with a twisted f*****g mind!!! Yeah, the name was true after all and I only get to know Megumi from Kagome as an acquaintance only. Right now I had sunk to the ground because I knew that I am not the only one in the same situation as Megumi but Kagome as well.

I tried to trace the muffled boom sound and it was somewhere on my right at about a few miles off, I think. I picked myself up and staggered as I stumbled my way towards the sounds of explosion earlier. I knew that this bastard behind the microphone was trying to tickle with our minds and its working perfectly fine right now...! GOD f*****g DAMMIT...!!!