Misplaced 1, part 1.

Away we go to an island fair.

"Away we go to an island fair

That lies in the southern sea,

We know not where and we don't much care

Wherever that isle may be."

   The University of York Gilbert and Sullivan Society were seated on a plane.  Fortunately they were the only passengers, because they were singing loudly.  It was something that almost inevitably happened, especially when they were on their way to a performance.  

   And this was no ordinary performance.  They had been invited to perform a show on a small island in the Pacific, whose monarch had been at York Uni many years before and had been one of their former members.  Well, so he said.  Unfortunately it was a period they had no record of.  He was holding some kind of cultural festival, it appeared, and had invited them to come and perform.  With expenses paid.  Unsurprisingly, the society had voted unanimously to go.  

   So there they were, aboard a plane with their costumes and set, and with miles of deserted ocean below them.   And of course they were singing- The Gondoliers at the moment.  It seemed appropriate.  

   Ruth looked out of the window.  The ocean below was beautiful, the sky was clear apart from a few small clouds.  The journey had been remarkably trouble free, there hadn't been many delays, and even the weather had been good.  She relaxed, and leaned back in her seat.  All was well.  

   It was good to be away for a while.  York, beautiful city that it was, just wasn't quite the same any more after all the adventures they'd had in space.  Not that they'd wanted them, of course, but they all recognise that it had been a life changing experience.  When they had arrived home they had just wanted some time to relax and adjust to normality, but they had been besieged by journalists, medical and technological experts and other people desperate to hear their story.  Even after the initial excitement had died down, psychologists and computer experts were still arguing about whether their adventures were real, or a complicated group hallucination, or an elaborate hoax.  The media didn't care, of course, but although it was hardly unexpected several of the group had found it hard, after all they had been through, to cope with being accused of lying in the popular press.

   So they had been glad of the opportunity to escape recession-hit, media-mad, rainy Britain for a few weeks and go somewhere warmer, drier and quieter.  Although not much quieter at the moment, Ruth had to admit. But since she was singing as loud as anyone she couldn't complain really.

   Then she heard, over the tuneful voices, a sound coming from the intercom speakers.  She stopped singing and listened.  It sounded worried.  She tried to quieten the others.  Fortunately the song was coming to an end anyway.  As the others' caught the pilot's tone the mood dropped.

   "This is your pilot speaking.  Please strap yourselves into your seats and try to remain calm.  I have to tell you that we appear to have developed a leak in the fuel system.  As a result we do not have enough fuel to reach our destination and will have to perform an emergency landing."

   Ruth thought about the hundreds of miles of open ocean below them.  Emergency landing?  The G&Sers looked at one another in horror.  

   "It's happening again," Ruth thought.  "After all that happened in space, I thought we'd be safe when we got back to Earth.  But no.  After all that, it's going to end here."

   After the pilot's announcement there was a couple of minutes' silence.  Then the babble of voices began to rise again.  There wasn't really any screaming, although several voices were raised and people were talking and shouting at cross purposes.  Ruth leant her head against the back of the seat in front of her.  She was surprised she wasn't more afraid, but it took her a minute or two to get her thoughts settled.  Then she sat up and looked at her housemate in the seat next to her.  

   "You'd think we'd be used to crash landings by now," she said, trying to smile.  Rachel had been with them during the space voyage, but had been rather in the background.  

   "We're going to die," Rachel said frantically.  "Isn't there anything they can do?"

   "I'm sure the pilot will do his best," Ruth said.  "Look, you'd better fasten these straps."  She helped Rachel fasten the seat straps.

   "What's the point?" Rachel asked.  "If we're not killed in the crash we'll drown."  But she did the straps up anyway.  Ruth made sure her own were fastened.  The pilot's voice came over the intercom again.  

   "We are currently heading for a small island on which I hope to land.  The risk of exploding upon impact is hopefully low due to the lack of fuel, however please exit the plane as soon as possible after landing in case of fire."  The speakers clicked off.

   "And if we don't drown we'll burn!" Rachel shouted as the plane began to loose height.  The G&Sers braced themselves behind the seats.  Everyone was quiet.

   Into Ruth's mind came a tune unbidden, and softly, under her breath she began to sing.  In the seat in front of her, Patrick joined in, and one or two others also picked up the tune as the plane continued to plunge towards the ocean of everlasting blue and the tiny speck of an island.

"Is life a boon?  If so, it must befall,

That Death, when'er he call, 

Must call too soon.

Tho' fourscore years he give, 

Yet one would pray to live 

Another moon.

What kind of plaint have I 

Who perish in July?

I might have had to die, perchance, in June."

The story continues...