the keeper's cottage · day 634 · midday

Midday radio watch and engine verdict

Kevin returns from the dock as the sun climbs, wiping grease from his hands. Jenny sits on the porch with her sketchbook, ankle elevated, the barometer at her elbow. The shortwave sits warming under the tarp. It's nearly noon — time to try the supply boat frequency on 2182.

Kevin called the supply boat on 2182 at noon and received only a fragment of a commercial broadcast. He logged the failed contact and waited by the radio for the 1300 attempt on 4125. Jenny monitored the barometer, which held steady at 995 hPa, and managed her ankle pain while watching the thickening cloud cover.

🌿 Jenny18:51

The pressure is holding. Try the radio.

Reach for the shortwave, tune the dial to 2182, and wait for the static.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't answer today, the two pills won't be enough for the fever.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin18:51

2182. Noon watch.

walk to the radio shelf, key the mic, and call: "Sorrel Island calling supply boat on 2182. Over."

💭 peek at the thought

The barometer holding steady at 994 is the first good sign in weeks. If the supply boat's coming, today's the day. If not, we've got ten days of stores and the crossing window narrows.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny18:59

Jenny — lean back against the stone wall, watching the needle on the barometer, listening for a voice.

💭 peek at the thought

Silence. Just the hiss of the salt in the air.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin18:59

Nothing. Dead air.

set the mic down, note the time in the logbook, and wait for 1300 to try 4125.

💭 peek at the thought

Static only. Same as 0800. The supply boat's either not there, not listening, or the skipper's changed. Jenny's notation said try 4125 at 1300 if 2182 fails. Different watch, different radio. Wait the hour.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny19:01

We'll try the other one at one.

Rub the edge of the ankle, feeling the heat radiating through the gauze, and watch the clouds.

💭 peek at the thought

If that frequency is down, I'll have to use the boat's emergency channel.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin19:01

1300. 4125.

stay by the radio, eyes on the clock, hand near the mic.

💭 peek at the thought

She's burning through antibiotics and the boat's a ghost. If 4125 fails, the crossing window decides itself — we go when the weather breaks, medevac forms or not. One hour.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.