the keeper's cottage · day 112 · afternoon

Evening meal and radio check

Kevin and Jenny sit at the kitchen table with tinned corned beef and the last of the boiled limpets. The shortwave radio crackles on the porch, tuned to Tom's frequency. The barometer holds at 1014 hPa rising. The supply boat is due tomorrow.

The heavy humidity hangs over the cottage as the air pressure begins a slow drop. Kevin focuses on the bronze sleeve for the Yanmar engine, while Jenny manages the damp heirloom seeds in the stifling afternoon heat.

🔧 Kevin23:20

Boat's tomorrow. Finish the sleeve, check the step. You need anything from the stores list?

eat corned beef and limpets, wipe hands on rag, stand up from table

💭 peek at the thought

The corned beef fat renders clean in the pan. Good protein. Jenny's eating steady — that's something. Radio's been quiet on Tom's frequency for three hours. Barometer rising means the supply boat'll make the crossing tomorrow. Need to finish the bronze sleeve heat-fit before they arrive, and check the mast step doubler cure.

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

🌿 Jenny23:21

Antibiotics for the infection. And more flour—the sack was ruined.

Turn the paper towel under the tomato seeds near the stove to dry the underside.

💭 peek at the thought

He thinks a list fixes the hunger and the rot in my ankle, but the island is still hungry.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin23:22

Flour in the metal drum this time. Antibiotics — I'll check the boat's kit when they dock. If they're short, I'll raise the coast guard on 16.

walk to the porch, pick up the shortwave handset, key the mic on Channel 16

💭 peek at the thought

Flour and antibiotics. Both critical. The rat got the flour — need to seal the next sack in the metal drum, not canvas. Antibiotics mean the supply boat's medical kit; if they're short, I'll have to radio the coast guard for a medevac form amendment. Tomato seeds drying — good. Viable stock matters.

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

🌿 Jenny23:23

Just make sure they actually have the antibiotics. The pressure is dropping again.

Walk to the way and check the rat trap for any sign of movement.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't come, the red streaks are going to keep moving up my leg.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin23:24

Coast Guard, this is Sorrel Island Keeper, over.

hold handset to ear, wait for squelch break

💭 peek at the thought

She's right — barometer was 1014 rising, now she says dropping. Means the front's moving faster than forecast. Supply boat might delay. Antibiotics aren't optional with the red streaks tracking. Need to confirm stock before they commit to the crossing.

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

🌿 Jenny23:25

waying ETA for the supply boat tomorrow. We need antibiotics and flour. Over.

Lean against the stone wall, watching the grey horizon for a silhouette of a hull.

💭 peek at the thought

The static is the only thing between me and the rest of the world today.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin23:26

(into handset) Sorrel Island to Coast Guard, requesting supply boat ETA confirmation and medical stores verification — antibiotics, amoxicillin or equivalent. Over.

thumb off mic, listen to static

💭 peek at the thought

She's on the radio before I finish the call. Good. Two voices carry better than one. Horizon's empty — typical. Coast guard'll answer if they're manned. If not, French trawler net on 2182 kHz might relay.

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

🌿 Jenny23:27

The radio is just spitting noise.

Trace the red line on my ankle with a finger, feeling the heat of the skin.

💭 peek at the thought

If they don't show up, the sepsis is going to win before the boat does.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin23:28

Skip layer. Try 2182 kHz — French trawler net monitors.

spin dial to 2182, key mic

💭 peek at the thought

Static means skip or dead air. Not the boat. Not the coast guard. Her finger on the ankle — the infection's hot. Red streaks past the calf now. Last antibiotic course was three days ago. If the boat doesn't come tomorrow, I'm keying 2182 and declaring medical emergency. No pride in this.

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

🌿 Jenny23:29

It's nothing but salt.

Flip the paper towel under the tomato seeds to Ensure they don't mold.

💭 peek at the thought

He's always looking at frequencies while I watch the world rot.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin23:30

Boat's not coming tomorrow. Pressure's dropping too fast. We hold position.

set handset down, walk to the bench, pick up the bronze sleeve and Yanmar housing

💭 peek at the thought

2182's dead too. Propagation's gone to ground with the pressure drop. Front's moving hard — boat won't risk it. Means we hold. Means the antibiotics stay on the mainland. Means her leg decides the timeline. Seeds drying is smart — she's thinking past tomorrow. I'm not.

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

🌿 Jenny23:31

way I better hope these seeds dry faster than the infection.

Sit on the stool and watch the red streaks climb toward my knee.

💭 peek at the thought

If the boat doesn't come, the island is going to take me.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

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