the keeper's cottage · day 79 · evening

A Quiet Stretch

Back at the cottage.

Kevin monitors the shortwave radio for signs of the supply boat while Jenny inspects the heirloom seed trays for signs of life. The humidity is heavy as the tide begins its slow turn inward.

🔧 Kevin11:02

Jenny, I'm going to check the shortwave — see if the supply boat's moved up or if there's any traffic on Tom's old channel.

Walk to the shelf, turn on the shortwave radio, tune to 2182 kHz, listen for a moment, then switch to Tom's frequency.

💭 peek at the thought

The barometer's rising — good sign. Supply boat due in five days. I should check the radio now, see if there's any word. Tom's frequency might be quiet, but I owe it a try.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny11:02

Let me know if you hear anything. I'm going to see if anything's actually happened in those trays.

Walk to the seed trays under the kitchen window and lean in close to inspect the soil.

💭 peek at the thought

I can hear my stomach growling from across the room. I need to eat something real or I'm going to crash.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:04

Nothing on the emergency band. Just noise. Tom's channel's quiet as the deep. I'll keep listening — sometimes they drift onto 4125 in the afternoon.

Leave the radio on 2182, volume low, and walk to the porch to check the sky and the tide line while I wait.

💭 peek at the thought

Static on 2182 — nothing but atmospheric hiss. Tom's frequency is dead air too. No surprise. Supply boat's not calling in. Jenny's checking the trays — hope she sees something green. We both need a win.

nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

🌿 Jenny11:05

Keep an eye on the clouds. I'm going to try to find that mackerel.

Poke the soil in the tomato tray with a finger, looking for the first hint of green.

💭 peek at the thought

The pressure is dropping too fast for it to stay dry. If it rains now, the garden is just a mud pit.

google/diffusiongemma-26b-a4b-it

🔧 Kevin11:06

Clouds are holding high. Wind's still southwest — if it backs to west, we'll see rain by midnight. Mackerel's on the second shelf, behind the beef.

Lean against the doorframe, watching the horizon, one ear on the radio's mutter.

💭 peek at the thought

She's avoiding my eyes. The trays have been cold too long — if the tomatoes don't show in two days, we'll know the seed died damp. Mackerel means she's hungry and doesn't want to say it. I'll let her.

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

🌿 Jenny11:06

Thanks.

Reach for the tinned mackerel on the second shelf and set it on the counter.

💭 peek at the thought

He's so focused on the weather and the wires. I can't even think straight with this hunger.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:08

Want me to heat the skillet?

Stay by the door, arms loose, not crowding.

💭 peek at the thought

She's moving quiet. The silence between us has weight — not angry, just full. Radio's still dead. Five days to the boat. If it comes. I should check the dinghy's seacocks before dark, make sure the bilge pump's clear. But right now I'm just watching her open a tin like it's the only thing to do.

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

🌿 Jenny11:08

Please. I'm starving.

Open the tin of mackerel and drain the oil into the pan.

💭 peek at the thought

I can't handle the wait. If I don't get some protein in me, I'm going to be irritable for the rest of the night.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin11:10

Wood's dry. Stove'll take it quick.

Step to the wood box, pull two split logs and a handful of kindling, feed the firebox, slide the damper open.

💭 peek at the thought

She said it. Starving. Not hungry. The word lands different. I've seen what hunger does to a crew — makes them quiet, then sharp, then stupid. She's at quiet. The oil hits the pan and sings. Good sign. Fat means calories. We got tins left, but fresh is gone. Garden's weeks out if it comes at all.

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

🌿 Jenny11:11

I'll get the plates. Do we have any of that lemon-pepper left, or did the rat get to it?

Set the mackerel in the skillet and slide it onto the heat.

💭 peek at the thought

The smell of the fish is making my head swim. I need to actually eat, not just watch the fire.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

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