"Lost Research Station" - Bahamas AI Art
©A. Derek Catalano
The Lost Research Station
Chapter 1: Arrival at the Island
The seaplane’s engine buzzed loudly, the sound bouncing off the turquoise water below as it approached the remote island of Soldier Crab Cay in the Bahamas. Dr. Elena Vargas leaned her face against the plane’s window, watching the emerald palm trees sway in the breeze as the small island grew larger. She clutched her notebook tightly, her mind swirling with possibilities. Reports of coral bleaching in such a pristine and isolated area had baffled her colleagues at the Marine Ecological Institute. As a young marine biologist with a reputation for unraveling complex ecological puzzles, Elena had been handpicked for the investigation.
The island’s only dock jutted out over crystal-clear waters, where a skiff waited. A gruff older man, introduced simply as Captain Harris, gestured for Elena to hop aboard. “This place doesn’t see many visitors,” he said as they sped toward the southern tip of the island. “Coral’s been strange lately. Fish, too. The locals stay away from the reefs now.”
Elena raised an eyebrow. “Strange how?”
“Bigger. Brighter. And meaner,” Harris muttered. He said no more, his weathered face grim. Elena shivered, unsure if it was from the ocean breeze or his ominous tone.
That evening, she set up her equipment in a modest shack near the beach. Maps of the coral reefs, water sampling kits, and her dive gear were neatly laid out. As the sun dipped below the horizon, her resolve solidified. Tomorrow, she would explore the reef. The reports, the strange fish, the eerie tales—she was ready to find the truth.
