--- Day 49 ---

I looked out over the water, while sitting on the top of the ship. I was currently watching the sunrise.

I noticed clouds coming in from the south, bringing rain and lightning. I hummed, and then went inside, ordering the sub to submerge.

I started running on the treadmill, mostly to keep myself in shape, and partially for the power it gave the ship.

I felt the ship dip slightly, and sat down, looking at my computer. We were adjusting course, avoiding the storm, according to an algorithm I'd put together.

If the weather sensors detected anything that was bigger than a small rainstorm, the course was corrected until the bad reading was gone.

This would put us back a few days, but it would make sure we didn't sustain weather damage, which was possible, even at these depths. I leaned back, and closed my eyes, snoozing.

It was a long road to Manilla, especially at these snail-slow speeds.

--- Day 96 ---

I saw the docks of Manilla, on the horizon, and laughed, cheering nautilus on. The guidance system shut off, because I hadn't had the exact location of the docks to input, but I climbed inside and piloted myself closer.

I pulled up to an empty dock, dropped my anchor, (made of folded sheet metal and chains.) and opened the hatch.

I opened the Hatch, and stood, breathing deeply. I noticed people on the docks, and waved. "Hallo!!" I laughed.

I grabbed Sheila, belting her on, and then placed my keys into my cargo pocket, sealing up the Nautilus. I climbed up the sea ladder to get onto the docks, and then stretched. "WHOO! HELLLOOOOOOO MANILLA!!!! IM BACK, BIATCH!" I shouted to the heavens.

A familiar voice spoke up. "Jason?" The harbor master asked incredulously.

"Julio! Hola! How ya been?" I laughed.

"How have I been? You've been missing for three months, man!" He grabbed me into a hug, and I grinned.

"Ah, that. Just got stranded. I built the Nautilus 2.0, and sailed here. No biggie." I shrugged, motioning at my submarine.

He blinked. "You built a fucking submarine on an abandoned island?!? What the fuck? Who are you, MacGyver?"

I laughed again. "Nah, I'm an Engineer. Give me a problem, I give you a fucking solution."

"Are those... Eels?" He asked, pointing at the sparking glass compartment at the back of the sub.

"Hmm? Yeah. Moray eels. I was stranded in the Indian Ocean, so it wasn't that hard. I have some smoked fish, if you want to have some. I had no salt, though." I held out a piece of fish from my pocket, munching on my own piece.

He laughed incredulously, after tasting it. "You... You seriously adapt to anything, don't you? Alight, well, I'll have to charge you to park that thing."

I shrugged. "Charge my card." I handed him my credit card, which had survived, along with my wallet.

He sighed and swiped the card on his phone, and then handed it back. "Always ready for anything."

"Always."

"And now you need a shower, a shave, and real food. Come on. I'm taking you home." He sighed, and I grinned, following him.

"Just like old times, except I'm not drunk." I laughed.

He snorted. "And neither am I. Here." He opened his trucks door, and pointed toward the bed. His pickup didn't have a passenger seat, so passengers rode in the back.

I collapsed into it, grateful for the familiarity.

He drove towards my house, and I sighed, watching the polluted sky.

'My island doesn't look like this... I'll be back soon...'

We reached my apartment, and I climbed out. He called to me as he backed up. "I'll take you to La Cazadora in a few hours, man. Get a shower, shave. We'll go have a good time, huh?"

I nodded, smiling. "I really need a shower, a woman, and food..."

"Good, go take care of that first, and I'll handle the rest, huh?" He laughed, and drove away.

I unlocked my door slowly, and then stepped inside. I looked around at the now-alien setting, and, despite remembering decorating this place myself, I couldn't bring myself to take another step inside. This place... Wasn't mine. Not anymore.

I shook myself, and forced myself to walk forward, and into the shower.

---

I ended up taking five full showers, in the end. The first was to scrape off the dirt, the second was to shave, the third was to clean the salt from my pores, and the fourth was to clean my hair. The fifth was because I was enjoying the hot water, until my water heater ran out.

I stepped out, and looked at myself in my mirror. My body was much more defined than before, but smaller. I had no more body fat, and all my hard work had made my muscles stand out.

I hummed and dressed in a fresh pair of cargo pants, and then a tank top, and then a leather belt, clipping Sheila to my waist, as was my habit.

I combed my hair, and tied it back with a rubber band, and then pulled on socks, and my trusty boots, freshly cleaned and shined.

I stepped out of my front door, resigning to get all of my things tonight and move them to my ship. After some upgrades to Nautilus, I was returning to my home. My Island paradise.

Julio waved. "Come on, man! Let's go!"

"Alright, already, geez. I'm not in a hurry, are you?" I jumped into the back without touching the side, and sat down.

He shrugged. "Meh." He started driving, and I leaned back, again watching the sky.

---

We partied, and I was approached by a news outlet, and I shrugged it off, saying that I crashed, the pilot died, and I survived, then I returned in my new submarine. Simple.

--- next day ---

I opened my eyes, and cracked my neck. I sat up, and realized I was in a bed. My old bed. There were two women there, as well, and I sighed. I pulled on pants, and then shook them awake. "Good morning, ladies. Breakfast is in ten, if you're hungry."

I walked into my kitchen, and started defrosting a dish full of arroz con pollo, which Julio's sister had made me and frozen, so I could eat it whenever I wanted, even four months later.

I heated it up, and the girls came stumbling out of the room. I set plates on the kitchen island. "Morning." I said, and sat down, eating my own portion slowly, savoring it.

The girls looked at each other, shrugged, and sat down, eating the food. I finished, and served myself another helping.

They giggled. "Hmm?" I looked up.

One, I think her name was Maia, smiled. "So were you really stranded on an island?"

I nodded. "Yes. But I spent most of the time I was gone sailing back." I explained.

She giggled. "That explains why you're so hungry, then."

"Not really. I ate well. I just didn't eat Arroz Con Pollo. Only fish and fruit, for three months. You can't even understand how happy I was to see chicken, or rice." I chuckled.

She smiled. "Hmm." She finished her plate, and I scooted the container over, helping myself to a third helping.

She shook her head. "I'm already full from one, thanks. Amelia?" She asked her friend.

She shook her head demurely.

I hummed. "I don't remember much from last night, but your name is... Maia, right?" I asked.

She nodded. "We've met before, Jason. Many times. This is my girlfriend, Amelia. You've met her to. And we've sat here several times."

I blinked. "Wow. I'm an asshole." I mumbled, and put the plates into the sink, and re-freezing the Arroz Con Pollo.

She laughed. "Not at all. It's fine."

"Well, I'm sure I'll see you again before I leave." I smiled. "I have to go, now, I do have a business I haven't attended to in a while." I grinned nervously.

"Before you leave?" She asked.

I nodded. "I'm not staying. I'm going back to Paradise Island. I can't stand the pollution, and the noise. Even after just three months... This place doesn't feel like home." I shrugged, and walked out.

She followed me, and Amelia quietly said she'd clean up the house for me, while we went out.

---

As Maia and I were walking by an alley, someone darted out, and waved a knife under my nose.

"Don't move!" He growled. "Your money, and the girls necklace!"

Maia squeaked, and hid behind me. "Ohmigod! Jason, just give him your wallet, he's got a knife!"

I laughed, surprising them both. "You call that a knife? Mate, THIS is a knife." I said, and pulled out Sheila, placing the 12 inch Razor-Sharp Bowie against his nose, and pumped the chainsaw.

He pissed himself, as the chainsaw began whirring. "Get lost, or I'll test out how this carves up muggers, instead of just trees." I clicked my tongue, and he dropped his knife, running away.

I sheathed Sheila, and put the small, 5-inch pocketknife into my pocket. "You okay?" I asked Maia.

She blinked. "What the hell? Where did you get that?"

"George, my Aussie pilot. He's dead. Ahh, God bless George and his paranoia." I chuckled.

She chuckled sarcastically. "You can't carry a knife like that in the city!" She hissed quietly.

I shrugged. "I'm not parting with it. She saved my life a thousand times, just that I can count." I said.

I walked further, and reached my business. I opened the front doors, and walked in. My receptionist shot to her feet.

"MR. GARCIA! Ohmigod, Uhm-Uhm, uh, I... I don't have your schedule-"

"Calm down, Julia." I said, and walked into the main building. I whistled, getting everyone's attentions. "HELLO, EVERYONE! IM BACK! YAY! NOW I NEED MY TOP 3 IN MY OFFICE, ASAP!"

I walked into my office, and my top three personnel ran in. I waved off their congratulations. "Alright. Now. How's the business doing, scale of 1-10?" I asked.

My head builder, Jonathan, shrugged. "6."

My marketing director, Piper, stepped forward. "If we put out that you're back, returned from being missing and presumed dead, then that number will rise up from 6 to a solid 9!" She exclaimed happily.

"Do it. I'll do exactly one interview, make it count. I'm moving back out of the country in a month or so, so I'll be directing the company long-distance. Get the company ready for that. And I'll need some of my personal stocks put into mechanics. It turns out that I'm a decent aeronautical engineer. I built a submarine to escape the island our of a wrecked plane." I smirked.

Jonathan chuckled. "Fuckin' MacGyver. Sure, we'll get it handled. Where are you going?" He asked.

"Back to my island. I'm also going to set my rights to it, and claim ownership. No one owns it yet." I smirked.

He sighed. "Why am I not surprised? Well, just make sure to stay in touch this time, huh?" He walked out.

I smirked and leaned back. "Alright. Next order of business?"

"Uhm, the interview, sir?" Piper said slowly.

"Then let's do that." I shrugged.

---

"- and for how long were you on that island?" The reporter asked me.

"49 days. The next 50 days were on the water, sailing back." I answered.

She blinked. "Wow. That's quite a while, are you positive you're healthy? You haven't been to a hospital yet?"

"No, I'm fine. I got home, and decided the best thing was a shower, some Gin, and some good food. So I parked the Nautilus at the docks, and got a ride home with my friend Julio, the Harbor Master. I shaved, which felt weird, after so long." I rubbed my smooth chin.

She smiled. "I see. The comforts of home, hmm?"

I chuckled. "Something like that."

"So, explain this 'Nautilus'." She asked.

I nodded. "Well, to escape the island, I needed a vessel. The only vessel I had was a broken, wrecked, upside-down seaplane, so I got the idea to repurpose it. I altered it slightly, and then made it waterproof, and made it into a Semi-Aquatic Aeronautical Submarine. And, in the spirit of adventure, and a funny quip, I named it Nautilus 2.0, after Captain Nemo's ship." I smiled.

She blinked. "So... You made a submarine?"

"Yes." I nodded. "It's still down at the Harbor, and I'll be making repairs later today. There was a heavy hurricane, on the open ocean, and it suffered some damage to the wings. An one of the eels escaped."

"Eels?"

"Moray Eels, electric Eels. Captain Nemo used them to power his Sub, so I followed his example." I smiled.

She laughed airily. "My god, that's amazing! You really are a bit of a Genius, hmm?"

"I like to think so." I grinned. "Now, I have to get going, I am a busy Man, especially after getting lost for three months, I do have a company to run, after all." I smiled, and walked out.