STORYLINE

Lawai’a and the Whale

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Even though many of them are sick from the big accident, the Kānaka are really good hunters and fisherman. They are also great storytellers. They use their stories to help remember people who have died and to teach lessons. One of my favorites is the story of Lawai’a and the Whale. It is probably based on a real person but parts of it seem a little fishy to me.

The Kānaka have a long history of being excellent canoe builders but none of them were as good as Lawai’a. His long canoes were just as straight and strong as the short ones, and they could handle even the biggest waves. Nobody wants to go far out to sea, but if you had to, you wanted to be in a canoe that Lawai’a built.

Lawai’a took pride in his creations, but what he really wanted was to be a good fisherman. You see, while he was easily the best canoe builder on the whole island, maybe ever, he was a terrible fisherman. In fact, Lawai’a had never caught a fish or crab in his entire life. Even when he was asked to collect limpets from the rocks he came back with the smallest basket. All of the fishermen wanted one of his canoes, but none wanted to go fishing with him. As far as they were concerned he was cursed. He would spend every day the same way, building canoes in his shop by himself, and dreaming of becoming a fisherman.

The fracture didn’t just kill things on the land, it devastated the waters too. After the accident most of the big fish disappeared and the Kānaka had to live on crabs, small reef fish, and the occasional big prize that would swim too close to shore looking for food.

One spring the fishing was particularly bad, and the people worried that they might not get enough food to make it through the summer. What little hope they had disappeared when they saw the whale. Nobody had seen one since the day everything stopped working. The villagers knew that the whale would eat all the little fish they depended on. They were scared and didn’t know what to do. But Lawai’a said he had a plan.

He said he had an old harpoon that he found in the ruins of the whaler’s village to the North. He would take his biggest and strongest canoe out past the reef and kill the whale. The fishermen thought he was crazy but they didn’t have a better plan. The villagers wished him luck, and had a big party before sending him off. Nobody expected to see him again.

It didn’t take Lawai’a long to find the giant beast. He watched it herd the fish into tight balls before diving beneath and engulfing the whole school with its gigantic mouth. The closer he got the more he shook in fear, but he knew that everyone was counting on him so he tried to be brave. He finally got close enough and let the harpoon go. Lawai’a very first throw was true and it hit the whale mid-tail. The big animal sped off out to sea and the coiled rope hissed at it spun out. In less than a minute the rope went taught and the canoe lurched forward knocking Lawai’a down. He was speeding out to sea.
Lawai’a stayed attached to the whale for 3 days. They went around islands and over reefs. The whale tried diving deep and sinking the canoe but Lawai’a had brought enough rope for even the deepest spots. They swam through a storm but even crashing down the biggest waves wasn’t enough to loosen the harpoon. Finally the whale was getting tired and asked Lawai’a why he had stabbed him.

Lawai’a told the whale about how hungry the Kānaka were and about how bad the fishing had become. The whale listened to Lawai’a and offered him a deal. If he promised to remove the harpoon, the whale would promise to not come back to the Kānaka’s fishing grounds, and he would teach Lawai’a how to find and catch fish. Lawai’a thought about it, looked at how little water he had left to drink, and agreed.

The first day, the whale showed Lawai’a were the black crabs lived now and how to catch them. Lawai’a filled a third of his canoe full of them. He told the whale how he chose which trees would make the best canoes. He talked about which chisels he liked best and how to make lacquer while they looked for crabs.

On the second day, the whale explained how smart the octopus had become since the fracture. He taught Lawai’a how to disguise his traps with shells the same way the Kānaka still do today. By that evening another third of the canoe was filled with food. Lawai’a told the whale about his family and the first girl he loved. He talked about how his father taught him his craft and how he still dreamed of his mother’s cooking.

The third day, the whale explained that a deep canyon had formed after the accident and that the butterfish now swam there. He took Lawai’a to a good place to fish for them, and before long they had caught a dozen. Unfortunately, the canoe was becoming so full that there wasn’t much room for the Lawai’a. The whale saw this and offered to help again. He told Lawai’a that he could keep fishing until his canoe was completely full and he could sleep on the whale’s back that evening. Lawai’a agreed.

That night as the whale swam back to the village Lawai’a sat and looked at his full canoe in the moonlight. He wondered if it would be enough to get invited on fishing trips in the future. He told the whale how all the other fishermen thought he was cursed. The whale told him about his life and the secrets of the sea. All through the night the pair shared stories.

As the sun rose they saw people already casting nets in the surf. The whale told Lawai’a that its name was Hilina`i and that if he ever needed help again to paddle out to where they met and call his name. Lawai’a thanked him and plunged his harpoon into the whales blowhole.

The villagers could barely believe their eyes. Not only had Lawai’a killed the whale, but he had ridden him into shore with a canoe full of food behind him. Lawai’a told them what he had learned. The Kānaka divided the whale and all the rest he brought in the canoe. From that day on Lawai’a was known as the best fisherman on the island.

For the rest of his life Lawai’a would go out every week to the spot where he had met the whale and call the animal’s name. While he got his wish and was now also known as the greatest fisherman of all time, he still wasn’t invited to go on trips. The other fisherman were scared he would show them up or worse, they’d have a bad catch while fishing with the legend he had become. Lawai’a hoped that one day Hilina`i’s spirit would answer his call for help. He longed for those days they spent together fishing and talking. Lawai’a learned that what he had really wanted all those years wasn’t to be known as a good fisherman, it was to have someone he could call a friend.

Akamai Mahelona
4th Grade
Pu`u School Lahaina

STORYLINE

How the Veilstorm changed Lahaina

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The topic of my report for Lahaina history week is the Veilstorm. Lots of people say that the Veilstorm was worse than the big accident, but I’m not sure. It made the island the place it is today and made it so that I got to meet Nana. She has protected us for a long time and always smiles and says “Be mindful little Akamai and stay on the trail.” whenever I leave Pu`u.

Nobody knows what made the big accident happen. Some people say it was a bomb. Some say it was because everyone there was lazy and didn’t fix things when they broke. My cousin says it was because we had gone against the laws of nature, but he’s weird and thinks lots of crazy things. What everyone seems to agree on is what made some of the animals mean and what turned some people into monsters, it was the Veilstorm.

The accident damaged lots of buildings and pushed some houses right over. The people who survived had to find places to go. Lots of people went to emergency shelters but many weren’t close enough and had to find someplace else to go. For many that meant going inside the lava tubes that Veilcorp was using to store the 127 they used to power the station. That was a big mistake.

What they didn’t know was that a really big storm was coming. It was the worst storm that anyone could remember. For 5 days the wind ripped through the trees and knocked down more buildings. It rained so much that parts of the island flooded and brought up some of the 127 from the tunnels. The wind spread it across the island and the rain turned orange. There wasn’t anyplace to go for lots of people. Some got sick and some didn’t make it. But some of the people who got sick started to change.

Nana and her brother Kino were teachers before the accident and they were the first to go out and look for people. They checked lots of different places like Front street, the radio tower, and Hahai Ranch. They were so busy trying to help people that they got caught in the orange rain for a long time and both got really sick. Because they helped so many people, everyone was really sad when they got sick. Kino got a bunch of weird bumps on his skin. Nana was lucky and only had a fever for a few days.

Some of the people in town were worried that Kino would make other people sick so Nana took him to their house to take care of him. She worked and worked to clean up the mess in town and take care of Kino. It wasn’t long before some people noticed that Nana never slept and she could work for hours and never get tired. A few other people began to say or do weird things too. Some of them said they could have conversations without talking or make things move by wishing they would. They were the lucky ones.

For every person who could do special things on the inside there were a bunch that just changed on the outside. Lots of them lost their hair or teeth some had even worse things happen. Nobody was sure what to do. Then people began to talk about how animals had started to change to. The really big boars began to show up and people had to be careful in the jungle. Everywhere on the island the animals and people who were outside during the Veilstorm started to change.

One day a bunch of the village went out to the lava tubes to look for food and they were attacked. All the people who had been staying there had changed. Their arms got longer and stronger. They got sharp teeth and they forgot who they were. They became the monsters that we now call the night marchers. Lots of villagers didn’t make it out of the tunnels, but some managed to. They ran as fast as they could back with the night marchers right behind. Nana was the first to spot them.

She sounded the alarm and everyone got weapons or went inside the old school. There wasn’t a gate back then so Nana knew she needed to slow them down somehow so people could get to safety. She ran to her house yelling Kino’s name. Nobody had seen her brother in weeks and when he came out they didn’t know what to think. The bumps on his skin were all over and he was so big he almost didn’t fit out the door. Nana pointed towards the people running up the hill and the monsters chasing them. That’s all Kino needed to see.

He charged down the hill screaming and waving a big pole over his head. It was so scary that some of the villagers stopped and ran back the other way towards the night marchers. Kino’s pole slammed into the first night marcher and sent it flying. The rest ignored the villagers and jumped on Kino. It was a long fight, but eventually all the night marchers gave up and ran away. Kino and Nana saved the village but Kino was hurt bad.

People couldn’t stop talking about the monsters and how Kino used one as a club after he lost his pole in the fight. They were scared about the monsters and that Kino might hurt someone in the village one day, so they decided he had to go. They gathered up everyone who looked sick and made them live someplace else. Lots of the people who had to leave got together for safety. Eventually they met other people who were sick and made their own villages. Some started to call themselves the Kānaka.

Nana stayed and still watches the trail from the front gate even though she’s old now. People say she still doesn’t sleep, but she never seems grumpy like my mom does when she’s tired. I guess that’s what makes her such a good gate guard. I’m sorry that her brother had to go live someplace else and that so many people got sick or died. Even though the Veilstorm turned some people into monsters it turned some people into heroes too.

Akamai Mahelona
4th Grade
Pu`u School Lahaina

STORYLINE

Your Food Delivery Service Is Pretty Awesome!

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Hello business dudes and dudettes. I thought I’d take a moment to share just how awesome your Hailoha Eats service is. It’s changed the way I eat. I mean not the way I physically eat; I still do it with my mouth and stuff. I mean the way I look forward to my meals everyday. I’m an artist, but I never thought of food as art before. You’ve really opened my eyes. Nothing is perfect though, so I’d like to suggest a few improvements along with my praise.

When I saw the flyer about Hailoha partnering with Veilcorp to make a pilot food delivery service I was confused as to how they’d get the food up there to them. Then my buddy explained that in this case pilot meant like a one time thing to see if it worked and had nothing to do with flying. That made a lot more sense so I thought we’d give it a try.

One of the things I liked right away was that it was a 24/7 kind of thing. That fit perfectly with my lifestyle. I’m currently taking a break from the rat race that was art school and spending some much needed recharge time at my mom’s beach house. I spend a lot of time relaxing with my friends and just trying to be chill. This really messes up my eating schedule. It’s hard to find a place that serves breakfast when you don’t get up until noon. Sometimes we chill so hard that we forget to eat until our bellies are rumbling at 3am or something, and before your service we’d just have to stay awake until the sun came up and the cafe’s opened.

I won’t lie, I was a little shocked at the prices but I get a pretty good chunk of change from my trust fund every 3 months so I can afford it. I’m not saying that it’s too expensive, I guess. All the food is Veiled over to the island from across the world so I guess that takes a lot of organization and working together. I hate having to go down to the store with everyone’s drink order so I can’t imagine what a hassle working with thousands of restaurants across the world is.

At first we played this game where we’d pick a 3 course meal at random. I’d spin the globe in the study, close my eyes and stop it with a finger until we had places to order from. We ate a lot of weird stuff that way, but we also got to try things we normally wouldn’t. It was kinda fun but then we hit gold with the holy trinity of food. Nothing, I repeat nothing finishes a hard day of hanging out like a savory Moroccan pigeon tagine, followed with some chili crab from Singapore for heat, and some sweet Argentinian dulce de leche empanadas. We’ve had it every night for almost 2 weeks now. There’s no way anyone could complain in good conscience about prices after experiencing that meal. It’s like having the gods of flavor dance on your tongue.

I didn’t think it would be at first, but being able to pick your delivery driver has turned into a huge plus for me. The first guy that showed up was late and left his brights on when he came to the door which is a huge foul. Cold food and blinding light was not how I wanted my night to wrap up. Then we had a lady that just wanted to talk about everything. She wanted to know where we were from and all kinds of stuff. Greg got freaked out and ran into his room. It took about an hour for all the tension to leave after she did. Then we got Mark. That dude was born to deliver food. He calls to confirm when he is on his way so nobody who forgot we ordered food is surprised. He turns off the lights before he turns into the driveway, it’s like he thinks of everything. He even leaves a handful of peppermint candies with every order. Mark is a huge part of why we use your service every day.

The onsite cameras are a mixed bag for me. At first I appreciated the monotony of watching people prep and make food during the middle of the night. Having something I could zone out on was cool and especially useful if I’d been partying too hard. The problem was that we’d occasionally see stuff that wasn’t so appetizing. It turned out that the overnight guy at our favorite pizza shop had a itch he couldn’t seem to scratch no matter how hard he tried, and man did he try. He scratched himself often and everywhere. The pies just didn’t taste the same after we saw how they were made. We also had a custom cake place we used to get dessert from all the time until we saw that the head baker liked to keep his hands warm inside his assistants pants. They’d go at it on the prep tables making adultery angels in the piles of flour. When we saw that they’d still use the flour, we stopped ordering pastries. I filled out all the proper complaint forms of course, but I guess I’m just the kind of guy who believes ignorance is bliss.

So there it is. Maybe have a no camera option so people don’t get caught going down that rabbit hole and more Mark. Leave everything else the same. Feel free to pass my feedback on down the line. If you’re ever looking for someone to do like testimonials or be a spokesperson or something hit me up. I’m pretty articulate and a good looking dude who could use a side gig that doesn’t take too long. My chili crab bill is starting to get crazy.

Very satisfied customer,
Jake Tripper

STORYLINE

Gateway Technology Gets Travel Approval Worldwide

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The United States joined 181 other countries today in signing the contentious Gateway Travel Accord. Sponsored by the United States and China, negotiations started last year to make the near instantaneous transport system legal for personal travel worldwide. Despite heavy opposition from a number of trade unions, security experts, and environmentalists, the new agreement will take effect in November.

Veilcorp officials were present at the UN for the vote despite security concerns and calls for the company to distance itself from the event. Opposition leaders say they are not surprised that the company has had such close interactions with delegates during the vote, and that it is another example of Veilcorp’s “Pay to play tactics and flagrant disregard for the law.”

For the past year Gateway technology has been used for commercial purposes domestically, leading to loud opposition from trade organizations and environmentalists. While the system has greatly reduced the cost of shipping goods, opponents point to the large number of unemployed workers that have been replaced and security concerns.

“We have effectively invited terrorists to our dinner tables,” warns a security expert who wished to remain anonymous.

“In 1918 a flu epidemic swept across the world. Over 500 million individuals fell sick and ultimately 100 million died. That represented 5% of the world’s population dead. It had such a profound effect that life expectancy dropped 12 years that year. All because of some sneezing on trains and unwashed hands. Imagine what damage could be done if a dedicated group of bad actors decided to tailor a virus that had a week long incubation period. Now imagine that they had the ability to send infected individuals to every corner of the Earth at the exact same time, virtually instantaneously. It is mind boggling that this agreement was ratified.”

Veilcorp spokeswoman Lisa Hunt says that is gross exaggeration, and claims that such statements are, “Concern theater.” She says,

“Veilcorp has worked with a number of governments to vet travelers in the United States and worldwide for years. This agreement actually makes travel more secure because we can now share information freely, and better track goods traveling through the veil. The human race has had many breakthroughs since 1918. We now know the importance of washing your hands and proper nutrition. To suggest that gateway travel is now suddenly more dangerous than it has been in the previous epidemic-free years is ridiculous. We suggest that these so called security experts wipe their nose and quit crying wolf.”

In addition to the security concerns, others point to the increase in displaced workers since the unveiling of gateway technology, and lingering doubts about its environmental impact. An International Transportation Coalition (ITC) statement reads in part: “Gateway technology has been studied for about 7 years, 3 years less than we require the most benign of drugs to be approved. It is ludicrous to say that this technology is less complicated, or safer than cold medicine. This technology might one day be ready, but rushing the process for political reasons is both irresponsible and dangerous. We would like to remind the public that just 16-years-ago a containment breach at a Veilcorp facility destroyed acres of crops in Iowa and led to the mass evacuation of thousands. Imagine the loss of life that would have occurred if the breach had happened in an area that wasn’t as ready for an emergency. This accord is a recipe for disaster.”

Hunt counters,

“I’m glad to see that the International Brotherhood of Buggy Drivers, and the Hang Glider Guild are now qualified to comment on environmental science. The truth of the matter is that Veilcorp has had a flawless safety record for the past 15 years. We have been cleared of all wrong doing over the incident in Iowa, and there have been no lasting environmental or medical effects. We understand that change can be scary but these people need to move on. Their constant cries make them sound like overfed birds scared to leave the nest, and squawking at anything that gets too close. We suggest that they spread their wings and take a technological leap with us. The world is migrating on with, or without them.”

When asked about his controversial vote in favor of the deal, U.S. Secretary of State Patrick Swalwell said,

“Today’s agreement will be remembered as the day that we became a true worldwide community. Instead of watching a film about the Pyramids our children can take field trips there. Doctors and medical supplies can reach the victims of natural disasters within moments instead of days. It has never been easier to experience other cultures and learn the lessons they have to teach. I think we’ll see in the near future just how close this will bring the human race together. Today we all became neighbors.”

STORYLINE

How a Tool Designed To Help Those Suffering From Brain Injury Became a Popular Dating App

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Alex James is something of a contradiction. He’s one of the hottest names in the valley with headhunters calling daily with offers that he generally ignores. He still lives with his parents although on paper he’s one of the most successful men around. His app “Emotional Compass,” EC as it’s better known, has become the hottest program available for use with Ceremplants. An estimated 70% of all users having downloaded the program, with most admitting to use it to find a date at least once. A dream come true for most tech professionals, but not for Alex. In fact, he wishes most of those users would stop.

Alex built his Ceremplant app to help those with certain medical conditions, which may seem strange to some, but Alex is quick to point out that the ubiquitous implant has its origins in the medical field. He says,

“People forget that these devices were intended to help those with cortical visual impairments (CVI). Vereserum unveiled the small injectable chips back in 2025, and had such promising initial results that the device was fast-tracked by the FDA. Unfortunately, at that time we were on the verge of the boom in personalized DNA medicine. Reparre Biologics had a number of projects also on the fast-track, and they came up with an effective stem-cell therapy solution before the Ceremplants were done testing. Vereserum ended up pulling funding and opened the code. Lots of people starting playing around with the implants and the next big boom began.”

It wasn’t just bio-hackers who took an interest. A number of other companies and the military were also interested. Veil travel was becoming more popular than ever, and with the increase in travel came an increase in the concern about terror attacks. “Everyone was looking for an effective solution that they could have ready in a short period of time,” James says. The U.S. military started a facial recognition program with a twist using the Vereserum technology. Instead of trying to identify individuals, the military system was designed to recognize emotions through micro expressions and body language. It was their hope that a group of security personnel equipped with Ceremplants running the software, would be able to spot potential threats before they had a chance to act.

“The program was scrapped for a number of budgetary issues but the work was good. I was amazed at how far they had gotten when I stumbled on it one night. I could see the potential immediately. I was so excited that I don’t think I slept for the first few days,” Alex says. He assembled a small team, and in just 16 months had the first version of Emotional Compass available for download.

“We started refining the the program with the help of body language specialists, animal experts, and therapists. It was my goal to build a system that could help those suffering from certain medical conditions like Asperger Syndrome, or traumatic brain injuries navigate social situations. EC would send a stream of real-time emojis to users who had trouble recognizing social cues. If you were in a job interview, and your interaction was going well, you’d see a stream of smiling faces. If you were doing something that made the other person uncomfortable you’d see sad faces, that was the general idea. We even got the system to recognize a number of animal postures, and what they meant. EC could effectively warn you if a dog was friendly or not with just a look. We helped so many people it was amazing! We had thousands of thank-yous come pouring in from people who could finally get through an interview thanks to our work. We got letters from kids who made friends for the first time, and could finally feel good about going to school. It was a great time around here. We released our second version 4 months later, knowing that we were making a difference. Then we started to hear how others were using our technology.”

There was no doubt that Alex and his team did great work, and it did not go unnoticed. Others soon took an interest, but not in the way James ever envisioned. A number of gambling related derivatives began to appear. The system was so good at reading body language and facial expressions that it was almost as if a user could see the other players cards. Most casinos require access to gambler’s Ceremplants so it didn’t become a major issue, but it did allow Alex to see the beginning of the “corruption” of his technology. He had no idea just how popular EC was about to become and what it would be famous for.

James isn’t sure who started using his technology for romantic endeavors first. “All of a sudden everyone was using it to hook-up,” he says. EC had become very popular in clubs. The system designed to help the differently abled was also very good at detecting potentially receptive dates. “Sadly, this is the innovative spirit that drives the valley these days,” he says. Word spread quickly. Within a year of the release of EC 2.0, it has become the most downloaded app ever created with no sign of slowing.

“It’s changed the game around here,” an anonymous club owner says. “It hasn’t really increased revenue but we do see a lot more people every night. It’s cut out a lot of the small talk, a lot of every kind of talk really. A few months ago you could barely hear the music over the chatter on a busy night. Now it’s mostly people sipping on drinks and scanning the room like they’re kids looking for their favorite cereal at the store. Honestly, It’s a little creepy,” he adds.

Alex agrees. “While I’m open to any unintended use of technology, I don’t think this is a good one. I created this to help people who were unable to integrate well into society, not to silently hook up at a bar. I sometimes think it would have been better to never have released EC despite how many it’s helped. I worry that in the end it will have the opposite effect on society than what I intended.”