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Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by FiroIV
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FiroIV The Wandering Recluse

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Team Georgia


It had been a long time since Madison “Maddie” Bates has felt so relaxed in her life that for a brief moment before opening her eyes she thought she was dead. As her eyelids flapped open she pushed open the glass casing lifting it off the cocoon she slept in for who know how many years. This small oblong pod has been her bed for so many years, but she’s had no memory of ever sleeping in it.

The people she used to work for told her that none of the people in the pods would dream, but she did and that meant so did the others. Her dreams weren’t vivid, memorable or anything spectacular, but for a split second she remembers them and then she forgets. She hoped that the other members in this little group had pleasant dreams because she was confident that they would be the last for a long a time.

She slowly came out of her pod walking like a newborn deer. There were no signs of atrophy or fatigue whatsoever. Silently Maddie awed at how amazing this technology was. During their periods of cryogenically induced slumber they did not eat, digest, or anything yet for some reason their bodies were still in top condition as if they had only slept for a day.

As the guide of this little team, Maddie was the first to awaken. Her pod was set to open roughly an hour and a half before everyone else’s so she could check out the surrounding areas. In the event that the surrounding area was a bad one she would have to wake them up immediately and explain later. It was dead silent outside.
The shuttle that carried the team in space was long gone. The shuttle had already sunk to the bottom of the ocean, but before it did, two rafts were released. The two rafts would then float side by side connected by a rope. In the worst-case scenario the rope would snap and separate the two teams. For the sake of humanity, Maddie hoped that everything went according to plan.

After collecting herself and her bag full of equipment Maddie stepped out of the small room shaped like a quarter of a circle. Calling it a room was stretch seeing, as it was just a small private aree with a tanning bed looking machine in one corner. There wasn’t even a door it was just a solid, but soft and rubbery plastic like substance that needed to be pushed to a side. The external dome that housed the private rooms was intact, and Maddie took this as a good sign.

Her first task was to check the outside area for any danger, she only took a peek for a second before coming inside the raft again. There was no need to check long since there was nothing to see. Outside there was only the lonely expanse of the sea, and right in front of her was the other raft attached by group of ropes intertwined together. After coming inside she began to check the individual passengers of this boat. She started checking them clockwise from the main entrance of the raft.

The first face she saw was that of a little girl, Indian in origin and only thirteen year old. Her name was Deepti Persaud and Maddie felt sorry for the young girl who would have to face the world without her parents. She figured that they would put the youngest member with her. Before leaving she put her bag next to the pod and pressed the button to wake the girl up, it would take fifteen minutes before she properly opens her eyes. Into this new world

There had already been two girls in the team so she knew that the other two would be boys. The second face she saw in this world was a young man barely out of his teens. He had dirty blonde hair and a peaceful looking face. This man was Simon Nicholson, the second youngest member of the team after Deepti. Maddie put his stuff next to his pod, pressed the button to wake him up and moved on to the next room.

The third face she saw was that of another young man. He was Asian looking with a stern and rugged face. This was Saito Nijinsky. She put his stuff next to him and pressed the button to wake him. The people who organized this project put the youngest members with her since she was the guide and they were the ones that needed taking care the most.

After checking the member of her raft, she moved on to the other one. She undid the rope and pulled the other raft in. It was heavy, but the sea and her training helped. Before she went under cryogenic sleep all the guides went to do some survival training and even though they hadn’t started living in tis world yet she was already using her training. She was scared of the world out there, but she hoped they were all ready regardless.

Maddie pulled the ropes closer to her and tied them back to the metal hoops that would secure them in place. She made sure to double check her loops because the last thing she wanted to do was separate this team. Jumping across the rafts, she got her clothes wet. It didn’t matter though since she wasn’t wearing anything fancy, none of them would be. Everything they had was for utilitarian purposes, nothing aesthetic.

The raft Maddie came from was color blue and the other one was red. She figured it would be easier to call the two groups red and blue. The members of the red team would be the oldest she thought and she was right in that assumption. The fourth face she saw the oldest person in the group, second only to her. This young man covered in tattoos is Alex Bariientos and Maddie hoped that among all the dangers their group would face she hoped that he would rise up to the occasion and lead their group to safety.
The fifth face she saw was that of a young woman. Her face saddened Maddie the most because she knew what the girl left behind to be here. This girl barely a quarter into her life was Maybeleen “Cherry” Windsom. Like with the others she put her belongings next to her and pressed the button to wake her up.

The sixty face she saw that of a young man. His name was Arrios Urais. He had just entered his twenties, which put him right behind Cherry for being the oldest member of the group. Maddie knew that he had some experience in the wilderness, which explained why he wasn’t put with the blue team. In the event that they separated he was the one who would know the most in surviving.

The seventh and final member of this team was a young girl. She ha d a fresh and bright face, but there was an underlying sadness in her look. This teenage girl was Summer Green and Maddie figured that out of everyone here she was the one who was out of her element the most. She placed her belongs next to the pod and pushed the button to wake her.

After leaving the red raft and waited for the members of this team to wake up. Maddie sat herself down next to the plastic door of the blue raft and waited for humanity’s last hope to wake up. She sighed, breathed in and breathed out, and hoped that the world beyond the fog was ready to for team Georgia.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Raid
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You Requested a Wake up Call.

The air tastes like summer camp. Sea and sweat and fuzzy teeth. Saito tries to turn to his side, but his hand knocks against something hard, probably the edge of the bunks the counselors sleep in. He paws around for the sheet. It must have fallen off sometime in the night. He ends up knocking his hand around before he sits up to peer on the floor to see if it dropped. He hates sleeping without a blanket. At JDC it got him into a bit of trouble, but he just can’t kick the habit. Maybe it is because there, during his time in detox and groups and service, that he needed something to comfort him. His mom brought him the woven-cotton blanket they use when they go to the beach during one of her visits. It smelled so good he wouldn’t let the staff wash it until some asswipe got a hold of it and pissed all over it.

Saito rubs at his eyes; he is having trouble getting the sleep out of the corners. Things are white and he keeps swaying. “Jesus,” he swears, resting a hand on the mattress to steady himself. It doesn’t work. His fingers twitch. The mattress is too comfortable. There is no lumps of bunched up fabric. He can’t feel the splintering wood. And he is positive that it’s not him that’s swaying. He opens his eyes.

Starring back at him in the reflection of the glass was a curved and elongated portrait of himself. His gages are black smears and his mouth open. He closes it.
“Hey, are you okay?” He looks up. Standing over him is a skinny girl with braids and a jeweled bindi between her eyebrows. Her hands are gripping the edges of his…bed? He doesn’t answer her, just looks around. Thick as any autumn morning fog, he can only see the red and blue of the rafts as waves rock them. He’s sitting up in a pod, wearing clothes that look like something those wannabe outdoors people buy at REI. He doesn’t like the fabric of his pants. The shirt on the girl has bold lettering that says “Team Georgia.” He looks down. His shirt has the same print.

Someone retches in the other boat.

The girl reaches down. Saito flinches away before she can touch him. “Yeah, fine,” he replies. “Who are you?” He drags a hand through his hair. It feels stiff with sweat. He must have forgotten to shower before he went to bed after he got back from the gym— “What’s going on?”

She smiles with her forehead wrinkles like she is crying. “You don’t know either?” Crumpling against the side of his pod, her sobs join the dry heaves of another person. The ocean and fog is a soft caress that is not comforting. It is like when his father would try to explain away his parents harsh judgments after he came back from JDC. The late night cartoons on the TV as he cringes away from the pathetic excuses. He doesn’t comfort the girl. He braces his knees against the sides of the pod and squeezes his hands together. The back of his throat slick with need and want of a pill or a drink. He hangs his head, shame hot in his stomach.

)o(

Maybaleen opens her eyes. Heart fast and erratic. She listens for Harrison’s cries. He was just crying. She is sure of it. It smells like he’s been crying for hours. She couldn’t have drank that much, right? But everything is muffled inside…inside. Why is she inside, but can see the sky? She reaches up, fingers brushing against harsh metal before it springs away. She gasps. Salt heavy on her tongue like she just ordered a margarita at the bar. Except she hates margaritas. A rush of wind and Maybaleen realizes just how outside she really is. A wave knocks her against the walls of the enclosed bed.

Is this the ocean? she thinks. Her face feels heavy and oily. She wants to take a shower. Someone gags next to her. He dangles with half of his bulky body outside of the bed. Every muscle tense in his forearms as he throws up. She grips the tall edges of the bed. The metal is wet and cool. It’s like waking up early to work on her truck with the early morning dew dripping off its candy red paint. Her knees pop as she stumbles on the cushy raft. Her shoes are too tight and they are clunky. Boots. Kinda like the one’s Kim always wears when he goes backpacking.

The guy heaves again.

“Alright, alright.” Maybaleen grabs a hold of an arm and pulls. She grunts and his hands slip on the metal. “Woah, there, honey, let’s try not to bring us both down, kay?” Her accent swirls through the air on droplets of water. She thinks about how bad her hair is going to frizz in this weather.

“Come on,” she says, trying to pull him out of the bed. For being built, he shakes like a colt standing up for the first time.

“Well this ain’t gunna work,” she grunts. A wave makes them stumble back against the pod. “Aw, hell,” she cruses. She glances around and tries to ignore the ocean (Suddenly, her old plans with Kim to go to the beach seems ridiculous. She would have hated the beach.)

“Hey, Ya’ll gimme a hand, won’t you?” she calls out. She’s not sure if there’s other people in the beds next to her or if there are others in the next raft, but the idea that there might not be people is petrifying. Like the desolate sea.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by FiroIV
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Simon Nicholson ,fifteen, safe, and panicking. The moment he felt himself awake he knew something was wrong. He knew that nothing was going right because he could smell the ocean, hear tiny unfamiliar voices, and feel the unknown bed under him. He did not live near the ocean, he lived in Kansas where everything smelled like grass, wet or dry. The voices he heard were not those of his family, but of people that he did not know. And the bed he laid on was soft and clean, but it was not his. He didn’t know anything except that something bad was happening.

Simon’s stared at the unfamiliar sight in front of him as he lied in bed. He hadn’t moved since he woke up and he wished that he didn’t ever wake up. Whatever it was that happened, is happening, and will happen is unpleasant. Touching the glass casing above him felt like a task that he did not want to do, but did anyway. It looked like glass, but felt like clear plastic.

He moved slowly and carefully out of the thing that he was sleeping in. When his legs made contact with the floor he felt the light wave of the ocean move his body. He’s never been the type to feel seasick and for that he was glad because he could think rationally, but upon seeing the room he was in he wished that he was. It was a dark room with light passing through the walls. He touched it and felt moisture on his hands. It was a plastic like material, soft, but durable like the padding in isolation chambers in asylums. None of these things felt right.

He was scared, but he didn’t want to sit still. Every inch of his body screamed to move before anything bad happens, but he knew something bad already did. The waves pushed his light body again. It wasn’t that the ocean was strong he just felt weak. He crawled to nearby corner where he could see a bag. He inched slowly until he got hold of the thing.

The bag felt full and heavy, but not so much that he could not lift it. On the side of the bag was his name stitched in. His last name Nicholson was written in a strikingly gold angular style. It reminded him of the JROTC guys in his school. He opened the bag slowly hoping for something that he didn’t know what, but the first thing that he found was his dad’s hunting knife.

There was no question that this thing was his father’s knife. He knew because he still had the scar from it. When his dad first bought it Simon, curious as ever, decided to play with it and cut his hand. The knife was quickly taken away and never to be held again. Now the knife was there lying on a bag that belonged to him beckoning him to pick it up. Simon didn’t pick it up instead he just sat there.
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Alex woke up to the sound of thumping. At first he thought it was one of his relatives puking because he drank too much last night. He was awake anyway so he didn’t really bother to notice that he wasn’t in the floor where he slept. He found it kind of odd that his room looked weird and empty, but he didn’t pay much attention to it instead he just kept on walking to the sound of another human being.

By the time, he got out of the room the thumping got louder and was accompanied by the sound of muffled screaming. It sounded like someone needed help so Alex started walking faster. The closer he got the sound of the thumping got louder and so did the muffled screaming. On his way to the source of the noise he heard unfamiliar voices, but decided to pursue the one that was screaming for what was possibly help.

When he got to the sliding door he saw something straight out of a fairy tale or some kind of sci-fi movie. It was this coffin looking thing made of white material with a curved glass casing above it. Inside the tanning bed like machine, he saw a girl pushing against the thing. Panic and fear was written all over her face. The moment their eyes made contact Alex was jolted awake.

He had just woken up fully and realized that nothing was about this was right. Panic could have immediately overpowered his other emotions, but he knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him. Alex did what he needed to do. He ran towards to the girl trapped In the pod chamber.

The girl was mouthing help, but the glass case was dampened her desire for help. Alex shouted back that he’d help her, but he was sure that he didn’t really reach her. Alex pulled on the handle hard, but it did not budge. He tried several times, but nothing worked. The girl’s eyes began to water. She was beginning to cry. Alex felt responsible for some reason.

After a while the girl started to calm down and Alex stepped back to clear his head when he finally stopped cussing. When he moved back he saw buttons on the left wall of the machine. It glowed red and had the words “open” on it. Alex pushed it again, but he already assumed that it had already been pushed. When that didn’t work he remembered the saying “when all else fails, read the instructions”. That being said there were other things he could have done, but he was too scared to do anything stupid.

They weren’t really instructions, but they were printed right under the button so they must have been important. The instructions were long and there were a lot of things that he didn’t understand, but from what he understood the machine was made to keep someone asleep and healthy for a long period of time. It also said that to release the glass casing from lock mode it must be pushed lightly as any form of aggressive motion would not work because of a special locking mechanism.

Using the information he got form the instruction he lightly pulled on the glass casing fully opening the pod. He smiled for a second, but then realized the situation they were in. He wasn’t an idiot so he understood that something was done to them. Alex helped the girl up and out from the machine. The two of them sat in silence.

“Are you okay miss?” Alex asked. “Yeah….I’m fine…thanks for asking.” The girl said with a very poised and elegant manner. She eyed his tattoo’s. “My name is Summer, who are you? Do you know what’s happening?”

“My name is Alex.” Alex answered as politely as he could. He could tell that the girl was from a rich family or at the least a family that was well off, but he knew that she was nice young lady. He could just tell going from the way she looked at his tattoo. “To be honest miss I don’t know.”

“Hey, Ya’ll gimme a hand, won’t you?” The two of them hear behind the wall. Alex stands up and guesses that someone needs his help. “Looks like there’s other people hear.” He looks at Summer who looked like she was stopping herself from crying. “Stay here and relax, I’ll go and see what’s up with those guys.”The young girl nodded and said okay.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Alex said while he ran towards the sound of a woman needing help. Along the way he passed through and opening shaped like a door. It was only for a quick second, but he could see a woman with red hair pacing left and right. Alex ignored her and moved towards the voice of the unknown woman. When he finally got there he saw a girl trying to keep a man up. Alex ran quickly to the man’s other side and helped him up. “What’s wrong with him?” He asked the new faces.
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Just five more minutes.

Deepti cries. Pressing her hands into the cool, damp metal of the pod, she gives herself a minute. When she reaches twenty seconds, she starts mumbling the countdown to herself. Snot still dribbles down her nose and onto her lips, and her eyelashes are still wet, but no new tears bubble up in the corners of her eyes. For now, that is enough. She reaches out to touch the boy's elbow because she needs to feel skin. Something warm and dry and calloused. Her Pita's hands cracked in the winter time, but no matter how bad the wind off the Potomac got, he never wore gloves. Deepti would forget her mittens, sometimes, just so she had an excuse to feel the flaking skin.

But the boy pulls away and sneers, "What do you think you're doing?" His gaze drops away and Deepti's hand hovers in the air for a few seconds longer because she is always surprised by cruelty. (Like when she found her report on sustainability and the economical benefits of World War II in the girl's bathroom, soaking in a toilet bowl full of piss.) She nods and mumbles out an excuse. She doesn't even hear what she says. The boy isn't listening anyways. His fingers twist around each other and he breathes with his mouth open. Rapid intakes. Pause. A slow release. She shifts, wanting to create space between her and him.

She avoided the door out before, but staying inside with walls made of sturdy fabric makes her stomach twitch. It's too stiff, too artificial, for her senses to comprehend. Humans crave routines, familiarity. Nothing here reflects the myriad colors of soft cotton that encapsulated her heritage and life. Stepping out into the open air felt like crawling out of a cocoon. Briny air and slapping waves rock away her last hopes of this has to be a dream. It’s not.

Now what? Her teacher in Strategic Planning would have said that. Mr. Maalouf. The short man who speaks with a Nigerian accent even though he has never moved from his neighborhood tucked beside many of the Cheesepeak’s tributaries. Deepti would stand at the front of the ten person class as she explains the “now what” and “what’s next.” No matter what type of deodorant she would put on, the underarms of her uniform ended up soaked. She hated the explanation part. It makes her look down at her scruffs shoes or fiddle with her hand-me-down earrings. But Mr. Maalouf never asked, “Why does that work or doesn’t work?” He kept pushing (“now what, now what, now what”) until he stopped.
So Deepti moves to the next step—gather intelligence. So she steps towards the woman. The adult. Because even though she yells at Pita for not speaking English, he still knows things that she has yet to learn. With hands in fists she calls out to the woman. Red hair. Fair skin. Freckles. When her family in India asks about Americans, Deepti would describe to them this woman.

“My name is Deepti Persaud,” she begins. The raft shifts. She wobbles, but refuses to touch the whether-proof canvas that bulges out of the center of the raft like a red tent that belonged in a forest surrounded by bird calls and deep evergreens, not in the middle of splashing ocean. “Please.” She grabs on to her elbows to steady herself. “What’s your name?” Not logical, not essential, but for a thirteen year old who hasn’t even experienced her first menstrual cycle she needed to know this woman’s name.

)o(

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Maybaleen swears as the man gags and spews yellow mucus down her leg. “Yeah, nice to meet you too buddy.” She’s wants to shout again. Maybe not for help, but to release this pressure in the bottom of her lungs. As her grip on this sick man slips she thinks about Harrison. No matter how drunk or sick or weak she was, she would never drop Harrison. Never. She pushes that same resolve to the forefront of her mind and she wedges her body up against this stranger’s body. She bunches his t-shirt as she grapples for purchase. Team Georgia blares at her in bold, black lettering.

Laughter bubbles up in her. It’s like the first time she laughed after Kim’s murder. Hysterical and desperate and ending in a hiccup. “If my daddy knew I was helping a Georgia fan, I think he’d pour all the whiskey down the sink!”

The man moans. His right hand catches in her hair, pulling at it. She winces and swears again. Preacher Shelly would just chalk it up to her evil ways (but he was the one that came out to Tiny Dancer to enjoy the show).

“What’s wrong with him?” She doesn’t see the man’s face who’s speaking. The tattoo on the back of his hand attracts all of her attention. The flower reminded her of the pansies she planted around the mail box of her single-wide. Delicate faces craning up out of the shade and into the sunlight. She pauses too long. Maybe she didn’t expect anyone to actually come?

She huffs, “Sea-sick?” She looks around the sick man’s body to her helper. More tattoos. She speaking more to the butterfly on his neck than to the actual person. “God Almighty, I’m a waitress! She braces her free hand against the sick man’s hip. She thinks about the curving roads up to Kim’s house. Nausea would creep into her throat and he would roll down his windows. Maybe this man needed to windows rolled down to…in a sense.

“Help me get him outside, will ya?” she asks, shuffling forward. The canvas like fabric ripples as wind blows over them. Her underwear rides up; she shifts in discomfort. What the fuck was she wearing? More vomit dribbles out from the cracked lips of the tanned man. He’s gotta be a Mexican, she thinks, but grumbles instead, “Better out than in.” That’s what she tells Harrison when he has the stomach flu. She rubs man’s back. Soothing circles over coiled muscles. “Feel free to lead the way if ya which way’s out, hon,” she says to the tattooed man. The boots pull her feet down and the dead weight of the man teetering between them tugs her back. “Come on, this man is heavier than Thanksgiving’s turkey.” She blows her bangs from her eyes. When did she let them get so long?
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Maddie coul tell that they were waking up. The light ocean waves subdued the sounds of footsteps, but in the vast expanse of this lonely sea in their rafts she could hear the voices of the children. A part of her was sad because the people around her can no longer afford to be children. They, all of them will be adults, the oldest among all that are here in the world being tested and challenged endlessly because they are survivors and not children.

The moment she heard the flap from the door she knew that someone finally decided to come out. The people who trained her told her it might be best to greet each one of them personally, but Maddie thought differently. If these seedlings were to grow up and survive properly they’d need to learn how to live by themselves. It was harsh way of thinking, but to Maddie that was just life.

The first person that would speak to her in this world was the little girl. It felt ironic for some reason. The little Indian girl introduced herself and Maddie responded kindly. “Hello Deepti, My name is Dr. Bates. It’s nice to meet you.” Introducing herself as a doctor was out of habit. She identified herself as a doctor not because of pride, but because it was the truth. It was imperative to her that she immediately display a sense of authority to take control of the situation before anything happens. She also wanted to let the girl know that she was doctor.

“You’re feeling well I hope?” She asked the girl with a kind, but medicated voice. From what Maddie could tell the girl was physically okay. There were no symptoms of the machine failing. The girl was standing straight while correcting herself to match the sway of the raft. Overall, Deepti looked physically fine the problem was in her psychological and mental state. “You look like you’re feeling fine, but If something’s wrong you tell me right away. Understand?”

Maddie didn’t bother to wait for a response since the girl seemed to shell shocked at how calm Maddie was. Normal people would have the same reaction so she didn’t held it against her, and Maddie wouldn’t hold it against any one of them if they reacted illogically. They were all allowed to be emotional right now. She smiled, faced the girl and told her “Do you want to come with me and get the others? Afterwards we will talk. Is that Okay?”
Summer could tell she was in the ocean. When her body was inside the coffin like machine she could tell that she was in a boat of some kind floating above an ocean. The many summer’s and weekends she’d spent on a boat told her that she was on a boat. For a few moments after realizing this fact she was happy, but things change when you find yourself inside some sort of contraption glass coffin. On one hand it may have looked like she was princess waiting for her beloved, but on the other hand she felt like a prisoner being studied and experimented on.

Fear is a powerful emotion that drove people crazy and finding yourself trapped in machine was a solid way to instill fear. The moment Summer realized what was happening to her she immediately pushed hard on the glass case, but it didn’t budge. She pushed again and again, but it did not move. She’s never been claustrophobic or had any problems with enclosed spaces, but this was something else. After a while she Summer began shouting for help, but her voice cracked and stopped when she did. For a split second she thought that she would be trapped here forever, but just as soon as she thought of it a worried face greeted her.

The two of them did not know each other, but Summer felt that he was a good man. The tattoos definitely shocked her for a bit, but she kept her hopes up. Tattoos were an indication of many things, but did not guarantee that he was an evil scientist watching his lab experiment slowly die in some sort of machine. It took a while but Summer eventually got out of that contraption. Her initial thought of the man was right. He was helpful, kind and had an air of responsibility round him.
Pleasant introductions ended when he left to go help some people on the boat. Summer watched him leave, but felt confident that he would come back. He left her alone, but she knew that he would come back somehow.

Once she had calmed down and the tears stopped forming she stood up and patted herself for reassurance. She saw what she was wearing and wondered what it was, but it was comfortable, a quality product and aesthetically speaking so she didn’t make a fuss. Her instinct told her to go outside and see the ocean for herself and that was what she did.

The ocean sway was comforting, dreadful, and peaceful all at the same time. It was a familiar feeling that brought her joy, but the moment she got outside she started to feel fear once more. She hoped that she would see a bright ocean facing a beautiful coastline full of autumn colored trees, tiny building full of tiny people in the distance, and boats with beautifully colored flags and bright white sails. She didn’t see any of that. The only thing she saw was the empty ocean and the suffocating white fog that surrounded the rafts.
The two new faces that greeted Alex were a surprise. He didn’t get a good look at the man, but he could tell he was also a little Hispanic if not more. The woman on the other hand was defiantly a hundred percent all American girl form the south. “I know the way. I just passed the exit when I came to help you out. ” Alex said answering the question. To be honest though he didn’t really know if knowing that there was exit really helped their case. Knowing that there was exit answered only one out of the millions of questions running through his head. He ignored those kind for now since they never lead to anything good.

“Anyway my name is Alex, professional tattoo artist and absolutely clueless at the moment.” It was weird was to introduce one’s self, but he’d rather it be awkward than silent. He hated it when no one was talking and simply doing things. The three of them were already in a weird position as it is. He was on the passed out man’s right shifting most of the weight on to himself and she was on the man’s left tried to help pull his weight. The three of them looked like some kind of ill three bodied and headed creature.

“The exit’s right there.” Alex pointed using his free hand. “Don’t know what’s on the other side though, but fresh air should do this guy some good.” His tone was light and there was a chuckle to his words, but he was only forcing himself. “Anyway I can carry this guy by myself through the door, but can you go outside and see if anyone out there can help us? By the way what was your name again?”
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You're going to be late.
Dr. Bates talks to Deepti how tourists at her father’s restaurant talk to her: slow and smiling. It makes her feel like some pet dog there for amusement. She wants to bite back, to sink her jaws down and show that she understands perfectly fine thank you. But the raft shifts, making her anger slip away. The wind pushes the fabric of her pants to press against skinny legs. She hates the feeling. She pulls at the pants, but they continue to rub. So she focuses instead on the doctor.
"There's a boy in the other..." What should she call the spaces under the tent? She settles with the familiar. "...room. He didn't want to be bothered. So don't. I don't think he'll appreciate it," Deepti says.
She steps back, the shuddering of the fabric snaps and rustles as the morning gets brighter and begins to dissipate the surrounding fog. "But I want to help with the others. Is there another one inside here? I’ll get them.” She turns back to the shelter. Stopping, she purses her lips. The old anger of being underestimated resurfaces with the swelling of the sea. She turns, twisting so her back cracks. It is satisfying and helps her say, “And then we’ll talk” with more confidence.

Deepti looks passed the doctor and sees a young woman standing on the deck of the blue raft. Frail and white, looking as if she will disappear with the morning haze. She reaches out and grabs the inflexible material of the tent. Cringing, she steps inside again to ferret out anyone else. She drags her hand along the wall, feeling the rippling of the fabric. She refuses disappear, to become a memory.

Deepti looks down at the boy with sandy hair. He holds a knife in his hands. It is as if he is getting ready to make an offering of milk or honey to Ganshe. “Are you okay?” she asks. Something about him makes her lips tremble. Maybe it’s because he reminds her of the boy (Shawn, she thinks.) who delivered fresh chicken and lamb to Pita every other morning with his father. He was from central Pennsylvania who got his GED instead of graduating from high school. She didn’t even like him. He was Protestant-America personified. Was. She crouches. Was.

She bows her head and presses her forehead to her knees. “Because I’m not okay either.” The pain of having the jeweled bindi digging into her skin keeps her from crying. “But that’s a good thing. Right? To not be okay? It means that things will get better.” Deepti knows this boy is a stranger. That it is impolite for her to impose on him her worries, but it would be equally impolite to ignore his own distress.

“There’s a woman outside who promises that she will talk to us. But I don’t want to be there alone with her,” she admits. “Will you come with me, please?” She risks touching the boys hand. Deepti still needs to feel skin. To replace the coarse fibers of the tent with warmth and human. According to Mr. Maalouf, using the same strategy multiple times proves you lack the creativity to come up with a new one. But he always points out how using the same strategy in multiple situations is statistically likely to work at some point.

)o(

Maybaleen starts to giggle. It’s the kind of giggle she uses with customers at the clubs when she thinks they’re actually funny, but at the same time can’t understand why she’s laughing. “Well, Mr. Clueless. Meet Mr. Friendly. He has a tendency to puke on your pants. Feels like ya’ll’ve been college roomies, don’t it?” She doesn’t expect Alex to respond. Actually, she doesn’t really want him to respond. She wants to deposit this guy down and give herself a second to orient herself. (Because she was positive that she heard Harrison crying.) So she slips from under the body builder, throwing off both of their balances.

The edge of the entryway crumples as she grips it to steady herself as the sea swells, waking itself from its morning placidity. “You can call me Cherry, darling,” she says, smiling back at him over her shoulder. It’s a lazy curl of her lips. A familiar movement that always puts twenties in her bra when she finally leans down towards the customers. Sauntering out her eyes shift to the girl standing to the side. Her eyebrow lifts. “But you can call me Maybaleen. I don’t do girls.” She focuses on the raft across the way ignoring the skinny suburban goody-two-shoe because there is no way in hell that girl could be of any. The rope tying them together groan with the push and pull of the current.

“Ma’am,” she calls to someone who stands with her shoulders back and feet steady on the raft. That’s the type of person Maybaleen needs to talk to. She licks her lips. She hates how they taste. “You a nurse? PA or—hell—I’ll settle for a stay-at-home-mom if you can make this guy stop from throwing up his stomach because I’m pretty sure that’s coming up next.” She jerks her thumb behind her where Mr. Clueless and Mr. Friendly should be stumbling out of the door. Her stomach lurches as the rafts fall between the small swells. Taking a sharp breath threw her nose, she prevents letting loose whatever she had to drink (probably tequila) and eat (probably Zaxby’s fries) last night, too.
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The young girl, Deepti, was surprisingly resilient. Maddie could see hurt in her eyes, but at the same time there was fortitude and strength, a silent storm that doesn’t go away. Deepti kind of reminded Maddie of herself when she was younger, but this girl was more polite whereas when Maddie was young she had a sharp and often relentless tongue. She figured that since she was acting this way the previous slow child talk is no longer necessary.

“There’s another boy in the next room. See if he needs help and try to bring him outside. I’ll care the prickly one”. It was somewhat odd treating someone much younger than her like an adult, but Maddie to. There was no time for baby talk. For the unforeseen time they had to be adults even if they don’t to. Being a child was not something they could afford anymore.

The one that spooked Deepti, Maddie assumed was the Saito boy. Prior to being frozen she was given a rough idea on how the kids have lived and how they are as people and the other boy, Simon was the quiet type whereas Saito was a bit more abrasive. Using that knowledge Maddie went ahead and removed most of the pleasantries in her tone when she approached the Nijinsky boy. She stood by the doorframe and told the kid as mercilessly and commanding as she could. “Saito Nijinsky I presume? MY name’s Maddie Bates.” Maddie could have been nicer to the young man, but being nice and pleasant flew out the window ages ago. “Are you feeling okay? If you are you should grab your stuff and go outside. The fresh air will do your stiff body some good. We have a lot of talking to do”
The unfamiliar voice was a bit of a shock. Her appearance was even more of a shock. The small town Simon grew up in pretty much isolated him from cultures beyond the White Anglos Saxon People so it was a surprise that the first face she encountered on this journey was that of a little Indian girl. She was small, adorable, but had a weather looked to her face. She talked fast, but gentle, had very little trace of an accent, and she spoke like an educated woman. These wear good signs.

The sight of a human being definitely calmed him down. The fear of being left alone was a tortuous feeling that crippled Simon’s mind, but this girl blew that fear right out of the water. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.?” He was never good with people, but children were different. They were often honest and didn’t play mind games with Simon. “I’m sorry to hear that you’re not okay, but you’re right I guess that means things get better.” Truthfully Simon didn’t believe that. He believed that things never get too bad, but rarely get any good, always just okay and more so crushingly okay, but she didn’t need to know that.

Once he heard about the woman who had information, Simon got scared a bit. People with power and knowledge meant that they had the upper hand. If this woman did know something they didn’t that meant she could what she wants. “Is that so?” Simon said. “I’ll come with you then. Let me just grab my stuff here.” He told her making sure to keep an eye for her. He closed the bag and put it on himself with relative ease. “Hmmm it’s a perfect fit.” He told himself. “Shall we go?” Simon said with a forced smile.
Summer’s been called ma’am many times before. There were those that worked in their house, his father’s associates, and people who knew of her status. For most of her life being called a ma’am was good thing until they had to move into the streets. The kids in her new school teased her with ma’am as well given that she acted like one. The word ma’am used to mean something good to her, but every time she heard it now all she could think off where those bitchy (excuse the term) girls and the douche bags (excuse her language) who picked on her day in and day out. It is for this very reason that Summer was surprised and then ticked off when she was being called ma’am with such a sassy tone while out in the open sea.

“Excuse me?” She said to the female who called her ma’am. “I’m too young to be called a ma’am, a nurse or a PA, whatever that is. And no way in hell am I a stay at home mother I’m like sixteen how could I have kid so young.” When she turned around to face the woman she followed with “Ma’am.” Summer nothing off it of course. She was just trying to be fun unaware of how her words and tone really made her sound.

After speaking her rather honest words Summer immediately noticed the two men behind the woman. One of the men was Alex, the tattooed guy who helped her out of the cage and the other man who had vomit on his face. “Ewww” Summer exclaimed, but she wasn’t worried or sickened by the view. She knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of one of those situations. “I’m not a doctor, but the guy’s probably sea sick. Most people who’ve never been in the middle of the ocean get it.”
--
Watching the young woman leave left Alex kind of confused, but at the same time kind of red in the face. She was quite something and even though they’ve only just met Alex could tell what kind of woman Cherry was. Alex giggled at his new nickname Mr. Clueless. It certainly did fit him seeing as he was a clueless man in many aspects, but he thought nothing of it. He’s never been up front with girls always the shy type with them really which is why he never got to say anything witty or funny to her before she left. It wasn’t that he couldn’t follow up on the conversation later, but the moment would have already been lost.

The guy wasn’t all that heavy, but to be fair Alex was a fairly athletic young man so that made huge difference. Cherry looked like she was in shape as well, but anatomy made a huge difference. He was no physician, but he’d studied enough naked bodies and anatomical figures for work and pleasure that he knew well enough on how different the male and female bodies can be.

Carrying Mr. Friendly was an easy task for Alex which is how he got to the end of Cherry and Summer’s, what appears to be an introduction. “Ladies” He introduced himself with a smile as he gently dropped Friendly on the ground. “Got any ideas what’s wrong with him?” Alex got his answer from the Summer girl who looked okay now. “Sea sick huh?” It explained a lot since some people are just not naturally good with water. Alex was lucky enough that he grew up in California so the beach and the ocean were familiar to him.

“Ummm put him on his side so he doesn’t throw up. All over himself and drown in his vomit. Other than that there’s nothing we can really do since he’s asleep.” Summer told them. Alex, surprised at the familiar tone on the girl’s voice who was just panicking moment before did as he was told. The guy was easy to roll to his side on the smooth surface of the raft. “Well that’s that.” He looked at the unconscious man who was looking sicker than ever when he focused on his attention on the two girls. “So…” It was time to face the music he supposed. “Ideas?’
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When the woman came in, he was standing, calves braced against the metal of his bed. Around his hands were his MMA gloves and strewn around his feet were the contents of his bag. Everything too familiar and too foreign. He cried as he ripped up the backpack. He wanted to fill it with his frustration and confusion instead, but nothing tangible could ever hold them. That's what his doctor at Juvie reminded him of every week during one on ones. The push of the raft beneath his feet felt like the mats at the gym. Just enough give to absorb shock, but smacking down on it always reminded him of a belly flop into a pool. Stinging, breath-taking, and exhilirating in one go. Maybe that's what compelled him to drag his body out of fetal position on the floor and towards his gloves. His desire to cling to anything real (because, he's convinced, none of this can be real).

Maddie stared at the boy who was obviously stricken with what she hoped was fear. It was a sad thought that she wished fear onto another human being, but fear was better than sickness. Maddie approached the boy slowly and made sure to be gentle with him, which was going to be hard because Maddie was not one for gentleness. She's always been the cold hard medicated truth kind and not the sickeningly sweet type. The only she could do was be honest. "Saito?" Maddie opened. "Deepti told me that you're not one for touching so I won't touch you, but you need to tell me if you are hurt. Do you understand? If you are you have to tell me. I can help. I'm a doctor."

She reminds him of his mother. He knows the way she talks (the no-nonsense-get-shit-done voice). He heard it when he first woke up from the hospital, shaking from withdrawal. His mother smoothed down his hair, kissed his forehead, and put cotton balls between his wrist and the handcuffs on the railing of the bed. Saito says, "No." And he's confused by which question he's answering or if he's answering a question at all. "No," he tries again because he needs the control of knowing that he can assert himself. "I'm not hurt--" He doesn't want to say "I'm fine." It's a painful lie that he would tell his mom on days his stash was low and he didn't know where he could get his next fix.
"I'm not hurt," he repeats instead, flexing his fingers. The crackling of leather helps him put all of his weight on his feet.

Maddie knew the boy was lying. He recognized the face, the signs, and the symptoms. It was how addicts in denial and withdrawal acted. She treated people like him in the hospital all the time. There were two ways to treat these kinds of patients, acknowledge and go behind their back, or go at them from the front and attack head on. "Saito, I know that's not true. You need to tell me the truth or I can't help you." Maddie was never the clever manipulative type. "I know something's wrong, but you need to tell me. If you’re hurt you have to tell where it's hurt." Maddie was confident that the boy was physically fine. She was hoping that he was fine. The science department who briefed her on the matter told her that everyone should come out of it physically fine.

He frowns. "I said I wasn't hurt and I meant it. What the hell do you think I'm implying by saying something like that? You can't mess around with that. I'm not hurt means I'm not hurt." He steps forward, ankle rolling a bit over a bundle of bright rope.. "Actually, what the hell are you implying, Doctor?" His shoudler relax down his spine and his scalp tingles. This is how it feels every time he faces a challenging opponent. This is how he felt when he first fought that German-style boxer. The shadow burn of vodka coats his tongue. "You know something about my body I need to know? If ya do, please, clue me in."

The kid was a textbook case, it was kind of sad. "Fine...if you want to pretend that you're okay then I'll let you, but if you start hurting then you have to tell me." Maddie was backing down. This was simply the easiest choice since aggravating the kid would lead to violence. She hated that she was backing down, but honestly she didn't have any medication to calm the kid down. "I do know this. I know about your past, I know about what you've done and what you did. I know about your tendencies and vices. I know about your parents, friends, habits, skills, and talents. I know what kind of man you are. I also know that you're clean and fine because if you weren't then you wouldn't be here. I know a lot about you Mr. Nijinsky." Maddie was playing a dangerous game, but she was quite ready to play. "You on the other hand know nothing. If you want to know more then you'll stop pretending to be the weak child we both know you aren't. If you really want to know what's happening you're gonna come outside and listen to what I have to say."

His stomach drops and then rushes up his throat. His finger tips burn with energy. Shame and anger twist inside of him. He wants to punch her for stealing his secrets. He wants to hug her for taking away their burden. So he settles with shoving her away from him because the idea of hugging her is repulsive and the idea of punching her is too seductive. (Or is it reverse?) He paces five steps, turns and paces back. His chest parallel to the Doc's as he talks. "Ya, sure, I'll listen to you. 'Cause you know it all, don't you." He's not asking her a question. "So herd me to my pen and I'll bark like a good 'ol doggy," he says cracking his wrists. "They say I do that in my file, too? Is that why I'm here? Fine. I'll play that role. I'll play it until I don't need it any more."

It was a strong shove that was filled with emotion, but Maddie was used to such things. She got them from kids in her neighborhoods, the people that she worked with, and the patients that she took care of. It didn't faze her one bit. "Fine play all you want, but you won't be for long. None of us can play or have fun anymore even if you want to." Maddie was aware of what the kid was trying to get at, but she was also trying to make a point. "As for your file, well, it was expected given the circumstances. It's also what got you here and why you're perfect for this team." All of them here was troubled. She was troubled. It was the reason why they were formed. Maddie didn't bother to talk to him any further. The boy got to his feet, fixed himself, and followed her out of the tent, out of the dome, and into the open air.

Moments after the two of them left Deepti and Simon followed suit. Maddie looked out into the other raft where the other members of the team were watching them. Maddie watched them one by one and was glad to see that he tehy looked fine. Arrios was lying down on the raft on his side. The man was looking pale and green in the face, there was vomit by his mouth. Motion sickness was her first clue. "Looks like we're all here" Maddie said sadly. It was time to face the music.
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Except there's no more time.

Maybaleen remembers a radio host talking about a recent study that came out about first impressions. Autumn settled into the boughs of the trees, turning everything into shades of rust. The morning rush came into the diner, rubbing their hands together and begging for hot coffees. Everyone spoke in quiet hums. Maybe she was leaning against the counter or maybe she was talking with her Paw who came in with Harrison, still woozy with sleep, his head tipping to the side of the high chair as he would drift off. To be honest, she doesn’t remember what the radio host actually said, but she likes to think that the study, whatever it found, would agree that the relationship between this girl and her was off to a horrible start.

The acid in Maybaleen made her want to tell the girl just exactly how she might have a kid so young. But the bored waitress who’s dealt with so many poor tippers, yelling babies, and fuzzy old folk realizes all the same that this girl isn’t worth her time. So she turns her back on the girl and on the opposing raft (where the real woman was who Maybaleen wanted to talk to) and sits herself down next to Mr. Friendly, sliding her thighs under his head. He’s gunna feel worse once he finally gets his feet under him, she thinks.

The edge of the raft rises to the base of her neck. Splashes of warm, sticky water tickle the shell of her ears.

“Well I for one, feel like I was rode hard and put up wet,” Maybaleen says in response to Alex’s question, though, it’s not qualified as an answer. She doesn’t really want answers right now. She wants dry land and cool water. Ideas don’t help getting either of those things. Mr. Friendly starts snoring. Quick huffs in and slow growls out. “Sheesh.” Maybaleen pinches his nose so that he is forced to breathe through his mouth. “Sleeping like a hound after the first day of open season.” She smiles despite the pressing confusion and bubbling panic of: if I’m here where the hell is Harrison.

From her seat, she watches as four other people crawl out from the recesses of the dome. Two white. An Asian. An Indian. Those are the first things she notices about these people. The next things she notices is how young they are. Soft skin. No worry lines. She glances at the uppity Yankee. Young. She frowns. Kids. They’re kids.
“Well, ‘hi’ to you too,” Maybaleen says to the strangers, but she doesn’t look at anyone but the woman. The one with the strong shoulders and straight spine. The one she wanted to talk to until the Yankee got the wrong idea. “I’m gunna propose that you, ma’am, might know what’s going on.” Maybaleen doesn’t do guessing. Perhaps her daddy wishes she was just a bit less confrontational, but Kim always said it made his blood hot for her. Doesn’t matter what either man say, though, she won’t go changing for them so they’ve just learned to work with her.

“I do know what’s happening here miss Windsom.” Maddie looked at the woman, not young woman because she was not young nor did she deserve to be treated that way. The doctor was well aware what kind of life the other woman had, which meant that out of everyone here she’s the one who will be treated as an equal. “Before I do I should check on Mister Urais there first just to be safe.”

Maddie jumped over to the other raft and did some physical checks on the man. She checked his pulse, heart rate, breathing, rapid or normal eye movement and his mouth just in case there was some residual vomit. He was clear and ordered Alex to help her put him in a more comfortable, safe and vomit ready position. “He’s all clear. I won’t know until he wakes up be he looks stable. Just keep him in this position and help him when he tries to vomit.” She told Alex who simply nodded along and smiled.

“First things first I take you’ve introduced yourself to each other yes?” Maddie asked them after she got back to her original raft. She was pulling at the strings, but she didn’t really care for the answer given that they’ll have to get to know each other whether they wanted to or not. It was a matter of survival. “Right. Well. I should begin by telling you guys who I am first.”

“My name is Madison Bates. Professionally speaking you can all call me Doctor Bates or Doctor Madison, whatever you like. My colleagues called me Maddie at times as well.” She emphasized using called since they were all probably dead. “I am a licensed doctor, former junior, but highly qualified resident at the Oregon Science and Health University.” She made sure to use former. “Currently my job is to protect, take care and guide you from anything that may happen our way.”

She didn’t let anybody talk since it would be much easier if they all just listen to her story. “I’ll start from the beginning so you can all understand where I’m going. Bare in mind that from this point on I will never lie to anyone one of you. I’ll only be telling the truth that I know.” Without waiting for their reply Maddie started.

“A decade or so ago scientist and astronomers predicted that thousands meteorites of varying sizes would hit earth at incredible speeds . I say predicted, but in reality what I mean to say that it was a guaranteed and unavoidable event. There were several predicted outcomes to this event, but all lead to mass extinction. Meteorites that land on earth will create massive craters that will destroy the environment above and below ground for miles and meteorites that land in the ocean would create gigantic tidal waves and increase the sea level for a good thousand feet approximately. These two outcomes would kill 90 percent of life on earth. The remaining ten percent would inadvertently die in the ensuing storms, tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the lucky few who manage to survive all of that will still die. Large volcanic eruptions would release large amounts of ash that will linger in the atmosphere blocking out the heat from the sun, it would stop the water cycle, and naturally without sunlight most plants would die which decreases the amount of oxygen we get. All of these will then lead to a short ice age, and when I say short I mean a hundred or so years of the earth being an inhospitable piece of rock.

I’ll say this again I’m not lying to any one of you. I’m telling you what I’ve been told, what was shown to me, and what I know.” Maddie takes a deep breath in and and even deeper breath out. before continuing.

“This knowledge would later prompt world government to ensure that life continues. Scientist around the world would come up with one idea after the other that would keep humanity alive.” She paused. “Naturally there needed to be a net, a failsafe that would work in the event that nothing worked. They needed a plan that would make sure, one way or the other there will be life on earth of the human kind. One of the most promising projects came from the Japanese. Their idea was based on their agricultural practice of preserving seeds in the winter by storing them away until it was the time to plant them again. The idea would be that like seeds being stored away for winter pockets of life would be kept hidden in a safe environment until it they were ready to be in a sustainable environment again. Japan who came up with the project ensured that all participating countries and groups of countries would follow the same basic principle of having groups of seven people and one farmer, or rather a guide who will protect them from anything that may happen. Large countries and groups of small countries would then begin creating their own projects that followed the same principles, but with minor and often cultural differences.”

Maddie stopped once more when she realized what part of the story she was on. She was only half done of the first part. “Does everyone get me so far?” She asked with such a hollow, empty, and clinical voice as if she was telling a patient was dying and there was nothing she could do. The only thing she could do was wait for them to reply.

When Maybaleen had Harrison, her daddy held her up in the rust stained. Between the two of them, they drank a whole bottle of whiskey as the midwife (Regina, a woman who refused to used deodorant, but who was cheaper than the hospital) made herself friendly with Maybaleen’s nether regions. Regina said gravity would help when in labor. Said that’s how women have done it for thousands of years. But no matter how often Regina assured her that yes, everything is fine; yes, he’s coming along nicely; yes, you’re doing good, Maybaleen cried the whole time. Begged for forgiveness. Begged for a second chance. Begged that this baby would just stay in her tummy because she’s seventeen god dammit and what makes that child think that she has any idea about how to take care of it?

As this doctor began reciting something out of a cheap teen sci-fi, Maybaleen thought of two things: one, how grateful she was that it was Regiina and not some faceless doctor at a sterile hospital that was there to help guide her through Harrison’s birth. And two, the doctor can’t be finished talking yet. She hasn’t explained where everyone else is. Because. There is an everyone else. Right. Right?

“Alright, then. Show me which way I need to go to get to Harrison and then we’re good to go,” Maybaleen says.

Deepti shivers. She thinks of Harrison, Arkansas. A girl like her doesn’t belong in the KKK’s back yard. Why would this woman want to go there anyways? she thinks. The parallel thought to that is she doesn’t understand what Dr. Bates has told us. But she comments instead, “We shouldn’t head towards Harrison. We should try to get to a major military depot or facility. They are most likely to be still running.” (Deepti also hasn’t grasped the details of Dr. Bates’ confession.)

“Wha?” the woman says. Her pretty face askew with confusion. “I’m not talkin’ about the city of Harrison, ya goose. I’m talkin’ bout my baby. My boy, Harrison.” She looks at Dr. Bates. “You know all that stuff so you gotta know where he is too.”

She says that like it’s a fact. Deepti shakes her head. This woman is assuming too much. Jumping to conclusions. Doesn’t she know how dangerous that is?

Everything this woman said was something out of a comic was what Simon thought, but the fact that she said that she wasn’t lying sent something down his spine. It was a similar sense of fear and anxiety he would get whenever his curiosity would get the better of him and he’d watch a horror movie trailer. In scenes wherein nothing is really happening, but the characters we’re just standing around and then moment later there would be a jump scare of some sort he knew something bad was gonna happen, but you were helpless to know what it was. That was what he felt like right. He felt that way to the point that he didn’t even really didn’t even know how to react. The only thing he did was just stand there and give it out a slight whimper.

“Okay. That’s a nice story and all miss Bates was it? What does it have anything to do with us here anyway?” Summer asked with a bit of panic and fear in her tone. She wasn’t scared or anything, but scary stories about the apocalypse were too creepy for her to handle. “I mean I thought you were supposed to explain where we are? I mean I have to go home soon. I like the ocean and all, but I’d rather be on a boat in Hartford, and not wherever here is.”

“The girl has a point doc. I mean I kinda get it, but what’s the point of telling this to us if this story is about some government project. You should just finish your story and get on with it.” Alex tells the woman. He was telling the truth in that he didn’t get it and that he wanted her to finish, but his instincts told him otherwise. From his experience people who started their stories with “I’m being honest with all my heart” or something like that never have good endings to tell.

Saito snorts at the white chick (not the southern bell). “Hartford. Of fucking course.” The indian chick frowns at his language. He sneers down at her. “You’re thinking it too.”

Maybaleen frowns and murmurs, “Isn’t that a college or something?” Mr. Friendly keeps snoring.

“Yeah it’s a school, but like the city and the school.” Summer syas to clear her point.

“Right…” Maddie already knew that this was going to be hard to tell, but now that they’re all here made it harder. “Well I don’t know how to get to Harrison the place, any military places, hartford the college, or Hartford the city. And I sadly I don’t know where your son would be right now. My best guess is that he’s somewhere safe.” Maddie wouldn’t lie about anything to them. It was her promise to them now, and it was also a promise she decided to hold the moment she agreed to do this whole thing. “I’ll explain why later, but for now like Mr. Barrientos said I’ll get on with the story.”

“Assuming the worst would happen countries around the world began working on their individual failsafe plans. From what was told Japan went ahead with their original plan. Other countries made their own as well in the similar fashion Like China, Russia, Canada and Brazil. Essentially rich powerful countries worked independently while smaller countries and allied nations banded together like the majority of South East Asia, South America, the majority of African governments and smaller European countries. The United States of course would be no different.

As the most powerful country at the time The United States would have their own failsafe. I was told that they originally planned ten groups of ten people, mostly adults armed with guns for protections. They were supposed to be soldier types essentially, but after doing some tests they eventually decided against it because of horrible results. They later rebuilt the whole plan under the name Thirteen Colonies. It would follow the original plan made by the Japanese which had the highest success rate to begin with. The name was a homage to the original thirteen british colonies that came to the new world, in other words America. Each team would have seven people, four males, and four females ages twelve to twentyfive. Their guide would be the oldest at twentysix to thirty. I’m twenty seven by the way. Each team would also be named after the original thirteen colonies therefore the teams would be named something like Team Hampshire, Team Connecticut, Team York, Team Delaware, Team Maryland, Team Carolina A and B, and of course Team Georgia.”

It was now or never she thought. There was no going back for any them.

“We are Team Georgia. The seven of you here were chosen among millions of people to survive the coming apocalypse. The seven of you are the seeds for the future and I am your guide that’s meant to protect you.”

Saito laughs. Okay. It wasn’t a laugh. The indian chick flinches away. She knows it wasn’t a laugh either. A sigh of exasperation gone wrong so it snaps how the dome snaps as a breeze pushes on the fabric. “Don’t make it sound so heroic. Chosen? Try kidnapped. Shanghaied. Press ganged. This wasn’t a choice.” He licks his lips, expecting to taste the smooth warmth of whiskey. He doesn’t. “And what do you mean coming apocalypse? Are you telling me that it hasn’t happened already? That right here, right now, isn’t hell?”

Maybaleen thinks that Mr. Friendly might agree with talk-backer-teen in the other raft. Well, maybe not with how much he’s snoring right now. Better than vomiting.

“Wait so are you telling us that...” Summer stopped for a second. The words didn’t really come out. She heard the woman well, heard what she was saying, and she knew what the end to that sentence was, but she didn’t want to continue or finish the sentence.

Alex understood what she was trying to tell them. He knew what all of it meant. It was pretty simple to understand. The thing he couldn’t understand was why. The world was ending, so what, why would they choose them of all the people. He couldn’t wrap his head around it so he asked her “Why us? Out of millions of people why the seven of us?”

They all talked and made remarks at the same time, but Maddie understood all of them. One of the skills that she picked up as a doctor was learning how to listen to multiple things at once and processing it all, while understanding it all.

“Fine. If you want to put it that way you were kidnapped. You were all taken in the middle of the night, drugged and then frozen without your consent. That’s how it was for everyone, but your parents knew. The people behind the project approached them and offered them compensation in return for taking you. So technically they bought you, but really it doesn’t matter because even if they refused you would have been taken anyway since you were chosen. Your parents were told that they could tell you, but they probably didn’t.” Harsh words from a cold woman. It was a saying that she heard often. “And apologies if I said “coming” because there’s the possibility that it didn’t happen. Maybe they found a way to stop it all after they froze us. There’s the possibility that we’re just in the middle of the ocean and any minute now they would find us here and bring us home.” As a doctor one of the things they were told to do was never underestimate people’s ability to survive. Each day there would be a new medical discovery, surprisingly it applied to everything. “It’s a small chance of course, but you’re right. If it did happen then this world is hell.”

Maddie looked at the girl named Summer. She didn’t really say anything, but just looked at her. Maddie knew that she knew since she wasn’t that dumb. Everyone here may not be some sort of genius, but they were smart enough to figure things out by themselves. It was one of the qualities the people behind the project looked for.

“The reason they chose you is simple. Everyone here is the best they could find out of millions of people. First of all everyone here is physically healthy inside and out. There’s no traces of any malignant diseases in you. You’ve passed nearly every conceivable physical test to ensure that the only thing that will kill you is an external event. Not only that you all have a naturally high immune system and have no physical flaws like poor eyesight, hearing or body control. Your personal history has also been traced to make sure that your family members were also clear from any sort of hereditary disease, mental, physical, or emotional. In other words you are all genetically superior to the point that if you take care of yourself you would all probably live till you were a hundred. In this day and age the amount of people that fit those criteria are in the hundreds, which is unsurprisingly low.

Naturally they also wanted other things like and mental and emotional stability. They also picked the one’s who were naturally good looking, talented and skilled. If possible they would have picked people that were born into rich and happy families who have the highest rate of success. The type of people who would go on to do great and wonderful things for the world. After going through all of these they would have gone to chose people who would contribute a certain type of skill that would help them survive in some way.”

Maddie was about done. There was only the matter of telling them what the purpose of the team was other than to survive that they might not understand yet, and her true purpose. If she had a choice she wouldn’t tell them, but she will eventually.

Deepti zones out once Dr. Bates brings up her parents. The smell of dhal and tamarind and coconut waft up from her memories. Hot bodies pressed into a small restaurant. All of them family or friends. That day was the first day that she ever saw her father turn away customers hoping to join in on the festive atmosphere. His kurta stretched over his belly. When he laughed that night, the seams groaned to hold in his girth. At the end of every hour she convinced her mother and aunts that, yes, she can’t eat anything else and yes, she is full, and yes, everything was wonderful (but it wouldn’t matter what she said because she’ll end up nibbling on whatever new dish came out of the steaming kitchen).

English and Hindi swarmed her senses that night. So much that she wasn’t entirely sure what language she was speaking half the time, but she knows that her father spoke English the whole time to her. Halting and wrong, like a homeless cripple, but she loved him for it. She also loved how he made a whole sticky plate of Rasgulla for her celebration. Her mouth waters, but she tastes salt, not sugar. She’s surrounded by strangers with skin too light and bodies too tall. Deepti is on a boat. In the middle of the ocean.

Survive. That’s all she needs to think about right now. If she lets the taste of phantom Rasgulla and the smell of her father’s stale sweat overcome her then she’ll become lulled by the movement of the waves and dreams and the Past.

Deepti keeps her shoulders back like her mother always taught her when she starts talking again, “Can we have this conversation some other time? I don’t expect us to have enough supplies for more than a few days out at sea and I really don’t feel comfortable knowing we’re not in a place where we have immediate access to fresh water.”

The more the lady talked the more Summer didn’t want to listen. The last time she felt like this it was when her mother told her that they were bankrupt and had to leave their place. When she looked back on it now her reaction was pretty mild, but that was because she saw the signs coming a mile away. It was why she had a hard time processing this information. There were no indication that this was supposed to happen to them.

The last things Summer really remembered prior to hearing the sound of the ocean and being trapped in that glass coffin were the peculiar behaviour of her parents. They were acting normally around her, but whenever she would catch them talking to themselves it was like she was was interrogating a pair of criminals. Now that she heard the lady’s explanation Summer realized that they were probably talking about this or something related to this. It made sense, but she didn’t want it to make sense.

She after listening to Maddie talk Summer didn’t have a lot of strength left to stand straight. When her mother first told her that they were broke she began with “you might want to sit down for this”. She wished that Maddie told them as well. she wanted to sit or lie down, but she didn’t have enough strength to do anything. All she did was stand there. She stood there quietly until she decided not to anymore.

“So what do we do now?” Summer asked. In the pit of her stomach she think that she’s gonna be asking that a lot. “Do we just accept what you tell us and move on? What are we supposed to do then? huh?” In her own heart she knew the answer since she answered those kinds of questions before. The old saying “When life gives you lemons you make lemonade” applies to situations like this because the only proper way to cope with change is to accept it and use it the best of your abilities. She knew that she just kind of wished she didn’t.

“Smart girl” Maddie commented on Deepti. From the looks on their faces Maddie thought that they were taking all of these quite well, for now anyway. Summer on the other hand was being quite vocal, which was a nice relief given the other’s relative silence. “No you don’t have to accept what I say. You can decide what you want to do from now on. If we are where we’re supposed to be then there’s no form of government to rule over you.”

“From this day forth you will have to and decide things on your own. Your every action and your every move will determine whether you live or you die. My responsibility is to ensure that you survive, but if you don’t want to then I can’t stop you from going against what I say. I suggest you do though because the chances of you surviving by yourself is slim.
As to what we should do now, well our first priority is to get to land. Supplies, which is in your backpack, won’t last long. Give or take we can last two to three days out into the open sea. From what they told me our team was supposed to land somewhere off the coast of Texas, as to where I’m not really sure. My best bet is to go northwest. Once we find land we can do you all decide, but If everything went according to plan there should be a supplies shelter nearby, somewhere in Texas anyway. If that makes sense and is to everyone’s liking then the only thing we need to do now is do that. Any questions?”

This info dump was getting tiring. Simon never really liked getting told serious, large quantities of information because they never sounded right to him. He understood what Maddie said fairly well. In fact he understood it very clearly. It was so clear and precise at how she explained it that he could tell it was a rehearsed, but otherwise secondhand information like a teacher. The parallels were there of course since being a doctor and a teacher was fairly similar, both jobs involved someone doing and saying things they learned from others onto a group of people who were less informed. “You said something about shelters and other teams? Does that mean there are other people out there right now?” Simon said with his voice slightly faltering with anticipation.

“I did say that yes. From my understanding there should be twelve other teams. I don’t know where they should or could be now, precisely, but I was told there should be four teams in the southern states, five on the middle states, and four more on the northern parts of america. Ideally, like us they would land somewhere near large bodies of water, ocean or lakes. And as for the shelters I don’t know where those could be since it was a completely different project, completely unrelated to the thirteen colonies. What was told of me was that, prior to us being frozen there were already four shelters in place. Anything else?”

Maddie asked again if anyone wanted to know more, but no one spoke. It was pretty easy to assume that they were all tired and didn't want to hear any more. They were all confused, angry, sad, bitter, and all sorts of emotions far from being pleased. Maddie wasn't surprised. Maddie expected this to happen. in fact it was one of the things they, the guides were told by the director. Everything else before this was still part of the plan and in the guide, but now Maddie was just as much as in the blind as they were. She knew what they had to because she was told something, but honestly she really didn’t know what that meant.
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Arrios would be lying if he told you that he always went to church. He’d also be lying if he told you that he felt guilty every Sunday he missed mass. So he probably never actually said that. He will crawl into the confession box between tours of the canyon and even tell the priest. Father Tom gets it though. How when you wake up with the moon flower tree’s seed spinning all around you you feel like for a second your up in the sky, with the clouds a your feet. They smile at each other across from the confessional screen. Who is Father Tom to deny that God wasn’t out there just as much He was in His House last Sunday? Instead, Arrios is told to come to one of the daily masses instead to atone. If he can’t make it to those, he doesn’t go to confession. Father Tom also knows that in this tourist town the only way to survive to be flexible.
(Like getting a call at five in the evening about taking a tour of ten overweight adults down the Colorado river at ten the next morning.)
But how does he survive on a raft, in the middle of the ocean, with a stomach so weak that he’s afraid to talk because he just might throw up again. That’s how he’s been sitting here, with his back aching because he’s slumped against the side of the life boat, for the last ten minutes undisturbed.
He closes his eyes again because he can’t take the color of the raft. Or the vast sky line. Where’s the La Sal mountains with the thunderstorm clouds crowding over their peaks? Where are the orange walls of the canyons that glow at sunrise and shine a sunset? The color of the water is also wrong, here. It’s not brown like the Colorado after a rain storm and it’s not green like the other meandering river through the Canyonlands. Even if both of them are silt-filled (probably uranium-filled) and need to go through a rigorous purification process before anyone (even the bum that likes to occupy the bench near Moab’s visitor center and smoke pot on another one along the bike ways) drinks it—at least that water was still fresh and didn’t smell like Miami. Never could he handle the smell of Miami. Maybe that’s what’s upsetting his stomach so much?
It can’t be the medications. It took a few seconds of him looking down at his pant leg to know that he’s completely healed (he’s terrified to see the scar left from the screws and staples, though). So he presses his thumb to a finger and starts a round of Our Fathers and Hail Marys punctuated by the extended version of Glory Be. He doesn’t say it out loud, but when a vicious swell makes him gag, he starts his prayer to Saint Micheal like he’s swearing.

)o(

Saito doesn’t know that the other man is awake now. He doesn’t care too much about it either way. He’s torn between shoving that Doctor into the ocean or just jumping in himself. So he sought comfort another ways: tore through the bag with Nijinsky printed on it; smelled his MMA wraps and pretended they reeked of sweat; and then piled anything soft into the tube that constituted as a bed before crawling between an actual blanket and some extra underwear.
As a kid, he used to curl into the clean laundry with the dry heat of the dryer still clinging to the fabric. In JDC, he was tempted a few times to crawl into the large, industrial dryers during his duty chores and do the same thing. He should have just done it, he thinks as squeezes one of his hands into a fist to watch how the fabric of the blanket crinkles between his fingers. It’s too synthetic and sticks to the back of his neck.
His mother loathed buying materials that weren’t one hundred percent cotton (even though she just wore her bathing suit all summer long and then her wet suit during the early spring and late fall months). His grandparents had the tendency to buy what was cheapest—which was almost always fake fabrics that stretched or didn’t keep their shape after one wash. Saito’s father never spoke out against his parents, but he also steered towards linen pants that creased so bad in the humidity that he never ironed them.
Saito is crying and this time he doesn’t try to stop.

)o(

Deepti didn’t go back inside, deciding that she prefers having the sky above her head instead of rippling fabric. But she doesn’t like the lull that envelopes their rafts. Doesn’t like how people have retreated inward instead of finding a solution. For more than a half hour there’s been minimum conversation and for her that means minimum communication, too. Like how to get on land and why Dr. Bates doesn’t seem so concerned about getting there.
That also means more time to think about other things besides drudging up everything she knows about the tides, the moon cycle, and star mapping. Mostly, she keeps on thinking about how if baked just right, gulpoli flakes away in your mouth.

)o(

Maybaleen retreats back into her room for less innocent reasons. The doctor talked about other people in the program, but she didn’t elaborate on everyone else. (Where’s my son. Where’smyson. Where’s. My. Son. presses hard on the back of her eyes.) So without any alcohol to help dull things out, she unzips her pants and starts thinking about Kim and how he liked to watch her masturbate after they’ve had sex, but she’s still hot and ready to go. She thought about asking Mr. Clueless back with her, but she doesn’t think she could handle all the eyes tattooed on his body staring at her, judging her. Her breathing increases, but she doesn’t moan or groan or swear or make any extra-ordinary noises. She’s not sure if she’s having a hard time catching her breath because her orgasms right around the corner of if it’s because she’s getting ready to cry.
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Alex was pretty tempted to do what everyone else did and go back inside the tent, but he held himself No good would really come out of him going inside. Running away from the problem doesn’t help anyone. The best course of action is the one wherein people actually do something. Of course he couldn’t really blame the people who did, especially Maybaleen. From what Alex understands the woman has just lost a son, and that’s something she has to figure out. Saying he understands what she’s going through of course would be a great lie since he doesn’t know what it means to lose someone like that.

The same thing could be said about everyone else who went inside the. The two teenagers from the other boat looked angry and shocked themselves so they would need to figure their own things out. Alex could do with some quiet and thinking on himself, but staying inside wouldn’t do hi any good. Past experience has taught him that going down that path never lead to anything good and only made things worse outside. There was also the matter of the unconscious guy who he should take care of since the two people on their team left, and the only person who seemed to know what needed to be done needed his help.

“So…Doc, what should we do now?” Alex asked the doctor in a nonchalant and casual tone. He’s never been much of a good leader and the doctor obviously knows more than him so she should be their defacto leader.

---


In all honesty, Maddie thought there would be shouting and violence. Her years of experience working in a hospital has toughened her skin and taught her to anticipate angry patients. Delivering good news was easy because good news meant being alive and not being hooked up to machines. Bad news always meant saying things like “I’m sorry, but there was nothing we could do” Or “We need to prepare for the worst”. No one takes new like that well, and some lash out. It’s just something that you have to forgive people for because no one should hear news like that. The sheer fact that they managed to be rational and calm adults about it made her kind of proud.

Most of them left and went back inside their respective tents. It made sense for them to shit themselves off for now. The only people that stayed outside was Deepti, the little Indian girl, and Alex who Maddie could not figure out why he would stay here. Arrios was also outside, but he was unconscious so he doesn’t really count. It was a much better turnout than he thought.

“Well Mr. Barrientos.” Maddie began addressing the young tattooed man’s question. “Like I said our priority right now is to get to land. Our supplies won’t last and I doubt the weather won’t always be this peaceful.” Maddie said calmly. There was also the matter of sea creatures. Although the chances were quite low there was no guarantee that there wouldn’t be any predators out in the open. In the modern world death by sharks or any other sea creatures were low, that was the norm back then, but now she was sure that was not the case.

“The three of us” Maddie referred to herself, Alex, and Deepti. “should be good enough to get the boats moving in the right direction. If we are where we are supposed to be the closest land mass should be mainland America, Houston best.” The other two were listening fairly intently, which was a good sign. Maddie crouched down next to her backpack and took out a small compass inside the side pocket. “Each backpack has a compass so make sure not to lose it.” Opening the device Maddie looked at the compass. “According to here north is that way” Maddie adjusted herself and pointed towards her left. The “way” that she was referring to was covered in nothing but thick fog. “There are oars located on each boat, four each. Grab one of each and meet me back here so we can go to where we need to. Understood?.”

---


If it was up to him Simon would have stayed outside instead he went back inside his own room inside the raft by the door inspecting the bag. It was too hard to be outside. He wanted to ask the doctor more questions. More specifically, he wanted to know about why they were the one’s chosen. The biological and physical qualities aside there would be more things that went into this program other than simply being great. If they were chosen based only on their genetics then that meant his family could be here as well.

There was also the matter of the other teams. The doctor’s answers weren’t enough he needed more information. If there are other teams then where would they be, how would they find each, were they awake yet, and did they even survive the experience these were among his most prominent questions. Survival was also another question he wanted to know. How did the people to expect them to live in this world, what resources did they provide and did they even provide resources for the last ditch effort to save humanity surely they would have Simon thought.

The doctor also mentioned shelters were made. How many were there, where were they, how many people could they contain, could his family have been in there and are they even. These questions were aimed specifically at them, their group, and the United States, but what would that mean for the other countries. Did the other countries survive, did their teams wake up yet, what of their shelters, or are there even countries outside of the United States.

Thinking about the other countries made Simon realize that the world outside would be different as well. All the things he knew about the world would have been gone by now. The places he wanted to visit would have been destroyed by now. The food he’s always wanted to eat would be long gone because those people would be dead. The culture of the people would be lost forever. Knowledge that humanity has gained over the centuries would be reset and people who mastered the sciences would be long gone. Simply thinking about it drained all of the color on his face.

---


Maybeleen didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to go back into the dark room. It reminded her of a cage. She wanted to be outside in the open sea. She wanted to feel the ocean beneath her feet, smell the salty breeze, and experience the wet air. All the things that her body needed contradicted with what her mind told her to do. She didn’t feel sad, she felt anger and frustration and the worst part was that she didn’t know who to get angry at.

She could be angry at the people who put her here, but she couldn’t hate them. The members of this team, especially that doctor was also an option, but when Summer looked at her she was reminded of her mother, a no holds barred type of woman who was simply doing what was told of her or what was necessary. There were also her parents, who if that doctor was telling the truth agreed to let her get taken away, but they were her parents and no matter how horrible may them see she didn’t have it in her heart to hate them.

Summer was lying down in her room listening to the soft sound of the ocean. The sound that she once loved slowly became more frightening and suffocating as tears ran down her face. She cried because she understood what the doctor said. She cried because she did not want to believe what she knew could be real.
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Time to get 'er done.

Deepti should not help with anything physical. Aside from sporadic treks along a rails to trails or in one of the state parks, she was an insecure thirteen year old who found a certain comfort in memorizing facts and problem solving that required little movement. But Dr. Bates asked her to. Wanted her to. How could she ignore the Doctor’s orders? So she agreed by nodding her head, but asked first, “What about the oil rigs?”

Maddie turned her head to answer the little girls question. The little indian girl had a worried face with hints of disagreement, but MAddie didn’t take it to heart. She could find out what was bothering her by asking but if the girl is not gonna say anything about it then she won’t pry until symptoms show up. “Oil Rigs? What about them?”

Maddie could figure out what she meant, but it was better to be specific. “If you’re asking if there’s some around then there’s a chance, but if we are where we’re supposed to be then we’re too close to land to run into them.” In actuality according to their training chances are oil rigs would have already collapsed even if they survived the initial disaster. If there were any surviving relics from the past that survived out in the ocean they would be boats.

She looks down at her toes. The foots make her foot look fat and clunky. She was always so proud of her small feet. And her ankles. She loved to wear bells around her ankles. “With this fog,” she begins, looking at Dr. Bates’s shoulder because she’s not bold enough to look in her eyes. “We might get caught on debris.”

Based on the lecture Dr. Bates had given them, they will undoubtedly be only debris, not surviving structures. Deepti’s eyes drift to the Doctor’s eyebrows. She still can’t get the courage to look her in the eyes.

The girl was obviously worried. Maddie wanted to console the little girl, but the truth was the truth. “That’s a possibility, but we’ll have to risk it.” The good doctor already knew that the girl was pretty scared of her, and she couldn’t really help it. Most children did not find Maddie to be the nicest person. Even when she was young other children did not find Maddie to be the most pleasant and kid like kid in the playground. Knowing this Maddie stayed away from Pediatrics most of her life.

Alex came out from his side of the raft carrying a oar in his hand. It was a solid, wooden like material that had a plastic coating. “Doc, is this it?” Alex yelled towards the doctor. Alex was pretty sure it was what the doctor asked him to bring, but it was nice to introduce himself as he returned.

Deepti blanches. She’s expected to use that? It’s almost as long as she is tall! “Possibly I should find others to help?” she offers, skirting around the problem that she will mostly be less good than help.

“I will.” Deepti looks across to the red boat. It’s the sick man. His eyes look drawn and he’s still leaning against the edge of the boat. He reaches down into the sea water and splash his face. He sips at the water cupped in his hand. Deepti sucks in her breath. He shouldn’t do that, she thinks. But she knows that she is only thirteen and not a doctor with years of experience. But the man uses the water to wash his mouth before spitting it back into the water.

“That’s fair.” Maddie said. It was a little too much to ask a little girl to use such a huge thing. Maddie was just being nice since there was probably a much smaller oar she could use, but the girl was protesting and there was no harm in letting her sit this one out. Maddie made sure to remind herself that this type of coddling behaviour would not be repeated. Looking over to the man who has now woken up Maddie directed the girl to go help him although Maddie wasn’t that far behind.

“I mean,” he continues, “I’ll help after I get some water and maybe crackers into my stomach.” He laughs and uses the edge of his shirt sleeve to blow his nose. “Arrios, by the way. Arrios Urais.”

Deepti is awed by this man as he hefts his body up from the floor of the raft. Bunching muscles and sheer determination bringing him to knocking knees. She knows if she was sick like he was, she would lay there for much longer, feeling the press of her skin against the sticky rubber of the boat.

“It seems you seem to be in top condition Mr. Urais.” Maddie said quite impressed. “I wont’t bother checking you if you’re fine, but it seems that you were in and out consciousness for a while. The general consensus was that it was seasickness. If anything’s bothering you tell me immediately. I’m Maddie, Maddie Bates, Doctor.”

Alex, intrigued by Mr. Vomit’s awakening dropped the oar gently to the side and gathered at the man’s side. “Hey buddy, the name’s Alex. Nice to meet you. Thanks for helping out by the way.” Alex wanted to say something else. Something along the lines of ‘Hi, welcome to this hell hole hole. Hoep you like being clueless.’ , but he vetoed the idea since it was still too early to joke about the situation.

“Deepti.” Maddie called out to the girl. “Can you go and tell the one’s inside that Mr. Urais here is awake. Don’t ask them for help though. When they're ready to help they will.” It would be better if they were all out here, but there wasn’t anything she could do about people who did not want or could not help themselves. She also figured that the other four would be less hostile to a little girl.

Turning around back to the newly awakened member of their team. “Now. Mr Urais I feel like you have questions. I’ll answer them while you’re conscious.”

Arrios holds out his hand to Alex. He hand trembles, but he smiles. “Nice to meet you Alex.” The girl scuttles into the dome of the red raft, her long twin braids the last things to disappear into the murky depths.

“Well, I sure rather you didn’t call me Mr. Urais.” He chuckles at the Doc. “Just give me something to do with my hands and body and I’ll be right soon enough.” Arrios avoids the idea of asking questions. That takes too much thought and he doesn’t feel prepare to stand on a rocking boat [i]and[i] consider why he got here first.

“I’ll drop the honorifics then. You can call me whatever you want.” The man’s file from what little information Maddie read mentioned that Arrios, along with Alex would be easier to handle than others. Their personalities fit well with others. The high risk one’s were Simon, Summer, and Saito, the three youngest one’s and Maybeleen simply because she had a son. “I’m glad to have your help. An extra set of strong hands is greatly appreciated especially with the current situation we’re facing.”

“Alex give grab another oar from the raft to give to Arros here while I explain what we’re supposed to do.” MAddie ordered Alex to which he replied with a joking“Yes Ma’am” and a salute before he left to grab a new oar from their raft whilst carrying the one he had just brought. Alex forgot to put it down. “To make a long story short we’re lost in the middle of the ocean. Our best bet is to head north west and hopefully find land.”

Maddie didn’t bother with another long explanation. Instead she opted to give the short explanation. “I’m responsible for you all. The girl who just left is Deepti, there’s four other people inside who are currently in the process of comprehending the situation.” As Maddie explained all of this to Arrios she wondered if this was a better route. If she could go back in time would the other four have been more receptive of her. “All that we need to do is row north by northwest and hopefully find land. I’ll explain things later when the situation has calmed down. Understood?”

“Sound plan, Maddie.” Arrios nods, rubbing his forehead. Headache tingles behind his eyes. “Can I get some water and something to settle my stomach first,” he says, “I feel like I just finished fasting!”

Maddie, upon hearing Arrios request for food and water immediately went to get some. They all had food inside their bags, but it would be easier to just let him eat here, than have him go inside and fetch it for him. Opening up the backpack Maddie went to side pockets and pulled out a small bar wrapped in silver foil. On the opposite side of the bag she pulled out a metal canteen hanging from the side.

Maddie tossed the food to Arrios, which he was able to catch. “Familiar with these I presume?” Maddie said referring to her knowledge of Arrios being a relatively experienced hiker. Handing him the water with a bit of reluctance Maddie followed with “Don’t drink too much though, that should last us for a few days. It would be best to save them. If you want more then get from your own bag.”

Spotting Alex come back from the other side of the raft Maddie cracked her knuckles and neck. “Well looks like we are good to go, you boys ready to get to work?” Maddie asked the two young men.

Arrios does not understand her comment. Familiar. Well, yeah, isn’t everyone? He sips at the bottle. He does not like the idea of having so little water when surrounded by so much. If things get too low, people might try to drink it. That will kill them faster than anything. He munches on the bar she threw him. Like all proteins bar it leaves his mouth chalky and dry. He should have waited to drink the water until after.

His stomach churns. “Let’s do this, Captain.” He smiles and picks up an oar. He worries about being unbalanced. This Alex guy seems cool, but not really the type used to rowing. At least the sea is placid, thought. That will help them enough.
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Inside Feelings

Simon’s not the emotional type. When he was young, around twelve his grandfather died, they were sort of close, but not so close. At the time he didn’t really understand why he wasn’t crying because everyone at the funeral was. His brothers and sisters who were equally distant or close were crying a river. His parents were the same, they were crying and he was not. Simon felt sad of course, someone he was close to died, but for some reason there was just no tears. Back then he wondered why he didn’t feel sadder, and now he was asking himself the same thing.

The walls of the raft were pretty thin so Simon could hear other people on the outside. When he went inside he wanted to do something, cry, bawl, sleep, anything really. Sleep was always an option for him since he was so used to sleeping off his anxiety and pain, but when he got to, what should be his room, he just felt so defeated. It was like he was eight and lost at his first and only peewee football match. He felt so tired that not even sleep was an option.

The only thing that Simon wanted to do was do something. He wanted to use his hands to do something, he wanted to move around using his feet, and he wanted to do something, anything. Instead of just lying there in the cold, plastic, and annoyingly soft surface he just wanted to do something. “LIfe sucks.” Simon groaned. In his heart he knew what he should have done. He was mature enough that he realized what he needed to do, but too immature to actually do it. Instead of looking for supplies and gathering his belongings like he had planned SImon just sat there in the corner, lost, waiting, quiet.

)o(

Deepti pauses at the first flap leading into a room. Should she knock? She has a hard time balancing as they begin to row. It’s a jarring push that she has to adjust to like the rocking of the boat as it drifts over the waves.
“I’m coming in,” she announces through the door. She chose at random and is relieved to see that it’s Simon with his soft hair and soft eyes. She doesn’t enter into the room. It’s small and the items of his pack fill up the space more than he does, curled in the corner.
“Dr. Bates and some of the other men are rowing the boat to try to get to shore faster and if you like, they could use your help.” She grips the strange fabric of the dome. “The sick man woke up too.” She smiles, thinking of what a smile should look like if she was actually happy and trying to imitate it. “That’s a good thing, right? Anyways, I’m going to tell the others.” She holds on to the dome and then drops the fabric back so that Simon is obscured again. She can’t linger. She has more work to do.

)o(

The girl comes in. The one that is small and shouldn’t have been brought onto the program. Didn’t the government see that her eyes were too large and that her elbows too bony for this torture? And she’s annoying as hell, telling that the good-for-nothing doctor is having people row to shore. The girl leaves as fast as she came. Saito never looks up at her. He keeps his nose to his wraps. Smelling the sweat and rubbing the dark spots where blood from torn skin and broken bones stained them. He lays on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He watches as the light brightens as the fog lifts, allowing more of the sun in. He could go out and help. Work out the hurt he feels inside because he just wants a hug from his mom, but he won’t because his hands shake and his tongue is dry.

)o(

Deepti calls into the last room like she has done with the other three and enters, but she flees, because Maybaleen is naked and sleeping in the pod. Maybe she can just lie to Dr. Bates and say that she didn’t want to be bothered. Yes, that’s what Deepti will do.

)o(

Saito holds the oar. He pants are damp as he paddles the way Aarios showed him. The man smiled so much and clapped a hand on his back. Saito shook him off to work because then he doesn’t have to talk and although his stomach rolls with the thought of the types of drugs Dr. Bates might have to help settle him into a place where he could smile as much as the Mexican...well, it was very appealing. So he keeps rowing instead.
Deepti stares at him as she reports to Dr. Bates. She watches him because she is afraid. He knows this because she leans away from him and won’t look him in the eyes. Well, good. Maybe she’ll stop talking to him soon, too.

)o(

Simon still didn’t really know how to feel about this whole thing yet, but good news that the Indian girl brought made him feel better even if only for a little bit. He was already feeling embarrassed that he was sulking while the others were being productive. Sure, there were others who went inside, but those who didn’t he felt somewhat insecure towards them. It was that gut wrenching feeling knowing that others are doing better than you, and it made Simon feel like crap. It was a feeling he knew how to handle. The trick to handling unbridled feelings of guilt, embarrassment, and failure was very easy to Simon. The only that worked for him was to push away these feelings into a corner and focus on what he needed to do. Simon wiped his face off and slapped his cheeks. He decided that he’ll feel like crap later for now it was time to do something. He needed to get to work or he’ll just feel worse.

)o(

The Indian girl’s message was unprecedented and annoying. Summer didn’t want anything to do with this whole place in the beginning and now they were trying to involve her? It was not her business. Summer, of course, was lying to herself. Her way of dealing with pain was denial.

People often told her that she was brave for accepting the things that happened to her family, but Summer wasn’t brave. Summer was just a big fat liar. She still hasn’t really coped and accepted with what happened back then, to her everything was just a temporary problem that she was going to solve. In her mind, everything was normal, but of course, she was wrong. She’d deny what she knew and what she was feeling to a point that she may never accept the situation, but progress nonetheless, but for now she’ll be quiet, bitter, and cry in her room.
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by Raid
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Raid The Way Out

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Reflections on the Water
In situations like these it turns out that Maybaleen’s two secrets weapons (naps and masturbating) were useless in calming herself. Next step would be to reach up into her highest cabinet in her kitchen and pull down the whisky once Harrison was either with his grandpaw or put to bed. (If she’s honest with herself, there were a few nights where she sat at the pine dining table and watched Harrison eat Spaghetti O’s while she consumed enough drink that she couldn’t carry her son back to his bed, much to his displeasure.)

She exited her room as if she hasn’t missed a thing. Which she did, like the resurrection of their sick hombre whose steady rowing lulls her to sleep as humidity rolls over her like sweat on her skin. And the rising of the fog so that the sun can zap them all into nothing. Maybaleen settled into an area with shade and stared across the ocean.

That was about four hours, a half a bottle of water, and a protein bar ago. Her fingers are laced on her knees as she sits with her back against one of the domes. The afternoon sun slants down on her. She closes her eyes, thinking about summer days and kisses in the shade and when she got the tattoos between her fingers. Kim laughed so hard when she told him about her love for the Canadian show Continuum aired on Scifi and how she got tattoos to match the Freelancers.

She opens her eyes, expecting to see the crease of his cheeks and the gray starting in his hair that looks more like silver when the sun hits it. The sun glares off the ocean and she closes them again, cursing. Spots blind her for a moment, but she looks out again because amidst the glare, there was darkness that didn’t make sense.

“Hey.” She licks her lips. “Hey!” she shouts and scrambles, up, legs tingleing and pants tight with sweat on her legs. She rounds on the nearest person. “There, to the left, I think I saw…” Maybaleen jerks her head that way, looking out one more time before she says it: “I think I saw land.”
Hidden 10 yrs ago Post by FiroIV
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FiroIV The Wandering Recluse

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When Simon came out of his room a few hours ago, Maddie immediately put him to work. The four boys were tasked with rowing the raft. Two in the front of the blue raft, and two at the back of the red raft. The girls, Maybeleen, Deepti, and Maddie were around as well. Maybaleen didn’t help rowing, Deepti tried, but her young body was too small to help, Maddie was the only person who could handle rowing, which was what she was doing after Simon got too tired to help. Simon and Deepti were in charge of keeping a lookout for anything, Deepti on the red raft, and Simon on the blue one with a resting Maybaleen. He was looking towards the west with the monoculars in his hand. Everyone had them Maddie said, standard issue. When Maybaleen said she saw something Simon quickly got up from his position and to where the woman was. To the left she said. In an excited fashion, Simon forgot to use his monocular to look and relied solely on his eyes with his hands acting as visors to block out the sun. Frantically looking for the land Simon finally realized that he had the monocular in his hands. Putting it up to his eyes, he searched for anything on the horizon in the direction where Maybaleen saw. Nothing, he didn’t see anything, but an endless horizon of water. “WHERE is it? WHERE did you see it?” Simon shouted at Maybaleen.
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