James Stockard lay quietly on the floor of the orange conical life raft, sprawled out so he took up most of the space within the raft. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slowing and becoming more regular. He was only wearing a white t-shirt and white boxer shorts, soaking wet, yet despite that discomfort, he was drifting into a deep sleep. His white underclothes contrasted sharply to his dark skin, and his fit body stood out against the orange fabric floor of the inflatable raft, and his light grey uniform that he lay on top of. A shaft of orange light from the morning sun lit up the interior of the raft from the open entrance, and made the drops of water on his wet skin glisten.

Sitting next to the entrance of the raft sat Leanna O’Regan with her legs folded underneath her. She would glance over to check James periodically, as she looked out over the undulating expanse of the Pacific Ocean. She scanned the horizon, squinting her dark brown eyes as she tried to see past the glittering ocean waves. The cool wind blowing over the unsettled waters caused her long black hair flow around her head, making her lean back from the raft’s entrance. She zipped closed the rolled up door, causing the inside of the raft to darken again, but it still had a warm glow from the sunlight filtering through the orange fabric walls. She looked over the prone body of James in front of her, and saw that he was now fast asleep, his chest lifting and falling while he softly snored.

Leanna shook her head, and leaned on one hand, feeling sleep overcome her in waves, like the ocean waves that lifted the raft carrying them. She valiantly tried to keep her eyes open, but her head bobbed awkwardly so she let her arm fold under her. She lay down on her side, her back to the wall. She too was only wearing a white t-shirt and white gym shorts, and so she wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering a bit. Her head now on the raft floor, she looked across at James, seeing his face in profile and the short, black curly hair on his head. She also saw that the silver necklace around his neck with the four-point star pendant that was under his undershirt had slipped out and was resting beside his face.

“So, James, what do you think might be the connection between the QuadriStar and the Cooperative? Is it more than coincidence that both use the same silver star?” she sleepily asked him. James didn’t respond, lost in slumber. Leanna listened to the brisk wind whip past the exterior of the raft, and the sea water slap against its sides. Other than her own breathing and James’s snoring, they were cocooned in silence. “The Cooperative and the QuadriStar couldn’t be more different,” she continued, mumbling, “The Cooperative brought prosperity and happiness to its followers. The QuadriStar is a a battleship designed for widespread destruction and demanding compliance from anyone who opposes the President. Somehow, Dante Valderez is the link between the two…” Unable to stay awake any longer, and weakened by thirst and hunger, she drifted off to sleep herself.

After a few minutes, James’s eyes opened slightly, and his head turned to face Leanna. He was still breathing and snoring as before, but his eyes opened wide on seeing that the young woman in front of him was no longer awake. He stopped his breathing and snoring noises, and slowly lifted himself up. Leanna didn’t stir, and her arms wrapped around herself had gone limp. He grinned a crooked grin, and slowly and quietly pulled out from under him his light grey uniform. Satisfied that it had dried out enough, he pulled on the pants and put on the jacket. He tucked the four-point star back under his shirt, and put on his boots. Fully back in uniform, his demeanor changed such that his face hardened and his back straightened. He looked coolly at the sleeping Leanna, and whispered to himself, “You’re going nowhere, Princess Argentum, just like the rest of your foolish CIMs. The QuadriStar will change everything!”

James then stared straight ahead and opened his mouth wide. He sat with his back against the wall of the raft and lifted his legs bent in front of him, so as to prop him up. He ran one of his hands along the side of his jaw to find a hard bump between the back of his jaw and below his ear. Pressing down on the nodule just underneath his skin with his thumb, his eyes suddenly went blank, and the hand that he held against his jaw fell down to the raft floor. He sat unmoving, his mouth open and his eyes staring into the space in front of him, his arms limp by his side. 

The occupants of the raft were once again enveloped in silence, with Leanna sleeping peacefully and James propped up across from her. The young man was frozen and unblinking, looking as if he were screaming in terror without making a sound.

*** This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. ***