Edge of the Ocean

Ran walks quickly up to the jungle, with Howl and Orion and Cole following behind, trying to keep up.

They soon are in the shelter of the small but thick jungle, with the atomic sun being blocked, but edges of bright orange break through the leaves.

Ran stops abruptly, and her companions realize they are at her camp.

A small bed with a covering, close to the ground, is under a tree, as weapons and provisions and some artistic touches on the trees and sand decorate the camp.

"Please. Sit," Ran gently says.

"We must be going soon," Orion responds, sitting. "We had another detour that took too long."

"You've been in the sun too long," Ran warns, offering them some dried fruit. "You'll get sick. It's too far to the ship."

Howl and Orion sit in the camp. Cole stands awkwardly outside of it.

"How do you know that's where we are going?" Cole asks, across the way.

"That ship is the talk of the islands," Ran says, offering them all some fresh water in a strange bowl. "And I doubt you are going to the fallen's island. Drink. You dug the well this water is from."

Ran and Cole awkwardly try not to make eye contact. Orion motions for Cole to join the party.

"Nice place you got here, princess," Howl says.

"Don't touch anything," Ran snaps. Cole slowly approaches. "That there was your spot. It was your place."

Cole looks at a well worn spot in the sand that had a chair built into it. He goes over and sits in it.

His eyes are scanning everywhere, but nothing is happening yet. Nothing clicks.

"You live here by yourself?" Orion asks, trying to break the tension.

Ran nods. "For the most part. There are few small chains of islands that have people like me. We connect. Band together. Share. Fight the fallen. There are more of them, or they are getting more brave."

"They attacked us too," Orion states.

"You weren't the only ones," Ran corrects.

"They have less numbers than they ever have," Cole says, randomly.

Nobody seems to question him on it at first, but Ran eventually bites. "You said that when you first came, too."

She then stares back at Cole.

"Nothing?"

Cole shakes his head.

Ran then springs upon him, grabbing his face in her hands. The emotion and intensity is there. Not for a kiss, though. Connection. Memory. Touch.

Both of their eyes bounce.

"Anything?" She whispers, begging.

Cole shakes his head in her hands.

She takes a deep breath, and the two remain how they are for a moment.

Howl looks at Orion. "Mate, what do we do?"

Orion rolls his eyes.

"I held on to something," Ran says eventually, getting up and walking away into the deep jungle.

"You're no good," Howl says to Cole.

"Shut up, Howl," Orion says.

"He's right," Cole responds.

They hear branches breaking and something being drug.

Soon, Ran is back in the camp, dragging a huge canister like pod. Similar to what Orion and Cole saw on the photo, and almost identical to what was in the ship.

Orion stares at it, but it doesn't connect.

Cole's eyes go wide, staring at the pod. He immediately goes to it, and inspects it, then turns to Ran.

"I found you in this," she says, going back to her spot. She slowly starts drawing in the sand, not looking up.

Cole opens the canister, which looks like an isolation chamber or highly technological ice plunge.

Orion continues to stare at the canister and Cole inspecting it, wondering how he knows what it is. A photo? Wait..

Cole then looks inside, and his display in his eyes seem to come alive and highlight a series of numbers. They glow in his display. He then takes a picture and saves it to his memory bank.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS SAVED

HISTORIC ARTIFACT

LEGENDARY MARKER

NUMBERS SAVED

"I know these numbers. Somehow," Cole says. He then stares at Ran.

She won't look up at him or the others, but just continues to draw. Her drawings are not just lines in the sand or tunnels.

They are extravagant circles and images, that match the rest of her camp. Like the Tibetan sand mandala art from the past world, each stroke in the sand is intentional and strong.

"Please," Cole pleads. "Tell me."

Ran looks up briefly, but keeps going. "Well, I will tell you what you told me. But I don't know if that was true either, now. Lies? Were you confused? A spy?"

"Don't trust him, princess!" Howl says, laughing, sitting back.

"Shut up, Howl," Cole raises his voice. He then turns back to Ran. "Please. Go on."

Ran continues to draw as she talks.

"You were on that aircraft carrier that the waters are revealing. The one you are heading to now. You were part of an experiment of volunteers who would be placed in these, asleep, as a backup for humanity and the navy, presumably. At least that is what you said."

Cole thinks about it, then looks towards Orion.

He shrugs. Makes sense.

Ran keeps going. "You floated around or were trapped in that ship and broke free, and ended up here a few years ago. I woke you up. You told me all of this. You said you were probably older than all of us."

Cole turns to Orion again. "When did it all go down, Orion? The wars? The waters? Fallout?"

Orion's eyes now go wide, as he thinks about things he has tried to forgot his whole lifetime. "When I was a boy. The pod probably kept you from aging. You and I are probably the same age. Or you could be a lot older."

Cole can't fathom all of this. He looks back at Ran.

Their eyes barely meet, and she goes back to drawing. "So you and I were here. We had a little life. More people lived here then."

Cole is scared to ask the next question, but he does. "Was it good?"

"It was great," Ran answers quickly.

"What happened?" Cole asks.

"The fallen. They kept attacking. Trying to kidnap and make more for their armies. They took you away. Killed or ate the rest, or worse. Looks like you survived, somehow."

Ran stands up. "I'm done talking now. I'll get more firewood. Maybe you can get some fish. You all can leave in the morning. The fallen sends patrols out at night."

"We have to get to that ship," Orion says, and Cole nods.

"You won't make it," Ran says in a matter of fact reply.

"I have before," Orion corrects.

"You weren't off course either, idiot," Ran says, smiling for once. "Do you know how far south you are?"

"All because these idiots wanted to see Captain Homestead!" Howl says.

"Gross," Ran says at the mention of the pirate, while getting a machete and making sure her guns are on her.

Ran then stares at Cole and he stares back. She then disappears back into the jungle.

Cole watches her go, and something of their past life comes longing again in him. Knowing that was his soul mate, physically and spiritually, and now she is gone.