1. Rude awakening

That one looks like a dog, Hicks thought, as he lay on his back in the soft grass. The white, fluffy clouds glided gently across the perfectly blue sky, merging and breaking into different forms. Soaring high above, a couple of straw-tails made lazy circles beneath the dog-shaped cloud, as if to tease it. Far off, across the field, a group of children were playing ball, their laughter and joyful shouts like pearls on the wind, as they chased each other back and forth. He stretched out, felt the warmth from the sun caress his body and started to doze off.
Somewhere in the back of his mind he realized he had been near the edge for too long; pushing himself harder, never noticing or allowing himself to feel anything. Now he felt relaxed for the first time in... he couldn't remember. Felt like ages.

"Baby, ten letters... 'sleep help', starts with an 'e'", he heard Nimo say.
He slowly turned his head and opened his eyes to look at her, feeling the familiar sting in his heart as his gaze met her own.
Her hair fell like a curtain of black velvet, framing her eyes as she lay on her stomach with the magazine spread before her. She rested her head on her palms while chewing on the pencil.
"You know you shouldnt eat that; got lead and all kind of stuff in it...", he said while smiling.
She frowned and bit harder, "C'mon now... I'm almost done. Ten letters,” she said, “Help me!”
"Alright, but on one condition!".
She tilted her head slightly, "Oh yeah? And whats that?".
He closed his eyes and pouted his lips.
"Aww... you pirate scum!", she giggled while leaning toward him.
The perfume invaded his senses as her shadow enveloped him.


BEEP! BEEP! "Captain to the bridge!" the speaker blared.
Gasping from surprise, he flew to his feet, nearly hitting his head on the cabinet over the bunk bed. It took a few seconds before he realised he was not in Kazimet park anymore and the disappointment almost took the wind out of him. With a numbing feeling of despair he fell back onto the bed, covered his face and tried to keep hold of the quickly fading images from his dream. The aroma of her perfume, the refreshing sunlight day, the sounds of the children playing nearby...

He sat back on the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Damn it!", he muttered while reached for his headset. He pushed a couple of buttons on the headset and headed towards the door, "On my way!"