Editing Journal Entry: The Flip Side

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<p><strong>From the Journal of  Joshua Drake<br />
  Thursday, 31 July 2521</strong></p>
<p>I keep reminding myself that’s why I love her. That doesn’t  make me any less scared or angry when it happens...</p>
<p>  I’ve gotten ahead of  myself. Let me back up.</p>
<p>Today we performed a rescue of a floundering naval vessel in  a New Canaan ocean using our drop ship. The vessel belonged to Lord von Braun,  Valerie’s (former?) husband who held a grudge against Arden. That’s another  story altogether. I abseiled into the ship to rescue the passengers. Midway  through, my line tangled, forcing me to release from my line. Since I was  stranded, Rina was forced to abseil in herself which enabled me to get back out  when the time came.</p>
<p>Of course, she ended up in the engine room.  She managed to lower the sails, giving us a  few more minutes to rescue the crew. And had she stopped there, all would have  been fine. But Rina cannot let go at times. This was one of those times. </p>
<p>She took it upon herself to attempt to repair the engine  while I was rescuing the remaining passengers. The ship was a nice ship and I  admit to a little sadness over its loss. But sinking it was and sinking it was  going to be. She agreed with me, damn it. <em>Then  I say we ditch the ship.</em> </p>
<p>And yet…</p>
<p>I came back for the last passenger, looking around as I  landed. No sign of her up on deck and in a split second, I just knew where she was.  My Reader abilities kicking in? Perhaps. But maybe just knowing her so well.</p>
<p>I raced to the engine room and saw her underwater, drowning.  Funny, how I wasn’t scared in the moment. I couldn’t be, really. Her life, my  life, and the passenger’s life depended on me. I reached down and pulled her  out. She coughed out some water and managed a brief acknowledgment she was  alright. </p>
<p>We all got back on board safely and I finally had a few  minutes to decompress after getting out of the abseiling suit. Sitting there  next to Rina as I watched Kiera give her antibiotics, a sudden fury overtook  me. <em>She almost drowned herself for a damn  ship that wasn’t even ours! A freaking hunk of plastic! A lung full of water  for a doomed pile of parts…</em></p>
<p>It took what little force of will I have and my Aikido  calming exercises to keep me from screaming at her right then and there while  Kiera injected her with antibiotics. But I managed. As I thought about what  happened, I realized I was just seeing the other side of the coin. I loved her  stubbornness and willingness to not give up on a solvable problem. But she  sometimes didn’t distinguish between solvable and unsolvable problems. The  personality trait frustrating me today will remind me how much I love her  tomorrow.</p>
<p>She’s symbolic of the crew in that way, at least a little.  Always very tactical, putting resources to work solving the problem in front of  us. But sometimes we should examine whether we’re solving the <strong>right</strong> problem. Or even whether the  problem should be solved at all.</p>
<p> Maybe I’ll try and talk to her about trying to see the  bigger picture in situations like that. But I won’t push too hard or expect too  much.  </p>
<p>  She’s alive and I can breathe again. Given that, everything  else is a bonus.</p>


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