The Survival Experiment
The Oasis
The quick pace we started off at had been progressively dragging, and now we were crawling along, dehydrated and drained of energy. Most of us had complained of hunger, thirst, or fatigue at least once, only to be silenced by Jada.
Suddenly, Jada stopped dead in her tracks and peered out into the distance.
"What are you looking at?" I asked.
She answered, "I think I see an oasis."
I looked closer and could barely make out the minuscule shape of a number of palm trees around a pool.
"I see it too," Finn exclaimed, his mouth watering at the thought of something to drink.
Jada stepped forward and slowly approached the oasis.
"What are you doing?" Ramona asked.
"Excuse me?" Jada questioned her.
Eyes on her compass, Ramona answered, "You're going sixty-five degrees east of north."
"And?"
"And our destination is due north."
"Fuck our destination!" Jada shouted. "I'm hot, and I'm thirsty, and following these stupid directions is not making it any better. I want some fucking water."
"But it's a mirage," Wade interjected.
Jada asked, "Then why can everyone else see it?"
"It's a test," I suggested, "to get us to stray from our course."
"You know what I think is a test?" Jada said. She pointed out into the abyss that was the direction we had been heading. "THAT!" Jada turned back toward the oasis. "This is ridiculous. You guys can follow the rules; I'm not going to die with you."
"Wait," I stopped Jada as she took another step. "Let's not split up. Why don't we vote on it?"
"Vote on it?" Jada laughed. "All in favor of a drink of water and some shade?" She raised her hand, and was followed by all but myself, Wade, Ramona, and Setsuna, who didn't really count as she wouldn't have understood the question posed.
Jada shrugged. "There's your vote; six against four. Are you guys coming with?"
I sighed. I didn't want to veer off in another direction, but I didn't want to get separated from the group, especially Tiffany, even if she was a traitor and voted against me.
"We don't have a choice," I said. When I saw that everyone was in agreement, we allowed Jada to lead us from one unknown into another.
Suddenly, Jada stopped dead in her tracks and peered out into the distance.
"What are you looking at?" I asked.
She answered, "I think I see an oasis."
I looked closer and could barely make out the minuscule shape of a number of palm trees around a pool.
"I see it too," Finn exclaimed, his mouth watering at the thought of something to drink.
Jada stepped forward and slowly approached the oasis.
"What are you doing?" Ramona asked.
"Excuse me?" Jada questioned her.
Eyes on her compass, Ramona answered, "You're going sixty-five degrees east of north."
"And?"
"And our destination is due north."
"Fuck our destination!" Jada shouted. "I'm hot, and I'm thirsty, and following these stupid directions is not making it any better. I want some fucking water."
"But it's a mirage," Wade interjected.
Jada asked, "Then why can everyone else see it?"
"It's a test," I suggested, "to get us to stray from our course."
"You know what I think is a test?" Jada said. She pointed out into the abyss that was the direction we had been heading. "THAT!" Jada turned back toward the oasis. "This is ridiculous. You guys can follow the rules; I'm not going to die with you."
"Wait," I stopped Jada as she took another step. "Let's not split up. Why don't we vote on it?"
"Vote on it?" Jada laughed. "All in favor of a drink of water and some shade?" She raised her hand, and was followed by all but myself, Wade, Ramona, and Setsuna, who didn't really count as she wouldn't have understood the question posed.
Jada shrugged. "There's your vote; six against four. Are you guys coming with?"
I sighed. I didn't want to veer off in another direction, but I didn't want to get separated from the group, especially Tiffany, even if she was a traitor and voted against me.
"We don't have a choice," I said. When I saw that everyone was in agreement, we allowed Jada to lead us from one unknown into another.