There’s not much to choose from when it comes to food. My stomach is growling, and my body demands sustenance, so I have to be okay with what I can find. I grab one of the foil packages from Jinzo’s stash, tear the package open, and add hot water from our canteen in the fire.
While I wait for the food to heat up, I open my bag and rummage through it for the colorful emblems I stole from the base. Sitting down with crossed legs, I rub my thumb over the embroidered yellow mountain on black fabric. It’s so hard to believe that distant cousins of mine live on a faraway planet, yet here’s the evidence they exist. I wonder what they’re like, and if I’ll ever meet them someday. Someday, maybe. I hope so. I close my eyes and imagine their home world and how they live. And for a few moments, I forget about my situation and what I’ll have to do next. It’s just the respite I need from the craziness of life. I stuff the fabric back in my bag and zip it up tight.