Decision

A seasoned captain awakens to an alarm that shatters a nostalgic dream of his Ohio childhood, thrusting him back onto the deck of the Oahu. The ship hums with restless officers and the weight of a long‑held hatred that fuels his purpose, while the dark horizon offers no sign of the enemy. He moves through the cramped wheelhouse, confronting a young lieutenant’s shaky report of an unknown object hovering over the massive carrier Josef Dzugashvili, a leviathan of the Asiatic Combine prowling nearby.

The mystery hovers at fifty miles altitude before descending to a static presence that defies explanation, sparking the captain’s long‑bottled desire for retribution. Even as the sea breeze brings a fleeting sense of clarity, the crew’s nerves tighten around a looming decision—whether to engage a threat that could ignite a larger conflict or to hold back and risk the chance for a personal vendetta finally finding its mark.