Copyright 2010, John Manimas Medeiros

It is midnight, July 22, 2010, and a gifted sailor is thrashing on rough seas in a what looks like a small yacht off the coast of Africa. He is on a top secret mission for the United States Navy. His assignment is to operate the high-tech surveillance equipment hidden in the hull of the boat in order to detect the locations and activities of pirates on the land as well as in assault ships disguised as fishing vessels.

The young officer is Lieutenant Jeffrey Hoffman. His father is a captain in the Navy and he has asked to be involved in the security operations for his son and the secret boat, which must not be lost to the sea or to a potential enemy, and neither does the Navy want to lose Lieutenant Hoffman, whose value is immeasurable. Now the sailor and the ship are caught in a storm and communications from the lieutenant have gone silent. Naval Intelligence, however, still knows where the secret boat is because it is equipped with a device that can be identified by satellite or submarine surveillance. They see that the boat is near the rocky shore of a low island and the storm winds are rapidly growing in force and pushing the boat toward a crash on the rocks. There is one, new possibility to help the lieutenant if he still has enough control to steer the boat. A new air vehicle that is similar to a helicopter, but designed with several thrusters and a complex navigation system, can fly in a storm and broadcast a loud voice message to persons who are in danger and need to be rescued. There are two of these "storm-copters" available and both are ordered to deliver a message to the lieutenant in the storm. His father, Captain Allen Hoffman, will deliver the messages from each of the storm copters. The lieutenant needs to steer the ship to the south if he can, or he will soon hear and feel the boat begin to pound and break on the rocks just beneath the black waves.

Lieutenant Hoffman is struggling to maintain control of the boat and keep it on course straight ahead. He has lost true knowledge of his position and does not know that he is going to lose his ship and his life if he does not turn south. The first storm copter flies overhead and sounds its message through the howl of the storm: "Lieutenant Hoffman, you must turn to your port side and maintain a head south with full power available." The lieutenant struggles to execute the turn with the remaining elements of control that seem to be operating properly. Then he hears the sound of another storm copter above him.

The second storm copter flies overhead and the lieutenant hears a voice call to him: "Don't commit adultery. Honor your parents. Be sure to pray on the Sabbath. Don't steal from anyone… " The lieutenant was stunned, puzzled, and lost focus on the task before him momentarily. Was that the voice of God?

- End -

Link back to: (Journey List) or (Welcome) page text links or (JMDM 2010) or (Primacy Book Information).