The storm had been raging for three days. Lieutenant Maya Chen of the US Navy guided her destroyer through the darkness, searching for a downed pilot. The radio was dead, the compass spinning. Then, through the rain, she saw a light—steady, warm, impossibly bright.
“Follow the light,” she ordered.
The destroyer turned, battling the waves. The light led them to a rocky outcrop, where an old lighthouse stood. Its beam cut through the storm, guiding them to safety.
As they approached, the sea calmed. The rain stopped. Maya climbed onto the rocks, her crew behind her.
Inside the light