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Imagine it's February 1621 and you're a sailor on board the Mayflower.

The ship lies anchored in Plymouth Harbor, where it's been transformed into a sort of floating hospital.

You've lost track of how many people have died since you arrived here three months ago.

You skirt around a coughing woman and a child huddled together on a cot to find

Captain Christopher Jones collecting dirty linens. Oh, there you are, Captain. Captain Jones gives you a

brief, harried look for returning to his work. Oh, not now. I'm busy. But Captain, you promised us we

would sail back to London as soon as the colonists started building their settlement.

I have my wife, my two little boys waiting for me back home. They'll be wondering if I'm still alive by now. Jones drops the linens on the floor and leans against a damp wooden beam, his arms folded

across his chest. We can't leave these people when they barely managed to build a roof over their heads.

We've done the job we were hired to do. Well, that may be true. But this ship is their only lifeline. What about our lives? You should never have let those people convalesce on board. The crew's getting sick, too. Oh, I can't just leave them stranded like this? They'll never survive. We can't set sail anyway, not until enough of the crew is recovered.

You throw up your arms, unable to restrain your frustration. Well, with respect, sir, if we wait

any longer, there won't be any crew left to sail with. We've already lost the boatswain, the

gunner, the cook, half a dozen other sailors. My God, how many more must die before we finally

leave this godforsaken place?

Captain Jones clenches his jaw, but there's no mistaking the glint of fear in his eyes.

He's worried, too. If you want to go home so badly, why don't you make yourself useful? Fetch

some broth for these people. Jones then stooped to pick up the linens, and you walk past him to climb up the stairs to the galley.

You're furious to find yourself trapped in this wretched land, and you're starting to wonder if you'll ever make it out of here alive.

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