This is where I'm at. I'm in the desert. Not the Burning Man desert, where everything is exciting and I can follow any different hedonistic whim I choose, but more like the spice planet Arrakis, from Dune. I don't know how I got here. I was walking along and suddenly I noticed I was right smack in the middle of a barren wasteland. The only thing I have to help me survive is a still-suit, which converts my sweat into water. The only problem is, I don't know how to make this thing work to it's optimum capabilities. I'm getting water, but it's barely enough to keep me hydrated. With the hot sun beating down on me, and an even hotter wind, I'm getting fatigued easily. And if that wasn't enough cause for concern, I have a giant sandworm on my tail, looking at me as a tasty snack.
On this planet, there are people who have been able to survive in the deep desert. They know how to utilize every last bit of moisture from their still-suits. They also know how to ride a sandworm and avoid getting devoured by it. They are the Fremen. Desert dwellers with electric blue eyes who don't thirst and fear their environment, but live within its harsh conditions. In this current predicament, I could use a Fremen or two. Someone with the knowledge to show me how to correctly use my still-suit, so I'm getting living water. People who know how to find food in the desert, so I'm being fed, but most importantly, someone to show me how to not fear the sandworm.
I'm sure the Fremen see me. In the desert, their numbers are unknown. Sometimes I think I see a human shape moving in the distance, but then it disappears. I can't tell if it's the heat playing tricks on me. Maybe the Fremen are afraid to help me. I would probably be burden in their society. I get it. Sometimes it's easier to not get involved. They might even think I'm doing just fine since I've survived this long in their territory. That I don't need their help. Well, they're wrong. Each day I thirst more and more. The heat of the day is replaced by the heat of the night. The sandworms are more active then too. I can't sleep because I hear them. I can't see them, but like the Fremen, I know they are there watching me, waiting for me. The only thing that keeps me moving day after long, agonizing day, is my still-suit and the hope that someone will help me, show me how to use my suit correctly and teach me how to survive this world.
