it must’ve been just past 0200 hours when I was torn from a deep sleep by the sirens. Having been a military man, the blare of a warning siren was something permanently ingrained into your subconscious.

As they continued their scream throughout the entire city, I realized I had violated the first common sense rule when traveling abroad : know the culture you are visiting. 

The day had been freezing cold with the evening winds off the ocean bringing a further plunge in temperature and blizzard like snowstorms.

Were the sirens a storm warning? Was the city under attack? My connection to GalNet had been down most of the storm, and I had no local access either, so did the only thing I could to deal with the situation.

I went back to sleep.

I already stared death in the face once this vacation and not from a warm bed.

I would have to read up on those sirens in the morning.