Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

Merit, a U.S. Army veteran suffering from PTSD, is repeatedly tortured by visions of her deceased friend and company buddy Zoe. After her Afghanistan service in 2016, she attends group therapy until Dale, her grandfather and former Lieutenant Colonel, is recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Merit steps up to his aide, and discovers more about herself and her family, while also gaining the courage to put her metaphorical demons to rest.

Federation Officer Shapiro crash-lands on a desert planet with no sign of water, life, or a way off. Her crew-mate Rand is no help, resigned to his fate on the hypnotic alien dunes. Locating the ship's emergency beacon is their only hope, but when a salvage crew answers their distress signal, it's already too late.

Merit and Zoe are battle buddies on a remote US Army outpost in Afghanistan. Back home, something comes between them that will put their once-in-a-lifetime friendship to the test.