The journey took lifetimes; the dreams were deep and many.
I awoke, from an infinity of dreams. My first reaction was panic, the fear of drowning as I realised I was suspended in liquid. Had I fallen asleep in the bath, to slip below the surface? Then I was aware of the breathing mask that covered my mouth and nose, the honey colour of the amniotic stasis fluid in which I was suspended, the tubes and wires that wormed from my flesh. Then I remembered who I was... where I was.
The liquid began draining away, my ears popped as air hissed into the stellar hibernation capsule; I blinked to clear my eyes of the fluid as my torso emerged from the fluid. The engines now lost their low liquid vibration drone. On the capsule screen, computer readouts were projected. I tried to take it in but it was impossible. I needed to get out, I would update myself later. I needed a hit of synthicaf, badly. Finally, the liquid had all drained away and the door opened.
I took the mask off with trembling hands, it took so much effort. My breath wheezed, my ribcage straining and cracking. I stepped out and collapsed into the floor with a sickening crunch. I felt pain sweep across me as my bones splintered to powder. I lay uselessly on the floor, unable to move. My eyesight dimmed. I looked at my hand that lay by my failing eyes. It was wrinkled to a claw, aged, broken and twisted. I then realised; the time stasis had failed, the time stasis had failed.
I awoke, from an infinity of dreams. My first reaction was panic, the fear of drowning as I realised I was suspended in liquid. Had I fallen asleep in the bath, to slip below the surface? Then I was aware of the breathing mask that covered my mouth and nose, the honey colour of the amniotic stasis fluid in which I was suspended, the tubes and wires that wormed from my flesh. Then I remembered who I was... where I was.
The liquid began draining away, my ears popped as air hissed into the stellar hibernation capsule; I blinked to clear my eyes of the fluid as my torso emerged from the fluid. The engines now lost their low liquid vibration drone. On the capsule screen, computer readouts were projected. I tried to take it in but it was impossible. I needed to get out, I would update myself later. I needed a hit of synthicaf, badly. Finally, the liquid had all drained away and the door opened.
I stepped out onto the floor, it felt extremely cold underfoot. I suddenly remembered a fear. I looked at my hand and rushed to find a mirror, a computer screen, anything reflective. I skidded this way and that in the low gravity, my feet still wet with the stasis fluid, my bare skin covered in goosebumps. I found the console terminal, it was flashing alternately red and green to get my attention, but I had prior concerns. I liked at the face of the man in his thirties that peered back at me. I let out a sigh of relief. The face was the same age as the one who had first entered the stasis capsule. My nerves steadied, I punched a response into the keyboard. It flashed back with an error message. Never mind I must be almost at my destination, or why would the automind have initiated wake procedure? It was then I heard the creaking of the superstructure. I hurriedly overrode the error protocols and a message flashed up. "Hull compromised. Hull compromised." I shivered.
I swallowed hard and looked up to the access hatch that led to the rest of the ship. It was covered in ice. I walked slowly to the door in dread and wiped at the ice forming on the glass. I shivered again, the stasis cabin was growing colder and my breath steamed. Beyond the glass, I saw the hull open to the vacuum of space, an enormous gash where the meteor had carved through the armoured skin. Sparks exploded from cut cables, I saw the plume of gas venting into nothingness and realised with dread that it was the Oxy tanks. I could start a system diagnostic and attempt a repair if I had a space suit. But there they were, beyond the hatch. One had almost been torn free by the impact. It was caught by the oxy tanks, an arm and gloved hand rising and falling, beckoning me out; mocking me. The air grew stale...
I awoke, from an infinity of dreams. My first reaction was panic, the fear of drowning as I realised I was suspended in liquid. Had I fallen asleep in the bath, to slip below the surface? Then I was aware of the breathing mask that covered my mouth and nose, the honey colour of the amniotic stasis fluid in which I was suspended, the tubes and wires that wormed from my flesh. Then I remembered who I was... where I was.
The liquid began draining away, my ears popped as air hissed into the stellar hibernation capsule; I blinked to clear my eyes of the fluid as my torso emerged from the fluid. The engines now lost their low liquid vibration drone. On the capsule screen, computer readouts were projected. I tried to take it in but it was impossible. I needed to get out, I would update myself later. I needed a hit of synthicaf, badly. Finally, the liquid had all drained away and the door opened.
The journey took lifetimes; the dreams were deep and many...