Zodiac Dreams

Day 1

Bubbles.

When he awoke there was nothing but the sight of bubbles. His vision was distorted, not just the bubbles but the fluid that surrounded him oppressed his awareness.

He became aware of his hands, and then his feet, and then the rest of his body. His feet floated within the solution, and his hands pressed against something smooth.

There was a black thing covering his mouth and a tube connected to it which seemed to rise above him forever. He jerked on the tube with a harsh motion. The tube came loose and retracted into the void above.

Red lights exploded into the room with a screech. The fluid began to swirl around him as it drained out of his container. He could see the room he was in which was illuminated in crimson.

His eyes widened and his arms seized. His heart beat faster and he took his first labored breaths.

He felt again at the smooth surface and saw through it.

Finally, all of the fluid drained out and his feet touched the bottom of the container. The glass wall around him opened up like a flower's petals and he fell on his hands and knees outside of the pod.

For what seemed like an eternity he just lay there on his side. The bright red glare his ever present companion.

His breathing, which had been frantic, began to calm as he adjusted to his new reality.

And then, A thought entered his mind. A name. His name.

Soyurin.

He coughed roughly. His throat still full of the strange fluid from the container. Thick and salty, yet overall tasteless.

As his coughing finally subsided he looked up from his position on the floor. The metallic walls gave a vague reflection of himself and the pod, but beyond that there was nothing else besides a door with a red flashing symbol.

He approached the door and held out his hand to touch the symbol. It was like an eagle with it's wings curved upward.

The red eagle turned blue. The dim red lights in the room were replaced with a vibrant blue, and the door slid open.

The hallway was barely lit.

A cramped hallway lay before Soyurin. It was just capable of allowing him passage through.

As he passed by a panel off to the side, he noticed a warning message repeating over and over on the glass display.

Minimal Power. All processes devoted to Life Support.

"Minimal Power?" Soyurin wondered. When he went into the lamber chamber power was still at 100%. How long had he been in that pod? Or did something happen to the core?

[Shajuk systems have suffered a power failure. Remaining power devoted to maintaining life support] A mechanical voice spoke from all directions.

He kept the warning in his mind as he continued down the hallway. The lights flickered while dim which gave the hallway an eerie feeling. He could see a door straight ahead, but halfway through the hallway he found another doorway which opened as soon as his hand grazed a panel at chest level.

The door slid open with a swift motion, and then the lights flickered on illuminating the entire room. There was a desk right in front of him with a large monitor on it. On the monitor were many graphs constantly changing.

Within the cabinet were also clothes. They were loose fitting. It was the standard issue attire on Horizon which he had worn before leaving.

He slipped on the outfit in a hurry.