Beyond the Vault

Lost it All

I awoke with a start.

My eyes opened slower than usual, my vision blurring, then clearing as I blinked away the remnants of my unrecorded sleep.

The cold feeling in my body started to dissipate, and I felt free enough to move. Looking around, I noticed I was still in the cryo pod, but the hallway was dark, and possessed a blue lighting. The weird thing was, no one else was getting out. No one else was leaving their pods like they had been promised.

What was happening?

Nate and Shaun remained frozen in the pod opposite to mine, bringing me some sense of comfort. But it didn't last.

Some strangers in weird outfits walked close to Nate's pod. One distinct figure wore a leather jacket, with balding hair, and a scar across his left eye. He had some metal brace around his arm, and carried a gun in his gloved hand. Another one of the people with him, a woman dressed up in what looked like a hazard suit, pointed to Nate's pod and declared, "This is the one. Here."

The man with the gun nodded as he spoke, his voice rougher than sandpaper.

"Open it."

In a matter of seconds, the pod opposite to the one I was in started to open. Chunks of ice and frost falling to the floor as the door opened. I had a feeling that something bad would happen, but was too weak to do anything much. Summoning the strength I had, I weakly pounded on the window of my pod, trying to attract their attention.

They ignored me, watching as the pod opened. Nate doubled over, coughing as Shaun started wailing. Nate looked around and asked, "Is...is it over? Are we okay?"

I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad would happen. I struggled to get out of my metallic prison, despite failing, and called to my husband. "Nate. Get out of there. Nate, fucking get out!"

The man, though hearing me, ignored me and raised his hand to try and calm Nate. "Almost. Everything is going to be fine." I saw the woman in the suit slowly reaching for the baby in Nate's arms. She cooed, "Come here. Come here, baby."

Nate started to realize what was happening, and tried pulling Shaun back, despite the woman's attempts to yank the baby away from him. "No, I...I got him!"

The man suddenly raised his gun, aiming it at Nate, and my stomach dropped as I felt a sense of fear and dread. Tears welling in my eyes, I called out to the man, "Please stop! Please don't do this...." He ignored me and turned back to Nate as he threatened, "Let the boy go. I'm only gonna tell you once."

"I'm not giving you Shaun!" Nate continued fighting with the woman, trying to prevent her from taking our baby. I choked out a sob and pleaded, "Nate, please get out-"

Without warning, the man pulled the trigger, and a loud gunshot rang out, and Nate fell back into the pod. He stopped talking, or moving, an his eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling. Shaun wailed at the sound of the gunshot, despite the woman's attempts to comfort him.

They killed Nate.

My world shattered as the gunshot rang out, and I vigorously struggled to get out of the pod. I shrieked in grief, and pounded on the glass as hard as my body would allow. Soon, I felt a warm sensation spread on my face as tears rolled down my face. My anger flared as I looked at the man who just shot Nate, and I snarled, "I'll fucking kill you!"

He shook his head at the sight of the body, and muttered, "Damn it. Get the kid out of here." The woman nodded and walked out of my line of view, taking my baby with her. The man finally looked at me, and showed no remorse for his actions. He sneered, "At least we still have the backup."