Cross

Chapter 1: The Awakening

Part 1 - Disorientation

Nathan's consciousness flickered like a faulty light bulb, snapping between the abyss of deep sleep and sharp, painful awareness. The cryo pod hissed open, a cloud of icy vapor spilling out, and he gasped, his lungs seizing as they filled with the chill of sterile air. He had no sense of how long he’d been out; it could have been a lifetime. His muscles ached, and his vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay upright, gripping the edges of the pod to stop his head from spinning.

Dim blue lights lined the cold, metallic walls of the cryo chamber. It was cavernous, with rows upon rows of pods like his, each embedded into the walls. He was vaguely aware of figures moving nearby, their faces obscured by sleek, reflective visors. Nathan tried to focus, but the fog in his brain was thick, and it was like trying to grasp at smoke.

One of the figures stepped closer, his voice distorted through a hidden speaker. “Nathan Cross, can you hear me?”

Nathan tried to respond, but his throat was dry, the words caught in his chest. He nodded instead, the simple motion almost too much. The figure leaned in, adjusting something on a device strapped to his wrist. The lights in the chamber brightened slightly, and Nathan winced as the room came into sharper focus.

“Welcome back,” the voice said, cold and formal. “You’ve been under for three hundred and eighteen years.”

The words hit Nathan like a punch to the gut. He could barely comprehend them. He felt the world tilt and steadied himself, trying to speak. “Three hundred... years?”

“Three hundred and eighteen,” the voice corrected. “You’ll have time to process everything soon. For now, you need to come with us.”

Nathan’s thoughts swirled, but he didn’t resist as the figures guided him out of the pod, his legs unsteady, like he was learning to walk again. The room around him was vast, sterile, and foreign, with a hum of machinery that filled the silence. The guards—or medics, he couldn’t tell—led him through a corridor, and Nathan’s heart pounded louder than the sound of their boots on the steel floor.

Part 2 - Evaluation

Nathan found himself in a small, clinical room. It was bright, too bright, with white walls that seemed to close in on him. He blinked against the harsh light, eyes still adjusting, as he was directed to sit in a cushioned chair. Across from him was a man in a sleek, dark uniform, a tablet in hand, a slight smile on his lips.

“Mr. Cross,” the man began, his voice smoother than the others’. “I’m Counselor Doran. I’ll be conducting your initial evaluation.”

Nathan hesitated, still grappling with the reality that he was no longer in his time. “What... what year is it?”

Doran’s smile didn’t falter. “The year is 2378. You’ve been under a while, Nathan, and I can imagine this is overwhelming. We’re going to take it slow.”

Doran’s tone was calm, but Nathan could sense the underlying impatience. This was routine for him, just another day at the office. For Nathan, it felt like the world was collapsing around him.

“What happened?” Nathan’s voice was hoarse. “Why now?”

Doran tapped on his tablet, bringing up information that Nathan couldn’t see. “Your cryo-sentence was for three hundred years. You were granted an early release because... well, let’s say the world has changed, and your particular skill set has become relevant again.”

“Relevant?” Nathan’s mind was swimming, trying to recall the last moments before he’d been frozen. The court, the sentence, the cold embrace of the pod... He had accepted his fate, expecting to wake up to a world long after his name had been forgotten.