Jago: The Millennium Galaxy Race

Chapter 6: Crew

Part 2: Crew of the Jago

I awoke in an unknown place. From what I could tell, my limp body melded into what felt like a cushioned table. The first thing I noticed was how cold it was, and then I started remembering what had happened. Somehow I'd gone from another monotonous day of slavery to being a condemned criminal to ending up on a bounty hunter's space ship.

I blinked, staring up at the ceiling at a small device that looked like it was staring back. I couldn't move. I didn't think I was restrained, but I couldn't move a muscle. My pain was gone, but I felt dull and weak. All I could do was lay there and wonder where I was and what was going to happen to me.

Without warning, the door slid open. I suddenly got a chill and my chest started pounding. I couldn't even turn my head to see who it was, and I felt more vulnerable than back on the arena.

"You've regained consciousness I see."

She sounded familiar: the girl's voice from the intercom earlier ... Tammy, I thought is what Rei called her. She had a very monotone voice, and it surprisingly calmed me.

"Yeah ..." I rasped. The sound that croaked out of me was kind of creepy.

"You've been unconscious for almost a week."

"A week?" No wonder my throat was dry.

She nodded. "Fighting with the sync rings can be dangerous. Kiko blocked the neural inhibitors that usually stop you accessing all your muscles for your fight. You were able to use 100 percent of your muscle mass-something your body would normally never allow you to do, giving you the necessary strength to defeat the Quwallie. However, your body also took a lot of damage for it: torn and bruised muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your arms and legs. A few broken fingers. If we were to turn off the sync rings the agony would kill you, so right now Kiko is still taking about 70 percent of your pain. The rest is numbed out with anesthetic."

She walked over and stood beside me. She was small, and her skin was bloodless white. She was probably about Rei's age, maybe younger. She had silvery, translucent hair in two braids resting on her chest, and it looked like ... it looked like it was glowing in a warm pulse that was so subtle you wouldn't notice unless you were up close like I was.

Her eyes flickered side to side as she made quick but precise hand movements over me. There must've been a holographic board there I couldn't see. She looked kind of funny from my perspective.

"I see ..." I finally said. I was basically a mess thanks to Akiko, or Kiko, whatever her name was. I tried moving again, but it was useless. My anxiety spiked when a thought crossed my mind. "Will I be able to move again?"

She stopped and faced me, her light brown eyes catching mine. "No. However, we have decided to let you live the rest of your existence on this table."

Stunned, shocked, depressed-none of these could hardly describe how I suddenly felt all at once. I stared at the ceiling, mortified at the thought of never being able to move.

"That was a joke." She continued in her same monotone voice. Even her expression never changed.

"What?" I looked at her, but my mind was still numb. "That was ... a joke?"

She stared at me blankly. "Yes."

I stared back. What the heck was that? I was no expert in jokes, but that really sucked.

"Although your injuries were severe, I was able to piece you back together. In about a month or so you should be fully healed. For now, I have put you in a sort of stasis. I was waiting for you to regain consciousness before placing you in your brace."