Unknown --- Complete [ adding some things ]

Part 2

It was Tuesday on Earth, September. Their ship crashed a few days earlier than their intended time. So, the medication that they use to keep them asleep was still very much in effect. He woke up finally on the day they were meant to awake.

"How long have you been awake?" Robert asks with a smile. Laura and Dean both standing at the edge of his bed.

"He drank a lot of water to fight the medication. Apparently that's a thing the rest of us would have loved to know. I just re-woke up an hour ago."

"It's my second trip. You learn things and use them." Dean shrugged. "How's the leg?"

"What are you talking about?"

"He did lose a lot of blood before losing conscious again." Laura noted. She walked up toward the front of the bed. On the screen to the left of him she read through it. "Aleks said that everything was leveled and better than could imagine. Wasn't lying.

Robert kicked up his right leg from under the thin blanket he was under. Nothing looked amiss. He pulled the blanket off completely to find he was missing from the knee down."

"What the hell happened?"

"When we crashed your chamber released and crashed into some rocks in the ocean. Same with Savannahs. But the medication wore off for her early and she was able to help guide you back to shore. Aleks and I helped you on the shore but after a time I succumbed to the medication. It's wh--"

"So, what happens now?"

"Aleks is printing off a prosthetic. He's had a lot of experience creating them for shipwreck folk. It's not uncommon to crash before you make it to your destination. But it's been reported to Ztek about everything that happened and what happened to you and Savannah."

"Dean's been in two crashes already. Why are we still doing this?"

"The money." Dean answered, "What? It is. A loss leg, arm or a bit of brain damage for the money for many people including Ztek is worthwhile."

"Dean." Laura chastised with a click of her tongue,. "Anyway, I have to go get ready. Aleks will be in."

"Get ready?"

"Yeah, we didn't land where we'll be working. Our destination is up north. We have to trek to the other side to reach where we should be."

"We can't stay here?"

"Not enough supplies for five more people. Besides more of us the more competition it is down here."

A day back he was a whole person. No injury no prosthetics to talk about. He stared down at his leg, he tried to envision what his left leg looked like. Surely, it looked similar to his right leg.

This is ridiculous. He looked up at the ceiling and kept his thoughts empty. He was gone for a year. Everything sure as hell did change.

"Ah, righty then." A familiar voice but not familiar face walks into the room. He has a thick beard, and a yellow turban loosely over his large head. His eyes are a beautifully pale brown. His smile is friendly enough. "Aleks the name fixing the folks is my game."

He chuckled, Robert did not.

"Sorry, I'm more accustomed to this than you, I realize." His accent wavers. Either been around Americans too long or around Australians too long. Robert couldn't tell and didn't want to intrude with questions, "I couldn't rightly put this beauty on you while you slept. Well, I could but I had to wait for the leg to heal. That insane pinching --which thankfully you were asleep for -- helps with rapid healing tech. Thanks to the company."