A New Beginning on Pandora | ☑️

.1.

Zen Sully, that was the name I was born with and the name I live by. I am 18 years old... well, actually not anymore.

"You've been in cryo for 5 years, 9 months, and 22 days!" One of the male doctors shouted as the pod I was in was opened, my body slightly levitating off of the bed, only being held down by the straps around myself in the little to no gravity spacecraft we were in.

That meant I was now 24, six years older than when I left Earth. I looked to my right to see my older brother Jake, who was now 28 instead of 22. It was weird, seeing as how it doesn't feel like it's been six years.

Jake, as he was looking around, spotted me. A huge grin took over his face. "Hey, little bro. How you feeling?" He asked as one of the doctors unstrapped the both of us. "Parched. But other than that, fine. You?" I answered as we floated over towards the lockers.

Ours were right next to each other since we had the same last name, obviously. "As good as I can be. It's surreal, it's already been six years since..." He trailed off, but I knew what he meant. Since Tommy's death.

"Your brother represented a significant investment. We'd like to talk to you about taking over his contract." One of the executives told Jake as they watched someone push a cardboard box into a furnace. Inside was Tommy.

"And since your genomes are identical to his, you could step into his shoes." The other one continued as my older brother stared sadly as the box was loaded inside. I was standing next to Jake, biting my lip as I tried to contain my sobs.

However, as one of the workers pressed a button, and flames started to engulf Tommy's cardboard container, I broke down, kneeling on the ground as I hid my face in Jake's lap, cries, wails, and sorrow erupting from my throat. Jake tried to soothe me, attempting to placate me by petting my hair, but I knew he was just as distraught.

"I'll do it. But only if Zen gets one as well." Jake finally replied to the two behind us. "What? Do you realize how expensive Avatars are?!" One asked, shocked by the compromise. "No, but by your reaction, I'm pretty sure it'd be worse if you didn't get to get any usage out of Tommy's. Either my brother comes along as well, or you've lost a perfectly good Avatar specimen." Jake argued, not backing down on this.

The two men shared a look, wondering what to do. "Look. I'm just a paralyzed army guy, I won't be able to contribute much besides just being a gunman, most likely. However, Zen has been training to be a scientist since he was a little kid. He'd be a hell of a lot more useful than me. He even knows a good deal about medicine, something invaluable to keeping the humans on Pandora alive." My older brother said as I glanced up.

Jake noticed and looked away from where he was staring coldly at the two executives, his gaze softening at the sight of my grief-stricken state. Finally, after talking with their higher ups, the two other men agreed to Jake's condition. That's how both of us got a ticket to the new world of Pandora.

I sighed at the memory before shaking my head. We were now on a plane preparing to land. Amongst all the ordering, conversing, and such, everyone put on their oxygen mask, allowing them to breathe on the harsh planet. Normally, the scientists and army men were split up on either side of the aircraft, but I managed to convince them to let me sit next to Jake, using some of my 'cute charm' as Jake calls it.

As we landed, everyone began to stand up, picking up their bags and lining up to depart into the main building. Jake and I sat, waiting, until everyone left. I then stood up and grabbed the wheelchair, opening it before Jake climbed into it. "Thanks." He muttered to me as he slid his bag over his head, onto his shoulder.

I waved him off as I grabbed my own stuff, wearing a more casual outfit compared to the army guys, who were wearing their uniforms. Jake was just wearing a grey t-shirt and cargo pants.