Oasis: Last World Volume One by Shane Gries

Author:Shane Gries [Gries, Shane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cannon Publishing, LLC
Published: 2023-07-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

3,198 S.E.

HMCS Imperator

5th Squadron, 18th Fleet

Deep Space

(Five Years After The Fall)

The murky blackness consumed and smothered him. He could barely move his limbs and he was unable to see or hear anything. This may have been what it was like when he was still in the womb, except he felt no warmth or sense of safety, only cold and panic. He struggled to find his way out, any way out, but it was futile. Panic was soon overshadowed by terror.

Then he heard muffled sounds and began making out some light. Air filled his lungs, which triggered a fit of coughing.

His head pounded as the sounds and sights of the world around him came into focus.

He sat upright and retched.

The feelings of panic and terror began to subside as confusion set in. Where was he? What was going on?

He felt hands gently grasping his upper arms, steadying him while he heard muffled voices through the haze. Were they trying to speak to him? What were they saying? Who were they? Why were they here?

He blinked his eyes repeatedly and things quickly took shape, the surroundings feeling somewhat familiar.

He was so cold.

His extremities tingled as the blood began pumping naturally once again.

“Skipper, can you hear me?” the voice said, now clearly audible.

His gut spasmed and he dry heaved once more.

“You okay, sir?” the voice said again.

Then he started to remember. “XO, is that you?”

“That’s right, Skipper, I’m here. You’re just waking up from your nap now.”

Pavel felt someone draping a warming blanket over his shoulders while he shook uncontrollably. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the cryo-chamber. We just thawed you out after a year in suspended animation. I know you feel groggy and confused, but I’ve got a medical team here and we’ll get you feeling better in no time.”

Pavel weakly grasped the blanket and pulled it around him a bit tighter. His vision slowly came into focus and he could make out the human shapes in the room. “I feel like shit.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, Skipper, you look like shit too.”

***

Pavel and his Executive Officer were the only two people in the wardroom. He wore a hospital gown and slippers, tightly grasping a heated blanket around him. A hot tray of food sat in front of him accompanied by an even hotter cup of insipid tea. The XO had a cup of tea as well, but barely touched it, preferring to push it around from side to side.

Archie looked noticeably thinner than he had before Pavel went into the cryo-chamber and his uniform draped loosely on him. There were deep, dark bags under his eyes, accented by pronounced cheekbones. He’d become dangerously emaciated and from running into some of the crew on the way to the wardroom, they were all in equally appalling physical condition.

“Did I mention that I hate cryo-sleep?” Pavel asked as he slowly spooned a lump of gray mush into his mouth.

“You may have mentioned it at least ten times in the last half hour,” Aydin said with a warm smile on his face.

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