Light

Posted on Thu Oct 31st, 2019 @ 11:44pm by Lieutenant Minna Chang

568 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: E1 Only The Beginning
Location: Sickbay, USS Achilles
Timeline: 5-yers-ago

Light. All she could see was light, and as far as she knew her eyes weren’t even open. She could sense the movement of people around her from their disturbance of the air, the sound of their feet and the changes in the slight shadows that permeated the overpowering light.

Her body was still numb and while she could hear voices, they were far too distant to understand even though they were right next to her. Gradually, however, the fog began to clear and she could pick out individual words, but not focus long enough for complete sentences. “Blood”, “pulse”, “breathing” and the like all made it clear where she was. It was a sickbay, though which sickbay she had no idea. At least the words she was hearing were in Standard rather than Romulan, which was a very good sign.

“Adrenalin” she heard, and then heard a strange hiss next to her ear as the fog quickly cleared some more. Her right eye fluttered open and the overpowering light became even brighter, but in all of that oppressive brightness she could make out three figures above her, two male and one female, though of what race or even species the brightness made it impossible to tell.

“She’s responding doctor” one of the males said, then the female said “another 10CCs" as the other male pressed some device to her neck and the hiss sound repeated.

Minna tried to speak, but no sound escaped her lips.

“Relax” the female said. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“Where?” Minna whispered with all of her strength.

“You are safe, in the sickbay of the Federation Starship Achilles.”

“When” Minna asked next, this time a bit of her voice joining the movement of air.

The doctor looked over at the two nurses, clearly not wanting to deliver the news.

Minna grabbed the doctor’s arm with her uninjured right hand and squeezed with far more strength than a woman of her stature, or in her condition should possess. “When?” she asked again, this time her voice strong and steady.

“You’d should rest” the doctor replied.

“What year is it?” Minna asked again, gripping tighter on the doctor’s arm.

“Fine, the year is 2386. You’ve been in stasis for 227 years.”

Minna released the doctor’s arm. “How many other survivors?”

“Yours was the only stasis tube still with recovery systems still functioning. There are five more survivors, but we can’t revive them until we get back to starbase. I’m sorry Master Sergeant Chang.”

“She’s a Lieutenant Sergeant Major” one of the nurses corrected. “The entire crew of the Columbia was promoted posthumously in 2160.”

“Thank you John” the doctor replied, then looked back at Minna “You must rest, Sergeant Major, coming out of cryostasis is stressful even after a short period, and you were under for quite a while. A lot of time has passed, another day or two won’t change anything except making you stronger.”

Minna sunk back into the bed, if that was possible for someone already lying down. 227 years, an eternity. 227 years before she went into stasis, in the year 1932, the television was cutting edge technology and the first electronic computer was still more than a decade away. What had changed in the 227 years since Minna last closed her eyes? One thing that hadn’t was the bright, oppressive lights of sickbay.

 

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