why cant they all be like this...
02 Mar 2017August Mckenna
The breeze was refreshing, thats all that can be said. After the long winter time spent mosly indoors because of the unpredictable atmosheric conditions in this hemisphere, a spring day was just what everyone needed.
Auggie raised his hand to shade his eyes from the twin suns glare. He heard a goshawk call to its mate but could see no sign of it in the sky above. Leaning back against the small elm tree, he sat sunning himself with his hands clasped behind his head.
She walked by, brushing his elbow with the gossamer fabric of her dress. She came to stand in front of him, offering her hands for him to stand up and join her. The suns' light shone through and revealed probably a bit more than her modesty would allow. Her perfume, caught on the light breeze and wafted around him mixing with the scents of nature.
Purely content in all he had, he sat and wondered, "Why cant they all be like this..."
______________________________________
"Commander? Commander McKenna, are you with me?", a voice said.
The light was bright, why was it so bright?
Auggie could "feel" he was lying on his back, but any effort to move was in vain. His head was throbbing and the damned lights were too bright. His eyes were open, but all he could perceive was a bright fog.
"Commander McKenna? I need some signal from you that you can hear me...", the voice came back.
All he could feel was his fingers move. "That's good, Commander, that's what I needed to see."
He took a moment to think through the haze about something other than the lights and his throbbing head. A female, definitely a female voice...and perfume, wow it had been a long time since he'd smelled real perfume on a woman.
"My name is Gracie Dotson and I'm a nurse.", the voice lilted back to his ears. "Just lie there and collect yourself for a bit, micro stasis affects everyone a bit differently. I've administered a mild stimulant to help you get your motor functions back a bit quicker. In the meantime, you're probably experiencing some sensitivity to light and a mild headache."
Auggie tried to acknowledge my nodding his head, but noting came of the effort.
Microstasis? The confusion was scary, and Auggie felt a slight panic. He thought hard, trying to will himself back into coherence.
Commander, she said...
That's right.
It all came flooding back in one horrifying instant. Like seeing one's own death.
The ship, his ship...his faithful Cobra Mk III, Cynical Reactor, filling with acrid smoke. The life support scrubbers trying to breathe life into the cabin. The alarms wailing and the monotone computer voice declaring system failure after system failure. Hands flying over controls, furiously struggling to regain control. A burst of light and heat, then...nothing.
_______________________________________