Waking Up

It was the strangest feeling, waking up, almost as if coming back from the dead. As her organs and muscles began to pulse with life again, Sara Ryder felt a flash of fear and panic.

Where am I?

Temporary confusion set in as her blurry vision attempted to adjust to bright lights, all of her senses lighting up as if fueled by wildfire. As her eyes settled and cleared, revealing the cryo bay of Arc Hyperion, realization set in. Bewilderment, surprise, and excitement began to fill her like electricity tangling through her body.

"We made it," she breathed in wonder. She tried to stand up as a wave of dizziness came over her, causing her to sway back down to a sitting position.

"Deep breaths," a man's voice said calmly as he rushed over. "You're going to want to take it easy."

Sara took a deep breath, bewildered. "I've been taking it easy for over six-hundred years." Her eyes felt heavy, and she blinked a couple times - assuming her body was still trying to adjust to coming out of cryo.

It felt like it had only been moments ago that she had laid down into her stasis pod and the cryo process had begun. Moments ago that she bid farewell to their galaxy and home, filled with hope for a new universe. Moments ago that they were leaving the rumours and dark whispers of a threat behind for hope to all species for a new, brighter future. Of course, not everyone felt that way, but Sara had picked up the idealist trait that had fueled her stubborn father.

A woman, Sara recognized as Captain Dunn, also approached.

"Ryder, Sara, Recon Specialist, Pathfinder Mission Team," the woman approached, a data pad in hand.

"Pathfinder team, eh?" mused the man. "The ones finding us a home."

Looking him over, Sara realized it was Dr. Carlyle, the man who would accompany their team through any exploration. She had never met either individual, but prominent figures in the arc and Initiative were familiar faces to all members of the Pathfinder team. Their intensive training had ensured their familiarity with the people they'd be working with.

"Can we make it somewhere tropical?" Captain Dunn asked, a small smile itching at the corner of her mouth. "Nice, warm, ocean, summer year round?"

Sara laughed, starting to feel less on alert and more like herself again.

"How about we get her a cup of coffee first?" Dr. Carlyle suggested as they helped Sara to her feet.

Caffeine sounded wonderful right about now. After a 600 year sleep, she needed something to help take the edge off the grogginess.

They walked together to the med bay, and Dr. Carlyle motioned for Sara to sit on one of the beds before he and Dunn hurried on to wake up the next person set to come out of stasis. On a large screen at the back of the room, an initiative promo video played through, highlighting the lush and beautiful worlds they were about to embark to.

Sara sat, hands folded in her lap, trying to process it all. She hadn't seen her father or Scott when they entered the med bay, but silently prayed they had both been revived without any complications.

There was a strange coldness to the air and the beds. Not quite cold, but not warm either. Almost like stillness. Everything was grey and white, sterile and clean. People bustled, some talking excitedly, others sitting around and waiting to be seen like she was. The atmosphere felt electric - the kind of electric caused by a mixture of apprehension, excitement, and anxiety. It was the feeling caused by unsurety as everyone waited to find out how this was about to proceed. Had they made the right choice in coming here?

For a moment, her thoughts drifted back to her mother - hundreds of years dead, and yet her loss still felt so fresh. She wondered if her father would still have the same heaviness in his heart that had made him so emotionally distant in their last days on the Nexus.

"Sara Ryder?"

The question startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see an Asari doctor standing over her. There was an air of propriety around her, as if she was all work and no play, echoed by the stiffness of her posture. Still, there was a kindness in her eyes that immediately made Sara feel at ease.

"Let's get you checked out." The woman pulled out a medical scanner and activated it. "Look here," she directed, and Sara looked at the centre light of the device. It was a fairly routine check-making sure there was no swelling in her throat, checking vision, all the basics.

Sara glanced over at the vid for a moment, then back to the doctor, who rolled her eyes at the pitch being made in the recording.

"Makes it sound so easy, doesn't it?" she asked.

Pleasantly surprised by the small talk, Ryder smiled. "I hope not. I signed up for a little adventure before we settle down."

The doctor flashed her a smile in return. "Well buckle up, sounds like you'll get your wish?"

"Yeah?" Sara's eagerness etched in her voice.

"Over here now," the Asari directed, moving her hands as Ryder followed with her eyes. "The Pathfinder wants you all on your feet right away, mission ready within the hour."

Excitement welled up inside Sara. She hadn't felt like this since her first Prothean dig back home. Barely out of the cryo bay and already diving into adventure. Regardless of what they found, this feeling made every moment they moved forward worth it.

"Any idea why?"

"No, but I'm guessing that's where your adventure comes in."

Sara snorted, smiling slightly. Just like her father to not give any details. Specific orders, vague information. Either way, her stomach filled with butterflies as she pondered what kind of mission they were about to fall into.

Liam Kosta, one of the members of the team she had met prior to departure, gave her a little wave from across the room as the doctor checked her SAM implant. She still wasn't used to hearing the AI's voice both in her head and through her ears at the same time. Part of her was still bewildered at what Alec had accomplished - creating a symbiotic synthetic life form that could see and hear what she did, that could monitor her vitals, provide assistance, and essentially, be an extension of her own being.

Sara noted the doctor's name as SAM spoke, vaguely remembering her father including Dr Lexi T'Perro in the list of people to be aware of.

Dr. T'Perro finished her inspection just as Sara finished her coffee. As she stood up, excited to see her brother brought out of cryo, the ship began to creak. Odd, loud noises that echoed through the air, as if something was about to break apart.

"I don't like the sound of that."

Sara's instincts kicked in as the lights flickered, she buckled her knees bracing herself and looking around for a source. Before she could think or react, there was a loud bang, and the ground beneath her tipped, then shook back, sending her crashing to the ground. There was no question - the Hyperion had struck something. The bang was followed by a very loud scraping noise, like the sound metal makes when dragged along something sharp. The ship tilted again, and her brother's cryo pod began sliding quickly towards herself and Dr. T'Perro.

In that moment, hope and excitement vanished as all hell broke loose.