Chapter 1: Stasis Chamber
March 2003
"Grandpa, what is this site you discovered?" Yugi asked anxiously as a young archaeologist drove their open air Jeep through the desert. Grandpa was sitting beside him in the back, a huge grin on his face.
"Well my boy, I believe it is the ancient palace of a Pharaoh." Solomon said looking pleased with himself.
"Cool, I'm so glad you're letting me go along." Yugi grinned. "How much farther?"
"Not much further now I believe."
The Jeep pulled to a stop and the archaeologist turned to them. "Here we are."
"Thank you very much for the ride, come Yugi." Solomon called as he got out and started to walk towards the excavation site
Yugi followed into the entrance, looking at the ancient stone in amazement. "This is amazing that it's still standing."
"It is amazing and we believe it to be over 3,000 years old."
"Do we know anything about the pharaoh?" Yugi asked excitedly.
"He was known as the Great Nameless Pharaoh but nobody knows why." Solomon explained.
"Too bad, he should be well known." Yugi sighed, then spotted a door to the left. "Hey, what is this over here?"
"Be careful Yugi, places like this are known to have traps especially behind hidden doors."
"What have you found Yugi, oh my goodness that looks like..."
"We need to help him!" Yugi ran towards the bubble and sank through, kneeling beside the figure. He touched his hand. "He's freezing, Grandpa!"
"Ok take your jacket off and put it on him and I'll give him mine too."
Yugi took off his jacket and took grandpa's, laying them over the figure. "We need to move him. Can you get someone to help?"
Going back out into the hallway Solomon called. "Arthur, we've found something amazing but we need your help."
The figure stirred as an elderly gentleman arrived. "What is it, Solomon?"
"Wha-? Where-?" The figure's eyes found Yugi's legs and his eyes widened as he looked up. "What the-?"
"Look what we have found, I think its the Pharaoh" Solomon whispered as he opened the door
Feeling that he was being looked at Yugi looked down "Woah, hey Grandpa he's awake."
The teen shivered violently. "Why is it so cold...?"
"How long have you been in here? We need to get you out in the sun."
"Here? Where am I?" the teen looked around his eyes wide. "My palace..."
"Yes you are, my Grandpa and I just found you in this chamber."
"Can you help him out of that bubble?"
"Bubble? Must be a stasis chamber..." the figure muttered.
"A what? Do you know how to get out."
"Just have to walk out..." the teen groaned softly. "I am too weak though..."
"Let me help you, are you able to sit up?"
The teen pushed himself to a sitting position and swayed, almost fainting. "Ugh..."
"Ive got you, now try to put your feet down on the floor." Yugi said with his arm wrapped around Atems waist "I-Im just wondering, what is your name? Do you have one?"
The teen concentrated on getting to his feet, leaning on Yugi. "Atem." he told him.
"Oh so your not nameless after all." Yugi chuckled.
"No one knows me...?" Atem seemed disturbed by the idea.
"My grandpa told me you were known as the great nameless Pharaoh, maybe your name got erased somehow." Yugi asked.
"What do you remember?" Grandpa asked, the prospect of a first-person account making him anxious. "Do you remember what happened before you were locked in here?"
"I was at my coronation celebration in my throne room and we heard noises. Explosions and screams. I saw my priest wave his hand and then all went black. I woke up to you." Atem's eyes widened at the realization. "Did you find anyone else?"
"I'm sorry, we haven't." Yugi shook his head sadly.
Atem's shoulders hunched in grief and Yugi almost let him go as he started to collapse. "No..."
"According to my Grandpa this Palace is over 3,000 years old, I'm surprised you are still alive." Yugi said trying to hold Atem up.
Atem cried out, an invisible wave of power emanating from him. He collapsed in Yugi's arms.
"Atem, hey what happened, can you hear me, Grandpa I think there's something wrong with him." Yugi said in a panic sinking to the ground under his weight.
Grandpa hurried in, helping Yugi get Atem upright. "I don't know. Did you feel that power that came from him when he fainted?" he asked, looking over Atem at Yugi.
"I did and it felt really powerful."
"I've heard legends that some of the Egyptians had magical abilities." Arthur supplied as Grandpa and Yugi got Atem out of the bubble.
"We should get him to the nearest hospital." Yugi said, anxiously. "He's clearly not well."
"Get in the Jeep and we will take him" Solomon said
Grandpa and Yugi got him to the Jeep and drove back to the city with Atem's head in Yugi's lap. "How is he doing?" Arthur asked from the front seat.
"He's still out to it but at least he's warming up." Yugi said hopefully.
"That's good. We'll be there soon." Arthur smiled at Grandpa. "We've made a great discovery, don't you think, Solomon?"
"We certainly have Arthur and it's even more exciting that we have found him alive." Solomon smiled.
"True." Arthur nodded.
They arrived at the hospital and Grandpa went inside to get help. He returned with a couple nurses and a doctor. "We'll take good care of him." the doctor promised, getting Atem onto a gurney.
"Please be careful with him." Yugi said anxiously as he watched Atem be wheeled away.
Atem came to and found something was tickling under his nose. He reached up and something sharp prick the back of his hand. A constant beeping noise irritated him. "Where am I?" he asked, opening his eyes to see Yugi, Grandpa and Arthur around him.
"Hey Atem, how are you feeling? You're in the hospital, we brought you here because we were concerned about your health when you passed out."
"What is that noise?" Atem asked, confused.
"It's called a heart monitor, you will get used to the noise eventually." Yugi chuckled. "Just be careful of your hand too, that line is supplying you with fluid."
Atem stared down at his hand where an IV was sticking out, taped to his hand. "This time is so different..."
"The doctor said you may have to stay in here a few days for observation, but my Grandpa and I will be right by your side the whole time."
"That reminds me Grandpa, maybe we should get him some different clothes." Yugi suggested.
"I don't know, Yugi. I don't know if he'll want to come back with us. He might want to stay in Egypt. What do you think?"
"You are the only ones that I know in this time. I would rather stay with you."
"If he stays in Egypt Grandpa he will have to get used to a whole new set of people that dont know him. I thought you would, once we get home I can always tell my friends that you are my elder brother." Yugi chuckled.
"Are they that gullible?" Atem raised his eyebrow.
"Well no...Joey might be, but you do look a lot like me, except your tan skin and slightly different hair, but our eyes are the same color." Yugi blushed.
"What was that power we felt when you fainted? It was unusual."
Atem sighed. "I have magical powers. That is why you found me in a stasis chamber. My priest must have created it-" Atem gulped, the beeping on the heart rate monitor sped up, indicating his stress.
"It's ok Atem, just relax we are here for you. Who is this priest you keep talking about, he sounds like he was someone very important to you." Yugi said putting a comforting hand on Atem's shoulder.
Grandpa noticed the talk of the past wasn't helping as Atem closed his eyes, his heart rate fast. "Yugi, distract him with something else. The past is what is doing this." he said sharply.
"Oh, sorry Grandpa" Yugi said sheepishly. "Hey Atem, I'm sorry if I upset you, I'm just really interested in you and your life. But I was wondering, do you have any favorite colours. Other than purple and blue of course." Yugi chuckled trying to change the subject and cheer Atem up.
Atem slowed his breathing, shifting in bed slightly. "Thank you..." he whispered. In a stronger voice he said, "No, I like blue..."
"That's good, it will make it easier for us to get clothes for you. Are you uncomfortable?" Yugi asked seeing how Atem shifted.
"A long time ago I was in a fight..."
"My back..." Atem winced, as pain stabbed along his back near his ribs.
"whats wrong with your back Atem?" Yugi asked with a worried look on his face
"A long time ago I was in a fight..."
"What! you in a fight? But arent you a Pharaoh, why were you fighting?"
"Pharaohs lead their arm-!" Atem gasped in pain as he reached for his back only for pain to flare up sickeningly in his shoulder.
Atem! Whats wrong?" Yugi asked seeing the pained expression on Atem's face.
"My shoulder..." Atem tried to move his arm but it hurt too much. "Something is wrong..."
"What happened in your fight, can you remember? Sit still I will go and get a doctor."
Atem's breathing was ragged as he tried not to pass out from the pain. Grandpa had left at once and returned with a doctor. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"He said his shoulder is sore and he looks in a lot of pain whenever he moves." Yugi explain for Atem seeing how much pain he was in.
The doctor looked over at the nurse as she came in. "Help me roll him over and be careful of his shoulder.
The nurse nodded and helped him roll Atem over. Atem's eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out. The nurse moved the gown aside and gasped, seeing a ragged scar just below his ribs. "How did we miss that?"
"I dont know but we better get him back onto his back, it looks like he was in a lot of pain." the doctor said rolling him back over gently noticing that he was out cold again.
"Atem, hey Atem, can you hear me, please wake up." Yugi pleaded gently shaking him.
"Careful!" the doctor said sharply, seeing the heart monitor spike at this movement. "Something is wrong. We should do an X-Ray to check that shoulder. Call Radiology and tell him we're on our way."
Ringing the radiology department the nurse nodded at the doctor. "We better get him up there they are waiting for us."
The doctor unlocked the wheels on the bed and wheeled Atem out of the room.
Grandpa looked over at Yugi. "He'll be just fine, Yugi. Medicine has come along way since then."
"I know Grandpa but im still worried about him" Yugi sighed
An hour later, Atem was wheeled back into the room by a nurse. "We have some news."
Atem was half conscious due to the pain medicine they had him on.
"What a relief, what was wrong with him?" Yugi asked.
"He has a broken collarbone and what was paining him was a shard of metal near his ribs. We'll have to wait until he regains strength to remove it."
"Well he did tell me he had been in a fight a long time ago." Yugi sighed.
The nurse brought an immobilizer and a sling and the doctor guided Atem's arm into the sling. Atem didn't even flinch. "Good, the pain meds are working. We'll keep an eye on him and do another X-Ray to make sure it's healing. Once we think he can handle surgery we'll do it."
Atem opened his eyes, which were a little glassy. "Where's...?"
"Thank you so much doctor. I'm right here Atem. I'm just glad you're ok, you got me a little worried." Yugi said gently touching Atem's good shoulder.
Atem closed his eyes again, falling asleep.