Chasing Light

Summary:

With the sun dying, mankind faces extinction. Sam Winchester, and a crew of seven left Earth falling to a solar winter. Their mission? Not to stop searching for a new source of energy until they were successful. Their last resort, to create a star inside of a star. Eight astronauts strapped to the back of a bomb, hoping it doesn't come to that. Welcome to the Metis.

Warnings:

Extremly AU! Eventual slash and other romantic pairings. Crude language, violence.

From the video diary of: Captain Sam Winchester

21:36:06 / 16.12.2058

"Our sun is dying. Mankind faces extinction. Seven years ago the Caelus project sent a mission to find a planet that could support human life. I Sam Winchester, and a crew of seven left Earth falling to a solar winter. Our mission? Not to stop searching for a new source of energy until we were successful. Our last resort, to create a star inside of a star. Eight astronauts strapped to the back of a bomb, my bomb, hoping it doesn't come to that. Welcome to the Metis."

25.03.2054

Sam Winchester was the first of the crew to awaken from stasis. The moment he was conscious it was almost as if a bolt of lightening pierced through his skull and it ratcheted off of every bone in his body. He ignored the pang of hunger and the feeling of weightlessness that battled with disorientation. Instead he focused on the list of things he had to do upon waking that had been drilled into his head ever since mission training had begun.

When you wake up, the first thing you are going to do is take out the three intravenous lines that are inserted into both of your arms and then you are going to vomit. If there is any chemical left in your body from the stasis serum it can harm you. Stasis is only safe when unconscious.

Sam gently loosened the tape holding the line in his vein. Then he slid a thin hydration line from his right arm. He pulled the nutrition line and the stasis line from his left arm. Once the needles were free from his skin, Sam felt the burn crawling up his throat as his mouth watered. He didn't need to be told to vomit. His eyes darted around the dimly lit cab and spotted the mess bags attached to the opposite wall. He yanked one down and pulled it open. He held his face to it letting his stomach do all the work for him. As soon as he felt emptier than he ever had before, Sam mentally reverted back to the tasks he needed to complete.

Your crew will remain in stasis for at least two days after you awaken. The first person you need to remove the stasis from is Doc Singer. He needs to evaluate you before you even think about removing the rest of your crew. So you need reset the settings on the medi-charts. Slow the stasis drip to its lowest setting. This will allow the doc to wake up naturally.

Sam swallowed the sour taste in his mouth and made his way over to the charts. As soon as he stepped in front of the first chart it flickered to life. The screen revealed every vital that was currently being monitored: heart rate, oxygen saturation, glucose and insulin levels, and nutrition intake. After a few moments Sam found the stasis drug drip rate. He decreased it to the lowest setting and stepped back to see the frosty white glass covering Dr. Bobby Singer from head to toe.

There were six more crew members that Sam would wake upon the doc's evaluation. If he didn't pass, if his body wasn't up to par like it should be then they'd be asleep until the doctor fixed whatever ailed the captain. No mission could be completed with out the captain. Sam ignored the guilt that spread across his chest with a heavy weight. The longer a person stayed in stasis the greater the chance that they would never wake up. More time passed that allowed something to go wrong. Each frosty white tube held a member of his crew within. In each tube there was someone he loved beyond belief. Gabriel, Ruby, Castiel, Bobby, Dean, Balthazar and Jo. He pressed a hand to each glass tube and whispered the softest of prayers that their units didn't malfunction in the launch and they remained healthy within.

Reset your crew's nutrient intake. Now that they will hopefully be waking soon, the more nutrients their bones are getting the better.

Sam moved to each medical chart and tapped the touch screen until he reached the intravenous fluid and nutrient intake portion. He upped the setting on a slow increase over the next few days. Nutrition and exercise was one of the most important things in space besides the mission. Going back home and finding your bone mass has deceased substantially might mean that you can't walk anymore, that you may never walk again. Sam shook his head clear. There was no reason to be thinking negatively right now. They had at least four more years before they even made it close to being back home if things went according to plan. If things went south they'd be up here longer. The last space station they could stop at to resupply was near Jupiter. After that they were on their own in the search for a new energy source.

After you have attended to your crew your most important priority is to check and stabilize any malfunctioning systems on the ship. The bridge will allow you access to every crevice of the ship. Your crew depends on you to keep them alive while they are in stasis, Winchester. Do not panic. Do not hyperventilate. Do not forget the reason you are out there. You eight men are Earth's last hope.

Sam made his way up to the bridge through a dimly lit maze of corridors. He ignored the roiling in his stomach and climbed the steel ladder to find the bridge. It was bigger than he remembered. The walls around the bridge were a stark white but the panels, the controls they were all illuminated a dazzling blue with a deep black lacquer beneath them. The most impressive part of having a job that allowed Sam to be in the bridge as much as he was would be the display of what was outside their ship. That was the first thing Sam had drilled into his head. If the display is out, your nav systems could have been lost as well. The display is linked to your nav systems, making that view you astronauts are so fond of possible.

It was a good sign. With deft fingers Sam had the ship readings up and scrolling through them in no time.

The navigation system was online and functioning. The next thing, the most important thing, was if they were still on course or not. After a certain range the base operations on Earth couldn't input data to correct mistakes. The supply stations didn't have the capability to help either. The only way to communicate was to deliver messages from station to station until the last communication was station to base. They wouldn't be able to receive anything once they hit middle space. Once they were near Jupiter it was radio silence.

If they were off course, the amount of time allotted to correct the mistake was two months. A few thousand miles off in space could mean needing every second of those two months to make it to a supply station so they weren't floating in dead air. They didn't have much room for error.

When the plotted course came up and Sam compared it to where they should be and where they were. He let a sigh of relief poured through him. They were off by two hundred and sixty miles. He could correct that within an hour. He plotted the new coordinates into the navigation system and closed his eyes.

Remember the payload you are carrying. Do not risk your ship in any means. If any damage comes to the hull, you and your men will be dead within a matter of moments. Then the rest of us will be dead in a matter of years.

Sam rubbed tired hands over his eyes as he stood up and went in search of the mess hall. Despite the fact that he had just vomited everything up his stomach was growling and he needed something solid instead of a liquid meal through the arm.

The mess area was comprised of a large circular table and ergonomically shaped chairs bolted to the floor. The cabinets were kept closed with a plastic latch that took a bit more working to get it open than Sam actually appreciated. Inside the first set of cabinets were protein and vitamin tubes. Generally what they would either eat for breakfast or lunch. Dinner would probably be the meal that was most satisfying and what the crew looked forward to. It would be awhile before they could have anything substantial though. They had to grow their own crops for fresh vegetables. From what Sam understood the set up for the garden was up and ready, waiting for someone to start working their green thumb.

He slurped down the tube of protein and only gagged slightly at the taste before he was throwing the trash in the shoot. He studied the wall of beverage choices and selected a bottle of water before it was thrust up through the counter. He sipped at the water as he explored the ship.

There was a corridor of sleep quarters. Each room was labeled with the crew member's name and their rank. There was a pass code required to get into each room. Sometimes the privacy would be nice but Sam could already see the problems that could occur. They would be in space, isolated from everyone but each other, for six years. The lack of communication from family members and loved ones could drive anyone over the edge.

Sam punched in his own pass code and set the bottle of water on the tiny work station they had created. A small computer sat innocently waiting for him to begin recording his video diary. For a few months these diaries would be cut and edited by the base and televised to students across earth. He turned the machine on and flopped down on top of his bunk. It was almost like a sleeping bag had been strapped down to a mattress. It was comfy enough. Probably more comfortable than the bed he had back home.

As soon as the machine chirped to life Sam logged into the program that would record and house each video diary recorded.

From the video diary of: Captain Sam Winchester

13:02 / 25.03.2054

"Well I made it out of stasis just fine. They were right about the vomiting. I puked almost a minute after I got out of the tube. Then I immediately wanted something to eat. Funny how that all works out. The doc should be waking up in the next day or so. I'm looking forward to that, having someone to show this place to. I'm ready to get this part done with. I don't like having my crew still out while I'm waiting to see what happens."

Uh," Sam squinted at the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen, "This thing even prompts us on what we should be talking about. Interesting. It was strange waking up and being in Metis by myself. It's very quiet up here. The only thing that I had to really do when I woke up was reset our navigation system. We had gone two hundred and sixty miles off course. That should be corrected within the next hour or so. There's not much to report right now other than I'm awake and the ship is in good condition and I'm waiting to see how much of the ship I can explore and what shape the doc thinks I'm in. Waking up was easier than I thought it would be."

Sam turned the machine off and sprawled out on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath. There were pictures of his family lining the ceiling. His mom, dad and his brothers were watching over him even in space. He even had a few pictures of his old house. It would be something he could imagine at night if he ever got home sick. Right now all he could think of was how he needed to get sleep that wasn't chemically induced.

Breakfast wasn't a meal that Sam was used to eating alone. Ever since training had begun, breakfast was the one meal they all sat down in the mess hall together and often the time spent muttering over coffee for the most amusement. Sitting down to an empty mess hall allowed Sam more time for looking around than before. There was more to it then a blank slate that he originally saw. There was a touch screen radio that had been uploaded with all the crew's favorite music. Sam tapped the radio to life and scrolled until he got to his own choice of music. He smiled when the first notes drifted across the room as he plundered the cabinets for breakfast. There were a few more options available. Instead of only protein tubes there were freeze-dried bits of food. After a few minutes of thumbing through dinner and lunch options Sam happened upon a package of scrambled eggs.

After adding water and chemically heating the eggs Sam found a fork and ate the eggs right out of the aluminum packaging. He hummed along to the music playing and as soon as he finished he disposed of the mess and headed back down to the sick bay where the stasis tubes were contained.

Doctor Singer was still out of it but the glass had lost its frosting so Sam could see how it looked like the doctor was either in the process of waking up or dreaming. He sat down on the floor with his back pressed against the wall and he waited. He looked from tube to tube willing the icy frosting to disappear so he could see his crew members. That wouldn't happen for a while yet no matter how much he willed it to be. He wasn't sure how long he waited before his watch alarmed for him to head up to the bridge. He didn't know how much longer Doc Singer would be awake but Sam figured he wouldn't be awake in the next few hours.

Captain's Log

08:00 / 26.03.2054

After the slight deviation from our charted path I have corrected the problem. We have over a month before we need to head for the supply station just outside of Mars' gravitational pull. So far there hasn't been any registered energy spots that need to have been explored. No other crew members have been woken from stasis as of 08:34.

Sam tapped the captain's log closed and leaned back in his chair. He placed his hands behind his hand and stared out the display at the darkness surrounding the ship. He allowed him self another moment of relief before he turned back to the control panel. He slid down the console a little before he pulled up the energy and shuttle logs.

He scratched the back of his neck as he tried to connect the dots of energy shifts and trying to make a pattern out of it. He grabbed the tablet stored in the below the desk and started jotting down notes with the stylus. There wasn't much to note. There was probably more than what he was actually seeing but this wasn't his specialty. If there's any question about the ship, Sam can answer it and fix it. This, logging energy burst and to possibly change their path, Gabriel and Ruby were to two to get this taken care of. He knew enough to know that he was still navigating the ship in the right direction of finding the energy source that they were searching for.

After he logged the necessities and double-checked their course of travel Sam decided to explore the ship while everything was still slow going. His first stop was to check out the greenhouse. He always found the greenhouse training area back home peaceful. He liked the inane chatter coming from Castiel and the way he dominated the area proclaiming to be God and all his minions should bow down to the almighty.

The greenhouse area was brightly lit. The lights were different in this wing then the rest of the shuttle. They gave off a little bit of heat, warming the room and they were angled at the different garden areas. Where there would be counter space for research, the counters were removed and glass created the perimeter holding the soil in place. Sam let his fingers brush across the dirt and smiled to himself. The soil was slightly moist but not too much. Not to the point it wouldn't hold crop.

Brushing his finger tips clean Sam looked to see what kind of foods the Castiel thought would grow best in space. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, green beans, and cantaloupe were a few of the things they would be eating hopefully sooner rather than later.

Next Sam ventured into the air purification room. This was one of the places where Balthazar would be. Continuously tinkering with the oxygen tanks to get the most use out of them and trying to find a more efficient way to clean up the air they used and exhaled. If one of the purification systems went offline their lives could be at risk. And Sam was lucky to have someone like Balthazar on his crew. The man was a genius with manipulating machinery to do as he willed them to. He wasn't afraid to learn about other parts of the ship and he wasn't afraid to get dirty.

Sam reached the cargo hold area and looked at the tiny office that Jo would be housed in almost continuously. The small room was encompassed by huge crates that contained the tools that might be needed in a mission. She also made sure their suits were air tight and fully functioning the way they were supposed to be. He could just picture her sitting with her blonde hair pulled in a sloppy pony tail with a pen in her mouth and her eyes focused on the computer monitor in front of her like he had seen her so many times before at the base. If she wasn't busy making sure everything was how it was supposed to be she'd be planning out each crew member's exercise and nutrition up in the sick bay with Dr. Singer. The two of them were unstoppable when they worked together against the rest of the crew. Sam already knew he wouldn't be able to ignore what they told him to do.

One of the last rooms Sam got to explore was the exercise area. It was full of different machines and compartments holding who knew what. One of Sam's favorite pieces of equipment was the treadmill. He could spot different things that were brought into the room for the crew. Dean had weights, Ruby had an elliptical and Meg had a stationary bike. This would probably be one of his favorite areas and the temptation to use the equipment now was overwhelming. He couldn't though. Not until Dean woke up. He was the only other crew member who knew nearly as much as Sam did about the ship. He could take over if something happened to Sam and Sam trusted Dean to get his crew home safe no matter what.

His exploration was cut short when his watch began to alarm. He tapped the screen quickly to see what was happening on the ship before he realized it was alarming in the sick bay. Dr. Singer must have woken up. Sam jogged the entire way towards the sick bay and when he made it Bobby was wiping his mouth clean.

"What a crappy wake up call," Bobby straightened up and tossed the mess bag in the garbage shoot, "Metis is okay?

Sam smiled, "Everything on the ship is great."

Bobby nodded, "Good, you got a couple hours free?"

"I'll need to get to the bridge in a few hours. This isn't going to take that long is it?" Sam grimaced at the thought of what Dr. Singer could do to him in that small amount of time.

"Gotta check your ticker, do a stress test, collect some blood and do the initial imaging to keep track of your bone loss." Dr. Singer shrugged as she moved across the room and started pulling cabinets and drawers open. He found his stethoscope and grinned as he pointed towards an examine table, "Take a seat Captain."

Dr. Singer listened to his heart and lungs for a few moments before gesturing for Sam to lie back. He pushed and prodded at his abdomen before letting Sam sit back up. "All of this looks good so far. Let me take some blood, and get those x-rays then you get to the fun part."

The fun part wasn't so much fun. Sam could feel his heart still beating out of his chest and sweat dripping from the nape of his neck and down onto the collar of his uniform. He sat on the examination table and wiped as much of the sweat off his neck and face as he could as Doc Singer explained what results he could.

"You're in tip-top condition Captain. Your heart is good and strong, your reflexes good and your stamina even better. Your oxygen intake is at a good level for someone just coming out of stasis. A couple of weeks of exercise and solid foods will help that. You're probably going to be the person who's in the best condition out of all of us."

"That's good to hear," Sam swiped a hand through his hair and licked his lips, "So are we in the clear to wake up the rest of the crew?"

"I'll start lowering the stasis levels tonight," He commented absently as he flipped through the chart that had been put together for Sam. "And I would like it if you weren't constantly buzzing in and out of here while the crew is waking. I know you're going to worry until they are all up and working but I need space to work and time to make sure they are up to par. They aren't going to be as honest with me if you're hovering over their shoulders."

Sam rolled his lips together and nodded, "Let me know when they wake and statuses and I'll stay out of the sick bay."

"I appreciate it Captain," Doctor Singer mock saluted Sam, "Now get out of my hair so I can work. I'm sure you have something important to do."