Beep.. Beep..

"Can you hear me?"

Beep-beep-beep. Beep.

Light. Blinding, screaming light. I winced at the feeling of unused muscles.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Cart." Another light raced across my closed eyelids.

A whimper escaped my dry throat. The light moved away.

"Can you understand me?"

My eyes flashed open at the touch of something on my arm. A man stood next to me.

"Can you understand me?" He repeated. I blinked, adjusting to the reduced lighting. Everything seemed blurry, which made me wonder if everything was a dream. The Botony Bay, my betrayal, the crowd, our crew of pioneers. He nodded and the light moved to my eyes again.

I protested, groggily moving my hand to cover my face. Cufflings held them down. I shook my head vigorously, attempting to escape the light. He removed it again. I sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry, I need to make sure your pupils are contracting and dialating correctly. You haven't used them in a long time." I opened my eyes again, slowly this time.

"Wh-" I coughed unexpectedly due to my burning throat. The man brought a cup to my mouth. I drank the liquid. However, I felt dissatisfied with it.

"Where... am I?" I asked, finding the words. He frowned and set the cup on a platform next to my head. He waited a moment before answering.

"San Franscisco, sector 31. Do you remember anything from before you went to sleep?" I nodded without thinking. Shouting. Crying. Orders. Goodbyes. Oaths.

"I... I can't..." I pulled on my bindings weakly.

"I'm sorry?" He asked. I sighed in fustration.

"My hands... Why are they bound?" I continued. Another pause.

"To protect you. You've had several negative reactions to our methods." He smiled again. Beep-beep-beep-beep. "Are you alright? Your heart-rate is erratic. You should rest."

I shook my head in defiance. "The others. Where... the ship?" I asked, confused. He paused to pick up a clip-board object, tapping on the board.

"They're still sleeping. Don't worry, they're all safe and sound." He glanced from the board to me and back down again. "Sorry, I need to check on another patient. There's a button on the side of your bed that'll contact help if you need it. I'll be back within the hour." He said, placing the board at the foot of the bed and exiting the room.

I closed my eyes, trying to stretch my muscles as best as I could. How long had I been asleep? A year? A century? What was this strange place?

I looked around once I was able to focus on further objects. Everything was white. The walls, ceiling, and bed. All white. At the edge of my vision was a window, blocking the view with white blinds. It was a strange feeling. I knew the color, but I took no feeling from it.

My brother never wore it. Black signified authority. Superiority. In my last moments with him, he wore fear. Not black. Not fear. Worry? No. Anger? No, not anger. Hatred. Hatred.

Beep-beep.

"We'll be fine. Sleep, and when we wake, they will rue the day."

"Kogen, what if we do not wake at all?"

Beep-beep-beep. Flashes between my final moments with Suezette crossed my mind. The room spun, and my stomache turned with it.

"I love you." My body grew cold.

"I love you. My brother will protect us."

My fist clenched, my chest tightened painfully. I gasped.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

My mouth opened, my lungs burning. My hand grasped the restraints.

Beep-beep-beep-beep.

After another few seconds, my fingers pressed on the emergency. I managed to breath in time for help to arrive. Two nurses ran in, each heading to a side of me. One attempted to calm me down. The other worked behind me.

"Shh, shh. It's alright." I struggled to catch my breath again.

I looked at her in the eyes, suddenly clouded with stupor. I forced my eyes to open. They gained weight with every second and I finally succumbed to sleep.

AN: What'd you think? I've got a lot of easter eggs planned for this story. If you catch any, post what you think it is in a review, and if you're right, I can give you a sneak peek of the next chapter!