Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me. They belong to whoever owns the rights to Andromeda.
The Sleepers Awake
Chapter 1
Once upon a planet, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a handsome Commonwealth prince named Dylan Hunt, and his adopted brother, Gaheris Rhade.
The two young men had known each other since childhood, and Rhade had become part of Dylan's family when his own family had been wiped out by a terrible plague.
Dylan and Rhade had been born on the same day, and on their 17th birthday, Dylan's parents (Rhade's adoptive parents) had a large birthday celebration for them. The king and queen invited all the people in the city, except for one. They forgot about inviting the Mad Perseid. He hadn't been seen for many years, so everyone thought that he had died during his long quest for treasure.
When the day arrived for the celebration, the guests all arrived and had access to the best food, dancing, and grand intellectual discussions with their peers. In the midst of all this, the Mad Perseid arrived in a huff. "How dare you," he screeched, "not invite me? A curse shall be upon Dylan and Rhade:
When they, in the event horizon are caught,
Fighting their sleep will be for naught.
With that statement, he proceeded to spontaneously combust. While putting out the flames, Dylan quipped, "Is this what they mean by 'blowing your top'?" Rhade didn't laugh. He was of a more serious nature than Dylan, and asked, "Do you not think we should be concerned with our survival?"
"Come on, Rhade... He was known as the Mad Perseid. Why should we worry?"
"I suppose you must be right," said Rhade quietly, but he pondered the Mad Perseid's words for some years to come.
The time came when Dylan and Rhade entered the High Guard Academy. They became soldiers defending the Commonwealth, which was a vast group of planets allied together. The titles of king and queen, prince and lord, were just that, titles of distinction, yes... but no more and no less than that of admiral, captain, mother or father.
When they graduated, they were stationed on a High Guard ship. They rose quickly in the ranks and in time, Dylan was made a captain, Rhade was promoted to commander and became Dylan's first officer on a ship called the Andromeda Ascendant.
Dylan and Dylan fought hard for the Commonwealth that they had sworn to protect. Several years after they had left home, a mighty battle was fought and their crew was lost. Only Dylan and Rhade remained on the bridge. "Captain... Dylan... Look at the view screen... The event horizon... We're too close..."
Dylan paled as he thought back to their 17th birthday, and the Mad Perseid's curse.
When they, in the event horizon are caught,
Fighting their sleep will be for naught.
"We're going to be caught." His words seemed slow and sluggish. He reached for Rhade as Rhade got closer but everything they did, seemed to be in slow motion. They fell to the floor, unable to stand any longer. They tried to keep their eyes open, but their eyelids were too heavy. They drifted into a cursed sleep.
The shimmering figure of a woman knelt between the sleeping men, and hid her face in her hands. "You were my only hope to break my curse, and now you are caught in your own," she cried. She disappeared, and the entire ship seemed to sigh in mourning.
Wars were fought... stars were born... planets died... But still the warriors slept...
Until...
-TBC-