This was not Oasis, this was nothing. Or rather, there was only nothing. But how did this come to be? The last memory that seemed to fade in and out like a dream was her lab, research papers strewn about and this odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. No, the odd feeling was new. It was a rising sensation that burned the back of her throat. Ah, it was bile...

The darkness was broken by this rather violent sensation, and though her eyes had opened in that brief moment of sickness, the figures around her had only registered as shadows. Confusion and a rush of fear rippled through her extremities and yet there was still nothing. Save for the involuntary wretching, gasping for air, and feeling as if her very DNA was on fire, her body refused to cooperate before falling back into the empty. Had she lost consciousness? An interesting hypothesis.

It was impossible to determine just how long she was in this state before she found herself easing back into the here and now. The world around her didn't feel as acute, a sedative perhaps? Would it be strange if she considered it a welcoming feeling? Now everything was dull. The ache in her chest from out of shape lungs, the ache in her arms and legs. The only unwelcome sensation was that her mind was dulled as well. She just wanted to sleep, as much as wanted answers, stubbornness would not win this battle.

"How is she?" Three days had passed since Commander Reyes, Genji, and McCee had returned from their somewhat botched mission. Every day, Gabriel came to check on the mystery woman and everyday Baptiste would have something new to say.

"Today, she woke up three times."

"Why didn't you tell me...?"

"Because it was only to violently vomit before passing out again," the young medic chuckled, "I did not think you would want to be here for that after your first experience."

Gabriel bristled just slightly at the thought before a question popped into his head, "I didn't think you needed food when in cryo...why would she..."

"Hmm...well, I won't lie, I don't know all the intimate details on how it works, but what I can tell you is that it was mostly water," Baptiste leaned back in his rickety metal chair and peered over at the resting ginger, "perhaps it's just the body expelling the excess water from being frozen for so long."

Now, this was an interesting bit of information, "How long was she like that?"

To this question, the young man shrugged, "Months...years...your guess is as good as mine."

A gruff hum escaped the taller man, it would seem he would have to wait just a little bit longer before he got his answers. The longer the wait though, the more questions started to pile up. The information he and Genji had seen on that ship had mentioned human cargo, but everything else was apparently encrypted. It would take time to crack so his only other option was to wait. And so he would.

There were voices, male, muffled. Two different people, she had concluded after a while. In that time she started feeling new things. Things she knew but it felt as though she was feeling them brand new. Hunger for one. Thirst. The pain was still the same. Her body didn't feel as lethargic, but it still ached and there was this chill that never really went away no matter how wrapped up she was. It was like the layer just under her skin was still frozen. In her moments of semi-lucidity, she had likened herself to a frozen turkey slowly defrosting. However, usually what came next was not preferable. With each passing moments of wakefulness, it grew more apparent that she was in a strange place with strange people. Were they friend or foe? Human for sure, but what were their intentions?

She very much wanted to bide her time but it seemed as though she would not be afforded that luxury. Her right arm had completely lost all feeling, the dulled pain had spiked to the point of jolting her into an almost hyper-awareness. Eyes now wide open, she was sitting upright in an archaic military cot staring down at her arm. It was bandaged from the shoulder all the way down to her fingers to the point of numbness. Instinctively, she knew that if circulation was cut off for too long it would cause serious and possibly irreparable damage. This was something she would not allow as she started pulling and clawing at the wrappings.

"Miss! Miss! Please stop!" one of the voices she had heard speaking before was now as clear as day, it belonged to a young, dark-skinned male. He had rushed over and tried to stop her.

"My arm, there's no feeling, you've wrapped it too tightly!" her voice was raspy but harsh from lack of use.

"It was the only way to stop the infection from spreading!"

She stopped, infection? Breathing heavy as she tried to settle herself down, she fought back that urge to pull at the bandages. In such a hobble, it made sense they wouldn't have something to fight off a simple infection. Cutting off blood flow would keep it from spreading but it would still compromise the limb. Wait...how long did they let it go before doing this? Why the whole arm? She needed to see it...

"I would listen to the doc lady," this was the other voice, there was no doubt about that, "don't know what's wrong with that right arm of yours but it seemed to go septic in just a few hours. We weren't sure if you'd wake up."

That didn't sound right, "Sepsis doesn't act that quickly..." she mumbled to herself, besides, while she didn't necessarily disagree with this method as a temporary solution if this was, in fact, an infection than antibiotics should have been given.

The momentary burst of adrenaline had started to subside in a noticeable way. The hint of red in her narrow face had all but drained away and was replaced with a sickly grey. Though her breathing had steadied, it was still somewhat labored. She had fallen silent, her lips pressed into a thin line and drooped in an almost resting frown.

"Look, lady, we all have questions but-" Gabriel was cut off when the red-head gave him a hard look, he couldn't help but notice now that her eyes, though darkened with fatigue, were two very different colors. One a dark red and the other an almost striking blue.

"It's Doctor..." it was clear now she was actually actively fighting to stay conscious, a losing battle as she didn't get to finish before her head lulled back.

Both Gabriel and Baptiste looked at one another, both coming to the same conclusion that this woman was going to be difficult. The younger of the two then sighed and eased his patient back down. The bandages on her right arm were compromised so he would have to redress it. The Commander had taken his seat once again, his arms folded across his chest and a contemplative look on his face.

If what she said was true, that she was a doctor, it would make some kind of sense why the Omnic's would possibly keep her on ice. Maybe.

"What are you thinking doc?" his tone was unreadable, so Baptiste took his time to really think about his answer.

As he pulled the wrappings around her hand away, the once pale skin was a darkened purple. Usually, if circulation was returned the proper color would return. In this case, it did not. Had he made a mistake? Or had whatever had caused this just completely kill the arm?

"Jeez, that's not contagious is it?" McCree had just walked in, whatever business he was there for completely forgotten at the site of the now disfigured arm.

"I don't believe so?" was the doctors' response, he had taken out a pen and started tapping the tips of her fingers, dragging it down the palm of her hand just to see if there were any reflexes. There was, her hand twitched. So it wasn't dead, but then why did it look like it was?

The gruff cowboy didn't look super convinced, neither did their commanding officer for that matter. "This area is going to be quarantined until we know just what it is we're dealing with," Gabe turned and motioned for Jesse to leave, "pass this order on to the rest of the camp."

"Uh...sure boss." McCree really didn't need to be told twice, he'd already lost one arm he really didn't want his only good one left turning all purple and gross.

A few days passed since the little incident. Word had spread but as per the Commanders orders, nobody went near the infirmary. Baptiste had set up a secondary infirmary for the rest of the base and would stop by to change the woman's bandages. It seemed that whenever she experienced anything stressful the bandages would go sour. Just another mystery to be stacked onto the continually growing pile.

Gabriel in the meantime kept a steady watch on their guest. This day, in particular, he had brought his breakfast with him. Which really only consisted of military rations, maple oatmeal, and freeze-dried apple slices. Any kind of fresh food was a luxury nobody had had in a good long while. He used the apple slices like a spoon and ate his oatmeal in silence.

The smell roused the sleeping woman, her stomach made an embarrassingly loud growl. Though the look on her face as she stared up at the dark ceiling was by far the most unapologetic thing the older man had ever seen. The two of them sat in relative silence, both attempting to size up the other. This was honestly the most physically stable the woman had been in for the last week so the last thing either of them wanted to do was change that.

"Why don't we start with a name." Reyes was the first to break the silence, biting down on a dried apple slice, the crunch of it picking at the woman's ears.

Her gaze turned, she still looked tired but was far more alert as she slowly sat up. It was a laboring task but successfully accomplished, "Yes, lets." A challenge. Being at a far greater disadvantage, the Irishwoman was guarded.

Gabe was less than deterred by this and just smirked, "Gabriel Reyes," he had dipped a new apple slice in some oatmeal and held it out to her, "now it's your turn."

Not one to shy away from slimy or conventionally gross things, the look that crossed the woman's face was as if someone had just offered her something truly repulsive. It looked hideous but her very empty stomach said it smelled practically divine. Taking it with her good hand and taking a bite, it really was pretty vile in the tasteless department, the smirk that pulled at her lips looked almost sinister. Or so she had a vague memory of being told.

"Moira O'Deorain."

This was a start. Though if it was a good thing or not was yet to be determined. Moira felt a bit more like herself now that she had something solid in her stomach. A part of her was grateful that Gabriel didn't press the many questions just yet. But she knew they would come soon enough. For now, he simply sat there and allowed her to really take in her surroundings and the situation she found herself in.

For one, the clothes she was wearing were not her own. Hospital pajama's would be considered the highest of fashion by comparison. The cap sleeves allowed for easy access to the bandaged arm which, compared to last time, was now only wrapped up to her elbow. Lifting the blanket, she discovered the rest of the ensemble consisted of a hospital gown and shorts for modesty. She cleared her throat in disapproval.

"The clothes we found you in were pretty messed up, this was all we had that would fit you."

"Charming."

"If it makes you feel any better, one of the female attendants changed you," he popped the last apple slice in his mouth before mumbling through the mouthful, "we aren't animals."

That was debatable, but Moira kept that thought to herself. Instead, she let the blanket drop back onto her lap while straightening her back in a stretch. It really didn't matter one way or the other who changed her clothes. She was far from one to really concern herself with such trivial matters. From a logical standpoint, it made complete sense. Having been dressed in her Minister's attire she knew it wasn't exactly medically friendly.

Her thoughts came to a pause, what had she been doing before this? The symptoms she had been exhibiting was that of cryosickness, but that didn't account for her right arm. These people seemed to think it was septicemia but from what she could tell there were no signs of the cause. It would not cause her to lose feeling, something she attributed to the bandages, but now that she could examine it more closely they weren't bound nearly as tight as before.

This was not an infection, that she could be absolutely sure about.

Why was she experiencing cryosickness? Unless of course, she had been in cryo-sleep. The pieces were slowly falling into place. But why? One would think a person would remember the reason for being frozen.

"I was in cryo-sleep, why?" she then asked.

"You tell me." Gabriel could tell she was working things out and didn't want to interrupt. After all, it would be in his best interest if she could clearly answer his questions.

Moira didn't seem to like this answer, "I do not tolerate fools, Gabriel."

Oh, Gabriel grinned, "Before, you said you were a doctor, why would the Omnic's put a doctor on ice?"

Omnic's? What did they have to do with...the gears started turning again. An Omnic's face flashed in her mind's eye, though faded a second later. Did this man not know who she was?

"I am, but you seem to be hostile towards Omnics, you do realize how invaluable they ar-" Moira stopped, the calm look on the man's face had hardened which sent off red flags...she was missing something, "What?"

He said nothing, he just got to his feet with a heavy sigh while crumpling up the ration packaging, "You're just as much in the dark on all of this as we are, perhaps more so."

"Clearly, one minute I'm in my office, the next I'm waking up in the dirt with a bunch of heathens."

"Those heathens saved your life," tensions were getting a little frayed, both Gabriel and Moira stared the other down, "There were others in pods, all cooked except you, you were all on a transport ship leaving Oasis."

Slim brows furrowing with fists clenched, the confusion in the woman's mismatched eyes only grew. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. What did he mean there were others? What others? Why would she leave Oasis, much less in cryo-sleep.

"Just how long do you think you were under?" Gabriel then asked the million dollar question. The longest recommended duration of cryo-sleep was at most five months, any time beyond that could result in all sorts of negative side effects.

"Five months..." the hesitation in her answer sounded foreign to both parties.

"Try years," there it was, the bomb, "judging by your sympathies for the Omnic's, probably at least eight, before the Crisis."

Eight years? That was impossible...

"You must be joking." Moira unclenched her hands as she took a deep breath, it was strange but it felt like her skin was tingling under the bandages.

"There was nothing funny about when the Omniums launched attacks in every major city, or the millions of lives lost," Gabriel had eased back just enough to sound collected, "Or all the starving families in Oasis that are living under their rule."

This brought her focus back to the man, "The Ministers don't starve the people."

"Considering they did nothing to stop the Omnic's from overrunning their city, they may as well have."

As those words left the man's lips, they both realized the weight of what was just said. While it was true that Oasis was more lenient towards Omnics considering the advancements they provided and their peaceful co-existence with the citizens. The Ministers would never allow such a takeover. Moira would know, she was one. Could this mean that those other people were the other Ministers?

Had they been tricked?

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Moira did her best to process all of this information.

"So, the ruling body of Oasis is dead..." Gabriel said after a moment, he had gotten some information but it wasn't what he was hoping for.

"Not all of them."

"So, which are you?"

Rubbing both eyes with a bandaged hand, Moira steeled herself, "My full title is Doctor Moira O'Deorain, Minister of Genetics. I am one of the six governing bodies of Oasis."

The two sat in silence once more. The whole picture was still not fully formed but the two of them were beginning to see that things are definitely not as simple as it seemed. But then again, nothing ever really was.

"You should rest, I'll see if we have anything a little more filling, I'm sure you're due as decent a meal as we can scrape together," Gabriel sighed, "That is if you don't mind being in the company of heathens a little while longer."

Saying nothing, the displaced geneticist just leaned back and combed her long fingers through her hair, "Tell me, am I a prisoner or a guest?"

Standing at the door, Gabriel didn't face her this time, "I suppose that depends on you, doctor."