Humans are users, selfish and greedy. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a human, but my soul...well let's just say my soul is being pulled towards somewhere different. Earth is dying, we used all we could from it and didn't give anything back. So we searched the planets for somewhere else to fulfill our greed. We found it, on Pandora.
"Jake Sully?" A feminine voice called out, the man in question stopped wheeling and looked towards the owner, she was looking through the crowd of newcomers and he was one of the last to file out of the room. "Uh, that's me." He calls after putting his duffel bag back on his lap. "Thank god." She breathed and gave a big smile as she walked towards him, he was surprised to see a prosthetic leg as she moved around the table, it was very visible in the cargo shorts she wore. "I thought I missed you again, I was suppose to be here when you first arrived but I got held up at the lab." She gave a breathless giggle. He smirked at her rounded face that was framed by a bob that reached right below her chin, dark in color. "No problem, ma'am." He tells her as they begin to walk, she made a face and he chuckles. "That's specialist to you, I was in the army, leg got blown off, now I'm one of the nerds." She shrugs. He nods, he figured she was prior service, they all hold themselves different even without knowing it. "Marine, blown up in Venezuela." He explained and she gives the same nod of understanding. "I'll give you a pass on being a jarhead since you're cute." Without meaning too, he blushed, been a long time since he was complimented. "I bet you loved good ol' Colonel's safety speech, must of felt like home." She teased but he could hear the dislike of the man in her voice, he didn't question it.
"Jake!" A tall skinny man catches up to them and is panting slightly. "You're Jake right, Tommy's brother? Wow, you look just like him." He says causing Jake to look at him wearily, the girl who Jake realized never said her name laughed at the quirky man. "Norm, give the man a minute to breathe." She teases making the man blush. "That's Norm, we both worked with your brother Tommy in Avatar training, I just got an earlier flight." She explained as they kept walking. "Good to see you Rayna, and duh you look like him, you're genetically identical, otherwise you wouldn't be here." Norm says almost too himself, "So we going to go see the lab?" The man questioned his shorter counterpart. "Calm down Nerd, we're here." She says as she entered her code to the door and it swished open, Norm rushing in as Jake wheeled in at a slower place. "Sucks to be told how much you look like him, right?" She asks with a kind smile. He nods with a shrug, "I'm used to it." She lead him further into the lab before saying, "Doesn't mean it doesn't sting, even for a strong marine like you." She gives his shoulder a squeeze and he gives her a small smile at her understanding, he respects that she doesn't ask more about it or say how sorry she is. "Jake, Rayna!" Norm yells.
She smirks as the boys look at the fully grown Avatars floating in the tanks. "They got big." Jake breathes as he rolls closer. "Yeah, they fully mature on the way out here." Norm tells him and turns towards the scientist who was there to greet them, "So the proprioceptive sims worked pretty well." The man, Max, nods with enthusiasm and says " Yeah they go great muscle tone, give us a few hours and you guys can take them for a spin." He tells the two new men and Norm cheers while Jake stares at the Avatar who was no doubt his. "It looks like him", Rayna gives him a gentle tap to the face and smiles reassuringly, Jake pats the hand closest to him. "He looks like you." Norm tells Jake nicely, "He's yours now, Jake."
Rayna left them and Max had Jake practicing on doing Video logs as him and Norm talked about science stuff that he either didn't understand or didn't care too, Jake was already missing the sweet woman, at least she didn't make him feel stupid. It seemed his wish was received because right as he was running out of things to video log about, he heard her voice. "Log off, Jarhead, time to meet the boss lady." They walked into a room with the link units in it, "So I'm not gonna lie, Dr. Augustine is a bit of a bitch, but she means well and she's the top of her field, she really does know what she's doing." Rayna explained as they walked in and Jake smirks at her blunt statement. "That's because she likes plants better than people." Max mumbled to them and Rayna gave a shrug, "I'm getting there myself." Jake gave her a curious look but she didn't seem to be in an elaborating mood at the moment. "Where is my god damn cigarette? People, what is wrong with this picture?" The woman of discussion snapping her fingers impatiently. Rayna chuckles as Jake smirks at the older woman. "Charming as ever, Grace." Rayna says as the Doctor turns to them. "And here Cinderella is back from the ball, Grace I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman and Jake.." Grace cuts him off and says to the tall scientist, "Norm. I hear great things about you, how is your Na'vi?" Norm stands up straighter and clears his throat, "Awvea ultxari ohengeyä, Nawma Sa'nok lrrtok siveiyi" Grace looks impressed and takes a drag from her cigarette, "Tsun tivam. Aylì'u ngian nì'it skepek lu." Grace responds, throughout all of this poor Jake looks confused and out of his element, Rayna takes pity and whispers, "He said something about the all mother and she told him he sounded formal but good, I'll help you out, don't worry." He gives her a grateful look.
"Grace, this is Jake Sully." Max speaks up and Jake wheels closer to the older woman, "Ma'am" He extends his hand but she ignores it, Yeah, I know you who you are, I don't need you I need your brother, you know the one with the PHD who trained for three years." "He's dead, I know it's a big inconvenience for everyone." Jake snaps. "Chill out with the bitch queen mode, Grace." Rayna warns and Grace sighs, "How much lab training do you have?" She asks him, "I dissected a frog once." Jake responds with a smirk as Rayna giggles. "See you see, they're pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain." She hissed to Max and storms away yelling, "I'm going to Selfridge." Max tries to stop her but gives up with a tired sigh. "Be here 0800, try to use big words." He tells the marine as Rayna gives a full bellied laugh.
The next day they all are getting ready to link with their Avatars, Rayna gave him a quick crash course before disappearing to get ready for her link, she didn't need to be observed since it wasn't her first time since being here. The moment that he woke up feeling his toes and legs he knew that they wouldn't ever be able to stop him from running again. "Why am I not surprised you didn't follow any protocol I informed you of." A familiar voice called out and he see's a Na'vi woman dressed in a crop top shirt that read Army and cargo shorts, she was beautiful and had long hair that had random braids places in it but flown free for the most part and he caramel eyes matches his new friends. "Rayna" He gave a laughed and spun around digging his toes into the dirt. "I know how you feel, the first time is amazing, the new but familiar sensation of walking and feeling the ground, it doesn't get old." She explains and he once again is struck with the thankful feeling of Rayna just being herself, it was nice to have someone who understood. "Think fast, Marine." Another voice broke through their mutual understanding as Grace through a Pandorian fruit at Jake, he caught it and bit into it moaning at the taste making Grace laugh. "Motor control is looking good." She says out loud. They all turn when Norm yells, "Hey check it out" He is flexing and yells out, "I am a living god." Rayna snorts in laughter and they all joined her.
Later that night the Avatar are in a tent and starting to relax and get ready for bed, "Alright kiddies, bed time, lights out." Grace calls. Rayna turns to Jake and gives him a sad look, "Try to remember this feeling, it isn't easy at first when you unlink." Jake furrows his brows. "Goodnight." Grace calls and shuts off the lights. Jake wakes up and frowns at the loss of feeling below his waist, he sits up and looks over at Rayna who is staring at her leg, the limb now missing again. She turns to him and sighs, "We always have to wake up."
