Prometheus Unchained Then
You know when people say you're destined for greatness, especially when you're a child, and the world is your oyster? Well, in my case, it's very much a fact.
I was gestating in a pod for a whole year. Three more weeks passed, and I finally hatched, crawling out with the body of a fully grown young man, washed and clothed by men and women in lab coats and glasses. From then on, I was put to work and got drafted as a soldier. Well, Prometheus did, anyway.
Yes, Prometheus. A little pretentious, I know, but that's what the scientists at the Orthys Institute called me. My name's been a thorn in my side for my entire life, and I couldn't change it lest I anger my handlers. While I understood the theme of it all, there was such a thing as being on the nose. And, yes, Greek Mythology was one of my curricula, and personally, I preferred Judeo-Christian Mythology as there's more structure.
As I was saying, there wasn't much use for posthumans like me on the base after being born. That's what they called us. A new breed of superhuman born and trained, created in a test tube to be the perfect soldier, spent two years after our existence on standby. Most of us froze early while the rest sat on our loreals. Sadly, I was the former.
That all changed when the apocalypse hit.
The Institute predicted when it was going to happen. Don't ask me how; they just did. And it was right on schedule. It didn't take long before the Othrys Institute executed the order to shoot us out into the atmosphere. "The order" was a short and sweet nickname the scientists kept using instead of "Operation Titan," probably for the benefactors to understand easily. Even so, the name had rattled in my brain from constant use.
After jettisoning me from an undisclosed location and circling before reentry, my cryo-pod landed in the middle of nowhere, USA. Although I couldn't feel anything, medically unconscious and all that, I presumed the impact on terra firma was very rocky. Be that as it may, once I landed and got into action, my mission would start, but something was amiss.
Of the information kept, they never tell you waking up from cryo-sleep would be worse than getting out of bed, even before you get inside. The scientists who kept me primarily stable told me the abridged version to keep me from worrying about any side effects. They don't tell you that those ice boxes are not a hundred percent safe, so malfunctioning is a guarantee. That's what it was like for me, biding my time till I got out.
The hatch to my pod opened. The burning sun beaming at my eyes, but that didn't stop me from staggering out of that godforsaken portable freezer. When I got my footing straightened, though, the effects of artificial sleep kicked in.
First came blurry vision and loss of balance. It took almost an hour for me to see where I was. From where I was standing, it was the middle of a highway, rusted cars scattered all over, and nature reclaiming the asphalt. Behind me, a large and crumbling city stood on the horizon—the architectural designs strikingly resembling Minneapolis—falling apart like Pripyat in Russia. My observation, though, was merely speculation.
Vision recovery aside, that was only half the trouble. The second effect was delirium and fragmented memory. That was a real pain in the ass. Think of your memory like glass; someone took a ball peen hammer before smashing it to pieces. You try putting the fragments back together, whatever's in your surroundings being the glue. The headaches and nausea made it more difficult. I almost came an inch close to vomiting in my face-covering if it weren't for my strong constitution.
Turning around, I motioned to my pod—the oblong apparatus in a small crater. My eyes scanned all around, spotting the label on the side.
"Prometheus" was written in bold letters. The name still didn't sit right, but I digress. A serial number was printed below as well. And just like that, my memories came flowing back. My purpose, orders, and duties flooded in like a dam had burst open. I even confirmed that I had landed near Minneapolis from the trajectory log. However, the biggest question that plagued me was, "How long have I been asleep?" That's when I checked the digital calendar within the pod's database, and what I found was quite unsettling. Going back to what I said before, those pods tended to malfunction. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered I'd been frozen for five years! In fact, my first instinct was to scream to get out all of my frustrations. And when that wasn't enough, I picked up a green SUV, carrying the ton of metal over my shoulders and chucking it flying a hundred feet in the air. My eyes didn't lose focus while the hunk of scrap fell smack dab into what I assume was the Saint Louis River.
That was enough to blow off steam. Still, I was glad that the car was vacant, an actual weight on my conscience if a family with kids was inside. Sorry, I'm prattling on. Returning to the task, I reminded myself of my mission: Fight the enemy, find survivors, and rebuild civilization. Plus, being cooped up, I needed a reason to stretch my legs. And so, I headed off to God-knows-where (another thing they omitted on the itinerary). All it took was a giant leap and using the telephone poles as a guide, and I was on my way. Opposite from the city, that is (even before the end times, I doubt anyone is still living in that cesspool). My metallic boots jogged across the wires, moving at almost neck-breaking speed. So fast, I was instantly a blur to the naked eye. Any average human would immediately fall or get electrocuted, but that was no problem. My brothers, sisters, and I were almost impossibly durable. You can thank the scientists at the Institute, though an overkill on the people's tax dollars, but otherwise a necessary evil. Anyway, I ran for miles in under an hour, and my first stop was what truly prepared me for what awaits in such a hellhole of a world.
A/N: Hey, everyone. This is Kman134. Here's a preview of Chapter 1.5 (interlude) centered on Theodore, providing some insight into who is, what he is, and where he came from. It's a bit of a break from the main story but with plenty of action. Like I said before, I'm a massive fan of Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines and wanted to arrange the story's chapters similar to how he did it. Anyway, I hope you like this, and it ties you guys over until the whole chapter is added.