Please enjoy this next chapter!
"...How is she?"
".. We have confirmed that thankfully, as we estimated, she is okay."
".. That's good to hear. When she came out of nowhere through that portal, I nearly jumped out of my suit."
"The only problem is we haven't found where that portal came from, the ion trails that were left behind on this girl are the only clue we have, The labs still scanning The residue left on her, but we still haven't heard back from them."
"And let's not forget the fact that this woman appeared with only one limb as the rest seemed to have been amputated."
"I'm still confused that she doesn't have any prosthetics, technology and medical science have really advanced over the past few centuries so Now these days getting cyborg prosthetics is easier to attain than they were many long years ago. By all rights she should have had some ages ago."
"Maybe she's from a family that couldn't afford them."
"Maybe but that's not the only thing that is disconcerting, I looked over the galactic database and I can't find a thing about where this woman came from or even who she is."
The voices became clearer and clearer as I started to regain consciousness.
My head was swimming from feeling like I was sucked into a whirlpool.
But the strangest thing is the more that my consciousness started to return to me, the more the voices that I kept hearing started to sound familiar.
I know I've heard them somewhere before, I can feel it at the tip of my tongue.
As I started to open my eyes, everything was blurry, as expected, so I had to blink a few times to try and clear my vision.
"That is incredibly strange. And just plain illogical. Everyone's ID is recorded in the galactic database, everybody's. It's the law after all. So why isn't there anything on her???"
"You're guess is as good as mine."
"So we're at a dead end until this girl wakes up. Hopefully without any amnesia, that would make things worse."
"Agreed."
"Guys she's waking up!!"
Multiple foot steps were heard as my vision finally cleared up, becoming aware that I was hearing a light "beeping" sound That reminded me all too well of the heart monitor that I was attached to when I was in the hospital a while back.
Upon looking to the direction of the voices, I almost fainted in shock as my heart skipped a beat.
'I must be hallucinating cuz there's no way this is real!!!' I immediately thought in denial as my jaw had already dropped before that, 'There's no way that Buzz Lightyear, Warp Darkmatter, Commander Nebula and The Little Green Men can be here with me now!!'
There was just no way! Yet here they are, in flesh and blood, and they all look exactly as I remembered them.
Buzz, a human with light tan skin, a well-built, muscular human somewhere in his early or mid-forties, broad chest and large feet, but also possesses a larger-than-average chin topped off with a characteristic swirl, Large, round eyes that appear black. His white uniform with purple and fluorescent green schemes, Black around the abs, purple head cowl, He looked similar to his toy counterpart, with The obvious difference.
Warp, a blue humanoid alien with periwinkle (though it looks more like pale light blue to me) skin and (dark) navy blue hair that he keeps cropped short, flanked by sideburns. Sporting a chin-strip beard, sharp, squarish features. Broad-shouldered and muscular, wearing the same uniform.
Commander Nebula, or also known as Zeb Nebula as I've been told in my early childhood from a few fans of the show, Although an aging human, was well-built, with a broad chest and shoulders. Medium tan skin, large chin, and a large gray mustache, complete with gray eyebrows, possibly bald since he never removes his thermal hood (AKA cowl). Mustache occasionally mirroring his mood by curling or prickling whenever he is agitated. Left leg which had been cut off at the knee at some unknown point, and replaced by a peg leg which doubles as a plasma cannon (or so I'm told). His attire is typical of all Space Rangers, with the only exception being a large golden Star Command emblem as the chest plate.
As for The Little Green Men, which there were three of, Also known as the LGMs, around 2 feet (60.96 cm), black eyes, light green skin,Three eyes, pointed ears, one antennae, Star Commands loyal scientists and engineers, looking identical to one another, though their voices slightly differ (If you listen carefully enough). Wearing light blue and dark blue uniforms with dark magenta around the collar and sporting a logo of a planet with a ring around it that reminded me a lot of Saturn (Although looking back I think it's safe to say that it's supposed to resemble the Unimind).
I slapped myself to confirm that I wasn't dreaming, although obviously to the others it looked weird.
"Is something wrong?" Buzz asked me, A bit weirded out but otherwise concerned.
'Yep, Tim Allen's voice, this is crazy.' I thought to myself as I then replied, "No, Sorry about that, I just had to confirm that I wasn't dreaming. I mean it's not every day You get to meet Men in fancy suits and little green men about the size of toddlers."
"Well I guess that's understandable," Warp replied as he crossed his arms, "If You are not used to seeing stuff like that on a daily basis It makes sense why you want to confirm if you were dreaming or not. Although slapping yourself is a bit over the top."
"Yeah..." I agreed sheepishly, That was from panicking a bit really, But can anybody fault me?
"How are you feeling kid?" The Commander then asked me as he got closer to get a good look at me.
I'm not even his enemy and yet his appearance alone makes me feel even smaller than I already am (It's all a matter of presence).
"Thankful that I didn't wake up to having lost another appendage." I stated bluntly, "But other than that, I'm all right, Although when I was waking up I did feel really dizzy."
"Makes sense, you did just pop out of a portal out of nowhere so you must have been flailing around in panic and fright." The older man said.
"Yeah, granted that was only for a brief moment before everything went black." I told him.
"Well now that you're awake, do you mind answering a few questions?" He asked me, to which I nodded and replied, "Of course."
'Considering what I heard while I was regaining consciousness, it makes sense. But I need to be careful not to say anything I shouldn't, especially as I know that one wrong word and Warp will report me to Evil Emperor Zurg and it will not end well.' I thought to myself, Especially the last part in dread, reminding myself to be careful. Now immediately feeling guilty that I couldn't say to the others about the man's eventual betrayal.
If I am here before the movie, then I need to play my cards carefully.
"Alright," Said one of the LGMs as he had a clipboard and pencil, "Lets start with the basics. What is your full name, how old are you, What is your occupation and where are you from?
"In that Order, my name is Lucero Cariadus, Lucy for short. I'm 22 years old and will soon turn 23 in 5 months on the 5th. I don't have an occupation, although formerly I was an elite rhythmic gymnast in my college years. And I'm from earth, specifically Paris, France." I answered.
"Earth you say?" Buzz asked me, to which I nodded before he stated, "But if What you say is true, then that only brings us back to square one."
"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion as convincing as a star actors performance.
"Well, while you were unconscious, we tried to run your face through the galactic database to see if there might be anyone who recognized you. But nothing came out of it at all, in fact there's no data on you, it's almost like you've never existed." Buzz explained.
"What the What?!? That's just crazy!! I'm right here so why isn't there anything on me?? And what do you mean by galactic databases????" I frantically demanded half shocked and half confused, masking my real thoughts as I thought, 'Thank you Will for making me go to the drama club and play a few skits with you and your friends. All those years there are paying off big time.'
Of course I'm well aware that there wouldn't be any data on me in this universe, and that advances in technology are far more highly advanced than that of my world and all that jazz.
I may not know what year it is right now in this universe but I know it has to be really far into the future in terms of the societal era.
"Calm down Missy," Warp chided lightly as I faked getting myself under control, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this."
"Like how?" I ask, sounding exasperated as I gave him my best pleading look to the man as I forced myself to sit up (Which mind you is Not as easy as I make it look, it takes practice especially when it comes to balance).
"We'll know soon enough once we get back with our lab tech's," The second LGM explained as he stood by the heart monitor, "After you came out of that portal we scanned you to try and find any way of tracing back where you came from, there was some ion trails that were left behind so we collected the residue off of you and sent them to the others in the lab to try and find out where you came from."
"I do remember getting sucked into a portal before everything went black. To give you some context, I couldn't sleep so I was still up trying to figure out what to do so my aunt suggested that we watch a few movies until I finally got sleepy enough to go back to sleep, and just as we were about to watch one of my favorite movies from childhood, lightning struck our home and without warning a portal opened inside the TV and we both got sucked it. You know the rest from there." I explained, leaving out the part that the movie in general was relating to their universe, of details of the future and the fact that the lightning had a tint of lavender to it.
But upon finishing that sentence I was then struck with a frightening realization.
"My Aunt!!" I exclaimed, now filled with real genuine worry as my heart rate was already skyrocketing high in fear, "Well surrogate but still!! She got sucked into the portal with me! Is she all right?!! Is she here!?"
"Calm down miss, calm down!" Buzz told me as He was already at my side placing his hands on my shoulders to ground me, "You're going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't stay calm."
I looked at his face as I could practically feel the tears start to well up in my eyes, too panicked to acknowledge the intense and fast beeping of the heart monitor due to my sudden surge of stress and anxiety, Now trembling at the disconcerting thought of Nana either being hurt or lost out there in space.
After all she was all I had left, aside from my friends who I had distant myself from. She was always there for me especially during my darkest hours, we've hardly ever been apart after what happened at my graduation aside from her needing to do some errands or giving me space when I need it and such.
His face showed that of concern for me and in his eyes they were gentle as they were trying to convey a sense of calmness and reassurance so I won't do something hasty, But I can also tell In his eyes that they had a sense of dismay hidden in the back, I didn't need to be a genius to know what that meant.
"She's... not here..?" I sadly stated more than asked as my shoulder fell in defeat.
He shook his head as he told me, "You were the only one that came out of that portal when you arrived, and it immediately closed after that."
My head fell and almost immediately as a flash flood, the sense of helplessness, despair and being alone started to flow through as I desperately tried to wipe away the tears that were now falling down my cheeks.
The thought of being all alone without my aunt, or anybody really, was terrifying, as I've stated moments ago she's all I have left, If anything horrible happened to her I'd never forgive myself. She was almost like a second mother to me and If it weren't for her my life would be a lot worse, Especially after the accident.
I owe her so much for all she's done for me, The thought of her actually being in danger or at risk of being killed or her not even being in the same universe as me now was terrifying.
Suddenly I was brought out of my cloud of despair as I felt a handkerchief being pressed against my left cheek, then my right, absorbing the tears as I looked up to see that it was Buzz, give me a reassuring smile as he had knelt down to meet me at eye level.
"Don't worry, if she was pulled into that portal with you, then there's a good chance that if she didn't appear here then she must have ended up somewhere else." He told me firmly, "We'll do everything we can to find her and bring her back here safely. If you can help us by giving us information about what she looks like and what she's like, we might be able to increase our chances in locating her."
"Really really?" I asked, hopeful.
"Absolutely." Buzz reassured, "Just leave it to us and we'll find her before you know it."
How could I not believe the sincerity he was giving me?
I nodded as I accepted the handkerchief and started wiping the rest of my tears away, noticing right away that this cloth was a lot thicker than it looked as it was able to absorb my tears and only feeling slightly damped.
Thankfully my nose wasn't runny so I didn't need to blow my nose as I handed the cloth back to the Space Ranger, who stood back up as he turned to the commander.
"Say no more. I'll get the others to start forming search parties, Thankfully lunch time's almost over so it won't be an issue there." Commander Nebula immediately said, not needed to be asked.
"Thank you." I told him before I realized something and asked, "How long was I out for?"
"About a couple of hours," Warp answered, "Although I must say you really startled us when you came out of nowhere like that. Let alone here in HQ of all places."
"I can only imagine." I replied.
'Cause let's just face it folks, anyone would be quite startled if you just appeared out of nowhere without warning like I did.
Anyone who isn't either literally has no fear (due to a disorder), has actually seen scarier stuff, has serious nerves of steel or is one of those people who's more easily impressed than easily startled.
Soon enough We got back to them filling out a file on me so that they had something to work with, asking about my general weight and height, What my home life was like, If I was still in college or not, what skills I have, If I had any allergic reactions to anything, if I ever suffered any serious illnesses over the years, and such stuff like that, eventually coming down to asking me how I lost my limbs in the first place, to which I sadly, reluctantly but willingly complied and told them the whole enchilada.
"Ouch," Warp responded as he winced sharply, "Talk about the worst graduation day ever."
'Just wait until you lose your arm and get it replaced with a cyborg one, then you'll see how I'm feeling.' I thought to myself, In my mind still trying to figure out how he managed to make his new arm work when I know for a fact that for me it's going to be difficult considering that I've been without three of my limbs for longer than a few days.
"Tell me about it." I replied as I let out a loud exhale, already feeling tired from narrating my story, "Because of that accident I lost three of my limbs and my dreams. I was completely mortified when I realized what happened sometime after waking up in the hospital and reading through a few of the cards that were left for me in my room. Nana was the only one who was there for me when I started to break down, if I didn't have her I'm not sure what I would have done with my life. I probably wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for her."
Everyone shuttered at that as concern and shock was clear on their faces, understanding the implications there.
"Did you ever go to therapy?" Buzz immediately asked.
"Yes." I replied honestly as he let out a sigh of relief, as did everyone else, from that, "I still have some issues but I am managing enough to get by."
"If you want we can have you see one of our specialists who has dealt with cases like this, He's one of our employed men and There hasn't been one case he hasn't resolved." Buzz offered hopefully.
"... It might be helpful. My usual therapist has told me to try not to bottle up how I felt, Especially when talking to other therapists or those who I care about who only want to help me." I answered, Although it will be different from seeing Dr. Macintosh, I'm going to need a therapist to help me calm my worries about Nana's whereabouts along with what other things I was already facing.
Even though deep down I don't want to burden anybody with my physical condition.
"It breaks my heart when I see young people just suddenly have their dreams ripped away from them before they can even begin their lives." The Commander said in sympathy, "You were supposed to start your new life after graduating, not have it cut down without warning. Trust me kid I know what it's like to lose a part of yourself, even if you lost way more than I did, and even if this happened much earlier in your life compared to me. Yet I didn't let that stop me from continuing on with my life."
He then pointed to his peg leg as he continued as his demeanor changed to determined, "I got myself this decades ago, Long story short it involved a very large and nasty crater viper. It was mainly because of my own negligence rather than it happening by accident. Sure I was down on myself, feeling exactly as you have felt, but thankfully an old friend of mine helped me out, both in helping me see a therapist and how to deal with the missing limb. For you see this peg leg he made is not just a prosthetic, It also doubles as a plasma cannon."
'Huh, so Mr. Jock was right about that.' I thought to myself In surprise, 'Still I'm pretty sure not even my old gym coach knew about how this man lost his leg, Who knew It was because of a crater viper?'
"If you want kid, I can give my friend a call and ask him to make you new limbs so you won't have to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life." He offered with a smile.
I was even more shocked, but this time with hope as I immediately asked him, frantic as I practically flung myself forward to give him my undivided attention, "Are you serious?!?"
"I am." He replied firmly, "He's been at this for decades, if there's anyone I trust who can help in this, it's him and His family. Sure you're going to have to go through physical therapy to help you get used to your new limbs and help you in learning how to walk and use your left arm again, And all in all it's not going to be easy, but with time, support and patience it can be done. And you won't have to worry about paying any bills, he owes me a favor so it won't be a problem. What do you say?"
A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest, a one in a million opportunity to be able to walk on my own again, to actually have both hands, to no longer be confined to a wheelchair, to Not feel trapped anymore like this? How could I say no?
It seemed too good to be true, but I know my ears were not playing with me, and he said it earnestly and sincerely, I would have to be an idiot to call him a liar. If he was able to get a functioning prosthetic despite having lost a limb, If he was able to bounce back even stronger despite an incident he faced, then so could I.
I felt tears of hope welling up as I nodded vigorously and said, "Sign me up."
Tears of renewed joy filled my heart as I told him while wiping away my tears, "Back home We could never afford prosthetics, let alone any that are of good quality enough to work like real limbs. If you're offering me something that others were never able to back home, I would have to be a stubborn, pig headed fool to say no to an opportunity like that."
He nodded as he offered me a smile, To which I gave one back in return.
I felt like the day had dragged on yet had moved by too quickly for my own taste.
I couldn't help but feel restless as I tossed and turned a bit in The bed I was currently laying on, which was in one of the empty rooms they had in the base.
I was cleared by the LGMS to leave since I didn't have any apparent injuries, although it doesn't change the fact I will need somebody to help me get around until my new limbs could be made. And until I can get a new temporary wheelchair until I no longer need it for mobility.
Speaking of, Not long after making the agreement to get prosthetics, we got word back from the lab as they revealed that I was from another dimension, One that was completely unknown to them as the data on the ions was so obscured they couldn't pinpoint my point of origin, meaning that there was a huge chance that there would be no way I would ever be able to return with Nana.
I'm not sure how to feel about that, if I'm being honest but still I faked my surprise as the other's was more genuine for obvious reasons.
But with the more or less confirmation that the chances of me and Nana returning home were completely out of the question, The question of locating a suitable home came into play.
Cuz I honestly don't know what to do, Besides maybe trying to pursue my dreams once more, albeit after enough training to get back in shape after being benched for The better part of a year, but other than that I hadn't a clue about what my plans are.
Until we can find real answers to that, the Commander offered me to stay here at HQ until we can get things straightened out, until I can get used to my new limbs to the point where it's natural, and until we can find Nana.
Again I would have to be foolish to not accept a good offer from him. Especially as I'm in completely unknown territory outside of what I remember from the movie and a few of the episodes from the show (Which now I regret not having the chance to watch it entirely, I'm an idiot), And still who knows when the events of "The adventure begins" will actually begin?
The men offered to be my chaperone until further notice which I appreciated, Even if a part of me was still apprehensive of Warp given his soon-to-be revealed betrayal to everyone (And the fact that I'm going to have to hide that apprehension at all costs).
Somehow I was going to have to find a way to keep everything a secret, possibly even try to expose Warp before the events of the invasion on the LGM's planet without getting caught by the blue skinned man himself, maybe even make his mission harder by making it seem like he was losing the information he was getting to take to his boss.
Or maybe hoping I can get him to redeem himself and save him from becoming a true full-blown villain, Even in the sidekick/minion category (For Buzz's sake at least, knowing that this affected him the most).
Easier said than done I know, so for now I'm just going to focus on the present and see where it goes from there.
I do not know what's going to happen going forward besides what I am already expecting from the meeting at the nurses station, I do not know what the outcomes will be, and I don't know what will remain the same and what will change once we get to the movie, and even before we get to it.
All I can do is wait and try to adapt.
And if we do find Nana, I can only hope that she's okay. She's a pretty tough woman, and she's more than capable of fending for herself if needed (You should ask the last 27 guys that tried to rob or kill her, they're all still seeing therapy as far as I'm aware), but I can't help but worry.
"Nana... Please be okay." I pleaded even though no one could hear me, "Please be safe... Please?"
With that last word said I finally felt sleep come upon me as I decided to get some rest, There were going to be big changes in the morning, even more so than what happened today, whatever happens, I hope I'm ready for it.
Done!!
I'm going to be honest with you guys, This chapter actually took longer to develop in terms of how I wanted things to play out in this next chapter, I was really wrestling in what I wanted to type up and such.
But I do have an idea of what I want the next chapter to be so stay tuned!
Until next time, TTFN!!