Lucas sat on the edge of the examination table, his arms resting on his knees as he stared at the cold, sterile floor. The weight of Vaylara's words still clung to him like a heavy fog, suffocating, inescapable. Humanity—gone. Extinct.

He barely flinched when the scanning device whirred past him again, TALOS methodically running what must have been the hundredth test in the past hour. Vaylara had insisted on a full medical evaluation.

"Any dizziness?" she asked, tapping something into her tablet.

Lucas sighed. "No."

"Blurred vision?"

"No."

"Sudden urges to molt?"

He blinked. "What?"

Vaylara looked up from her tablet, golden eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Shedding? Your kind does not periodically discard their outer skin?"

Lucas let out a short, humorless laugh. "No, that's not how it works. I mean, we shed skin cells constantly, but not all at once like a snake or—" He stopped, suddenly realizing how offensive that might sound. "I mean—"

Vaylara waved a clawed hand dismissively. "I see. Not a scaled species, then. Good to know." She jotted something down.

TALOS beeped, his blue eyes scanning through new data. "Muscle density appears within expected parameters for a carbon-based organism. However, your skeletal structure lacks reinforcement plating. Concerning."

"Yeah, well, I'm only human," Lucas muttered.

Vaylara perked up. "Ah, yes. Human. I have collected what little information remains on your species, but I must clarify some uncertainties."

Lucas nodded. "Sure, I guess."

She scrolled through her notes. "Your kind possesses opposable thumbs, correct?"

"Yeah." He held up his hand, flexing his fingers.

Vaylara gave a satisfied nod. "Good. But they are not detachable?"

Lucas stared at her. "What? No! Who told you that?"

"Ah. An inaccuracy, then. I will correct my files." She made a note, then moved to the next question. "You also do not possess a third leg?"

Lucas nearly choked. "Excuse me?!"

Vaylara tilted her head. "One of the surviving records mentioned human males possessing a third appendage between their legs. I assumed it functioned as a support limb—"

Lucas turned red. "That is not a leg!"

Vaylara blinked, clearly processing his reaction. "Fascinating. I must have misunderstood the context."

Lucas buried his face in his hands. "Oh my God."

TALOS, in the way only a robot could, remained unfazed. "Shall we proceed with neurological assessments?"

Lucas groaned. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."

--

After what felt like an eternity of tests—ranging from reflex assessments to something that looked suspiciously like an IQ test—Vaylara finally seemed satisfied.

"You are in remarkably good condition, considering the circumstances," she admitted. "Whatever cryostasis system preserved you, it was highly advanced. There is no cellular degradation or cognitive decline that I can detect."

"Great," Lucas said flatly, rubbing his temple. "Now what?"

Vaylara studied him for a moment before setting her tablet down. "Now, you need rest. I have arranged quarters for you within the medical wing."

Lucas frowned. "Not in the main station?"

She hesitated. "The Bastion is… vast. You are the only human in existence. Exposure to numerous unfamiliar species at once may be overwhelming. Until you adjust, it is best you remain somewhere controlled."

Lucas exhaled. It made sense. The last thing he needed was to be shoved into a bustling alien marketplace while still coming to terms with his entire species being gone.

"Alright," he relented. "Lead the way."

--

The room was small but comfortable. A soft bed, a sleek metallic desk, and a viewing window that overlooked the station's sprawling cityscape. Neon lights flickered in the distance, ships gliding between towering structures in a dance of commerce and culture.

Lucas stood by the window, arms crossed. "So, what now?"

Vaylara remained by the door, watching him. "You adapt. You learn. You live."

Lucas shook his head. "That's easy for you to say. You're not the last of your kind."

Silence stretched between them. Then, softly, she spoke.

"That is why I woke you."

Lucas turned to face her. "What?"

Vaylara stepped closer, golden eyes steady. "I did not revive you out of mere curiosity. You are the last human. That is an extinction I cannot allow."

His breath caught. "You mean—"

"I intend to restore your species," she said plainly. "Humanity will not end with you."

Lucas stared at her, stunned. A flicker of something stirred in his chest—hope? Fear? He wasn't sure.

But for the first time since waking up, he didn't feel entirely lost.