Friday, June 25, 2010

The Prometheus

He awoke with a start.  He didn't know where he was, or who he was.  He was in a confined, body chamber with a little window at head level looking out into pitch blackness.  He tore a tube from his mouth; water spilled onto the floor of his pod and an emergency light went on.  There was a pneumatic hiss and the chamber door opened, letting in cool air.  He unstrapped himself and stumbled into the darkness, he looked around, his arm accidentally smacked a switch.  Electric lights, dim at first, came to life, lighting the previously dark passageway.  Stumbling down the dark metal passage, he noticed drawers along the wall.  He wrenched one labeled "Argon, Jason" open and dumped out it's contents onto the metal grating.  There was a black jumpsuit, an under shirt, boots, a handlight, a med-kit, and a taser-like weapon.  Jason put on the  underclothes and jumpsuit over his briefs, strapped the boots on, and put the other items on his belt.  Putting on the the handlight, he walked down the dim, menacing metal passageways; going no where in particular.  Jason wondered where he was; vague memories of a massive vessel swirled in his head, but what kind of vessel?  He was pondering this as he came into an observation deck.  He turned toward the wall-to-ceiling window.
His jaw dropped.
Splayed out before him was a gas nebula, all swirls and stars, blanketing visible space with it's speckled majesty.  The bay window was cool against Jason's skin as he pressed against it; eyes taking in the beautiful scene before him.  He noticed a star, a giant yellow thing, drawing noticibly closer.  Planets swirled around the sun, five or six of them.  He stepped back, memories shifting through his head; there was a soft tink of metal behind him.  Jason turned, hand on taser.  Something was moving in the back shadows of the deck.

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