Forsaken
Forsaken.1 - The Zalinscar
"Where am I?"
Those were the first words I spoke when I came to consciousness on the cold metal floor of a dark spaceship. My body ached all over, but worst of all was the headache. I lifted my body off the ground, trying to get my bearings straight. Only half of my body readily responded. My lower half had barely any feeling in it.
I dragged myself to the closest wall, using my forearms against the ship's metal floor grates. I propped my back against the wall, and attempted to resuscitate my legs from their sleep. After five minutes of shaking them they started to get feeling back.
"How long was I out for?" I muttered to myself. It was weird being alone on this spaceship. Not only that, but I couldn't recognize anything around me. Becoming less concerned about the reason I had passed out on the floor, I began to wonder why I was there in the first place. I didn't remember why I was there or where I was going.
I began to think back about the last thing I remembered. I drew a blank. It was weird trying to remember something you knew you had in your mind, but couldn't recall. The only thing I could think of was a playground. Perhaps from when I was younger? A nostalgic sort of feeling was attached to this memory, but I couldn't place where this playground actually was. It certainly wasn't on this spaceship.
I boosted myself up with my arms and legs, slowly. I felt my head for any nasty surprises, perhaps the cause for my headache. I couldn't find anything, fortunately, but that only meant what happened to me wasn't exactly physical trauma.
My heavy boots clunked against the metal grates as I steadied myself against the wall I had used as a crutch. Maybe if I walked around a bit, my head would start to feel better, not to mention try and figure out where I actually was. I started my way down the closest hall. The ship's innards didn't appear to be distraught. The only thing was that the power was flickering on and off every couple of minutes. Though, I was mostly in the dark.
The ship felt like it was huge, but I could hear my footstep's echoes bounce against the ship in a way that made me gauge the ship's true size. It was about 4000 square feet. There seemed to be a main deck, and a lower deck. The lower deck could be seen through the metal grates on the main deck, but was mostly wires and general spaceship hardware.
I eventually found a door in the middle of the ship. On the door itself read the word "Zalinscar." The name didn't ring a bell. The door was not powered, but already halfway open. With a little bit of weight, the door began to slide open and I stepped inside. It was a standard-issue crew quarter, made for a small group of maybe four or five operators. The ship's layout was unfamiliar to me, but most spaceships are mass-manufactured these days -- if you've seen one you've seen all of the ones in the line. It had to have been made by one of the big spaceship companies, although it is possible that it was a custom job done by an upstart.
I started to comb over my thoughts again as I took a breather on the larger couch. I tried to remember my name... Jennifer Wilson. I don't know why that took me so long to remember. It was hard recollecting anything else about myself, however. It wasn't so much "I can't remember" as it was "I am not allowed to remember."
I laid my body on the couch, and put my hand on my head, hoping it would make my headache better. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay," an odd voice seemed to run through my head between my spurts of head rocking as I tried not to sleep, but couldn't help myself.
I slipped in and out of consciousness until I finally fell asleep.
Forsaken.2 - Experiment
"Jennifer."
That was my name... but who was saying it?
"Yes?"
"Please pay attention. This will be on tomorrow's test."
I sat up, paying attention to the teacher's scolding attitude. I had been staring out the window, again, like I had always done in elementary school. Less than mindful of the review of topography of the planets of Solace, all I had wondered was "what was going on outside."
The holographic screen in front of me flickered, beckoning to be interacted with. It showed a small model of the Solace System. Each planet had a cursor blinking over it, showing the names of each planet. Mercury, Venus, Old Earth, Luna, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.
Why am I dreaming about this place? I don't know anyone in this classroom or this teacher.
"Jennifer."
Another voice. From the back of the room...? But this voice isn't from my dream...
-~-
A scientist-type is sitting at a desk, looking at a video monitor. He lets out a slight noise under his breath, as he watches Jennifer passed out on the couch in The Zalinscar.
"Hm..."
The scientist motions his hand toward his mouth, pointing a small device located on his wrist to it.
"Subject 3, 'Jennifer Wilson' appears to have temporary loss of motor skills, muscle function, and the inability to stay awake for very long after the treatment."
-~-
"Jennifer."
It sounded like a machine.
"Jennifer."
It keeps saying my name.
"Jennifer."
What is it? I can't see it... I can't wake up.
"Jennifer."
A gasp of air -- I'm breathing. I'm awake now.
And nothing. The mechanical voice was gone. Half of my body is hanging off the couch, one leg propped up on the couch's armrest. Blinking, my headache appears to have lessened, and I put my hand on top of my forehead.
Remembering the dreams I had, I still couldn't piece together what I had experienced. It's not like anything I could piece together from them would help me with my current situation, anyhow.
I took a look around the room. It was dimly lit. The flickering of the lights appeared to only be affecting the hallway outside of the room. A quick survey showed the metal table in front of me, colored like wood to make it look fancy, with a glass top. Imitating what was once wrought from life, it was cold to the touch, as I reached out to it, just to make sure I was where I thought I was.
On the other side of the room, a wheeled chair, a desk, and an ancient-looking computer terminal. This ship is too old for its own good. There were pieces of junk on the floor, none of it seeming useful, as I kicked some of the scraps around on the floor, half-hoping that something would magically turn on.
Taking in my surroundings, all I could think of was one word:
Forsaken.
