Talia
As I rouse from a heavy slumber, everything is blurry. For a second, I don't know who or where I am. I don't know how I got in here, or how I got in these clothes, I don't know why I woke up with jolt in first place it feels like my brain is as flat as a battery, the exertions of 'what happened, where I am' being a marathon of erratic problem-solving . Then, everything is processed I woke up because it feels like it's an emergency, as if sleeping had become a dangerous thing. My heart beats fast and there is a buzzing in my brain and together they are as panic with jump-leads. Words like 'seven', 'Marie', 'Drarth K1', 'AI' started to swirl in my brain. And my brain started to catch them, just like people catch hens when they run out of their cage. It started to solve them and it is in hurry as if we are running out of time, piece by piece everything started to fall into place.
"forty five of you are going to Drarth K1"
"Two days before you reach Drarth K1, Marie Drarth's A.I will wake you up"
"These are sleeping pods"
My senses started to come back, my vision and memories started to clear.
'I'm on ship Drarth, which is taking us to Drarth K1. A planet that might be habitable. I'm in a sleeping pod. Yes this is a sleeping pod' I said to myself as if I'd forget if I don't. But..... but why is it so hot, why do I feel like someone has put me in here with intentions to bake me, in my sleep. Why... why can't I breathe or move for that matter?
"When you'll wake up in these pods you'll not be able to move your hands and legs. But do not panic, it will be temporary after that long chemically induced sleep your body will take some time to readjust. Wait for three to four minutes and keep on taking long deep breaths" Harley had said,
'Ha-Harley Campbell, scientist who sent us on this mission. She... she is Asher's older cousin, Asher who is my close or dear friend' I reminded myself, as my memories cleared even further. I remember why I can't move, but why am I having trouble in breathing? I don't remember Harley saying that waking up in these pods would feel like waking up in an oven, I don't remember her telling us anything about not being able to breathe. Did she skipped those parts purposely? Or did she forgot?
Above all why do I feel like I might blast at any given moment. Why do I feel like bolts of energy running through my body?
I don't know as a matter of fact I can not process anything any further, my brain is not letting me to think of anything else other than that bolt of energy which is running through my body, which is being stopped by some invisible wall. A wall because of which my body might explode, I don't know what is this, I have never felt it or anything like this before. This energy, it is foreign and yet somehow my brain is recognizing it.
This energy is not my only problem right now, this increasing heat and decreasing oxygen is also my problem, pod not opening is also my problem. Nobody coming for me is also my problem.
I calmed myself down a little bit and closed my eyes and counted to sixty before opening them again and lifting my hands.
My hands, they are heavy and I have some difficulty in lifting them up, but I lifted them both anyway and closing my fists I tapped on polycarbonate sheet. Once, twice, thrice
"He-hel-p" I tried but of course miserably failed.
I tapped again this time louder.
"He-help" my throat is aching, but at this point I honestly don't care. My throat won't be of any use if I die in here.
"HELP" I shouted or more like tried to shout. With each passing second that energy inside me is becoming more and more restless, with each passing second heat is increasing, with each passing second it is becoming more and more difficult to breathe and with each passing second my vision is once again turning back. I am losing my consciousness, but I am not going to slip back into oblivion without putting up a fight and so I started tapping even harder and faster, at least as much as I can.
"HELP" I shouted taking a ragged breathe. And just then I saw it, a scarlet hand. 'bitch if I wasn't in this pod I would have jumped outta my damn skin' and owner of that hand Rex, and then I saw West by his side. My twin's face said 'my stomach is totally knotted up' which made me even more anxious and I tapped with more force "hey get me the hell outta here" I shouted although in all honestly I am not sure if my voice can even penetrate through this thick polycarbonate sheet, but anything for the comfort of my precious heart.
West said something to Rex at which he nodded, West is obviously in panic but Rex? nah he is totally cool and calm with an arrogant smirk 'ughh one day I am gonna punch that outta his damn face. Swear on West'
When he didn't made any move to free me and West obviously continuously asked him to for next ten seconds 'yes I am counting' I once again started hitting top of my pod with all the strength I had "get me out of here you imbécil" I shouted at the top of my lung. West too shouted
something which obviously
I can't hear, but not at Rex she shouted
looking behind her.
Rex visibly sighed and mouthed 'here we go' before lifting his both blood dripping hands, joining them together and hitting pod so hard that I could feel vibration and had to close my eyes tightly.
He did that for five to six times more as I felt vibration everytime his hands made contact with pod. Before I heard polycarbonate sheet shattering and felt it's pieces falling on me.
With thick layer of polycarbonate gone I can now hear blaring alarm of Drarth "Talia" I heard West calling me, but I didn't open my eyes simply because I couldn't. That energy seems to be getting more restless because of this alarm and in addition to that now I have this tingling sensation at the back of my neck.
"I got you" I heard West's full of relief voice.
"nope, I got her. You have been out of that coffin for like four minutes." I heard Rex.
"Here we go Redhead" Rex said as he picked me up.
"Carefully" my extra caring twin added. "ughh she is not some two years old, so chill I'm not going to break her bones" Rex said with boredom dripping voice.
"idiota, that wasn't for her only that was for you too–"
"OUCH!" I hissed when I felt something pierce through my skin
"Fuck!" Rex growled
"do you have needles in your hand?" I asked closing my eyes tightly
and pressing both of my ears even more. As if that will help contain this foreign energy. Not to forget minor electric shocks.
"See that's what I was talking about" West said with 'I told you so' tone.
"Where would you like to sit miss?" Rex asked me.
"Anywhere. Right now any place is better than your arms.
"As you wish" Rex said as he dumped me on the floor. 'Yes you heard me right he dumped me'
"Hey be careful" West scolded him.
"Talia" I heard Asher's panicked voice "you alright?"
"Well yes I am" opening my eyes I showed him a thumps up "if we ignore the fact that I might explode because of that fucking alarm"
"Olivia and Leo are working on it" Asher replied. And that's when I noticed Asher's hands were covered in blood just like Rex's.
"Rex"
"Nik what the hell are you still doing here? I asked you to go to medical section? Kit man seriously" Rex said looking back at Nickola who was standing with the same guy I saw her first time with. Dirty blonde hair, brown eyes.
"I'll go with you" Nikola said and Kit just shrugged.
"Plus Ava is still here she is helping some boy. So what would I do in medical room" Nikola added further.
"What I asked her to treat you. Your back has some serious burns....." with that Rex turned away and left. While Asher, West, Nikola and Kit just stood there as awkwardness enveloped us. Me? well I am in most awkward position considering where everyone else is standing I'm sitting on floor with both my hands pressed behind my neck and my head between my knees as if that can stop those mini electric currents. 'Is it my hallucination or after affects of sleeping in a sleep pod for seven years. I still don't know'
"Hey you fine?" West asked kneeling close to me.
I hummed in response. 'Just how many time do I have to answer that question?'
"I'll bring you some medicine that'll make you feel better" Asher said.
"And umm we should go to medical room" Kit said looking at Nikola, who shook her head "Rex needs treatment too, I'll only go with him"
"Ash?" I heard Olivia's uneasy voice but didn't bother to look up
"What happened?"
"The Alarm, it's not turning off, Leo, I and Cora have tried everything, But nothing is working"
Oh yeah great, why not.
"We have to put it off, we-we can't just travel with that thing on!" Asher stated the fact.
"umm maybe I can help" and this time I looked up at Kit who was looking at everyone. "You can?" Olivia asked.
"Yes, I can give it a try"
"Have you ever seen or worked on a space tech?" Asher asked surprised evident in his tone.
"Well who cares? He can shut that damn thing up, isn't that what we all want? Just take him with you. Or else few more minutes and I'll explode" I said impatiently.
"Uh-okay okay come follow me" Olivia asked Kit to follow him.
"Umm what about Nik, she needs someone right now-"
"I can sit down here Kit, you go and turn that fucking alarm off" Nikola said to Kit, looking just as impatience as I am.
"You heard her Now shu" I said waving my hand at kit.
"Hey" West nudged me softy
"What?"
"That doesn't look good" she whisper yelled, which obviously everyone heard.
"umm OK, uh West could you please..." Kit said as he made Nikola sit beside me. And like the good human being West is she immediately completed Kit's sentence for him "Yeah sure, I'll look after Nik too"
Kit nodded before leaving with Olivia.
Few minutes later Rex returned with Ava who had a scowl on her face.
"Where's Kit?" Rex asked Nikola.
"He left with Olivia to turn off that alarm" she replied. Hearing this Rex furrowed his brows.
"What happened" Asher who is sitting beside West asked Ava, In her reply she just shook her head and said we should go to medical room.