Daniel Venata was trapped in endless darkness.
He tried to grope around for something, anything to try and figure out where he was.
His arms didn't respond, so he tried his legs.
When that didn't work, he started to panic.
"Dammit, where the hell am I? Am I dead? Where's the Sheffield?"
His thoughts ran through his mind, becoming more and more irrational until all he could hear was his screams.
He screamed and screamed, and nothing happened.
Not even the echos of his screams could be heard.
"Is this Death? Just emptiness and endless silence? Where are the pearly gates or the fire and brimstone?"
He didn't really believe in either of those things, but he'd take anything over this... this... nothing.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
[System Query]
[Commander, you are in stasis. Please activate Reactor.]
A grey window appeared In front of Daniel. He stared at it and the words on it for what seemed like hours.
"System? What is that? How am I supposed to turn on a destroyed reactor?"
[System Query]
[Commander, you can return power to your reactor by issuing a code phrase.]
A new line appeared on the screen.
Daniel contemplated the advice for a moment before breathing a mental sigh.
"Well, seems like I've entered some weird bat-shit dimension with floating panels of light."
[System Response]
[Commander, scans indicate you are in the Alpha Dimension Band, exactly 309.2 km from where the Sheffield was destroyed.]
Daniel's mental breath hitched.
"The Sheffield? I was on it when the missile hit, how could I possibly be alive?"
[System Query]
[Error: Memory Degraded. Unable to respond to query]
"Well, that figures."
Daniel took several mental breaths before seriously considering the situation.
Somehow, he'd survived the Sheffield's destruction by the Illion Destroyer. He was now in some odd space, communicating with an entity identifying itself as "System".
Daniel thought about the implications for a moment, before shaking his imaginary head and looking back at the light panel.
"Since this System seems to be answering my questions, let's ask for more specific data."
He took a deep mental breath before organizing his thoughts.
"Ok, System. Am I still in the Darsend System?"
[System Query]
[Commander, your astral position is the same as it was when you were aboard the Sheffield.]
Daniel thought about that. So he was still in the Darsend System.
That's something at least.
"Alright. Is the Illion Destroyer still in-system?"
[System Qu-
"Oh, for the love of the void, just tell me!"
[...]
[Recalibrating User Communication Protocol]
[13%...28%...47%...74%...100%]
[Recalibration Complete]
[Commander, The INS Tilan is no longer in the Darsend System]
Daniel was taken aback. It seemed this "System" thought of him as a "User", and was able to modify its protocols to match his preferences.
Interesting.
Well, no one ever accused Daniel Venata of being tactful.
"System, what is your objective?"
[Commander, the purpose of the system is to assist the User in the construction, modification, upgrade, function, and operation of the User's Star Ship Avatar.]
Star Ship Avatar?
"System, what is a Star Ship Avatar?"
[Commander, a Star Ship Avatar is the User's physical presence in the Galaxy.]
Daniel's thoughts halted when he heard that. Physical presence?
"System, are you saying that my body is now this...Star Ship Avatar?"
[Yes, Commander.]
[Commander, recommend activating the reactor so that you can observe your surroundings.]
Daniel was staring at nothing, trying to wrap his head around this... what was this?
He at least knew that he was "alive", but in a different form. He also knew he had a sort of Assistant that was answering his questions and giving advice.
He tried to think of something else he could ask the system, but found that all the questions he could think of probably would result in more questions.
He decided to bite the proverbial bullet, since there was nothing else happening, and he REALLY wanted got see something other than pitch black and a grey screen.
He mentally steeled himself, partly for whatever transition was going to occur, and partly because he knew that if any of this was real, he was going to see the shattered hull of the Sheffield.