Year 2254, March 23, 11:38 AM
Outpost Nova Haven, Orbit of Xylophia-IV
Captain Ryker Vex's eyes flickered open, the dim red lights of the medical bay piercing through his haze. He tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pressed against his shoulder.
"Not yet, Ryker," a soft voice cautioned. "You've been asleep for a while."
Ryker's mind raced as he tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he recalled was the catastrophic failure of the asteroid mining ship's life support system during a routine expedition. They were extracting rare minerals from the asteroid belt when disaster struck.
A face leaned into his line of sight – Doctor Elara Vonn, the chief medical officer of Outpost Nova Haven. Elara's concern etched on her face, which only added to Ryker's anxiety.
"How... how long?" Ryker croaked, his throat parched.
"You've been in stasis for 217 years, Ryker," Elara replied, her voice measured. "We managed to stabilize the outpost's systems, but it took us a while to find a habitable planet to set up a new base of operations."
Ryker's mind reeled as the implications sunk in. Two hundred seventeen years? He was a relic from the past, a fossil from a bygone era. The world he knew was long gone, and he was left to navigate an unfamiliar future.
Elara handed Ryker a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted. As he sipped the cool liquid, Elara continued, "We've made significant advancements in medical technology, Ryker. Your injuries were severe, but we were able to preserve your body and mind using cryostasis. You're one of the lucky ones."
Ryker's gaze drifted around the medical bay, taking in the unfamiliar equipment and the utilitarian gray walls. Everything seemed so... alien. The last thing he remembered was the cramped corridors of the asteroid mining ship, the Auroral Venture. This place was cold, clinical, and impersonal.
"Where... where is everyone?" Ryker asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Elara's expression faltered, and Ryker sensed a hesitancy in her tone. "Ryker, we... we're not sure. The crew didn't make it. You were the only survivor. We found you in stasis, and we've been trying to revive you for years."
A numbness crept over Ryker, as if his heart had been encased in ice. The crew, his friends, his comrades – all gone. He was truly alone in a strange new world.
"What about the asteroid we were mining?" Ryker pressed on, trying to distract himself from the crushing weight of his loss.
Elara's eyes clouded over, and Ryker sensed a deeper concern. "That's the thing, Ryker. We didn't just mine asteroids. We stumbled upon an ancient alien artifact, and it changed everything. The implications are... unprecedented."
Ryker's curiosity piqued, he pushed himself to sit up, the medical bay spinning around him. Elara hastened to assist, but Ryker shook her off, his determination renewed.
"I need to know what's going on, Elara. Everything. Now."
Elara nodded, a small smile on her face. "Welcome back to the galaxy, Ryker. We have a lot to catch you up on."
With that, Ryker's journey into the unknown began, one that would take him to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and challenge everything he thought he knew about humanity's place in the universe.