𝘔𝘺 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳

Ch.1 | 𝘌𝘻𝘳𝘢 + 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴

I opened my eyes to a surreal sight of a blue luminescent room. It took me a moment to realize that I was no longer in cryo. As I looked around, I noticed teardrops floating in front of me. I couldn't understand what was happening.

The sound of doctors and nurses bustling about broke me from my trance. The cryo must have opened up, and they were helping everyone out. One of them walked over to me, and I asked, "Are we there yet?"

He gave me a reassuring smile and replied, "Yeah, sunshine. We've arrived." He patted my shoulder before moving on to help the next person.

- Flashback Starts -

Agent #1 approached me with a serious expression on his face. "It's about your brother," he said, his tone grave. My heart sank at the mention of my late brother.

I gazed at his lifeless face, still unable to believe that he was gone. As I stood there lost in thought, two men appeared behind me. I turned to face them, wondering who they were.

The first man continued speaking, "Your brother represented a significant investment. We'd like to talk to you about taking over his contract."

I frowned; not sure I understood what he was saying. "And since your genome is identical to his you could step into his shoes, so to speak... It is a fresh start on a new world," added the second man.

As I watched the cardboard lid being placed on the box containing my brother's remains, I struggled to process what was happening. The idea of taking over his contract felt like a betrayal to his memory, but the mention of the pay caught my attention.

"The pay is good. Very good," the second man repeated, trying to convince me.

With a heavy heart, I watched the box containing my brother burn in the fire, wondering what my decision would be.

- Flashback ends -

"The cryo has ended after five years, nine months, and twenty-two days. You may feel weak and nauseous, so please use the sacks provided," the doctor spoke, walking over to the locker labeled T. Sully.

As I waited for us to land on Pandora, I put on my exo-pack along with the rest of the crew. "Remember, if you lose that mask, you're unconscious in twenty seconds and dead in four minutes," the man warned us.

"Let's make sure nobody dies today! It doesn't look good on my report!" he continued. I felt a jolt as the ship touched down on the planet's surface.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Entering the crowded room, I immediately spotted the Colonel who was giving us a serious warning. His eyes flicked to me for a moment before he turned back to the others.

"Welcome to Pandora, ladies and gentlemen. This ain't Kansas anymore. Every second of every day, you need to respect the fact that out there beyond that fence, every living thing wants to kill you and eat your eyes for Jujubes." he said.

"We have an indigenous humanoid population called the Na'vi. They're lethal with their arrows and bones reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber. If you wish to survive, you need to obey the Pandora rules. Rule number one..." he paused for a moment before continuing.

As he spoke, I made my way out of the room and down the hallway. Just as I thought I was in the clear, someone called out my name from behind.

"Excuse me, you're Jake, right? Tom's brother," he asked me.