Xera

26|Heroes

Solise lied in a hospital bed that was the only feature in a small, white room. She looked as though she'd been resting for ages. Her wounds were non-existent and her face contained a warmth and life that had been missing since she entered the race. Her hair was washed and slightly longer than when she tangled with Zaren on the racetrack. It was clear that she had been taken care of in her long slumber. Nearly two months had passed since she was lifted off the racetrack and onto a transport ship. By the time they reached Vawe's atmosphere, she had entered her coma.

Bix stayed with her the entire way. The capitol provided lodging as he continued to check-in on his friend. Though he was greeted with friendly faces, some of which knew his father, he felt alone here. Without Solise, everything seemed insurmountable and frightening. He had no desire to be here. He simply wanted his friend to get better. He wasn't the only one. Meg received constant updates on her condition. She had provided him with a long-range communicator that was capable of reaching her. Though she wanted to monitor Solise's progress, she had no desire to visit Vawe.

It took fifty-five days before Bix had anything substantial to share with Meg. Solise's eyes began to flutter but ultimately didn't open. The next day, they did for only a moment before closing again. The day after that, she fully regained consciousness. Bix burst into tears before he could even say anything. He hugged his very confused friend as Meg cheered over the communicator. For Solise, mere moments had passed from when she emerged from the smoke. The sensory overload of being in an entirely new environment was almost too much to handle. She reflexively pushed Bix away from her and fell out of her hospital bed in the process.

Once on the floor, she quickly got onto her feet. After two months of lying down, they nearly buckled under her weight. She managed to steady herself. It was at this point that she noticed that she was in a white gown that was made of a very soft fabric. From there, her eyes canned the room. The walls looked to be made of a marble-like material and the floors were light blue stone. Comfortable pieces of cloth were wrapped around her feet to protect them from the chill of the rock. She watched as the solid wall revealed creases. Monitors popped out from the wall, displaying her vitals.

Solise had no time to process all that was going on. A tall biped entered the room. His vestments were white and gold. For a moment, Solise was worried this man was aligned with the Inquirer. He had a peculiar look to him. He looked to be the same species as her but he had no hair, nor eyebrows. His eyes were a vibrant blue that seemed to glow. Finally, he had no ears. In place of them sat silver discs. Despite these attributes, his face bore a friendly quality that seemed almost too welcoming. He clasped his hands together and approached her. She instinctively stepped backward, prompting the being to stop.

"You're awake! Praise be to Iroh!" The being spoke in a synthetic voice.

"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on, Bix?" She rattled off, leaving no room for answers.

"You're in the medical wing of..." The being began to speak but was interrupted by Bix.

"We're on Vawe!" He said, as he got closer to her. Solise welcomed his advance. "They brought us here after you killed the Inquirer." He further explained.

"The...I killed him? He's dead?" She asked, with a rush of fear running through her.

"You dropped a racetrack on him! How much do you remember?" Bix was concerned.

Solise took a moment to gather her thoughts. "I remember everything up to...waking up here." She declared.

With this, the being stepped closer. Solise no longer recoiled. Whatever was currently happening, Bix being here alleviated some of the confusion. The being bowed to the two of them. Even Bix seemed confused. From this proximity, Solise could notice that the being's skin was free of any flaw or even pores. It finally clicked that the being was some kind of android. The realization had taken some time to arrive. This was a foreign sight to the Raiyfian. In her travels on her home world, she never encountered such technology. He stood back up and spoke.