Zhenzhu

4 - Bixler's Awakening

Bright white light flooded Bixler's brain.

He felt helplessly blinded, even with his eyes closed. He closed them tighter and instinctively tried to cover them with his hands. His hands were numb and unresponsive, he was too tired to move them. Was this all a strange dream?

"Earlton Germaine Bixler," said a neutral gender voice very slowly. The sound was inches from his right ear. The sound of his name rang in his ears and echoed in his foggy head.

"Earlton Germaine Bixler," repeated the voice, this time much louder and with more authority. Bixler turned his head to the sound and managed to open one eye to see a blurred hominoid face. His tired eye fell shut.

He felt a hand on his right arm. "I am waking you as requested," asserted the voice. Bixler recognized it now. It was Xi, the Android who tucked him into the stasis chamber.

Bixler still couldn't respond, but his foggy brain remembered now. He was a passenger on the Cygnus. There were more than four thousand colonists like him; headed off to start a new life on Zhenzhu.

Have we finally arrived?

Bixler struggled to speak. He tried to turn on his side. He felt Xi's arms on each shoulder holding him back down.

"Don't struggle," he said. "You had a successful awakening, all your vitals are good. Just relax. Try to take deep breaths."

Bixler felt an oxygen mask covering his face so he breathed in the air deeply. It felt cold going inside him. His throat felt raw and sore. There still was no feeling in his fingers as he started squeezing them.

"The Cygnus is ten days away from orbital insertion, in case you're wondering," said Xi, as if anticipating his unspoken question. Bixler continued to rhythmically breathe in and out. He coughed up some mucus. He could feel Xi wiping his mouth with a cloth. Now his fingers were starting to tingle.

Ten days out? That was lots of time. His memories were coming back. There was a lot to be accomplished in the next ten days. He hoped it would be enough time. Before everyone else wakes up.

Energized by the oxygen, and in anticipation of what awaited him; Bixler needed to get out of the chamber. It was time to rise. Equally relieved that what he was experiencing wasn't a dream and that they had by some chance miracle all survived the long interstellar journey, Bixler lifted his head up with his neck, but the rest of his body remained motionless. He let his head drop back onto the cushions. Feeling was slowly returning to his body. He felt very wet and numb. Something was moving on the stasis chamber, he felt the vibrations.

"Please sit up and drink this," said XI. Bixler struggled to move and opened his eyes. All he could see was white light. The sound and vibrations he heard and felt was the stasis chamber cover fully opening, he had a glance of its movement. Now he could feel cold air at his feet and toes, but he still couldn't move. He felt the strong hands and arms of Xi lift him to a seated position in the chamber. He felt his head slump forward, chin on his chest. Xi supported his chest with one hand and his back with the other. The strong light started to grow dimmer and he looked at the rest of his naked body and noticed the cryogenic fluids had fully drained out of the chamber. He needed a shower.

Xi's hand on his chest moved away and produced drink and brought it to his mouth. Bixler peered inside at the greenish-blue thick liquid. It had a strong sweet citric smell.

"Drink," said Xi forcefully. "You need strength, this will restore it."

Bixler had no choice but to gulp whatever magic elixir was being forced down his throat. It was strong tasting, his taste buds came alive. But it felt chalky as it went down his throat. Seconds later he felt a surge of energy go through him. His eyes were not so heavy, and he could feel his heart rate rising.