The Firefly (Mass Effect Andromeda)

Chapter 2

The first thing Olivia heard in her new life was the sound of distant alarms. Her eyelids were heavy, almost weighted down, and a feeling of lethargy swept over her. In those first moments, she wondered where on earth she was, and then the memories clicked into place. She wasn't on Earth at all. "Is this Andromeda?" She said aloud, her voice stifled in the confined space.

"Yes." A man in the blue and white of the Initiative answered, taking her arm and easing her out of the pod. "You seem very young." The man seemed taken aback. "Taylor, right?" He glanced down at his datapad. Behind him she could see the words Hyperion Cryogenics on the wall.

"Yes." Olivia nodded, "That's right. What's going on?" She wondered why this stranger was waking her, instead of opening her eyes to see her father welcoming her onto the Nexus.

"Just follow the crowd." He said, preoccupied, "You'll be briefed with them. Then I'm sure there'll be some coffee for you in the cryobay. You'll be needed there, no doubt soon." She frowned, but he was already walking away.

How long had they been in Andromeda? Was this the Nexus? She wondered where the colonies were, the Golden worlds, and if they'd met any other races yet. It seemed oddly quiet, but she followed the others dressed like her in navy pants and long-sleeved white shirts.

They were ushered into a small room, around thirty of them, standing in front of a screen. Jien Garson, the founder of the Initiative, appeared. Her face was striking, dressed in an Initiative uniform, her black hair cropped short and practical.

"Hello, Traveler, and welcome to your first day in Andromeda! This is the dawn of a new era for all of us. As you recover from stasis, know that you're in good hands. In a few short hours, you'll be leaving the Hyperion and joining thousands of your fellow colonists as you chase your fortunes and build the new life you've always dreamed about. It's been a long wait—but I promise you it will be worth it."

"Do you think the Pathfinder is up yet?" A man to her right was whispering.

"He must be." A reply came, "Alec Ryder miss Day Zero! Not likely." They laughed.

The significance of these words struck home. This was Day Zero. Oh god, she thought. They weren't even at the Nexus yet. She wasn't supposed to be even awake yet. She was in a low-priority group for waking. There must have been some mistake. Where was her father? Gazing around, she recognised one or two faces from visiting her father at the lab. These people were priority crew on the Hyperion.

Someone doubled over, retching. Vomit trickled from their mouth onto the floor, acrid and bitter. Olivia's own stomach did somersaults. Her muscles felt tired, heavy, her brain full of cotton wool. A memory washed over her. Her father testing one of his earlier cryopods on her and two of her university friends. She'd gone under for three days then. Once she'd volunteered for two whole months. Her mother had been furious with her father when she'd realised, but couldn't compromise the experiment. She remembered her friends vomiting after coming out, dizzy and disoriented.

Someone else dropped onto their knees, white-faced. "I think she's fainting!" Someone beside the woman called out. "Is there a doctor here?"

Without thinking, Olivia pushed her way through, kneeling down next to the unconscious woman, feeling for a pulse. It was steady, if a little slow, her breathing even. She seemed to be running a fever. Briskly, she put the woman into the recovery position, opening her airways, then moved to the vomiting man. "Lean forwards." She told him, "Sit, rest, take deep breaths." She turned to the others, "Someone find me some water for them."