Waking Up

[HellEnforcer]

 Well, this was originally going to be my submission for the story contest. However, after sitting down and writing for a few minutes, I just ran a count word just for curiosity and realized I have far exceeded the limit. So I had to make a rough wrap up and hope I could trim later on to fit the 500 word limit rule.

 

 The trimmed version did not turn out to be what I wanted at all and is actually quite pathetic, and this one is a lot shorter and compressed of what I really wanted as well... I guess that after a long time without writing anything decently, one forgets that 500 words are not much (why the hell that does not seem to be the case when I am required to write a set amount of pages for the university in a random topic that probably nobody cares? Well, probably that's why).

 

 I am putting the more decent version of the story here just in case anyone is curious enough to read it. I guess I will put the trimmed version on the contest simply because I already trimmed it, but darn, that thing is ... Well, I'm not happy with it.

 

 Also, as a note, feel free to point out any grammar mistakes and the like. My first language is not English, so those corrections could help me improve a bit. Or at least I hope it does.

 

 

 I see a small light flashing in front of me. I can't determine how far it is nor what it is. I try to focus my sight on it without much success. How long has that light been there? I can't remember. "Systems Activated". It is not a light, the words are in a screen close to me... way too close. I try to push the screen away, but I can barely move. I look down to check my body. I gasp weakly as I notice the screen followed my movement. Wait, it is not a screen, it is a helmet. I suddenly remember. I have been put into a cryopod after the Great War was over. I am still wearing my WarFrame and my body is still numb.

 

 Something is wrong. This is not the standard procedure. I gather all the strength I could put together and push the pod's lid open and lay back again to rest while the lid falls. After a while, I hear a loud splash noise. I peek outside the pod to check. Fear. How long since I last felt this feeling? The pod is not on the ground, it is hanging over a pool of liquid and the lid just fell there. What is it? Acid? Just water? Fuel? I can't tell.

 

 

 After quickly checking my situation I come to realize something is not just wrong, something has gone terribly bad. My pod seems to be stuck on the rails for now, so I need to get out of here fast. Lucky for me, there is a small bridge near me. I could easily jump there if I were not this numb. I grab the rail while holding tight from the pod. I get out and I try to reach for the bridge, but even stretching as much as possible, I can't reach it. I take my chances and make a small jump. My legs failed me at the last second, but I got enough force to get my upper body to the bridge, although my lower body is hanging. I hold into a broken section of the bridge and crawl up. I look back and see my pod. It is stuck for good on the rail. I don't think it will fall anytime soon, but I won't just stay there.

 

 Where is the personnel? This place certainly does not look like the installation I was supposed to be. It resembles one of those transport vessels and is falling apart. The vessel looks like it has not received maintenance in a very long time, but all this damage is not just lack of maintenance. I hear a distorted scream. Or something similar to it, could be machinery failure. I see a hole on a nearby wall and start walking there. My strength is slowly coming back. As soon as I turn for the hole, I see a creature I have never seen before. A lot taller than me. There were a few tentacles where normally a head should be and they seem to emanates a ghostly red light. I think it is seeing me. It makes that loud scream again and starts charging at me. I am sure it saw me.

 

 

Unarmed and with no strength to run, I gamble with my luck and try to use my easiest power. It works. I have pulled him towards me with such strength that the creature flies right above my head and falls to the liquid.

 

 What was that creature? Why are the alarms off? Where is the personnel? Just exactly how long have I been on cryosleep? Why am I on this vessel? Since when have I been hanging from there with the vessel on this condition? I assume for the worst and look for an exit. Lucky me. The big room on the other side of the hole still has an escape pod sign legible on the wall. I walk on that direction still stumbling on my feet. I encounter a double door and is not functioning. Seems my brain is numb as well. Why was I expecting something different? The only light I have seen up to now are coming from my WarFrame, the creature, and reflections that come from places I have yet to determine. And I am not willing to determine them right now either. There seems to be no power on the vessel and if there were, probably most things here are not on working conditions. I try to push the doors open to no avail. I guess it is time to use my powers again. Seems to be the only reliable thing around here anyway. And hopefully the escape pod is too. I try to give a few steps back, but I fall in the process. It hurts a bit. My WarFrame feels the hit and decides to charge the shields now. Way to go, Mag. You should have done that earlier. Suddenly I hear that scream again. I turn back and see nothing. Good, it is not here... yet. I crawl a bit further so the damaged doors do not hit me after I use my power. The scream again, louder. This time seems the creature is not alone. I heard more than one. I will take my chances. The doors might hit me, but those things are getting closer and I think they are looking for me now. They must not be happy I forced a swimming lesson on one of their friends. I pull the doors. I thought both would break, but the right one just blends. The left door breaks and flies right at me, but just as it about to hit me, one of its corners hits the ground sending it spinning upwards. I could have lost one of my arms otherwise. The creatures are all screaming now some of them sound a bit different. Marvelous, the door just told them were I was. I stand up as fast as I can, while the screams continue. Then, suddenly, the door ends its flying lesson and slams loudly into the ground. The screams stop. Crap.

 

 I walk past the door breathing heavily. I see why the procedure is to rehabilitate the body at least a day before starting the wake from the cryosleep. I hope the screams stopped because they got dizzy after all that yelling. The escape pods are there. I can see them.

 

 

 They were right next to me this whole time. I go towards them. The screams again, louder than ever. They are on the room I came from. I try to go faster, but my legs are starting to fail me again. I can't stop. I won't stop. I won't give up just yet. I start touching the pod and manage to turn it on. Excellent, it has power. As soon as I get into the pod, I see one of the creatures. It has come to this room and is standing right next to the door I broke, staring at me. It lays low and screams at my direction. Is it taunting me? Challenging me? I do not know, And I am not eager to discover it right now. I start the launching sequence just as the creature starts running at me. This is bad, the pod's doors won't close on time. I have a chance to slow it down, only one. I see a small rusted pole on its path to me. If I time it properly, I could just blend it and... Success, it worked. I pulled the pole towards me, blending it just in time and the creature had no time to react. It ran right into it hitting itself on the stomach, or what I assume to be the stomach. The doors are almost closed and I see at least two other of those creatures come in. There are a few smaller ones with them that I could barely see.

 

 

 Just as the doors are about to close, the creature hit by the pole surprised me by extending its arms in a way I have never seen before. It hit me hard on my chest. I felt the hit, but I was not hurt. The shields worked flawlessly. Thanks Mag, I owe you one. However, its arm is still on my chest, the doors can't close now. The pod gives a warning “Door malfunction. Launch sequence canceled”. No! I grab his arm and push it outside. The creatures are way too close. I hit the button to close the doors. This time, they close. I hear a few hits and scratches on the door, then the pod is launched. I am safe for now.

 

 After a while, the pod suddenly flashes a warning. I freeze for a second. It was too good to be true. The rest of the vessel was barely functional. Why did I assume only power would be my concern here? I glance at the warning and I can breathe again. It is not a warning. Seems an incoming transmission. Who could possibly be? Was there someone still on the vessel? The pod's sensors do not detect any other vessel nearby either. Maybe this is not a transmission but a recording. I check it closely. It is not a recording, it is indeed a transmission that comes from some place outside the pod's range. I answer to the caller “Lotus”...