Jason drifted back into consciousness slowly. At first, all he could hear was a ringing. Darn headache, he thought. Then, the world came to him with a vengeance. The ringing got louder, and he could hear voices around him.
"How did he get here?"
"Did he phase?"
"We think so..."
"Without a suit? That's insane!"
"No wonder he's hurting..."
"Come on, boy, wake up!"
Jason felt someone slapping his face lightly. It echoed through his skull like a rain of nails. He cried out in pain and his eyes flew open. Immediately, he squinted them shut. The world was too bright... everything hurt. Things were blurry and hazy, like he was looking through a layer of fog. Vaguely, he was aware of a woman leaning over him.
She had dark hair and dark eyes. At the corner of his vision, Jason could make out the shadowy forms of other people. They seemed to be circled around him. He must be lying on a floor. The woman leaning over him began examining him--turning his head this way and that, lifting his eyelids, checking his pulse. Jason simply kept still. He couldn't feel his arms and legs anyways, and he wasn't sure how long he could stay conscious. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, as though the floor was rocking like a boat on rough seas. Things began dimming, and the ringing in his head started again.
"Hey, stay with me..." The voice said, but Jason was already slipping down into unconsciousness again.
The next time he woke up, Jason was lying in a bed. He looked around and could see other beds lined up near his. His head felt better and his vision had cleared. From the pale walls and set up, he determined that he must be in a hospital. He wondered where his parents were. Maybe they had gone home to await a doctor's call. Jason pushed himself into a sitting position. His muscles protested, but he looked about, trying to spot a nurse or a doctor nearby. As luck would have it, someone walked in at that moment.
She was a stout woman with long black hair and small features. Although she held some sort of palm device, she wasn't dressed like a doctor. She wore rough clothing-- light pants, a loose long-sleeved shirt, and a thick vest with many pockets, much like the utility vests that hunters wore. She examined him as she approached.
"Finally awake, I see," she said, coming to the side of his bed and beginning to take his pulse. "You've been out for quite some time."
"Where am I?" Jason asked. This was definitely an odd hospital. All the other beds were empty, and there wasn't any of the bustle he was used to seeing in hospitals. Also, he was sure that his parents would have requested a private room if one had been available.
"You are on the Autolycus-Beta Star Station orbiting Gyrent-12." The doctor said, making some notes on her palm pad.
"What?" Jason asked, fixing her with a distrustful look. She had just spoken nonsense. He hadn't seen any ID... perhaps she was a wayward psychiatric patient.
"You are distrustful..." She said, meeting his eyes. "I understand that. You must have gotten here by accident. We still aren't sure how you managed to survive the journey."
"What are you talking about?" Jason said, beginning to panic a bit. "Where am I? What do you mean 'accident'?"
"You are on a star station... a large complex orbiting a planet called Gyrent-12. You got here through a form of inter-dimensional travel we call 'phasing'. Usually it takes highly-trained telepaths or special equipment, as well as protective gear to travel by phasing. You--a regular, untrained, and unequipped boy--somehow managed to phase here from your home." After that long speech, she paused to allow Jason to absorb all that she had said.
"You... aren't crazy, are you?" Jason asked, feeling a calm shock set in.
"No, I am not," the woman said. Jason stared around the room, noticing things that he hadn't noticed before. Computer panels, glowing with different colors were set into the walls. The walls weren't wood, but metal of some sort. Also, there was an audible background hum, like the sound of running machinery.
"Oh..." Jason said, feeling confused and numb. How had he gotten here? Where was home?
"Let's start over," the woman said kindly. "I am Miria, part of the station's medical staff."
"Jason Walbrook," he said hollowly. "I used to live in England..."
Miria nodded. "Come on, Jason. Some hot food and water will do you good." She took hold of his arm and helped him down from the bed.
Background from Absolute Background Textures Archive. Storyline and characters created by and copyright © Rachel "Indyana" Gratis, 2001-2004. Dragon from Veniam Mactare.