Awake 3

"I'll miss you."

They were the last three words she had spoken to her beloved grandfather. She had thought about what they would be for a very long time.

Sometimes, she thought that an expression of her grief would be a good choice, other times believing that reassuring her grandfather she would be okay was a better idea.

She landed on those words because they were simple, and because anything else she could possibly say to her grandfather, he already knew.

It was the only think she could think of that would bring comfort to her only family member, an affirmation that even in the absence of his presence, he would be somewhere in her mind and in her heart.

A click informed her that stasification was imminent, but not even half a second passed before the second click denoting that her destasification was complete registered in her ears.

It was strange this feeling, jumping forward in time. In the blink of an eye, months had passed with no change at all to her body.

That wasn't entirely true, there was a little bit of pulsation in parts of her body where time dilation had been the slightest fraction different than the parts around it, resulting in a miniscule differential in blood pressure and tissue tension.

Nauseating for about a minute, but not really much in comparison to the strangeness of ignoring time. In fact, if she hadn't been expressly told this information by the field mechanics that instructed her on this device's usage, she would have assumed the nausea was borne of the dim light and cramped interior. A sort of claustrophobia.

The lid opened by itself, revealing an exterior devoid of one of the most important figures in her life. What it lacked in visual hospitality it made up for with smell, a sweet but not overpowering aroma with some undertones of what she thought might be bleach.

A cleaning solution then.

"Welcome back operator code 0-1, Diana Helmsguard. A precursory scan of your body indicates nothing extreme has occurred. Does anything feel out of place?"

"No, I'm fine ARC. Thank you for asking." While not necessarily a surprise, ARC's linguistic progress was shocking. To her, it hadn't even been an hour since it last spoke. "What's with the detergent?"

"I decided that before I woke you, I would clean the cabin of the detritus left behind by Donovan. While he is not apparently in a life threatening condition, stomach acid, blood, and urine were among the liquids on the floor. Fearing that it might invoke some never before seen reaction after destasification, I took the liberty of cleaning both the floor and air in a manner that would not be considered repulsive to your eyes and nose."

"Thank you for that, then. By the way, where IS he?"

"I am not privy to his specific location, however the Captain should be aware. According to the external sensors, he has already returned and taken up a position in the vicinity of the Noah. Before exiting however, there are a number of tasks that I believe would be of great benefit for you to complete."

"The post stasis stretching, I know."

"While those are on the list, there are a further few that I would like you to perform so as to assist in your efforts to build rapport with those aboard the Oberlux. If possible, I would also like to give you a run-down on the situation up to this point as well as a warning towards Donovan's current condition."

She was already out of the box, reaching towards the ceiling before bending, arms outstretched, to grab her toes. She wouldn't say she was the peak of athleticism, but she was proud of her flexibility. The tightness she felt from such a simple stretch was more than she would normally, a side effect of the stasis and an important reason these stretches were done.

"What is it that I should do?"

"I would first recommend changing your clothes into something that would be considered 'civilian'. Judging by the reactions of the people outside, they do not seem to think that the flight suits are particularly appealing. Admittedly, Don was not exactly in the most presentable of states, but the general expressions of the Oberlux's crew seemed to be oriented more towards displeasure."

"If that is the case then I will oblige. First impressions are important towards building a lasting relationship. What is the atmospheric temperature onboard the Oberlux?"

"It appears to be slightly below average room temperature."

"What do the females seem to be wearing, if there are any around."

"If the female called the Healer is anything to go by, then some form of longer dress of oriental descent. I didn't get a visual on any undergarments, but the material it was made of appeared to be a little thick, perhaps to keep warm, but the possibility of it being a sanitation measure is present. There was one other individual that appeared androgynous, but the presence of a similar dress leads me to lean more towards it also being female."

"What portions of skin were they showing?"

"The heels, hands, forearms, and face were exposed, though in the case of forearms I am once again unsure if this was due to a need for an operating are to be clear of obstruction."

"So then I should wear a long sleeved shirt, my sweatpants, and shoes without heels. Probably a more subdued color."

"My apologies Diana, but I think brighter colors would be a better choice given the scheme of heir apparel."

Diana nodded her head in recognition. Finished with her stretching, she pulled out one of the many boxes underneath the hole the stasis chamber was in. Opening it revealed it to be full of women's clothing. Diana's clothing.

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with your assessment. However our current circumstance forbids such happy colors, and likely will for some time."

"My apologies for not having a grasp on the art of fashion, but what exactly precludes you from wearing a color that will invoke a more positive response?"

"It has nothing to do with fashion, ARC, but with expectations. As it stands, Don and I are the last two humans that evolved on Earth, the rest recently killed in a massive catastrophe beyond our ability to control. I think they would be more sympathetic to someone who shows sorrow and grieving than joy."