Stars of a Forgotten Sleep

The cryopod hissed, a sound like escaping breath, and Zai's eyes snapped open. Disorientation slammed into him – a cold wave washing over his skin as the stasis field dissolved. Above, instead of the familiar grid of the *Icarus* cargo bay, an impossible vista of stars blazed. Stars that hadn't existed when he'd last closed his eyes. A groan escaped his lips, tasting of stale recycled air. He fumbled for the release latch, his fingers clumsy and unresponsive. The pod popped open with a whoosh, and Zai tumbled out, landing hard on the cold metal floor. He pushed himself up, his legs shaky, and stared, dumbfounded, at the alien sky. Panic tightened its icy grip around his chest. Where was he? How long had he been asleep? He spotted a blinking console nearby and stumbled toward it, desperate for answers.