Callisto

1.0

It was dark, and I didn't feel any cold, but there were no dreams either. The Foundation's research shows that the human brain reaches a state of stasis reserve during Cryosleep, similar to a dream. I made a mental note to update them on this matter later. My name is Captain Able, commanding Mobile Task Force Rho19. I was assigned to lead my unit and assist on the Callisto mission, but the current situation dictates otherwise.

I vividly remember taking my place in the cryo-chamber after giving commands to the pilot droids about the destination ahead. Then, darkness enveloped me. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself suspended in a fluid tank with pipes in my mouth and a monitor unit on my chest to stabilize my vitals. Foundation personnel soon arrived, emptied the tank, and took me out.

I had experienced cryo chambers before, but this time was different. Waking up in the healing tank had sapped my muscle strength. Many questions flooded my mind: Why was I brought to the med bay? Where were we now? What happened to the initial phase of the Callisto mission? But the attending personnel gave no answers. They removed the monitor unit, dressed me in a white gown, and took some blood for tests. They instructed me to wait on my bed until the mission's in-charge, Doctor Roth, was available to attend to me.

As I stared blankly around the room and at the empty fluid tank, I expected Doctor Roth to walk in. Instead, my second in command, Lieutenant Sybil, entered the room looking a bit relieved to see me sitting on the bed. She greeted me with an official MTF salute, to which I responded, "At ease Lieutenant. Reports."

Lieutenant Sybil began explaining the events. The first launch phase and the deep-space journey had gone smoothly, but the ship encountered an unknown orbital debris collision during its descent to the planet's surface, damaging the middle cryo-suit area where I was. Upon landing, the droids activated the protocol, and those with stable vitals were woken up. The damaged pods were transferred to the med bay, and due to my unstable vitals, I was placed in the fluid stasis tank and remained comatose until now.

Concerned about the surface mission's progress, I asked about it, and Lieutenant Sybil hesitated before responding, suggesting that Doctor Roth would explain everything in detail. I realized that being out in the planet's environment wasn't an option for the research crew. As I pondered the situation, Sybil mentioned that Doctor Roth had returned to the Callisto base to get me up to speed on the mission's developments.

Curious about the passage of time, I asked, "How long have I been out?"

"Lieutenant... it's been years," Sybil replied, leaving me stunned and uncertain of what lay ahead.