Sierra Alpha Prime: New Genesis Era (BOOK 1)

Chapter 4

After a 4 1/2 year travel between solar systems, the Oldumare had arrived at the Sierra Alpha Prime solars system. The Oldumare had dropped out of subspace six months away from their destination. This time was to prepare the crew for the planetary survey. The first phase of the Oldumare crew was to reawaken the E.G.C essential personnel from pod stasis sleep. The medical staff had awakened the first set of personnel. Joilee was one of the essential members to be awakened.

Joilee wakes up to a blurry vision as the medical staff looks over her.

"She's coming around," One of the Joilee's hearing sounded like a stretched audio file, as the medical staff voices sounded deep and slow. The chief medical doctor flashes a light in her eyes. The doctor snaps his fingers, trying to get Joilee's reflexes to respond; however, Joilee was still in a dazed state.

"Give me 100 milligrams of Modafinil," the Chief Medical Doctor demanded. The nurse prepared an injection gun and handed it to her superior.

"Joilee, you may feel a bit nauseous immediately after the injection. That is normal." The doctor stated. Joilee could not understand the words the doctor was saying.

The doctor injects the Modafinil into the main artery in Joilee's neck. Joilee eyes widen, and she gasps for air as she felt her heart speed up.

"Breathe," The Doctor stated as she looked at Joilee. Joilee could not understand as she felt a strong sense of nausea. Joilee hunched over the medical bed and spewed vomit of green mucus. Once Joilee was done, she laid back on the bed as she attempted to slow down her breathing.

The Chief Doctor looks into Joilee's eyes again. Once he sees her pupils dilated and see natural reflexes, the doctor was pleased. Now it was time for him to evaluate his patient's awareness.

"Do you remember your name," The Doctor asked.

"Doctor Reyna Joilee."

"Good! Can you tell me where you are?"

"I don't know!"

"You are aboard the intergalactic ship the "Oldumare. Do me a favor and try to wiggle your toes." Joilee tries to wiggle but is poorly managed. "Good," The Doctor replied.

"Why can't you remember anything."

"That is normal. You have been asleep for nearly five years. Once your medical evaluation is complete, you will be sent to go through three evaluation phases; psychology survey, briefing, physical therapy."

Being in a medically induced sleep had its side effects. Memory loss was one of the medical concerns. As part of the therapeutic protocol, Joilee has done a recording of herself to brief her identity, duties as an E.G.C. officer, and mission. They had to listen to that daily to their record daily until they felt they no longer needed the recording. The second phase was the psychological evaluation. After being in stasis for long periods, patients suffered anxiety and depression from a chemical imbalance. E.G.C officers had to go through scheduled evaluations and take mood-boosting supplements. The third phase was physical therapy. The body was weak after being immobile for long periods. Joilee and the rest of the E.G.C. crew had to spend at least three hours a day for muscle and collective memory.

"You are a green light. You are ready for the next phase."

For the past six months, until the Oldonese arrived at Sierra Alpha Prime, Joilee prepared her mind and body again. Joilee was assigned a skin-tight bodysuit that adjusted to any environmental change. Joilee listened to her recorded briefing twice a day. After a couple of weeks in physical therapy, Joilee went to the ship gym, the size of a football field. She was doing ten miles a day and lifting weights on a regular. Joilee made sure her mental state was in excellent condition. She started reading about her research and intreats herbology. Even creating relations with Dr. Priyat and her agricultural associates gave her a sense of a family.

*****

After six months of resurrecting the slap from stasis sleep, the Oldumare had finally arrived at Sierra Alpha Prime. On the final approach to the planet, the Oldumare released a network of drone satellites. When the Oldumare was finally above the planet's atmosphere, they released another series of drone satellites. Finally, they released an unmanned automated vehicle (UAV) that would seed the world with atmospheric probes. It was not long when the Oldumare suddenly shook with tremors.

Joilee was in the science lab making final preparations to collect soil samples. Joilee fell over, not the floor. Joilee quickly stood tried to stand, but she is thrown to the floor with another violent tremor. Dr. Pryat rushes into the lab and helps Joilee off the floor.

"What is going on?" Joilee inquired with sincere concern.

"I dunno. All I know was we were preparing to send reconnaissance drones to collect a soil sample. Suddenly, we start shaking like crazy." Suddenly, the Captain's voice broadcasted over the audio communications channel. "All personnel. This is an order of evacuation. I repeat, this is on the order of evacuation. Calmly make your way to escape shuttles and escape pods."

"Come on, Joilee. We gotta get the hell outta here," Dr. Priyat stated.

Joilee, Pryat, and the Oldumare crew quickly tried to make their way to any available escape pod. Men and women were scattering, not carrying if they were trampling people. As people were crossing the corridors towards the escape pod bay, a flash of red light cut through the ship, evaporating the fleeing staff. Fortunately, Joilee made it just in time before the interstellar vessel was cut in half. The vacuum was jettisoned any unsecured personally into space as there were screams and panic. Dr. Priyat was one of the unfortunate once. Joilee was next to meet her demise as the vacuums of space lifted her in the air. Joilee quickly grabbed an entrance to a sliding door that was stuck in the open position. Once the emergency bulkhead doors were sealed shut, stopping the vacuuming and decompression. Joilee plummeted to the floor. Joilee quickly got up and made her way to the emergency shuttle pod bay.

Before Joilee could enter the emergency shuttle bay, Joilee had to pass the exosuit checkpoint chamber. When Joilee quickly walked inside the fitting chamber. Joilee entered the room, an environmental exosuit, fully equipped with a helmet, a parachute, and built-in A.I. Joilee walked into the suit once upon entrance, the suit compressed, fitting itself to Joilee's body frame. Once the exosuit was secure on Joilee, the exosuit chamber doors opened to the escape shuttle pod bay. Joilee quickly made her to the closest ship that was not destroyed or jettison into space. A flash of light shined on Joilee's helmet that caught her attention. Joilee looked and saw an E.G.C officer at the rear of a shuttle.

"Come on. This way!" an E.G.C officer replied. Joilee quickly ran towards the shuttle, avoiding any unsecured items, cargo, and debris that would bring her demise.

Once Joilee was on board, the shuttle doors were closed. The pilot wasted no time taking off. Once they were clear of the ship, Joilee looked out the window. She caught a glimpse of the Oldumare being destroyed by beams of light coming from the surface planet.

"This can't be!" Joilee replied in horror. Suddenly the Oldumare tore in half as both descended into the planet's atmosphere. One half of the vessel where one of the dark matter engines explodes. Debris and shockwaves were hurled in every direction.

"Hold on tight, we are in for a rough ride," The pilot yelled as he made his way toward the planet's surface. Joilee quickly strapped herself into the emergency seat to prepare for the onslaught of metal from the Oldumare.