AWAKEN - HUMANITY: Book One

Chapter 1: Wake up.

Samantha Raven brushed back her long flowing dark hair then stretched upwards, long slender fingers reached upwards towards the stark white ceiling tiles. Her sleep had been long, deep and trouble free. After rubbing the excess sleep from her ocean blue eyes she began to focus on the surroundings, the plastic white coffin she was sitting upright in had been her bed for the duration of the journey, the thick glass top was fully open standing erect, the coldness of the surrounding white room with the various graphics displayed on small independent screens embedded into the walls bounced their colourful lights onto her face. She sighed resting for a short moment knowing she had to embrace the outside world once more and leave her warm cosy surroundings.

Carefully she pulled her slender naked body up grabbing the sides of the chamber and slowly hauled herself out, instantly feeling the cool air against her skin as she carefully placed a bare foot onto the tight plastic woven carpeted floor. She held onto the wall for support as she began to try and walk, hers was the last sleeping chamber to be opened the others were spent, their glass covers upright looking like futuristic sculptures.

How long has it been? A week? A month? A year? Time had no substance when you were in induced isolated sleep.

"Good morning Sam how was your sleep?" The voice came from a blurred figure in front of her, she recognised the thick American ascent but her eyes were still adjusting.

"Fine..." She croaked, her British accent barely audible as she rubbed her throat. "How long..." she dragged her naked body over to the far wall just able to see where she was going.

"Six months, two days, fifty minutes and twelve seconds." Craig Ryker was the ship's doctor, a middle aged man who was below average height and had what his mother called 'thick bones' hence his slight overweight body, with stubble covering his round face. The reason he was chosen for the long haul interplanetary missions were due to his knowledge of exotic bacteria and thankfully not due to his fitness. Wearing his slightly tight blue jump suit, he watched her, eyes travelling up and down her slim body shaking his head making a mental note that he would have to prepare a small stock of anti-stimulants for the rest of the male crew, just as a precaution.

"Okay Craig you have seen enough now go and leave me alone." Sam smiled broadly and slowly walked over to the far wall, pressed a panel and the wall slid open revealing a small single unit shower cubicle. She disappeared behind the frosted glass breathing deeply as the instant warm water hit her dry skin, the sensation ran wild through her body.

"Are you sure you don't want company in there?" Craig asked smiling as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Go!" Sam threw a wet sponge over the cubicle door narrowly missing Craig who quietly left her alone smiling to himself turning the corner and a short walk down a narrow corridor towards the canteen.

Craig entered the small eating area, a square room with shelving from floor to ceiling with one wall stacked with pre-dried and canned food, dry biscuits and tinned dried fruit and vegetables. Opposite was a row of small stainless steel microwaves. In the centre of the room plastic chairs sat around stark white standard picnic style tables with huge plastic pots at their centres all filled with steaming hot coffee and empty cups waiting to be filled. Ahead was a large wall screen showing the severe weather system erupting over the sands of the Nevada desert back on Earth

"I wonder how old that one is." Craig muttered as he sat down pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"At this distance it's anyone's guess." A male Scottish voice answered from behind.

Craig spun around as Captain Cade West entered, his deep red jump suit unzipped from the neck to the waist revealing a sizeable amount of thick black chest hair. He was young, short cut hair and blue eyed, tall and slim and walked with a straight back, almost military in style.