At last, the elevator doors opened into a mostly empty room. It was large with high windows displaying the city. It was an office, with a metal desk and a few screens. A man was waiting nervously, wearing a pale blue robe and a set of complicated lenses on his nose. As soon as the doors opened, his eyes turned toward us. Then it was as if a radio channel had been opened and he was speaking through it.

    "The Mayor's arrived. Who are these people? He must trust them, so that's a good sign. Oh my – what happened?" He straightened, asking aloud, "What happened, Mayor?"

    "It seems to be a case of sensory overload," replied the Mayor. I bent down and picked up my Officer by the arms. I dragged him out of the elevator and felt my muscles creak. They hadn't been used like that in so long that they were sore. I gritted my teeth and dragged him a little further before setting him down.

    "Sensory overload? How might that have happened?" Strange terms – medical terms – flew through the doctor's mind so that everything else was drowned out. He sat down beside Officer Peterson and promptly checked his pulse. "His heartbeat's fine, though a little stilted. I've only ever seen this heartbeat pattern in coma patients. He's mighty thin and pale that I wouldn't be surprised."

    I straightened up. "Will he be all right?"

    "I think so. I believe he's just fainted." The doctor pulled out a stethoscope and pressed it against Officer Peterson's heart. "His heartbeat is rather irregular. Has this man been ill?"

    Mayor Spencer hesitated. "I'd rather not spread the news, but the doctor needs to know to make sure these two are healthy." His eyes slid toward me. I tilted my head and turned to the doctor. He wasn't looking at me but rather the Mayor.

    "He has been unconscious for some time, yes. Not ill, but rather asleep."

    "So he was in a coma. That explains how thin he is." "How was it induced? If it was caused by an injury, this could be worrying." The doctor looked back down at Officer Peterson. His chest rose and fell with each shallow breath.

    "It was on purpose." I clasped my hands behind my back. "He has been cryogenically-frozen for five hundred and fifty years."

    Complete silence went through the room. The Mayor's mind whispered thoughts of worry, but the doctor was entirely quiet. He stared at me. Finally he got past his shock. "She's joking." "You aren't serious."

    "I am."

    The doctor turned to the Mayor. "She's joking with me," he tried. "She must be. Cryogenic-freezing isn't possible. We don't have the technology."

    "No, we don't," agreed the Mayor. "But you know what did have the technology."

    "He can't be implying that these people are from Earth – no. No, this must be a test of some sort. He's kidding." The doctor's mouth worked without words. Mayor Spencer gestured at Officer Peterson. "That man is Technical Officer Quinn Peterson. And this—" His hand clasped my shoulder. "This is First Officer Genevieve Autumn of the Patriot I."

    I shifted my eyes to the Mayor. He released my shoulder. The doctor gawked at me with his mouth hanging open. His thoughts were so full of disbelief that I was starting to get irritated.

    "I don't know exactly how to convince you, doctor," I said sharply, "but that's my officer you're supposed to be treating. Regardless of who we are, it is your job to tend to the injured. I don't need to remind you, do I?"

    He blinked rapidly, a fog clearing from his thoughts. The reminder had worked. He focused on Officer Peterson instead, quickly pulling out a few more supplies from his bag. He clicked on another pair of lenses. I glanced toward Mayor Spencer to make sure that he wasn't angry I had snapped at his doctor.

    He merely smiled. "My apologies. You must understand how far-fetched this sounds. To put it in your terms, First Officer, imagine a character from a book you've read coming to life. This feels nearly identical."

   He's right. I need to be more patient. I exhaled from my nose. "As soon as he wakes up, we need to begin moving. He will know what we need from the Pioneer to wake the crew."

    "Excellent point." Mayor Spencer went to his desk and turned on one of the monitors. I blinked slightly and rubbed an eye. I wasn't hallucinating. It was a piece of glass with a hologram projected onto it. I could see what he was doing on the blue interface of the computer. I looked away to approach the windows, finally looking at the city.

    Each building had sharp walls, but a half-rounded top. The top had glass where I could see dark blue panels, possibly solar panels. The windows were black from outside, telling me each building had one-way glass. The roads were filled with sleek contraptions that looked like miniature pods.

    A railroad track wound its way through the skyscrapers. I saw the train, shaped like a bullet train the color of silver and forest green, stop in front of one. The doors opened and people bustled out and straight into the building. The train door closed and it sped up again. When it passed closer, I realized the train wasn't touching the tracks. Perhaps it ran the same way as the pods.

    Clearly, technology had advanced dramatically in my time asleep. Nothing was quite the same. I saw no power lines. The buildings were built in a way that it reminded me of the ancient Romans. The roads had been built first, and the structures later. There were three lanes in the roads. One was for the pods I considered busses. Another had people walking freely. The last lane was reserved for something that the people below were using. Perhaps the hover board had been invented at last. I wouldn't be surprised.

    I wished I had access to my station in the Bridge of the Patriot I. I could have used to database to read up on recent events and catch up on technology. Something occurred to me and I turned to the Mayor. "What weapons are used at present?"

    He lifted his head at me, surprised. "Zodiacs, of course." Then he blinked. "Wait, Kal, you stupid fool. She doesn't know. That's why she's asking." "Oh, excuse me. I momentarily forgot. Here." He gestured me closer. I walked to look at his screen as he pulled up an image. "Guns – like the ones you are carrying – are relics of the past. We now use zodiacs."

    "What are they?"

   "They are similar to guns, I think. Instead of bullets, though, they fire energy. Some zodiacs, such as the leo and the gemini, require ammo such as energy capsules. Others are similar to long-range snipers, like the taurus. A few can mechanically change shape into something else, like the capricorn."

   "When can I get my hands on one?"

    "I shouldn't be surprised that she's asking about weapons, but I'm not sure where I can get her one." He rubbed his scruff. "I will check and see if I can locate you any zodiacs. Which kind of weapon would you prefer?"

    I examined the image on the screen. It was similar to that of a gun, with a sleeker barrel and grip. There were no sights on the end of it. It was made of silver metalloid. The caption declared it a pisces, and said something about a level one.

    "What is that about a level?"

    "Ah, yes. It is the level of danger. The higher the number, the more dangerous. Higher level zodiacs are heavily restricted. Even I cannot get my hands on a level five zodiac." He sat back. "Though you can be assured you are safe here in Settlement Mirah, First Officer Autumn."

   It doesn't matter. I'm not walking around unarmed. I examined the weapon on the screen with a blank face. "I would like the one most similar to a pistol, if you can. I don't need bells or whistles."

    "Well, I can set you up with an appointment to get one." The Mayor tapped a few buttons. "Now, I believe I've found the Pioneer. I'm calling to confirm right now. Why don't you let the doctor check you? Then we can be on our way."