I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a meteor. My nose was congested and my throat sore. I had no feeling in my fingers and my legs were numb. Perhaps that was better than actually feeling them though. I looked down and they were strapped to the bottom of the cryogenic pod. A hiss sounded and I could practically feel the moisture run into the coffin-like box. The buckles clicked and loosened slightly as the safety lock was removed; I quickly took advantage to unstrap myself, though my tingling fingers fumbled for a moment, and open the lid.

I had the distinct impression of a mummy rising from its sarcophagi to take revenge on its grave robbers but at I rose there was no loud crack of thunder or a mysterious mist. Instead I was bombarded by lights in my face, and a metal stick poking me in random places. They talked about my pupil dilation and response times. I could tell I wasn’t at 100 percent but I was getting better, the more I moved and the more I took in. I assured them that my nerves were still fully functioning and that I could indeed see how many fingers they were holding up. I gave them every last detail from when I first went into the cryo-containment chamber and went to sleep. I gave them my name and passenger number along with my occupation and the name of the planet I was traveling to.

Eventually they were satisfied and helped me up and led me to the recovery rooms so I could lie down. It was a stumbling journey and nausea crept over me in waves at any sudden movements. My head spun and I was begging for a decent cup of Caf. But as I turned my head to talk to the other guy sitting in the next cot I saw it.

Isis. Named after the ancient goddess of Egypt, It finally rotated into view. It’s royal blue atmosphere and green oceans brighter than the greenest grass on Earth, with wine colored deserts and rich black dirt. The jungles shone in every color possible, like huge chunks of diamond were thrown into the planet and it’s mountains were indeed made of crystals. As the locations varied, so did the stone types. Some in the Northern Hemisphere shone red and yellow while the poles had huge mountains made of crystal so clear you could see all the way through them. The Southern Hemisphere had mountain made of black and blue gems. With its flurry of colors it was fitting for it’s namesake.

It was amazing! An entire new world, devoid of sentient species but bristling with new life and... adventures. As a Pathfinder this was my dream. To be the first down there. To be the first to set up a colony. This would be amazing.