"ShortSpace"

1. Awakening

From the dark, cold void, a singular thought emerges. A spark. A sense of being. A memory. And with that memory comes knowledge. And pain.

The Commander gasped.

His eyes fluttered momentarily.

Then opened wide in shock.

Waves of consciousness started to sweep in, bringing with them a mixed debris of fear, panic and confusion.

Basic instincts stirred as his body reacted to the single trigger of his awakening.

Pain.

Overwhelming pain.

Every single nerve and fibre in his body seemed to suddenly explode, causing him to draw quick, uneven breaths. But despite the demands of his waking sympathetic nervous system, the air was not coming fast enough.