Artemisia Zephyr's biography

[Kerbal22]

Floating...

So clear...floating on nothing...in the endless void...

In these last few seconds..i am serene..

RECORD BEGIN

Name: Artemisia Zephyr

Age: 28

Date of birth: ERR

Affiliation: None known.

Employment status: Employed aboard the NSS Aurora.

Nanotrasen standing:Opposed.

Marital status Single.

Mental Status Unknown, presumed stable, possible PTSD.

END RECORD

BEGIN VIDEO LOG

"I see it over and over again. The last moments of my life as i know it. The last breath i would take. The last beat of my heart. I see the explosion of my fighter in slow-motion, as everything i had ever known was annihilated in a single moment. My life, my love, my passion."

"Everything i had ever known, was gone in that one moment..and then, i was."

"There was no pain, no great sorrow or regret.."

"There was....nothing.

A lone woman sits in a bare chair, it was once a nice office chair, but it appears the ravages of time have taken their toll on it, leaving it bare scraps of what it once was. She leans forward slightly, a leather jacket on her shoulders, black.

"Death is a strange thing."

"Of all the times i had died..i never really..died, per-say. I was in limbo. I never remembered the times i died, but when i died..i remembered everything from my past deaths.

"It really is strange. There is no pain, nothing, just..one moment you're alive, and the next? You're atoms floating in the void.

"Call me crazy, if you want."

END VIDEO LOG

Artemisa heard ringing in her ears. Why were her ears ringing? Why did she hurt so much? So many questions, no answers. She opens her eyes, to the harsh light of the medical station aboard Freeport Delta. Oh Deities, the light hurt, and she tightly shut her eyes. Everything hurt. Every part of her body. Why won't the ringing stop? Why..do i feel so tired? It's..so easy just to go back to sleep..But i can't. Why can't i? It's so..warm..and nice here..

I think i'l take a nap..

In reality..

Artemisia had been cloned. She was a bad grow, but they couldn't terminate her and do it again. She had a hard end. Last one in her squadron to go. She was up against a frigate in a damaged fighter. In the end, she disabled it, but at what cost?

Her life had been the cost of disabling that ship.

The entirety of her squadron was waiting on the news. Would she survive or not? None had a clue.

And then she went into cardiac arrest. Instantly, it was like a fire had been lit in her room, alarms rang out, wailing across the vast section on the station that was the medical bay, doctors rushing to and fro, within seconds, someone had grabbed a defibrillator.

A sharp whine fills the room.

"Clear!"

Her chest seized and her muscled tensed, forcing her torso upwards in a momentary contraction as the voltage surges through her body.

"No pulse, O2 levels falling. Get adrenaline into her, now!"

More beeps and and wailing alarms fill the room.

"Doctor, we're losing her!""Goddamnit..raise the power on the defib, max.""What? You're insane-""Just do it already!"

"Clear!"

A sharp, loud whine fills the room, and Artemisa's chest bucks and jerks, then collapses back onto the hospital bed.

For several tense moments...nothing. Not a peep. Suddenly..

..beep...beep...beep...beep..

"O2 levels rising..heart rate climbing."

"Damn. I never thought that would work.."

"You've not been on staff as long as i have, Nurse."

Voices. People. Vague images. Who are these people? What are they doing? Why did they wake me up? Just..let me sleep..

...beep...beep.....beeeeeeep.....

Several hours had passed in that instant that Artemisa was vaguely aware.

"Doctor! She's flat-lining! Fast!"

The Nurse rushed into her room, followed by several more doctors and other aids.

"Goddammit Artemisa, don't give up on me now!"

Another sharp whine, and then her chest contracts.

Nothing.

"No pulse, administering adrenaline!"

"Clear!"

beeeeeeeeep...beep..beep..beep..beep..beep..beep..beep...

"O2 rising. Heartbeat stable at 92BPM.

"She's a fighter."

"That, i know, Nurse. Monitor her constantly, don't let her out of your sight.

Why...won't..they...let..me..sleep?!

Hours passed, she didn't flat-line again. A day later, she awoke.

Ringing. The taste of blood on my tongue. More ringing. Noises.

She gasps away, bolting upright and jerking a tube out of her arm in the process, before looking around, her eyes wide.

Infront of her, the doctor that had saved her life.

"Where..am i?"

"Calm down, Artemisia, you're in the medical bay."

She sighs, paling slightly.

"How did i go this time?"

"You disabled a frigate which had killed your entire squadron."

"Atleast i took some bastards with me.."

"You should get some sleep, Artemisia."

As he says that, a sudden drowsiness comes over her, and she slips into a deep, darkness that only sleep can bring.

Meanwhile, in the Command Bridge aboard Freeport Delta..

"You can't just let her go!"

"I can, and i will, and i am."

"She's one of our best! We need her!"

"How many times has she died in that medical bay? How many times has she given her life for us all? It's time we let the poor girl go. She will be honorably discharged with all credits and pension.

A week later, Artemisia was leaving Freeport Delta, destined for Tau Ceti.