2 YEARS LATER
The constant beep of the medical machine felt as if it was boring into her brain. It had been an ever present noise now for almost two years, but up until now, she had not been able to break free of her coma in order to silence it. But today was different. She could feel the cloth beneath her body, the fibres brushing against her skin. A light breeze flowed over her lips, and as she took in a large lungful of air, she opened her eyes. The lights were bright, and they hurt causing her to blink rapidly for several minutes, trying to adjust.
“Hey there, take it easy, take it easy.”
A soothing voice to her side made her turn her head to the left. Sat beside her was a humanoid female, typing commands into a computer tablet. The woman had distinctive markings on her nose, and along her forehead that she had never seen before. Although, at this point, she could not recall any memory of what she had and hadn’t encountered before today. The effect was most disarming.
“How do you feel?” asked the alien doctor.
She thought about this for a moment, and felt her dry throat crack as she tried to speak to no avail.
“Hold on, let me help.”
The doctor helped her take a large sip of water, the liquid instantly soothing the pains and dryness. She tried again.
“Like I swallowed a bucket of razor blades.”
The doctor smiled.
“Your recovery has been long, but the speed you have progressed in the last few days has been nothing short of remarkable. It’s as if your brain has lain dormant for all this time, and is now able to reactivate. In truth, we have done nothing but keep you comfortable.”
She allowed the words to sink in, but barely understood them. All this time? How long was that. Thankfully she did not have to wait too long for a response to that one.
“You’ve been our most popular patient since you came in here two years ago. Everybody is curious about where you came from. We have never seen another being like yourself.”
Two years.
“Where… where am I? Where did you find me?”
The doctor checked her notes.
“Your pod was found by a farmer in one of his crop fields. Much of it was lost in the initial fire by the time he found you. You’d been thrown from the pod several hundred feet. How you had no broken bones, I have no idea. You’ve been in a coma ever since. Until today.”
Pod. Crashed. These words meant something to her, but her mind could not yet organise the thoughts. But then a far more troubling notion sprang to the surface.
“Who- who am I?” she asked.
The doctor nodded sympathetically, and reached into the pocket of her lab coat.
“When the farmer found you, you had this scrap of identification on you. It’s mostly faded away, but it has your picture, and a first name. Drusilla. Does that sound familiar?”
In truth, it did not. She did not know who she was, and had no recollection of her name whatsoever. But the picture was undeniably her. There was a small logo in the corner of what looked like a damaged ID card of some sort. It was a blue and green planet that she did not recognise, and the word ‘Utopia’. She had no memories of the card nor how she came to possess it,
“As for your family name, the pod you were found in was lost, as I say. But there was a name detailed on the side, I presume the pods were personalised.”
Trying to make sense of it all, she asked the doctor, “What was the name?”
“Ransome.”
Again, there was no realisation attached to that name. But at least she had something to call herself. She nodded to the doctor, who told her to get some more rest and they would try and find her some food. After the doctor left, her mind raced for a while, as she tried to grasp any semblance of who she was or where she had come from. There was also a nagging itch at the back of her mind. The room appeared to be filled with chattering and whispers, but the other patients in the ward appeared to be quiet or speaking at a reduced volume. Somehow, she could hear several of them clearly. Moments later, another hospital orderly arrived, holding a piece of card.
“Ah it’s good to see you up and awake! I’ve come to ask what you would like for lunch, Miss…?”
She thought for a moment.
“Ransome. Drusilla Ransome.”