The Avatar Chronicles

"Tired of living in a world of boundaries? Come see the infinite vastness of space! The Resources Development Administration is looking for people just like you to work in other worldly explorations and developments. Helping to improve humanity every step of the way," said the holographic ad projection in front of the tall monolithic shaped building.

A man stopped in front of the holographic display to watch the ad while a few others glanced at it before continuing on. He had a medium build and average height. He brushed his blonde bangs back and out of his face. He extracted an ID card from his pocket and looked down at it for a moment. The picture on it was about two years old back when he had first joined. He moved his thumb to reveal a name in red at the bottom: Harvey, Cecil. He frowned when he looked down at his own body who was twenty pounds lighter than he would have liked. He like most of the others in his department often neglected two things, food and sleep.

"RDA, leading the sustainable development of Alpha Centauri," said the ad changing from holographic images to that of the corporate slogan as Cecil walked past it.

He was always still amazed at how people were captivated by the ad which showed the same lush and exotic pictures of Pandora. There have been many pictures floating around the net but most of the information that came from Pandora was usually met with heavy classification screenings. The reports from a reporter that went there, Alison Boyd, is actually three years delayed. Not because of the delayed transmission from Pandora to Earth, but because every frame of every recording was scrutinized under a microscope. They even altered some things thing in the report. Most people don't know this. Most people think that RDA has to follow the same media and information laws like they do on Earth. The RDA controls everything in space, even information is heavily regulated and controlled. Meaning they only show what they want the people to see.

The ad was recycling again and Cecil had had enough of it. He walked into the RDA headquarters. The lobby was vast and crowded as it usually was. People of all kind walking through the lobby. The floor was made from artificially created synthetic obsidian. The walls were also black with specs of gold flakes on the walls. But what was really impressive was the large holographic projection of Polyphemus with its fourteen satellites in rotation around it in the void of space. It was something that every science museum was envious of. Cecil made his way to the check in desk in the middle of the lobby.

"Morning Dr. Harvey" said the guard giving him a nod and tipping his hat at the twenty-five year old psychologist.

"Hey Jon," said Cecil taking the gold pen on the desk and signed in on the check in screen which lay flat on the counter. "How about them Bears?"

"How about them Bears!" said Jonathan excitedly as he watched Cecil through the body screener hidden directly on the panel which Cecil stood on. "Empty your pockets please. Barely made it past the Ravens but they look like they got Super Bowl potential!"

"That they do," said Cecil who wasn't really into sports but just struck up friendly conversation.

"Have a good one Dr. Harvey," who was satisfied with that Cecil wasn't in possession of any weapons or contraband materials or devices.

"Thanks Jon," said Cecil as he scooped up his belonging from the tray on the desk. "Take it easy."

"Be sure to come back in one piece so we can catch up on all the football you're gonna miss," said Jon calling back to him as Cecil walked away.

Cecil walked to elevators and let out a sigh. If there was one thing that he wouldn't miss when he got off this planet, it was all the security measures and procedures. He could feel the eyes of ten cameras from ten different angles on him checking his face and build against the corporate database.

"Is it too late to change professions?" asked Cecil to himself as he stepped into open elevator. He pressed his thumb on the scanner of the elevator waiting until the light changed from red to green. Once it did floor levels displayed on the touch screen showing which floors he could go to. Several floors were highlighted yellow instead of green, the yellow floors were the floors he traveled to mostly. He spotted his floor, level 45, less than halfway from the top floor. As soon as he selected his floor he was speeding his way up the floors almost weightlessly.

"Level 45, Research and Development," said the automated floor as the doors slid open.

He walked out into the floor which was designed more with function than form in mind. His footsteps echoed off of the walls as he made his way to his office which was practically empty and ready for the next occupant to vacate the small windowless room. The only object left on his desk as a small stereo still picture on his desk of one of Polyphemus' moons, Pandora.

Cecil held the picture in his hand admiring the small blue and green world which he would soon be going to. Should I take this thing? I've been staring at it for over five years already. Maybe I should take it, thought Cecil to himself as he slipped the picture into his jacket.

There was a knock at his door which drew him from his thoughts. Before he could respond the door slowly opened. He expected someone to enter right away but it took several seconds before someone did and it wasn't someone he had expected to see.

"Are you Dr. Harvey?" asked the man who had just entered his office.

"I am," said Cecil looking at the man trying to hide his obvious shock.

"Hi, I'm Jake Sully," he said reaching out a hand for him to shake.

Cecil looked over the rest of the man. He was a caucasian male with green eyes and brown hair with blonde stubble on his chin like he hadn't bothered to shave in a while. His upper body wasn't incredibly large but he was definitely keeping himself in shape.

"Jake Sully," said Cecil shaking Jake's heavily callused hand. "You're Tom's brother, the marine."

"That's right," said Jake nodding his head up at Cecil.

He looks just like Tom, thought Cecil. No wonder, they are identical twins.

"I know you've probably been told a million times," said Cecil remembering what happened to his friend. "But I'm sorry for you loss. You have my sincerest sympathies."

Jake nodded his head, clearly he didn't want to talk about it.

"If you're here for your brother's personals," said Cecil looking around his own office for some reason. "I'm sorry he didn't take anything to work. As you can see, we don't bring our personal lives to work with us."

"No, I'm not here for Tom's things," said Jake looking around nervously. "I'm here because of the RDA. I'm going to Pandora."

"Oh, I think you've got the wrong floor then," said Cecil. "The SecOps floor is up on the 49 floor."

Jake shook his head at him. "No, I'm on the right floor."

"I'm confused," said Cecil shaking his head. But soon realized what Jake was telling him.

Jake looked into his eyes for the first time. There was that same fire, that drive that Tom had. It was the same look he had when they had first met. Those same green eyes that looked as if they were looking right through you.

"I'm here to take Tom's place," said Jake.

"Ah," said Cecil trying to sound convincing. "Well I suppose its possible. But you've probably already been told that. Well what are you here for?"

"I was sent here because I heard that you are in the Avatar program going to Pandora," said Jake. "I heard you can tell me about it."

"Alright, do you know what this program is?"

"I don' t know. They said you could tell me."

"Oh boy. Well, did they tell you anything else?"

"Yeah, that I'm leaving for Pandora today."

"Oh boy."

-

Jake looked through the large cylindrical cell filled with blue amniotic fluid. The blue cell looked almost empty except for the small spec which was probably no bigger than a thumbnail. Jake pressed his face up against the glass, he could barely make out a small developing embryo. No matter how advanced technology had gotten nothing could ever come close to this. The dividing and multiplying of cells, each of them growing and changing according to their assigned function.

"This is it?" asked Jake almost smiling at such a small thing.

"That's it," said Cecil nodding his head. He looked over to his own which was developing quite well. "It looks small now, but trust me. They'll get big and blue in no time."

"That's Tommy in there," said Jake putting a hand up to the cell as if wanting to make a physical connection with the embryo that was born from Tom's DNA.

"That's Tommy in there," confirmed Cecil. "How are they doing?

"They are doing quite well," said a doctor looking over the charts. "No mutations, no abnormalities or deformities. It is going flawlessly. They are prepped and ready for transportation to Pandora."

Jake smiled as he stared at the small thing for a moment longer before he had to let it get wheeled away and prepped for the journey. Jake watched it like a father longing to be with his new born son. He then straightened up his face and continued to roll forward. He always got stares because of his wheelchair but he never really cared much. If they had a problem with it, he had the strength and will to back it up. Most of the time.

Cecil followed him as he continued forward towards the end of the hangar. It was bustling with people running back and forth and was teeming with excitement. All the new recruits heading for Pandora were already lined up and waiting for their names to be read off the check list. Cecil stood as patiently waiting for his name to be called but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up. He was actually going to Pandora. Several members had already been called forward and were heading into the large double doors at the back of the hangar.

"Harvey, Cecil," read out a man holding the clipboard in a red jumpsuit.

"Right here," said Cecil stepping forward. He waited as the man verified his identity with an iris scanner and finger print reader.

"Clear," said the man before moving onto the next name.

Cecil looked down to Jake who was next to him. He hesitated for a minute.

"Is there a problem?" asked the man.

"I was just going to wait for-."

"You either get on board or get out of my hangar."

Cecil looked down to Jake one last time before heading to the large double doors. Jake was a little fidgety in his chair. He knew he'd be near the end of the list but just the thought of his name not being on there made him a little anxious. He watched as person after person walk into the double doors. Finally only Jake was left waiting.

Just like back then, thought Jake to himself as he watched the person before him get cleared. Always got picked last.

"Sully, Jake," said the man looking at the only person left in front of him. He held an iris scanner up to his eye then offered the fingerprint scanner to him. "Clear. Let's go kid."

The two made their way to the double doors. Just like those that had gone before him he waited for them to slide open before entering. It was almost agonizing waiting for the elevator to take them up to another elevator. But that elevator was different. This one would take them up into space.

When the doors opened again Jake found himself miles above the ground. As he rolled himself across the bridge to the actual space elevator he looked out past the bars and out to the desert.

"This use to be known as "Area 51" back then," said the crewman noticing Jake staring out at the desert. "Said they found aliens here. I guess its fitting; going to space to find aliens from a spot where they supposedly found aliens."

Jake only nodded his head and pushed his chair forward towards the space elevator. He looked up to see a massive pole from the bottom of the ground reaching up to the sky looking thinner than a piece of hair.

"That's gonna take us up?" asked Jake almost regretting his question.

"Its not so bad," said the crewman. "Just hope you didn't have a big lunch."

When Jake got situated into his assigned seat he looked around trying to find a familiar face in the crowd, all of them wearing the same masks. But he found none. Only wide eyes and faces of excitement stared back at him. He sat back in his chair wondering how long it would be until they got blasted off into space. But his waiting would soon be over as the entire ship began to shake violently. He looked out the window to see a large plume of smoke and dirt issue around them. After that it was only ten seconds before they began to move. The elevator shot upward and into space, punching through the atmosphere.

Jake smiled as he felt his arms lift up freely because of the lack of gravity holding him down. He looked around to see everyone else enjoying this simple moment like he was.

"You may now unbuckle yourselves," said the conductor over the intercom.

Jake quickly unbuckled himself and allowed himself to float up out of his seat. He let out a laugh as he was no longer confined to his wheelchair. He swam through the weightlessness as if it were water.

"Having fun are we?" asked someone in his ear. He looked over his shoulder to see Cecil.

"Hell yeah," said Jake moving through the elevator like everyone else. He wanted to stay up here and float for a bit longer but crew members were already ushering them to the doors that would lead to waiting ISV.

The ISV was much larger than the cramped elevator was. Cecil was amused as Jake did backflips in the air.

This is probably the first time in a long while where he can act normal, thought Cecil.

"Alright knock it off Sleeping Beauties," barked a medical technician who would be in charge of putting them all to bed. "This is the vault. You are going to be put in cryo, I am going to call out your name followed by a number. Please find the capsule with the according number. You are also assigned lockers with that same number. If you've got something on your person please store them in your lockers now."

Cecil quickly found his and hovered close by waiting for further instruction. He pulled out the bed and looked into it. It looked more like a coffin than anything else. But the person who had the number below him quickly found a problem with his number.

"I got a problem," said the man to the med tech. "My bed is upside down."

"And what's the problem?" asked the med tech.

The man thought for a second before realizing the solution to his problem. He flipped himself around and pulled himself into the bed. Cecil quickly takes something from his person and puts it into his capsule without anyone noticing. After, he then enters the capsule and waits to get strapped in.

"Beds tucked?" asked the head med tech. "Good night you princes of Maine, you kings of New England."

Cecil watches as the capsules retract into the wall. He watched his own retract into the wall, helpless to stop it. He stared into the confined claustrophobic darkness. It feels like a coffin. He stares up at the picture he placed at the top of his capsule. Its the picture of Pandora.

The drugs begin to take affect. He fights to keep his eyes open a little while longer. But his eye lids are too heavy and falls asleep. The ISV Venture Star starts its five year journey to the Alpha Centauri system and Pandora.

Usually you don't dream while in cryo as your mind along with your body is completely shut down like in hibernation. But maybe you actually do dream while in cryo, you just don't remember it.