As the young woman ran her finger along the monitor displaying the blue figure, it's color started to change. Starting from the chest, green slowly spread, replacing the blue as it crept out toward the figure's extremities. Starting with green, the colors became progressively warmer in tone, going through the greens, yellows, oranges, and finally to reds. Just as the red started to spread across the illustrated body, a rapid double beep sounded, a picture of a brain suddenly appeared. Next to it, a black square appeared, with scrolling white lines within. To somebody unfamiliar with what EEG and EKG monitors, this was simply more meaningless symbols, but they gave a clue to what was about to happen.<br/><br/>The same monitors lit up with activity, the once flat lines they displayed now showing a steady pattern of jagged peaks and valleys which scrolled across their surface. A short, high pitched tone accompanied the appearance of each of these crests in the scrolling line. If one listened carefully enough, and noticed the rhythm, it might even be reminiscent of a heartbeat. But that was preposterous, a big metal egg with a living box inside? That would just be absurd...<br/><br/>Then the box opened.<br/><br/>The apparently seamless monolith in the center of the pod suddenly split straight down the middle. There was another blast of fog... No, not the same icy fog this time, it was hot steam rising from the inner sanctum of the pod. Within this proverbial smokescreen something emerged, or fell, to be more accurate. Another serendipitous breeze blew passed, lifting the steam away enough to provide a clear view. Kneeling on all fours upon the ground was the most curious creature. It looked like a person, but at the same time, was not even close. Clad in a form-fitting fabric one-pieced garment with short sleeves and legs that acted like a second skin clung to its body. This sparse clothing provided a view that revealed the first oddity of this creature; it had no tail! Not even a trace! Its spine simply ended right at the lower back. The head, covered by a messily arranged mop of brown hair was soaking wet from whatever was inside of its box. The damp hair clinging to the head, there were no ears to speak of... No, there they were. Small, round little things, laying flat against the sides of the head. A pair of hands reached up to brush some air out of it's face... completely claw-less, save for a short blunt bit of nail at the end of each finger. At least the hands each had five fingers... the feet were just as neutered as well, each ending with five stubby toes. Whatever this thing was, normal was not it, that's for sure.<br/><br/>Wheezing, Ethan desperately tried to catch his breath, his body doubled over as his lungs sucked in the first breaths of air they had taken since being put into cryogenic suspension. As he finally caught his breath, a new horror confronted him. He was<span style="font-style: italic">blind!</span>Fiercely rubbing his eyes, Ethan tried not to panic. This was not easy, for he had seemed to have falled upon something prickly. Not knowing if he was in danger made his blindness all the more terrifying.<span style="font-style: italic">'They said this would happen, but they said it would pass... Come on...'</span>At last, light started to return to his eyes. Everything lacked definition, it was all one multicolored blur. He saw green, lots of it... Had he fallen into some chemical spill? Was that the prickling sensation? No... it wasn't liquid, he could feel it. A few more blinks of the eyes finally started to bring things into focus.<br/><br/>He froze.<br/><br/>Surrounding him, everywhere he looked... Their green stems rising from the soil like millions of hands reaching out to greet him. Grass... real, honest to goodness GRASS! Great looming shapes above him drew his eyes upward, causing him to nearly fall back. The great trees stood over him like giants... silent sentinels watching his every move, utterly stoic save for the occasional swaying of their vast branches in the breeze. His jaw felt like it had fallen off of his skull, his mouth opened so far in awe. His attention drawn back to the grass and moss carpeting the ground beneath him, he ran his hands all over it, watching with wonder as the stalks sprang right back up after his hand passed over them. After a moment of hesitation, he dug into the ground with his hands, tearing up a chunk of the sod. Holding it up to eye level, his eyes drank in every detail... Every blade of grass, grain of soil that fell through his fingers, everything. He ground the soil between his fingertips, marveling at how it smudged into his skin. Inhibitions gone, he shoved the handful of grass and dirt into his face, taking in the earthy smell. It was... indescribable. Looking up from his dirt, Ethan, for the first time in his 23 years of existence, saw the blue sky. Back home, you could not see past the black clouds... back home, you could not even venture out of the biomes without a respirator... A sudden splash of water upon his wonderfully dirty hands drew his gaze down once more. Water from his hair? No... not the way his vision was blurring again... Beaming, he rubbed the tears from his eyes upon his arm, refusing to surrender the clump of earth clutched in his hands.