Extraction I

Cold metal bites your back. Beeping machines. Doctors and nurses freeze, faces twisted in shock. "She's awake!" IV tugs your arm. You rip it free, swing legs off the operating table. Room spins—hospital? "Get back—" A doctor lunges. You dodge, feet hitting tile. Wristband: Dr. Mae C. Jemison, NASA JPL. Married 2 years. Elias.Memory flashes: Surprise lunch for husband. Car wreck. Explosion? You feel fine. "Ma'am, you can't—" You shove past, grab clothes from the chair. Street clothes, NASA badge. Out. Hospital doors hiss. Phone out—Uber. Westarc Research Facility. Pick up burgers. Uber drops you. NASA keycard buzzes main doors open. Sterile halls echo. Janitor ahead—wrong uniform color, flat eyes. Shoulder bumps yours. Skin crawls, bitter chill. You whip around—he's gone. [Elias's lab door ahead].