First Breaths
The Phantom Zone's still spaces had a way of making you forget things.
The emptiness made one lose track of what substance was like. The suspension of senses took away any idea of what sound and sight and touch were.
The condensation of her consciousness into one unmoving point had been pain and confusion beyond reason, but now that memory was fluid again M'gann almost thought the reverse sensation was worse.
It had started with the vague sensation of touch. Cold against her back and smoothness under her hands. Her claws just slid over the solid surface, refusing to find purchase. The sensations were simple, easily processed. Then the first lungful of air slammed into her, chest expanding, nerve endings screaming at the unfamiliarity of the motion.
The breathing itself didn't hurt but her mind was a soup of sensation and the automatic response to release that drawn-in breath was only half-obeyed at first. She coughed, letting out the air in a weak hiss. Delayed reactions fired back through every limb and she pitched off the tile as muscles spasmed, struggling for synchronicity. It felt like her brain was about to pour out her ears each time she moved her head at first, then the sounds filtered dimly in and balance started to restore itself.
At least she could recognize being horizontal now...
Wherever she was for the moment there were other bodies around her, shifting and moving, taking their own gasping first breaths. Beyond them she could hear the muttering and growling of more practiced voices. She waited until her body seemed to have settled to try to open her eyes but the initial glance around was a complete visual overload anyway and she put her head down for a moment to let the reeling pass, then tried again, blinking quickly until the fuzziness cleared.
Other martians were scattered around her, all of them seeming just a touch disoriented. Some she recognized from childhood in the spaces where time still flowed, but most she didn't know and none of them seemed to acknowledge her. They were all putting varying degrees of attention toward the humans in their midst. The two unfamiliar men stood at the far end of what M'gann now realized was a vast room, huddled close to each other and bantering back and forth in heated tones. Their voices were too low for her to hear clearly but they seemed to be going over a plan...
M'gann debated reaching out with her telepathy to get a sense of their conversation but decided against it for the moment. They looked nearly ready to be talking all on their own and it was probably best not to be too invasive with others thoughts until her own were back in order.
Just the feedback from this many inmates so suddenly freed was going to be chaos enough. The turmoil of thoughts around her was beginning to filter in and the emotions of the other martians were little but a frothing sea of bloodthirst pushing at a thin veneer of confusion. She could already feel the full-body ache that came with too much mental exertion crawling up her spine.
M'gann turned herself over, propping her body up from the floor and pulling her knees beneath her so she could rest on them. Experimentally she shifted one hand and then the other into a few different shapes, hummed a little to test her voice, relieved that at least the basic skills hadn't left her. As the taller of the two men turned to the crowd she got the feeling she would need them very shortly.
The emptiness made one lose track of what substance was like. The suspension of senses took away any idea of what sound and sight and touch were.
The condensation of her consciousness into one unmoving point had been pain and confusion beyond reason, but now that memory was fluid again M'gann almost thought the reverse sensation was worse.
It had started with the vague sensation of touch. Cold against her back and smoothness under her hands. Her claws just slid over the solid surface, refusing to find purchase. The sensations were simple, easily processed. Then the first lungful of air slammed into her, chest expanding, nerve endings screaming at the unfamiliarity of the motion.
The breathing itself didn't hurt but her mind was a soup of sensation and the automatic response to release that drawn-in breath was only half-obeyed at first. She coughed, letting out the air in a weak hiss. Delayed reactions fired back through every limb and she pitched off the tile as muscles spasmed, struggling for synchronicity. It felt like her brain was about to pour out her ears each time she moved her head at first, then the sounds filtered dimly in and balance started to restore itself.
At least she could recognize being horizontal now...
Wherever she was for the moment there were other bodies around her, shifting and moving, taking their own gasping first breaths. Beyond them she could hear the muttering and growling of more practiced voices. She waited until her body seemed to have settled to try to open her eyes but the initial glance around was a complete visual overload anyway and she put her head down for a moment to let the reeling pass, then tried again, blinking quickly until the fuzziness cleared.
Other martians were scattered around her, all of them seeming just a touch disoriented. Some she recognized from childhood in the spaces where time still flowed, but most she didn't know and none of them seemed to acknowledge her. They were all putting varying degrees of attention toward the humans in their midst. The two unfamiliar men stood at the far end of what M'gann now realized was a vast room, huddled close to each other and bantering back and forth in heated tones. Their voices were too low for her to hear clearly but they seemed to be going over a plan...
M'gann debated reaching out with her telepathy to get a sense of their conversation but decided against it for the moment. They looked nearly ready to be talking all on their own and it was probably best not to be too invasive with others thoughts until her own were back in order.
Just the feedback from this many inmates so suddenly freed was going to be chaos enough. The turmoil of thoughts around her was beginning to filter in and the emotions of the other martians were little but a frothing sea of bloodthirst pushing at a thin veneer of confusion. She could already feel the full-body ache that came with too much mental exertion crawling up her spine.
M'gann turned herself over, propping her body up from the floor and pulling her knees beneath her so she could rest on them. Experimentally she shifted one hand and then the other into a few different shapes, hummed a little to test her voice, relieved that at least the basic skills hadn't left her. As the taller of the two men turned to the crowd she got the feeling she would need them very shortly.