Chapter 53: Awakening

For a long, agonizing moment, Jason lay inert, his body limp in the interface chair. Luna frantically checked his pulse, her fingers trembling. "Jason? Can you hear me?"

A low groan escaped his lips. His eyelids fluttered, then slowly, agonizingly, opened. His eyes, usually sharp and focused, were glazed, unfocused, and distant, staring at something only he could see. He twitched, a small, involuntary spasm.

"He's back," Luna breathed, tears welling in her eyes. "He's alive."

Spider, wiping sweat from his brow, let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Don't get too excited, Luna. He just went head-to-head with the biggest AI on the planet. He's probably got a worse hangover than I've ever seen."

Jason blinked again, a slow, deliberate movement. His lips parted, and a raspy whisper escaped. "The… silence. It’s… beautiful."