Liquid burst out of my mouth as I leaned on the side of the stasis pod -- my body expelling the fluids onto the floor.

I hated how it felt like my lungs were water balloons as I kept puking out the fluids. My body convulsed slightly due to how unnatural the process was -- humans were not designed to use a liquid for breathing, even if it kept us alive.

Coughing, I tried to remove the last bits from my body.

"Ugh..."

Taking in the air was a relief and let me know that everything was working as intended. Slowly, my training kicked in as I took deliberately deep breaths -- occasionally coughing and spitting out the gunk.

The metal felt cold as I rested my cheek on it.

After getting rid of the disorientation, I couldn't help but think that the air tasted stale -- as if missing something because it was filtered countless times. I grimaced as I breathed the old air in.

The sound of an alarm and flashing red lights slowly emerged from the back of my consciousness.

"Can someone turn that off?" I weakly yelled out, feeling like a newborn animal.

My body shuddered and twitched as I tried to get upright.

Unconcerned with my situation, the alarm continued to go off -- demanding undivided attention.

Reality still felt like it was being formed, my mind struggling to process everything. I can't help but feel grateful for the hours of drills to prepare me for what I’d deal with.

"It's going to feel like you're experiencing a night terror. Things feeling like they aren't coming together even if it's familiar now," The technician's voice called back through the mental fog.

I mentally grab at the memory, desperate to ground myself and determine what my situation was. I sensed that the alarm wasn't something normal and indicated some kind of catastrophic failure.

It slowly dawned on me where the source of dread was beginning to form as I oriented myself.

"Where's the technician?"

Upon waking up from stasis, a technician should've checked my health and whether there were any issues after being asleep for so long. It wasn't unusual for people to go into cardiac arrest or a seizure once the body took over. Waking up was like having someone flip the brain's circuit breakers and, sometimes, turning the system back on started a fire.

"Fuck!" I weakly strike the pod.

Now it was starting to make sense why the alarm was even on.

Sluggishly, I started cycling through what I needed to do in an emergency.

"One, someone should be with me after I came out of stasis. No one here means that something has gone wrong." I talk to myself -- my voice being a mental crutch.

With what little strength I have, I look around to familiarize myself.

The first thing I notice is how small the space is and how plain it looks. There were no colors on the wall, only bare metal. A few screens in view were related to showing vitals. They were not showing anything now that I was up and away from the sensors.

"At least I know that the system doesn't think I'm dead," I smirk.

It was then I noticed the flashing screen -- desperately trying to gain any human's attention.

"Why is that?" I start to say, realizing that the screen flashing was dedicated to the automated system.

The upper left-hand corner of the screen was flashing a number -- too small for me to read from where I sat. Since I couldn't read it, I knew that I'd need to get out of the pod and find out what was happening.

Grabbing the side, I began hoisting myself up. My other hand quickly wrapped around a supporting handle so that I could help lift myself up while also using it for stability.

I slowly felt strength returning to my body -- allowing me to get out.

With one cheek on the edge, I swung my legs.

I couldn't help but grimace once my feet touched the bare metal panels. Parts of it were still wet due to earlier when I expelled the fluids from my lungs but fortunately, it was designed with that in mind -- passing between the openings.

I take a moment to tuck my arms beneath my breasts and my hands under my armpits to warm them up. Immediately, my body heat begins to warm them up. Now that my body was no longer in shock, I could feel the cool air against my bare skin.

My eyes widen as I realize a problem, "Why is it so cold?"

With the alarm continuing in the background, the lack of a technician, and the room temperature, the sense of dread slowly morphs to panic. The only thing keeping me in control of my mind is the training I received.

"At least I have a use for these aside from getting attention," I try to liven up my mind as I appreciate the area under my breasts feeling warm. It just becomes covered in sweat during the summer, but they were welcomed at this moment.

Getting off of my behind, I carefully make my way to the blinking screen. I occasionally wince from the cold metal.

It wasn't long before I realized how bad of a situation I was in.

"Oxygen levels low," I read out the flashing words.

I shakily tapped on the screen, freeing my left hand, which immediately stopped the ear-splitting sound, but the flashing lights remained. The alarm wanted to ensure I didn't forget how screwed I was.

Tapping on the logs, I scrolled to the very beginning and found when I entered stasis.

"So... It looks like everything went well. I was able to slip into a deep sleep." I talk to myself as I continue to scroll through the information. To help me think, I ran my hand through my long hair, which clung to my back due to the stasis fluid.

I frowned since things looked normal. There were even logs where the technician inputted the information about my status being within the expected parameters.

My eyes continued to search for where things went wrong and my situation.

"Ship emergency. Safety protocols initiated. Stasis rooms ejected." I read the words -- disbelief flooding through my mind.

"Emergency beacon activated. Stasis pod operational." I continue to read -- fighting the image of the room floating through the vast emptiness of space.

The fact that the room was running low on oxygen, mixed with the knowledge of the room no longer being connected to the main ship, only caused a sense of doom to start bubbling from deep within my throat.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I was already starting to internally scream -- though I knew that such behavior only served to waste the already limited resources I had access to.

Slowly, I began going through mental exercises to calm myself. I took a moment to slowly take a deep breath, holding it before letting it out slower.

"Anomaly detected. Location unit malfunctioning." I read.

"Exoplanet within habitable range discovered. Preparing landing protocols. Execute landing protocols. Entering atmosphere. Landing rockets initiated."

After reading, I saw that the room had landed and everything had worked properly.

"Then the alarm turned on because it needed me to transition the air from the reserves to being pulled from outside," I said while feeling a sense of relief beginning to settle in.

Before switching things over, I walked over to a separate monitor.

Now that I was on the primary monitor, away from the stasis pod, I could get access to all pertinent information. Compared to what it initially looked like, the system had switched over to the emergency mode.

With the room not being part of the ship, the internal controls -- preventing people from accessing restricted parts of the system -- were removed. Effectively, I had access to everything.

"I could even recode everything if I deemed it necessary or had the technical knowledge," I half-joked.

Finding the information needed, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Aside from the slightly elevated oxygen levels, the air is okay for me to breathe.

"The downside is how I don't remember any worlds in the records that fit what I'm reading. Even the computer isn't recognizing it."

My body shivers.

With the temperature decreasing, I knew that I needed to figure out what happened to the life support systems. But before that, I went through the process of approving the use of the external air.

Fans immediately kicked on.

Taking a breath, the air flows easier into my lungs without the staleness. I relax.

Wanting to enjoy the fresh air, I take a moment to take a deep breath. I also notice an improvement in my mental mood. Though I still felt a little panicky, it wasn't as overwhelming as before. The fact that I knew that suffocation in the vacuum of space was no longer a factor made me smile.

"Okay, Selene. It's not that bad if this planet can support life. I just need to figure out why the heat is off now." I talk to myself.

I feel a moment of annoyance at the higher-ups, who decided to not go with Star and Moon when creating the ships. With all the safety features and redundancies, I doubted that I would even be on an undiscovered planet freezing my tits and butt off.

"Wait!" I grin, scrambling over to where my stuff was kept.

Pressing my palm on the scanner and praying that it was still functional, I sighed in relief the moment it turned green. I then reach to the latch and yank on it.

A hissing sound as the air rushes into the sealed area.

Opening it up, I see the familiar logo for Star and Moon.

"And they made fun of me for spending money on this," I can't help but giggle at how relieved I was about my foresight -- despite the mocking I got from those in my team.

Not being the standard issue, ordering it from Star and Moon had to come out of my pocket. With the cost being significantly higher, I questioned whether it was worth it to buy instead of accepting what the company gave as part of the contract.

But now that I was likely lost on some planet -- alone -- I almost patted myself on the back for ignoring the jeering from the others.

Pulling out the container, I stepped back to prevent my toes from being crushed since I had no footwear to protect my toes.

It made a loud clang as it struck the metal flooring.

"I sense that even if everything else tore apart upon entry, this would've survived on its own," I marvel at how sturdy it looked.

Seeing the handle, I pull on it.

On the top, a screen emerges. Before I could wonder what it was for, a voice instructed, "Please place your hand on the scanner to authenticate. Then say the verbal passphrase that you provided upon signing up."

I realize that this was all explained upon purchase by the sales associate, but I forgot due to my brain feeling foggy.

Placing my hand on the scanner, I then say, "This is Selene, an employee of Gaia Mining Corporation. I'm authorizing the opening of the container."

The top of the container opened and then split in half. Each side lifted up to reveal an exosuit with pink highlights.

Compared to the company's clunkier exosuits, what I saw looked closer to training clothes. The outfit's appearance was somewhat ridiculous with how large the container was.

With how thin the material was, it would easily be able to fit into a clothing store box.

"Thank you for choosing Star and Moon for your professional needs. The Magical Girl Exosuit is designed with your comfort in mind, providing a wide range of functions to let you focus on what's important to you." A woman's voice said in a cheerful voice, sensing confusion.

"The MG-067 Exosuit will activate upon the user wearing it. In addition, our security protocols will lock in with the user's biometric identifiers -- allowing peace of mind that only you'll be accessing the exosuit." It continued to explain.

Hearing the directions, I was impressed and felt that Star and Moon lived up to my expectations. I knew that it was a company that prided itself in its products and services.

Feeling the temperature dropping, I decided to leave my thoughts about the exosuit until after I put it on.

Reaching for it, I was immediately surprised by how soft and light it was.

I raised the suit up and let it hang in front of me, using both hands as though I was choosing an outfit to wear for a date.

Most of the fabric was a black color aside from some areas being pink.

Though I did feel confused, I also knew that Star and Moon wasn't a company to sell a defective company.

I couldn't help but look at the room I was standing in and the fact that I was in a dangerous situation -- due to someone messing up. A bitter feeling at how her life was only saved due to her own thinking, despite how her concerns were treated.

Just like a dress, there was an opening on the back. The big difference was the lack of a zipper.

Lifting my left leg, I carefully slid it into the suit. Even if I knew that it was likely able to handle stepping on, I was concerned that my foot could tear through the thin fabric if I wasn't careful.

When my foot touched the floor, I noticed how it wasn't cold like it was for my other foot.

Though the floor was no longer cold to the touch, I could still feel the metal.

I smiled. The experience only helped me to feel better about everything.

As I finished putting on the suit, eager to not be cold, the back of the suit closed without any action on my part. The suit also adjusted itself to feel like a second skin, though it wasn't restrictive. This left only my damp hair and head exposed. Already, I stopped shivering from how warm it now was.

"What do I do now?" I asked and looked at the exosuit container.

In front of me, a holographic screen was displayed, startling me slightly.

"Hello, Selene," The same voice from earlier was heard through her ears. "My name is Ashley. I'm assigned to help you out not only with your professional duties but also with your day-to-day tasks."

"I didn't expect Star and Moon to install an artificial intelligence into the exosuit," I answered the voice -- impressed by the product.

"I'm actually not installed into your suit," Ashley said.

Furrowing my brow, I tried to understand what it said. "Then how are you talking to me?"

"Purchasing the Magica Girl Exosuit or MGE allows our clients to be connected to Star and Moon's internal network, which allows us to be of assistance regardless of the situations they may encounter in their work," Ashley patiently explained, sounding as though this wasn't an unusual question and that people were often confused.

I felt a little disoriented after hearing someone's voice. I was currently in an empty room by myself without support, but now, I found out that there was actually someone there to help me.

Thinking it wasn't the time to feel confused, I felt nervous before asking, "Ashley, I'm currently in a situation. The stasis room I was assigned to has been ejected from the ship, and now I'm on an unknown planet. Is it possible for you to contact my work and get them to pick me up?"

There was a pause.

"Yes. I do see that there was an incident. I'm seeing a report that your vessel was attacked -- which is why your room was ejected. Paperwork has been filed to the appropriate authority." Ashley explained, sounding like she was gathering information on her end.

But judging by Ashley's voice, I felt that it wouldn't be easy to get help for me.

"Based on our sensors and the ones in your room -- now emergency pod -- it looks like you're in a different dimension," Ashley sounded surprised but not alarmed.

Putting a hand to my head, "I don't understand." I almost laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.

In a cheerful voice, Ashley said, "It looks like you're not in the dimension you started out in. There's no way for your company to pick you up from where you are."