Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The wind on his face. The freedom to fly through the bright blue skies, among endless clouds of cotton.

 Trees so big that they crossed the infinite horizon, the green stained with the ethereal light that emerged from the canopy of the forest.

 Infinite wells of yellowish amber, who observed him with so much attention, with so much love.

 Jake Sully opened his eyes for the first time in six years and heard the words of his recently deceased brother in his still foggy mind;

'When in cryo there are no dreams'

 What a beautiful lie, Tommy. Because the visions he had definitely came from a dream, and who says it, one of the best of the tiny twenty-five years of life.

 But there was no time to think about dreams. Dozens of people were already moving around him, floating in zero gravity between the white panels of the ISV Venture Star preparing to leave space and land on dry land.

 He was like just another organism, moving and joining everyone.

 For Pandora.

 Everyone on Earth grew up hearing about the magnificent Moon, its inhabitants and magical plants. But Jake never thought he would go there without his brother.

 It was their deal. Thomas, the great scientist, working for SciOps as a researcher to help humanity, and Jake, the invincible soldier, who would accompany his brothers to the other side of the universe.

 But Jake was not invincible, and Tommy was not a magician.

 And now the brother who wasn't supposed to be on the other side of the universe was there. Life was really full of jokes.

 Pandora was right in front of him, in all her magnificence, giant continents and the bluish waters shining in space, but Jake couldn't feel happy with all that.

 He sighed sadly.

 One life ends, and another begins.

̃

 Jake felt the transport vibrating as they crossed the dense atmosphere of the moon.

 The speed of the ship crossing the skies of Pandora. The external panels creaking with the tremendous strength of the wind.

 The silence of the dozens of men and women arriving on an unknown moon. Everything for humanity is not.

 Jake then heard the superior of the ship saying:

 "...A few seconds are enough for you to be unconscious if you inhale the toxic air and it's another four minutes for you to go to meet God, did you hear me? Put on these exo-packs now!" The man shouted loud and clear. "I don't want anyone dying here today! It looks very bad in my report!"

 Everyone started to get ready for the exit, and finally they were arriving at Hell’s Gate.

 The ship landed with a loud thump, metal with concrete. Voices mixed with orders, men in line. It was time to really see Pandora.

 Jake was last, not that he expected less, the mercenaries weren't there caring much about a cripple.

 "Let's go, special case! I won't be waiting for you!" The superior shouted in front of him, already leaving him behind.

 Typical.

 The young veteran was greeted with mockery and harsh comments. Everything he was already waiting for in Pandora's long-awaited box.

 Well, "food on wheels" was new.

 Jake could almost smile with all that.

 He was in Pandora. He had finally arrived. ''Tommy..' he thought.

 A huge truck interrupted his way, the wheels three times the size of Jake were pierced with dozens of multicolored arrows.

'Aparently the natives don't like them very much.' The man thought to himself.

 But when the vehicle got out of his way, Jake lost all his breath. Behind the machine was the greenest forest he had ever seen in his entire life - not that he had really seen many - the trees outside with so much life. Behind all the metal bars that separated Hell’s Gate from the rest of Pandora.

 The forest... It was like in his dream.

 A feeling of déjà vu ran through his core again. It was as if he had already seen, walked, through the middle of all that exuberant forest. Even if he had never set foot in a real forest.

 Sighing, he heard some idle soldier calling him into the building.

 It was time to find out what his future would be in the next six years.

̃

 Jake slowly entered the room where the rest of the ISV staff had gone. The place was already full. All the tables were already occupied listening to the speech of the military man who walked threateningly among everyone.

 The speech was somewhat... enlightening. Heavy steps, thick voice, perfect posture. The exact manual on how to scare newbies.

 Also to protect all the new meat of the colony. But Jake already knew most of what had been said.

 Rules, rules, rules... Tommy had already mentioned all that in one of his dozens of calls or visits.

 His brother knew everything about Pandora. Jake had only heard about his moon. And read the complete manual.

It was very informative, surprising isn't it.

 Finally the colonel's speech ended and the man dismissed everyone. Jake didn't appreciate the way the military looked at him. Icy blue eyes, analyzing every strand of his hair.

 The man gave a strange feeling. A maniac? A decompensated soldier? Jake couldn't tell very well.

 But he had a certainty. The colonel didn't hit his head well. Not even a little bit. And Jake was sure he wasn’t going to enjoy anything coming from him.

Jake was the last to arrive and the first to leave.

̃

 Jake walked through the corridors calmly. Most people looked at it as if he was an anomaly, something strange between the endless corridors of metal and recycled air.

 Not that they were incorrect. Jake wasn't supposed to be there. Tom..

"Excuse me! Jake!" The said person heard and turned to see who called him. "It's Jake, right? Tom's brother. Wow! You have his face." The man said panting. Jake knew him, only from reports and photographs from his brother, he was one of his college friends, the guy who was supposed to come to Pandora with Tommy.

 "Sorry. I'm Norman Spellman" He said, offering his hand. "I did the training with Tom" Jake nodded, he was already aware of it.

 Norm looked at the corridor around, to the dozens of people who passed by them. "He was a great friend" Norman said with his head down "Funny and.. It was a shock for everyone. My condolences, Jake."

 Jake looked at him, saw the sadness at the bottom of the other's irises. It was strange. To be received with such genuineness about his brother.

Empathy. Something so rare in today's society.

 Sully smiled without showing his teeth and thanked Norman.

 Maybe he had hope for his future.

"Do you want to see how things are in the lab?" Norm said, already adjusting his luggage on his shoulder and smiling at the brother of the one who had been his friend.

The two followed together through the corridors of Hell’s Gate.

For their new future.

 Empathy. Something so rare in today's society.

Sully smiled without showing his teeth and thanked Norman.

Maybe he had hope for his future.

"Do you want to see how things are in the lab?" Norm said, already adjusting his luggage on his shoulder and smiling at the brother of the one who had been his friend.

The two followed together through the corridors of Hell’s Gate.

For their new future.