#avatar human reader

the sky above california had not been truly blue in decades.

in its place hung a dim, chemical gray. the smog was thick enough to block out the sun entirely, reducing it to nothing more than a pale glow behind the layers of pollution. but very few people looked up anyway.

there was no reason to.

high-tech neon advertisements wrapped around every visible surface there was. the city itself was a light show. recruitment campaigns, corporate slogans, half naked holographic women glowed from every corner. even the roads pulsed a bright teal.

y/n had never seen a real sunset.

not in real life, anyway. she had seen recordings, though. hundreds of archives of what the world once looked like. lush green forests stretched endlessly, oceans so blue they looked unreal, and fluffy clouds that looked soft to touch. it baffled her how much of the planet had once been covered in nature.

by 2163, most of humanity had never even seen a real tree that hadn't been artificially created like most of the animals that have been brought back from the state of extinction via cloning in recent years.

"y/n, please eat the rest of your breakfast before you leave for school."

your mother's voice pulled you back to the present.

you looked down at your plate, processed slices of grilled spam staring back at you.

"we can't afford to waste anything." your mother continued, moving briskly around the small, cluttered kitchen. a white lab coat hung over her arm, her badge already clipped to the pocket.

you rolled your eyes, "don't you guys work for the biggest company in the world?"

"doesn't mean they pay us like it." another voice replied.

your father stepped into the kitchen, already dressed in full camo with black boots to match.

how your parents fell in love was beyond you.

two completely different personalities stood before you but somehow perfectly balanced despite being opposites. even their occupations were contradictions, even if they did work for the same company.

they were part of the earth base for the resources development administration, also known as the RDA.

your mother was a neurobiologist, she spent her work hours tucked away in one of the secured biomedical labs studying things that the average person would never be able to understand.

your father on the other hand, was a soldier. his days were spent on training fields with other recruits, preparing for a war that would inevitably have to be fought.

your father gave you a pointed look, nodding toward your plate, a silent order to finish your food.

with a huff, you shoved the rest of the processed meat into your mouth, chewing quickly before pushing back from the table.

you were only halfway out of the kitchen when your mother called after you, "you have your permission slip?"

you responded by holding up your phone, the digital permission slip with both your parents signatures at the bottom.

after exchanging goodbyes, you were on your way.

today wasn't a normal school day.

today, your class was visiting pandora park.

the name alone was almost enough to make most people buzz with excitement. because for them, it would be the closest they would ever come to stepping foot on another world. everyone grows up hearing and learning about pandora, but actually going there was almost unthinkable.

it was no secret that the RDA went to pandora in search of a new home for humanity. a second chance and a future beyond earth.

but the idea of it becoming earth 2.0 still felt distant. like something meant for generations to come, not yours.

pandora park was one of the RDA's proudest projects on earth. a massive climate-controlled conservation center built to showcase the flora and fauna of the distant moon.

you had seen the advertisements hundreds of times. but today, you would be seeing it in person.

a transport shuttle dropped your class off in front of the building.

you stepped out onto the pavement and tilted your head up, reading the massive holographic banner shimmering above the entrance:

'PANDORA PARK: EXPERIENCE HUMANITY'S FUTURE'

armed guards stood posted at the doors. each one carried a model of a weapon that you recognized instantly. they were carb base unit automatic rifles. your father had shown you many firearms before, explaining their abilities and damage. he promised that one day he would teach you how to shoot.

he would have done it already, but your mother insisted that 15 was too young to handle an automatic assault rifle.

you followed your class inside. the moment the doors slide open, cool air wrapped around you. recycled air, you were sure.

your teacher ushered everyone toward the security scanners. you placed your bag onto the conveyor belt and stepped through the body scanner, standing still as the machine hummed and blinked around you. once you were cleared, you grabbed your things and moved aside, waiting for the rest of your class.

that's when you decided to really look around.

the interior was massive. extremely high white ceilings, smooth walls, polished floors that glowed under sterile lighting.

it didn't feel like a park. it felt like a laboratory.

as your gaze drifted toward the secured doors leading to the exhibits, you noticed another guard standing watch. he carried something heavier than the rifles outside. a reinforced tactical weapon you didn't recognize immediately.

he was already looking at you.

not casually.

intently.

like he was waiting for you to make a wrong move.

you held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary before looking away.

eventually, your entire class had gotten through security and you were finally ready to go inside.

a woman in a fitted RDA uniform approached the group, a polite smile on her face.

"welcome to pandora park." she said brightly, "my name is cynthia and i will be your tour guide as you take a walk through pandora. today you will have the opportunity to take a closer look at the flora and fauna of our future home. everything in this building is real and has come from pandora."

she paused her practice speech, glancing briefly at the armed guard before continuing.

"for your safety, please remain with the group at all times. do not touch the containment glass and absolutely do not cross any barrier lines."

first up was the flora.

the exhibit doors slide open with a mechanical hiss, revealing a long corridor lined with reinforced glass chambers. the sterile white of the entry way continued into this section, the laboratory aesthetic new quite disappearing despite the life contained inside.

"this section contains several of pandora's most resilient plant species," cynthia began, her voice smooth and lines clearly rehearsed, "as you know, pandora's atmosphere is much denser than earth's and toxic to humans. as you look around, you will notice that inside these containment units are tubes that push out a fabricated replicant of that oxygen that allows the flora to survive. that same process is used for the animals that you will see later."

you stepped up to the first enclosure.

at first glance, it looked like a tree. the bark was familiar in texture, but there were sharp spikes sticking out and the leaves were a shade you had never seen on earth. thick and leather-like, they were a deep midnight blue, fading into a much lighter, almost electric blue at the tips.

a digital panel beside the glass displayed all of its data.

unidelta tree.

you scanned the description. the leaves contained a natural toxin capable of killing certain insect species.

the next chamber housed a plant labeled panopyra, along with its na'vi term listed underneath it, tawtsngal.

you recognized a few words in the language, thanks to your mothers occasional lessons, but you were far from fluent.

inside the enclosure hung a large pinkish plant shaped like an upside down mushroom. the one difference it carried was the long tendrils that hung from its center, swaying slightly in the controlled air current.

according to the display, the na'vi harvested liquid from this plant, using it for hydration, nutrients, and healing. you leaned in closer, trying to imagine drinking from something like that.

“as fascinating as this may look under standard lighting,” cynthia continued, her smile widening slightly, “i promise it looks better in the dark.”

the overhead lights then shut off. for a brief second, the room fell into complete darkness.

then, the plants began to glow.

the panopyra transformed from muted pink to a vivid, radiant purple. the unidelta tree’s leaves shimmered electric blue, their veins pulsing faintly.

you turned in a slow circle.

the entire corridor had come alive. hues of blue, green, violet, and pink illuminating the glass walls.

the cold lab turning into something almost magical. for the first time, it felt like another world.

"holy shit!" "that's so cool."

you heard from other students around you.

slowly, the glow began to fade.

one by one, the overhead lights flickered back on, washing the room in its blinding white lights once more. the vibrant blues and purples dulled into muted tones behind the reinforced glass.

“the fauna exhibit is just ahead,” cynthia smiled brightly. “and i can assure you, that section tends to be everyone’s favorite.”

you glanced back at the enclosures one last time. you couldn't understand how something so alive could be considered boring. especially when your world had nothing like it anymore and what little nature earth once had was gone. at least here, this was real. even if it wasn't in its natural environment.

"alright," cynthia called, guiding the group forward along with your teacher, "this way."

the tour continued deeper into the facility. conversations continued on as all the students shuffled forward.

the next section was the fauna exhibit. and before the doors even opened, you could hear them. the low chattering and unfamiliar noises that made its way through the reinforced walls.

the doors then slid open and you were introduced to the animals of the distant world.

the first enclosure was a large unit that stretched nearly to the ceiling. artificial trees rose from the floor, their branches twisting upward. small, monkey-like creatures clung to the trunks and leapt between branches with effortless grace.

“prolemuris,” cynthia said. “the na'vi call them syaksyuk."

they were about one and a half meters tall. their small and lean bodies included 4 arms and 2 legs. they clung to the artificial branches that twisted through the enclosure. their tails flicked lazily as they shifted from perch to perch.

“herbivorous and tree-dwelling,” cynthia explained. “they inhabit the rainforest of pandora. they are non aggressive so you wouldn't have to worry about these guys hurting you."

one of them crept closer to the glass, tilting its head. its wide amber eyes studying the class.

a girl beside you squealed. “it’s so cute!”

the prolemuris blinked slowly as you moved on.

the next enclosure widened.

much larger animals stood grazing in an artificial grassland habitat, their sleek bodies supported by six slender legs. their skin shimmered in soft blue tones, faint white striping running along their flanks. their heads were small compared to their long necks, with fan-like sensory fins flaring gently at the sides.

“these are hexapedes or yerik as the natives say,” cynthia said. "these land herbivores can be found across multiple pandoran biomes. rainforests, savannas, tundra, even mountainous regions.”

as cynthia explained more about them, you read their description, learning anything she left out. you read that they were extremely sensitive to vibration and sound. this trait helped them detect predators early in their habitat.

this fact was proven true when the hexapede's head lifted sharply when a student walked past, the keychain attached to their backpack rattling.

the animal's attention turned to you before it hissed.

"y/n, come on." your teacher called, wanting the class to stay together as they moved on.

you stared at the animal for a moment longer before following your teacher.

the next habitat was significantly larger. the animals in here were housed in a much larger containment field.

cynthia immediately began introducing them, “pa'li aka direhorses. you may notice, they are very similar to horses. they actually do perform similar actions too. the na'vi bond with them and are utilized by the na’vi for transportation."

you watched their massive bodies, supported by six muscular legs move within the space. their elongated skulls dipped and rose as they paced.

the tour continued as you were introduced to more pandoran animals such as stingbats, tapiruses, austrapedes, sailfin goliaths, etc.

soon enough, you were entering the predator wing. cynthia, the tour guide, gave another warning as the next animal could be very hostile. but even if she didn't give a verbal, she didn't need to.

warning signs and symbols lined the entrance as you walked through.

inside this next room, the lighting was dim.

"these next creatures are called viperwolves. they are very energetic carnivores that live in the rainforest like many of the other animals that we've seen today. they always move in packs and hunt that way as well."

as you approached the glass, viperwolves prowled through a simulated forest floor habitat. six legs carried their lean, muscular frames. their torsos were narrow but powerful, built for endurance. their jaws were long and heavy with layered rows of sharp teeth.

everyone watched as one moved closer to the glass. its eyes locked on all of you. suddenly, it lunged.

the impact against the reinforced barrier echoed sharply. several students flinched and screamed in fear. the animal's teeth scraped against the glass before it dropped back to the floor, circling again.

“don't be alarmed. the containment glass is very sturdy.” cynthia assured calmly.

the viperwolf slowly backed away, teeth still bared. it never stopped watching, even as you walked away.

the final chamber stood apart from the rest.

you stepped inside and immediately laid eyes on it.

at the center of the room, suspended within a preservation tank, was the mountain banshee. its wings were fully extended, patterned with streaks of emerald and deep blue

but unlike all of the other animals, this one wasn't alive.

“mountain banshees are apex aerial predators native to pandora,” cynthia explained. “they live along the cliffs of the hallelujah mountains. they are carnivorous and highly territorial. many na’vi clans have formed neural bonds with them for thousands of years and use them for travel, aerial hunting, and warfare.”

a holographic overlay displayed the calculation of its wingspan along with other facts.

“but due to the species’ aggressive territorial behavior, live transport was deemed nonviable. this preserved specimen allows researchers and visitors alike to appreciate one of pandora’s most formidable aerial predators.”

you stared at its outstretched wings. even in death, it was breathtaking. for the first time that day, something inside you felt unsettled but you weren't sure why.

the next and final part of the museum was the theater room. your class would be shown a short film about the creation and purpose of pandora park. after that, it was back to school.

near the entrance stood a sleek display race lined with glossy pamphlets.

you slowed when the cover caught your eye. you hesitated for only a second before pulling one from the stack. the RDA logo shimmered at the bottom corner in metallic ink.

upon opening the pamphlet, inside were perfectly captured photographs. bioluminescent forests, direhorses running freely across open plains, a mountain banshee frozen mid-flight against a flawless sunset.

the images enthralled you. looking at all the creatures in their natural habitat. not contained behind reinforced glass or suspended in a preservation tank.

but as you flipped through the pages, the pictures filled with less and less nature. the pictures displayed were now of the museum, showcasing the plants and animals you've seen today.

behind you, the doors to the theater room began to open. you followed your classmates inside, still flipping through the pamphlet as you walked.

the room was dim, rows of curved seating facing a massive holographic screen that stretched from floor to ceiling. you slipped into a seat near the back just as the lights lowered.

a polished RDA insignia shimmered to life at the center of the screen. soft orchestral music swelled as footage of pandora’s forests filled the room. the footage was beautiful.

then the scene shifted. the wild greens faded into sterile whites. the room was now filled with the laboratory interior.

“yo, y/n. ain’t that your mom?” someone whispered behind you.

your stomach flipped as you quickly looked up from the pamphlet.

there she was. on screen, your mother stood in front of a flora enclosure, her hair neatly pulled back, lab coat crisp, RDA badge gleaming beneath studio lighting. she looked calm, confident, and proud.

“pandora’s plant life is unlike anything we’ve ever encountered,” she said, her voice steady, “the atmospheric density, the biochemical defenses, the neural-like signaling between root systems. it challenges everything we thought we understood about botany.”

the footage shifted to glowing tendrils inside a containment chamber.

“by studying these species in controlled environments, we can better understand how to sustain life beyond earth,” she continued.

the screen displayed technicians adjusting atmospheric regulators, inside the park’s plant enclosures.

“at pandora park, we’ve successfully replicated portions of pandora’s atmosphere within secure units,” your mother explained. “this allows these species to thrive here on earth, while giving humanity the opportunity to learn from them.”

the video then went on to explain the other portions of the park.

the video continued, highlighting other divisions of the park. wildlife containment, environmental systems, corporate partnerships, etc.

then your mother appeared one last time. she smiled warmly at the camera.

“pandora is not just a resource,” she spoke. “it is a lesson. and if we are willing to study it carefully, it may teach us how to survive.”

the screen faded back to the RDA insignia before the lights slowly brightened.

students began murmuring around you, stretching, gathering their things.

you looked down at the pamphlet still resting in your hands. your mother’s face lingered in your mind and how much of a constant this company is in your life.

the RDA wasn’t some distant corporation to you. it was breakfast and dinner conversations. security badges hanging by the door, your father’s boots by the entryway, and your mother’s lab coat draped over a chair.

you slowly slid the pamphlet back into your bag as your class began filing out.

the city lights bled in through the narrow apartment window, flickering against the kitchen walls as you and your parents ate dinner.

the meal on your plates wasn't anything special. just slices of synthetic meat engineered to taste like steak (did it? you wouldn't know) and a side of mashed potatoes.

"how was your trip?" your mom asked.

"it was good." you said, "i saw you."

her brows furrowed slightly, "me?"

"in the video. you were talking about the plants and stuff."

realization crossed her face, "oh yes, i remember filming that"

you nodded, taking another bite before she spoke again.

"so... how do you feel about pandora?

you shrugged, "it's cool. looks nice."

"could you see yourself living there?" your father chimed in.

that made you pause. the questions themselves weren't strange but the way you were asking them, one after another, was strange.

"okay what's going on? do you have something to tell me?"

your parents shared a look before your father nodded his head.

"alright." your mother sighed and set her fork down, "you know how the RDA began their return to pandora last year?"

you nodded.

"they've offered your father and i positions at bridgehead." she continued, "it's the main city they're establishing there upon arrival."

your father leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table.

"if we accept, we'll be part of the early development phase." he added, "the first wave arrives a year ahead of the main population to begin construction."

your mother picked up where he left off, "by the time we arrive, the city will already be operational and livable."

your fork stilled.

"for how long?" you asked.

your parents shared another glance.

"could be permanently." your mother said gently.

you look down at your plate, absentmindedly pushing the food around.

"so… we’re going,” you said. it wasn’t really a question. "i mean, it’s obvious you’re going to accept it."

your father didn’t deny it.

"it’s an opportunity that most people don't get." he said.

your mother’s voice softened. "we wanted to talk to you first."

you let out a quiet breath, still staring at your plate. their mouths are saying they wanted to include you in the decision but it honestly didn't feel like a conversation. it felt the decision had already been made and this was just their way of softening it, making it seem like you had a choice too.

you tapped your fork lightly against the edge of your plate.

"when do we leave?"

"two months."

you nodded as the words settled quietly in your mind, like you were still processing them.

"and what about school?"

"everything will be handled," your father said. "you won't be the only person your age there, don't worry."

your mother watched you carefully. "so you are… okay with this?"

you paused.

you thought about your current world. the gray sky outside, the constant hum of the city, the artificial food sitting on your plate.

there was nothing here that made you want to stay. no reason to argue.

you shrugged lightly.

"i mean... i guess. it's not like there's anything keeping me here."

your parents relaxed slightly. your father nodded, satisfied while your mother reached for her glass, though her eyes lingered on you for a second longer. like she was searching for something you weren't showing.

dinner continued the same as always after that. but something had shifted.

you glanced briefly toward your bag, resting near the doorway where the pamphlet resided. in two months, that would be your future.

then you looked back down at your plate and finished the rest of your dinner.

the next two months passed faster than you expected.

between paperwork, medical screenings, endless briefings about life on pandora, and packing, your days filled themselves without much effort.

your parents were busier than ever.

and surprisingly, so were you.

the days blurred together into a routine you didn’t question.

at home, boxes slowly replaced clutter.

your father packed efficiently. everything you were taking was categorized, labeled, sealed. your mother was more selective. about what to bring and you found yourself somewhere in the middle.

you didn't care much about what you were taking. what you packed was mostly clothes and a few personal items.

and the pandora park pamphlet.

it sat on your bed for a while before you finally it with your things. you weren't sure why you kept it.

maybe because it held significance to both your present and present.

two days before departure, you found yourself standing outside, overlooking the city.

the sky hadn't changed.

still gray and heavy.

below the smog, traffic hummed, neon lights flickering against metal and glass.

you leaned against the railing, looking out over the only world you had ever known. knowing this would all be just a memory soon.

the day of departure came quietly.

a transport shuttle carried you and dozens of others across the city, toward the spaceport on the outskirts.

it was there that you finally saw it.

the ISV venture star.

it was massive. bigger than anything you had ever seen.

you tightened your grip on your bag as you stood beside your parents, waiting in line to board.

one by one, you passed through security checkpoints before stepping onto the boarding platform.

you followed behind your parents as they led you inside to where you would spend the next six years.

rows of cryosleep pods stretched farther than you could see. the staff moved efficiently, guiding passengers to their assigned units.

you watched as the staff moved efficiently, guiding passengers to assigned units.

when it was your turn, you stepped forward and climbed inside the pod. the white interior was colder than you expected.

a technician adjusted something above you before speaking.

"just relax. it’ll be quick."

you stared up at the ceiling for a moment.

then the lid began to close.

and just like that, everything that went dark.