07:15, my alarm goes off, yet I'm always awake before it, so there's no real need for it. I turned it off and got out of my bed, ready to start the day.
After getting out of bed, I immediately walked to my bathroom. I've been here so long that I've gotten used to the daily routine and felt bored by it.
First, I combed my rough, ginger bed-hair to the side. I'd usually just leave it be and deal with whatever comments my friends make, but the project was being documented by the blokes in charge and they asked us to look presentable. After this I brushed my teeth and changed into my uniform, closely followed with a brief tidy-up of my quarters.
My room was rather compact, with a small, rather comfortable bed, a window that has always been covered in snow, a desk with a laptop on it, and a small wardrobe for my uniform and other clothes. I can't really complain about the size of the room, it does keep me warm at night and I'm actually quite small.
I was in the middle of making my bed when I got a buzz on my door’s alarm, indicating somebody was outside. I quickly finished what I was doing and walked over to the door, and was greeted by my friend, Connie.
Connie was perhaps one of the closest friends I had on the team, being the first person to talk to me when I first joined the project. She was another virtue, representing optimism. Her hair was a deep brown, almost black, and she had it cut to just over her ears. She was already in her uniform, consisting of a heavily insulated tracksuit jacket and trousers.
"Morning, Marc. How'd you sleep?" she asked, and I could tell she was in a good mood by the smirk on her face and how she shook as she spoke, a habit I picked up on after knowing her.
"Fine, I guess. I was up before my alarm as usual, but I'm not too fussed," I told her as I leaned against my door frame, fully aware our conversation would last some time. "You seem in a good mood."
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. "You know full well that it's the last day, and there's a rumour going around we're getting a farewell party!" As she progressed through her statement, she gradually became more and more excited, something that I found a little embarrassing.
"Connie, calm down for God’s sake!" I told her, covering her mouth as two site employees passed by. After they were out of sight, I released her. "If you get any more giddy, you'll inflate like a balloon. It's not that big of a deal!"
"How can I? So much is happening today! We're meeting new virtues, we might be having a party later. You’re seeing your..." She paused, figuring out why I was upset. I lowered my head to the ground, having been reminded of why I wasn't looking forward to today. "Sorry. I know you still feel bad for him."
"I know. It's just... Rough. I..." I was interrupted by Connie hugging me out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting it, but I chose to accept it.
"Don't worry about it, he'll be fine." She let go of me for a moment. "Besides, we have estimated that it's gonna be at least 20 years until humanity fully dies out, leaving plenty of time to make another mission to Terra!" I could clearly see why Connie was chosen as the virtue of Optimism, always sticking to the positives, no matter how dire the situation. She grabbed my wrist and started to drag me with her. "Let's go! The mess hall awaits."
I was going to head to the mess hall with her, until I remembered something from last night. I pulled my arm from Connie's clutches and ran back to my room.
"Sorry Connie, just remembered something I needed to do! I'll meet you at breakfast." I called to her as I ran to my room. She just rolled her eyes and resumed her trek.
I bursted into my room and grabbed the camera I used to record my video recording thing I did the day before. If I forgot to hand it in, I'd likely be nagged all day by the science crews as to where it was. And while I could've done with some food, I knew their needs came above my own, so I'd have to wait.
-0-0-0-0-0-
It took about 15 minutes of passing checkpoints and repeating the same statement several times, but I made it to the science labs.
The labs were across the compound from the dormitories, and were perhaps the most heavily guarded area in the whole compound, not including the Eclipse. For good reason too, as not only did it house several pieces of tech we would bring with us to terra, but also several experimental pieces of tech that was otherwise unsafe anywhere else. Coming to this part of the compound gave most of the group a weird feeling, almost like something bad was going to happen. However, I was often asked to come here by the Director himself, and found the novelty wore off after the 5th or 6th visit.
I walked up to his office, camera in-hand, and knocked on his door. I then waited for a few moments.
"Enter!" his deep voice said from beyond the door. To most, his voice would be seem intimidating or antagonistic, but I knew the director to be the polar opposite of this, like a second father to me.
I entered the Director’s office, moving from a high-tech science facility to what looked like a library of sorts. There were obvious natural themes to this office, with unbearable quantities of oak wood furniture, books lining the walls on either side, and a large fireplace right behind the director’s desk.
Speaking of behind the desk, that's where the director was, on his laptop doing whatever work he was tasked to do. With the rocket launching tomorrow, the whole compound seemed to be on overtime. The director then closed his laptop and greeted me.
"Mr Smith, nice to see you up, bright and early! How are you feeling?" he asked, in a surprisingly good mood. Then again, he had gotten to know me pretty well over the last year, so it wasn't unusual to see him act this way around me.
"As well as I can be sir, all things considered," I explained to him, approaching his desk and placing the camera on it. "This camera has the recording I made last night. I didn't know who to give it to, so I thought you would be a good choice."
"I see," he responded, picking up the camera, staring at it briefly before placing it in his desk drawer. "Don't worry, I'll see to it that it gets to the right people, you have my word." With that, I let out a sigh of relief. At least if something went wrong now, I wouldn't be blamed. I was about to walk back to the mess hall when the director stood up to get my attention. "How are you feeling about tomorrow, Marc?"
"As well as I can, I guess," I told him, turning back and sitting in one of the chairs next to his desk. "I know I have to go, but part of me wants to stay, for my brother’s sake. He's all I have left I can call family." I paused for breath, and was going to continue my emotional rant until I found the director placing his hand on my shoulder. I would've shook it off, but he gave me a warm, caring look that silenced me.
"Marc, I understand your pain," he told me, now seeming upset. "If I was in your position, I'd likely be doing the same thing." He now let go of my shoulder, looking down in shame. "If I could send him up, I would. But he's too young for the pods, he'd likely freeze to death, and it's too late to change anything now. I'm sorry."
"I understand, sir. Thank you anyway," I told him, still slightly upset over it until I saw him in a brief thought. A bead of sweat poured from his brow, and he let out a long sigh.
"Look, Marc. I'm not meant to say this, but if the project is successful and the ship launches safely, my superiors have told me there's a possibility we could send another ship. If so, I promise you I will place your brother aboard without a moment’s thought. I make it my personal promise your brother will be safe, so don't worry."
I didn't quite know what to think. I had the one person who could save my brother directly in front of me, and he gave me his personal promise he'd be safe. While the sane part of my brain told me that it wouldn't be possible, I truly believed the director was telling the truth! I wanted to start bouncing around the room with sheer happiness, and consider the director a God for even the thought of saving my brother. A tear slowly formed in my eye, and slowly poured down my face.
"Thank you..." I said, my voice beginning to crack, this being the first time since joining the project I was actually happy. I mean sure, my friends were amazing and I was guaranteed a chance of survival, but the mere thought of seeing my brother again made me more happy than I could describe.
"That is no problem, my boy, but I must warn you of this." The director leaned forward, having a cautious stance to him. "As I've said, almost nobody on the compound knows that we will be able to send more survivors up, and it may put unwanted pressure on them during tomorrow's launching procedures. Therefore I must ask you to keep this to yourself for now, do you understand?" I nodded, understanding completely the reasoning behind his and the effects it may have. While this meant not telling my brother he'd have a chance to see me again, I knew I had to do as I was told.
I stood up to leave, about to head off to the mess hall in order to get something to eat, when I was stopped yet again.
"If you ever need anything, Marc, you know where I am." While I'd heard this line several times, and believed it less and less over time, I was now confident I wouldn't need anything else from the director, especially after everything he’d already done for me so far.
"I think I'm good, sir. I'm gonna get some breakfast for now. God knows how long Connie and David have been waiting for me," I explained, now starting to walk towards the door.
"I know it's off-topic, but I must ask. How do you keep up with Ms Mathew’s level of energy?" I was asked, causing a slight snigger to escape from my mouth.
"She was the first person to open up to me when I first came here, sir, I've just learned to deal with it." I opened the office door, ready to leave. "Have a good day, sir!" I called over, closing the door quickly behind me. It was now 25 minutes until breakfast stopped being served, and I needed to be quick in order to get it.
-0-0-0-0-0-
After a full-out sprint across the compound, I managed to make it to the mess hall with a good 10 minutes to spare. And while my lungs felt like they were crushed, my ribs dug into me like daggers, and I had the biggest stitch since my mum had to fix my curtains after my dad ripped them in half (long story short, my dad was drunk), I was relieved I was able to get something to eat.
I walked up to the counter and asked for my usual breakfast, the 'all day breakfast' ration pack, and looked around the hall for Connie. I found her quite quickly, as she was in the corner of the room, playing a game of chess with David, the virtue of creativity.
David had short, grey-ish hair. His build was rather moderate and he always seemed to have a confident aura to whatever he did. He was, to be blunt, socially awkward. He seemed to struggle to be able to find a place in the group where he wasn't wound up, severely annoyed, or taken advantage of. At first, he avoided the other Virtues completely, choosing to spend his time with the director, even helping him design the ship we would be traveling on, called the 'eclipse'. Eventually, he met me and Connie and chose to just stick with us, and giving our group the nickname of 'the nerds'.
"Nice to see you made it." Connie said as I took a seat next to her.
"What did I miss?" I asked, making sure I was up to date with whatever drama had occurred while I was gone.
"Joseph and Shane nearly started a fight, Antonia found a way into the staff quarters, and Connie here thought she could beat me at chess," David explained, his face focusing intensely at the game of chess he was playing. "Speaking of which, checkmate!" He placed his rook into a position where the King couldn't get away from it, and where he couldn't be taken himself. Connie simply stared at the board for at least a minute, trying to find any loophole around the move David made, but she found nothing she could do.
"How? How did you do that?" Connie asked, her face in awe as to how David beat her.
"You focused too much on offence, while leaving little in means of defence. As such, all the pieces surrounding the King weren't there anymore, leaving me the perfect opportunity to counter-attack." His explanation was simple, yet I personally found it to be a bit over the top for a simple game of chess.
"Okay, I'm gonna avoid playing chess with you for a bit," I told David, earning a laugh from both him and Connie. "What? I'm clearly out of my league here!"
"Yeah, sure Marc, just keep telling yourself that!" David teased, having stopped laughing and calmed down.
Before we could resume our friendly banter, the mess hall main doors opened, silencing the entire room as 3 people entered.
The first was somebody who we all recognised immediately as Leon, the project’s youth-worker. He would often come up to us for announcements and introducing new members of the group. The two who were with him were likely the remaining two virtues for the mission.
"Alright guys, gather round please!" he called over to us, likely to greet the two new people. As soon as everyone came together, Leon resumed. "As you know, with the Eclipse launching tomorrow, everything around here is gonna get pretty hectic. So, I felt as though I should get you guys introduced to the remaining two virtues as quickly as possible." He stood to the side so we could see the new guys.
"This young man is called Jinji Nakamodo. He represents the virtue of wisdom." He gestured at the lad in question. He seemed a bit pale, almost nervous. He seemed to scratch his short, brown hair as we all stared at him, almost like a nervous habit.
"And the young woman next to him is called Rebecca Ashton, the virtue of courage!" Rebecca seemed the polar opposite to Jinji, seeming unaffected by the attention she was getting, almost looking like she wasn't bothered. She had long, blonde hair that was tied in a bun, and appeared almost tomboyish, like Connie. She seemed to have no interest in us, staring out of the window to the left of her, just beyond Leon.
"I will leave you guys alone to get to know one another, I have something to sort out." At this moment, Leon walked off to do whatever it was he needed to do, and the group ended up returning to their original positions, with Jinji and Rebecca standing by the door, getting some last-minute advice from Leon before he left.
"What do you think of the new guys then?" David asked, setting up the chess board for the next game.
"Jinji seems alright, I think," Connie said. "He seemed a tad bit shy though. What do you think, Marc?"
"How would you feel if your stood in front of 10 people you've never met before, who you will be getting to know over however long we know each other?" I asked them both in response. "I'd probably be shit scared as well."
"Well, when you put it like that..." David paused, seeing my point. He then looked over at Rebecca, who was making her way over to the opposite corner of the room on her own. "What about her though? She seems, well, different."
"Perhaps she's a lone wolf or something?" I asked, staring over at her as she rested her head her arms on the table she was sat on, likely going to sleep. "Or she's tired. Either way, I'm gonna give her some space until she's ready to talk."
"Hey, can I have next game?" an unfamiliar voice asked us. I turned to see that Jinji had come over to greet us. He was clearly uncomfortable with all of us looking at him, so I decided to cut him a break.
"Sure. Just try to avoid playing David though, he's probably a bit too good for his own good," I explained, earning a hefty slap from David. However, Jinji sat on the opposite end from David anyway.
"I think I'll take my chances," he smirked, picking up a rook and flipping it in his hand. "I still have the element of surprise." Me and Connie shared a surprised expression over Jinji's sudden confidence spike.
"Well, don't say we didn't warn you," Connie said, patting him on the head. As this was going on, Leon walked back into the room and over to our table.
"Hey Jinji, nice to see you've made some friends already," Leon said, quickly turning his head to me. "Marc, your brother's here and waiting for you. I gotta take you up there."
"You mean the other kid in the truck was your brother?" Jinji asked me. I nodded in return. "He's a nice kid."
"Thanks, man," I told him, surprised he found my brother bearable. I stood up out of my chair and stretched briefly. "I'll catch you guys later, I've got a brother to see."
"Hey, hope it goes well," Connie told me, giving me a brief high-five, as was her thing. After this, I walked towards the visitor centre with Leon.
-0-0-0-0-0-
While the visitor centre wasn't as far away as the labs, it was even more of a hassle to get into. As it was near the front of the compound, security was pretty tight, seeing as dozens of survivors came here every day in an attempt to get in, and nearly every one of them were turned down, adult and child alike. And while it seemed horrible to keep them locked out, it was widely accepted by most that it was for the greater good, as having too many people around would mean we would be overcrowded and would've run out of food months ago.
I was waiting outside of the inner office next door to the visitor room until I was given the all-clear to go in, and my previous anxiety over leaving my brother returned to me.
After a short wait, Leon walked out of the office. He closed the door behind him and looked towards me with a cheerful grin.
"Alright bud, everything's set up for you. You can go in when you’re ready," he explained, walking to the visitor room door and leaning next to it. I nodded in response. (Took them long enough).
"Thanks man, you really don't know how much this means to me," I said, standing up and walking to the door.
"Don't mention it kid, I'm just doing my job," he told me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Hope things go well, he was going on about seeing you for half the ride over here."
"Yeah, that's him alright," I responded, laughing a bit as I remembered how my brother always seemed to look forward to everything.
I opened the door, and within 3 seconds I was tackled to the ground by Sam, who was probably waiting for me for ages.
"Marc, you made it!" he yelled, holding me in a firm hug, refusing to let go (to my irritation).
"Shouldn't I be saying that to you? You’re the one who came from however far away you were to see me," I argued, trying to pry his hands from my waist. He let go, now standing up, giving me space to get onto me feet.
"Sorry Marc, but I haven't seen you in months! What were you expecting, a pat on the back?" he asked, his mouth oozing with sarcasm.
"Alright bud, I get it! Can we just sit down or something? Your little surprise might've done something to my back," I explained to him, rubbing the sore spot on my back where I fell onto. He didn't answer me, simply running over to the couch nearby and parking his backside on it. I quickly joined him, sitting down in a seat opposite to him. "What've you been up to then?"
"Lots of stuff," he claimed. "I've been traveling with Leon while he found more people to come here. I got to see lots of people." As he spoke, his smile seemed to shine like a beacon to me. I could remember how much that kept me going when it was just the two of us traveling together.
"Nice to hear, man. Glad you've been enjoying yourself, considering what's going on. Mom and dad would be proud," I told him. His head took a dive for the floor as soon as I mentioned our parents, and you could tell he was upset from a mile away. I sighed lightly, moving to the chair next to him and put my hand on his shoulder, as I knew what was about to happen. "Let me guess, you still haven't gotten over it."
"How can I get over it? They were our family! And they're dead!" He shouted in a mixture of rage and sorrow, quickly holding me in a tight hug. I returned the hug, trying to calm him down.
"Sam, it's alright. I'm right here mate, you’re alright," I said warmly, slowly lulling him out of his emotional state. "You've still got me, and that's all that matters." Suddenly, he pushed me away.
"For now yes, but you won't be here tomorrow, or the day after that. You'll be gone! And I'll never see you again!" He burst into tears, using the arm of the sofa to cover his face. While this made me feel guilty, I was aware this wasn't nessesarily true, after what the director had told me earlier. So, I decided to tell him the truth. Well, a version of it anyway.
"You don't know that's true. This mission took three years to do, and we've got at least twenty years before the earth goes cold, that gives you at least six or seven chances to get back to me," I told him, his face slowly lifting up from the arm of the sofa, lighting up as I spoke. "I could probably put in a good word to the director, seeing as I know him personally." After I said this, Sam jumped from his seat and onto me, again. His face was once again filled with a raw, unbridled joy (and mine was filled with sheer pain).
"Really? You could do that?! Marc, you’re the best!" he yelled, unknowingly pinning my body down and doing a number on my arm.
"Alright, alright! I know, just get off me for god sakes!" I moaned, prying myself from his grip and sat back up properly, rubbing my elbow. "You’re a safety hazard, I didn't sign up for this."
"Yeah, pretty sure you don't sign up to be a big brother," he said, pulling a cheeky face at me.
"Don't I know it," I moaned, which was met with a large laugh on his behalf. I had to admit, being an older brother sometimes pays off.
Sam looked like he was going to make another remark, when the door opened, revealing Leon.
"Hey there lads, sorry to interrupt," he said, sliding up a chair and sitting on it backwards, like most goons did back in school to act cool. "I know you guys have been looking forward to this reunion for a while now, but I'm gonna have to cut it short." He paused, quickly looking over at me. "The scientist blokes are setting up a demonstration of the cryo-thingy pods for you and the others, they asked me to get you."
Now I will admit, while I'm typically one of the first who wants to learn anything about the equipment we were given, the scientists had very bad timing. They never really worked on a timetable, so when they wanted to show us something, it was always in a 'drop everything and see our thing' kind of fashion. If I didn't always spend my time doing nothing, it'd probably be more annoying.
Leon then turned to Sam. "Also, the director asked me to fetch you. I don't know why, but he wants to, Ahem, 'speak to you about a confidential matter', as he puts it.” I think I knew what he was referring to, especially after my prior conversation with him.
I got up out of my chair, preparing to leave, until Sam fell face-first on the floor. I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh a little. Knowing him, he probably tried to pounce on me again, and caught his foot on the coffee table. Luckily for him though, he only got a headache. I walked up to him, giving him the hug he probably wanted.
"See you soon, man," I said, patting him on the back. However, he quickly pushed me away for some reason.
"Wait! I have something for you!" he shouted, quickly scouring his pockets and pulling out a white pouch and giving it to me. "It's something to remember me by."
Confused, I opened up the pouch and poured its contents into my hand, revealing a pendant of sorts. It appeared to be a clear, see-through gemstone with an emerald inside. It wasn't clear whether or not it was real or fake, but it had a cold and rough feel to it, and had a reasonably sized string going through it. While I was never really one for mementos, I placed the item into my pocket, smiling as I did so.
I then looked back at Sam, who instantly saw I liked my gift. "Thanks Sam," I said, patting the pocket I put the pendant in. "Now I'll be sure to remember you, no matter how far away I am." (Had to say something cheesy, otherwise he'd pull a fit and say I didn't care).
In response, he gave me a smug look and stood confidently. "I knew you'd like it!" he declared, his arms on his hips. I shook my head lightly before turning to the door and leaving. For a final meeting, things could've been worse, I guess.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Having made my way to the auditorium, I quickly took a seat next to David, who had somehow lost that chess game with Jinji. I was honestly surprised to hear this, as well as impressed that somebody could match David.
The scientists took a little more time than expected to prepare their presentation, probably because of the whole thing being impromptu. There were a few scientists scattered around stage just standing there talking, seemingly waiting for something to happen.
That was when Doctor Marcoh, lead researcher of Project Horizon, entered from behind the curtain. He didn't look like much, seeming to be a simple, middle-aged german man with hazel hair and a lab-coat, but his work spoke for itself. He heavily invested his time into research including cryogenics, Artificial Intelligence, and rocket technology. It was due to him that the project was able to progress fast enough, but he always made time to consult us about whatever technology we'd bring with us on the mission.
Dr Marcoh walked up to the podium in the centre of the stage, tapping the microphone he was given a couple of times in order to grab our attention. "Good afternoon, children, it is nice to see you are all present and ready for the launch tomorrow," he announced confidently, adjusting his glasses slightly. "Once again, I apologise for calling you all here on such short notice, but I feel the information I'm about to give you could prove beneficial to your upcoming mission."
"As you all know, in order for you to arrive on Terra alive, you must all make the journey inside of specially designed cryogenic containers, or 'cryo-pods', as you young people are calling them." He walked off the podium, moving towards an egg-shaped item covered by a grey sheet. "And while this is a beta model, I feel as though it will prove fine for a simple demonstration."
He removed the sheet, revealing a peculiar-looking device. The cryo-pod seemed quite bulky and rough, with several metal plates coming off it, multiple levers and switches on the outside. Several important-looking wires were scattered across the floor, most likely to be wired up to the ship if the device was successful.
"Now, I will be the first to admit, the design of this pod in particular isn't exactly a work of art, but its function and properties are nearly identical to the finished models you’ll all be using," he continued, pulling a handle and opening the pod, revealing a gel cocoon of sorts. "Using your exact measurements, you will be able to fit into the lining of the pod quite snugly." Shane raised his hand. "Yes, Shawn was it? What's the problem?"
"It's Shane, sir," Shane growled, lowering his hand and standing up. "My question is about the weird gel stuff in the pods. What is it for?"
Dr Marcoh grinned. "An excellent question my boy!" he shouted, beaming at us. "This gel is quite intriguing, isn't it? Its development is Mary's doing." He gestured to Mary, the virtue of knowledge, as she blushed lightly at the looks given to her. "To put it simply, this gel, named cryo-gel, locks your body into place while freezing it, turning hard like stone. This is so when you’re in space your body’s aging process halts and your other inside bits don't age, decay, or do anything that could cause any damage. What's more, its effects wear off instantaneously as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen. The plan is foolproof!"
I decided to raise my hand, having picked up an issue with the pods myself. "Dr Marcoh? if we're frozen on the inside of the pod and the only way to open it is on the outside, how do we get out of them?"
The Doctor delayed his answer for a moment, but eventually answered. "That is quite the question you've given me, Mr Smith, and the answer is simple. The wires leading off of the pod are linked into a computer program inside of the central computer spire of the ship. It will release you when you land on Terra."
"What kind of program?" I asked, now slightly curious.
Doctor Marcoh sighed. "Inside of the central spire, I have installed an Artificial Intelligence program that is linked into each of your pods, that will awaken each of you when the time arrives. More information on this AI will be available in a moment as we go through the ship’s functions, so be patient."
Next, Dr Marcoh walked back onto the podium, pressing a button that released a large screen from above him. On said screen there were several pictures and drawings of the ship's design. "As you've been told prior, your sections will be split equally, each housing your individually specified equipment, foodstuffs, and personal belongings, which will all be stored using the same kind of tech used to preserve you. They will also contain an internal computer containing large quantities of Earth's history, personal data storage, and Project Horizon files, should they be needed. Furthermore, each computer has a list of all the failsafes worked into the ship, and each hold an AI projection device."
"Speaking of which," Dr Marcoh started, "I feel as though you might want to get to know a bit more about said AI." He held up a small, holographic device in his hand, revealing it to the entire room. Placing it in front of him, a small, multi-coloured orb appeared out of it. "Introduce yourself, my child."
The orb remained silent for a few seconds. "Hello, I am the AI created by Project; Horizon to assist you on your journey to Terra, codenamed; Spectrum. It is an honour to make your acquaintance," it spoke, flashing in a bright light with every word. The sheer sight of such a construct sent shivers down my spine. David tried to stand up and go over to it, completely captivated by the sight of the thing. I held him back however, which was met with a moan or two.
"While it's true AI research has advanced in the past 20 years, the risk of rampancy has always been an issue. However, I believe found a way around that." He looked at his notes for a moment, shuffling around different pieces of paper. "I've programmed a feature into Spectrum that will allow it to freeze itself, only activating and actively thinking whenever the ship itself is in danger."
Joseph raised his hand. "What happens if the ship is hit though?" he asked, his voice seeming a little concerned.
"Well," Dr Marcoh began, "in the event such a thing happens, the ship is designed to fragment, having each of your compartments split from the main computer and resume the journey on its own. You will still land on Terra, but you be a fair distance from each other. Overall however, there's no real reason to worry."
Despite what I was just told, I raised my hand. Something concerned me about that failsafe. "Dr Marcoh, if each compartment splits from the main spire, how will Spectrum un-freeze us?" I asked, slight mumbling around the room coming afterwards.
Doctor Marcoh hesitated for a moment, almost as if he didn't want to tell us what would happen. However, he did eventually answer. "That isn't a detail you should concern yourself with, my boy. Once you land on Terra, you will be awoken from your pod, simple as." He then moved position to face the entire audience. "I believe that's enough questions for today, my children. For the rest of the evening, the staff here are going to be having a celebration due to it being the last day of the project, of which you will be allowed to attend..."
“Called it!" Connie stood up and yelled, almost damaging my hearing in the process.
"...After this, final preparations will be made before you’re placed into your pods prior to tomorrow's launch. It's been a pleasure knowing you children, and I hope you have a long and fulfilling life ahead of you!" Doctor Marcoh finished, before bowing and leaving the stage, which was met with mild applause (mostly by staff members).
Overall, the presentation was better than I was expecting, and answered a lot of the questions I had going around my head. While the cryo-pods functions were quite cool, the real interest came from the ship itself, and the AI that would be coming with us.
Almost everyone left the room, except myself and my friends. "Didn't I tell you guys there was gonna be a party?" Connie gloated, her focus quickly changing between the three of us.
"Alright Connie, we get it! Can we just go already?" David asked, his eyes gazing at the door. "I'm not one for parties, but I could use some food."
"I agree, we should leave," Jinji said, standing up to leave, prompting the rest of the group to do the same.
As we walked through the doors, we noticed Rebecca leaning against the doorway outside. she seemed to be waiting for us. "You guys took your time," she said in a raspy-ish voice, standing up straight and walking towards us.
"You need us for something?" David asked, crossing his arms defensively, seemingly still not fully used to her.
"Well, the other guys aren't really the kind of guys who I'd hang around with, so I figured I'd give you goons a test-drive. That good with you?" she asked, her tone of voice and body language seeming somewhat different to what it was earlier, now seeming more sincere. Even so, I had to think for a moment.
"Well, I don't seem why not," I answered, putting my hands in my pockets. "Try to be a bit more talkative though, we already have enough brick walls in this place."
"Trust me, I figured that one out the hard way," she sniggered, joining us as we made our way to wherever we were being led to, that being the location of the party.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Now, I'm not really a good judge of social gatherings such as parties, but it was safe to say our 'party', wasn't a party. It was more so a gathering of a bunch of people I've only met once, or never at all. There were roughly thirty people there, excluding us virtues, and all they really did was stand around and talk about their work, while occasionally taking a bit of food.
As was pretty much expected, us virtues instantly disbanded into two groups, like before in the mess hall. As such, the party felt kinda dead before it even began. That said though, the spread of food they set out for us was pretty good, if not the only redeeming thing about the gathering.
As was expected, David immediately challenged Jinji to a chess rematch, and lost the following four games they had. I'm gonna be honest here, but I found it absolutely hilarious that every time he lost, David pulled a hissy-fit, eventually straight-up snapping the board in two.
At that moment, I took the opportunity to abandon them during their following quarrel to get a can of cola, and it seemed Shane had a similar idea.
Shane was one of the few from his group I could get along with, as he was a mostly quiet guy who only spoke when spoken to or provoked. He came from the states, as most of the virtues did, and had long, blonde hair tied into a wolf tail, and had a reasonably large scar going through his left eye which he picked up from an accident while camping with his father. Despite his appearance, he was actually a decent bloke, but he was easily angered and typically starts fights with others.
"Not much of a party, is it?" he asked, drinking from the can in his hand and leaning against a wall.
"Gotta agree with you there," I muttered, picking up a can and cracking it open. "Boring for you guys too?"
"Well, I suppose things could be worse. The food's good at least," he said as he picked up a ham sandwich, taking a reasonably large bite out of it. "My only question is how people can still make this kind of stuff despite the world freezing over."
"Hey, I'm not complaining. Just means we get to eat something other than those ration packs," I explained, moving next to him on the wall. "Still, It feels weird, doesn't it? We’re here now, but then we’re gonna be frozen in time and shifted through the galaxy to a whole new world."
"I don't quite care where I die, as long as it's with dignity and respect." Shane paused. "Or of old age. That’s the goal." Honestly speaking, I laughed when he said this, however depressing the subject was becoming. I was never one for taking about dying, having spent the whole two years before coming here avoiding death at all costs. Naturally, I decided to change the subject.
"Well, if I have to grow old with the likes of Joseph around, I'm pretty sure I'll go mad," I explained as both a joke and explanation. Then again, I doubt it was needed, as everyone knew that Joseph hated me with a burning passion. The two-faced idiot only got onto the program because his father was one of the project’s biggest investors. You can put two and two together and have a pretty good story behind why he was here.
"It's true that Joseph is the biggest cunt here, but I'd rather try and earn his trust rather than condemn him to death as an outcast," Shane told me, as per his typical attitude. "Besides, you’re the virtue of loyalty, shouldn't you be the one who looks out for the lot of us regardless?"
"Virtue of loyalty, not blind loyalty," I told Shane, who met me with a blank stare. "I'm only gonna look out for the likes who are willing to look out for me. All Joseph's done since we've met is piss me off, so he can go fuck himself."
Shane rubbed the stubble on his chin with his free hand, having finished his sandwich. "You know what, I wish I had an argument against that." He briefly chuckled. "Well, let's hope the new world changes him, or makes him less of a twat."
I was going to make a comment about how dickheads don't change, but then one of the scientists walked up to me. She looked a bit younger than the rest of the scientists, having her blonde hair tied up in a bun. Her lab coat was also coated in a thick, blue sludge in some places. Shane moved away slightly, trying to avoid the woman, and acted like a complete idiot in doing so.
"Can I help you, miss?" I asked her politely, trying to look at her face rather than the sludge on her clothes.
"Oh, sorry. Started daydreaming there for a moment," she explained, shaking her head quickly, causing her bun to move in tandem. "I'm Alexa, I've come to tell you you’re first to be put into the cry-pod. Your name was the first one out of the hat."
"We're in a state of the art science facility, and we're still relying on the name in the hat system?" I questioned, as I knew it'd be much simpler to go down based on our numbers. That said, I'd much rather get my turn out of the way rather than wait for another half an hour, when I'd likely be hyper from all the cans of cola that I would've no doubt downed by then.
"Yeah, my boss thought it'd be the fairest way to get it sorted. Sorry if it complicates things," she said, seeming to bow in apology. I just rolled my eyes in response.
"Okay, fine! Just give me one minute," I quickly said, before downing what was left of my drink. This caused me to cough a bit afterwards, but I quickly stepped forward. "Let's just get this shit sorted, before the nerves kick in."
-0-0-0-0-0-
So, after my abrupt eviction from the party, I moved to a much smaller room. It was not too far away from the hall where the party was held, and I could still hear the distorted pop music from days long past. lying in the middle of the room was one of the cry-pods, laying on its back and covered in the blue gloop that lady was covered in. I found myself slightly hesitant to go into it, but the two ladies who were in charge of the process made me feel somewhat more calm about the whole thing.
"Don't try to worry too much about it Marc, the whole process is actually quite brief," the lead scientist, Victoria, told me. She also had her hair in a bun, but instead with brown-ish hair. "I recommend not overthinking it."
"Okay, but how do I breathe in that stuff?" I asked, which was actually a pretty stupid question, as I realised as soon as I asked. "I'm gonna have to hold my breath, aren't I?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Alexa said, prepping some of the mechanical parts of the pod from beside me. "Don't worry about it. You'll barely notice once you wake up, so just keep calm about it and get in."
I hadn't mentioned it before now, but they made me change into some swimming shorts before this, as I wouldn't want to mess up my clothes after coming out of the pod. "Alright, here goes." I briefly said, sticking left foot into the pod of gunk. surprisingly, it felt the same temperature as the rest of the room, and felt somewhat like jelly for some reason. It wasn't as unbearable as I thought it would be, so I immediately sat down in it, my body slotting into the pod with some kind of ease, not too surprising seeing as they were designed with us in mind.
"How you feeling so far?" Victoria asked, placing her arm on my shoulder for support. I tried to put on a smile and not embarrass myself.
"I feel like I'm taking a bath in a tub of jelly!" I claimed, laughing slightly, my nerves turning my embarrassment into laughter. "Well, wish me luck on Terra, I guess." I quickly took a deep breath, and sank the rest of my body into the pod. A couple of seconds later, I heard the doors hiss closed a couple of seconds later, followed by another, longer-lasting hissing noise directly afterwards.
After that was an incredibly weird feeling. I didn't know whether or not I was awake or asleep, but I felt almost nothing. No pain, no hunger, no thirst. Hell, I couldn't even feel the throbbing headache I had from the party. Yet, despite my current numbness to my entire body, there was one clear, powerful feeling I could feel with my entire being. Pride.
I was proud to be human.