Sleep Among the Stars

The tone began to sound through the waiting halls. Gerald had tucked himself away in a darker corner of corridor 16C, further away from his housing unit than he'd ever been. It was a day that he'd been dreading since his first learning of it in elementary classes. Dark and terrifying to most, Gerald had been using his time - and his loneliness - since then to prepare himself for it.

The generation before him wasn't scheduled to wake up until three more generations after him, so there was very little concrete details about the process, but with what they had, it was enough to have the other teens around him talking nonsense, crying, even screaming in fear of the coming moment. The moment they would be put into Hibernation.

Gerald looked up to the speaker overhead as the tone faded and was replaced with the misleadingly tender voice of the ship-mother, an AI named REIS - Rold Enterprise Intelligence System - spoke out a sequence of numbers. "35, 67, 92, 134, 144, 173, 200, 289, 356, 401."

Gerald's breath was as calm as if he'd been sleeping. Though it seemed random, he knew. They all knew.

More importantly, Gerald knew he was up. 173.

He rose, and some of the more silent teens in 16C turned to see him. Seeing one of their own go, the ones that were already sobbing began to wail as well, and soon, the hallway was filled with the echoes of the fearful. But Gerald walked through them all with his head held high.

The red light of the camera overhead zoned to follow him as he marched to meet the Secretary that oversaw their waiting hall, and she gave a smile to him once he arrived at the door. He paused, not out of hesitation, but as a sign of determination, and this caused the Secretary to waver a bit.

She spoke to him softly, "Gerald, I'm surprised to see you so calm about this." Gerald didn't say a word in return. Truth be told, he was afraid his own voice would betray him, and he too, might break like those around him. Best to stay quiet, and remain strong until the end. There wasn't much time left now; it was only a short walk to the Hibernation Bay.

The Secretary gestured for Gerald to move forward, and she moved in line behind him. The soft click of her heels behind him forced him to keep tempo, and somehow, that was soothing to him.

Rhythm, schedule, process, it was something he was so accustomed to. It was how the Rold Enterprise taught each and every one of its people to live. It kept the ship-home running, kept those already deep in Hibernation alive, but most importantly, it kept their race alive.

The teachers in the Education Unit were instructed to tell all of their students that the Hibernation process was one of the utmost importance. The people of the Rold lived relatively short lives, due to the illness that their ancestors had contracted on Earth centuries ago in 2020.

It had taken the world faster than anything they'd ever seen before. While it seemed as if it could be ignored, not having any adverse effects immediately, only affecting those with preexisting conditions and elderly alike, the true nature of the disease wasn’t discovered until many decades later.

The disease wasn't a strain of the flu, and eventually, it left everyone on Earth with something inside them that no vaccine could fight. It replicated quickly, mutated just slightly so when scientists and doctors finally made some ground on curing it, they were blindsided by the new change. The virus began to shorten the lives of all of humanity, and by 2100, the average life expectancy on Earth was fifty.

By 2110, most scientific minds gave up on trying to cure the mutant virus, and simply told humanity to continue to live their lives. There were a select few brave minds that fought the majority, telling them that doing so would eventually lead to the absolute eradication of the human race. It was these scientists that finally made some groundbreaking discovery - Hibernation.

It was a radical idea, really. Putting people to sleep for years - decades, even - at a time just to study the effects of the virus on a living body seemed almost cruel. But as the life expectancy finally dropped to forty, the president at the time, the first ever president of Earth, Helana Gruel gave the Hibernation Project the green light.

Now, in 2448, no one on the Rold knows if Earth still has human life on it. As far as they knew, they were the last hope of all of the human race. Gerald bore that in mind, holding fast to the idea that maybe, just maybe, he would be the one holding the cure for humanity.

He took a deep breath, kept even as he blew out his nose, and felt the hand of the Secretary on his shoulder, stopping him from going any further. He realized now that he'd missed his stop, lost in thought.

"This way, Gerald," the Secretary directed. The boy gave a nod, turning to correct his misdirection and followed the Secretary to the small, clean desk in the Secretary's office area. On the desk sat a small orb of even smaller lights, each dim but alert at the moment, and next to them, was a nameplate. Johanna, it read.

Gerald wondered if the Secretary would deny him using her personal name over her occupation to address her, but the soft smile she met his gaze with let him know she absolutely would, for it did not reach her eyes.

The Secretary didn't need to offer Gerald a seat - he eagerly, albeit morbidly, took the white chair across from her own, and she followed suit, resting in her larger office chair. As if suddenly aware of a presence, the orb of lights brightened ever so slightly, and multiple screens appeared in the air between Gerald and his Secretary. On his side, he simply saw a blank canvas of blue, and in front of the Secretary, appeared a holographic keyboard.

She rested her hands on it as if it were the real thing, and began to type away at a rapid pace. Her eyes remained on Gerald as she typed, as if to make sure he didn't try to peak, leave, or even move in general. It unnerved him slightly, but the determination never left his mind.

Finally, the Secretary spoke, "Okay, Gerald. I'm going to ask you three questions, then give you the Hibernation entry directive pamphlet. Are you prepared? You'll have to actually speak this time." Gerald was a bit taken aback by the firm tone with which the Secretary used, but he gave a firm nod, wetting his lips in preparation for the conversation. "Perfect. First, last name?"

This shocked him as well. He assumed the Secretary was already aware of his full name, given she addressed him by his first without him introducing himself. It took him a second to find his voice, hindered by the patient yet prompting the eye of the Secretary, but he finally croaked out, "Killian. Gerald Killian."

Before he'd finished saying anything, the Secretary had already entered his last name, and was spurring into the next question. "Wonderful. Predesignated occupation before Hibernation selection?"

Gerald bit his lip. He'd been selected to be a welder, mostly working outside the ship, before the Organization decided he was a prime candidate for the Hibernation process. He was actually excited for the job, as being among the stars in the darkness of space seemed to fit his disposition perfectly. The Secretary's eyes burned into him once again, and he spoke swiftly, "Hull welder, Madam Secretary."

As on point as before, the Secretary finished the answer before he did, and continued on to the final question, "Finally, you took all the medications dictated on in the letter given to you, alerting you of your Hibernation selection?"

Gerald nodded wryly. He remembered the horrid taste of the almost twenty pills he had to choke down. He swore he could still feel a collection of the powder left behind down the lining of his esophagus. His hand rubbed his neck, and the light of the orb dimmed yet again. The keyboard in front of the Secretary was replaced with yet another pamphlet, and she slid it across the smooth desktop to Gerald.

"Please read over the information here. While you cannot decline the Hibernation process, we do hope you'll educate yourself on it before we put you under. I recommend reading it multiple times, to be sure," she said this through her smile, and her lips seem to strain to stay there.

Gerald wondered if perhaps she felt concern for the young boy, so close to adulthood - so close to avoiding selection. Though, he thought rather shrewdly, it was probably just hard to feign a smile so pleasant as long as she had. Gerald's eyes finally dropped to the pamphlet over the Hibernation, and read the "eye popping" title. Sleep Among the Stars.

As if it was so magical.

Gerald held out hope, but the truth of the matter was, those who went into Hibernation either died through complications on the operating table, or had their lifespan shortened even more after finally being awakened on the other side of the long sleep. Many that woke up also experienced extreme hysteria - having woken up in a world so different from the one they were in so long before.

It was better to die on the table, many thought. But still, Gerald held onto the false hope he'd forced into himself. His eyes shot for a moment to the corners of the room, all of which were too brightly lit to have been any comfort to him. Reluctantly, he finally delved into the pamphlet.

Hibernation is a medication-induced sleep in which the afflicted simply pass into a state of unconsciousness so deep that nothing can wake them, aside from the medication used to disperse the written effect. The Hibernation will hit immediately after the inhalation of the gas. Reported by many after they have woken up, the Hibernation feels as though they have only taken a short nap, feeling refreshed and some have even said, younger than when they first slept. Though it is rare, some react negatively to the reawakening, but there have been remedies drafted since the introduction of the Hibernation process to quell these urgent concerns.

Gerald held back a scoff. The pamphlet must have been to calm those nervous or fearful of the Hibernation process, but anyone with two ears they'd used to listen in Education would know the dangers of reawakening from Hibernation.

Gerald turned the page and continued on.

Hibernation is a very prestigious process, and all who are selected reawaken feeling honored, happy to have been able to assist their human race in the hunt for the cure of the age reducing virus that has plagued them for half a millennium now. As of 2440, there have been no adverse side effects reported in reawakening from Hibernation, aside from that listed above.

Gerald turned the pamphlet to the last page. It was quite short, but he definitely preferred that. He pressed on.

As a final note to you, the reader, and honored selected of the Hibernation process, you've nothing to fear. The concept of Hibernation is far more concerning than the actual process. You will be monitored at all times by specialists who will keep you looking as prim and proper as the day you were put to sleep. Don't think of Hibernation as a medical procedure - consider this an extended daytime nap, and enjoy yourself. Thank you for your contribution to the human race. - The Organization of Rold Enterprise.

Gerald rested the pamphlet on the table, and before he'd fully taken his hand away, the Secretary had already taken it back and stored it in the top drawer of her desk. She smiled at Gerald still, and rose from her chair, gesturing for him to do the same. For the first time, he noticed the door just behind her desk as she pulled at the handle to open it for him, and led him through to a very large, open area - larger than any he'd seen on the entire ship-home.

He felt his resolve shake as he realized just where they were - the Hibernation Bay. He had no idea it was so close. He practically slept, learned, played by the place where he would be spending a virtual eternity.

Gerald's stomach turned, but he steeled himself once again, and followed hurriedly behind the Secretary. She led him for a few minutes, passed Hibernation chambers, both open and closed. Luckily, and surely purposefully, he never passed one that was currently being loaded, though he could still hear sobbing and wailing in the open room. It echoed from far away, but it was ruefully close enough to carry to his ears.

Finally, the Secretary stopped in front of his new bed, lifted up and open in front of the two of them. Next to the chamber, stood a scientist in full protective gear. Her face wasn't visible aside from her eyes, but Gerald could tell that she was smiling at him. He didn't return the favor, but she still seemed invited to speak, "You're definitely braver than most of this lot. We'll get this over with quick, okay?"

Gerald didn't reply, didn't even nod. The scientist's eyes didn't waver, but their gaze slipped to the Secretary, "Thank you, Madam Secretary Johanna. You are dismissed."

The Secretary shared another smile with the doctor, then one with Gerald, and began to march back the way she and Gerald had come from, the rhythmic clicking punctuating each step. After a few moments, the sound ceased, and the two of them were alone - aside from the wailing.

The doctor gestured to the chambers, speaking warmly, "Alright, Gerald. We've nothing else to go through except the inhalation process. I'm ready when you are."

Gerald was ready. He was also afraid that if he waited any longer, he might fall apart like the rest of his waiting hall mates, so he stepped up to the chamber, one foot in, and finally rested his entire body on the bed-like cot inside the pod. It was surprisingly comfortable, and it formed to him like it was exactly fit for him.

The doctor must have seen his body and expression ease, as her eyes lit up a little brighter. She began to hit a few buttons on her holographic keyboard, then turned to Gerald once more, "Okay. Here we go. Sleep well, Gerald."

Gerald took a breath, his eyes straight ahead. His mind raced back to 16C, the dark corner he found as his final place of comfort before now. He replayed the moments before now, and realized it must have just been fifteen minutes. His new beginning, summed up in fifteen minutes. How unimpressive it seemed.

No matter now. He was ready for the Hibernation, and when he would reawaken, those fifteen minutes would be decades away. As the chamber door began to close around him, he took his last breath of voluntary air, and spoke to the doctor beside him before she wouldn't be able to hear him, "Goodnight, Mother."

The door was closed, and with a light hiss, the Hibernation medication began to fill the chamber. At first, Gerald refused to breath it in. He wanted to take in his new world, so minuscule inside the machine. Finally, willingly, he took a deep breath, and just as the pamphlet had said, the world faded, and Gerald welcomed the black.