The Experiment

by Costanza, Christopher

  It’s actually longer than some of the largest buildings in the Capital are tall. It was mind boggling to think that people could actually build something like this. It was so gigantic it was casting a giant shadow over the Aurora Station… I guess this is how people felt when the original Sirius launched from Aeris for the first time.

  Being in a place like this, looking out into the vastness of space, and just the sheer size of it all truly made me feel insignificant… In the eyes of the universe none of this, none of us, were even worth mentioning…

  While we all stood there waiting to board I saw Sara, so I walked over. “So you getting excited?”

  She smiled “Of course! How could I not be?”

  “It’s going to be weird to know that after all this, I’ll be ten years younger than time tells me I am… When we get older people will wonder how we all look so great for our age.”

  She started laughing “All my friends back home are going to be so jealous… Everyone’s going to look so different and we’ll barely change at all.”

  I said “It’ll kinda be like time travel, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess you really could think of it that way…”

  Right as I was about to say something else, the boarding announcement started and the room immediately changed. The audio blur of thousands of different voices all going at once came to a complete stop. It appeared as though everyone was either too nervous or excited to talk. I knew which category I was in, especially when the announcement said the science team would be boarding first.

  As we lined up, I tried to envision what the inside of the Sirius would look like. I could only assume it would have the same effect on me as the outside… The best way I could describe it would have to be staggering.

  We made our way down the walkway and passed through the monstrous door leading onto the ship. I was right; I hadn’t even come close to imagining what I had seen in just my first few moments inside the loading bay.

  The ceiling was so high, there was actually enough room for the transport ships to fly around. There were countless people rushing back and forth, performing various tasks in preparation for takeoff. Now I understood why it took over a thousand people just to make it fly… I couldn’t even begin to contemplate just how many different systems had to be monitored and controlled.

  As Horus led us deeper into the Sirius, it turned into a series of narrow hallways with dim lighting and doors with various labels every five or ten feet. I began to notice that everything seemed to be made out of materials and metals I’d never seen before. The design of it all was so different than anything on Aeris.

  There were terminals and control panels everywhere, along with very few scattered, small asirium viewing windows... Everything seemed alien to me. I once again felt as though I stepped into the future, only this time it seemed to be a an even more distant one.

  Eventually Horus stopped at an elevator and turned around to make an announcement.

  He folded his arms and said “The technicians need everyone in stasis as soon as possible. Before we can leave, they’ll have to take almost an entire day to check the systems and ensure no errors will arise over the next five years. So we need to make this quick… Everyone else is getting the exact same speech from their group leaders as I speak... Look at it this way, the faster you get in, the faster you end up on X-451.”

  He turned around a called the elevator.

  The ride up was completely silent, and everyone was looking around at each other. Almost as if they were waiting for someone else to talk to let them all know it was ok.

  I looked over at Sara and she smiled… Unlike everyone else she didn’t seem nervous at all…

  Horus decided to give a few more words of encouragement.

  With a big smile on his face, he said “Don’t look so scared everyone! Even if something does go terribly wrong on the journey we’ll never know about it… One of the benefits of suspended animation.”

  He laughed.

  “You’ll just never wake up… But that’s not what’s going to happen. The mission will be successful, the atmosphere will be restored. And we as scientists will have had the unprecedented opportunity to study an alien world that is just like Aeris… So everyone look happy, you should be.”

  Horus looked around at everyone and as his eyes came to me I nodded…

  The stasis room was another incredible sight. It almost looked like the inside of a beehive, just walls of square slots going up so far, I could barely see the highest one. It was just as monstrous as the loading bay.

  There were dozens of terminals partnered with robotic arm assemblies the technicians used to store and catalogue each person after they were placed into a suspended animation capsule. It reminded me of the production line at a factory.

  I was near the end of the line; Horus was going in first, most likely as an example to everyone else. I guess if you see the leader dive right in it makes the team feel a little more confident.

  Before he headed over to the stasis capsule he looked at me, smiled, and said “See you in five years everyone!.”

  The technician led Horus to the capsule and helped him climb in. All it took was one touch, the capsule door sealed and he became completely still.

  Even though Horus explained it thoroughly, I didn’t truly understand how the technology works. Everyone always talked about it like you were actually being frozen, but I could clearly see that wasn’t the case.

  Once activated, a yellowish gas would enter the capsule and within a few moments entirely fill it. Just as the occupant realized they could no longer breathe it would turn into a solid. It strangely reminded me of the remains of long extinct creatures trapped in amber you can see at the museums in the Capital…

  All of a sudden I started to get a nervous feeling in my stomach, for a moment I thought I might throw up… Just like the other times, I’m sure it wasn’t from fear, but excitement. I was ready; I couldn’t wait to get to X-451.

  I did on the other hand wish it didn’t take so long to get there. If we didn’t have to be put in stasis I’d have the opportunity to literally watch entire galaxies go by as the Sirius hurdled through space. The very thought of that experience made me wish I could ask the stasis tech to wake me up a few months early.

  Unfortunately, the longer we were all in stasis, the less resources we would use, which was a vital aspect of the mission. So we wouldn’t be brought out until we were already orbiting the planet…

  I had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity. Sara and I had gotten separated getting out of the elevator and she had already been put in a capsule so I didn’t get a chance to talk to her again… I really wanted to but we were being rushed and I didn’t want to miss any important directions.

  For whatever reason I couldn’t stop thinking about her, even though we had just met… There was something special about her…

  It was really amazing to watch the system at work. It was surreal to think that thousands of people would all be in this one room, frozen in time; completely helpless.

  From what I understand, at least 20,000 people have lost their lives in space since the ACI started the Sirius missions. Just a few years ago one of the ships had an unexplained core meltdown before it even made it out of our solar system, and everyone onboard was killed.

  In many other instances ships just never returned… There was no way to know what happened. They could all be dead or stranded on a planet. Some people even theorized they could have had mechanical problems and lost the ability to move while they were in between solar systems.

  Due to the farming and water production technology aboard the ships they could be stranded for years and survive if they rationed properly… There could be ships full of people just aimlessly floating through space, waiting to be rescued.

  I suppose it was something to worry about but at the same time it’s like Horus said… If there is a core meltdown, I’ll never know about it - I just won’t wake up. And being stranded in
space or on another planet still sounded infinitely better than my life in the Capital… At least I wouldn’t be working in a factory anymore…

  Horus had also told me that some people report having wild dreams and even nightmares during stasis. On even more rare occasions scientists had awakened with equations or experiments they had been working on solved by their subconscious.

  According to Horus, for whatever reason some people’s minds stayed extremely active during stasis and others didn’t. It was something currently being studied at the ACI. They believe it might be a way to artificially induce a state of mind where the person can unlock more of their potential.

  He also advised that I make sure not to be afraid as they initiated the process, otherwise I may not have a “good sleep.”

  Apparently, there have been cases of people coming out irreversibly traumatized because they basically lived in a nightmare created by their subconscious for years.

  He assured me that it was an extremely rare occurrence and that I had nothing to worry about… I wish he just never brought it up in the first place…

  Luckily, I don’t think that would be a problem. Like Horus and Commander Neros, I was confident we would succeed and enable the ACI to keep their promise to the unprotected cities of Aeris. After seeing the Aurora, the Sirius, and everything else the ACI was truly capable of, any fears I may have had completely vanished.

  The people who made this all possible are very special in a way someone like me can’t even begin to understand. The ACI and everyone here had my unwavering faith and admiration…

  When my turn finally came up, I jumped right in.

  The technician laughed and said “Ok… I guess you’re ready to go huh?”

  I looked up at him and said “You have no idea.”

  “Get ready, a lot of people tend to panic when they realize they can’t breathe, just tell yourself it only lasts a few moments… Going in scared isn’t the best thing. Ok?”

  I nodded.

  He closed the capsule and as his hand reached out to initiate the process I did my best to think of all the amazing things that would be waiting for me on X-451… For some reason, all I could think about was Sara…

  The capsule began to fill with the yellowish gas and I felt myself fade away.

  Chapter 4

  As my eyes opened I could see the blurred image of a man putting an oxygen mask over my face… My head was pounding, my ears were buzzing, and I was having trouble breathing. For whatever reason, it almost felt like I was underwater - my senses were completely numb… I was doing everything I could to move but nothing was happening. I couldn’t even turn my head.

  I just barely heard him say “Please remain calm, you’re breathing will return to normal soon. Don’t try to move just yet.”

  Seconds after the pure oxygen entered my lungs I could feel myself breathing deeper and deeper, just as he said…

  When my vision finally became somewhat clear, I looked over and saw Horus and Sara looking down at me. I was trying to get up but I still couldn’t move and for some reason all I could think about was Sara. It was almost as if I missed her, like I hadn’t seen her in a very long time…

  As I looked at her, all these emotions I didn’t understand came rushing over me… I couldn’t help but stare into her eyes, just like when we met.

  Strangely, she did the same…

  Horus said “Look at him, he won’t take his eyes off of you… Seems like he’s experiencing it too Sara.”

  “You think so? Why would this happen Horus?.. I barely even know him…”

  I closed my eyes for a few moments and tried to concentrate on my breathing. When I looked back over for Sara she was gone... I tried to raise my head and look around the room for her but I couldn’t… All I could do is wait to be able to move again…

  After a minute or so, the technician asked me to move my legs. It was difficult, like my mind wasn’t quite linked to the rest of my body yet. Apparently I was able, so he and Horus helped me out of the capsule. It was hard to stand, and even harder to walk; almost as if I were learning for the first time.

  My whole body felt so weak and rigid as the technician led me to a chair.

  “Take a seat, the effects will be gone in a matter of minutes… just relax and don’t try to stand by yourself yet.”

  As I sat there struggling to gain my composure, I noticed Sara staring at me from the other side of the room. When our eyes met, for whatever reason I could sense she’d been feeling what I did… That must be what she and Horus were talking about…

  After a few more minutes I was finally starting to feel normal. I looked around and saw that Horus was helping the techs release other members of the team from their capsules and getting them on their feet.

  All of a sudden I heard a man hysterically yelling and carrying on. The vastness of the room made it so loud, I almost had to cover my ears.

  I heard Horus say “He’s having a bad reaction! Hurry and sedate him before he goes into cardiac arrest!”

  Horus pinned him down and the technician injected the man with something; he struggled for a few moments and then he passed out.

  He turned to the technician and said “Call someone to come and bring him to the medical bay. And tell them to keep sedatives ready in case he continues to panic when he wakes up again…”

  Horus frowned and became concerned, leaned in close to the stasis capsule and said “His mouth is bleeding… He must have bit his tongue…”

  The tech was obviously horrified, he had backed up and was stuttering as he tried to answer Horus.

  “I.. I’ve never seen anything like that…”

  “It doesn’t happen often… I haven’t seen anyone react this badly in a long time… Hopefully he won’t end up having to be restrained and confined the rest of his life like the last one… He’s a good man, very bright. It would be a shame.”

  … So much for that being extremely rare…

  Sara came over and sat next to me, I could tell she was waiting for me to be able to talk again.

  I coughed a few times and said “That was definitely the strangest I’ve ever felt in my whole life… I feel fine now though.”

  “Yeah, me too…”

  I stood up and walked around a little. If anything I was starting to feel better than I have in a long time… I suppose it was a side effect of a five year rest. I’m just glad I didn’t wake up in a terrified frenzy like that man…

  “I hope that guys ok… I thought Horus said that kind of thing was really rare?”

  She sighed. “He must have been really afraid when he went in… I’m sure he’ll be fine. It should only be temporary.”

  “I don’t know, Horus said he was the worst he’d seen in a long time…”

  Sara didn’t respond right away, she just looked into my eyes…

  “So do you feel anything… odd?.. Like feelings that don’t belong?”

  I must be right… She was being overcome by the same inexplicable emotions I was… But I wasn’t sure and this could easily end in my embarrassment, so I wanted to tread carefully.

  “I think so… but it’s so strange, I don’t really know what to say.”

  She looked down and then back at me... I could tell she was embarrassed and confused, just like I was…

  “Are they about me?”

  I hesitated for quite some time… “Yes.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ll be right back.”

  I didn’t know how to take anything right now…

  She walked over to Horus and I heard her say “You were right, he feels it too.”

  Horus glanced in my direction and then walked over to me. “You two are going to have be part of an official case study when we return. This is extremely interesting… To say the very least.”

  I asked “What do you mean?”

  He went on to explain that Sara and I had obviously made a connection shortly before we were put in stasis. It caused us to be thinking about
each other as the process was initiated. He said this why I felt like I missed her and was so relieved to see her face.

  In my subconscious I had been waiting to see her for five years… Apparently she felt the same way…What did this mean? We barely knew each other and now I felt like I’d known her for years, even though I knew absolutely nothing about her.

  Sara and I sat there awkwardly looking at each other for what seemed like minutes before I said “So this isn’t real? It’s just a side effect due to our recent connection? What do we do?.. Will my conscious mind eventually straighten it out?”

  “I don’t know… but it’s so strange…”

  Then she rolled her eyes. “I’m glad Horus is so happy about this.”

  We both laughed and I said “Yeah I know… he’s probably drooling at the chance to study us.”

  Horus sighed and interjected “Alright, as fascinating as this is, the three of us can discuss it later. We have to report to the main deck for orientation. But don’t pay too much attention… It’s revised and edited for those with the least amount of clearance. I’ll have a lot more to tell all of you once we’re in private.”

  He walked away and we immediately looked at each other.

  “What do you think he means?”

  Sara said “I’m not sure, but he’s really high-up in the ACI, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out we’re going to be involved in something highly classified.”

  … He did go out of his way to mention that my clearance would be above the Commanders… I didn’t tell Sara, but it had to mean we were about to be let in on something big.

  She said “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yeah, I feel great now, let’s go.”

  The Sirius was so large, it seemed like half an hour before we finally made it to the elevator leading up to the main deck… I already missed the asirium hall… This ship wasn’t at all like the Aurora at all. There was almost no asirium anywhere. It was completely closed in; there was nothing but metal, bolts, doors, control panels, terminals and some type of strange lighting that actually bothered my eyes…

  I was starting to realize that most of the ship was actually pretty dreary…