Haven

“Awaken.”

You’re cold. It’s dark and wet. You open your eyes, but see only darkness.

“Wha-?” - Your voice cracks so hard that it surprises you, you’re scared at the sound, almost as if you haven’t spoken in a very long time. Pulling together your mind, you will yourself to try and sit up, only to smack your face against something cold. Hard. Where are you? You start to try and recall the last thing you remember. Weren’t you about to-

A loud hiss interrupts your thoughts.

To your left and your right, a thin beam of light shines into your… compartment? Looking around, you begin to recognize your situation. The lid to your cryo-pod slowly lifts itself up, and the light blinds your eyes. How long have you been asleep?

“Awaken.”

You hear that voice again. At first it seemed angelic, but now it seems more artificial. It’s easy to assume that this voice is a part of your wake-up program, even though you may have mistaken it for the voice of god just a few seconds ago.

“Welcome, user. Avalanys wake-up program awaiting start.”

Your eyes slowly adjust to your surroundings. You begin to pierce through the haze in your vision, as fidelity returns to your tired eyes.

Suddenly, your bed lurches upward as it tilts more towards a standing position. The sudden movement frightened you. If it weren’t for the safety belt around your waist, you’d have fallen to the floor already. The voice interrupts your thoughts once again.

“You may be experiencing minor cryo-sickness. This is normal, please take the time you need you reacquaint yourself with your surroundings.”

Lifting your head, you take a look around. You’re in a room, not a very big one, with gray metallic walls and a white acrylic floor.

This is your cryo room. You remember being fitted to your pod just before going to cryo sleep.

“Welcome, user. Avalanys wake-up program awaiting start.

In front of you is a clear glass display, with an image of a woman on it, giving you a warm smile. As real as she seems, you know who she is.

“Computer, status.”

Your voice still sounds as if you just swallowed a handful of gravel, but a little better than your first attempt at speaking.

“Welcome, user. Avalanys wake-up program awaiting start.”

You remember that she’s just a program. Lacking any actual intelligence, you remember that real AI are hard to license, so basic systems like these are typically very simple programs. You look the virtual woman in the eyes.

“Avalanys wake-up program start.”

In a bubbly voice, she begins to give you the wake-up spiel that you’re sure everyone’s going to have to hear at least once.

“Greetings, user. Welcome to the Avalanys program! You are aboard the Avalanys, The largest and most advanced exoplanet expedition ever undertaken by humanity! Soon, one of our cryo-techs will arrive in your room for a wellness check! Please, take this medication to avoid nausea in the meantime.”

You hear a click, and from under the computer, a small tray pops out with two green capsules and a glass of blue liquid.

“What’s this?” You ask, unsure as to the nature of the medication.

“Please, take this medication to avoid nausea in the meantime.” The computer repeats, with the same warm smile.

“Fine.” You grab the capsules and take them, being quite surprised at the blueberry flavor of the drink.

“While we await your cryo-tech’s arrival, please confirm your name, chosen gender, and departure age for identification and cognitive reliability purposes.”

You look at the computer, and state your information just as you recall it.