ABANDON

Chapter 4 -- Wake Up

    One of the features of an autonomous ship, like the Holiday, is mind preparation, or mind prep.  Jane knew this feature well because hibernation was made possible by the other Jane and Jane had spent hours of every day of her life studying her work.  Mind prep came in two powerful forms: dreams and memories.  If you were going to a planet that spoke a language you didn't, mind prep would teach it to you while you slept, so that when you woke on the planet, you spoke the language.  Mind prep was also useful in emergency situations and military applications.  Soldiers would wake knowing exactly what the current status was, with their part of the operation already fully known.

    Jane had no idea how her little program would affect the emergency prep that was automatic, but she wasn't going to hang around to find out. She knew that at any moment the lids on the pods would open.  She knew the people coming out of hibernation would be disoriented, confused.  She had no idea at what point they lost their mind prep. She couldn't deal with that right now.  She quickly stood and began looking for a place to hide.  The hibernation pods were arranged in long rows; and for some reason she couldn't explain, Jane ran her fingers along the sides of the metal pods as she went.

    She entered the cargo bay and quickly glanced around.  The area was separated into compartments.  Those on her right were packed full, but as she moved to the left, one of the bays was only partially full.  The rest were empty.  Jane felt she should care, but she didn't.  She walked to the partially full bay and climbed the neatly stacked plastic containers.  She moved far into the shadows.  She laid back, closed her eyes, and listened.  She could hear the wind howling outside.  In her mind, she pictured the gray landscape she had seen.  What kind of atmosphere was out there?  She could smell the dryness in the air, taste the dirt in her mouth.  How was it possible that the planet had found its way into the ship already?  It would come in and push out the air from earth.  Jane wanted to grab onto that air, to hold it close around her like a blanket.  Soon everything would be contaminated by gray.  No, Jane comforted herself, not all of it.  At least, not yet.

    Captain suddenly became aware he was staring.  He lay perfectly still, staring at the metal beams above him.  The gray clothing resting on his chest rose and fell, the movements growing deeper with each passing breath.  He felt cold, and vaguely afraid.

    "Jane." he said. From somewhere far away someone coughed.

    Captain sat up and looked around.  "Jane?"  He could still see her face above him, staring down at him, that one brief moment captured in his brain.  She must have been here recently.

    Someone three beds over sat up and looked at Captain.  He wore the dark blue of the military.  Then he laid back down, putting his hands to his head.

    The sandy haired man in the pod next to Captain sat up and stretched. His gray hibernation suit clinging to his thin frame.

    "Scott, have you seen Jane?"  Captain asked.

    "I just woke up."  he said through a yawn.

    The man in military garb sat up and swung his legs over the side of his pod.

    "Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you."  Scott said.

    The man looked at him and then slid out of his bed to stand on the floor.

    Scott was shocked but shook it off by shrugging his shoulders.  He stifled a yawn as he looked around.  There were military people sitting and sliding out of their pods all over.

    "Oh wow."  Scott said.  "These guys are sure--"  He turned towards Captain, but cut his speech short when he found the bed empty. "Huh?"  Scott looked around again.  "How do they?  I just can't do that."