Hollowed

Chapter Two - Welcome to The Sanctuary

Hello, welcome to The Sanctuary. It is good to see us awake again, Minn Earthborn. 

Minn's eyes bolt open. No! This is supposed to be a dream. This can't really be happening. Her chest drops and swallows her.

Please try not to attempt to stand up for several minutes, we may... Minn, I'm raising your Seratonin levels to maximum. Try to remember, we're not in any danger here. We are in complete control. 

Minn feels a burst of energy and she sits up straight. Its the same god awful place but she suddenly feels calmer, more relaxed. She feels her muscles relax and she's able to breathe deeply, filling her lungs with air to the max and slowly letting it release through her mouth. 

The apartments in the Sanctuary were constructed to reflect the average designs used in average cities on Earth, especially condominiums of the early 21st century. We can make requests to change items and they will send a paint team over. It wouldn't take long. 

"Atlas," she whispers, a book of maps, a guide. 

Correct. In a sense. 

Taking a big sigh she tries rubbing her temples to ease her dull aching head. "It's not the paint I'm concerned about," she says surveying the walls. She let's out two small coughs. "Why do I feel so sore?" Her voice is hoarse.

You haven't moved your muscles since your departure from Earth, you've spent many years in cryogenic sleep. We can try bending our legs by lifting our knees. 

"Cryo-what sleep?" Minn groans and lays back down, then slowly lifts hers knees up off the bed, bending her legs. It's not as painful as she expected but she is still weak so it takes some effort. She brings them down and lifts them again.

Cryogenic sleep, or suspended animation. Your body temperature is lowered to five percent after you're placed in a pod chamber. It keeps track of your vitals as you enter hibernation, which can last a maximum of 1500 years, depending on your individual chemistry and organ function. 

"How long was I...sleeping?"

You were suspended for 156 years, Earth Time. 

It doesn't fully quite sink in at first. At first, she thinks, wow, that's a really long time, no wonder I'm so sore. Then it dawns on her. It means everyone she ever knew, if she could remember a single one of them, is dead and gone. Or here too, somewhere. Maybe in another room like this one. 

No, Minn. Unfortunately, none of your relatives are here in The Sanctuary.

"God, would you stop that! Do I not have any privacy at all?" 

It is not possible to stop my functioning, no. It would be catastrophic to us both. I am a part of you now, Minn. Nothing you say or do or think can be kept from me, but you are in control. You have choices. 

Minn shakes her head. "Choices? I don't see any 'Exit' signs around here."

The exit to your apartment is 32 degrees to your left. The exit to The Sanctuary is six flights down and through the Main Entrance. Do you wish to explore outside? We can. When we are strong enough, of course. 

"And if I wanted to go home? Find out who I am? Who I've left behind?" Minn forces the last sentence out, gasping down a cry. Even feeling slightly euphoric, her emotions are still heightened. Though she doesn't know who her family was, or who she left behind, she knows she's alone, and no matter what this Atlas says, she doesn't trust her. Or it. God, whatever it is. 

This is our home, Minn. I am your comm-link. I am here to help. We will be granted access to our stored memories, one by one, as we move through Phase Two. When we reach Phase Three, our memories will be restored completely.  

"Why can't you just restore them now?" Minn asks, trying to shake off her uneasiness. 

Memory withdrawal has had the most successful results moving residents to Phase Three.

"Super." Getting a bit annoyed with Atlas and her situation,  she's ready to start taking a look around. She's suddenly feeling wired, and her stomach is making noises she's never heard before. She moves her legs off the bed and rests her feet on the floor.

 "Does Phase Three involve food? Cause I'm starving." Minn slowly lifts herself up to her feet and finds her balance. 

No. However, the kitchen is down the hall, pasting the living area, approximately a 30 feet walk. Do you feel up to it?

Minns stomach grumbles, she's already trying to sit up.

You'll find its programming fully stocked. All the best foods from Earth, simulated of course. A sundry selection of dinner ware, glass ware and eating utensils. Your favourite meals are programmed, spaghetti and meatballs, cheesy baked chicken, steak and mashed potatoes with green beans; shall I continue? 

"No thanks, you're making it worse." Minn says shortly. She has already made it to the door way, using it's frame to stop and rest, but she feels stronger than before. Only able to turn right she makes her way past a bathroom on her left and then into a large living room, with couch, behind which was a large dinner table that led to the kitchen island. She reaches the kitchen as quickly as she can while using the walls and tables for support along the way. It is a nice kitchen, as far as kitchen's go. Very spacious, wooden cupboards, but the colour scheme is bland, no surprise there. Nice marble counter tops. Grey, of course. 

Atlas leaves her alone while she ransacks the cupboards for food, but they're empty. No food, not even a single dish. And where the hell is the fridge?  Screw it, she grabs the group of bananas on top of a bowl of fruit on the counter. 

That's not fresh, I'm afraid. Past expiry, or close to it. Best to use the Food Generator. 

"The what? These looks fine to me." She pulls one banana off the bunch and peels it quickly, eats it just as fast. "Blauuhhh!" She yells, spitting the last of it out. "Why does it taste so chalky?"

I tried to warn you. It was simulated yesterday for our first awakening. However, we didn't make it to the kitchen yesterday. You'll need to use the screen on the stove-top to generate your meal. Simply touch the screen to activate the Food Generator. 

"Really? This I've got to see." Minn taps the stove-top and it flashes on, like a large smart screen. Pictures of food pop with labels; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Beverages. She clicks on Breakfast, scrolls through the first ten selections and decides to click on French Toast, with Sausage and Hash Browns.  The screen goes off, but from above the stove a blue light shines down until a plate with her requested breakfast appears. It's still steaming, looking freshly prepared, served on a wooden plate, with matching cutlery. 

"No freaking way!" She takes the offering and sets it on the dining table behind her. Then she clicks Beverages, Coffee. Same thing. It materializes out of the blue light. She carefully carries the stone mug of coffee over to the table next to her plate and sits down to eat. "Now,  service like this, I could get used to."

I'm glad to hear that, Minn. Like I said, we are safe here, you are in complete control.