Semi-Finalist
Writers of the Future Contest, First Quarter 2020
The door opens slowly, pistons groaning in objection after sitting dormant for so long. I try to step forward but my legs are sore and unresponsive, sending me falling out of the pod onto the cushioned floor. When I first stepped foot in this ship on Luna, I complained about the feel of walking on this floor and debated why they would have put such a weird surface in this specific room. Now, I’m glad for it and silently thank engineers long dead. Static punctuated by occasional whines, pops, and crackling noises hiss from the speakers overhead, but nothing intelligible finds its way through. I curl into a shivering ball and enjoy the warmth for what feels like an hour until my body is still and my heart has stopped pounding in my ears.
There should have been audio updates by now, but the static continues with no sign of change. I stretch my legs and move to sitting. They gave us exercises to do on waking, and I diligently go through the motions until I can stand steady. My first thought is coffee and I make my way to the kitchen for my prize.
There should have been audio updates by now, but the static continues with no sign of change. I stretch my legs and move to sitting. They gave us exercises to do on waking, and I diligently go through the motions until I can stand steady. My first thought is coffee and I make my way to the kitchen for my prize.
A short story about dealing with waking from cryogenic sleep in a very different future than expected.
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Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech; edited by Tim McLaughlin
