The Great Journey

Christopher

White noise flooded Christopher's eardrums, a vortex of colours flashing before his eyes. Diabolical pains cramped his muscles, feeling as though he was sculpted from ice and couldn't move. The white noise grew louder, and louder, until silence. Inhaling the largest breath of air he possibly could, Christopher snapped his eyelids open, shedding the ice crystals which had formed on them. A few moments passed before he could see clearly again. Weightless, he hung by the straps of his cryogenic pods seat belts, staring at the steel interior of his mothership. Footsteps entered his hearing. Someone was walking towards the pod.

I'm supposed to be the first awoken! Who could that be?

Examining the boots standing before him, Christopher wandered his eyes up the grey leggings of a flight suit, stopping when he saw the mechanical head of Amir. Automatized-Mothership-Intelligence-Robot. The AI who had been running the ship for the last five years, whilst Christopher and his followers slept in their cryogenic pods.

'Ah, you've finally awakened! That must mean one thing, sir. If my calculations are correct, we have reached our destination. It has been an honour serving you, these past five years, sir!', Amir said, in a fluent but mechanical voice. 'Would you like your stabilization shot, sir?'.

'I would like to get warm, Amir', Christopher spoke through chattering teeth, his head pulsing from brain freeze.

'Well, if my memory serves me correct, Doctor Hanshaw is still asleep. I can only assist you to the best of my ability, sir. My knowledge ends with giving you the stabilization shot. I've been programmed so you would take control from there on, sir', Amir stated, confused.

'Yes, I know Amir. My head is still fuzzy, humour me. Give me the shot and continue opening all cryogenic pods in sector one. Once Doctor Hanshaw is awake, she'll give you your next order, understood?', Christopher winced in pain. It was the most brain activity he had used in five years, and with his electrodes firing, bursts of pain shot through his skull. The stabilization shot would give him a boost of strength, but only time would unfreeze his mind.

'Affirmative, sir!'

His movement mimicking that of a human, Amir jabbed the syringe into Christopher's arm, and disappeared out of site. His departure was signalled with a door sliding open and closed, out of Christopher's line of sight. Waves of warmth, lapped at his muscles, unfreezing the motherships commander, allowing him to free himself from his cold prison. Unhooking his arms from the material restraints, Christopher stepped out onto the steel floored room, with a clunk. His memory hazy, it took a few moments to realise where he was.

Christopher's Cryogenic pod was stationed in his private quarters. The small but luxurious room, was exactly the way he left it five years ago. Neatly made single bed, his folded flight suit still resting upon a set of steel drawers, and his deceased wife's wedding ring, sitting upon a black book labelled 'The Future', still sat at the foot of his cryogenic pod. Kneeling, he picked up the ring, pressing it against his lips. 'For you my love. Our dream has come true'. A smile cracked his lips, soon dampened by a single tear. Licking away the salty tear, Christopher threw on his flight suit and sat on his bed, with the black book and ring in his hands. Stuffing the ring over his finger, he opened the book, its pages creaking open as if it were new. Its contents consisted of, the first few pages reminding Christopher of the duties he must carry out, once leaving his quarters, followed by guidelines ensuring the smooth functionality of their new civilisation. A simple do's and don'ts list.

I need to see our new home!

Erecting himself, still not with a hundred percent movability, he made his way to the steel sliding doors. Catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror, hanging on the wall by the door, he stood right in front of it, examining himself. Rubbing his chin, it baffled Christopher how his hair hadn't grown an inch. The only difference was he was slightly skinner, but he blamed it on the mirror and continued with his mission. Pressing the unlock panel, the door opened with a mechanical screech, as left his quarters. Following a mundane hallway, he reached an elevator. Clicking the down arrow, the doors pinged open allowing him to enter. Stepping inside, pressing the up arrow, the doors closed and his stiff body was shot up the elevator shaft. Opening with a second ping, before him stood the glorious flight deck. Ascending a staircase, leading to the pilot's seat, Christopher gazed out past the command chair and its terminals, through the many windows that covered the cock-pit area. Beyond the glass, lay the most spectacular sight he had ever witnessed. Surrounded by the beautiful ambiance of space, a large blue and green planet, floated hypnotically, searing an image into Christopher's memory forever. Holding his ring in between his hands, warmth washed over him. The cold which conquered his body, had been completely defeated.

'We are home, baby', he smiled. Nothing would ever beat this moment, and at the very same time, he felt a gentle hand grab his shoulder. Checking, there was no one there, but he knew who it was.

As Amir, went about his duties, awakening the rest of the mothership's occupants, Christopher hadn't taken his eyes off the planet. He couldn't believe his dream and become a reality. His peace was disturbed by the sound of the elevator opening, followed by many footsteps climbing the stairs.

'Commander Aerglo', a soft woman's voice spoke. Twisting his command chair around, before him stood a few of the residents, of sector one's cryogenic pods. Sector one held the top senior members, chief of staffs, within the mothership, some being heirs to Christopher's command, should anything bad happen to him. Rising from his seat, a smile still stuck to his face, he observed his seniors closely. Before him stood, Doctor Hanshaw, chief of staff for the medical field, already dressed in her doctors' fatigues, stethoscope hanging around her neck, and her reading glasses tucked into her long blonde hair. Next to Hanshaw stood Major Sunn, chief of staff for the defence force. A hard-looking man with a stern, cold gaze. His chiselled jaw matched his perfectly straight uniform, and like his chin, not a single hair or impurity could be found on his flight suit. Eyes the colour of steel, and a physique of a body-builder, Christopher was glad Major Sunn was aboard his ship. Next on the line was chief of staff for Intelligence, Arnold. This man was all brains and no braun, skinny in physique, but his mind could match the capability of Amir's. He too wore the mandatory flight suit, painted a combo of black and grey colours.

'Where is Paula, Jake and Novan?' Christopher asked, concerned on the whereabouts of his other senior members.

'Coming, sir. We let them finish giving orders to sector two, before they joined us. With all due respect, we thought our fields should be informed first, as we need to get onto our tasks right away', professional answered Sunn.

'Very well, I'm pleased with your abilities to be thinking clearly already. It took me a while. Anyway, you are right. You three need to get your fields up and running asap, especially you Hanshaw'.

'Agreed. Sector two has already begun the unfreezing process, and Amir won't last long without me', responded Hanshaw.

'I'll keep this short then. We can redo our greetings later at dinner, for now, I need you to assist Amir with the unfreezing of each sector. As you well know, sector two has your top picked students, being unfrozen as we speak, according to Hanshaw. Gather them and assign them evenly between the remaining sectors, to work with Amir on the unfreezing process. Once everyone is unfrozen, gather your students and begin your initiation ceremonies. By the time we are done, dinner will be prepared, and we can move onto phase two. Preparing for landing. Hanshaw ...'.

'Yes, sir?'

'You will have the biggest challenge, as everyone must go through you for the post-unfreezing check-ups. Do you have any idea who will step in and take control of medical, until you're finished?'

'Yes, a girl by the name of Indi. She is the brightest student I've seen. She is doing a secondary in Intelligence, so she knows what she's doing'.

'Good, sounds like I have chosen one hell of a team!'.

'Yes, sir', all three chiefs, responded.

'Sunn, Arnold, you two will oversee the whole process once Hanshaw starts her check-ups. You too will also appoint a student to assist Indi after sector five has been unfrozen. Once sector six undergoes their unfreezing, report to your headquarters to prepare for your ceremonies, understood?'

'Yes, sir'.

'Yes, sir'.

'Dismissed. Oh, and tell Paula, Jake and Novan to report to me as quickly as possible'.

A simple nod signalled their acknowledgment. Turning, the three chiefs descended the stairs, leaving the flight deck. Christopher returned to his seat, twirling it around, laughing as he held his ring high above his head.