Chapter 2
Hibernation pod 1498 injected James Preston with several different shots of different kinds of stimulants, as part of the reanimation process. A defibrillator then shocked his heart causing him to start breathing again after the stasis pod had oxygenated his brain. The hatch of his pod then opened up like an eggshell and then an interactive holographic artificial intelligence begin to speak to him in a calm friendly feminine voice.
"Good morning James." said the hologram of the woman. "How are you feeling?"
James Preston then opened his eyes and fumbled around with his hands in confusion, not entirely sure where he was or what he was doing.
"What? What's going on." James said in a panic.
"It is perfectly normal to feel confused." said the hologram in reaction to his actions. "You just spent 120 years in suspended animation."
"What?" said James Preston again still confused.
"It is okay James." said the holographic artificial intelligence reassuringly.
"It's Jim." James corrected the Hologram, telling it the variation of his name that he preferred to go by.
"Jim." complied the hologram with a smile, acknowledging his preference.
The last thing that Jim Preston remembered was being put into a dreamless coma by medical staff. The Homestead Company had discounted his ticket because of his Degree in Mechanical Engineering, a needed, profitable trait on the colony planets. He knew that he was going to Homestead II, and that he would be on the starship Avalon, but while his nervous system was rebooting with his brain waking up he had no memory of anything for the next few minutes.
"Where am I?" asked James.
"You are a passenger on the Starship Avalon." answered the hologram. "The ship is on it's final approach to the colony world of Homestead II; your new home. A new life, a fresh start, room to grow."
"Room to grow." said Jim with a smile as it all was starting to come back to him. The idea of a new home where he wouldn't be so claustrophobic like the overcrowded world of Earth was always his primary motivation for taking the trip. He also liked to feel useful with his engineering skills.
"For the next four months you will enjoy space travel at it it's most luxurious. Food, fun, friends."
"Fun and friends." said Jim in a daze with a smile.
"That's right Jim."
A holographic screen appeared off to the side. It showed his heart rate, his body temperature, and a few other colored meters that fluctuated. And a word saying, 'Scanning'.
"The ID bracelet on your right wrist is your key to the wonders of the Avalon." the hologram continued.
There was then a chime of approval from the screen that was off to the side.
"You are in perfect health Jim." Set the hologram. "Let's get you to your cabin so that you can get some rest. Please go down the aisle until you find door number 473."
He now had the strength to walk. He climbed out of his hibernation pod and started to walk down the aisle until he got to the door that was marked clearly with the numbers 473.
When he went through the door he saw a hallway with a long set of what appeared to be grey pajamas and bathrobes.
"If you are inclined, please change into the grey pajamas and bathrobes." said the voice of the female hologram from his hibernation pod.
While the rest of the ship was still on low-power mode, more or less, and all of the other Passengers on the ship were still asleep, Jim's Hibernation Pod's artificial intelligence was tapping into the ship's audio system to guide him every step of the way, independent from the ship's autopilot that said the journey was not over yet.
The ship also detected his presence and it was programmed to serve all the passengers regardless of what point in the journey they are detected in the hallways, compliments of the Homestead Company, the lights and ship's systems came on around him as he walked.
He went into a small cubicle and and changed into the grey pajamas.
"Please go down to the end of the hall." said the female voice.
He followed the directions of the female voice.
Though he had some of his mind cleared by now he was still in a half drunken state where he took no notice of the fact that he was the only person there.
"Please take a left." said The Voice. "The door to your cabin will illuminate."
He walked down the hall and he found the door that was illuminated.
"Please scan your ID band to enter the room." said the voice.
"Welcome to your cabin." said the voice after he had entered the room, and the holographic woman was waiting for him inside.
The cabin wasn't very big, but big enough. He was only a low class passenger. There was a bed, a closet, and a door that led to a bathroom with a toilet, sink, and a shower.
"This room will be your home until we reach landfall." said the holographic woman. "You have been assigned to learning group 38, for people with engineering and Technical trade skills. For the next four months you will take skill building classes, meet your fellow passengers, learn about colonial living, and enjoy the Homestead Company's luxury amenities. Please scan your ID to confirm luggage delivery."
He paused and looked around still in a partially confused state.
"Jim." the Hologram prompted. "Please scan your ID to confirm luggage delivery." she said again.
He waived his right wrist over the Hologram and there was a beeping sound and it was confirmed.
A hole in the wall produce a tall plastic glass and then started to dispense what appeared to be some pink water into it. Jim guessed that it was some kind of Electrolyte solution.
"As part of your recovery from hibernation sickness please drink plenty of fluids." said the holographic woman. "Also to recover from hibernation sickness it is highly encouraged that you take a nap for the rest of the day."
'Ironic,' thought Jim, 'that after you get out of suspended animation you need to sleep.'
He took the glass of pink water and began gulping it down and he then realized just how thirsty he was and how dry his mouth was.
"We hope you will enjoy the rest of your stay aboard the Avalon, a Homestead Company Starship." said the Hologram that then disappeared and did not reappear.
He then searched through his luggage and found a t-shirt and boxers. He changed into them and then decided To crawl under the covers on the bed. He dimmed the lights and quickly fell asleep.
Jim was in a deep sleep until he woke up because his lights spontaneously came on and the ship began talking to him from the audio system. It seems like a man's voice who was giving a shipwide broadcast on the morning radio.
"Good morning passengers. It is a beautiful day here on the Avalon. We hope you enjoy the amenities aboard the ship and and don't get homesick, get Homestead. Let's start off our day with one of my favorite Tunes from back on Earth."
A song started playing over the audio system.
Jim got up and stripped out of his boxers and t-shirt and went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. He stepped into the stream and allowed the hot water to revitalize him. He shampooed his hair and brushed his teeth.
He got dressed and then combed his hair.
The female voice from his hibernation pod then spoke once more.
"Once you have gotten ready for the day, please go across the hall to room 171 For orientation."
Jim wanted to make an impression towards his fellow passengers when he went to orientation. So he decided to settle on cowboy boots, blue jeans, and after try on several t-shirts until he settled on a button-up shirt with the top button undone.
He then tried on his brown jacket and then was about to rush out the door when he stopped and then went back to the mirror.
"No." he said to himself in disapproval of his look.
He then took off the jacket and decided that he looked better without it. But then again he said, "No."
And then he put the jacket back on. "Just own it Jim, just own it. You got yourself a cool jacket."
He always thought the jacket looked cool and stylish. But in the end he decided to dispense with it. It wasn't exactly like he needed it to keep warm. The ship's ambient temperature was always kept at a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius.
He exited his room and looked up and down the hallway both ways and raised his eyebrows in curious observation that he still saw no people. It was then that he realized that he saw no people the day before when he had woken up. He guessed that they had just missed him, that perhaps they will come out of hibernation first and then he will come after them. He vaguely remembered that when he was exiting the hibernation room that many of the pods were still occupied. Of course obviously they can not wake up all 5,000 people simultaneously. The entire hibernation room would be way over crowded. Likely they wake up one person at a time every few minutes over several days. He wasn't entirely sure what the procedure was. More likely the people wake up in groups. Within the hibernation room the people are all in circles of six.
He entered room 171 where the computer then detected his presence and believing that it was time to give a class,
"Welcome." said an interactive recorded hologram of a woman in a uniform. "Will you all please take a seat."
He then raise his eyebrow in interest as he looked back and forth around the room, still wondering why he was alone, and then took a seat on one of the benches.
'Where is everybody?' he thought with confusion.
"Earth, is a prosperous plant. The cradle of civilization. The Homeworld of the human race. It is beautiful, blue, green, with a restored environment and a thriving society." said the hologram of the woman. "But to many it is considered overpopulated, overpriced, and...overrated."
Jim then couldn't help but interrupt.
"Excuse me. I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding..."
But he was cut off in mid sentence, "Please hold all questions until the end, please."
"Oh, sorry." he said.
"The colonies offer a solution." said the hologram, continuing his though if there had been no interruption.
Lots of space, open country, and room to grow. And there is no colony within the occupied worlds that is more beautiful than Homestead II.
"You all are assigned to learning group 38. Your skills and trades will be most valuable on the colony as with your ability with your hands with technical skills will allow…"
"I'm sorry." said Jim, apparently unable to help interrupting again and insisting over the holographic woman. "But where are all of the other passengers?"
The interactive Holograms artificial intelligence heard his question and computed the most obvious answer to the question.
"We are all on the Starship Avalon." said the holographic woman with a smile.
"Then how come there is nobody else here?" asked Jim.
The artificial intelligence heard his question and computed a correction to what it believed to be an error in his confusion.
"There are five thousand passengers and 258 crew members." said the holographic woman
"Then why am I alone?" asked Jim.
The artificial intelligence then computed his question and determined that he believed that he was without moral support on their journey, and computed an answer.
"We are all in this together." said the holographic woman.
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