The hissing of the tube is the first thing she hears when she stirs awake. At least she thinks it's the tube. It is like being in a dream. Cosima vaguely feels gloved hands touching her body, she's poked and prodded, and it is warm. So very warm. She's wrapped up in a blanket of sorts, and sort of thaws out as a burrito in a thermal blanket. In reality, she suspects this is just coming out of torpor, something she'd researched thoroughly prior to boarding. It wasn't so bad, Cosima thought. Though her limbs were all still shaking slightly. Probably hypothermia, Cosima reasons to herself. Nothing that should last long.

"Hey…" Cosima calls out croakily. She turns her head to find that there are at least five other thermal-blanketed burrito people laid on beds around the hexagonal room. Each person is on a bio-bed, wrapped up in a thermal blanket. Some are silent, while others murmur faintly to themselves. And she wonders how long it's been. No more than 15 years, that was the promise.

"Welcome back to the living, Miss Niehaus." The annoying doctor chirps at her, noticing that she's looking around and beginning to move more consciously.

"Doctor Niehaus." Cosima mumbles back. "I didn't do my PhD for fun."

"Yes, sorry, that isn't on the nameplate." The annoying doctor… Leekie, Cosima thinks that's what his name is. She'd only met the man very briefly going into cryostasis before. She was grateful he was a member of the crew and would be old and infirm before she had to spend any significant time with him.

"There's a nameplate on the tube?" Cosima wondered about that, exactly what long term suspended animation looked like.

"Yes, and a barcode." Dr. Leekie shrugs. "It's how we identify you. You'll be going back in the same tube in a few short weeks." He presents her with a small square device. "Here. This will provide you with all the instructions you need."

"Now what?"

"You will need to consume a solution to flush your bowels." Dr. Leekie tells her as if bored. Cosima notices he looks a good ten years older. She wonders what it must be like to be part of the crew. To be en route to a destination you'll never see. Or if you do, being so old that you'll promptly die there.

"How long has it been?" Cosima asks. She thinks about how long she's been thawing. Supposedly it was a multiple day process and the ship could thaw about 30 people at a time in multiple labs.

"About 12 years," Dr. Leekie responds. He is fully bald now, Cosima notes, and has to be solidly into his late 50s now.

"OK." Cosima nods.

"You'll have a full medical examination scheduled in the next few weeks. There are currently three doctors not in suspended animation. One of us will do your exam. You need to wait six or so hours before eating. Otherwise you are going to be just fine."

"That's the infomercial, isn't it? Up and around, no side effects, and then back in?"

"That is exactly how it goes for most of you." Dr. Leekie is calm, even as he glances somewhere behind him. "Excuse me, one of our patients isn't doing so well." And with that he swans away without a word.

"This isn't typical." One of the technicians or maybe a nurse is overheard across the room. "Coming out of torpor isn't supposed to look like this."

"No. It isn't… Can we run some blood work on her? See what else is in her system?" Dr. Leekie seems calm enough.

"We can try."

Cosima loses track of the staff. She's left in her burrito for what feels like several hours. Occasionally one of the technicians comes and checks on her, a quick visual to confirm the readouts on their monitors.

"OK. Ms. Niehaus. Time to try to sit up." Another technician tells her.

"Now?"

"Yes. Now. Try to sit up. Move your body in small movements."

Cosima finds she's stiff, unsurprisingly. But they give small injections to her muscles. And the next thing she knows, she's being given an impromptu acupuncture session by the tech. Each needle is in a sterile package. They insert them quickly, without really paying too much attention to her. They move between bodies, between patients swiftly. It's like an assembly line.

"Stay like that for at least 20 minutes."

"OK." Like she has any other choice with tiny needles sticking out of her skin. She wonders if boarding the Swan Queen was a mistake, if applying was a mistake. Cosima closes her eyes, trying to remember her farewell party. Friends had broken into an old building, closed for demolition. Music. Drugs. Dancing. Zero food, Cosima recalls. The permits for that take far too long and she'd set her gathering a week before she left to ensure any substances consumed had time to work out of her system before cryostasis. She did not want to see what that did to her body. None of it's been studied. Anyone on any long term medication would have been rejected as a colonist. And as far as she knows, they don't even permit birth control use the several weeks before.

Cosima remembers she had a quiet dinner with her parents closer to her departure. They had been devastated and understanding about her choice, while still expressing surprise she'd cleared the screening. Gene and Sally had understood, Cosima thinks. Knowing how life would look if she'd stayed. But it had been a hard choice to make.

She isn't the first subject to leave the cryo lab. But eventually a technician urges her to sit up and move her limbs. She's handed clothes, and a small personal effects container. The label reads 324B21. Cosima tilts her head, thinking about it. Maybe that is related to her tube's storage location? Cargo Bay 21? Or… its position? When she opens the small personal effects container she finds her glasses, and a small communications device. And absolutely nothing else.

"Hey… uh… what about my jewelry?" Cosima asks.

The technician stops. "Oh. We don't store jewelry in personal effects boxes."

"Well then where is it?"

"Where is what?" The technician looks back at her blankly. Cosima wonders if the techs are just thawed to help with the freezing and unfreezing process and then put back in with the colonists. Surely they'll need the technicians to help bring them all out of suspended animation at their destination.

"My nose ring? My earrings?" Cosima tries to prompt the technician, but it is no use. She looks at Cosima and seems confused by the request.

"Ah. You would have been instructed to remove all of that before reporting back to the lab."

"I was." Cosima remembers that. But she doesn't really remember much. Not even removing the jewellry. She should remember it. Maybe it was the drugs? They'd given her a potent cocktail of what she can presume are a mix of sedatives, painkillers and memory altering drugs with who knows what mixed in for the actual cryostasis prep.

"Should be in your locker. Apologies. Lockers are not hermetically sealed… but usually nothing ages much in space."

"Right. I guess… I will go look for that."

"Just drink this." The technician holds up a bottle of a light blue solution. Cosima wonders if the colour is supposed to look soothing or if the dye serves some kind of purpose.

"OK." Cosima drinks the solution, finding it tastes oddly like toothpaste and something else she cannot place. But maybe it's flavoured? It's not too unpleasant, though she suspects it is designed to react with her stomach acid.

"That will help flush your bowels."

"Oh! From that really gross gel-like substance? Great." Cosima nods.

"Your personal device will alert you when you can eat again. Feel free to get some rest. Coming out of cryostasis is exhausting." The tech comments brightly and then rushes away to deal with her other patients.

She isn't the first to leave the cryostasis lab, but she follows along. Arrows display on the small square device. And stupid automated messages pop up.

Good morning, Cosima! Welcome back.

The automated bot continues chattering at her and Cosima ignores it. At least the audio setting is disabled by default. She vaguely recalls that being mentioned in the training. That her communications device was equipped with both a DNA sensor - to respond only to her, and the basic AI interface. Anything fancier was available on board, particularly for personal entertainment. But not on a personal device. Which was an interesting choice, Cosima thought.

Looks like you need some rest. Follow along to your bunkroom.

Cosima obeys, and navigates first to the lift out of the science and medical section. There are no buttons, but the lift seems to be signaled by her device. She wonders if there's a way to override it. Or if it's pre-programmed for all passengers on board. To not allow access to other sections.

Time for a rest.

The device reads the words out as it displays the bunkroom number.

The bunkroom is easy enough to find, at least with the small device giving her directions. They'd made it fairly idiot proof. With these stupid devices, that Cosima isn't sure she trusts not to spy on her or otherwise monitor her activities for the next few weeks. They are herded through like sheep. Guided to eating, resting and washing areas. Though she suspects she'll learn what she needs to. At least about the habitat section. Everything looks the same. Cosima notes. Every corridor, every room. Other than the numbers on the door, or the washroom symbols. But there's a locker with Cosima A. Niehaus printed on it. And six bunks. Most look unoccupied except the top bunk across from hers. The curtain, a gray folded panel, is closed and she hears mild groaning from inside. Cosima sits on her own bottom bunk. The bunks are assigned and also labeled. Though maybe she could get one of the other occupants to switch?

"Hey… You OK?" Cosima asks when she hears a second pained groan.

The voice that answers is accented and seems strained. "Yes. I am… just feeling… unwell."

"OK." Cosima nods. "Do you like… Need someone to bring you rations? Or water?"

"Non. Thank you. I can't eat yet." The voice is clear enough so Cosima decides to leave that woman alone. She doesn't recall reading about getting sick after thawing. It wasn't in the information. But maybe it happened? Else this woman had something else in her system from before.

She isn't really that alert, and Cosima opts to close her own curtain. She thinks it must be possible to switch and get a top bunk. Maybe she should do that. She falls asleep fairly quickly. Her body is tired, from everything it has been put through.

She wakes, and by the ship clock it is a good eight hours later and she is starving. Cosima quickly gets up, and sees that another two bunks are occupied. One is a short woman with long red hair, the other in the bunk above her is dark skinned, with hair cropped short. Both are asleep. And Cosima assumes that they too are recovering from cryostasis.

She glances at the device. A touch of her hand activates it again.

Time to eat!

Wow. Cosima thinks. It really is idiot proof. She paused only to open her locker, she puts in her nosering and earrings. They don't look too worse for wear but she'll be requesting better storage for them. And then she follows the irritating arrows down three corridors, left, right, left again to find herself in what seems to be a mess hall and social space. There are six dispensers for rations. She approaches one, scans her device and a packaged ration meal is dispensed along with water. There appears to be a section for fresh food to be offered, as well as a kitchen behind plexiglass walls. But it's empty. At least for now. Cosima wonders what time it is. Not that it matters. The ship clock is merely for their comfort. To aid their acclimation.

Soon you'll get vegetables from hydroponics! Imagine! Vegetables and fruit grown in space.

"You are spying on me, aren't you?" Cosima speaks to the device aloud. And she sees several people come in, but most of them seem fairly uncertain. They eat rations. Some wander around the seating areas. Cosima explores. She ignores her device's instructions and discovers more entertainment areas. A library with paper and virtual books. What appears to be a virtual reality rental area.. And Cosima is suspicious as to the programs available, but perhaps with segregated sexes they wanted to allow for both nature walk programs, and pornography.

She swears half a day passes before she sees other humans. She passes several gathering places, clearly designed for people to meet and mingle. Most of it is empty, the capacity is for nearly 400 people… and only a fourth of them are being thawed at a time for a wake cycle. They all look like women, Cosima notes. What skills a person would have to have to not identify along those lines and be granted clearance to board? Was it even probable? Most people are chatting in small groups, or keeping to themselves. And perhaps, it is just uncomfortable for all of them.

Finally she sees the two women from her bunkroom. They're sitting at a table eating, both sniffing at the rations suspiciously. And this seems promising. Surely the groupings have some kind of sense. They must use an algorithm to sort them, she doubts it's done by a person.

"Hey. I'm Cosima." She introduces herself.

"I'm Sol. I think you're in my bunkroom. I've been reading everyone's names." The taller woman answers, looking Cosima over. She takes in the dreads, the nose ring, the tattoos. "So. Where are you from?"

"California. What's left of it." Cosima comments with a shrug. What a disaster that was.

"Oh wow. I am from Boston." Sol smiles broadly at her, and Cosima begins to lighten. She sits next to them.

"And you?" Cosima addresses the other woman.

"I'm Celia. I'm from Nova Scotia." The redhead tells her, and they're youngish, Cosima thinks. Celia especially. But isn't that to be expected?

"So you don't know each other?"

"We do." Celia nods. "We're both nurse midwives. We … had some extra training before departure."

"What kind?" Cosima finds herself curious. She is aware there are four nurse midwives among the passengers, and two OB/GYNs.

"Agricultural." Sol responds. "We… are expected to spend the first few months assisting that way… before… people start making babies."

"Hopefully won't be too long." Celia quips. "I mean… they're depriving us all, keeping us separated." Celia is only half-joking, as far as Cosima can tell and she might be right.

"We're only up and about for four weeks, Celia." Sol shakes her head. "It's not that long and we'll be back in cryostasis. In total we'll spend 24 weeks conscious… maybe. And that probably includes the 36 hours taking us in and out of cryo."

"I'm a scientist, genetics, population genomics…" Cosima offers, though these women had at least some of a science background. Seemed pretty hetero to her, but who knows. Looks can be deceiving. They're worth getting to know at any rate. Everyone on this ship was a mystery for now. And she had plenty of time to figure them all out.

"Oh!… You're the genetics researcher." Sol seems aware. "I know every ship gets one… or two."

"Yep. I'm the PhD." Cosima nods pleasantly. And she finds Sol and Celia to be decent company.

"I guess we'll be working with you." Celia smiles. "You'll run the prenatal tests for us. Or your lab will."

"Yes. Among other things. There's a technician too, but I don't know if he's on this ship… or the following one." Cosima considers. "I have a lab too… to run population test scenarios. But I don't have access until wake cycle 4." She remembers that too, that she'll be able to run simulations, anticipate problems, figure out solutions. But a lot of her best solutions count on the second ship arriving about five years after they do and expanding the gene pool further. The more progenitors she has to work with, the better she can avoid the few genetic conditions carried by the colonists being passed on.

"No point this early." Celia nods. "I mean you can run simulation after simulation of various scenarios, randomizing mate selection… but it can only prepare you for so much. I mean, some genetic defects are caused by deletion. And none of us can prevent that."

Sol nods wisely. "We're young midwives… I'm 30. Celia is 25. But… we're not ignorant. We've practised. Seen enough. As much as you can in the first five to ten years in a career anyway."

Cosima thinks. "I mean… We really don't have that much control in who people mate with. And I wouldn't want to. But I mean, the planners planned events for arrival. For all I know, they are running meet and greets and purposely want people seated by ideal genetic matches." Cosima snorts with the thought. She won't be doing that. Reproduction should and could be natural chaos for most of them. She won't interfere at all. Not if it's not necessary.

"Do you know who else is in our bunkroom?" Cosima asks.

"There's a French woman… She's still sick. I saw them take her to the medical bay an hour ago." Sol shrugs.

"And?" Cosima prompts, thinking that that passenger may not survive even the first wake cycle. Hopefully her specialty wasn't anything too important.

"The other two midwives." Celia laughs. "They are there now. Both sleeping it off. We met in special training. Priya - she's from England, and Eden from British Columbia. It's hilarious how the two of us ended up being Canadian. But you know, they assess everything. Our training. Our ages."

"So… I am bunking with a bunch of midwives and a French woman who seems like she's not long for this world…. Err… ship." Cosima summarizes. "Cool." She wonders if she can get the empty top bunk. But it's sad, Cosima thinks, too sad to think about. Someone hedging their bets on a new life on a colony only to die so quickly into the journey.

"I'm the oldest." Sol volunteers without being asked. Cosima assumes their ages are all relevant enough.

"I'm 29." Cosima offers. And they nod, she's between the two in age. The median age of the colonists, that would be worth knowing. But that too will have to wait.

She manages to have friendly camaraderie with Celia and Sol. Priya, Cosima learns, was accepted alongside her husband Micah - but they won't be permitted family quarters or wake cycles as they do not have children.

Within a week, Cosima feels like they're getting to know each other, like there's some camaraderie between them growing. She finds them educated and clever, and they only half buy into the dream the planners of the colony promised. In other words, they're not so different from her.

"It is unfair!" Priya complains for the third time so far. "Why should it matter that we do not have children yet? We're going to have at least two."

"They don't want you having them in-flight." Cosima quips.

"And IUDs are not permitted in cryostasis." Priya nods. "I had to have mine removed three weeks before boarding. "No jewelry, no metal, no implants, no IUDs."

Sol looks over curiously. "Are you going to get started on that right away upon arrival?"

Priya nods. "Yes. Within the year."

Celia looks at Cosima and adds in a low voice. "We have to stagger our own pregnancies. It has to be carefully planned. Only one of us at a time. So there are always three midwives able to work. It's specified in our contracts."

"So how do you work all that out?"

"We have to work it out amongst ourselves." Sol shrugs. "Priya gets to have the first slot as she is already married. The rest of us… will have to figure it out."

"Crazy." Cosima repeats under her breath. And it is, the whole idea of building a colony is crazy. And stupid. And going to mean a lifetime full of effort and work, and ships that arrive every decade or so for a long long time.

And it was work, and it was a guarantee of getting fed. Assuming they didn't fail miserably to establish the colony. But it wasn't ideal. Cosima thinks. Not at all.

Cosima sits on the exam table, gazing at Dr. Leekie without flinching. She's been scanned, poked, prodded, had two blood samples drawn and been submitted to a CAT scan. She's spent the full day here, and yesterday she'd spent the entire day in an exam-like setting, doing hours of cognitive testing. She supposes it's all part of the experiment. Even if they'd been colonizing for over a hundred years.

"So?" Cosima swings her legs slightly, thinking that she will be released soon. They cannot possibly keep her all day.

"You are in excellent health." Dr. Leekie tells her. "Perfect for two weeks after coming out of cryostasis. I anticipate you will tolerate the journey well. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Cosima looks pointedly back at him. "Am I free to go now?"

"Of course. Dr. Niehaus." Dr. Leekie seems to have had the sense to begin addressing her as such. And really, that is the least she can expect.

"So… two more weeks and back in?" Cosima thinks she can entertain herself. She's met a few more interesting women. Some seem… like they might be promising. Her bunkmates all seem pretty heterosexual. Though they are good company. Like, they might be bisexual or at least less straight than anticipated. With this many women on board, she cannot possibly be the only queer one. It's statistically impossible.

"A little less. Ten days. We put you into torpor first, which takes about 48 hours. And then the last 24 is putting you in torpor into full suspended animation."

"OK. So I have to entertain myself for ten days." Cosima nods. She's spent time in the library. Time approaching and meeting various groups of women, most who seem pretty open to making new friends. She's watched vids on various subjects, accessed the free tech room and tried out some of the devices, streaming music of all kinds. She supposes there are no real musicians on-board. What will that be like? A world with no artists? Though there are probably hobbyists who play instruments or paint or write. Maybe it will sort itself out over the first decade on the surface.

"Your device will alert you when you need to return to the cryo labs. Complete with directions." Dr. Leekie smiles. "It is a very organized way of doing things. It tells you where to go and when."

"The device is annoying as fuck." Cosima shakes her head. She hadn't even known she'd had testing until the device chirped at her two days ago with a reminder she was due for cognitive and medical testing. And to be prepared to begin the following day.

"Ah, but it does keep you all from getting lost. It's a big ship. Cannot have that."

"Right." Cosima wonders if she can even find a schematic of the ship in the habitat section. So far, the free tech labs only mapped the habitat section. Everything else was classified, or off-limits. Barring a very bare-bones schematic of the ship. 12 rotating sections, 22 cargo bays. Then it went into detail only on the habitat section. It might as well be a trail map stating only ' You are here! ' with an arrow.

"I suppose a woman like you manages to find… entertainment in-flight."

Cosima hardens looking back at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I have access to all your medical and personal data, as I do every passenger and crew member on this ship." Leekie shrugs. "The lack of men won't necessarily stop you…. Though… you may find interest is low."

"Interest is low?" Cosima repeats.

"We don't ask passengers to rate erotic tendencies, just check an identity box. So who knows… could end up like those prisons. Situational sexuality."

"Right…" Cosima turns and lets out a sigh. "I don't want to talk about this again." She supposes it doesn't matter as long as her overall score exceeded the minimum specified by the planners and she'd been chosen as a passenger.

"Very well. You're… atypical among the passengers." Leekie says again with a shrug and Cosima thinks he probably assumes she'll be lonely in flight. She certainly wasn't interested in virtual reality porn. She wonders if anyone was even borrowing those programs. Or if it was just an option for people. Perhaps it was more popular with the men. Stick on a VR headset and fantasize in one of the small rentable rooms. She doesn't envy whoever's job it was to clean there. That's for sure.

She sees Sol on her way back to the habitat section.

"Hi Cosima." Sol waves brightly. "I just met two women, sisters, from Massachusetts. We know people in common so we're going to go try one of the virtual reality games. At least this gives us time to build friendships and bond before being set loose on the surface."

Cosima laughs at the last comment. "Which one?"

"Something multiplayer." Sol shrugs. "I know you're from the west coast, but you're welcome to join us."

"Thanks." Cosima nods. She knows the annoying device is still giving directions, but she ignores it. She goes to the mess hall. Fresh food has appeared. Several salads. Along with what appears to be summer fruit. Peaches. Nectarines. Plums. She wonders how they are managing to have fruit trees on board. Tomatoes and greens make sense, Cosima thinks picking at her salad. But it is good. Cosima thinks, to have access to fresh fruit and vegetables. There's a cold salad with soybeans and other vegetables, there's a few varied dishes involving cooked beans or other vegetables.

"Cosima!" Priya waves her over. "Have you tried the food? It is amazing. Started yesterday morning."

"It is good." Cosima grins. Now if they'd get more than ten days of fresh food before going back into cryo. But maybe they only have so much? Maybe the crew is prioritized for that?

"Did you read the menu?" Priya seems totally delighted. "We get fresh food until we go back into cryo. Must take a lot of manpower to maintain the hydroponics and food growth areas. Still… I am impressed!"

"No. I haven't." Cosima's device begins listing out the food on offer for the day and she smiles. At least that is something. It seems to be mostly cold salads, though apparently there's a cooked potato dish and some root vegetables on offer for the evening.

"I understand why they thaw women in two groups. 100 people is enough to feed like this." Priya nods. And Cosima thinks it's strange. That there's three quarters of the colonists she is unlikely to meet until they are thawed while in orbit.

"It isn't quite a hundred." Cosima tells her between bites. This, Cosima thinks blissfully between bites of surprisingly delicious food, makes a lot of this worth it. From the looks of the room and the excited chattering about the food, she's not the only one who feels that way.

"What?"

"There are… Like 370 passengers on board the ship. The crew rounds it out to like… 420 or so? 430?" Cosima tries to remember, and sure enough her device is programmed.

There are 384 passengers on board the Swan Queen. And 42 crew members.

"OK. 384 according to this thing." Cosima waves at it with a hand. "So… we're about balanced men and women, I think slightly more women… but again, they plan to breed us all."

"Cosima!" Priya laughs. "Don't forget there are … 6 or 7 families on board. It's not just all… young singles. Or… unfortunately separated couples like Micah and me."

"Yes, who already have one child each, and the children are all 8 years old or younger. And… those ones are expected to breed another child within a year of landing." Cosima remembers that she'd spoken to two of the families in transit here. Both were from the same general area. West coast of North American. Both were relieved and terrified at being chosen as colonists.

"Yes? It is a colony, Cosima. Plus.. they will keep me in business."

"But are you actually going to be paid for your work?" Cosima reminds her. "I mean, we all have assigned credits, assigned housing… but it'll take years to really get a functional economy going here."

Priya isn't phased, seemingly believing whatever credits they pay her are real. "I am. I was told that I would be. And that my children would have priority for the creche and early learning centres as I choose to use them."

"Fair." Cosima nods. No sense trying to convince someone when they were content with the fiction. And maybe, they all have to buy into it. At least a little.

"Oh… more good news! That Frenchwoman is back." Priya tells her.

"What? The one they moved to the medical lab weeks ago?" Cosima perks up. "I thought… she was a goner."

"We didn't speak. But she entered the bunkroom unassisted this time, and promptly went to bed. She has water and a rations pack. Celia made sure. Our job is taking care of women after all."

"And babies."

"Only for the first few months, though… We did get some extra pediatric training when we were accepted. Mostly we care for the mothers."

"Hopefully next time you have to care for her, it'll be happier." Cosima quips and Priya laughs. But when she returns to the bunkroom, one curtain is closed again.

The locker reads Delphine M. Cormier, and Cosima glances at the bunk again. She's probably a scientist or medical staff. She knows that they're grouped. There's a whole bunkroom of botanists, geologists, and exobiologists, and another of early childhood educators and teachers. A few dental hygienists bunk in with two physical therapists and an RMT. And someone else... in some similar profession. It runs together in her head.

At least Delphine wasn't another midwife. Cosima thinks. Being surrounded by them was OK, but she did feel left out. Though they all had interesting stories, and maybe she'd be able to pick whichever one she wants when she eventually had a child. She thinks she'd prefer Sol. Or maybe Celia. But it doesn't matter. Cosima thinks. That is years away. Decades, technically speaking. She may change her mind. Or require one of the OBGYNs when it's said and done. Though from what she can tell, both OB-GYNs are male. She hasn't met one yet, unless it is this Delphine.

When Cosima wakes in the morning, the bunkroom is entirely empty. She proceeds to breakfast and then one of the exercise rooms, both are reasonably busy. And she finishes and heads to the showers.

"Hey Cosima!" one of the girls from the bunkroom down the hall greets her.

"Oh. Hey, Liv." Cosima waves. She's met people. Lots of people. Maybe the next wake cycle would be more interesting? Maybe they'd actually run events or something. Or maybe it was just four weeks of drifting.

She's clean and halfway to the recreation zone before she's distracted by a quickly walking woman with dyed blond curls. At least Cosima thinks it's curls. Her hair seems to still be wet. The face is unfamiliar; she's not one of the women she's met. Maybe she's the Frenchwoman. Cosima turns after her as she passes by, but finds the woman walks faster. Cosima doesn't think she's interested in talking, and she still seems to be muttering to herself. She's attractive, Cosima thinks. Above average height. But very lean. Then again, she'd been sick.

She goes and does a virtual reality naturewalk, figuring that she might as well try something that might be enjoyable. She finds the soundproofing in the booth to be thoroughly adequate. Whatever is going on in the other seven booths, she hasn't a clue. The options for a walk include various global locations. She chooses trails that are unfamiliar to her, in different countries. Different places.

When she returns to the bunkroom, the good looking woman is standing with her locker open, going through her belongings. The curtain on her bed is half open, and Cosima can see that the rations and water are being consumed.

"Hey, you're back among the living!" Cosima quips, tilting her head with a smile.

"Yes." The woman nods, with a sheepish smile. She's better looking than Cosima thought. Lovely face, dyed blonde hair. Dressed in nothing but thermals.

"I'm Cosima." She holds out her hand. The other woman shakes it with a slow smile.

"Delphine." Delphine takes her hand and shakes it gently. "Enchantée."

"Enchantée," Cosima echoes, smiling back. "So… what do you do?"

"What did I do? I… am a doctor. A pathologist by training. Probably the only one on board. Didn't do me much good in the medical lab."

"Oh wow… we're really lucky you didn't die then." Cosima speaks quickly. "I'm a scientist, genetics, genomics… populations…" She figures Delphine won't be super interested, but then again, maybe she will.

"Yes. I was quite sick." Delphine admits with a slow nod. "They admitted me to the medical labs for intravenous hydration and then for observation."

"Wow…" Cosima nods back, letting go of the offered hand. "But you were gone…over two weeks."

"About three." Delphine concedes. "I was …subjected to extensive testing."

"Do they know why you got so sick?" Cosima leans in.

"I had… other medication in my system. It interacted with the cryo drug cocktail. It… hadn't been tested before." Delphine shrugs. "None of the doctors believe it will happen again. My next cryostasis attempt will be less eventful."

"Ah." Cosima opts not to ask any more follow up questions.

"So you're also one of the scientists?" Delphine seems to recall what she said, and Cosima finds she's pleased… and intrigued with this woman.

"Yes." Cosima nods happily. "I get to do the genetics testing, studying… they need at least one per ship. I get to study all of you. And your children. And your grandchildren… and then… I'll pass the torch. We want a healthy population and that's…my job." It's a weird job, Cosima thinks. Weird enough that many of the more…immediately useful colonists take to nodding awkwardly and joking about arranged marriages and breeding partners. Delphine does nothing of the sort.

"That… makes sense." Delphine nods.

"And pathology… so you're here if any of us get really really sick." Cosima smiles. Thinking she may have found, in part, what she was really hoping to find.

Delphine smiles. "Hopefully not. But we do not really know what the colony will… contain. We have data from probes. We know the terraforming needed is minimal. And we are set up to build a hybrid colony. We don't know what we will come in contact with, what insect species or mammal species we will find, if our genomic structure will be similar enough to contract illnesses from any mammalian-like creatures. Or… even if we will find the planet's surface itself habitable enough to leave the domes."

"A hybrid colony?" Cosima feels lost. Maybe she'd skimmed that part of the virtual training. Or fell asleep. It didn't sound familiar. Not at all.

"Both directly on the surface, if possible… and like the Martian or Lunar colonies a series of domes." Delphine sighs. "I heard them discussing it in the medical bay. Some of this ship will be disassembled to build it. There were schematics, all kinds of things… more than I had ever known before."

"Sounds like the med lab wasn't so bad. How many doctors?" Cosima wonders what other information she can get. Information she won't be able to access until wake cycle 4 otherwise.

"There are nine doctors total. Three are currently on a wake cycle."

"Like ours?"

"Much longer." Delphine tells her with enthusiastic nodding. "Dr. Leekie, Dr. Nealon and Dr. Tanaka. She was … my preferred physician of the three."

"So they're the ones…"

"With experience in cryostasis. The technicians have longer wake cycles than ours… but not as long as most of the crew. It is complicated." Delphine sighs. "And I wish I had different clothes."

"Yeah the provided garments make you feel pretty… depersonalized. Anonymous."

"Anonyme. Yes. That is the word." Delphine settles on the blueish greys, as if it makes a difference. And puts them on top of her thermals.

"Are you hungry?" Cosima asks, wanting to get to know her. She definitely wants to know more about Delphine.

"Yes. I finally am. I heard... There was fresh produce available now."

"There is." Cosima nods. "It's totally worth it… want to join me?"

"Yes." Delphine agrees, following her from the bunkroom.

Cosima finds Delphine is hungry. "Dude… did they feed you in med lab?"

"Only at the very end. And only very bland rations." Delphine admits, taking liberal forkfuls of potatoes and turnips. "Oh.. this is good."

"It is pretty good." Cosima admits, and looking around it's clear that most of the passengers agree. "We've basically been deprived of food our whole lives. And suddenly we all get fresh produce."

"It's probably genetically modified." Delphine stops, thinking, her eyes losing focus.

"OK… buzzkill… Where are you from?"

"Born in Lille, France. Lived in Paris." Delphine summarizes with a shrug.

"Oh… you lived under the European Conditions of Life Registry." Cosima remembers a comparative article on the various regimes and registries. Advantages and disadvantages. Trying to figure out where else she could apply to live to have a better life. That is… before this.

"Yes. I did." Delphine nods.

"I heard it was better than the American one."

"Not really… very hard to get child permits. Overpopulated, especially in urban centres where… most of us have to live. They reassessed my rations at least three times a year." Delphine stops. "So you were under the American Essentials of Life Office?"

"Nope. West Coast Life Essentials Registry." Cosima sticks out her tongue. "It's pretty fragmented. South has their own. Pacific Northwest has their own, and somehow got California? East Coast is Essentials of Life office. You'll have to ask Sol about that."

"Sol?"

"One of the midwives. She has the bunk on top of mine." Cosima shrugs.

"Are they all midwives?"

"Yep."

Delphine nods taking this in. "Well.. at least we will know them decently by journey's end."

"You make it sound like we're dying."

"We might as well have." Delphine points out, lowering her voice. "Everyone we've ever known will be long dead when we arrive. And even if they are not… we'd only be able to communicate by datastream."

"It is a one-way trip." Cosima nods sagely. "Who do you leave behind?"

"My parents. My brother. Other relatives. A few friends."

"Oh… you have a brother!" Cosima cannot contain her surprise.

"Oui."

"Are you like.. Twins?" That is the most likely possibility, Cosima thinks. That they'd allow a twin pregnancy to continue if conceived randomly. Why fault someone for a natural occurrence?

"No. He is three years younger. He… was an accident. Or so my mother claims. They had to pay a large fee for a second child permit." Delphine repeats the story as if she is used to telling it.

"Do you think they did it on purpose?"

Delphine nods. "I was a girl… they had the money to pay the penalty fee for the permit. Of course."

"Wow… So you actually had a sibling." Cosima muses. "I was an only child."

"Most of the passengers are… probably. But it depends where they are from." Delphine adds.

"Yeah. Not too many people with siblings that aren't like… our grandparents age… or parents in some places."

"Non… there aren't. But… At least my parents will have Sébastien, his girlfriend Léonie… and whatever child they are allowed to produce. They will be a family."

"And you will be… long long aunt Delphine?"

"I suppose so…" Delphine sighs. "I doubt they'll talk about me too much."

"Oh… you might be surprised." Cosima thinks.

"Perhaps. But I will never know." Delphine tries the beans next. "Oh…Apparently there is a kitchen rota. We can sign up for kitchen duties. The produce and recipes are provided…"

"How do you know?"

Delphine taps the small square device beside her on the table. "Should we sign up?"

"Sure." Cosima agrees. It would be something to do. Preparing food for 70-80 humans.

"It might be fun… now that I can look at food again." Delphine smiles. "And… we only have a few days before they put us back in now."

"I heard 10."

Delphine shakes her head. "Food stores weren't adequate this time… We'll be back in 3 to 4 days. Next time, they'll… have it ready for us. We were the first wake cycle group."

"Oh." Cosima nods. Not long. But maybe long enough to have some fun.

"Will you show me around? It would be nice… to have a friend."

"Yeah. Totally." Cosima agrees, a genuine grin spreading across her face. "I'd like…love to."

"Perfect." Delphine responds.

And she feels lighter. Much lighter, in Delphine's company.