Noise blared from the alarms, and a red light flickered on his shut eyelids. He could taste something metallic in his mouth. His vision was all foggy, with something looming just inches away from his face.
He let out a sharp breath, feeling his lungs sting as he attempted to pull in air that seemed dusty.
"Vital signs stabilizing. Cryogenic reversal sequence 98% complete. Neurological activity resuming. Welcome back, Jin."
Jin was having a hard time figuring out what the voice was getting at. It was a woman's voice, but it didn't really sound like it was from a person.
Is this a dream? He thought, as he tried to lift his hand, to push away the curved surface close to his nose.
His muscles barely move.
"I-I… can't… move…" as he whispered, choking on air.
"Motor functions will return momentarily. The re-animation process introduces temporary neuromusculars for further, prevent of self-injury during your revival. The current muscular rate is estimated at 32%. Do not be alarmed; this is within projected parameters for prolonged stasis."
The words echoed in his mind. As he focused, he felt a twitch in his right hand. Then another. He noticed a strap across his chest and legs.
"Where… where am I? Who… who are you?" As he tried to turn his head, dizziness overwhelming him.
"Welcome to Cryo-Preservation Unit 734, nestled in Bay Alpha of Cryo-Vault Terminus. I'm Asha, the Phoenix Core AI. I'm connected to your biological systems. My role is to guide you and help achieve the goals of Project Phoenix. It's truly a pleasure to finally speak with you directly, Jin."
Jin let out a groan, he finally managed to fumble with the quick-release buckle on his chest strap.
It clicked open. "P-project Phoenix?" That name didn't ring any bells to him. With another effort, he freed his legs, and his body slumped forward against the now-unlatched cryo-pod door. It swung open dropping him onto the cold metal floor.
He lay there, gasping for air and the cold seeping through his thin cryo-suit.
"G-Guide me? I… I don't get it. Are there others…?" He pushed himself up, wincing as he tried to move.
He slowly gets used to what's around him and sees tons of identical cryo-pods lined up in the dim bay. Each one is still sealed, with the emergency lights flickering on and off. It's super quiet in there, and the only sound he picks up is the faint hum of the machines.
"The other cryo-units, which hold genetic cohorts, are stable but aren't set for immediate reanimation. Your early awakening is… an anomaly. Data indicates that a power surge to your unit might have triggered a revival sequence." Her tone shifted, hinting at something Jin couldn't grasp.
"So… it's just me?" He glanced at his hands that were shaking. "What happened? I remember… there's sunshine and my… my mom is at the park…" A fleeting image of a woman's smiling face flickered in his mind, only to vanish like smoke.
"Accessing pre-stasis memories can be fragmented at first. Full recall may return over time, or not. The Vault's chronometer shows that 100 years, 4 months, and 12 days have passed since Project Phoenix initiated cryo-stasis protocols."
Jin swayed, gripping the edge of his open cryo-pod for support. It was hard to imagine the world he remembered now is no more.
"A hundred… no. That's… that can't be right. We were… there was some kind of warning… an emergency broadcast…"
"Indeed. The 'Sunflare Scorch' event, followed by the rapid global spread of Viral Neuro-Degenerative Syndrome. Humanity collapses and… annihilated." Her voice was calm. "You, and along with the other occupants of this Vault, represent genetic protection. A last resort for humanity to survive."
Jin hardly takes in all the details. His gaze flickers to the still, frozen people in the other pods. They appear calm in their slumber, completely oblivious to the fact that a hundred years have gone by.
Out of nowhere, a new light flashed across his mind, something he hadn't really noticed before: like see-through writing blending into what was around him.
___
[SYSTEM OBJECTIVES – PRIORITY DIRECTIVE ISSUED]
Designation: Critical Wake Protocol – Phase 1
Assigned to: Subject: Jin [PHOENIX PRIME GENETIC MARKER – VERIFIED]
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
→ Evaluate Current Vault Integrity
Conduct initial environmental assessment of Vault Terminus operational sectors.
Locate critical infrastructure pathways and assess for damage, obstruction, or hostile presence.
Map power relay nodes and identify immediate threats to system stability.
→ Navigate to CRYO-BAY ALPHA: CONTROL ROOM
Establish access to Command Terminal Node (CRYO-BAY ALPHA)
Restore limited functionality to cryo-stasis management systems.
Confirm the biometric status of all Cryo-Sleep Subjects (Status: UNKNOWN)
Activate subsystem diagnostics, prioritize medical safety protocols and environmental stabilization..
[SYSTEM ALERT – VAULT CORE READINGS DETECTED]
Power Core Levels:
Current Output: 12% (CRITICAL)
Structural Energy Grid Integrity: Fragile
Backup Generator Status: Offline / Manual Restart Required
Ambient Temperature Stability: Borderline
Cryo-Stasis Stability: Fluctuating – Margin of Failure: 7.4%
___
"What… what is that?" He blinked, thinking it was an aftereffect of the cryosleep.
"That is your primary visual interface with the Phoenix Core, Jin. It will provide you with relevant information, objectives, and analysis. I recommend you prioritize the current objective. The future of this facility, and the life of the other dormant cohort is dependent on available remaining energy fuel."
Suddenly, his survival seemed linked to those flashing words.
"Okay, Asha." He took a deep, breath. "Okay. Control Room. Which way is that?" He looked down at the dark, identical corridors leading from the cryo-bay.
"Proceed on your path, then the third access tunnel to your left. And Jin?"
"Yeah?"
"Try not to push yourself too much. Current muscle mass is not advised for sprinting. I would hate to see you trip."
Tripping wasn't really on his mind at all. He took a quick look at the rows of cold sleepers, then straightened up even though he didn't quite grasp how serious everything was. But he knew one thing for sure: if he stood there doing nothing, the girls were done for.
He took his first step into a dark, old place that had been around for a hundred years.
Jin's internal HUD started buzzing, showing him a path down the left corridor. He couldn't tell if those glowing signs were actually there or just some weird aftereffects from waking up from cryo.
It was eerily quiet in the Cryo-Vault Terminus. The sound of his old cryo-suit boots scraping against the metal floor felt way too loud and made him uneasy.
He couldn't help but tune in to every little creak from the old building.
"The corridor ahead splits. Maintain your current position. We are approximately 200 meters away from the Cryo-Bay Alpha Control Room. Immediate power fluctuations detected in that region. Caution is advice."
Jin muttering softly "Alright.. Asha. I'll do my best.." He glanced down at the side passage, narrower and darker than the main one. His instincts kicked in, that told him not to go that way."This place feels...sad, Asha."
"The emotional reaction you feel, Jin, is likely the result of visible decay and absence of humanity. The Vault is intended for long habitation, but its current condition is neglected since the last 87 years, there is no normal routine maintenance left."
Jin nodded slowly, thinking about how long it must have been for this place to feel so abandoned—87 years without any repairs? He walked by a little nook where he noticed a small, boxy machine that looked like a toy, just lying there covered in a crazy amount of dust. One of its optical sensors looked totally lifeless.
Jin stopped and looked in sympathy "Asha, what about this one? Was it... waiting for someone?" He had a hazy memory of similar machines.
"This is a 'Sanitation Custodian Unit, Mark IV.' An automatic cleaning and collecting unit. The internal chronometer of the unit indicates that the power cell got exhausted during its 20th operational year. Therefore, it was not 'waiting'; its programming simply ceased."
"Oh...." He looked at the lifeless machine. Without really thinking, he gently caressed the small drone, brushing some of the thicker dust from its chassis. "There. A bit better."
"An unnecessary expenditure of energy, Jin. The Mark IV is non-functional. Our priority remains with the Vault's critical power crisis."
"But... it looked unhappy all tipped over." He gave the drone a final pat and moved on, Asha's silent (he imagined) sigh almost noticeable in his mind.
At the end of the hallway, there's a spot on the wall where a bunch of thick wires and pipes are visible. One big pipe was all frosty, and there were icicles of condensation dripping onto the floor, making a little puddle.
There was a worn-out stencil that said: WARNING: COOLANT LINE – EXTREME TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL.
Jin stepped closer, feeling the cold seeping from the pipe against his fingertips.
He paused at the entrance. The room was huge and super quiet, except for the annoying drip-drip-drip of water echoing in the dark. Faint emergency lights were flickering here and there.
Tables were flipped over, and trays were scattered around as if the people had bolted in the middle of eating. A large painting that used to be bright and lively, showing a fun outdoor scene with laughing folks, was now cracked and peeling, exposing metal underneath.
Jin whispered "They were... Still in the middle of eating. They thought they were safe here."
"The analysis of the scene indicates a quick, evacuation or at least some very disruptive event more than 87 years after stasis initiation within this sector, which tells the first reports of widespread failure in the systems. The cause of that is inextricable from this place. Jin, control room access is possibly around here."
Jin nodded. He couldn't shake the feeling that this quiet spot was packed with bad vibes from the past. He moved in closer, all his senses on high alert.
Behind the mess hall, there was a tough steel door with the words SECTOR COMMAND - CRYO OPERATIONS on it.
His heads-up display was directing him right to it. The noise of machines got louder, and the air felt a lot cooler here than in the other areas. He could even feel some little vibrations through the soles of his boots.
"This is it then? The... main brain place?" He tilted his head left then right, "You sure it's really safe, Asha? It feels really... grumbly."
"Jin, this is certainly the Cryo-Bay Alpha Control Room; the term 'main brain place is an oversimplification. My remote sensors suggest consistent with failing systems trying to maintain core activities significant power draw variations coming from within. It's not a formal diagnostic term, feedback from broken dampeners responding to power surges. Approach with caution, but we have to keep going."
He nodded. "Okay," Jin said as he walked over to the access panel next to the blast door. It was another bio-scanner, just like the one that let him into this hallway from the main cryo-bay. Jin slapped his hand down on it. Then he heard a series of clicks, and the blast door began to slide back, shaking a bit as it went into the wall.
Past the door, it was pitch black, lit only by flickering red emergency lights. Most of those were out, and some panels were flashing error messages in a language Jin didn't get but figured Asha might. Consoles lined the walls, all covered in dust with wires dangling from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, there was a big circular holographic display table that was completely shut down.
Jin was staring wide at the sight "This place seems.. Like, It needs a tough...fixing"
"That's quite a keen assessment regarding the current state of chaos within the system, Jin. With systems operating well beyond their intended capacities, we've relied on emergency backup power for approximately 7.3 long years." She paused briefly before continuing, "Now, if you could, please find the primary command console. It ought to be the largest array, ideally situated for optimal viewing of the cryobay schematics.
Jin moved forward. He discovered a sizable console set in front of what seemed to be a huge black screen. Before it there were a few turned up chairs. It had little, dark screens, buttons, and switches.
"Okay, Asha. Lots of... clicky things here. Which one is the right button?"
"Accessing the diagnostic logs and attempt to reroute auxiliary power to stabilize critical life support for the dormant cryo-units. First, I require direct system access. There should be a neural interface port or a primary data conduit."
Jin stared at the console. "Kinda hard to figure that out" His mind seemed all a mess here. His finger hovered over that little, circular hollow which appeared clean-almost-new among the dusty buttons surrounding it.
"So this shiny circle? Is it.. what were you looking for?"
"That is a diagnostic input jack, Jin. Though not a design specification, that is definitely the interface I need. My main link, though, is included in your Phoenix Core. If one is available on this console, I can assist you find in your basic cryo-kit a multi-tool that I need you to interface with the Vault's main system using a compatible physical port."
Jin blinked. "Ummm...I don't know any of that?" He glanced down at his hands, then back at the console. "I... think I just have this suit and some extremely blurry memories of toasted bread." He discovered another hand-shaped scanner.. "Oh! Is this the one?"
He smacked his palm down on it.
All at once, a dark screen above the console brightly opens into life with an overwhelming rapidly scrolling text, error codes, and diagnostic readouts, all in that strange-sounding language. Alarms are now shouting from speakers around the room. Red lights strobed violently.
SYSTEM CORRUPTION DETECTED - UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS ATTEMPT - PRIMARY CORE INTEGRITY COMPROMISED - FAILURE IMPENDING flashed in angry red letters on the main screen.
Jin wincing, shielding his eyes with his hand while looking at the gap of his fingers."Asha! I think I've made it angry!!!"
Asha's voice remained calm, but she was running a thousand calculations at once "Jin... that was the emergency physical lockdown override. You've not only bypassed several security subroutines but also triggered a full-system alert. While it has given us unrestricted access, it also...." -she paused- "significantly brought forward the timetable for power failure and probably alerted any remaining automated defense systems to our presence."
"We now have approximately twelve minutes left before complete power loss to Cryo-Bay Alpha, including stasis maintenance for the dormant units."
Jin's stomach flip He didn't even know what they were supposed to do. He looked around the chaotic control room.
"Okay...Okay, Asha. Don't worry." He took a deep breath, trying to channel calm seriousness he knew he had somewhere inside him. "What's the first thing we need to do, really, really fast?"
"Locate the manual override for the primary power conduit. If we can divert its remaining output directly to the stasis field generators, we might extend their operational window by a small margin. I am highlighting the suspected panel on your HUD. It will require precise manipulation."
Jin looked where the glowing box on his internal vision indicated.
___
Author's Note:
Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer is a major inspiration for building Jin's character; I adored the anime and his personality. I wonder if it would be cool to put Tanjiro in a harem novel. Don't expect a perfect replica. This is more "inspired by Tanjiro, but also deeply cursed."😂
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