Cold. A bone-chilling sensation washed over him, as if his very bones were made of ice. It pierced through him, only to be replaced by a sharp, prickling agony that made him want to scream.
Alarms blared, muted and distant, like they were coming through thick water. A red light pulsed against his closed eyelids, a frantic, unwelcome heartbeat. He could taste chemicals, a sterile bitterness coating a tongue that felt far too large for his mouth. His vision was a blur of shapes, with the oppressive curve of something looming just inches from his face.
He gasped, a ragged sound tearing from his chest. His lungs burned as he tried to breathe in air that felt both too thin and too thick, like he was inhaling dust.
Asha (the voice in Kael's mind, calm and clear): "Vital signs stabilizing. Cryogenic stasis reversal sequence 98% complete. Neurological activity resuming. Welcome back, Kael."
Kael's mind struggled to grasp the voice. It was female, but there was an undercurrent of something… not quite human. Is this a dream? Or just part of the suffocating pressure in his skull? He attempted to lift a hand, to push away the curved surface so close to his nose. His muscles barely responded.
Kael (a choked whisper): I-I… can't… move…
Asha: "Motor functions will return momentarily. The re-animation process introduces temporary neuromuscular inhibition to prevent self-injury during revival. Current muscular atrophy is estimated at 32%. Do not be alarmed; this is within projected parameters for prolonged stasis."
Parameters? Stasis? The words echoed strangely in his mind. As he focused with monumental effort, he felt a twitch in his right hand. Then another. He noticed a strap across his chest and another across his legs. He was restrained.
Kael (louder now, his voice raspy): "Where… where am I? Who… who are you?" He tried to turn his head, but the movement sent a fresh wave of dizziness crashing over him.
Asha: "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 neural pathways and 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, Kael."
Kael let out a grunt, finally managing to fumble with the quick-release buckle on his chest strap. It clicked open. Project Phoenix? That name didn't ring any bells for him. It felt foreign. With another surge of effort, he freed his legs, his body slumping forward against the now-unlatched cryo-pod door. It hissed and swung open effortlessly, dropping him onto the icy metal floor.
The impact jolted him. He lay there, gasping, the cold seeping through his thin cryo-suit.
Kael: "G-Guide me? I… I don't get it. Are there others…?" He pushed himself up, wincing as his muscles protested. His eyes slowly adjusted, revealing rows upon rows of identical cryo-pods stretching into the dimly lit bay, each one sealed, pale and still under the crimson emergency lights. A chilling silence enveloped the space, broken only by the distant hum of machinery and his own ragged breaths.
Asha: "The other cryo-units, which hold specific genetic cohorts, are stable but aren't set for immediate reanimation. Your early awakening is… an anomaly. Data indicates that a localized power surge to your unit might have triggered a premature revival sequence. Or perhaps," her tone shifted just slightly, hinting at something Kael couldn't quite grasp, like a hidden subroutine, "this is a necessary contingency."
Contingency. Anomaly. He felt like both. Completely isolated.
Kael: "So… it's just me?" His voice was barely a whisper in the vast chamber. He glanced at his hands, pale and shaking. "What happened? I remember… there's sunshine, my… my mom is at the park…" A fleeting image of a woman's warm, smiling face flickered in his mind, only to vanish like smoke. The loss hit him like a physical blow.
Asha: "Accessing pre-stasis memories can be fragmented at first. Full recall may return over time, or it may not. The Vault's primary chronometer shows that 107 years, 4 months, and 12 days have passed since Project Phoenix initiated cryo-stasis protocols."
Kael swayed, gripping the edge of his open cryo-pod for support. One hundred and seven years. It was hard to fathom; the world he remembered, the sunshine and his mom… now felt like dust, and a cold dread settled in his stomach.
Kael: "A hundred… no. That's… that can't be right. We were… there was some kind of warning… an emergency broadcast…"
Asha: "Indeed. The 'Sunflare Scorch' event, followed by the rapid global spread of Viral Hemophagic Neuro-Degenerative Syndrome – the 'Crawler Plague.' Societal collapse was… total." Her voice was a calm recitation of unimaginable horrors. "You, Kael, along with the other occupants of this Vault, represent a curated genetic safeguard. A last resort."
Kael barely registered the details. Last resort? He felt like a frightened child who'd just woken up from the worst nightmare imaginable. His eyes darted to the silent, frozen figures in the other pods. They looked peaceful in their slumber, blissfully unaware of the century that had passed.
It was all of a sudden. A new light pulsed on his internal vision, totally something he had consciously not registered before: like transparent text superimposed on the world.
[Objectives: Evaluate Vault Status. Seek Cryo-Bay Alpha Control Room.]
[System Note: Vault Power Levels: Critical level (12%). Immediate action required.]
Kael: "What… what is that?" He blinked, thinking it was an aftereffect of the cryosleep just a hallucination.
Asha: "That is your primary visual interface with the Phoenix Core, Kael. It will provide you with pertinent information, objectives, and analysis. I recommend you prioritize the current objective. The integrity of this facility, and therefore the viability of the other dormant cohort is dependent on available power."
Suddenly, his survival seemed linked to those flashing words, this calm, disembodied voice. He looked hazy and terrified, but a new, desperate urgency began to burn through him. A dozen percent. That didn't sound like much.
Kael: "Okay, Asha." He took a deep, shaky breath. "Okay. Control Room. Which… which way is that?" He looked down at the dark, identical corridors leading from the cryo-bay.
Asha: "Proceed on the straight highway, then the third access tunnel to your left. I will illuminate the optimal path on your interface. And Kael?"
Kael: "Yeah?"
Asha: "Try not to exert yourself excessively. Current muscle mass is suboptimal for sprinting. I would hate to see you trip."
A tiny flicker of something glimmered within Kael despite the grimness of the moment. Tripping was most likely the least of many calamities to befall him. One last glance along the rows of cold sleepers and then he squared his shoulders—a flicker of determination flashing within him, even though he didn't understand the gravity of the whole thing. But he knows if he stands still, the girls die.
He took his first step into a hundred-year-old dark.