Tendai sat down, feeling defeated. He knew they were right. He was just scared to death at the idea of getting stuck in one of those containers. He wanted desperately to find another way, but he knew there was none. Ladli looked at him and smiled tenderly. “I know how you feel, hun. But I have to agree. I say we go on. Who knows? We might actually make it. After all, what’s a few thousand years?” she added with a sneer.
The next morning came early for the group, gathered in the make-shift greenhouse to say their last farewell before the crazy interstellar voyage.
“So, we’re sure we want to do this?” asked Vera.
“Yes, it’s the only way.” Dedrick was holding her in his arms.
They were all looking at each other, nervous and worried, but also somewhat excited.
“Remember what Jorh said. We will not realize how much time has passed when we wake up. It will be like going to bed and waking up the next morning, as if only a few hours had passed. I’m sure it won’t be a pleasant one, especially after being immobile for so long, but I’ve had plenty of hangovers in my days. How worse can it be?” François had a smirk on his face, as usual.
“So, this is it guys, our last moments before the deep sleep.” Dedrick looked at the few plants gathered around the room. For a moment, he contemplated telling them that the aliens were planning to eject the make-shift greenhouse before take-off. Mahhzee had explained to him that it would begin to decompose soon and would only cause a lot of rotten bacteria to infest the ship. She wasn’t too concerned for the vessel, none of those simple organisms would survive the long trip, but there was no point on keeping them onboard. What could be kept had already been stored in the remaining fifteen Time-Frost pods. It wouldn’t be enough to sustain them long once there, but with a little luck, they might manage to plant some on the new world, allowing them to regrow food again. In the end, Dedrick chose not to tell the rest of the group. It would only make their precarious situation feel even dire.
For a long moment, they all stared at the outside view of their home planet. Mahhzee had zoomed in close enough for them to see the murky waters of the Indian Ocean crashing its foamy waves along a deserted coast. Not the most beautiful visual of Earth to remember, but this was what it had become. The planet they had all cherished and grown to love, the world of countless life forms and beauty, of so many generations before them, with their great human achievements and all their love stories, this world of amazing triumphs and tragedies, transformation and rebirth, was no longer the paradise they remembered and probably would never be again.
Vera put her hand on her daughter’s hair and brushed her fingers gently through it.
“I wish you could’ve seen it the way it was, baby. It was so beautiful. There were colorful plants and trees, birds and animals of all sorts, and big cities. People sang and danced, you could swim in the ocean, and there were dolphins, and whales, and horses! You would’ve loved horses. We had some wonderful things on Earth…”
Tears began to roll down Vera’s cheeks again.
“Mommy, don’t cry. It’s gonna be OK. Wait until you see Ahtona. You’re gonna love it. It’s beautiful!”
Vera turned to look at her little girl. The smile on her face gave her the strange sensation Chasma had been to the alien planet already. “How could that be?”
A very strange feeling came over her, something deep and ominous; an inner voice telling her how special Chasma really was. She hugged her daughter tightly as if never wanting to let go. After what seemed like countless hugs from everyone, the seven friends and their little Martian girl floated slowly together to the main hibernating chamber, where Gahneo and Mahhzee were already getting things ready for them.
A million dreams
Dedrick was watching Vera entering her pod naked. Jorh had told them their clothes would not survive the long trek, and only they could be put in Time-Frost. At first voicing some reservations, everyone had eventually capitulated and removed their clothing and jewelry. Staring at Sabrina with her arms crossed over her naked chest, François was sitting in his capsule, his bare torso strangely poking through the clear shell of the alien pod. Not far, Chasma was already lying in hers, a big smile on her young face. The Russian commander scanned quickly the rest of the team, trying not to linger on the females any longer than necessary. Sabrina caught his furtive gaze and winked at him. He quickly looked elsewhere, feeling quite embarrassed. François, who had just witnessed the exchange, smiled as he leaned back in his pod. Ladli had to comfort Tendai, who was once again uncertain about the whole idea. The Zimbabwean finally entered his Time-Frost pod. Nearby, Liu was clumsily getting situated with one arm while trying to hide her breasts with the other.
When everyone was finally settled, Gahneo and Mahhzee waved an intricate series of hand movements to the Zarfha, and each pod began closing on the human voyagers. The aliens had promised them the experience would be a pleasant one, but Jorh had also told them not to panic once the pods were closed. He had explained in detail that the purple gases inside would quickly put them to sleep once the capsules were sealed, and that they might experience a feeling of euphoria before passing out.
The Zarfha at the center of the room was now rising toward the ceiling of the large space, spinning faster and faster. Mahhzee approached Dedrick while he gazed one last time at Chasma’s face disappearing in the purple haze of her capsule.
“It is time, Dedrick. Everyone is safely secured in their individual pods. We will monitor your Time-Frost signs until we are sure you are all set for the voyage. We wish you a good and restful journey.”
Behind her, the Time-Frost pods and their eight human passengers were now hovering silently in their respective places above the platform. Directly above them, the spinning Zarfha had begun its dazzling light show. Gahneo walked gracefully back to the entrance and glided out of the room. Mahhzee was about to follow when Dedrick had a thought.
“Wait, Mahhzee. If we had not been there to get you out of these pods, you’d still be in them, right? So how will we get out when we get to our destination?”
“This is different. We were locked in from the outside. We do not have time now for me to explain, but you do not need to worry about that now. I promise, the Aruk will wake us when we get there.”
As the alien ship gained altitude over the Antarctic ice, Dedrick felt his fingers get heavy, then his feet and legs. Soon, his entire body was completely relaxed and engulfed in the churning purple haze of gas that was filling his pod. A growing sense of joy slowly came over him, increasing quickly into an uncontrollable feeling of pleasure that made him want to laugh out loud. The purple gas soon became so thick, he could no longer see anything but darkness, and as his eyes started to close and his breathing slowed, he had one last thought. Would he dream during the voyage? Slowly but irrevocably falling under in a deep sleep, he vaguely heard a telepathic reply from Mahhzee who had heard his thoughts.
“Yes, Dedrick, you will all dream a million dreams. Safe journey, my friends, See you on Ahtona.”