The Voices Fade Away and the Lights Go Out
Saturday morning, the sun is shining in the early morning skies. A thin beam of light manages to find an opening in the not quite closed curtains beside Sara’s bed. The beam shining on her shoulder is now on a race to her eyes, a race against the alarm clock ticking ever closer to the waking time, preset the previous evening.
As the sun moves toward the midday sky, the beam of light moves as though it were in a race to awaken Sara before her alarm clock. The beam hits and Sara finds out just how bright and beautiful the morning is.
Her alarm, now sounding, is quickly turned off, so as not to disturb the day ahead.
She gets up and puts on her robe and then walks over to the window, throws open the curtains to reveal a clear blue sky. One she hadn’t seen for some time, due to the normal morning smog, yet today was clearer than normal.
Then looking down onto the streets she notices all the people rushing about, doing what they need to do to complete their own daily tasks, thinking that she may never be able to look and see the hustle and bustle of ordinary people again.
She heads for her washroom to get ready for the day at hand.
Alex hadn’t slept all that well and was packing some last minute things for the third time, when his alarm reminds him it will soon be time to leave and pick-up Sara. He readies himself by having breakfast a couple of cups of coffee and some burnt toast.
He soon finds himself walking to his car looking up at his apartment and wonders if he’ll ever see it again. Will he go to sleep and awaken in a war, or will he ever awaken.
He shakes his head and says to himself not to think such stupid thoughts and continues on to his car.
Knocking comes from Sara’s door, she walks over to the door and looks through the peep hole, seeing an old girlfriend. She quickly opens the door, “Mary, how are you?” greeting her with open arms and gesturing her in.
Mary hugs her and says, “Sara, I am doing great. I am here to invite you to my wedding.”
“Your wedding? I didn’t even know you were seeing anyone.”
“His name is Bill and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
“Tell me more, how did you meet, when did he ask you and where …”
The two ladies talk for what seemed to be just a few minutes when a knocking came from the door and Sara knew that, that had to be Alex. She froze not knowing if she should answer the door or not.
“Sara, are you alright. You’re looking very pale. Did you want me to get the door and tell whomever it is to go away?”
“No, no I’ll get it. But first tell me, when is the all important date?”
“Two and a half months from now and I want you to be my maid of honor.”
Sara doesn’t know what to say, “I’ll be right back.” She walks up to the door and looks through the peep hole once again and this time sees Alex. She thinks maybe he’ll go away, what am I thinking. Of course he won’t go away. She opens the door.
Alex seeing her says, “Well you ready for the big day?” not knowing she has a guest.
“Um, Alex do you remember Mary?” she asks as she motions him to follow her into the kitchen.
Alex, “Mary how are you? Long time no see.”
“Alex I’ve got the most wonderful news, I’m getting married and I’ve just asked Sara if she’ll be my maid of honor. What do you say Sara?”
Sara looks at Alex who looks just as bewildered as she feels.
Sara, “I really wish I could, but I’m leaving town and won’t be back for six months or so.”
Mary, “Oh, can’t you postpone it for awhile?”
Sara, “Sorry, Alex and I have committed ourselves to this job. And if we miss out on it it’ll cost me a lot, contracts and all that.”
Mary, “Maybe I can talk Bill into waiting for you to get back, then after you get back you could still be my maid of honor.”
Sara, “You know I’d love to be your maid of honor, but you shouldn’t wait because of me. You got this man now, don’t take a chance of losing him.”
Mary, “Oh, but I want you to be there.”
Sara, “I know you’ll do fine without me. Save me a bunch of pictures and a piece of cake, okay?”
Mary, “You got it. Well I’d better let you two do what you got to do. I’ll call you in six months and let you know how things are going. Can you write me?”
Sara, “I’ll try, but I can’t promise you anything.”
Mary gets up and starts for the door, while walking, “I hope all goes well and I’ll see you when you get back.”
Sara walks her to the door and as she is closing the door she says, “I wish you all the best and hope that you have really found the right man. I only wish I could be there, bye.”
Mary nods her head and continues down the hallway as Sara closes her door.
Sara turns and looks at Alex, “You know I would have loved to have gone to her wedding.”
Alex, “I know you would have and you would have been a great maid of honor. There’ll be other chances after we get back.”
Sara, “Are you sure?”
Alex looks at her and says, “If you’re asking will we awaken, of this I am sure. If you are asking will there be another wedding, well only time will tell.”
They leave and Sara finds herself wondering, as they drive along, if she would still be able to make Mary’s wedding. “Maybe the machines will malfunction and I’ll be able to make the wedding,” She thinks to herself.
Alex pulls into the same parking stall he had when they were there the other day,
gets out and walks around to Sara’s side of the car and opens the door.
“We’re here, are you ready for our big appearance?”
“Alex, I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be,” as she is saying this she stands and walks with Alex to the back of the car.
Alex opens the trunk and reaches in and grabs Sara small suitcase and then his own and they both begin walking toward the elevators.
“Sara, so you made it for the big day, huh?” a voice comes from ahead of them. Sara looks up in the direction of the voice and sees Mike standing there.
Sara, “Yes I’m here. So how are you?”
Mike, “Good. Did you hear Mary is getting married?”
Sara smiles and then says, “Yes, I know. She was at my apartment this morning,” she is now standing at the desk and continues, “She asked me to be her maid of honor.”
Mike, “Well that’s nice, I’m just not so sure about the guy she’s going to be marrying though.”
Sara, “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
Mike, “He gives me the willies. He’s kind of creepy.”
Sara looks at Alex standing next to her. Alex says nothing and then continues on to the elevators.
“Alex, you heard what Mike just said,” says Sara as she runs up beside him.
“Sara, if you don’t want to go, fine. I’m sure they’ll find someone else. But we can’t postpone this. We are on a strict schedule and we have to meet the time allotted otherwise we may never go anywhere.”
Sara looks at Mike and says, “Tell her Mike. Tell her what you feel.”
Mike, “I will. You don’t worry about anything, I’ll look in on your apartment and let Mary know where you are and why you couldn’t tell her.”
Sara looks at Mike and nods her head and waves as the elevator doors close. She begins to cry, quietly.
Alex looks over and then puts the suitcases down and gives her a hug. “I’m sure Mike will make sure she doesn’t do anything wrong.”
The elevator doors open as they reach their destination. Alex reaches down and picks up the suitcases and follows Sara out of the elevator.
They are greeted by Doctor Peterson, “I am so glad you both made it. You are going to be the first people ever to go into hibernation. How does that make you feel?”
Alex, “We are honored sir, but a little apprehensive too.”
Doctor Peterson, “Sara?”
Alex, “She’s very nervous.”
Doctor Peterson, “Yes, yes. I heard your two cents. Sara, are you feeling alright?”
Sara, “I’ll be fine sir. It’s just like Alex says. I’m feeling a little apprehensive, as well.”
Doctor Peterson, “I’m sure that will all pass. Now if the two of you will follow Doctor Martha Sheppard and Doctor Mark Holt. I’m sure they’ll help you feel a whole lot better.”
Martha, “How was the rest of your week Sara?”
Sara, “My good friend Mary has finally found someone and is going to get married.”
“That’s good news. I wish her all the best.”
Sara not wanting to say how she really felt says, “Yeah, me too.”
They arrive at the special room’s door and Doctor Mark Holt opens the door and then waves them all in.
Sara stopping only for a moment turns to see Doctor Peterson waving her on. She smiles turns back and continues on in.
Inside the room were two large bed like capsules in the center of the room. Along the back wall are a number of packages containing items such as food and seeds. Along the right side of the room is another row of different foods in different forms of preservation. To the left is a water and air filtration system with bottles of water and tanks filled with air.
Sara thinks this odd so she asks Martha what those things are all about.
Martha, “We are not only placing you in a chamber to sleep, but we are also testing this equipment through different kinds of problems that may occur while the astronauts are asleep on their long journey. So if there is a problem, we here on Earth can attempt to fix it while they sleep. We even have some of the equipment and vehicles they’ll be using on the other planet, upstairs.”
Alex overhears that last part and asks, “What kind of vehicles are we talking about here?”
Martha smiles and says, “We’ll show you in six months.”
Alex, “Hey, something to look forward to once we wake up,” he says with a smile on his face as he steps into his closet changing room.
Sara steps into hers and Martha helps her change into a very tight suit. A body suit made of something she’s not familiar with. “What is this made of?”
Martha, “It is a new type of material made specifically for this experiment.”
Sara looks at Martha and says, “I really wish you wouldn’t say experiment.”
Martha looks at her and then says, “I’m sorry for that. I keep forgetting just how dangerous you think this is. It’s not really, these machines have been tested and re-tested a million times, or so it would seem.”
Sara, “I know you have the outmost in confidence in these machines, but it still isn’t you going under.”
Martha nods and finishes helping Sara into the suit.
They both walk out to find Alex already standing next to his bed.
Alex, “Wow, Sara you look hot in that thing.”
Sara, “The only reason you say that is because it makes me look like I am almost naked.”
Alex, “Well there is that too,” he says with a big smile.
Alex then gets into his bed and Doctor Mark Holt talks to him in too low a voice. Too low for Sara to make out. He then begins to connect a bunch of wires to Alex’s suit.
Sara looks at Martha and she smiles, Sara then sits herself on the bed and swings her legs over and onto the bed. She then lies her head down and Martha begins to connect the wires to Sara suit.
Martha, “This is so we can monitor you while you sleep. These wires will help us monitor your breathing which will be slowed so slow that it takes a computer to notice how well you are breathing. They also monitor your heart and other body functions. Once we connect the suit we’ll then place this,” she pull out from behind Sara’s head what could be best described as a divers rubber hood, with wires coming out of it.
Martha Places the hood on Sara head and then begins to explain, “This’ll help us to monitor your brains. It’ll let us know if you are having any problems before they occur.” She connects a few more wires and then steps back.
The Sara and Alex climb into what looks like a cigar shaped container.
Sara, “What’s the matter?”
Martha, “Nothing, don’t worry. I’m just waiting for further instructions. Then I’ll close the bonnet and will then communicate with you through an intercom in the bonnet. Okay?”
Sara looks up at her and says, “Okay.”
She sees Martha close the bonnet and walks away, out of her sight.
“Hello Sara do you hear me?”
“Yes, Martha I hear you loud and clear.”
Martha, “Alright, in the suit are a number of needles. Not the kind that poke you but just spray onto your skin. So what you are going to feel are a number of cold areas as the mist penetrates your skin. Here we go.”
Sara even after being alerted to the procedure still jumps as she hears and feels the mist hit her body.
Martha, “Okay, Sara soon you’ll start to feel sleepy, don’t fight it. Just let it happen.”
Sara thinks to herself, “Yeah right, just let it happen.” She no sooner thinks this and she feels herself falling asleep. She starts to panic and hears a voice off in the distance say, “Just let it happen Sara, your going to be alright.”
And the voice fades away, as the lights go out.