-Episode 3: jetlag-
Tuesday, May 2025All members of the group agree to take the survey, with varying degrees of reluctance.
"Great! Just follow me to the bus and we'll get you all podded up and ready for Paris!"The five of you follow her outside and get in the bus bearing the Safe.Co logo. During the trip you're giving more documents to sign, some about legal stuff and a whole bunch about medication you might be taking or allergies you may or may not have. The rain has let up, and the sun is shining bright. The bus stops in front of a Safe.Co research building.
You are lead inside, each to a seperate changing room. In said room you change into a hospital gown, leaving your clothes and belongings in a large sports bag to be delivered to Paris. A nurse comes and asks you to follow her to the pod room, one person at a time. At the pod room, the nurse tells you to take your time to undress and step into the pod. She says not to worry, the entire process from there on in is automated and a team is monitoring the pods in an adjacent room. When she's gone, you take off the gown and stand in front of the pod. These aren't the ones you usually see in hospitals. Gone is the sleek white plastic exterior, replaced with a very sturdy and utilitarian looking metal. As you stand in front of it, the pod front gives a hiss as the seals unlock and the panel opens upwards. You step inside.
The automatic braces grab hold of your arms, legs and waist to keep you in place. The braces are rock solid, but don't feel uncomfortable. You feel two small pricks, one in your right arm and one in your neck. Slowly, as you fall asleep, the pod fills with a liquid.
Thursday, May 2025; ParisIn an underground room with five pods, two lab technicians are taking the final readings.
"Right, that does it I think. Do we initiate the wake-up program?"
"Can't yet, we'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"What's up with that, didn't we promise these people a vacation?"
"Yeah, but the doctor on duty couldn't make it in today. Acute appendicitis. So we've got no-one to check them after they wake up, and the lawyers say that's a big no-no."
"Damn. Well, at least they're asleep, so it won't really matter to them I suppose. I'll just leave these shirts and shorts over here for the guys tomorrow then?"
"Yeah, should be fine. Wanna go grab some drinks?"
"Yeah man, I'm starving. Let's go to that kebab joint around the corner."
Thursday, May 2025; Paris. Around MidnightUnbeknownst to the sleeping people in the five pods, the earth rumbles. Some dust falls from the ceiling as the entire complex shudders. The lights on the pods go out for a second as the entire facility loses power, and flicker back on.
/ERROR/
/SEQUENCE INTERRUPTED/
/REBOOTING.../
/NO DATA FOUND/
/SEARCHING FOR BACKUP DATA/
/ERROR:NO BACKUP FOUND/
/INITIALIZING FALLBACK PROGRAM/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
Date unknown; ParisThe small screens of the pods flicker red.
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/PLEASE ENTER WAKE-UP DATE/
/ERROR/
/SEVERE POWER FLUCTUATIONS DETECTED/
/LIFE SUSTAINMENT PROTOCOLS CANNOT BE GUARANTEED/
/INITIALIZING EMERGENCY EJECTION/
The five pods hiss open in unison, their occupants falling out on the floor, covered and surrounded in greenish goo.
The room you find yourselves in has only the five pods and a small bench with five pairs of slippers, shirts and shorts. On the left of the pods is a door leading to the hallway. A female voice speaks over the intercom.
"Please remain calm. We had to eject you from the pods due to some power fluctuations. Do not rush. Please use the clothes provided and then head for the main desk to pick up your documents and luggage. If you have any questions you may speak them aloud, I will answer through the intercom"
Author
Topic: Roll to take the best vacation in the universe: episode 8: Tourism (Read 15338 times)