Chapter 16

Connie

^Supernova Site^

Billy and Bob followed me back to my room to help me prepare for stasis. I would be asleep for sixteen months.

I was nervous about it, but also glad that I could pass the time so quickly.

They had told me that while I was asleep, they would continue to study other mysteries of the universe on our way to the kingdom.

I was torn between staying awake and studying those mysteries with them and knowing that if I don’t go to sleep now, I would be bored most of the time.

We entered my room, and I went to my bed.

Bob came to my side, saying, “Your body will be in suspended animation, and the ship will keep you alive, feed you, and remove all waste from you.

“When you wake up, you will feel weak, tired, and drained of energy. This will take two days to fix, as the ship begins the healing process.”

I nodded to him and laid back on my pillows. “Will I dream?” I asked.

“No. Your brain will not enter the REM state while you are in stasis. You will only remember falling asleep now and waking up in sixteen months. Nothing in between.”

He tapped on a small screen on the wall, and four long straps moved around my body, pinning me down. “These will hold you in place, ensuring you do not fall off your bed.”

I wriggled in the straps, momentarily panicked at the feeling of being trapped. But what he said made sense.

Billy came over with a tray holding a metal contraption in the shape of a circle with five little silver balls inside it.

“This will keep you in stasis and monitor your brain activity as well as vital signs. It will ensure you are asleep, calm, and healthy.”

He placed it on the top of my head, like a crown, and stepped back, tapping on the screen.

I swallowed, my heart racing in my chest, and my mouth dry. A hand touched my arm, and I looked over at Bob, next to me.

“Do not feel fear, Connie. I will ensure you are taken care of,” he said quietly.

I smiled weakly at him and nodded. I turned my gaze back to the ceiling and waited.

Three short high-pitched beeps sounded in the room, and my eyes closed. Only blackness was left.

***

My head felt heavy and foggy as I woke up. My entire body was weak and numb, like the feeling just before pins and needles set in.

I moaned quietly and tried to open my heavy eyes. My body was still tied down, and I could feel the metal halo around my head digging into my skull as I moved.

The straps released, and I felt the contraption being removed from my head. I opened my eyes, blinking to focus on Billy and Bob, next to my bed.

Bob leaned in closer. “Do not try to move. Your body is weak and needs time to recover lost muscle. The ship will assist you with this, but it will take time,” he said quietly.

I tried to speak, but my voice was groggy and quiet. I cleared my throat and tried again. “How long?” I managed.

“Sixteen months. We are five days away from the borders of the kingdom,” Billy said from the other side of the room. I nodded and closed my eyes again.

I drifted in and out of sleep for a while, but when I finally came to life again, I felt much better. I could move, speak, and I felt full of energy.

I climbed off my bed slowly, a rush of blood to my head making it spin. I sat on the edge, waiting for the light feeling to pass. It was rough.

I stood carefully, holding on to the wall next to me, and moved one foot in front of the other. I dragged myself down the hall toward the bridge.

Billy and Bob stood in their places, staring at the screen.

“Hey guys,” I said, out of breath.

Bob turned around to look at me and said, “You should not be out of bed yet. Your body is still weak.”

I reached my seat, and sat down. “I know, but I needed to walk around, get the blood moving. I’m fine. What did I miss?” I asked.

“The ship will update you on all the information you need to know, as well as the rules that are to be followed while you are at the kingdom.

“Ensure you learn them all. We will not be able to help you if you get into trouble.”

“Why not? Aren’t you coming with me?”

“No.” That was all I got.

Later, back in my room, I tried as hard as I could to listen to the ship as it told me the rules of the kingdom I was to visit, but my mind was still foggy, and I felt tired.

The monotonous, tinny voice was like a lullaby, putting me to sleep. I heard the first five minutes, but the rest was a dream of me, in my cottage back home, with Samson.

Billy’s voice woke me up. “Do you understand the rules?” he asked. I didn’t want him to know I slept through pretty much all of them, so I nodded and sat up.

“I do. Got it all. Crystal clear,” I said.

It wasn’t like I was going there to plot an assassination or to rob a bank. I just wanted to walk around, buy a few nice things, and take as many pictures as I could.

“Good. Make sure you do not break any of these rules. The punishment for doing so is very severe.

“We will arrive at the border tonight, and in the morning, you will leave the ship and go to the Sakala Market to explore.

“We will monitor you from the ship. You will have five days on the ground.”

“I don’t have any money. How will I eat? Where will I sleep?” I asked, more awake now.

“Hold out your arm,” Billy said. He took my extended arm in his hands and ran the screen over it. I watched a shiny gold pattern form on my skin.

There was no pain, and I didn’t feel anything at all as the mark engraved into my skin.

“What is that?”

“A credit scan. Use it to pay for the things you desire. We will ensure you have fifty thousand credits to use in the market. Do not pay more than two hundred credits for a room.

“If you do, you are being cheated. Do not buy any of the items on the restricted list you were given by the ship and avoid the areas the ship warned you about.

“They are dangerous and pose a great risk to your life. There are three beings you should stay away from. They are residents of the kingdom, so you may encounter them.

“Do not touch them, under any circumstance. You will need to dress appropriately, so as not to draw attention to yourself. I have compiled a list of linings that are suitable.”

That was the most I have ever heard Billy say at once.

I nodded, not showing my now-panicked mood. Maybe I should run through the rules again, and this time stay conscious while I do so.

“You must prepare to leave,” Bob said, and they left my room.

I looked at my arm, and the shiny gold pattern on my wrist. It was beautiful, with twisting lines and circles. I rubbed my finger over it, to make sure it won’t come off.

I stood and went to the body form machine in my room. I ran through the choices Billy had selected for me and put together an outfit for my trip.

I selected a few other items to pack in a bag and take with me. They had said I will have fifty thousand credits, but what that buys out here, I had no idea.

We approached the border, patrolled by massive warships like the ones at the sun, all aiming at us. We were just a tiny speck. Our ship stopped, and Billy tapped the screen.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“We are waiting for permission to enter,” Billy said, looking at Bob. Something was going on, and they weren’t telling me what it was.