The Pod

DAY 1

Dillon lay in the darkness with his eyes closed and pondered the sounds and smells that were part of his personal world. He was waking in the middle of the night again and while it didn't cause a major problem he didn't understand. He was awash in the afterglow of the dream, but he felt interrupted by something outside the dream. There was no sound or movement, so it had to be something else; something beyond the dream. He paused attempting to recall the interruption but seemed only to feel it. The dream was clear enough, but the disruption was elusive. What Dillon thought he saw was the outside prior to the world storm. It was a vibrant planet with towering cities and picturesque landscapes. He wondered though, was this the world that had been or merely the world he hoped would be after the restoration. He recalled similar views from the daily upload, but something was different.

He flexed his hands and feet then slowly moved his arms and legs against the cool sheets preparing to open his eyes. Dillon was troubled by his inability to decipher the visions and the interruptions. He felt his mind was trying to show him something; something more than just a dream. It wasn't an urgent feeling but his sub-conscious was pushing him toward...what? What was it that he felt but couldn't reach? He squeezed his eyes shut for one more moment and struggled to reach out for whatever it was just beyond his waking awareness, but it persisted just out of reach. It swirled in his emotions, but in his conscious state it was beyond his grasp. He would wait for the next dream.

He exhaled in exasperation as he opened his eyes, cast off the sheet and sat up on the edge of the bed. He sat there for a moment and surveyed the room cataloguing the sleeping shapes of the other seven members of this segment. Just above him he could hear the slow, measured breathing of Doris sleeping soundly. On the left wall of the wedge directly across from him he could see that Aaron and Alicia were still and quiet. On the back curved wall in two additional sleeping units were Bradley and Betty on the left with Charles and Carol in the unit on the right. The others slept on oblivious to Dillon's restlessness. He wondered for a moment what their dreams were like. He glanced at the personal care dispensary in the middle of the back wall. The unit contained nutritional supplements, antibody treatments, stress reducers, work enhancers and sleep promotion injections as well as other treatments for a variety of ailments and personal needs. He could take the sleep promoter, but Dillon avoided these along with the work enhancers and encouraged his segment mates to avoid them as well. There had been no need for their use thus far although he expected things to change drastically after the unveiling. The work of the restoration would be strenuous and there would be need of speed and efficiency.

Dillon stood and made up his bed. As he did so the images of the dream continued to flash through his head. He considered the cities and what they would mean to the people in the pods. How wonderful would it be to live in expansive shelters and conduct the business of life in open spaces away from the pods. Dillon stood there motionless for a moment as he contemplated the visions. He felt rather than heard the change in Doris' breathing. There was a slight deviation in her pattern that startled him from his reverie. He listened for a few seconds until it came again. It was a quick snort that verged on snoring but was little more than a hiccup. He considered if this could have been the interruption that awakened him but dismissed this sound as the possible reason for him exiting REM sleep. Dillon waited a few more moments and then, satisfied that Doris was comfortably back asleep he headed for the door.

He walked past the resting chairs with integrated upload units for learning, training and entertainment. Each day the residents donned the masks for the daily upload which enhanced their knowledge of language, history, civics, mathematics, science and myriad other disciplines. The upload had shown each of them how the ancestors created more than a million pods and delivered them to various locations around the world preparing for the world storm. Dillon stared at the chairs and a thought entered his mind. He wondered how many had perished when the storm struck. The moment passed and he moved toward the door to the central hub which flashed open as he approached. Once through the door Dillon turned right and walked a few steps to the door of the personal care wedge.

Entering the room, he could smell the faint scent of sweat mixed with hormones and pheromones; a smell Dillon cataloged as exertion. It was a welcoming odor that remained despite the sterilization process that took place at the end of every day. It always brought a smile to Dillon's face and it did so now as he began the health circuit; a series of exercises designed to improve strength and cardiovascular health. The entire workout lasted thirty minutes after which Dillon exited the rear of the wedge into the running tube where he knelt to adjust his footwear. The portion of the suit that covered the feet was adjustable via a small button near the ankle. For day-to-day movement about the pod the foot covering served as a supportive slipper. With the press of the button the slipper reshaped and hardened on the sole to form what would be considered a good cross training shoe. One more press converted the foot covering into a work boot that provided strong support to the foot while protecting it from damage. For the present task Dillon selected the cross trainer and began his run. While he ran Dillon considered the dreams and tried to recall the sensation at the edge of his awareness. He was certain that something was trying to claw its way to the surface of his consciousness. He asked himself how he could know that from dreams that he only vaguely recalled? Wasn't the very nature of his concern irrational? Dillon began to hypothesize that he was creating this entire thing out of anxiety. There was no consciousness attempting to contact him, he was experiencing anxiety over the impending departure from the pod. Dillon's mind told him that logic dictated this was true since the upload had informed them that life was destroyed in the world storm; the exception being those who were sequestered away in the pods awaiting the unveiling to emerge and remake society. Dillon increased his pace as though he might run the quandary out of his mind. He spent 25 minutes completing 150 laps of the level and then took a couple of laps to cool down. He finally stopped in front of the exit tube. His face took on a pensive expression and he reached out to place his hand against the cool surface of the door. He stood there for a moment and closed his eyes attempting to bring back some image or impression of what was waking him. He drifted for a moment holding his breath as he did. After several seconds of mental exploration, however, he expelled the breath and removed his hand from the door. No resolution!

Dillon turned away from the door and walked back to the personal care wedge. As the door flashed open, he moved back through the room to the central hub. Turning left he walked past the sleeping wedge and approached the next door which was the entrance for the hygiene facility. It flashed open as he neared permitting him entry. Dillon walked to the sinks on the right side of the wedge and splashed a little water on his face. He rubbed at the soft hairs of his rounded chin and considered them. He didn't care for the hair that was growing there. It had not yet manifested on his jaw or cheek but there on the curve of his chin grew soft, red hairs that seemed out of place. He wondered at this additional change amidst so many others that were taking place recalling the descriptions from biology uploads. It was a mildly interesting diversion but one he could not indulge at this moment. Dillon needed to focus on preparations for the unveiling and chin hair just wasn't a priority. He forced himself to focus.

Dillon followed the morning routine and cleaned up, sanitizing his mouth with the oral scrubber by placing the soft mouthpiece in his mouth and biting down on the bristles. As the system went to work Dillon's cheeks became vaguely translucent from the internal UV light used to kill bacteria. The system used sonic pulses and water to thoroughly clean the teeth and gums while the UV light did its job. After thirty seconds Dillon removed the device and spat out the excess water. He rinsed his mouth with water and then drank his first container of water for the day to begin the replenishment process. With oral hygiene addressed he walked to the rear of the wedge in the left corner where he disrobed, placed his clothing in the garment cleanser and entered the WISP (Warm Invigorating Skin Polisher). This thirty second process often felt like having your skin peeled, but the result was quite beneficial. As Dillon entered the WISP and closed the door he stood in the center of the stall and raised his arms above his head with his legs spread just beyond shoulder width and his eyes closed. There was a slight whine as the unit warmed up and then a ring of rotating spray heads transited from the ceiling to the floor emitting a warm chemical spray that cleansed the body and removed any particulate matter that was foreign. This ring was followed closely by a ring that emitted light and sonic pulses which sanitized the skin and took care of any parasites or wayward bacteria that might have hitched a ride while it also removed any residual chemical from the spray. The final ring coated the body with an ultra-thin chemical coating that moisturized the skin and served much like an artificial skin that protected the body from pollutants and certain levels of environmental harm including dust, UV radiation and extreme temperatures. As the process completed and the rings retreated into the ceiling the door opened and Dillon stepped out of the WISP, retrieved his sanitized clothing from the cleanser and dressed to begin the day.

Dillon's suit was the same all-purpose suit worn by each occupant of the pod. The suit fit closely and covered the entire body up to the neck. While the suit terminated at the neck it had an interface strip that would fully seal with an exploration helmet that was available for venturing to high altitude, underwater and in hazardous environments. The suit was relatively thin and breathed well while protecting the wearer from outside hazards such as bacteria, bugs, and solar radiation. The suit did a good job of moderating the effects of temperature at either extreme and was density reactive; able to prevent any damage to the wearer from small or mid-sized projectiles that might be carried along by wind or propelled in other manners. For something comfortable and relatively thin the body suit was an extraordinary piece of clothing. Dillon headed back out into the hub.

Standing in the central hub Dillon stared at the doors for the various sections of the level. The hub was ten feet across and functioned only as an intersection between the wedges of each level. The sleeping, congregation, personal care and hygiene wedges each took up one eighth of the level with the dining wedge covering the remaining one half. As he looked around, he found himself drifting once more; mentally exploring. He considered the doors as possibilities and wondered what might be ahead. Had the world storm ended? Had all the pods deployed by the ancestors survived? Was the planet ready for restoration? These thoughts raced through Dillon's head as he stood there. What was the source of his anxiety and wakefulness each night? Dillon lingered on that thought for a moment and caught a quick flash of a face. It was a pleasant face but there was a seriousness to the eyes. That was all he could pull out of the flash. While he knew it was a face the only lingering piece of the vision was the eyes. This tiny grain of speculation only served to heighten his growing sense of confusion and uncertainty. Why was it now that he should be saddled with these doubts and visions?

Dillon began to formulate an answer. This was nothing more than Dillon's imagination. Dreams were waking him from his nightly slumber, and it was nothing more than dreams that were intruding on his consciousness and permitting doubt and uncertainty to creep into his world. Dillon's body relaxed and he felt as though he had stopped holding his breath after some long and indeterminate period. Clarity of purpose returned, and he was prepared to move forward with his day. The unveiling was fast approaching and the process of restoration that would begin thereafter. Dillon straightened confidently and grinned as he turned to the door for the dining wedge, crossed the hub and passed through as the door flashed open.

Dillon entered a section of the dining wedge that had come to be known to the residents as the forest. The area resembled, in a small way, the forests that they had studied with the daily uploads. Plants for food, oxygen generation, and air cleansing plants existed here and the space was bathed in artificial sunlight. The area was often visited merely for the relaxing nature of the surroundings as much as to make it through to the dining area. This morning, however, Dillon was only interested in getting through to eat and prepare for his day; filled with a newfound purpose following his epiphany. He walked through the forest and passed through an arch in the back of the room which admitted him to a small dining area suitable for the eight residents. Around the perimeter of the room were various appliances that helped in the preparation of meals. Dillon walked to the menu terminal, selected his favorite breakfast and submitted the request to the system. In moments the food was delivered, and Dillon took his tray to the table. He requested motivational music on the entertainment system, grabbed a protein drink and then sat down to eat and prepare for the day. As he ate Dillon began to run through his checklist. Today he would inventory and verify functionality for the mining equipment located on the storage level below their living quarters. Each segment of the pod had certain responsibilities assigned to them and certain equipment unique to their segment. Each segment also contained certain redundant equipment for life support, construction and food production that had been spread amongst the segments to account for possible failures or events that might destroy supplies or make them unavailable to the pod.

As he concentrated on his checklist Dillon did not hear Carol enter. She selected her meal, grabbed a protein drink and sat across the table from him. Carol grabbed her utensils and looked up. "Good morning" she said cheerily. Dillon snapped his head up and realized that another resident was present. "Oh, good morning Carol. I didn't hear you come in. I thought I was the only one up this early". Carol affected a confused look that narrowed her lips, squinted her eyes and put a decided pucker in the corners of her mouth. "I'm up because of you Dillon! You're making enough noise to wake someone whose been sedated. How could I not be awake?" Dillon was taken aback, and he started to apologize but he paused, evaluating the look on Carol's face. "Carol, I've been waking up at this hour for days and it hasn't disturbed any of you. Are you certain I roused you?" Carol glared at Dillon with intensity. "I'm positive! What else could ruin a perfectly good night of sleep?" Dillon sensed an edge to Carol's response but decided there was no point in disputing her. It was possible, after all, that he had disturbed her. If the others were experiencing dreams or restlessness, however, they would have to work it out as he had. They would each have to recognize their own anxiety for what it was. Dillon pushed on to discuss the planned activities for the day. "We'll be auditing the mining equipment today. It seems monotonous at times, but our lives could literally depend on these audits once we are out into the world." Carol looked askance at him and snapped "I know Dillon! It just seems that we do this too often. It's only been thirty cycles since we audited the equipment. It's not going to change into something else or leave the pod" she quipped. Dillon responded with patience that "it's more than simply auditing the equipment. Every cycle of audits continues to familiarize us with all the tools, supplies and equipment while preparing each of us for the jobs we must undertake as part of the restoration. This process is integral to our survival and our future Carol. I'm sure you realize this don't you?" Carol relented as usual. She knew what Dillon was saying was true, but it just grated her nerves to repeat things so often. As she was considering this the others began to arrive for breakfast and Dillon broke off; engaging in conversations and answering queries as the others settled in. After another thirty minutes or so everyone had eaten, and Dillon had reviewed the assignments for the day. Each resident put their utensils and food containers in the recycler then headed out to begin the day's activities.

DAY 2

Dillon gazed at the planet from the observation deck of a great vessel. The blue and green orb was massive, at least twice the size of any other planet in the star system. There were large gray areas where imposing mountain ranges slashed across the continents and even one desert that he could make out in what must be the Southern hemisphere. In the atmosphere, thanks to the clouds he could see the path of multiple jet streams and the monstrous cyclonic shapes swirling across the face of the planet. Intermittently he could see thousands of the pods spread across the face of this world each looking like a small disk embedded in the surface. As he approached he could make out the exit door on each pod, but something was wrong. Nearing the stratosphere, he could tell that many of the pods exhibited damage to the external structures. He was considering the clarity of his imagination when he witnessed a series of tornadoes ravage several of the disks and wipe all but the external door clean from the outer surface. While the doors remained sealed and intact the technology that would monitor the external world was gone. There would be no way for the internal systems to correctly relay data on the atmosphere and conditions outside the pods. This must be the world storm he was witnessing.

As he watched the raging storms and shifted his attention away from the pods Dillon was struck by the beauty of the world despite the storms. He noticed, however, that there were no cities and no infrastructure. In fact there were no signs of civilization at all. There were towering mountains, lush plains and beautiful valleys with raging rivers. He could see lakes and forests scattered about the landscape and in the distance the shoreline of a vast ocean. The natural beauty was spectacular, but Dillon couldn't understand why there was no human development. He should see remnants of the previous civilization, but as he scanned the horizon and let his eyes roam the surface in search of anything man made other than the pods there was nothing. As far as he could see there were only the pods and the planet itself.

Dillon jerked around in alarm as a deep, baritone voice behind him uttered the word 'beware!' but as he turned he was enveloped in darkness and found himself lying in the bed on the edge of waking. He squeezed his eyes shut attempting to summon the image of the vessel and discover the source of the voice, but it was gone. Once more the images and sounds were gone; supplanted by the unrest that plagued him the previous day. Once more probed the boundaries of his reality and attempted to find the hole that had permitted these images to plague him. He considered his preparations for the unveiling and the activities of each day to determine if there was enough stress there to trigger this anxiety. Much like the previous day, however, Dillon began to focus on rational explanations and methodical processes. The images he was seeing weren't real. The lack of civilization on the planet, the raging storm were pieces of his imagination. Dillon realized that he had been questioning this as though he were viewing reality within his dream. It took a moment to force himself to recognize that he was reacting to imagination, perceived reality created by his subconscious mind. Already he was adapting to this stimulus in a more favorable manner. This morning he had it sorted out before he even got out of bed. Just one more hurdle to conquer so he could successfully carry out his job. He would start this day with a wide smile and an immense sense of pride. He was ready for the future and the unveiling. Dillon plowed through the health circuit and flew through his 150 laps this morning. He was loaded with adrenaline and self-satisfaction when he passed through the forest and entered the dining area. Carol was already seated and seemed to be reading as she worked through her breakfast with mechanical precision. Dillon selected his meal and chose an energy drink as was his custom then took the seat across from Carol. "Good morning Carol. I hope you had a good night's sleep". Carol looked up and replied somewhat tersely that she was "rather restless, but otherwise it wasn't a bad night. I'm ready for the day. We're testing and performing maintenance on our construction rigs today, right"? This was delivered in more of a perfunctory manner since the schedule for maintenance and tests was well known to everyone. It was more of a conversation starter than anything. "Yes" Dillon replied. "We will want to ensure everyone's proficiency with the builders as our shelter and storage facilities will need to go up as quickly and efficiently as we can manage once the transformation begins". Carol nodded politely. She wondered that Dillon never seemed to tire of going through the same boiler plate information for their tasks with great enthusiasm. For Dillon she imagined it to be a gift rather than a defect. It was the reason they all so easily deferred to him in matters of leadership and organization. "Carol, I realize that it becomes tiresome for all of us. I'm personally overflowing with energy to get out of this cylinder and begin to explore and set our place in the world. I think at times I'm so excited for the transformation that I work myself right out of sleep as a matter of fact". Carol's eyes snapped up at the mention of his sleep habits and took a long moment to apprise him. Dillon saw the look and paused with his utensil just short of his mouth. "Did I say something wrong Carol"? She shook off the bemused look and then gently waved her head from side to side. "No Dillon. I was merely wondering that you might have any trouble sleeping. You're always such a rock and a pillar of normality for all of us. I wouldn't be content if anything were impinging on your good health". After just a split-second Dillon put down the spoon and began to laugh. "Your sincerity is a pleasure Carol, but your delivery is positively comical. Impinging on my good health? The best thing that could happen to all of us is a bit less sleep and a little more adventure in our lives. Well played though my friend. Well played". Dillon continued to chuckle lightly and intermittently as he finished his breakfast. By the time he had finished the others had wandered in for breakfast and the day's socializing began in earnest.

Doris brushed lightly against Dillon's neck as she passed behind him and took the seat next to him at the table. "Good morning my love" she breathed at him as she took up her utensils. "I worry that you are not sleeping well. It is very important that you be in good health once we complete the initial phase of the transformation and prepare our household". Dillon turned toward her and gave her his best reassuring smile. "Do not worry my heart. It is nothing more than an anxious spirit as we approach the unveiling and I am just excited to fully begin our lives". Doris stared at Dillon for a long moment gauging the sincerity of his smile. She decided, ultimately, that it was sincere, but she still knew he was being guarded about something. Since their childhood Doris and Dillon had been paired together and were the first mating team chosen from this pod. They were also far and away the most enthusiastic of the pairings when it came to adopting the mannerisms and rituals they had been indoctrinated with via the daily upload. Doris was exceedingly adept at both the verbal and physical aspects of what the professors had referred to as courting rituals. Dillon expected that it was a natural extension of her interpersonal skills. Doris was, after all, the counselor and medic for the group. It was natural she would be one of if not the best communicator.

Charles and Carol, on the other hand, indicated that while they could see the benefit of dressing up the process from an aesthetic standpoint they simply couldn't see devoting the time to such superfluous, nonsense when there was so much to be learned in mathematics, science, engineering and the other fascinating disciplines. If it involved hard science or the understanding of mathematics and engineering, then Charles and Carol were enamored with it. Dillon would almost have felt sympathy for them except it was clear how much they were engrossed in and thoroughly enjoying the subjects they discussed and studied. The only somewhat distasteful part of it from Dillon's perspective was that they just didn't seem to have space for interacting with anyone else outside of their quest for more knowledge. It wasn't that Dillon eschewed the sciences or learning; quite to the contrary. Dillon loved learning and was engrossed in a number of subjects across the spectrum. It's just that from Dillon's standpoint it wasn't any fun if you didn't have some interaction with others to lighten your load and increase the enjoyment of your life.

Dillon had observed that Barkley and Betty were somewhat similar to he and Doris although they were more concerned with building, architecture, art and design in its many forms. Despite the breadth of their knowledge, however, they also seemed to desire personal interactions to fulfill their lives in addition to their academic interests. Betty was always analyzing the lines and makeup of structures and she spent countless hours perusing the internal designs of ancient buildings and homes. Barkley was a master at understanding the process of building structures and he had a tremendous appreciation of art in many forms including ancient examples of painting and sculpture. If there were another pair of lovebirds in the group it would certainly be Barkley and Betty. The difference seemed to be that these two were more expressive and physically interactive than he and Doris. Betty was always making jokes and egging Barkley on. Barkley, on the other hand, was a rather loud and boisterous soul who was always tickling and physically engaging Betty. It was never anything inappropriate or uncomfortable just extremely playful and actually refreshing. If you needed to lighten the mood in a room or situation you wanted Barkley and Betty present.

Aaron and Alicia were, in Dillon's mind, the strangest pair of the group. There was never any question how much they cared for one another nor was there any doubt about the acuity of their minds. What seemed so out of character with these two was how they always seemed to express their feelings for each other and the world around them in terms of the current study subject. If they were studying a particular animal or plant then all of their conversations and interactions would take on a light tinted throughout with the nature, habits or characteristics of that organism. It didn't seem to matter what they were studying. The strangest period of interface with them had come during a time when they were studying an entire class of undersea, single celled organisms. They related everything they discussed or did to how it compared with or resembled the life and ecosystems of other creatures. This made for some decidedly odd conversations and one particularly wild discussion on the asexual cell division and how that tied into the process of procreation for various other species. Dillon preferred not to think much about that since it had the effect of drastically inhibiting his own libido.

That was it. It was time to get the team together and get started on the tasks for the day. "OK my friends! Let us prepare for the day and get moving. Remember that today is a double task day and while we will be working with the construction rigs today, we will also set aside four hours at the end of the day for a full team inventory of the medical bay and a review of our basic life saving and paramedical skills. I believe, as I have said many times, that it is paramount for each of us to have a level of proficiency in these lifesaving techniques and equipment. Until such time as we have sufficient numbers of critically trained medical staff each of us carries responsibility for helping to ensure the perpetuation of our people; the transformation and our future depend on it".

As everyone headed off to the storage level Dillon paused for just a moment and considered once more the dreams he was having. A small voice in his brain warned that it was all well and good to dismiss or be cavalier with his own safety or wellbeing, but he had to be certain he was right when it came to the lives of his people. In that moment a piece fell into place for Dillon and he realized that he had to squeeze everything out of these dreams that he could. If there were something to them, he had to know and if there was danger lying in wait for them outside the pod, he had to determine the severity and what, if anything, could be done to mitigate that danger. He deposited his utensils and containers in the recycler and headed below to get to work with the crew. It was going to be a long day.

DAY 3

Dillon realized that he was once more on the bridge of the huge vessel he had seen in the previous dream. The storms on the surface of the planet seemed only to have increased in fury and size. He watched as entire forests on the surface were ripped from the soil and flung miles away by the massive, cyclonic storms. What had previously been a lush and beautiful landscape was transformed into a wasteland of devastation where the storms passed. He saw again the pods dotting the landscape but as he swept his gaze over the surface of the planet he saw that more than half of the doors had been opened and the beacon lights were flashing green to indicate that access to the surface had been achieved. What he did not see near any of the pods were people. Dillon focused around the pods and while he scanned intently for any signs of life there was none to be found.

Suddenly he caught a flash of light at the periphery of his vision and he turned to the right to see a flashing red beacon light indicating that a door was beginning to open. Dillon watched in anticipation as the door mechanism unlocked and witnessed the escape of air as the seal broke. To Dillon's horror, however, he watched as the door swung open and furious tornadoes sucked hundreds of individuals out of the pod and flung them to the four winds. Dillon heard himself screaming "NO!" as the bodies flew away and he found himself kneeling at the window after a moment sobbing into his sleeve. All that remained as he stared at the pod was an open door and a flashing green beacon to mark the death of eight hundred people. He realized in that moment that the other open doors he had observed were mute witness to the destruction of millions of lives. A dark sadness descended on him and he realized that even tears would not come now as he contemplated the horrible waste of so many souls.

The deep, baritone voice came once more, and Dillon froze where he was. "Beware!" the voice boomed behind him. "The unveiling is the end!" Dillon felt cold fear climb his spine and as it entered his brain he slowly turned around. Standing behind him was a shadow that roughly approximated a man in shape and size but there were no definable features that Dillon could see. The features should be there even if in shadow but Dillon saw that they were pixelated causing a blurred image that appeared as shadow. The voice boomed once more "Beware! The unveiling is the end!" Dillon was enveloped in darkness again and he awoke sitting upright in his bed with the dimness of the sleeping wedge surrounding him and the silence of night echoing his own thoughts back at him.

Dillon forced himself from the bed and walked to the station at the back wall. He took a stimulant pill and washed it down with water from the dispenser. For the first time that he could recall, Dillon felt as though he were mentally, emotionally and physically incapable of facing the coming day. The stimulant would change that. Though it took nearly half of his workout in the personal care wedge, the stimulant began to take effect and Dillon used the energy to push himself harder than ever before. As he ran, he counted his laps as always but did so robotically to the point that he had already completed over 200 laps when he realized he was still running at a faster pace than usual. Dillon slowed to a stop and fell to his knees in the middle of the tunnel. As his body slumped from exertion and his mind raced through the previous dream he was overcome with emotion. Fear, courage, pain and determination all warred within him for dominance and he struggled to maintain control. He focused his breathing and forced his thoughts through the process of analytical analysis that he had so often depended on, he regained his control and slowed his breathing to a reasonable level. The vision of the dying pod members was still there, and the pain of those images was very real, but Dillon was once again in control of his mind and emotions. The leader of pod 359 segment 1 got to his feet and moved off to the hygiene wedge; it was going to be a long day and he had the distinct feeling that life in the pod was going to change. The worst feeling of all was that he could do nothing about it.

With his morning ablutions completed Dillon headed for the dining wedge and strolled through the forest to the dining room. Passing through the doorway Dillon stumbled as he came to a complete stop just inside the room. expecting his usual privacy at this early hour Dillon was shocked to find each of his colleagues sitting at the table with empty breakfast dishes, drinks at hand as they huddled together discussing some topic of great import. There were looks of serious contemplation and some faces heavy with concern. Dillon hoped in his heart that they were trying to figure out how they would tell him that his middle of the night workout was ruining their sleep, but in an instant he knew with absolute clarity exactly what was happening. The realization slammed into him like a shield maiden in a game of Take It! His appetite was gone, and he felt suddenly lethargic. Dillon's mind began to tumble through the questions he had been considering. How was this possible? What was causing it? Where were the dreams originating from and what was their purpose? As he stood there spinning; his mind racing at light speed through theories and worries, he saw the faces as they turned to look at him. They already knew from one another that they were sharing the visions and now they wanted him to confirm it for them. They wanted Dillon to admit what he had been trying not to admit and he was just as sure that they had no intention of letting him avoid it as Carol had done the previous day.

As his appetite vanished, Dillon slowly walked over to the table and sat down. In silence he moved his gaze from face to face attempting to gauge the concern in their eyes. He bowed his head and let out a long breath as he prepared to speak. It was Charles, however, who broke the silence and began to speak. "Dillon, we know what you've been up to, but we can't understand at this point why." Dillon tried to break in "I want...", but Charles cut him off and stated that "Carol and I performed analysis on the computer systems yesterday and we found the extraneous streams attached to the daily upload. What we could not seem to grasp is why they were attached to the subconscious upload that helps regulate our REM cycles. Our conclusion was that you had some motive for causing this disruption, but we need to know why? Why are you doing this?" Dillon's world began to swirl as it had the night before. This couldn't be happening. They had come to the conclusion that he was causing the visions. Extraneous stream? That idea suddenly clicked with his own assessment and began to make sense. The realization, however, staggered him. His colleagues had discovered the source of the visions which meant he had some idea as to the cause, but they were assuming that he had done this. He could not possibly digest and process all of this at once.

Dillon sat there like a statue for a long moment and composed his thoughts. He moved his gaze from one face to another and then settled on Charles as he began to speak. "First let me tell all of you here that I have not touched the computer systems to modify anything. I have in no way altered the daily uploads or undertaken any activity that would interfere with your dreams or development." He paused for a moment and considered his next words. "Over the past year I have been experiencing anxiety over a number of issues. All of this, however, has connected in some way with the unveiling. The whole process began with an uneasy feeling that caused me to wake in the middle of the night. When it began, I could shake it off and get back to sleep but as the feelings became more intense, I couldn't sleep after waking so I got up and worked through my morning routine. I used the alone time to work through my feelings and prepare for the coming day." Dillon continued to look from person to person as he spoke gauging their response for any hostility or disbelief. Initially he wasn't sure they were hearing or trusting him, but he began to see recognition on their faces; some of them anyway. "I have spent plenty of time working through this and I have gone from being certain that I was about to have a nervous breakdown to fearing that I might actually be going insane. I was concerned that I might not be able to undertake the mission as the leader of this segment, but then the dreams started." Dillon paused to assess the group once more and saw in the faces of all but Charles and Carol the recognition he had hoped for. They were indeed experiencing the same thing.

Dillon continued. "I have progressively experienced more and more detailed visions that I could neither explain nor understand. I didn't realize the purpose of these visions until you just explained it for me and, now I think I realize what's going on." Charles snorted and exclaimed "you expect us to believe that you had nothing at all to do with this and you're on the receiving end of this like the rest of us? Is that it?" Dillon nodded and confirmed "yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you." Carol burst in, no longer able to contain herself and blurted out "then why do we find your system user id on the feeds that were added into the subconscious streams?" The response from the room was shock and gasps escaped from a few. Dillon kept himself controlled, staving off the panic that was welling up within. He raced through the possibilities and considered what he was hearing. Why would his user id be attached to the feeds? The question came to him with calm and a sense of clarity. "Charles, what user id was found on the implanted feed for my stream?" Charles glanced up and said somewhat subdued that "the id was unknown. We traced it back to a ghosted portal in the communications interface. The portal shouldn't be there so far as we were aware." Charles went on to explain "it's my considered opinion that you obtained knowledge of this ID and utilized it to manipulate the data for your own purpose."

Dillon stood from the table and composed himself for a moment. When he looked up, he spoke calmly and dispassionately so no one at the table could mistake his demeanor for fear or obfuscation. "Charles, you and Carol are the most analytical and possibly the most brilliant people I know. I have never known you to overlook facts for your own purpose or ignore possibilities that might lead you to truth, but you're doing that right now and I'm afraid it may be because you are concerned over the implications that this truth might have." Dillon paused for a moment and when Charles didn't jump in, he continued. "If I had gained access to a hereto unknown ID on the system to implant data into the streams then why would I use that ID only on my data stream? Why would I not use the unknown ID to implant all the data streams?" He paused for a brief moment to allow that question to marinate with each of them. "I will tell you now what I believe to be the case. I believe that what we have learned while in the pod is at least partially untrue. I believe that there never was life on this planet." The room erupted in a flurry of emotion and passion as team members recoiled at the implication of Dillon's statement. "Impossible!" Carol yelled. "Listen to me!" Dillon Shouted above the din. "Let me explain my hypothesis before you abandon all rational consideration. I promise you that this makes sense in light of what we now know. I believe we were put here by other humans, but I believe that it was to populate rather than to repopulate as we were told. I believe that we are not the saved but the colonists of a new world." Dillon paused once more to allow them time to process this possibility before he continued. "Have any of you seen the ship?" Alicia nodded immediately although Aaron attempted to stop her. After a moment's consideration, however, Aaron nodded his head as well. Doris, Barkley and Betty followed suit; each nodding his or her head in succession as Dillon glanced at them. "I believe that my anxiety and that which each of you has experienced has been directly pertinent to the impending unveiling. I believe that unforeseen storms on this planet have disabled our monitoring systems and rendered us blind to the outside environment. That would not be a bad thing per se, but I believe that these storms are so intense that we will be unable to survive outside of the pod. That is a death sentence because the food and supplies we have is not endless. We must move forward or we will die and if these visions are correct we cannot move forward because the storms will kill us. I believe that the people who put us here are using a 'back door' portal in our communications system to transmit subconscious messages to us via the daily uploads. I believe this is due to the damage our standard systems have suffered. I do not know how far they are, but I do know that they are trying to tell us to remain in place. I believe they are coming to rescue us." Once more there was universal uneasiness as Dillon dropped this new bombshell. The team members looked from one to another and there was a mixture of fear and fascination on their faces. Charles had his face down and he slowly shook his head as he considered this possibility while Carol simply looked dumbstruck.

Barkley was next to speak. "How do we know what is true here? How can we possibly know if we are doing the right thing? We have no direct communication with whomever or whatever you are referring to and we have no way of knowing if we are destroying ourselves without purpose by not proceeding with the unveiling and going out to make a better world." Dillon nodded his head as Barkley spoke and then calmly set about to explain his proposal. "Look, I believe that the 'others' are coming here but communication is somehow limited, and they cannot send direct messages via the data upload. I believe that the transmittal onto my stream using the external ID was set so that it would replicate via my ID to each of your streams internally to limit the required connection time. We're basically talking about an emergency burst message with limited resources. Believe me my friends, I know how crazy this makes me sound which is why I've continued to work on it alone rather than bringing it to your attention. The bottom line, however, is that now we have decisions to make." The team members sat there in turn looking at one another, staring at the ground and looking at Dillon as they contemplated how to respond to this flood of information. Doris wondered if she might be lingering in a terrible dream. Barkley and Betty looked at one another as though they wanted to ignore the entire process while Aaron and Alicia appeared to have made their decision. Charles and Carol still seemed skeptical though Charles had the quizzical look he adopted when he was working through a problem.

Dillon's anxiety had now reached a new high. He was thoroughly dismayed even though he felt vindicated knowing now that he wasn't going insane. The anxiety was no longer over the message, its origin or purpose but rather over the decisions that would be forthcoming from his friends and colleagues. Dillon was more certain than ever of the origin of the message and the reason for his dreams; had he done enough to convince the others? Would they all be prepared to do what was necessary? What about the others in the pod? There were ninety-nine other levels that had to be addressed and he wasn't sure they had seen the messages in their dreams. What if only the first level had been exposed to the message? That seemed unlikely, but Dillon's mind began to race once more with possibilities and answers for the other seven hundred and ninety-two residents of this pod; never mind the hundreds of millions spread across the planet in the rest of the pods. Dillon was venturing down another line of thought when Charles broke the silence and brought him back to reality.

"Dillon, I know that you are only doing what you believe is in the best interests of the pod. I believe that fervently, and with all the intellect that I possess." Charles paused and nodded his head. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly and resumed. "I must tell you, however, that I have a hard time accepting this story of doomsday predictions and saviors." His voice raised slightly in volume as he continued. "Everything that we've been taught our entire lives tells us that we are the survivors of a terrible world storm that destroyed our ancestors. We awoke from cryosleep five years ago in order to begin preparations for repopulating and transforming our planet. I ask you how can I abandon everything we've been taught for a mere hypothesis based on a dream that it is entirely possible you planted for all of us to share? Answer that question for me Dillon." Charles fairly shouted the last demand and stood there mute awaiting Dillon's answer.

"Charles, I know in my heart..." Dillon began, but Charles cut him off. "I do not care one bit about your heart or your feelings. I want proof that what you are telling me is real and true. I want to know, before we risk everything, that we are making the right decision. We have a mission that our ancestors entrusted us with, and you want us to give that up and do what? I want proof Dillon." Dillon rubbed at his temples and passed his hand over his eyes a few times. How could he take the certainty he felt and prove it to this man as well as the others? What was he missing that would help bring it all together? Dillon hit on something and he began slowly so as to gauge the response from Charles.

"Charles, what purpose or motivation would I have for delaying the unveiling?" Dillon asked that simple question and then paused to permit the point to sink in. He watched intently as Charles ruminated on the questions and put his mind to work seeking the proper response. After only a moment Charles responded with a question of his own. "How long do you think we have before the unveiling becomes a necessity? We have at most ten years of food preparation stores. Our forest does permit some limited additional foods but not enough to keep us alive forever. We were intended to go out and build a new world, grow food and populate the animal clones we have with us. It's really not a question of your motivation, but rather a question of doing what we were put here to do." Dillon pointed out that "the message never indicated that we were to re-enter cryosleep so they can't be that far off. Charles, I think we need a little time. I would say we need no more than a few months. We have more than enough stores to permit a few months of delay and if nothing happens in that time I will agree to proceed with the unveiling and move forward with our mission." Charles looked at Dillon and almost growled. "You've got ninety days Dillon. I will agree to ninety days and not one minute more. If your mysterious saviors aren't here by then we go; is that understood?" Dillon nodded. "I agree to your terms Charles. Now, let's get to work people. We still have equipment to audit and preparations to make."

DAY 93

Dillon was shocked. The vision of a ravaged world wasn't there. He was instead staring at a distant star hurtling toward him at an incalculable speed. As he approached, he saw planet after planet flash past him as the speed dissipated and he slowly approached a titanic planet, the fourth from the star. Dillon felt a sense of peace as he moved, without body or transportation toward the orbiting giant. As he neared the planet, he could see one then another and soon a host of planet sized moons in various orbits. By the time he slowed to a stop in low orbit over the planet he had counted ten habitable moons. As he turned to fully face the planet, however, he witnessed a sight that took his breath away. The great giant was a beautiful, work of art. The forests, grasslands, vast seas, gardens, jungles; he watched all of it as though he were observing each part separately and with purpose. The voice boomed "forty-eight hours. We need forty-eight hours to bring you home". The voice paused and then said, "home where you belong". Dillon woke with a gasp and leapt from his bed. He moved from bed to bed to wake everyone and found all but Aaron already awake. Dillon waited patiently for each person to climb from their beds then he inquired as to their opinion on this most recent message. Everyone seemed inspired by the message with only one exception. Charles was unmoved and totally disinterested in the event or what it might portend. "Dillon, the allotted time has passed, and we agreed that we would permit ninety days. You agreed to this. You gave your word that we would continue our mission. I neither care nor do I wish to know the validity of this message or the possibility of failure. Today is the unveiling my friend and we are heading outside to begin the transformation." Dillon slumped as though all of the strength that moved him was removed in an instant. He simply could not understand how even Charles could be so emotionless and clinical about this after all they had discussed the past ninety days. There had to be a solution and Dillon was determined to see it through to save his friends, but he had given his word. How could he be a leader if he did not keep his word? "Somehow I will find a way" he whispered to himself.

After a very subdued breakfast and some final preparation the team headed for the lower level and retrieved their environment suits. Despite the chemical shield and the clothing they already wore for protection it was necessary to take additional precautions due to the possibility of unforeseen conditions on the surface. Each team member donned their suit, checked their partner's connections and proper alignment before heading back up to the hub, through the personal care wedge and out to the tube where the entrance was located. Momentarily they would enter the sequence to unlock the other ninety-nine levels and then perform the release sequence for the main door that would unlock and open revealing their new home and the future of their people. Dillon turned to look at his team and asked one more time "are we sure this is what we want to do? We need to wait for help to arrive. They're less than forty-eight hours away." Charles shook his head with impatience. "It's time to proceed Dillon. We have a job to do and a new life to get started." Dillon paused for a moment clenching and releasing his fist with his hand inches from the control panel. All he had to do was enter the release code embedded in his memory, scan his hand and place his face next to the panel for a retinal scan. Once completed any other member of the team would follow a confirmation sequence with their hand and retinal scan to complete the cycle. "Dillon, it's time. Get on with it!" Charles chided. Finally, with no ideas and no options remaining Dillon entered the code that he was certain would begin a chain of events that would kill them all. He was resigned to it now though he wished fervently that it was otherwise.

As Dillon entered the code an alarm began to sound and the lights changed to red, emergency lighting. The team could hear the initial release levers slamming on the levels below as each level opened like an echo of the decision their leader had just made. Betty was nervous and despite her normally calm demeanor she was shedding quiet, painful tears of fear for the possibility that was moments away. Dillon placed his hand on the scanner and waited for the scanning mechanism to slide back and forth as it scanned his palm and fingers. The scanner turned green after a moment and the retinal scanner slid into place prompting Dillon to place his eye against the lens for scanning. After a moment the scanner turned green and the hand pad prompted the next user. Charles stepped forward and removed his glove by twisting the lock and sliding it off his hand. As he reached forward to place his hand on the pad, however, Alicia let out a primal scream, surged forward and drove a mining spike into the control panel with surprising force. The disruption to the system and the catastrophic system overload to the control mechanism caused an impressive explosion that sent a shock wave through the enclosed tube. The last thing that Dillon could recall beyond Alicia's scream was Charles yelling NO at the top of his lungs right before he flashed into unconsciousness.

"Daron, what is the report?" Daron Stormbier turned to his commander to explain. "Commander Halden, of the one million pods on Carellia-3 there were 185,000 damaged and limited to the sub-stream communications. Of these we were able to salvage 15,000." Halden swore under his breath. "Is there any indication as to when they were lost?" Daron nodded. "The majority lost were opened on the original unveiling day; totally disregarding the warning messages sir. "In the remaining 815,000 pods we lost another 40,000 during recovery due to the storm conditions and 72,562 inexplicably proceeded with the unveiling despite our warnings via direct communication. Apparently many of the clones refused to believe anything other than their programming." Daron shook his head and proceeded. "In total we lost 282,562 pods totaling 226,049,600 clones. We recovered 717,438 pods with a total of 573,950,400 clones. Commander we saved nearly two thirds of the entire population." Daron stood there before his commander and smiled with the satisfaction of a job well done. The commander stood there stone faced; deep in thought. Daron Continued. "Sir we are bringing nearly 600 million clones back to Homeworld sir. That was the goal. With the other ships and their missions it should be enough." Valus Halden turned from Daron and walked forward to stand before the view screen. "Daron, I truly hope you are correct. I hope it's enough. The fate of our people and all we believe hangs in the balance."