| The first thing that he would swallow was soup. Nice soup, made by one of the food sinthetyzers. The taste was not very good, but his tongue might be reconstructing as well. He remembered the time at the training halls when he will wake up after a week or so on hipersleep chambers, and the food, wich looked delicious, was just nasty in taste.
As he eated, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Hello mister. Are you allright? Ready for the briefing?"
"Yes, father, as soon as I finish this meal." The spoon reached his mouth again."Hows the trip going?" He asked as standard procedure.
"Oh, only small problems. A few errands I needed to assign the bots for, one micrometeor crash that opened up a hole in sector h-2 the size of a needle. And the colony on Centauri has not yet stablished contact. Well, at least not after last christmas, when they've sent us a very warm greeting."
"How is medstats of the crew? Any weird reading?"
"It is better that you finish your meal before we discuss that, I'm afraid."
"Who died?"
"Perkins, and TT."
"Perkins? You sure?" He did not need to ask, but it is a common human reaction.
"Yes, Perkins."
"We are doomed. Do you have the readings? I want to start reading them now."
"Yes, just a second doctor... There it go."
One sheet of paper got out of a small place in the wall. In fact, Father could have used the food sinthetyzer to do that, but he liked to put the right things at the right place.
"Coma, shocks during the hipersleep... then sudden heart atack. Have you used Komori stimulation?"
"Yes, Komori and also sticking him with a new heart... nothing happened."
"Suspension?"
"Yes, he is in suspension, but his brain ceased to work a tenday ago. Poor man."
"Missed his home for a four day lapse in a ten year travel... man, this is disgusting."
"Can you avoid calling me that? I'm Father, if you please, or artificial person. That is a therm I prefer myself."
"As proud as ever. And TT? What happened to him?"
"The meteorite hit his chamber. 45% of his body mass has been suck3d into space. He is in the cryotube, waiting for autopsie."
"Oh, that is a pain in the back way..." He swallowed the last part of the soup, that was heavy in his stomach despite the small amount he had eaten. "Can the solitude be avoided? Hehe..."
"I'm afraid not, doctor. At least not for the next three days. The waking up procedure has started for all of the crew, but the next one will be ready only by wednesday."
"Oh, I never meant that solitude... I meant... oh, forget it. You'll never be depressed anyway. How is my place?"
"Your sleepers are ready."
"I've slept enough... time to work. Autopsie now?"
He headed for the autopsie room, with the corridor lights awakening as he passed, and revealing the cold and plastic place he was confined to be for the next six months.  |