FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Thousand Year Sleep.

by Coujo

Here I am, at the spaceport. getting ready for my first inter-stellar flight. I'm so nervous. They say its extremely safe and that you don't even realize you've slept for the entire way through. But I've heard stories of people not waking up on arrival, or of ships never making it to port. To be honest, I'm frightened. The massive crowd at the station isn't helping much either. This place is a zoo. People screaming to be heard over each other, trying to find loved ones or trying to sell products and services. I guess the scene playing out in front of me would be the same in an old fashioned airport, or an ancient train station. Though, I doubt they had the variety of different species that we do today. Standing in line feels more like going to the veterinarians office than buying a ticket. Theres more species in line than there are at the Metropolis Zoo. The lady behind the desk chirping in a monotone voice "Next S.E.C., please." every five minutes, the line moving up a short distance. I must remember to use the term "Sec" instead of Sir or Ma'am. Sec being short for Sentient Existing Creature, and being used as a polite missive instead of the term "alien" or "big eyes!" Both of which being extremely ignorant and bigoted and the last thing you want is an inter-species incident!

Finally, the woman chirps again "Next S.E.C., please!" and i step up, nervously handing her my passport and credit chit. Her usual questions begin flowing, uninterrupted by song like syllables or poetic charm. Her first question being "Species?" to which i answer "Human, Ma'am." the next being "Sex?" again, i reply politely "Male, Ma'am." a third question chiming just as monotone as the first two, "Destination?" I fumble with this one, as I'm not sure how to pronounce the planets name, "Rigel, Beta Orionis System, Ma'am" She pauses and looks up at me, I fear that I've done something incredibly stupid by using the Earth name for the system. She stamps my passport and asks Her fourth and final query "Any thing to declare, SIR?" Adding emphasis on the missive, as if to punish me for being too human. Chocking down a gulp and nervously shaking my head, "N-No Ma'am, I have nothing to declare. this is my first flight." To which she replies snidely while handing my documents and ticket, "right, enjoy. NEXT S.E.C.!" Shrinking away from the woman, I head towards the gate on my ticket. I can only imagine what shes telling the Sec that was next in cue about me.

After what seems like hours, i finally get to the right gate. My ticket says the shuttle to the ship leaves the gate at nine sharp, its now eight thirty. i guess im waiting some more. looking around the gate area for an empty seat to rest while i wait to board, i find one between two large beetle people. my Sec physiology classes in college weren't that great, so i have no idea where these beings are from, and i certainly don't want to aggravate them. "Excuse me, Sec. Is this seat taken?" I whisper into my translator, not knowing if it will work. The small box buzzing shortly after i speak with a whir of clicks and churrs. The smaller beetle looking up at me and making a strange face before churring back at the box, its eyes staring up at me, making me all the more nervous. "No, Sec. You sit are welcome." Puzzled by the strange grammar, but able to put it together, I sit down with my things. Huddling closer to myself and shaking noticeably. The two creatures continue to stare at me, they're gazes not helping my nerves. One finally starts to speak into my translator. "Are, you, well human?" The translator barks at me, surprising me a little at the creatures concern. I look up at the one who spoke and shake my head no, answering into the translator "No Sec, this is my first flight, I'm very nervous." The other churrs at me and hands me a small stone. The translator barking again "Here human, use this to calm." I take the stone and look at it, the center glows faintly and the surface is warm to the touch. My gaze seems to have been longer than i thought as i snap to hearing the final boarding call for the shuttle at the gate.

Pulling all of my luggage onto the shuttle with me, the steward shows me to my seat and helps me stow my bags. I thank her and slink into my seat, again pulling the stone and looking into its glow. Had i been more alert, i would have noticed that the two beetles were not on the shuttle at all. But the stone had forced my gaze and lulled me into a strange calm. I barely felt the shuttle take off, nor any of the usual turbulence it catches as it flies through the atmosphere. The shuttle takes us from the spaceport to the stardock, where the inter-stellar ship is mored. From there we board the large ship and are put into a hibernation. We sleep for the whole journey and are awoken when we arrive. They say after you pass out of the star system, there is a point where time slows down to just about stopping, when your body ages so slowly that you live for a thousand years. Only to be reawakened and not a day older than when you left. They call that the chrono-sphere, when the gravity of the star starts to pull time, speeding it up to what we are used to. The whole flight to the stardock takes an hour, mostly due to flight patterns and delays. Though once we land at the stardock, the first thing we are greeted with is a massive window, looking down at the Earth. With the moon off in the distance, and the sun at our back the whole image is breath taking. For the first time since I was handed the stone, my attention has been pulled away by something far larger and more belittling.

An usher comes to shuffle the passengers away from the window, gently prodding us towards our destinations. The large gate to the airlock looming over the passengers like an ancient Tori gate from medieval Japan. Seemingly impossibly large compared to the vast amount of people here, and the innumerable varieties of creatures passing through it. Both boarding and disembarking. I counted sixteen abreast heading in each direction. With a divider in the middle to help with the flow of traffic. Beginning to feel like a cattle in the corral on the way to the slaughter house, my shaking begins anew. Sweat beginning to bead on my forehead, and palms becoming cold. My throat starting to tighten with each step I take. The pounding in my chest, I swear can be heard by other travelers in cue with me. Some looking at me in strange ways, most foreign to my understanding. Had my hands not been full with my luggage, I would pull out the strange stone and calmed myself with it. Though circumstances prevented that. After a good twenty minutes or so, I finally reach the other end of the airlock. It having felt like hours, with the nervous wait and slow crowd. I was warned of this moment when i booked my flight with the travel agency. They told me the worst wait was boarding the ship. And they were right. I felt as though i might pass out in the line, or worse, die waiting. Thankfully i had just enough fortitude to make it through the line and up to the flight attendant in the massive entrance to the ship.

The ramp in the air lock leading from the stardock to the ship rose up to the upper portion of the ship, under the opaque walk way, we could see goods being unloaded and loaded under us. Some large containers with giant logos displaying corporate property, others advertising services and some with sports stars waving to us. I suppose this is why the floor was made clear, to advertise to us while we were in line. It makes sense in a strange, greedy sort of way. But the whole idea of a see-through walk way never appealed to me, thus adding to my near nervous break-down. I finally begin to relax a little once i step on board the ship, its floor being opaque and feeling quite sturdy. My nerves slowly unwind, the further i step inside the giant starship. Curiosity overcoming my fear. Its walls are lines with photographs of Historic space ships, starting with the now ancient U.S.A. Space Shuttles. Of which names i can barely recall from elementary class. The flight attendant acting as a tour guide, explaining the history of space flight to us on hour way to the stasis bay, where we will sleep through out our journey.

Our flight attendant is a Galaxian, a large Scaley humanoid. One of the first species to make direct, intended contact with Humans. They appear similar to Humans and can speak our languages with out the need of a translator, which is very useful in the public sector. This is why Humans generally treat Galaxians like Humans. They are extremely similar to us, down to the variation of sexes. It is easy to tell the male and female apart simply by looking at them. On Earth, the Galaxians are one of the few species not referred to as "Sec" instead of Sir or Ma'am, Him or Her. Our tour guide is fairly attractive for a Galaxian as well. Which also helps with my nerves. I find some of the humanoids very attractive, some over Humans. Something we don't usually say out loud. As She guides us through the history lesson, she continues to reassure us that space travel is indeed safe. "Over the last ten Earth Years, there has only bee one single incident on a starship, that being a murder was accidentally let loose. Thankfully Sec was caught before it could do any damage to the passengers aboard!" She chirped happily, smiling at me as if she knew I wasn't comfortable.

The whole tour lasted a good half hour, my attention was mostly focused on the Galaxian attendant and Her bubbley personality that i had barely noticed the time fly, nor that she had directed me towards my stasis pod herself. "Here you are Sir! Your very own pod, complete with all the modern safety features! If you happen to awaken during the flight, this button here will summon an attendant to help you regain unconsciousness!" Her voice was sweet and song-like. The exact opposite of the human woman on the surface. She smiled at me reassuringly as i opened my mouth to ask "How often do people not wake up on arrival?" She pushed her fingertip to my lips and shushed me, whispering "Not all that often, dont you worry at all, we will take very good care of you Sir." Her words slipped around in my head for a little bit before sinking in, nodding and looking at my bed for the next few hundred years. "Go on and get comfortable!" She gently nudged me into the pod, helping me lay down on the molded foam cushion. Before I can say another word, She closed the top and pressed a few buttons on the side. Watching her fingers wave to me as I slowly nod off. My first space flight had begun and I wasn't awake to see the Earth slip away. That being my only regret in life.

The End.