Chapter 2

"Wake Up"

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The digital display on the AI's faceplate flickered to life, the LEDs painting a serene smile on its otherwise expressionless visage. "Dr. Castellanos, Mr. Viktor Gunter has shown signs of consciousness," it reported in a calm, genderless tone.

The doctor looked up from her clipboard, her eyes weary from hours of monitoring the readouts from the biobed. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before responding, "Thank you, Aiden. Please prepare the neurostimulant and stand by."

The AI, Aiden, swiftly moved to the medical bay's counter, its synthetic limbs gliding over the sterile surfaces. It gathered the necessary equipment, its movements precise and silent. The doctor, Dr. Castellanos, approached the biobed with a mix of anticipation and caution. Viktor Gunter, the man she had been watching over, lay still, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of the machine's gentle breaths.

The beeping of the monitors grew more urgent as Aiden administered the neurostimulant. The doctor's heart raced as she watched the lines on the screens dance in response to the drug. She knew that every second counted in moments like these, that the difference between success and failure was as fine as the line between life and death.

Viktor's eyes fluttered open, the dull gray of his irises slowly sharpening to a piercing blue. He blinked, the confusion etched on his features as he took in his surroundings. The cold, sterile whiteness of the medical bay, the array of blinking lights and screens, the looming form of Aiden, and the doctor herself. His gaze fell on the robotic hand holding the syringe, the plunger depressed.

"Where... where am I?" he croaked, his voice a dry whisper, unused to the weight of words.

The doctor's smile was gentle, her eyes filled with a professional concern. "You're in a medical bay, Mr. Gunter. You've been through quite an ordeal."

Viktor's brow furrowed as he tried to piece together the fragmented images in his mind. "Ordeal?" he murmured, the word feeling foreign on his tongue. "What...what happened to me? And who is Mr. Gunter? That's not my name, is it?"

The doctor's smile remained constant, though her eyes revealed a flicker of sadness. "Mr Viktor Gunter, you've been asleep for almost sixty years. You were involved in a severe accident, and your sister, Ms. Elena Gunter, made the decision to have you placed in cryosleep."

Viktor's mind reeled at the revelation. Sixty years? It felt like a lifetime had been stolen from him, and yet he could recall nothing of the incident. He tried to sit up, but the restraint's held firm, a reminder of his fragile state. "My sister?" he whispered, the name sounding distant, like an echo from a past he could no longer grasp.

Dr. Castellanos nodded solemnly. "Yes, your sister, Elena. She made sure you were taken care of, even though cryosleep was still in its experimental stages. She believed in the promise of science, in the hope that one day you would wake up and have a second chance at life."

Viktor's eyes searched hers, desperation seeping into every word. "Is she still...?"

"Elena passed away five years ago," Dr. Castellanos replied, her voice filled with a gentle compassion. "But she left explicit instructions in case you wake up. She wanted you to know that she never gave up on you, that she always believed in your survival. An advocate will be arriving shortly to discuss the terms of your sister's will," Dr. Castellanos informed him, her tone carefully measured. "They'll explain everything to you in detail."

Viktor felt a hollowness expand in his chest, his mind racing with the implications of his sister's passing. He was alone in a world that had moved on without him, a world that had grown old and changed beyond recognition. The room spun around him, the sterile white walls closing in, as he struggled to comprehend the weight of his isolation.

"Dr. Castellanos," Aiden's voice interrupted the heavy silence, "I'm detecting a significant drop in Mr. Gunter's consciousness levels. Should I administer a stimulant?"

The doctor shook her head. "Let him rest," she said softly. "His mind is processing a lot of information. This is normal for someone who has been asleep for so long."

Aiden nodded, the LED smile on its faceplate never faltering. It returned the syringe to its holster and moved back to its station, the wheels of its base whispering against the floor.

Viktor felt the weight of the world settle onto his chest, his eyes drifting shut. The room grew darker, the beeping of the machines fading into a lullaby that lulled him back into the embrace of sleep.

---

It was dusk when Viktor's eyes fluttered open once more, the room cast in a warm, amber glow. The beeping of the machines had become a familiar lullaby, a stark contrast to the jarring silence of his solitary existence before. His throat felt raw, and his muscles ached as if they had atrophied in his sleep. He took a deep, shaky breath, the smell of antiseptic filling his nostrils.

Next to the biobed, a figure sat in a chair, his attire a peculiar blend of the familiar and the alien. The man's shirt was a deep blue, adorned with silver threads that glinted in the artificial light. His pants were a sleek black, tapering at the ankles to reveal boots that looked more suited for a spaceship than a medical bay. The most striking feature, however, was his hand. It was a metallic construct, gleaming with a soft blue light, as if alive with its own energy. The few visisble gear mechanisms whirred and clicked as he turned the pages of a book with a gentle precision that seemed almost tender.

Viktor felt a sudden panic rise in his chest. He had been asleep again, and for how long? He tried to sit up, but the restraint held firm. The man looked up, noticing his movements, and placed a calming hand on his arm. "Easy, Mr. Gunter," he said, his voice a soothing baritone. "You've had a long rest. It's okay to take your time."

The man's face was kind, with a gentle smile that seemed to ease some of the tension in the room. He had piercing green eyes and a head of hair that was a mix of black and silver, a stark contrast to the youthfulness of his skin. "My name is Marcus," he introduced himself, his robotic hand still resting on the open book. "Your sister was a company client, and I was chosen to represent her as an advocate. I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Viktor studied Marcus's hand, the intricate design of the robotics mesmerizing. It was a stark reminder of how much the world had changed in his absence. "What... what happened to your hand?" he managed to ask, his voice still a raspy whisper.

Marcus looked down at his hand, the smile never leaving his face. "It's a long story," he said, his thumb brushing over the metallic digits. "But the short version is that I lost my original hand in an accident. This one is a courtesy of Tainted Prosthetics, one of our clients. They've made quite a few advancements in prosthetics since you've been asleep."

He leaned over and pulled out a letter from the inner pocket of his suit. "But we're not here to talk about me," he said, his eyes meeting Viktor's. "Your sister had very specific instructions for this moment."

Marcus's mechanical hand was surprisingly gentle as he broke the seal on the envelope. The paper inside was thick and creamy, the edges crisp and unblemished despite the passage of time. He unfolded it with a care that seemed almost reverential, revealing neat, precise handwriting that had to be Elena's.

"Elena's will," he said, his eyes scanning the page. "It states that this letter should be read in your presence, Mr. Gunter. It's a bit... unorthodox, but she was always one to do things her way."

Marcus cleared his throat and began to read, his voice steady and solemn. "To my dearest brother, Viktor, if you are hearing this, it means I have not been successful in finding a way to wake you from your slumber in my lifetime. I hope you can forgive me for the decision I've made, but I could not bear to let you fade away without a chance to live the life you deserve."

He paused, glancing up at the man in the biobed, who watched him with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. "I, Elena Gunter, being of sound mind, do hereby bequeath to you, my beloved brother, half of my worldly assets, including all properties, credits, and investments. These are to be yours upon your awakening from cryosleep."

Viktor's eyes widened, the words sinking in slowly. "But why?" he rasped, his voice still weak. "Why would she do this?"

Marcus nodded, his gaze still on the letter. "Elena was a very forward-thinking woman. She knew the potential of cryosleep and believed that you would wake up one day. This is her way of ensuring you're not left with nothing."

"What's a credit?" Viktor asked, his voice barely a whisper. The word was foreign.

Marcus closed the letter, placing it on the bedside table. "Ah, that's a bit more complex," he said, his eyes twinkling with the excitement of explaining something new. "You see, about twenty years ago, the global economy underwent a significant transformation. All the countries of the world unified and created a single digital currency called credits. It's used for everything from buying groceries to funding space expeditions."

Viktor's mind reeled with the concept. "Digital...currency?" he repeated, his voice a bare whisper. The thought was so alien, so futuristic, that it was difficult to grasp. "But how does it work?"

Marcus leaned back in his chair, his organic hand steepled under his chin as he explained. "Imagine a bank account that's accessible from anywhere in the world. You can transfer funds, pay for goods and services, even invest in companies without ever touching physical money. It's all done through a chip implanted in your wrist." He held up his own arm, showing a small, almost imperceptible bump under the skin. "This is your wallet, your ID, and your passport all rolled into one." He pointed at Viktors left hand, "You'll be given one too."

Viktor stared at his own hand, the concept still alien to him. "But what do I do now?" he murmured, the reality of his new world setting in.

Marcus's smile grew warmer. "Now, Mr. Gunter, we introduce you to the world of tomorrow. You're going to need some time to adjust, of course. Physical therapy to regain your strength, education to catch up with the advancements, and emotional support to process everything."

Viktor nodded, his mind racing with questions, but his body was too tired to protest. Marcus stood up, his metallic hand clicking as he did so. "But first, you must rest," he said firmly. "Your body has been through a significant trauma and the cryosleep only halted the damage. It's important to allow it to heal. Not to worry, you'll be as good as new in less than a week"

With that, another round of medication was automatically administered, and the world began to swim away again. The last thing Viktor heard was the faint whisper of the door sliding shut as he drifted off into darkness.