"How are you feeling right now? Are you experiencing any headaches, nausea, blurred vision, ringing in your ears, or erections?"

"Just a bit dizzy."

"That's normal, you've been in cryogenic sleep for a long time. It will pass soon, let me know if it doesn't." After a brief pause, she continued. "Do you remember your family or profession? Even the smallest detail will do."

"I have a wife and a daughter... I think?" he said, slowly scratching his scruffy beard.

"Very good. Do you know how long you've been dead?"

"Around seven thousand years?" he said thoughtfully, as if searching for a distant memory. "But I'm not sure, the concept of time is very blurry for me."

"That's quite an accurate guess." said the woman, examining the file in front of her. "It's been exactly seven thousand three hundred and fifty-six years, two months, and fourteen days. Can you tell me where you are right now?"

"Some kind of infirmary or medical facility." said the man, looking around. "But I can't be more specific than that."

"What about the city or country we're in? Do you have any idea about those?"

The man furrowed his brows in thought. Names were dancing behind a veil of mist in his mind — he could almost grasp them, but they kept slipping through his fingers each time. "Unfortunately." he finally said, letting out a slight sigh. "It feels like I should know, but I just can't figure it out."

The woman conducted a comprehensive series of tests — a lengthy personality assessment, detailed physical examination, and various reflex checks. After carefully noting all of these, she quietly left the room with her file.

When alone, a strange feeling came over the man. This place felt oddly familiar to him, as if he had spent a long time here before. But that was illogical — he hadn't been alive for over seven thousand years, how could he recognize this place?

Seven thousand three hundred and fifty-six... This number kept echoing in his mind, as if it were part of an important code. With each repetition, it embedded itself deeper into his subconscious.

There was something else bothering him: his extraordinary calmness about his current situation. Under normal circumstances, someone coming back to life after more than seven thousand years should be panicking, perhaps screaming and losing control. Yet he was calm and thoughtful, as if coming back from death was an everyday occurrence. Where did this abnormal serenity, this strange tranquility come from? Why wasn't there even the slightest flutter of fear within him?

Hoping to find answers to these questions occupying his mind, he began to examine the room more carefully. As his eyes slowly scanned the room, the only familiar object that caught his attention was the complex-looking genetic encoder in the corner. While looking at this device, an unexpectedly vivid image appeared in his mind: A tall, elegant woman — Aleah — was working intensely at this machine. This memory was so real that he could almost hear the rustle of her lab coat. But this image defied logic. How could someone who had just awakened recognize a device here and an employee?

Aleah... This name was on the tip of his tongue, as if he had known her for years. But who was she? These unexpected memories and information emerging from the depths of his memory were creating a growing unease within him.

At that moment, two people entered the room. One was the blonde woman who had just left. The other was a tall, slim man in a black suit. As he entered, he adjusted his slicked-back hair.

"We've been waiting for you to wake up. I'm personally glad you're awake. My name is Zeta." he said and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Geminga." said the man.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Geminga. Aleah, would you bring us each a glass of sona?"

The woman left the room with a slight sigh and drooped shoulders.

Aleah... So that was the name of the woman he remembered. But how had he learned it?

Zeta pulled out a chair for the man before sitting at Aleah's desk.

"I don't need to draw out my words with you, but the delicacy of the situation requires a detailed explanation. I'll tell you everything clearly."

This conversation felt familiar from somewhere — as if he had heard the same words, in the same tone of voice before. Each sentence, each emphasis, even Zeta's posture triggered an echo of memory in his mind. This déjà vu feeling was so strong that he could almost predict the next words.

"It's true that you died before — it's important that you accept this fact. We had to keep you in special conditions for a long time because our technology wasn't advanced enough yet."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

No, no — this wasn't just déjà vu. He had lived through this conversation before, with every word, every intonation, every detail. Deep in his mind, there was a crystal-clear foresight of how this scene would continue. And at that moment, a voice began to rise from within. This was different from his inner voice, a foreign voice he had never heard before — echoing through the corridors of his mind like the resonance of another consciousness. A voice he didn't recognize or know, but strangely felt very close to. This voice seemed to be trying to tell him something, as if struggling to free him from a cycle he had been trapped in for a long time.

"Change it! Don't continue the same way! The only way to escape this cycle, this endless repetition, is change! Stop repeating everything the same way!" The inner voice was rising, almost turning into a desperate cry.

This voice... It was practically begging the man, desperately pleading. It was struggling for him to do something different. But what did he need to change? What decisions should he make differently? Why should he make decisions differently? This mysterious voice from the depths of his mind echoed even more clearly and vividly than Geminga.

He hesitated for a moment. A voice in his own mind that was clearer than Geminga... How could this be possible? And was Geminga really him? Why did this name feel so foreign? Among all these questions and contradictions in his mind, he hesitantly parted his lips and finally gathered the courage to ask:

"Who is Geminga?" His voice echoed in the room's silence.

Zeta's expression changed at the unexpected question, raising one eyebrow slightly.

"You are Geminga. You just introduced yourself to me with that name. Has your memory become clouded so quickly?" he said, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice.

The man hadn't actually directed the question at Zeta. He had inadvertently voiced the complex questions from the depths of his mind. At that moment, a voice rose from the folds of his brain — a voice so familiar, so close, it was like that of a friend who had lived within him for years.

"I've finally regained my consciousness." said the voice inside.

"Who are you?" the man asked the voice in his mind.

"I'm Geminga, but something's strange here. We were in a completely different place just now, weren't we? There was... there was someone fish-like with us, where are they now?"

"What do you mean? What fish? What are you talking about?"

"There was a fish-like girl with us, I'm sure of it."

"I don't understand anything. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What's wrong?" Zeta interjected, seemingly disturbed by the man's prolonged silence and self-muttering.

"Ask if they have a task for you." Geminga whispered in his mind. "I need to check something."

Following Geminga's prompting, the man asked with a trembling voice, "Zeta, do you have a task prepared for me?"

Zeta's face suddenly lit up, a sparkle appearing in his eyes. "Wow! If I had known you'd be this eager for your task, I would have awakened you much earlier!" he said, laughing cheerfully. "Yes, there actually is a task. I was planning to discuss it in detail at breakfast tomorrow. Your enthusiasm is truly delightful."

"I can't wait until tomorrow, I want you to tell me right now." the man said impatiently.

"Trust me, friend, even if I told you now, we'd still have to wait until tomorrow. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Something strange is going on here..." said Geminga, his voice thoughtful and uneasy. "Everything feels oddly familiar. We've forgotten something important, but I can't figure out what it is. We need to stay alert."

"What do you mean? We were dead for seven thousand years. I'm meeting you for the first time."

"If this is really our first meeting, how were you able to wake me up? How do you know my name? And more importantly, why are you so little disturbed by hearing another voice in your mind?"

"Trust me, I am quite disturbed."

"You're too calm about having a foreign entity speaking in your mind. You're acting as if you're used to this situation."

"I don't want to hear these theories anymore. My head is throbbing."

"Very well, I'll stay quiet for now. I have important things to think about. If you need me, just say my name in your mind. But don't disturb me unnecessarily." said Geminga and fell silent.

"Well, I think that's enough conversation for today. I have some important matters to attend to, we'll discuss the details more comprehensively tomorrow." said Zeta, placing his hand gently on the man's shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I'm certain we'll accomplish very important and impressive things together." he said, with a sincere and hopeful smile on his face.

The man rose heavily from his chair just as Aleah entered the room carrying two glasses. Zeta glided toward her and took one, taking a contemplative sip.

"You're a bit late as usual, Aleah. I'm aware of your potential and I know you can do better. I have complete faith in you." said Zeta, absently fixing his hair while looking at his reflection in one of the large metal machines in the room.

"Your conversation seems to have gone well. Here, have a drink." she said, extending the glass to the man.

The man drank the green liquid in one gulp without thinking.

"People usually prefer to drink sona slowly. Its calming and relaxing effects work better that way. Though according to some research, drinking it quickly can also have a revitalizing effect."

"What exactly is this thing you call sona? I'm hearing about it for the first time."

"It's the essence of the sona flower with some sweetener."

"It tastes good."

"I'll make you some more when you come for your check-up tomorrow. For now, I have work to prepare. Come, let me show you to your room."

When they left the room, a long and quiet corridor lit with blue lights greeted them. The cold blue light emitted by LED strips along the metal walls gave their path a ghostly atmosphere. Aleah led the way, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors as they walked through maze-like passages with sharp turns. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a metal door that looked no different from the others. When the man opened the door, he saw a minimal room containing only basic necessities - a single bed, a small table, a chair, and a simple bathroom unit in the corner. The room's only decoration was a pale white light hanging from the ceiling. As soon as he stepped inside, the door automatically closed behind him and locked with a characteristic click.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he spent some time thinking about what Geminga had said, analyzing every word echoing in his mind over and over. To relax his mind, overwhelmed with complex thoughts, he got up and headed to the bathroom. He shivered as the cold water touched his skin, but this sensation felt strangely good. After getting out of the shower, he dropped his tired body onto the bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.