Cedric adjusted his carrier rig, the whine of the turbo-ion engines resonated throughout the walls. Upon completing his basic training, he was assigned to the 108th Drop Brigade, or 'Wolverines'. It was a basic name, but one the brigade used regularly with pride. Quick and aggressive, was their style.
"Yo Tern!"
Cedric called from across the cramped corridor, hoping she had picked up his TacLite he'd forgotten.
"Yeah, I got it. How the fuck do you forget that thing so often? It's dark as shit on these things."
"I don't intend to - it just kinda happens."
"Seriously dude, I'm not your maid."
"Sorry."
Specialist Alex Tern was clad in the traditional black and silver digicamo one-piece uniform, designed to mount exterior carrier rigs for holding important tactical equipment. A wired, heating shirt is worn underneath, keeping the soldier warm in the cold vastness of space. The suit being one-piece in design meant that upon attaching their helmets, they could safely execute operations in freezing environments with a pressurized suit and ample supply of oxygen. Rip-proof polysteel thread ensured that light arm cartridges measuring 45. ACP or below could not rip the suit, condemning its occupant to the lethality of space. The trade off being the suit's high weight. Even short missions leave the soldiers sweaty with a pungent odor, a side effect of physical activity in what was essentially a steel thread coffin.
Most personal defense weapons used in space never went beyond 9mm, but there are cases in which gangs or illegally certified technicians would bring more nefarious armament. That was the job of their soft-body carrier rigs, distributing the force of cartridges as large as 7.62 - bruising was common on impact, but never lethal. Soft armor technology replacing ceramic plates meant that UCSC soldiers wouldn't have to worry about an ineffective rig after more than a few impacts to the same spot.
The uniforms during operations weren't exactly flattering, but they did an admirable job of lessening lethality during space operations. Cedric had come to respect the uniforms, even getting used to them. He wore them off duty and exercised with them on, knowing full well that training in the thick suits would make life a lot easier if he was ever deployed. Zero-G conditions lessened a lot of the weight, but training in a gravity of 1.0 with them just made it even easier to move around in them if he ever went to space. For his first two years, he was at home - on Earth - doing grunt work and dealing with the daily slog. Now though, he was part of the 108th - the unit Alex Tern was sent to. Ever since then, they've been a dynamic duo - working out, playing games, and surviving the grind of base life together. Cedric had grown fond of Alex as a friend. He saw her as just another jock at first, but after spending time together they rubbed off on each other. Naturally, over time, they worked well together.
Alex tossed the TacLite his way, Cedric grabbed it easily in the gravity-less corridor. Science progresses with time, gravity generators he knew were a work in progress - but he also knew that he most likely wouldn't see them during his life span. Frankly, he was happy they weren't in use. It'd make moving around in protective gear a lot more difficult, and possibly would make missions even more dangerous. It's bad enough that ricochet was a notorious killer, the only technical resistance for bullets to deal with was air - but without gravity also pulling the bullet down, they tended to keep flying until they finally lodged into a surface or struck their suits. The dangers of using projectile-based ammunition inside space craft meant that guns were often a last resort self defense, almost exclusive to pirates and disgruntled, calculating employees. The initial self defense weapons of choice were often knives, and in some extreme cases even swords or spears.
This was Cedric's first proper mission outside of the many drills engaged in on the surface. He was excited, frightened, confused, and happy all at the same time. On the one hand, these missions tended to be run-of-the mill. Boring security posts designed to ward off potential attackers from raiding the plentiful minerals mined from the many companies profiting off their stakes in the asteroid belt. On the other hand, it could be the target of an attack regardless of their presence. This would be a worst-case scenario, as only the incredibly foolish or well-armed would dare attack an industrial vessel with UCSC personnel on board. These vessels will often also sport temporary flags or logos signifying UCSC presence to deter would-be raiders. Smaller companies will do the same thing, even if they don't have contracts with the military.
The cartels profitable enough to operate in space however, were more than intelligent enough to know which vessel belongs to what company - and whether or not they run contracts with the military. During this two week mission, Cedric and his squad was posted on board the IFS Bunkt, an Industrial Fleet Services medium-sized industrial mining vessel. One of the most common of its kind. Cedric and Alex were on mission with the rest of their platoon to provide security detail to its crew, while they mined a valuable platinum cluster located in one of many asteroids within the inner asteroid belt.
Alex caught up with Cedric quickly, boosting her minute velocity by grasping the many handles that lined the corridors and other rooms of the vessel. It was 0800 CSPT, or coordinated space time. This meant that all personnel were awake, and ready to tackle another twelve hours of industrious (and quite profitable) work. They had been traveling for about two weeks to their destination, arriving now to suckle on the fruits of plentiful rare metals. The journey itself was rather boring, casual games like cards were difficult to do in zero gravity, what with the decks flying every which way. Some played these games regardless - the dealer often holding onto the draw and discard piles, while someone else would try and hold the middle cards - In say, poker - best they could to keep them from floating away. The first attempts at these game were often met with laughter and smiles, further attempts being met with a more serious tone.
Cedric fancied himself a few games of blackjack with Alex and a couple others in their squad while enroute. However, it was now time to work. Cedric and Alex were almost always paired together, their leadership acknowledging their effectiveness as a proper duo.
Cedric opened one of the many circular doors that dotted the interior of modern space craft, compartamentalizing several areas of the ships to ensure that if there is a breach, all oxygen wouldn't be lost. After a bit more floating around, they arrived at their destination. The industrial hub of the craft - where a few workers were busy tapping away on pads and controlling the laser arms responsible for tracing around chunks of whatever ore they found, before loading it up to be processed when taken back to Earth. Most of this crew spoke English, despite being different nationalities. This made communication and passing time a lot easier to accomplish. It was generally recommended of soldiers to not communicate with their employers, but when most of the crews speak the same language - humans, being the social creatures that they are - find it hard to avoid idle communication to keep time moving and satisfy personal curiosities. While Cedric was floating in place, his rifle handy, he struck up a small dialog with one of the workers.
"How long have you worked here?"
The worker closest to him was an older man with graying hair - busily controlling one of the arms responsible for extracting their valuable quarry. They all worked in hi-vis space suits, light and easy to work in while also providing important protection against stray radiation or other elements commonly dealt with during operations. When not working, the crew simply wore warming long johns or similar to keep comfortable. Especially during sleep time. There was no day or night in space, so day and night were divided into wake or sleep time instead.
He tapped a bit more on his pad, no doubt setting the laser to autopilot after establishing the traceable extraction pattern. Then replied, welcoming the break in silence.
"Well let's see here... about four years."
"Pays well I assume"
The old man chuckled, "Not as much as you'd think, but still a lot more than you figure. Ain't easy being an industrial technician."
"I suppose not, given how much these companies make off this stuff. Do you guys get paid commission or anything?"
"We do actually, we all get even share based on how much we get per run. Hazard pay we get while out here, and then of course our regular pay."
"Man, putting it that way you make a lot more than you're letting on."
The old man chuckled again, enjoying the the younger generation's view on his regular work.
"Oh, I might be. But when you go to college for four or six years to get certified for this stuff, it best pay well. Else it all ain't worth it."
"No kidding. I got what, two years left? I thought about college. Just not sure what to do at that point, nothing really interests me."
The old man paused for a moment, looking him up and down.
"You seem like a fit young man, you could go career."
It was Cedric's turn to chuckle, the humor being a welcome break from the monotony of his underwhelming first proper mission.
"I don't know about that, I don't think career is for me. But I'm in now, so might as well take advantage of it until I figure out what the hell I want to do later."
"Figure it out sooner than later so you don't get confused when you're finally out on what to do next."
The rest of their shift passed on with idle conversation, Alex chiming in here and there into the conversations to get involved. After all, what else was there to do?
At the end of the twelve hour slog, Cedric and Alex were unequipping their gear in their quarters. Some soldiers were on their phones, some were hitting the cafeteria, and others were getting an early start on their sleep schedules. Cedric was sitting on his cot with his wired shirt and a pair of comfortable sleep pants - with no intention of doing anything else that day except maybe get some dinner later. Alex was in a cot across from him, her baggy sleep clothes of choice leaving much of her figure to imagination. Cedric - processing the emotions of the day, decided to strike up a conversation.
"I was really excited this morning but.. it was kinda... Underwhelming?"
"Would you rather be getting shot at?"
"You know, I really would rather not. Other than what we have to do as a soldier of the UCSC, this really doesn't seem like a bad gig."
"I've been on a few assignments already, most are the same. Scariest thing is when something related to life support starts malfunctioning. Only happened once, but that shit was terrifying. Just being military posted on these ships means nobody fucks with us. Frankly, I'm happy with that."
Cedric couldn't agree more, he'd hate for anything bad to happen. With two years left, he remained hopeful that he'd never see real combat. He didn't want to. The only reason he enlisted was to try and get somewhere in life. With all his medical and lodgings paid for, he really felt like he was living on easy mode. Minus of course the appearance restrictions, and rules with regulations he had to follow 24/7. It was annoying, but worth it. He didn't really have a preference on his personal appearance, nor were the rules and regulations employed by the UCSC difficult to abide by. Shut the fuck up, follow orders. A simple lifestyle not requiring much thought.
"Wanna go get some chow?" Alex ate at pretty much every opportunity, making a point to keep her protein and calorie count up to maintain her strong physique.
"Yeah sure, why not. If I keep reading these comics at this rate, I won't have anything to do at the end of the mission."
Cedric cracked a small smile. Easy, breezy, low-thought days. He remained hopeful that his entire time with the UCSC would be like this. His life now was so much easier than it used to be, and he had someone he could rely on in tough situations. Her penchant for working out certainly didn't hurt none. He admired her, some days he wondered if he was even slowly, but surely, falling in love with her. But the pacing of their friendship was so comfortable, that romantic relations with Alex didn't appear often. Sure, he had his fantasies. Who doesn't after all? But those were for him, and him alone. Friendship was just fine. He enjoyed the rest of his 'day' before sleep time, casually talking at the cafeteria to Tern about his recent reads, and her gushing about the effectiveness of some new workout techniques she was trying. Seeing her happy made him happy, and he wondered if this was what love was supposed to feel like.
The rest of the mission went by nice and smooth, the days passing by just as he wished them to. He was looking forward to more operations, as the operation pay and hazard pay, as well as separation pay did wonders for his bank account. He often would go out to eat or get coffee with Tern, using his newfound funds to splurge on things he never dreamed of before. He'd considered calling his mom a few times during his service, but she made no attempt to contact him. No letters, to phone calls, not even a page or text. He figured at this point she'd completely forgotten about him. Maybe this was for the best, he thought. His upbringing was frankly, ass. Now though. He had a stable life and potential future ahead of him. One that he'd be proud of, and enjoy the benefits of a UCSC veteran status. Maybe he could get a cushy job somewhere, hell maybe even be an industrial technician since he technically now had experience in the field. Granted, this experience pretty much relied on his observations on the day-to-day and the few questions he'd ask the workers to keep small talk going. Should be more than easy enough to doctor up what he'd learned to make a convincing resume. That and a degree, of course.
It was only a month before his squad in the 108th was assigned a new mission. This one was much different than the one he'd just come back from a month prior. The situation was a lot less laid-back.
His entire battalion had been called to a meeting, these meetings were often to discuss strategy and operations during an assigned mission. What was strange was that it was battalion sized, meaning everyone was going to be involved. That was concerning. He followed his formation to the grand hall, a large building with barely comfortable benches designed for large-scale brief and debriefings. That, or yet another mandatory class on sexual harassment or teaching a lesson on why not to get drunk without a buddy with you that was at least half sober. There wasn't any such class meeting coming up that he knew of, meaning there was a large operation update - or worse.
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He sat with Alex in one of the many benches lined in the hall, taking a look really didn't leave much in the case of interesting detail. Polymetal walls, barely cushioned plastic benches, a boring wooden stage that was weathered and worse for wear - at least the deep blue stage curtains were nice. What Cedric saw next made it eyes slightly widen - it was General McJinte. This was most certainly not a good sign. The General briskly walked onto the stage, not wasting distance on his choice of movement. He gingerly tapped on the microphone centered in the middle of the stage. A large white board dropped from behind him, providing a screen for the holo-projector above to project onto. A mission briefing? Cedric's mind was filled with what ifs and wonders. He wasn't happy, because given the current situation - something big was about to go down. He looked around the hall, wondering if the other soldiers had the same feeling of unease and attention. Turns out, most did. Not surprising. McJinte's voice was low, but loud. He was clearly used to speaking not only to large audiences, but with certainty in his authority.
"Good day 108th. I am General McJinte, and it's a pleasure to speaking with you today."
He came off as nonchalant, the substantial ribbon rack on his dress uniform drawing much attention as he spoke. This was just another day for him, but for the soldiers in the booths - it was an energy of terrifying uncertainty. Did someone declare war, are we going to fight? What happened? Nobody knew. The energy made it obvious.
"I'm here to speak to you all about an important operation, 108th's leadership volunteered your battalion for this. You've trained long and hard to mold yourself into battle-hardened soldiers, and now it is time to make use of all of your training and experience to this point."
'This is... Really not good.' Fuller thought. The air was heavy with anticipation. It sounded like they were going to war. Or at least, something close to it. It was strange though - if the UCSC was on the brink of war, shouldn't they have heard something about tensions rising on the news? It didn't make sense to him. The projector became alight on the white material that had been dropped down a few minutes prior, showing a map of planets and their orbit within the inner asteroid belt. A large red circle was marked on one of the asteroids. Cedric had an idea of what this may be about, and if so, this was the biggest operation the 108th had ever done as of current times. At least one that he'd now know of. Alex wasn't faring well either, she was tightened and attentive to Cedric's side. Like many others were in the hall.
"Operation: Cadfall. As you may or may not know, part of the UCSC job is to keep our nation safe, and its people prosperous - but not everyone abides by the laws and regulations in place to keep her people safe. One of these forces is the Cadmium Cartel."
Cedric was familiar with the Cadmium Cartel. The terrible operation name warranted some thought, almost all operation names are completely benign - as to not hint at their purpose. In this case though, it seems that the leadership responsible for naming conventions got lazy. Either that, or it was named in such a way to suit another purpose that he was simply not aware of. The Cadmium Cartel was one of the few illegal organized crimes syndicates capable of giving the UCSC forces a run for their money. So dangerous, they were known to use explosive ordnance in their raids against the mining corporations' assets - plundering their riches. For better or for worse, they were once of the official groups that could be considered space pirates. The birth of which was foretold in popular video games and media in years passed. Hearing about it in such an official manner felt like a fever dream to Cedric, like something straight out of fantasy, but it wasn't fantasy. It was real - and he was IN it.
"This Cartel has been assaulting and killing innocent civilians over the years, but today we make our move. As you can see here, an asteroid has been circled. We believe that this is one of their major bases of operations, possibly a headquarters. The 108th has been assigned to this important duty, not only that but you have been chosen take a role in history. You will be the first to participate in a cryogenic operation."
Many of the soldiers paying attention let out audible gasps. Cryogenic technology had been on the cusp of completion for several years, but was never employed in any official capacity. Now it seems, it finally is - and Cedric's unit was to be the guinea pigs for the technology's first deployment. Murmurs resonated throughout the ranks, immediately questioning the validity and safety of such a technology. It made a lot more sense now why the battalion meeting in the hall was so sudden. Not only were they being officially deployed to a combat operation, but they were also using technology that up until this point - had only been science fiction. Now though, it seems that reality is finally catching up.
"As soldiers of the UCSC's 108th Drop Battalion, you will be heralding the future of military operations for mankind. You will be cryogenically frozen for only a month, rigorous testing over the course of several years has turned it into a proven technology that is safe, and effective. I wish I could be bestowed with a responsibly as generation-defining as this one. But alas, it is not the case. I hope that YOU - valiant soldiers of the UCSC Military - will love and appreciate this rare opportunity afforded only once in a lifetime."
This entire speech was fluffed, Cedric knew. It's not unknown that the military often end up being used as guinea pigs to test new and recent technologies, sometimes for several years before it gets released to the civilian sector. Medical most of all, as injuries on the battlefield are common and expected - making it perfect for a large-scale testbed. Any critical failures could simply be swept under the rug by officials and refined, continuing the cycle until the product is 'complete'. It felt extremely premature to use this technology in such an important operation, but as a lowly Private First Class, Cedric didn't exactly have a say in the matter.
The General went on and on, fluffing the operation before other officers took over the actual battle plan. It was relatively simple in thought. Transporting that many soldiers at once meant that a large vessel was required, and wasn't exactly the fastest vehicle in the depths of space. They'd cryo for a month enroute to the destination, then a week before the operation proceeds with the raid of the facility, everyone would be woken up. A combination of AI run programs and expert medical staff would monitor the soldiers for the duration, then perform exhaustive medical examinations to process how many would actually be fit for the operation. Turns out, only about half of the battalion would be needed to make it a success, but to account for how many soldiers may or may not be combat effective as a result of the cryogenic process, they are sending the entirety of the force. Large operations were not uncommon, but this certainly was a defining one.
Cedric couldn't sleep for a while, his mind heavy with the same feeling he felt at the start of his first official mission. They had three months to prepare before Operation: Cadfall was a go. Over the course of that time, the work week was heavy with gear prep and transport rules with regulations. What to do, what not to do, the press released a statement about a month after the operations was publicized - it wasn't specified what the military was actually doing, only that they were using cryogenic technology in an official fashion. The entirety of the UCSC was ablaze with the information, many both praising and condemning the use of the technology. Some of the more devout religious sects even claimed that being cryogencially frozen was the mark of the devil, condemning the souls who involved themselves with it to hell. More still, praying for the safety of the troops that'd undergo it.
The mess halls on post were no different. Many young souls being excited or terrified of the technology. Popular media burst with incorrect information relating to the technology, claiming it to have medical risks and cause cancer. Cedric found this amusing, everything caused cancer. Living caused cancer, but at least cancer treatment in the current day and age had a seventy percent success rate across the board. Gene therapy technology did a fantastical job of eliminating the damaged DNA of cancer cells, resounding with success. If of course you could afford the grotesque price of such treatment.
Time passed and it was finally time to begin. Cedric boarded the UCSC Vanguard. One of the highest advanced pieces of technology ever devised, probably costing three years worth of the entire defense budget to create. It was time for it to prove its worth. Because of its size, soldiers boarded the Vanguard in space via shuttles. The weight of the craft and its hyper-ions would make it nothing more than a massive, glorified paperweight if constructed planetside. Its size, armament, and technology rendering it one of the strongest vessels in the UCSC Fleet. Its interior was far nicer than any industrial vessel Cedric had boarded prior (even though there wasn't that many). Whitewashed polysteel hull complimented by many ropes and handles to make zero-g navigation possible. Net racks in the corridors held various supplies and tools for inboard repairs, as well as deployable barricades in the impossible event of a boarding action. All in all, this vessel class was one of the prides of the UCSC space based forces. Crew milled about in the black and silver digicamo uniforms, not designed for combat like the dedicated soldiers had - but rather comfort and utility. Civilians were marked with bright blue badges, most of them medical personnel. It felt more like a hospital at first upon his entry - no surprise, given the first mass use of cryogenics on living, breathing, human beings. Important military personnel oboard didn't help descale the matter. Cedric had never seen so many colonels and other officers before, the amount of salutes given (when possible) in zero-g made his arm tire by the end of it. He could tell that Alex was in the same boat, minus the arm tiring - he thought.
About a week passed underway before the cryogenic process was begun. He'd gotten somewhat used to navigating the many rooms and corridors within the vessel, at least the important ones such as the cryo rooms, the mess hall, the bunks, and the entertainment center. Cedric was expecting a rousing speech before they began the cryo process, but it seems it wasn't deemed important enough to do so. He now stood before his cryo pod, Alex's being next to his. They were given thirty minutes to relax and communicate with their fellow soldiers, the air was heavy with anticipation. It was a very real possibility that most of them would not come back from the defrost. With no one else to turn to, he turned to Alex. The only person that actually gave a damn about him.
"Hey Alex, uh."
"Yeah?"
He looked deep into her brown eyes. Memorized her face, her gaze, her speech, everything. She was always privy to short-medium hair. Her raven black locks always complimented her tan skin. It was easy to tie them away when in uniform.
"I guess this is it?"
"I suppose so. I'm not worried, I think. I hope we come out of these things alive."
"You think we wouldn't? If it was that bad I don't think they'd have us use them."
"Maybe, but honestly I don't want to think about it."
"That's fair. Whether we like it or not, we're about to go in these things."
"Do you think we'll dream? Like a good night's rest?"
"I'm not sure, I think it'll be more like being unconcious. Like when you get knocked out for a root canal, or getting your wisdom teeth removed."
"That doesn't sound as fun."
"Alex, I wanna say something."
"Hm?"
Cedric began to sweat, and his mind grew hazy. He'd never had a heart to heart with someone before. Was it possible to screw this up? He didn't think so. But what if.. No, this was now or never. Especially since... He may never talk to her again after this. It was a slim possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. He was pretty sure they'd be fine and he was overthinking it, worst case she'd think he's a bit weird when they were thawed. Knowing Alex Tern though, she'd understand. She was smart, and had an open mind.
"If it wasn't for you, I don't think I'd still be here."
"Is that so? I don't think I've heard you this serious before. You good?"
"Yeah it's just. The years kinds flew by I guess. Now we're about to be frozen and thawed like a slab of meat during a bargain bin sale. Then after that, we get to go into a very real and dangerous combat situation. So I figured, now or never right?"
She remained respectfully silent, and simply nodded.
"Even after we became friends, the others never really hung out with me or talked to me. So I think, if it wasn't for you, I'd be a lot more depressed. Dissatisfied. Maybe even a technical traitor from giving up. It's stressful, being ousted because of being different. I thought you were a jock at first, when I met you."
"Bruh."
Cedric couldn't help but laugh out loud at her response. He knew that she was trying to be attentive and respectful, while portraying her surprise in a not-so-obvious way.
"But now, I think, that because we got to know each other we helped each other for the better - and that's important to me. Because... I really thought that I wouldn't get to know anyone well and just be by myself for the next four years. I guess sometimes, you just need someone to actually give a damn about you to keep you going - you know?"
Alex remained silent, not only from intently listening to his feelings - but also because she wasn't sure how to respond.
"So. Thank you for that. Thanks for not being an asshole to me."
Cedric refocused his vision on her, and noticed she was on the brink of tears. Seeing that, his eyes began to well in turn.
"Jesus fucking christ, man."
She wiped her eyes to no avail.
"God damn it."
She straightened up as best she could, and struggled to find a response.
"That's. Yeah, no problem. Fucking... come here."
She embraced him in a heartfelt embrace, a deep hug that caught him off guard. This kind of affection wasn't a normality for her, at least in his experience. Then again, him pouring his heart out was also out of the norm. Some clapping resounded from behind them, a mockery of them showing affection to one another. It pissed off Cedric, but that's just how things were in the military. They stayed in their hug and ignored the clapping for a few blissful more moments, then of course Alex was the first to say something to the crowd.
"Oh fuck off, we're about to be frozen for a fucking month in a shitty freezer - go hug yourselves or some shit."
The clap ended shortly, first out of surprise - then realization as the hive mind considered her words. She wasn't wrong, this is reality, and the majority knew that deep down - they may not come back. To Cedric and Alex's surprise, her words weren't met with a retort - but rather, they followed suit. Some hugged their brothers and sisters in arms, some made time for reminiscing about their times together and going out - some asking each other what they think the scores for the next big games are gonna be while they were frozen. A few more minutes went by and the PA sounded off - instructing soldiers to begin the cryogenic freezing process. Cedric stood before his pod, and looked past a medical technician to Alex's pod. An unsure look happened upon his face, he didn't want to go in. It didn't feel right. Alex smiled.
"Let's get this shit done."
Cedric smiled back, with her at his side, things would go well. He backed into the pod and took a deep breath - the chill already beginning to penetrate his suit. He stared at the medical technician, most likely a nurse - judging by the man's age.
"OK so, it's gonna get real chilly and you'll start shivering. But you'll be fine! Hypothermia is a natural side effect of the temperature, but we'll make sure your organs don't shut down from the cold. You're going to feel a prick in your arm when the door closes, that's an oxygenated nutrient fluid to keep your cells alive and healthy - supplying oxygen and carbohydrates, with a mix of vitamins and minerals of course. You'll feel a second prick in your left arm, that will remove waste and carbon dioxide from your blood. You won't technically need oxygen, but you'll feel like you're suffocating if you can't breath - so your face will be covered with a breathing mask to keep you comfortable until you pass out. Any questions?"
"Yeah, can you put that in a way that doesn't sound fucking terrifying? This is some dystopian shit, man."
Part of Cedric's humor was his body making light of the situation, in order to relieve stress and concern. Regardless of what he wanted, he was going through with this now. The nurse simply politely laughed at his response.
"You'll be fine, I promise. You get to take a month-long nap while we have to stay awake and be bored the entire time."
"Hm, well yeah I guess if you put it that way you get the ass end of the deal. I get to be a month younger than you too."
They both politely laughed at one another, trying their best to de-escalate the stress. It was a relieving bit of humanity for the both of them.
"Well, I'm ready. Send it."
The nurse nodded, and Cedric closed his eyes. Praying to whatever god that cared enough about him to ensure he woke up. He tried to ignore the machine verbalizing the cryo process, most of the terminology was alien to him. The door closed in front of him and began to feel the chill of the chamber. His heart began to race, and he took deep, concentrated breaths to try and calm himself down. After what felt like an eternity, he felt the pricks in both of his arms - whatever cold concoction they devised filling his vessels. He began to panic, despite his best attempts to calm himself down. The breathing mask the nurse mentioned fell on his face, and filled his lungs with glorious oxygen. He opened his eyes, and stared through the glass. The nurse met his gaze and gave him a thumbs up with a smile. A laugh escaped his throat, more stress relief. Cedric waited for a moment, then gave the nurse a thumbs up. He responded with a nod, and tapped on his pad. Shortly after, Cedric breathed in an almost sour-like air from the mask - and grew sleepy. Nitrous Oxide, most likely. Seems he'll be unconcious like at a dentist's office after all. Shortly after, his world was nothing but blackness.