Chapter 19

"I feel like they don't give out enough food." Jae looked at his empty tray. "I used to always eat more than this, and I'm in good shape, so I think their health argument is out the door."

Kristie moved some of her fruit and slices of chicken onto his plate. "I don't need as much food as you, so you can have mine."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be hungry."

Growl. His stomach whined.

"I think it's obvious you're the hungry one here." She shifted another piece over to his plate.

Elias sighed and stared out the window, wondering if they'd be like that all the time.

"If you wanted some, too, you could've just said so." Kristie gave him a piece of chicken.

"I know you get hungrier than I do, so you keep it." Elias gave it back.

"Fine," she huffed and ate the chicken. "Next time, I won't offer."

"I think there should just be a way to request more food if you're hungry." Jae sighed and ate the food Kristie gave him. "Shouldn't have to rely on others for more food in this society. Unless, is there food scarcity? It would make sense, then."

"In the past, decades ago, there was, but when AI took over, it fixed that, too. I think the limit is both for help and to make sure there's less food waste. I heard about people who used to pile their plates high, not finish their food, and dump the rest instead of keeping it as leftovers," Elias explained. "From what I've heard, it's still working to increase supplies of things like honey." He glanced at Kristie.

"So I want more honey in my tea, sue me." Kristie sighed, wondering if her taste buds would ever get used to the flavour of any tea other than fruit tea.

"Anyway." Elias waved her away. "There isn't a scarcity for most food now. There's top of the line technology that works on the farms, using drones to spray, and scientists have worked with it to create more weather resistant food."

"Cool." Jae nodded, glad to find more good from AI. "Hey, do you think I could see in there? Or would that be too risky? I mean... we're right here." He motioned to the cryo room.

"They took off the restrictions, so I could let you in, but they'll know we went in."

"As long as..." Jae waved his hand over his face. "You know?"

"I guess."

"It's been a while; I wouldn't mind going in there, too," Kristie said.

"Even though you can't see your precious?"

Kristie gave him a light shove and avoided eye contact with Jae. Did he have to put it that way?

"So, we can go in?" Jae asked again, wishing he could tell her she could see him at home.

"Fine, but if anyone asks, you two coerced me into it."

"Don't I always?" Kristie smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Why do I feel like everyone we know here knows it?" Elias sighed, set his tray down, and unlocked the cryo room door. "After you." He waved his hand.

Jae looked around the cryo room as he entered. Rows of pods filled it up, each linked to a computer. "Quite a few people here. Were they all fatally wounded like I was?"

"Not sure; I'd have to check each one. It is possible that's how they decided on who was kept in here."

Kristie walked over to Jae's empty pod, gliding her hand over the smooth, cold surface. How many times did I visit him? If Elias never invited me in to satisfy my curiosity, I never would've met Jae. Would he have still made it out that day? What would he have done, then? Would he have been captured or still found his way in this world?

"Kristie? Are you okay?" Jae asked, noticing she hadn't moved for a while.

"Hmm? Yeah, I was just thinking. Remembering, really."

"I guess this is where you first met me." Jae looked at the pod. "Not that I remember this thing, other than leaving it."

"Was the door to it open or did you open from inside?" Tempted to climb in and see how it is, but what if it auto-closes on me?

Jae held onto his head as he thought back. "I swear it was opening as I came to."

"Wonder how you were able to move right away. Figured a frozen person would take a while to defrost and move again or something."

"If the system kicks in, it doesn't take long to defrost and for the person to regain their functions," Elias explained. "That said, I've only heard about it in theory. Everyone here's always been frozen asleep since I've worked here."

"Should I get in and see if it helps me remember? It hasn't been that long, but that day already feels like a bit of a blur."

"That's probably normal. Your mind was probably still in la-la land when you got out. Discombobulated and wondering who you were, where you were, and what was going on. I can only imagine that being terrifying experience. When they finally let someone out, there was supposed to be someone here to help them through the process. There's a training and education session listed in the system for... defrosters."

"I see. There's no way to find out how I got out, right?"

Elias shrugged, thinking about Kristie's spilt drink, but wondering if something more was behind it. "I don't know. None of the others figured it out. I think they've even moved on from it already. At first, there was worry about where you went, but everyone's too busy with their own research to care anymore."

"If only that meant AI was done looking for—"

"Guys, should you really be talking like that?" Kristie pointed to the camera in the corner.

Jae cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry; I forgot myself when I saw the pod."

"We should get out of here before security shows up." Elias ushered them out.

This can't be good. We keep slipping up.

"Lunch time is almost over; get back to work."

"But what about—"

"Go, Kristie. You don't want to be late and be a bad example for your students."

Like they'd care. "Fine, but... be careful."

The red light from AI glowed extra as they left the cryo room.