[ WP ] Write me that one story you 've always wanted to tell . The story that 's stuck in your mind , but never really got onto page .

The only thing I know for certain right now is that I'm not supposed to be awake. The computer keeps telling me that my pod only opened as a safety precaution. *Bad data* caused a sensor misread which triggered a failsafe which caused me to wake up. 
 
 But I'm not supposed to *be* awake. And the computer wo n't shut up about it. 
 
 **Please return to your pod for the duration of the journey, Number 228-F.** 
 
 `` Journey. To. *Where*?'' 
 
 And then it goes silent again. Or goes back to the beginning, explaining why this whole thing is just a mistake so please get back in the pod Mr. 228-F. But I'm not going back because I have no idea what the hell is going on and the computer wo n't tell me. 
 
 **I am caretaker protocol only. I am not authorized to answer questions related to anything other than your present physical status. As previously noted, you are not scheduled to be released from HT-sleep until this vessel has successfully reached its programmed coordinates. ** 
 
 `` Which are what?'' 
 
 **I am not authorized to provide that information. I am caretaker protocol only. ** 
 
 So the computer's no help. Here's what I *do* know. 
 
 I'm not alone. That part did n't require much detective work. There are three other pods besides mine. The casing's sort of frosted over, but I can tell it's two women and one man. The guy looks pretty bulky. One lady's got what looks like a tattoo of a constellation on her face. The other looks like a blank slate with hair. There's something taped to the inside of her shielding, but I ca n't see what it is from the back. 
 
 Also, the computer's not full of shit when he says we're all supposed to stay in freeze from start to finish. This ship is *tiny*. Or... scratch that, actually. I do n't know how big the ship is. All I know is that the chamber with the four pods is tiny and does n't seem to connect to anything else. There's literally no place to go. So maybe this is just a little room in a big ship, or, more likely, this is just a really small automated ship, big enough to fly and carry around four people-pops. 
 
 **Please note: there is no dedicated source for atmosphere aboard this ship. The atmosphere you are experiencing has been generated by your pod. Your pod, however, has been designed to meet the requirements of a single occupant under stasis. ** 
 
 `` Are you saying I breathe too much?'' 
 
 **At present rates of consumption, you will deplete the available supply of breathable atmosphere in 31 hours, 12 minutes. ** 
 
 `` You're gon na let me die? I thought you were a caretaker?'' 
 
 **That is the limit of the functionality of your pod's life support system under the present conditions. You are advised to return to your pod and resume HT-sleep. ** 
 
 `` Yeah, yeah.'' 
 
 I keep waiting for something to come back to me. Some explanation of what I'm doing on this ship. But I've got nothing. I have a vague sense of who I used to be, but no specifics. No events. I'm assuming this is all a side effect of the HT-sleep, but I'm not even sure of that. The computer says it has no insight into my mental state, only basic physical functions. 
 
 `` Is it prison or something? War? You have to know where the hell we're going.'' 
 
 **I am caretaker protocol only. I have no interconnectivity with any of this ship's other functions, including navigational protocol. You will now run out of breathable atmosphere in 31 hours, 2 minutes. ** 
 
 `` Do you at least understand *why* I do n't want to get back in the pod?'' 
 
 **I do not have access to the systems required to answer that question. ** 
 
 `` Well, I'm sorry. But no can do.'' 
 
 I do nothing for a while. I have a sneaking suspicion this `` caretaker protocol'' knows more than it's saying. It has to, right? Why would all these systems be completely independent and fully ignorant of each other? Who builds a ship like this? And if amnesia's a common side effect, why would n't you program the damn thing to answer a few simple questions? 
 
 `` I'm gon na break one of them out.'' I pick the blank slate. She's seems like she'd be the easiest to subdue if she does n't take to defrosting quite as smoothly as I did. 
 
 **Do not manipulate or damage the other pods. Stay back from the other pods. ** 
 
 `` I want answers. That's all. Answer my questions and I'll get back in my pod.'' 
 
 **I am caretaker protocol only. I am not... ** 
 
 `` I know. I know.'' I search the pod up and down, looking for a way in. The edges are sealed smooth. There's no handle. Not even any buttons to push. `` No chance I can talk you into opening this one up, is there?'' 
 
 **The pods can not be opened until arrive at... ** 
 
 `` *Never-goddamn-mind. *'' I smash into the pod, shoulder first. It flinches back in its cradle - just a bit. It's enough to give me hope. I ram it again and again. 
 
 **You are in danger of causing catastrophic bone, joint, and muscle damage. Do not manipulate or damage the other pods. Oxygen intake has increased. You will now run out of breathable atmosphere in 27 hours, 21 minutes. ** 
 
 Over and over, I smash into the pod. It's the only thing I can do. It's the only hope I have. I ca n't just get back into that pod. I ca n't. Where am I going? I mean, *where the fuck am I going*? 
 
 By the time I finally stop I ca n't feel my arm anymore. 
 
 **No reading. Number 228-G has perished. Diverting power from pod. ** 
 
 `` What?'' The light inside the pod dims, then goes black. The frost clears almost instantly. `` What happened?'' 
 
 **Number 228-G has perished. Her pod's life support system was damaged. She was deprived of atmosphere and perished. ** 
 
 This is a joke. This is some sick, stupid joke. 
 
 My arm's useless, so I use my legs, kicking at the two remaining pods, one after the other. The computer screams the same warnings over and over, but it's all just a joke. A sick, dumb joke. My knee twists and I fall over, breathing hard. 
 
 `` What a joke. What a joke.'' 
 
 I spit on the ground, then stumble into my pod. `` I do n't care. I do n't care. Close it. Freeze me. I do n't care.'' 
 
 The shielding slips into place. There's something taped to the clear plastic in front of me, just at head height. It's a picture. A picture of a plain woman. But she is n't plain, is she? She just looked plain... just on first glance. On first glance she looks almost blank, but there's a light in her eyes and mischief in her smile and if you look long enough you may just... fall in love... 
 
 The cold comes, but just a second too late. Because now I remember. Oh god... I *remember*...
