Two days in the Can. That's the unofficial term for the Vortex-Entry Couches. See also "torture", "claustrophobia", and "really, truly weird." Studies show that entering a Time-Vortex creates enough pressure to simulate roughly twenty G's. Suffice to say, that's enough to make this skinny guy's bones crack. So they put us in the Can and fill it up with liquid that's supposed to insulate us from the G-forces.
What I can tell you about it isn't pretty. You have to strip naked and you're given a shot. I'm not allowed to say what the shot is, but once you have it, breathing becomes nearly impossible. It's like air has become anathema to you. Once the liquid – which is a pale purple goop with the consistency of maple syrup – fills your tank, you can breathe it. I panicked the first time I tried this, I won't lie. I thought I was going to drown and die right there in front of my nine other crew mates. Pretty pathetic.
Luckily I wasn't the only one having trouble. I can't describe the crew yet, but I can say it was one of the women. She recovered quicker than I did though.
After that the whole ordeal got easier. I can't say I will ever get used to it, it's frightening as hell and completely unnatural. You have to make yourself breathe. In the Can your automatic functions don't work like they normally do. It will definitely take some getting used to but there aren't too many Time-Vortex insertions on this trip, or so I'm told.
We're fed through imbibing the goop in the Can. It's basically a nutrient bath as well as an acceleration cushion. I won't get into waste disposal, thank you very much. I'm happy you can't see inside those things.
More tests are imminent as the launch comes nearer. For those counting at home, we are t-minus sixteen days until the Icarus breaks orbit from Luna. These will be the last fifteen days I spend on Earth before I ship out to Luna Station and go aboard.
Fifteen days to say goodbye to all of this. What would you do? Cover your eyes kids, because I'm talking to the adults right now. I'm going to spend it drinking and getting laid before the libido inhibitors kick in.
This entry was posted in Icarus, Original Fiction, Science Fiction and tagged Can, Earth, epic, G-Forces, genetics, goop, Icarus, Luna, Luna Station, Michael Lee, NASA, original fiction, Science Fiction, SciFi, space, space opera, Time-Vortex, Vortex-Entry couches, William Shriver. Bookmark the permalink.