Goodbye, April

The 'Rescue Two' spaceship catapulted by skyhook to Titan. The crews' mission was to begin a terraforming project, to migrate 50% of the world's population there. The other 50% would go to Mars being terraformed by 'Rescue One.'

Earth in about a century would become uninhabitable … Meanwhile, the split migration would provide a fault-tolerance for future humanity's fate as 2.0.

Captain Jason Merrick spoke to his crew over the intercom:

"We should arrive at Titan in approximately seven years. Cryosleep will nourish us, and we'll enter a virtual grid. I must remind all of you what the psychologists told us, 'The grid is like a lucid dream, be sure to sleep with happy thoughts.' However, you can request in your mind that April initiate a 'Memory Erasure Protocol' if you encounter a nightmarish scenario. I wish you all the best, and I'll see you again, orbiting Titan! Merrick out."

The crew clapped and cheered while entering their cryosleep chambers.

"Captain Merrick, your cryopod is ready," said April, the ship's AI.

"Thank you, April. Wake me up if there's an emergency."

————

Jason's (deceased) wife, Susan, sat next to him on a couch and held his hand. "Jason, I've got bad news. The doctor said my cancer metastasized. I've only got a few months."

"No, you don't..." Jason closed his eyes.

"Jason isn't that wonderful. I'm cancer-free!" Susan hugged him.

...

"Father, father!" cried out Marsha, Jason's (deceased) daughter. She was cradling her puppy in her arms that was hit by a drunk driver—and she too got critically injured trying to save him. The dog whimpered and convulsed.

Jason grabbed them both and took them to the lawn, then he placed his hands on the dog's head and his daughter's forehead and closed his eyes. "Be well."

Marsha smiling, stood next to Jason with the puppy in her arms. "Watch this, father." She put the puppy on the lawn. "Sit up and speak!" The dog sat up, barked, and wagged his tail.

"That's great, Marsha!" Jason petted the puppy. "Good boy!"

...

As the years went on, Jason learned to manipulate his virtual life to perfection, while, for authenticity's sake, his encounters seemed random, and yet, he could play as his own deity, changing the conditions at will.

————

Jason was awakened by April and heard the ship's alarms blaring.

"Captain Merrick, we've been hit by a large asteroid. The laser defense system failed to destroy it, and it penetrated our shields," stated April.

"What are our chances of recovery?" asked Jason.

"My nanites cannot auto repair the ship, Captain. It's sustained too much damage. Shall I awake the crew?"

Jason looked at a status screen showing a large hull breach. "It took out the atmospheric systems. This isn't repairable by anyone." He then closed his eyes and thought, 'repair,' but the alarms kept blaring. 'Damn it! This is really happening.'

"Captain, sir, shall I awake the crew?" repeated April.

"Negative on that, April. Let them sleep. When do you estimate complete life support failure?"

"In approximately 12 hours, emergency oxygen supplies will deplete, and in 48 hours, radiation exposure will destroy all biospecimens, including the crew, and my circuits."

"April, send a message to Earth about our status. I'm going back into cryosleep. But I want you to do me a favor."

"Yes, sir?"

"Initiate the Memory Erasure Protocol, the one for nightmares. I don't want to remember this accident."

"Yes, sir, once you enter the pod, you won't remember any of this. Goodbye, sir."

"Goodbye, April."