Cyber Shadow By: Megan Wilson

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Part 1: The Accident
Alexa wasn't thinking about death. In fact, she was thinking the complete opposite.

Her phone was hooked into the cars wireless network, allowing her call to be broadcasted throughout the car. “Hey, Mom. I’m almost there. What's up with Siri?”

“You know about her having my first grandchild this past week. You know if you really don't find some time off from that job of yours, you're never gonna give me a second grandchild.” Alexa rolled her eyes. She worked with the CDC as a Medical Microbiologist. Currently, she was working on creating a cure for the Ebola epidemic in Africa. With her long hours, she didn't have time to socialize with anyone outside her workplace.

Alexa quickly lost signal on the back roads of her native mountain home. Approaching a blind turn, Alexa slowed down accordingly. The same couldn't be said for the drunk driver approaching from the other side of that turn. He crossed over

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into Alexa’s lane as he entered the blind turn. Alexa didn't see the other car until it was too late. With a squeal of tires and the sound of broken glass, the cars collided.

The EMTs extracted Alexa from the baby clothes that she hadn't wrapped for Christmas. After arriving at the local hospital, she fell into a coma. When the ER doctor found the small bracelet on her wrist, he almost didn't believe it. Alexa had agreed to be part off a study into cryonics.

Part 2: Paradise Gained
Alexa didn't know what happened. One second she was in a car crash, not there was some kind of oxygen mask on her face. Opening her hazel eyes, Alexa realized that she was submerged in some kind of liquid. Suddenly, the liquid started to drain out around her, revealing glass walls separating her from the rest of the room. Looking down revealed that she was wearing a white sports bra with matching shorts. The glass was curved and opened on unseen hinges with a hiss. Stepping out Alexa felt utterly exposed and alone. 

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into Alexa’s lane as he entered the blind turn. Alexa didn't see the other car until it was too late. With a squeal of tires and the sound of broken glass, the cars collided.

The EMTs extracted Alexa from the baby clothes that she hadn't wrapped for Christmas. After arriving at the local hospital, she fell into a coma. When the ER doctor found the small bracelet on her wrist, he almost didn't believe it. Alexa had agreed to be part off a study into cryonics.

Part 2: Paradise Gained
Alexa didn't know what happened. One second she was in a car crash, not there was some kind of oxygen mask on her face. Opening her hazel eyes, Alexa realized that she was submerged in some kind of liquid. Suddenly, the liquid started to drain out around her, revealing glass walls separating her from the rest of the room. Looking down revealed that she was wearing a white sports bra with matching shorts. The glass was curved and opened on unseen hinges with a hiss. Stepping out Alexa felt utterly exposed and alone. 

She was in a lab similar to the one she worked in at the CDC. Of course, there was some technology that was different than the kind she was used to at her job, but Alexa was confident that she could work it if she was asked to. Behind her hydraulics whirred. Turning around Alexa saw a robot that was as white as snow. It emitted a feeling that it was just as cold. Alexa tried to yelp in fright but found that her throat was unwilling to cooperate. The robot waited until she stopped coughing before addressing Alexa.

“Alexa, according to your information you agreed to be part of a cryonic study in 2020. It is now 2120, and you have successfully been awakened from your near-fatal coma. Unfortunately, the doctors were unable to fix all the damage from the car crash. Along with periods of muscle weakness, you are also suffering from damage to your vocal cords due to a brain injury.” Leaving a stack of clothes on a table the android left the room to wait for Alexa to get dressed in more appropriate attire.

After Alexa came out of the lab she looked at the

plaque by the door. An electronic message continually scrolled across the miniature screen, reading “Animated Suspension Lab”. The same android was waiting for her. After handing her a standard-issue tablet and wireless charger the android led Alexa up a flight of steps and into a general holding area for the recently reanimated.

Once Alexa was safely in the holding area the android said “Find yourself a bunk. I’ll come back when it's time for your interview.”

Walking through the room was hard on Alexa, grouped by year, there was no consideration about sex or gender. As most people put on ice during 2020 were males, Alexa kept getting catcalls and offers to bunk with everybody. Lines after lines of bunk beds stretched out before Alexa. After everybody had quieted down, Alexa chose a bunk near the back. She took the bottom bunk as the top one was occupied by an Irish male. Alexa’s first act of 2120 was to turn on her tablet.

A smaller tablet, it opened to Alexa’s fingerprint. It

plaque by the door. An electronic message continually scrolled across the miniature screen, reading “Animated Suspension Lab”. The same android was waiting for her. After handing her a standard-issue tablet and wireless charger the android led Alexa up a flight of steps and into a general holding area for the recently reanimated.

Once Alexa was safely in the holding area the android said “Find yourself a bunk. I’ll come back when it's time for your interview.”

Walking through the room was hard on Alexa, grouped by year, there was no consideration about sex or gender. As most people put on ice during 2020 were males, Alexa kept getting catcalls and offers to bunk with everybody. Lines after lines of bunk beds stretched out before Alexa. After everybody had quieted down, Alexa chose a bunk near the back. She took the bottom bunk as the top one was occupied by an Irish male. Alexa’s first act of 2120 was to turn on her tablet.

A smaller tablet, it opened to Alexa’s fingerprint. It

was already fully charged and full of information about the great society that she was going to be introduced to. Alexa quickly saw past the goody two shoe image the information on the tablet projected. No Society was this perfect. There was no Utopia without its flaws. Searching the internet came back with the same goody two shoe image. Alexa cracked her neck, wondering how hard it would be to hack past the filters. Having been a part-time white-hat hacker, Alexa knew how to get the information she wanted. A redhead from the top bunk interrupted her thoughts. 

“Hello, who in the world are you?” With green, inquisitive eyes the Irishman turned his attention on Alexa. Forgetting about the damage to her throat she tried to reply. After another coughing fit, Alexa took a deep breath and drawing upon her shakey knowledge of ASL, signed her name.

“What's that mean, Alexa?” The man apparently had a humorous streak. Seeing Alexa's blank stare back, he realized she had no idea how to speak in ASL. “Yo, it’s alright. I actually taught sign

language back in Ireland. Right before falling into a coma trying to pull my brother out of a bar fight. I can teach you if you want.”

Alexa frantically nodded her head yes. “Alright, Alexa. My name's Johnny.” Johnny swung himself onto the bottom bunk and started teaching Alexa ASL.

Part 3: Utopia Lost
Alexa had already mastered much of the ASL that Johnny had taught her. She had turned her attention to hacking past the filters to get truthful answers on the internet. It was late at night and many of the others were asleep. The little light that was in the room was from a couple of people surfing the web late at night. A small click told Alexa that she had managed to hack through the filters. Knowing that an administrative network would quickly reinstate the filters and create a better firewall to prevent her from getting through again, she worked quickly to create a back door. Backing off, she let the administrative patch the damage she did. Making her tablet a ghost, Alexa was sure she cast suspicion away

language back in Ireland. Right before falling into a coma trying to pull my brother out of a bar fight. I can teach you if you want.”

Alexa frantically nodded her head yes. “Alright, Alexa. My name's Johnny.” Johnny swung himself onto the bottom bunk and started teaching Alexa ASL.

Part 3: Utopia Lost
Alexa had already mastered much of the ASL that Johnny had taught her. She had turned her attention to hacking past the filters to get truthful answers on the internet. It was late at night and many of the others were asleep. The little light that was in the room was from a couple of people surfing the web late at night. A small click told Alexa that she had managed to hack through the filters. Knowing that an administrative network would quickly reinstate the filters and create a better firewall to prevent her from getting through again, she worked quickly to create a back door. Backing off, she let the administrative patch the damage she did. Making her tablet a ghost, Alexa was sure she cast suspicion away

from her. For good measure, she infected other tablets with a harmless virus that did nothing but bounce her signal. Satisfied with the night’s work, she went to bed.

Everyone was awakened the next morning when a commotion sounded outside the holding areas door. A voice came over the hidden speakers in the wall, “Please remain calm. A known criminal was apprehended today and needs to be reintroduced into society. As this holding area has the extra room it was decided that he could stay here.”

The door opened and the criminal in question was pushed into the room. Everybody started jeering at him. The complete opposite of Alexa’s arrival. Making his way towards Alexa he chose the bunk bed next to her and Johnny and laid down facing her. Johnny was out at his interview for his reintroduction into society. If he was chosen for an occupation he wouldn’t stay in the holding area but would be moved to a halfway house until he got back onto his feet.

Alexa gave a tentative wave to the stranger, who snorted and turned his back to her. Shrugging it off, Alexa turned on the tablet and pulled up her favorite game, Temple Run 2. It automatically pulled up to the Frozen Shadows area. Alexa hit the play button and her avatar, Scarlett Fox in a mountaineering outfit featuring the foxy ears hat, ran out of the temple with the demon monkey behind her. Alexa almost didn’t notice the stranger turn around at her jerky movements as she moved left and right. Purposely ending her run she offered the tablet to him. The guy didn’t even make it past the first obstacle. Silently chuckling to herself, Alexa took the tablet back, and holding the screen towards him, taught him to play Temple Run 2.

After beating Alexa’s high score, the criminal turned to Alexa and held out his hand. “I’m Pierre, what’s your name?” Alexa looked at him sadly, before typing out her story.

Pierre calmly read her story before telling her about himself. How the society they were about to be introduced into had gotten rid of climate