Chapter Text
The beeping white noise was the first thing Taehyung recognizes.
He can feel an oxygen mask tightly secured on his face.
It's weird, though. He feels like he was floating. Something heavy were also placed on his eyes, barring him from opening them.
Then there's the muffled voices. They sounded panicked? Excited?
He can't really hear what they were saying.
It was like he was submerged. Underwater?
He then felt awfully tired again, the sensation lulling him once again to sleep.
The next time he gains consciousness, it is the scent of disinfectant that attacks his nose.
He also feels like he was now lying down, that large oxygen mask was replaced by a nasal cannula.
He then felt someone rustling beside him, observing him closely.
"He's really gaining consciousness! He's waking up!" That someone exclaims as they seem to rush away from him.
It took some time before he opened his eyes.
Frowning at the figure in full on medical suits in front of him.
"Hello. My name is Park Jimin, head resident of this facility, and this is my apprentice, Jeon Jungkook. Can you understand me?" A man in the white suit introduced himself.
"It looks like it can't. The brain scans seem normal... do you think it's empty?" The one in blue beside him commented.
Taehyung frowned at the insinuation.
"That's rude for an introduction, and yes, I can understand you perfectly." He groggily answered voice hoarser than usual.
The two then jolted at his response.
Jimin then gathered his composure and asked more.
"Can you give me some the details you know about yourself and the last thing you
remember?"
"My name is Kim Taehyung. I'm the Chief Engineer at the Beyond The Stars Technology Center. I was on the dock, checking on some engine problems... then I was struck by something from my back, and everything went black." As he answered, he felt a searing pain on his temples.
"...how ingenious, clipping his memories with an accident." The one named Jungkook whispered, which earned an elbow from Jimin.
Jimin then paused for a while, seemingly deep in thought. He breathed soundly before speaking again.
"Taehyung-ssi... I need you to understand that you were in... a very deep sleep for a long period of time. We need to conduct several tests and examinations..."
✨️🌌
124 years.
That's how long he has been asleep.
30 days.
That's how long he was being quarantined and observed in a white glass room.
Various examinations and blood tests were also done. None of the staff there were engaging in a conversation with him aside from the first two he encountered.
On the last days, he felt like a lab rat being gawked at.
When he was cleared of everything, a man in gray uniform with brown hair and gentle eyes appeared in front of him.
Jimin quickly reintroduced himself.
Apparently, Taehyung was the first one who used the cryogenic machine.
Jimin explained how every time they tried to wake him, his vitals always got unstable, leading to his hundred years of sleep.
Jimin guided him in transferring into a more human like accommodation, away from that glass room.
When he stepped outside, he saw that it was literally a one-way mirror, clearly a room to observe him. With the tiny toilet as the only exception. He felt disgusted being observed like that.
His new room is now located in the staff quarters. Being more private and accommodating.
Jimin left once again to let Taehyung relax and settle. Promising he will explain more details tomorrow.
He took a long and relaxing bath, feeling exhausted all of a sudden.
As he looked at himself at the tiny mirror on the bathroom, he felt something was off.
He looks younger than what he remembers.
Maybe it was the effect of the cryo?
Taehyung had a lot of questions.
Are there others like him?
How's the space project he was leading?
And the most important of all. Did he come back?
A pit on his stomach forms upon remembering that someone. The possibility of seeing them again is now more bleak.
The next day, Jimin showed up with Jungkook. Apparently, the chief director wanted to meet him. He offered to answer some of Taehyung's questions as they walked to the main building.
First, there's only 10 people who underwent a cryogenic experiment. 7 of them successfully woken up, while 3 succumb to their pre-existing health conditions.
None of them slept as long as him, though. The second longest is just 20 years.
That's why one of their main concerns was his immunity. They were afraid his immune system would not have been able to keep up with the current environment, hence the reason for his isolation.
The other effects of the cryo sleep that was as long as Taehyung's were not yet established. So, Jimin can not give him more.
As to the project he was handling before the accident, it was successful. He further explained that the area they were in is the biomedical department of the Beyond The Stars Technology Center.
As they crossed the glass wing, he finally had a clear view of the skies. His first glimpse of the outside world after a hundred years.
There up in the sky was a ring like structure, visible even during the day light. Taehyung can't hide his surprise at the level of advancement the earth achieved in just a century.
"We were able to reach the stars, all thanks to you. You were named as the father of modern space technology." Jimin started, "Right now, we have a newly established colony on Mars."
"I did nothing but sleep." Taehyung can't get himself to accept the praise, not remembering anything.
"Oh, believe me, Sir Kim Taehyung deserves that title." Jungkook, who was quiet the entire time, chimes in.
Jimin glares at his his apprentice while Taehyung gets a bit confused with the way Jungkook is addressing him. His attention is quickly gotten by a fast-moving shuttle that was shot up onto the sky
"That's from...." Those white flames on the thrusters were too familiar to him.
"Alien's technology." Jimin added. "You remember that, right?"
"Yes..." How can he even forget? "That's exactly what I was working with at the time of my accident."
He can sense that jolt of pain again.
"And you succeeded!" Jimin exclaims, "I'm not into space engineering, but Taehyung-ssi, you replicated it so perfectly!"
Jungkook rolls his eyes while Taehyung lets out a small smile as Jimin gushes.
"The aliens helped us a lot, though." Jungkook added.
That immediately piqued Taehyung's attention.
"They came back? When? Where are they? Did they stay?"
The sudden enthusiasm surprise them that Taehyung felt a bit embarrassed. Jimin cleared his throat to regain his composure.
"After the first one left, they didn't send any representative again, but they established a very good communication link with us! They aided us a lot with their insights and suggestions."
Taehyung put a small nod as he let Jimin explain.
He tried his best to hide his disappointment on the knowledge that he didn't return.
Like humans, aliens do break their promise, too.
✨️🌌
"It's nice to meet you, Kim Taehyung-ssi. I am Min Yoongi, Chief Director of Beyond the Stars."
An old gentle man with grey hairs greeted him. He looks strict, but he puts up a smile that somehow easens Taehyung's nerves.
He remembers that during his time, it was Director Si-hyuk who leads the facility. He can't say they get along well though.
"So this is how he looks like when he's younger... interesting."
"What do you mean?" Taehyung inquired, confused at the comment.
Jimin stiffens beside him while Jungkook crosses his arms.
"I mean, you look younger than I expected."
After that, Director Min asked them to take a seat.
"Sometime ago, the Exilirians offered an interspecies exchange program. They will send another envoy and would gladly receive an earth's representative. It will be a long journey, and we are planning to use the cryogenic technology once again."
Taehyung's heart raced at that news.
"You waking up will definitely mark in the history of biomedical science, but there's actually another thing that will mark in the earth's history that I would like for you to take part with."
"Kim Taehyung-ssi, do you still want to reach beyond the stars?"