Small White Room

A creative writing assignment from the Warsaw Writing Group answering what the world will be like waking up in 2050. Can you figure out who Kennedy is?

Small White Room

 

            The seemingly eternal dreams faded as my consciousness sensed a change in my condition, but unable to move a muscle, I laid there trying to recall where I was. My eyes refused to open, and my other sensory perceptions seemed unwilling to provide any specific particular or clue to help me remember.  After some time, my whereabouts still unfathomable to determine in my dazed state, I detected a person nearby, but they only stood there silently.           

            Slowly, with time, I managed to open my scratchy, sticky eyes. The lighting was dim, my surroundings unremarkable, and all appeared grainy to my achy eyes. The blurry human figure stepped closer to me in the featureless small white room. The figure spoke softly.

            “Angel. Welcome back, my newest friend,” e softly said, their voice muffled with an echo to my recovering ears. “You will find it difficult to adapt to wakefulness after your long sleep, so do not try to speak.”

            I could begin to make out the smiling face that peered down at me though couldn’t differentiate the person’s gender. Without moving, my eyes flicked about the room. With a sudden shock of realization, I began to recall somewhat after discerning that I remained in my cryogenic capsule. Its sides restricted my view even though the lid had been slid back. Different than when I went to sleep, this small white room was devoid of any tell-tale function with a panel of illumination in the ceiling and in a belt high on the surrounding wall. The person spoke again.

            “My name is Kennedy. I am your chosen companion for I am the same age as you in a matter of speaking because�"because I was born the same year you were put into suspended animation. I am thirty-six years old which reveals how long you slept.” E paused. “Do you understand my words?”

            I tried to form a reply, and my lips and tongue moved, but no words would form. I nodded minutely in my prone position. 

            “Good,” said Kennedy. “Sometimes it takes awakening people a few hours to wake up and become coherent enough to understand, so don’t worry, you don’t need to hurry. Here, let me help you sit up.”

            Kennedy gently slid eir’s hands around my shoulders and lifted me up to a sitting position. I slowly scanned the small white room, but scanning about I determined there was no one else present and nothing to see. I tried to focus my hazy vision on Kennedy who wore a smile as e studied me. Kennedy gave me a cup with a straw protruding from it.

            “Here, drink this,” Kennedy said. “It is good for you, a mix of nutrients your body craves�"it’ll help you recover.”

            I sipped the cool pink tasteless liquid, and it soothed my dry throat as it went down. After a pause, I finished it.

            “Good for you,” Kennedy said, taking the cup from me. “Do you remember anything from before you were put asleep? It’s important to get your brain back functioning gently.”

            I struggled through the haze. I nodded. After a couple slurring tries, I managed out, “What-year-is-it?”

            “I’m sorry, it must be hard for you to put together from my previous suggestion. It is the year 2050.” I must have looked alarmed because Kennedy laid a soft hand on my forearm. “It is all right Angel, you are safe with friends.”

            “My ah, ah friends�"” I stuttered. “F-facebook friends. C-Can I post�"to-to tell them what happened to me?”

            “No, I’m sorry,” Kennedy said, sliding her hand to mine. “Facebook and the Internet are no more. The New World Order found such things corruptible and�"impersonal.” Kennedy paused. “You’ll find many new friends here in this time for we are all connected this way.” E tapped es head. Many friends are watching you through my eyes right now.” I must have looked alarmed. “No worries, you’ll learn how to connect very quickly.” E smiled widely. “All right, let’s see how much you remember, so we know you are recovering after so much time asleep. Remember what year you began your sleep?”

            “Ah, mmmm 2014,” I said slowly.

            “Good.”

            “Do you recall who the president of United States of America was?”

            I answered.

            “Good. And where were you taken to sleep?”

            “It was all done very fast-in a blur. I-I don’t know exactly. Ahh, I think Colorado.  Am I still�"there?” I asked looking around.

            “No,” said Kennedy. “You are in Greenland. Luckily your fiscal package included shipment�"transportation to safe havens as necessary.”

            “Greenland�"is safe? Colorado is not safe?”

            “I am duly required to tell the truth, but it may be difficult to accept so I’ll try to be gentle,” Kennedy said seriously. “Greenland is a very safe place, but Colorado is�"Colorado is a wasteland.”

            “Chicago�"my home�"what about Chicago?” I sasked cautiously.

            Kennedy went pale and swallowed. “Chicago is�"underwater.”

            “All underwater? How? Why?” I shivered and convulsed. I bent over and vomited what I had just drunk. I coughed. I managed through the hacks, “My�"my family?”

            “Your brother is here but has not awakened yet.”

            “My mom and dad? My sister�"?

            “I don’t know the actual answer, but we must assume they are no longer with us.”

            I looked at em with tears in my eyes. “Your family?” I asked as I rubbed my runny nose.

            “All no longer with us.”

            “But you lived all the while I slept?” E nodded gravely. “Why didn’t you sleep?”

            Kennedy sighed and wore a grim smile. “My grandmom was a presidential candidate in the United States of America. You may remember her from your time. My mom and dad supported and worked charities to help those that desperately needed help in the Trying Times. They decided that it would be�"improper for anyone in my family to sleep through the impending calamity safely out of danger.”

            “What calamity?”

            Kennedy swallowed hard. “Maybe you should rest and recover before I tell you. Maybe I should tell you the good things about now: People are happy everywhere�"no one is in need of want, no poverty, no disease. World Elder Yousafzai guides us. She is strong, loving, and fair to all. I’m one of her senators�"”

            “NO! Stop! Tell me what happened while I slept. I must know.”

            Kennedy stood there before me in the small white room and looked into my eyes. “Here, can you climb out of your capsule?”

            “I think so,” I said, but my mind was whirling with questions.

             Kennedy helped me out, and I staggered the few steps. E showed me that small seats slid from the wall with a wave of a hand. We sat down, and e gave me another drink of the rejuvenating beverage.

            “The calamity�"tell me�"was it truly awful?”

            “Yes.” E sighed. “It was horrible. I am lucky to be here now, through only because of the late hour hard work and coordination of my grandmom and mom.”

            “So they lived as well then?”

            Kennedy shook es head sadly. “No. They are no longer with us.”

            “How many�"people?”

            Kennedy looked to the white floor grimly but brightened when meeting my eyes. “Two billion people live now. Unneeding. Happy. Connected.”   

            “T-t-two billion?” I asked. “There were ah, I think over seven billion people when�"so�"”

            Kennedy nodded. I processed this trying to comprehend, trying to imagine what horrible things must have occurred. The small white room began to go gray and blurry. I dropped my cup that splashed pale pink across the white floor. Kennedy grabbed me.

            “Are you all right?” Kennedy asked, steadying me. “Don’t think about all that now.” Through my lingering blurriness, I saw em look away with a glaze and touched es forehead. “Sit still, I called for help.”

            “You called?” I managed out.

            “We are all connected, remember?” I nodded with my chin in my hands and my elbows on my knees. “Everyone can touch everyone else in the Worldstream�"like the internet but much better! So much better! People are talking all about you out there�"they want to know what it was like back in your time, what you did, where you went much like your old Facebook friends but everyone is equally and unequivocally your friend now�"”

            Another person stepped into the room dressed just like Kennedy. “Senator, you called for help?” E asked.

            “I did thank you, Justice, but we’re all right now. Angel has recovered very well after I told em the worse of the old world and enlightened em with the best of the new world. E’ll be a welcome addition to the new world.”

            I smiled up at the genderless person who nodded and smiled at me as I sat there wondering what really awaited me outside the small white room.       

Author's Note

For the first time, I wrote this with genderless pronouns which is a little tough to get used to, so tell me what you think.

Reviews

[Erin S]

The genderless pronouns gives another level of questions. Great story, makes me want more!