The harsh white florescent light made you blink back to consciousness. Your hands brush against the edge. The touch of cheap plastic reminding you of where you are, waking in a cryo-pod. Screwing your eyes against the painful brightness.
Twitching one arm, you manage to land it on your face, covering your eyes returning you to something nearer darkness. A sigh of relief as you slowly exhale. Your head is already pounding enough, as your breath rasps in your ears making you feel like someone is sawing your brain in two. There's a low background noise, mechanical and deep vibrating your bones with it's low resonances. The air makes your nose crinkle, it smells, the same pervasive odour of oil, sweat and something else... something clinical, ... medical.
Despite the pain, you feel relieved to have escaped Earth. Titan might not have been your first choice of destination, somewhere nearer the centre of the Solar System, rather than the arse end of a mining community. A stiff smile starts on your face, at least here you can build a future, you have the right to start a family. You have enough room to have a family. The cost/benefit of living on the frontier. The inner system not a distance anyone could commute.
A groan slips out, as more memories settle back. Your contract, unbreakable, is for 10 years, the minimum is 5 years, but to show commitment and enthusiasm you told the panel, you'd sign on for ten. A massive financial saving for them.... and, well, you didn't see the draw of an over-populated planet, and personal space that would make a battery hen feel comfortable as being a goal after five years.
Hell, you'd even agreed to the gene-engineering to help you cope. You'd shrugged barely objecting to being better able to do your job. An enhanced physique, tailored to cope with the different gravity, improved muscles for the hard work, even briefly...very briefly survive the cold of a breached dome. It was pain-free, and happened while you slept. Yawning, you lower your arm to your mouth, and the stabbing white light drives you nearer to waking, nearer to opening your eyes to the new world.
Experimentally, you flex your fingers, curl your toes feeling to see if you can detect those stronger muscles, those deeper lungs.
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