As my sub conscious woke up I could hear beeping. Not the annoying beeping of a back up alarm, but the attention alarm. I was still asleep or was it sleep. I really didn't know. I am Tsgt Marcus West, an US Air Force Combat Controller stationed at Hurbert Field FL. Home to the AC130h gunships Spooky and Spectre. But I was thousand miles from my base in nowhere New Mexico. At some secret test center. Me and two others have volunteered for a cryogenic experiment to last only 30 days. Being I have no family I figured why not. The extra $5000 was nice too.

The beeping continued, I could tell that it was three separate sources. One to my left side the other two at equal distance from me. As I became more awake I could start feeling my body. It felt strange, thinner, almost smaller feeling. I just hope I haven't lost to much muscle mass I would hate to look like a 6'2” scarecrow. Like I looked when I joined the air force 12 years ago. Just a skinny kid from North Carolina.

I started to dream weird images flashed in my mind. Dancers, ballerinas, and cheerleaders. Pretty girls in dresses. Formal balls, cotillions, and parties. Filled my head. Don't know why. I have been to my share of formal military functions, having been to the grog bowl more then once.

The dreams started an image. It seems like I was in my childhood home. The basement was decorated for a birthday party. I had had a birthday party for my 6th birthday. But instead of my friends there it was a bunch of girls all wearing party dresses. The real kicker I was a girl wearing a light purple and white party dress with frills and black and white shoes.

My mom called down the stairs, “Who's ready for some cake and Ice cream”

All of the girls including me screamed, we are. As we ran to the table. Taking my place at the head of the table.

All the while the beeping was in the distant back ground.

My mom turned off the lights and came down the stairs, carrying the cake, candles a blaze.

Happy birthday was sung. But the strangest thing when the part came where they said dear the persons name. I couldn't hear the name. Even the birthday banner had a blank where the name was.

Setting the cake in front of me. “OK, birthday girl. Make a wish?” mom said. After blowing out them all. The cake read, 'Happy Birthday, ________. I couldn't read the name.

After cake and ice cream, I opened presents. Each and every card I couldn't read the name. I could tell something was written there but I couldn't read it.

The dream faded. Was that some side effect of the cryogenic processes. I will have to tell the technicians about it when I get out of here. Along with the other things.

All of the time the beeping seemed ceaseless the same three separate ones almost in unison. The pitch and tone where identical so it must be the same type of machine making the noise. Each machine must be making the same indication or they are interconnected. Just then I took a deep breath, almost like I haven't taken one for years. It was painful at first but with each deep breath It became easier. I took about 4 good deep breaths, then started breathing almost regular. The air felt good, as it filled my lungs. I had a strange feeling on my chest. Like a tightness like a strap was across it too tight. It wasn't that tight when I started. The technicians must have had to tighten it for some reason. Hopefully I didn't lose to much weight. Aside from feeling thinner, I did however feel different than before.

As I relaxed another dream started. I was standing in line waiting for the first day of school. Again I was a girl. I talked to the other girls what where waiting too. We talked about what teacher we had, The one girl I was talking to seemed to be a long time friend as I remember her from my other dream. This time I must have been 10 0r 11. One girls said about our last year at this school. So I must have been in the 6th grade. I was wearing light purple jeans, with a purple and white striped sweater. As we talked the bell rang. Miss Rangley came and opened the door. She was my 6th grade teacher. She lead my line to her classroom.

“OK class, please stand along the walls I will be assigning seats in alphabetical order.” Miss Rangley said.

She began and assigning seats. I just stood there. Until only 2 students remained. Me and a boy.

“ ________ West, here. And James Younger in the last.”

I stood for a couple seconds then recognized my last name, West. So I took my seat. The dream continued through bits and pieces of my 6th grade school year. From the ups and downs. It seemed like the girl me or whom ever she was or represented did better then I did. She or I was cute and brainy it seemed like all of the class subjects where easy.

Compared to me as a student I struggled with some subjects. Luckily I was good in math as in my job in the Air Force required a lot of on the fly calculations. Even when it came to our 6th grade graduation. I never heard my first or middle name. While the after party was going on, I was signing remembrance books, I would sign a first name but it was like my pen would leave the paper then start again when I signed West.

But all the time the ceaseless beeping continued.

All of my stories are purely fictional, the some places are real, some are not. The names and personnel used in all my stories, are also fictional. They may be based on people I knew but, Any resemblance to anyone living, dead, or un-dead are purely coincidental.

I write my stories as a fantasy. While based on this world. Things in my story could stretch reality. However I write my stories from my mind. I reserve all rights to my work. Any form of duplication without my permission is forbidden. Please enjoy reading them as I have in writing them.