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A Fractured History
The Intelligentsia, Science Dep
April 11th 2041

The Fountain of Still Life
by Ava Bontemps

This week, Kovac Research revealed a glimpse into the future that has
captivated the scientific community and made the research company the
focus of worldwide attention.

Kovac Research- a self-described “Futurist Organization” owned and
operated by Kovac Defensive Services - has been working on a solution
to an age old problem that has prevented manned long-haul space
missions. As both NASA and the ESA contemplate the complexity of a
joint mission to Enceladus, the dilemma of how to sustain human life
during the six year journey has been a thorn in the side of both
organizations. Keeping the crew fed, fit and sane for such a long time
journey seems insurmountable. While there is no shortage of volunteers
willing to spend over a decade (they have to get back, too) in space
just for the chance to be the first humans to engage face-to-face with
an extraterrestrial species, keeping these pilgrims not only alive for
that long, but physically able to complete the mission has not been
possible. Until now. Maybe...

The breakthrough that Kovac Research hopes will answer these questions
is called Hydrostasis - a process that allows humans to be held in a
state of suspended animation for weeks, months, even years at a time
without suffering any ill-effects. The nuts and bolts of the process
are a closely guarded secret, but sources speculate that the procedure
likely uses a synthetic amniotic fluid to sustain and protect the body
while it is in an induced comatose state. In this state, the body is -
for all intents and purposes - dead, but no cell deterioration or
physical decay occurs. For the human in Hydrostasis, the heart, and
time, stops.

Hydrostasis is not without its critics. Many have decried Kovac
Research's tendency to gloss over the problems found in the recently
completed first human trials - namely that participants have suffered
some neural degradation and “minor” memory loss. There have also been
questions raised about who Kovac Research is using for the human
trials, with some suggesting that participation may not be entirely
voluntary.

These issues notwithstanding, Hydrostasis appears to offer a potential
solution that may unlock the conundrum of extended space travel.
Beyond that, the medical world could use such technology in the field
of emergency and combat trauma, with

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