Researchers in Japan have been able to keep the mice asleep AND lower the mice’s metabolic processes for a week. After the experiment, the mice woke up alive and well.
Could humans be next? Turning this into a story about space travel would be a layup since long-distance interstellar travel would require hibernation or humans to procreate and accept they wouldn’t live to see the destination.
But, I’mI’m interested in a different kind of story. Imagine a world where hibernating was not only possible but commonplace. What would work look like?
For one, there would be an entire industry devoted to keeping people alive while they were sleeping. Security would have to be involved. I’m assuming the upper classes are the only ones who can gain access to this kind of technology and the funds to make it work, meaning anyone who stays “awake” all the time is assumed to be in a lower class. They would still sleep but could never afford to hibernate.
The hibernation wouldn’t change life expectancy; it would allow them to escape for chunks of time. They would wake up refreshed and healed. This procedure could be useful for athletes/specialists coming back from injury and extreme forms of rehab. The main character of the story could be someone who deals with both.
In the beginning, he’ ’s a star special ops team member with a drug problem, allowed to continue working because of his skills. When he does get injured, they put him under until he’s healed. He comes back without his addiction and wakes up to a world during a crisis. He has to save his nurse, and all the time has to battle the urge to take give in to his addiction.
There is plenty of inspiration for thrillers in the world, and the series would include similar tropes.
The primary opponent throughout the series could disappear into thin air, hibernating for an unknown amount of time, making the hero question whether or not to hibernate and heal a central challenge. This story would assume perfect healing upon waking, similar to Austin Powers.
