I could see them all teary-eyed around me. I wanted to say one last thing to them - but even breathing was difficult now.
I tried raising my hand to my eldest daughter's cheek, but only managed to go half-way. She caught my trembling hand, and with a weak smile, lifted it to her cheek.
The image was getting blurry now. Ah... So... Tired... My eyes... So... Heavy...

"Would you like to live through that?"
I don't understand.
"What you just saw - that is what your life would be like. Do you want to be born? Do you want to see it through your own eyes?"
My own- but I did. I just... What?
"We can see you're confused. Very well - you have just been granted, on your wish, the chance to see a preview of your future life. What awaits you if you decide to be born. That will be your life, surrounded by loved ones."
...So what I just saw - didn't happen?
"It didn't happen yet. But it will."
But I could see them so clearly in my mind. I saw all their teary faces, the crowd of people...
"You will forget. Human souls don't have the capability to remember once they are born."
...
...No. I don't want it.
"You... Don't like the life you see? Would you like a different preview?"
No! No, you don't - I don't want it! I want it to be my own!
"It will be your own. We have a carefully arranged life prepared for you. It will be all yours."
No! It's- It's not mine!
"We don't understand."
If you made it, it's not mine. It's yours. I want... Mine.
"We are giving it to you. Is that not, by definition, a life belonging to you?"
It's... No. I want my own life.
"Hmm. Yet if you were to recieve a gift, you would think of that gift as your own, would you not?"
How do you- A gift is a thing. A life... A life is precious. There is one life. I want it... To be mine. I want to make it as I want it to be!
"That isn't reasonable. You have no certainty of what will await you. We made certain to give you an end that will definitely be as you saw it."
And that's precisely why I don't want it. Where's the fun of life, if I know how I end? Where's the uncertainty, the mystery, the magic? I want it all. I want to meet people, love them, hate them, understand them... All in my own time. Without knowing what they will mean to me. Without any certainty of what will come. I want...
"...The choice of freedom?"
Yes!
"It may not look as you hope it will."
It doesn't matter. I want to make it by myself.
"...Very well. In that case..."

I didn't realize my eyes were closed until I opened them. I was... underwater of some sort. In panic, I immediately bolted upwards, and found myself bursting through and gasping for air.
And I found myself staring straight into a strange, one-lensed, robotic creature.
"Wh-" I tried to speak, but my voice was hoarse. I ended up coughing more than speaking.
The robotic lense focused on me, changing position slightly.
"Vital signs normal. Please be reassured, we will not hurt you."
"I d-" Again, I coughed.
"Congratulations, Subject HS-10-307. You are our first of the species Homo sapiens that has in multiple simulations, successfully shown signs defined as: self-reflection, empathy, and unpredictability."
"Wh- What are you-?" I croaked between coughs.
"Subject HS-10-307, subname 'Evo' - as your main caretaker and simulation engineer, we welcome you to year 4913, month 8, day 28th post-Earth desertion. We are now on planet TRAPPIST-1g. Your species has become endangered in the ecosystem of the current planet. The program of Homo sapiens repopulation, started by a member of your species is now led by us, his creation. You are our first successful result of the program."
My mind was whirring.
The robot came closer, as if inspecting me.
"We hope you will help us in the mission of planet colonisation. We were made for the Earth environment. We do not know how to colonise TRAPPIST-1g with the information given to us. We cannot reach the goal given to us by our creator without your help."
I still didn't understand. But for now... I had a more important question.
"The image... I saw. What... Was it?" I said hoarsely.
"We were tasked to make simulations from memories of our creator and his family to our experimental subjects. Our creator hoped to incite, quote: 'the yearning and longing he had felt for people and their existence, for a future those people may have, for a future they are to strive for.' "
A future to strive for. On an unknown planet, with unknown creatures, surrounded by robots... And who knew how few people.
I looked at the robot, and flashed a grin.
"Where do I start?"