In The Space Of Nine Lives

Tom's best friend, his schoolmates, and all his teachers on the interstellar ship exist in virtual reality. The only other living person on board is the Pilot, and Tom is being groomed to take his place, ensuring that the colonists in hibernation reach their destination planet after their centuries-long journey. But after Pilot retires to his own hibernation, young Tom has a life-changing event that makes him question the mission's purpose, and his own.
Meanwhile, the ship seems to have its own agenda concerning a mysterious cloud of debris. Will Tom accept fate or choose his own destiny?This novelette was first published in the January 2006 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.