A World I Will Know
“What illness are you suffering from?” Asked the nurse, tapping away at the tablet absentmindedly with little interest in my response.
“None,” I said.
“None?” He asked, looking up at me finally.
“Yup,” I responded.
He stared at me with disbelief. “Then, why, why do you want this?” He gestured around the large room in the facility, at the shining metal tubes and the tiny frozen portals at the top of each one for loved ones and medical professionals to check in on them on the occasions they could be bothered.
“Interest,” I responded.
“Interest in what?” he asked.
“The future!” I exclaimed. It all seemed kind of obvious to me. Why would anyone with sufficient funds not want the opportunity to wake up again hundreds of years in the future and see what had changed? Why so much questioning?
“The future…” repeated the nurse, losing interest again and returning to tapping away at the screen in front of them.
“You know. See things that no one else alive now will ever experience. See what happens to us, to the world around us.” I gestured blindly at the ambivalent world in the distance.
“Uh huh.” He shrugged, “Well, anyway, you’re paid up for 250 years.” He said, checking the details in front of him, “With an option to renew for another 100 years, if you’re… if you’re ‘unimpressed’.” He said, staring back up at me, and looking me up and down as if inspecting me. “That’s quite a pretty penny.” He said, impressed by my obviously hidden wealth, but unimpressed by the woman behind it.
“Yup,” I responded, not sure what else to say. Does one tip at a cryo facility?
“Well.” He said, gesturing for me to follow him. “This is yours.” He pointed at one of the tubes with an open door. Inside was a kind of vertical bed, with straps, a pillow at one end, and various tubes and wires waiting for their host.
He pointed at a small door inside and at the bottom of the tube. “In there you will find the number of gold bars you requested. So you can buy food and the like.” He checked off an item on his list. “And also a knife. In case they’re not friendly…” he said, trailing off.
“The old ways are sometimes the best, aren’t they?” I said awkwardly, regretting the statement immediately.
“Quite…” He said, staring at me again with those judging, disbelieving eyes.
“Well, Ms Kelly. Make yourself comfortable.” He said, pointing at the inside of the tube. I entered and settled myself against the bed. It was cold and uncomfortable, which was expected and unconcerning to me as I would actively experience very little of it.
He busied himself attaching cables and tubes. “If there are operatives here when you awake.” He said, with just too little disbelief for my liking. “They will wake you up and let you out, give you all you need.” I nodded in understanding. “If there aren’t. Well, press this button.” he pointed at a large red button on the inside of the door. I nodded again. “Well, if that’s all, Ms Kelly? I have other customers to deal with.
“I think that will be all.” I said, “You have been most helpful.” He nodded and shut the door.
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