by Edward Brody
He walked back into his office and retrieved the reports that Benny left on his desk, shoving them ungracefully into a briefcase. As he was leaving the office, he took one last look at what was playing on the TV.
The president was making an emergency address to the nation:
“We will not stand by idly as terrorists threaten our nation or the nations around us. We will NOT allow the use of nuclear weapons on civilians under any circumstances. Take note that there will be repercussions for all who were responsible for the attacks today in the Middle East These senseless acts of violence will not go on unpunished…”
Mich shook his head and whispered to himself, “Wild world we live in today. Wild world…”
Chapter Four
The Kitten Club was dimly lit with a collection of red, purple, and blue lights swirling around, and unnecessarily loud hip-hop music blasting throughout. Surrounding the large stage were many, mostly-empty tables with the occasional random guy sitting by his lonesome or with a dancer on his lap. Mich and Benny were sitting at a table near the stage sharing a bottle of Black Label per their standard whenever they made a visit.
Performing on stage was a dancer named Rain who was giving quite to performance to the limited audience. After slowly removing all her clothes, she managed to do the splits, make her bottom shake to the rhythm of the song, and spun around the pole while spread eagle for all to see. While she was spinning, an overweight man stood up and threw roughly twenty or thirty one-dollar bills in the air towards the girl.
“Alright guys, let’s give it up for Rainnnn!” The DJ aired over the speakers as Rain was winding down her show.
Only a few people in the room clapped half-heartedly, making Mich wonder why the DJ bothered to say such things when the club was lacking customers.
A scantily clad dancer walked up to Benny and casually asked, “Hey baby, you want a dance?”
Benny declined but stuck a $5 bill in her g-string and gave her a light smack on the ass. The girl seemed pleased and scuttled off. “Nothing like a bottle of Black and some titties to take your mind off of things, right?” Benny grinned.
“Nothing quite like it,” Mich replied and saluted his glass of whiskey. “Do you think we should be worried about what’s going on over in the Middle East right now?”
Benny shrugged. “I don’t know man. They’re always fighting over there. Always. It’s a big circle-fuck of religious sects fighting other religious sects about whatever other religious sect isn’t doing right. It’ll never change. I guess wiping each other out is the only thing they’ve got left to do.” As Benny was talking, a short brunette wearing nothing but her birthday suit made eyes towards the guys as she walked by, causing Benny to pause a moment. “Personally, I think they just need to get some pussy and calm the fuck down.”
The two laughed aloud.
“If only it were that easy. You know they want to kill us too, right? They want the whole west gone.”
“Yeah, but nukes can’t exactly make it all the way from Iraq, Iran, or wherever to the US.”
“True…”
“Just don’t worry about it. This shit happens from time to time. It’ll all wash over in a few months. They’ll put up a memorial and life will go on, same as always.”
Mich hoped Benny was right.
He looked around for Amy, the girl he had spent the previous night with, but she didn’t appear to be working that night. His eyes panned the room and assessed the other girls there, but nothing caught his attention. Boredom was starting to set in.
Mich lifted his glass of whiskey to his lips and a let a piece of ice slide into his mouth. “Hey, about that Cryonics thing. Let’s go check it out tomorrow.”
“Oh yeah? I thought you wanted to pass on that one?”
Mich pointed to the bottle of Black Label. “Maybe it’s the alcohol, but I’m thinking it’s worth having a look. Even if I don’t invest, we can at least see what this high-tech research facility looks like right? It should be pretty cool.”
Benny smiled and nodded in agreement.
The brunette who passed by earlier suddenly appeared behind Benny and whispered in his ear. “2-for-one special in the VIP, baby. $100. I’ll make it worth your while.” She rubbed her hand down the front of Benny’s neck and over his chest.
Benny eyes widened, and Mich couldn’t tell if he was shocked or excited. “I’ll be right back,” Benny stuttered.
Mich laughed and gave him an approving nod.
Chapter Five
“Missile Strikes on South Korea”
Headlines across the world were plastered with the news the next day. The nuclear attacks in the Middle East had emboldened the northern regime. A simultaneous video threat was issued by Shashu Shabuli’s terrorist organization and posted on Youtube:
A man covered from head-to-toe in a brown cloth stood proudly over a decrepit young American. The captor could only be seen through the slit around his eyes and was wielding a large machete. The prisoner was wearing a thin, white cloth, appeared to be about 20-25 years of age, and looked more tired and reserved than he was afraid. It was almost as if he was expecting what was about to happen and had just chosen to accept it. The prisoner spoke:
“My name is Sam Black. My wife’s name is Kelly Black. I have 2 children, a boy and a girl. I just want to say that I’m sorry to my family, and I hope you’ll forgive me. Withdrawal all military personnel immediately. All hope is lost.”
After a brief pause the man in brown spoke through the cloth around his mouth:
“Infidels! Yesterday was a great victory for all that are righteous. Millions of innocent people have given their life because of your mistakes and unwillingness to cooperate. Today our allies in Korea have joined our cause, and we will no longer be oppressed by your arrogance and greed. Withdrawal your troops immediately, or there will be more bloodshed that follows. You are given 48 hours only. I assure you all–Americans, Europeans and all infidels that oppose us–that our power is not isolated to the Middle-East. Your people have been warned.”
The terrorist immediately cut through the man’s neck with the machete and held his decapitated head up to the camera.
* * *
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* * *
“...and over here we have our nitrogen tanks. VPoint maintains over 50 million gallons of nitrogen at any given time to assist with the initial freeze,” a blond woman in a white scientist robe said as she pointed to the large white cylinders to the left of Mich.
Mich nodded. “I’d like to see that actual freezing chamber if I can.” So far, the advanced facilities seemed impressive, but he was ready to get to the meet and bones of the operation.
“Right this way, Mr. Sandstone.”
The girl turned and began walking towards a large double door with a wide sign that read “RESTRICTED” in all red letters. She punched a code into the small metal box to the right of the door and pushed the handle in while motioning for Mich to enter.
The inside of the freezing chamber was surprisingly small, having a large, metal, casket-like device with a clear half-cylinder on the top, slightly bigger than the size of a human. The top was propped up so it was easy to see that there was nothing inside. “This is our containment cell,” the girl said as she slid her finger against the side.
The walls and ceiling were a solid, tiled metal, and there were no other distinguishing features in the room other than a steel control board with several buttons on top, mounted 5 feet away from the container.
“After a client is sealed in the containment cell, we motion for them to count to three, and within a millisecond, the chamber is filled with our proprietary liquid, and they are instantly frozen.” She pointed to a circular outline on the floor which was about the same diameter of the container. “After a quality control check, the container is sent through this passage to our storage tunnel, which is over a mile underground. The suspended body is safe from all outside elements and is reanimated after the agree
d upon time.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Mich gushed.
“Indeed it is Mr. Sandstone.” The woman lifted her hand to adjust the VPoint ID badge dangling around her neck. “Energy is stored in a proprietary reactor, also deep underground, and draws heat from the earth, so even if the power grid goes off-line, the suspension will not be interrupted.”
“How many people do you have suspended now?”
The girl’s eyes darted to the side, and she hesitated before answering. “Well, currently we have zero.”
Mich’s eyes widened. “Zero? I thought the proposal stated there were people on the waiting list?”
“We do have people on the waiting list, however, we can’t suspend customers until we have the proper funding. Our current reactor can only support 3 humans at the moment. Once we’re funded, we’ll build a much large reactor that can support a near unlimited number of people. Suspending lives for years, decades, or possibly centuries is an expensive and complicated process, Mr. Sandstone. We must be able to guarantee our services indefinitely.”
“And how can you guarantee it’s safe if no one has been frozen yet?”
“Oh, don’t be mistaken, sir,” the lady chuckled. “We’ve frozen many people in order for our work to be approved for commercial use. We’re the first company with government approval to freeze live human beings–with the client’s consent, of course. In fact, we are so confident in our product that we require all employees of VPoint to undergo at least a 7-day freeze, just so they can experience the process.”
“Everyone here has been frozen? Even you?”
“Of course,” the girl said with a wink. “In fact, I was frozen for 3 months… one of the longest trials at the company. And since I was frozen for 3 months, I got a huge tax break! We’ll discuss that part later.”
“Three months is an awfully long time. What was it like?”
“A little cold when I came out of the suspension. Otherwise, the 3 months felt like a millisecond in time. We’ve noticed no side effects to date, although one trial did report experiencing a strange dream.”
Mich’s eyes looked to the circular lid covering the entrance to the storage tunnel and slowly scanned upward toward the containment cell. This all seemed so far above his head, but something in his gut told him that this was going to be a huge opportunity.
For a brief moment, Mich’s mind involuntarily shifted to the thoughts of the war going on around the world and the nauseating video that he saw on the news of a terrorist slaying an American, but he quickly pushed the drama out of the way.
“I want 20%,” Mich said confidently.
“Deal,” the girl replied with a grin.
“I want 20% and a spot on your board of directors.”
The girl paused and stared at Mich questionably. “If you wish to be more than a mere shareholder, Mr. Sandstone, then company policy requires you to undergo a 7-day freeze.”
Mich laughed loudly. “I don’t want to be frozen. You’ll have to make an exception to that policy.”
“I’m afraid if you don’t want to be frozen then we have no deal. Our safety guarantee is one of our biggest selling points. You wouldn’t be the first person we’ve turned away.”
The girl’s smile faded, and she stared at Mich with a hard look that told him that she was serious. Mich had been in business long enough to know when there was no more room for negotiation. He slid his hands in his pockets and bowed his head momentarily, his mind racing with possibilities. He considered that there were hundreds of people working for VPoint, so the freeze process must be safe, and he wasn’t the type to turn down crazy challenges. It would be a cool story to tell his kids if he ever got around to having them.
“Alright, I’ll do it,” Mich affirmed.
He lifted his head back up, and the the lady extended her right hand. Mich accepted her palm and made it a done deal.
* * *
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* * *
An hour later, Mich was exiting to the VPoint lobby where Benny was waiting with his arms crossed across his chest and a smug look on his face. They both exited the building and began their walk back to Benny’s car.
“Oh my god. Where have you been? It’s been over 2 hours now.”
“I now own over 20% of this company.”
“What? You signed already? And over 20%?”
“And a spot on the board of directors...” Mich flicked up his eyebrows.
“Whoa… That’s not like you to make hasty decisions. You must have liked what you saw. What was it like? I can’t believe they made me wait out here on the visitor’s chairs for ‘security reasons’.”
“That’s the policy. Only one non-employee at a time. And they have other policies as well.”
“Such as?”
“Tomorrow I’m going to be frozen.”
Benny stopped in his tracks, and his jaw was left wide. After digesting the information, he sped up his pace to catch up with Mich. “Wait…Did you just say you’re going to be frozen?!”
Chapter Six
Mich sat in a chair while a wirey, grey-haired man in a lab coat hovered around him with a pair of clippers.
“Oh, okay now. This’ll just take a minute” the man said. “You’ve got a nice mane on you, here. Has anyone ever told you that?”
The man tilted his chin up and rubbed his hands through Mich’s hair while he was licking his lips. The action creeped Mich out a little bit, and he was immediately starting to regret his decision to go through with this whole endeavor.
“Just get it over with, please”
“Yes… Yes, here we go.”
The man slowly began shaving off all of Mich’s hair and when he was finished, handed Mich a mirror. He had never had his hair shaved before and was surprised that it actually looked good on him.
“Hmm… not bad. I might have to keep it like this for a while.”
Mich felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled his phone out to see that he had received a couple of text messages.
Amy: Hey babe, you forget me already? I miss you xoxo
Benny: Dude, I hope this was a good idea. 7 days without you is going to be a fucking drag! By the way, did you see the rack on the receptionist they have here today?
Mich Replied.
Mich: Miss you too. Going away a few days. Business. See you soon.
Mich: Benny… If I die, you can have my shit. :)
“Nice look,” a voice said as Mich was typing in his last message. He lifted his head to see that the woman who had talked him into this ordeal had entered the room.
“Thanks,” he replied. “So, doctor…”
“Please, just call me Sandra…”
“Okay Sandra.”
“How long ‘til we do this?”
“Not long… The chamber is being prepped. All you need to do is shower, and we’ll be good to go.” Sandra smiled. “And one last thing…”
She lifted a small metal box. “Put any belongings you want to have with you when you come out in here. They’ll be frozen in the containment cell as well.”
Mich looked down towards his legs and surveyed his belongings. He had only brought his cell phone and his keys. “What about electronics?” he asked.
“It’s an anti-condensation box. They’ll be fine.”
He placed his keys and the cell phone in the metal box.
“And your clothes?” Sandra asked.
“My clothes?”
“You won’t be wearing anything during the freeze, and we don’t have separate locker rooms. Everyone’s important belongings go directly inside their cell for optimal security.”
Mich removed his shirt, pants and placed them in the box. He was down to nothing but his boxers.
Sandra tilted her head slyly. “Those as well.”
Mich hesitated.
“Don’t worry Mr. Sandstone. I may be a doctor-slash-scientist, but I’ve seen plenty of naked men in my life.”
Mich turned his head to see
the grey-haired man standing behind him, staring with a bit too much enthusiasm.
“Oh fuck it,” he thought as he pulled down the boxers and handed them over to Sandra.
Sandra looked down at Mich’s crotch, and a tint of red swelled up in her cheeks. She placed his underwear in the box and swallowed “Um. Okay, Mr. Sandstone… Right this way.”
She led him to a small, white room with nothing but a shower head and a bar of soap. “Wash yourself down, and we’ll be ready to begin.”
As Mich was showering, his mind was racing with a hundred possibilities. For the first time, he considered how much can change in 7 days. How many other guys would Amy fuck while he was gone? Could Benny keep his company under control? Would there be more terrorist attacks he’d hear about when get got out? What about his loft? What if he was robbed? He buried his concerned and figured it was too late to turn back now.
After washing, he entered the freezing chamber with a small towel around his lower half. Only Sandra and a dark-skinned man with a bald head was in the room. They were both wearing goggles, and Sandra was holding a clipboard. The containment cell had been opened, and inside there was a clear impression of a human body embedded into the metal.
“Are you ready?” Sandra asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Mich replied with a slight sigh.
“Well, unless there's something you’d like to do, let’s not waste any more time,” Sandra ordered with a smile. “Hand me your towel and step into the containment cell.”
Mich removed the towel and stepped into the bottom half of the containment cell, resting his head flat against the steel. The metal inside the unit was cold, and he reflexively squirmed to get comfortable. Sandra approached the cell, holding the metal box from earlier and shoved it into a compartment directly above Mich’s head. It made an approving hiss when it was securely inside. She grabbed a handle on the lid of the container and slowly pulled the cell closed, twisted a locking lever on the side which also made a hiss when it was securely locked.
