HUMANITY: A Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Novel Read Free Page B

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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    A n 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