3 comments

Science Fiction

                                   REMEMBERED 

   Transported into a future I was no part of. It has been twenty years and I have cryonics and time travel to thank for this experience. The definition of cryonics is the practice of freezing a person who has died of a disease in the hopes of restoring life at some future time when a cure for the disease has been developed. Time travel by definition is the action of traveling through time into the past or future. Skeptics were wrong here I am standing in what used to be my town trying to accept this new reality.     My mental function returned where it had left off. Terminally ill with cancer, I was visited by a conscientious employee at the Cryonics Institute to discuss where my body would be attended to until the time I would have need of it again.

   One of the priorities in this process is cryonics preservation. Cryonics preservation begins immediately after someone dies. The body temperature of the deceased is maintained in extremely low degrees starts with an icy cold bath. The individual is stored in a hyperbaric chamber, floating in suspension. The preserved bodies or in some cases only the brains protected by the heads are intact. The cost for heads is $80,0000 dollars, the entire bodies as much as $160,000.00 dollars. It can absolutely be a challenge to convince your loved ones to honor your last wishes. 

    The professional team attending to my needs to keep me technically alive for years were here for my release out into the new world. Camera crews were recording this breaking world news. My first stop was the spacious ranch house that had been my home. On the mailbox was the name GLADSON, which told me my former friend and business partner was now my former wife’s husband. For many years my spouse had criticized him in my presence. He wore outdated pin striped suits and used coarse uneducated language. Now, Gladson owned all that had once been mine: house, land properties, my jaguar car, and my former wife and realty business. 

    I had researched cryonics before ever coming to a decision to pursue this choice. In some instances husband and wife couples chose to take a leap into the future. Facing death in the face, all the clinical and unpleasant circumstances of what we know is finality. Nitrogen liquid is circulated throughout the body. The brain is changed, the person affectionately known and loved is forever altered. Ideally, as a couple they would one day be revived. Odds scientifically are very limited that this life preserved and revived to live again is unlikely. Scientists in Siberia, within Russia are testing DNA of the wooly mammoth to theoretically surrogated with an Asian elephant. Thus far, a golden retriever has been a surrogate maternal candidate to perfectly clone a beloved jack russell terrier. Pet owners have been willing to pay hefty amounts of money to clone a beloved pet to immortality. Another successful attempt has been using a frozen kidney into a animal such as a sheep with survival being the outcome.

    A director had a well known zoo, participated in surrogate population to prevent the possibility of extinction. Common house cats have had their eggs harvested, removing their DNA and replacing it with the species of wildcat. The results have been favorable, and her desire is to experiment now and populate to avoid the danger of extinction. Her platform is to work with the animals that we still share this world with. To her this is more important than bringing back the animals already extinct like the wooly mammoth or the saber tooth tiger. I viewed this segment on 60 minutes broadcast. 

    My support team, took me to a property previously belonging to me and the changes are astonishing. This two acre property had been bequeathed as a church property that should it ever cease to be used for that purpose would be reverted back to family. This property would indeed revert to me, now purposed as a shopping center. This as far as a rental property would be a viable income for me. My wife for a time was a widow, then she married well my former business partner and friend.

    My shelter and placement came in the form of some lakeside property. It upon closer inspection appeared dated, much like I felt. I have a caregiver that is also my companion. I have not become a recluse, even though I've adjusted to a few life situations. My caregiver keeps me up on current events, in my past life there were no GPS directional devices on our vehicles. There were no electric cars, no cell phones with 5GB memory and computers. I prefer reading the classics, and long walks around the lake. I have picked back up a favorite hobby of mine, photography. There are so many beautiful and willing subjects: squirrels, deer, raccoons, and rabbits to name a few. I like sitting by the fireplace enjoying the glow and warmth of the fire.

    Can the secret of immortality be revealed in our lifetimes? Some researchers have termed the state of cryonics reanimation. No matter how small the chance is, if a person’s brain cells have not died they are technically still alive. ALCOR CRYONICS is a clinic located in Scottsdale, Arizona. When a person dies they are transported to the clinic to have their blood pumped from their body immediately and frozen to prevent damage. One major obstacle is the high cost of preservation, presently it would only be available through private insurance. One problem would be the expense for the younger generation to be responsible for. 

   Waking up, I realize that once again I have fallen asleep in the recliner. The 60 minutes broadcast developed into real life drama and my mind found a resolution. I looked at the wall clock and saw that it was only 5:30 a.m. My wife had wanted me to come to bed. This morning I would have coffee brewing to ease her into the kitchen. Scriptures from Psalms 37:2- “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” Being remembered by a loved one in a loving, treasured memory is important, equally important is remembering to being kind and thoughtful in the present. My dream sequence of time travel into the future world of cryonics is shaping my marriage now. Appreciation for living in the moment is of great value.

September 04, 2020 18:42

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

3 comments

Andrew Krey
00:28 Sep 27, 2020

Hi a Vickie, I liked your story and the message of your ending :) I've watched a few documentaries on extracting DNA from mammoths and think the science is fascinating! Happy writing

Reply

03:07 Oct 10, 2020

It is fascinating to think about all the advancements in technology. The wonder of it all even if some of it happening is unlikely.

Reply

Andrew Krey
04:15 Oct 10, 2020

Exactly, a lot of the time science fact is more interesting than science fiction :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
RBE | We made a writing app for you (photo) | 2023-02

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.