3027 Marina Avenue

The yellowed leaves sat stuck dancing to the tips of the branches not yet ready to fall. Remy was walking down the city block, he stepped over perfectly lined square tiles and around clumps of tables that spilled onto the walkway. He strolled slowly, peeking into shoe stores and cafes.

He paused to look at a pair of brown leather dress shoes. He looked down at his worn grey sneakers. He leaned in closer to the glass. “The shit we don’t need.”, he murmured to himself with an exhaled breath and shook his head. His lips flatly smiled, he nodded and looked to the side. He caught eyes with a young mother digging through a bag hanging from her stroller. Her child tapped and prodded a glass tablet below. He stared at the child’s fingers making smudges and smears all around the screen. Remy raised his brows as his attention focused on an ad as it played on the screen. The child, whose sock dangled and drool pooled in the corner of its mouth, poked around the screen until it lucked upon the exit of the ad. Remy’s smile sullied into a soft scowl, the inner corners of his eyebrows turned up.

He paused, gazing into the window of a cafe where two people sat perched facing the windows tapping on their computers. He turned his attention towards the next door where big band horn music floated onto the street, his head gave a little shake and he picked up his pace.

He jingled two keys in his right hand and opened a heavy wooden door to a marble entryway. He stepped into the clean slate grey elevator and pressed two.

Remy pointed the key towards number 3A and pushed the door open.

He shuffled through the doorway. His shoulders sank. He peeked around the empty flat. He stood in the middle of the white room and freshly cleaned tiled floor. He took a deep breath.

“Remy, hey man.” A gray-haired man sauntered in, looking around the corners. He stepped close to one of the walls and narrowed in on a hole in the wall picking it with his fingernails. “Thanks for coming early”, Remy replied as he tracked him as he walked around the room. “It’s really not a problem.”. The man opened the closet door in the hallway, “What about the can of paint in here?”. “It was here when I moved in.”. He nodded, and reached for a device in his pocket, he poked and tapped. Without looking up, he said, “So then, I’ll just take the keys…Listen, good luck man.”. Remy smiled. He reached out with the keys. “Thanks. It’s…”, Remy paused, “see…well... bye”. The man took the keys and nodded. Remy smiled and gave a hunched salute as he headed to the door. Remy jogged down the stairs and pushed the door open to the street.

He walked quickly and paused. He stopped and touched his chin. His eyes grew larger, and he turned back. He walked for two quick steps, then stopped. He took a heavy breath. “No. This was the plan,” he said to himself and laughed incredulously. His tired watery eyes blinked, he stepped and raised his hand.

Remy greeted the taxi driver's eyes in the rearview mirror and gave an address. “3027 Marina Avenue”. He sat in the back right seat, peering out the window. The sun was flashing over his face as he glanced intermittently at the driver's eyes. “You can keep the change, thanks.”, he quietly said as he stepped onto the sidewalk. The driver thanked Remy. Remy walked towards the metal graffitied door at 3027 Marina Avenue and pressed the buzzer. "Chronopathy Enterprises.", a voice called out from the speaker. The woman buzzed Remy into the building.

He walked down the cold carpeted hallway until he reached a clean glass door that read Chronopathy Enterprises. Soft piano music played through the ceiling speakers. Remy sat in the middle of a wall of empty black chairs. He looked down at his grey sneakers and rolled his ankle. He looked towards the door at the back of the room.

“Mr. Fillmore” a voice from behind the desk rang out. Remy jumped up, “That’s me”. “This way”, the woman led. The woman opened a door and seated Remy in a white room with two black chairs, and a desk. Remy waited in the chair with crossed legs, his foot shaking below the desk.

A man in a white coat entered, “Remy, how are we doing?”. “Ready.”, Remy replied assuredly and formed a flat lipped smile. He sat looking towards the carpet. He then looked back up at the man. “I just took a look at your labs, everything is in order.” Remy nodded. The man continued, “As a final step we will just review your chrono-py plan and have you sign off on the last of the agreements for your part of the plan.”. The man turned over a tablet, Patient 98-B. “This will guide you through the documents.” the man in white confirmed. Remy tapped and pressed while his eyes darted around the tablet. …of your virtual assets and investments will be compounded yearly under this plan… Remy nodded, then tapped. …bi-century healthcare plan under Alta Health Care, insured for both… Remy nodded as his eyes continue to dart back and forth and he scribbled on the tablet. The man’s voice continued -A and 98-B to complete the bi-century chrono-py plan on the date agreed…. A green check displayed on the center on the screen and Remy slid the tablet to the man.

The man in white stepped out to point Remy to a second room. “Take your time”.

Remy stepped into a changing room, the music continued to play through the speakers on the ceiling. He looked in the mirror. He then took off his black shirt and pants. He placed them loosely into the basket.

He paused a moment to look into the mirror, he stared himself up and down and leaned into the mirror. He brushed at the hairs on his chest with his fingers. He pulls at the lines under his eyes. He looked into the basket and lifted up matching grey pants and shirt set. He dug around the basket. He put on the shirt, then the pants, wobbling from side to side. He slid on white slippers that were placed under the table. He shuffled to open the door.

Another woman was stood waiting outside, she signaled “Right this way”. They entered a large steel elevator, she pushed floor B3. They ground to a brightly lit hallway as she smiled clutching her tablet in the elevator. She buzzed open a door at the end of the hallway. Remy followed closely behind.

Lights shone down on two long white pods in the small empty room. Remy gestured towards one of the pods, “May I?”. The woman smiled and says “It’s alright.”. Remy cupped the glass and smiled when he sees the outline below. Remy pressed his face towards the glass, his eyes were flashing watery. The woman stepped closer. He sighed. His gaze intensified and his eyebrows raised. Two tears slide down his right cheek. “See you soon.” He whispered. He kissed his hand and placed it on the glass. “Are you ready?” the women behind him asked. “Ok”, he nodded.

The women walked over to the other pod and lifted the door higher. She gestured for Remy to enter. Remy hunched and slid into the Pod. He adjusted the pillow under his neck and laid flat.

“This will just take a moment” The woman, attached two monitors to each hand. A heart monitor began to beep quickly. She said, “May I have your arm please? Take a deep breath. This won't hurt at all.”. Remy extended his arm, the beeping intensified. The needle effortlessly penetrated his arm, Remy watched. He exhaled slowly and looked up at the white pod door. The beeping slowed. Remy nodded and blinked slowly two times, then four times quickly before his eyes closed as he exhaled.

The women closed the pod door and secured two latches. She picked up a tablet and keyed 198 years into the panel. The inside of the pod hissed as it filled up. Remy’s relaxed face disappeared below the cloud. The room darkened.