chapter one

2050

I can see my parents sobbing their brains out on the other side of the glass partition.

"It's just good-bye for now", I call. But we all know better. They might pass away while I'm asleep. You see, I'm being frozen, cryogenically frozen.

It's a long story, but it starts with leukemia at the age of 6, and still no cure. Now, at 30 and stage 4, the doctors are saying I have another few months, tops. Researchers are close, so very close. But this isn't horse shoes. The likelihood I'll die before they find that cure they're "so close to" is over 90%, or so the doctors say. So some otherwise young and healthy people, like me, are taking a different option. Go to sleep until the cure is found. No one knows how long it will really be, but they're saying a year, 5 years at most. Everything will stop growing they say when I'm put to sleep - my hair, my nails, and all my cells, even the cancerous ones. Supposedly.

I look up into blue eyes. Dan. Dan is a nurse at my favorite hospital. Yes, I have a favorite one, anyone who has spent as much time in hospitals as I have, has a favorite one. I remember when he was a teen volunteer, when he was a nursing assistant, and now that he has his degree. And I remember the night he took me for ice cream when I was in remission. I remember the night he held my hand and cried with me for hours when I learned it came back.

Dan is the only real crush I've ever had. At 5'6 and 250 pounds, he's round as a globe, with twinkling blue eyes and a great big smile, and a hug for everyone. He's the best nurse I've ever had...and if I had ever dated....but who wants to date a sick girl?

"It's going to be all right", he says, but he's gasping for air and fighting tears. He doesn't know if it will be or not.

He has to let go of my hand. "See ya", I say as I feel myself grow cold and lose feeling from the feet up.

"Yeah, see ya later, see ya soon", he says. It's the last thing I hear.

2152

I take a deep breath and cough. I haven't breathed this way in forever. Where am I? Am I home? My eyes don't want to open. Where am I?

"Open your eyes, it's okay", I hear.

I peel them open slowly.

I'm in the hospital. Of course. I'm always in the hospital

"Do you remember who you are?" There's a man sitting in front of me, all dressed in white.

"Cate Hadley", I say.

"Good. And do you remember why you were frozen?"

"Stage 4 leukemia", I repeat.

"Okay. We'll get you injected in just a moment....relax", the man says as he sees me jump. "We still don't know what happened. Your casket was...lost somehow. Do you know the year?"

"No, I'm presuming 2055 or something."

"It's 2152."

"What?! I've been asleep a hundred years?!"

Terror floods through me. Where am I? Who are these people? My parents...oh God.

"Leukemia wasn't cured until 2065. But it was. Now a simple injection of antibodies cures cancer instantly. We're so glad we found you, dear, we still don't know how you were lost. Many things were lost in the war..."

"War?" Shit this keeps getting worse.

"Yes. Science grew exponentially...listen, I'm sure this is hard to take in. There are those who didn't want to overcome death, they said it was unnatural and terrible things would happen. But they were wrong. Unfortunately much of the world you know was probably destroyed in the process...."

"Death?"

"Yes. No one dies now. No one. No one ages past 40 either, unless they were already over 40 when death was destroyed. Then they remain the age they were when it happened." He smiles so wide I think his face might break.

"Oh my God! No one dies? Like, ever? That's amazing!" I shout.

"I'm so glad you think so! Most diseases have been cured, and people lead a good lifestyle at any age."

"This sounds like paradise!" I say, excited.

"It is! It is!"

"My parents, there's a chance they might be alive", I say, thrilled.

"I would imagine they are", he says. "Oh here..."

A nurse comes in with a syringe. I'll never like those things. I flinch.

"This is life", the man says, and gets up. I turn the other way as the needle pierces my skin, and the cure floods into my veins.

"You're well now", the man says, smiling.

This is incredible news. The best. So why do I feel like something is...off in this brave new world.

"You must be starving", he says, "Thomas, bring our guest some honey please."

"Honey?" I ask.

"Yes, everyone eats honey now. It's the only food. But it's filled with all the nutrition we need, it tastes sweet, but is low in calories. The perfect food source", he smiles.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like", Thomas says, returning with a tray. On the tray is a pill, a drink in a cup, and a type of pudding in a bowl with a spoon.

"It comes in several forms. You can just pop a pill everyday if you want, or you can drink it or enjoy it as a tasty desert. I want our young friend to taste it this time though."

So I choose the pudding.

"Delicious!" I confirm.

"Wonderful. Now we'll have you shown to your quarters, find your parents, and prepare to have you tested", he says.

"Tested?"

"Yes, everyone here is in a class. I'm Class A for instance. It's an intelligence test, but also tests things like athletic abilities, physical attractiveness, etc", he says. "There are four potential classes you could test into", he says, looking me over "A, B, C, or D."

"Why do you have a test like that?" I ask. But can tell questions don't make this guy happy. He frowns.

"This is the way it is in our new society. Because no one dies, we have to be careful about creating new people, and we have to find purposes for those who are already here...so we'll find your aptitudes and find a position for you." He's beaming again like life is perfect.

Thomas comes back to lead me away. This hospital is more than a hospital. As we walk through, the doors open automatically and we leave one area and come into a new one.

"You'll be staying here in the government quarters until we find a suitable place for you", he says. He shows me into a suite. It's a couple of rooms, a living room, what can only be a TV, apparently we still watch those, and a bedroom. A small eating area has what looks like a microwave.

"If you prefer your honey heated", he says, reading my mind.

"Aren't there any vegetables?" I ask.

"There's nowhere to grow them. The population has taken over the land mass", he says, shaking his head. "No vegetables, and no animals."

"All animals are extinct?! Oh my god, no!" I cry. That's the most terrible thing I've ever heard.

"It's very sad", he agrees.

"Except for bees", I say.

"I'm sorry?"

"Bees, except for bees, where the honey comes from", I say.

"Oh...right. Right, except for bees. You'll be tested in a couple of days. I suspect you'll do well. For now, just relax and get used to your new surroundings", he says.

"I'm not good at sports", I admit.

"Well, it's graded on a curve. That will hurt you, but if your intelligence test is high, it makes up for part of it...no one is perfect, well except for the A pluses of course!" He laughs. I don't get the joke.

He leaves me. It doesn't make sense to be tired after sleeping for a hundred years, but I'm exhausted. My mind is trying to race to catch up to my new circumstances. And I want my family badly. I cry myself to sleep.

The day next, a woman about my age comes by with some honey. It really is good, and prevents hunger pains the rest of the day.

"How would you like a tour?" she asks.

I find out her name is Miranda, she's in Class C, and she's a tour guide. This is the government building. We still have a president, "a gorgeous, fit, A plus with a 165 IQ" she gushes.

"You guys seem to place a lot of value on these class letters", I say, raising an eyebrow, "I'm a civil libertarian. The whole thing is creepy to me."

I might as well as have said I ran over her cat. Except there are no cats. She stops walking, and frowns at me. "I wouldn't use words like that I were you", she whispers. "You'll get in trouble. You can disappear if you're too much trouble."

"Is this still a democracy?" I ask, terrified.

"Of course it is!" she brightens. "You're perfectly free, as long as you do what you're told."

I laugh, but she's not kidding.

"Oh my God, this place is like a bad science fiction novel", I say, taking a deep breath. "This is like every doomsday warning ever told. You take this test and you're locked into it for life, right?"

She doesn't understand the question.

"What about hopes, what about dreams? What if you test into Class D, but you have Class A dreams?" I ask.

"You're weird", she says, shaking her head, "Just take the test, you'll be fine."

She goes on with the tour.

"Where are the bee hives?" ask.

"The hives are below the building", she whispers.

"Oh cool", I answer, "How many bees do you have?"

"What are bees?"