This story of Linda's was originally dedicated to an individual who had dropped his cryonics arrangements after years of very active involvement and contribution to the organization with which he was then involved. As a result of this story, and our personal encouragement, he restored his arrangements, although since that time (due to discouragement with various political controversies and changes in leadership, in this organization), his arrangements have again lapsed.

Now, this story is rededicated, to all who, for whatever reason, have not maintained their cryonics arrangements. May they find the will, the courage, the joy of life, and the conviction that remaining in existence for an indefinite time is a worthy goal, to once again join all of us in our journey into a future that, if we are able to be part of it, will almost surely evidence a magnificent transition of humankind into an endless era of explorations and adventures of all kinds.

Fred & Linda Chamberlain

Eddie rushed into the elevator and pushed the button for the 14th floor.  He was excited. As he watched the floor lights blink on and off, he fingered the gold wrapped box in his pocket and smiled.  He'd hoped it would be ready today; it seemed like the jeweler made one excuse after another.  But Eddie finally had it in his hands, and he was going to give it to Janan tonight.

He had first met Janan at a meeting of the cryonics group about a year ago.  She was so active in the organization, and so enthusiastic.  It didn't make sense.  Why had she let her cryonics arrangements lapse?  Eddie was determined to find out tonight. When the elevator bell chimed his arrival, he fingered the gift one more time and stepped out of the elevator.

Standing silently in the door to Janan's office, Eddie watched her close her file cabinet and lock it without rising from her desk.  She hadn't yet noticed Eddie standing there. That gave him a delicious moment to watch her. Janan's face wore little lines of strain as if the day had been a long one, full of frustrations.  Turning her chair, Janan stretched her legs out in front of her and reached her fingertips toward her toes, stretching to ease the tight muscles in her back.  Her soft brown hair fell around her knees as she bobbed up and down, stretching and relaxing in waves.

"Hi, Love."  The voice was the one Janan had been waiting for, not just this evening, but for years, ever since her first marriage had fallen apart.  Eddie's voice was full of gaiety and warmth.  It always was.  Janan had almost forgotten how to be happy until she met Eddie Fossbender.

At the sound of Eddie's lyrical voice, Janan smiled at her own knees, then raised her beaming face to greet the tall, gawky, toe-headed figure of happiness which stood in the door of her office. Eddie was not handsome, but he had a face that was always happy and he seemed to infect others with his own mood.

"Hi, Eddie."  Janan rose from her desk, her smile not completely hiding her weariness.

"Been a hard day?"  Eddie walked over, wrapped his long arms around her and gave her a playful peck on the nose.

Janan closed her eyes and nodded her head.  "I'll spare you the details," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder.  "I need some of that cheer you always seem to carry around with you like whoofle dust."

Eddie held Janan and rocked her for a moment, then pulled back, looking for all the world like a kid who had just stolen Christmas.  "I've got the perfect cheer-er upper!"   Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out the little box he had been fingering in the elevator.  It was wrapped in elegant gold foil and had a slender silver ribbon tied into a bow.  "Open it."

"Ooooo!"  Janan's eyes twinkled with delight.  She sat on the edge of her desk, crossed her legs and held the gold wrapped present in the palm of her hand, savoring it for a joyfully suspenseful moment.

Janan smiled up at Eddie, who was standing with his legs wide and his arms crossed.  The grin on his face was devilish. He unfolded his arms momentarily and flicked his fingers at her in a gesture to open the box.

Slowly and playfully, Janan pulled one of the loose ends of the silver ribbon and let it fall to the floor.  Then she carefully pulled away the gold foil to reveal a black velvet jewelry box.

"Maybe a diamond?  Or, maybe a ring?"

"I'd say it's something even better."  Eddie was enjoying the game as much as Janan.

The tension lines at the corners of Janan's eyes were almost gone as she rotated the box toward Eddie and snapped open the lid.  "Or maybe... pop-out snakes!"

"Nope," Eddie said as he leaned forward and peered into the box.  "But look at that."  He pointed into the box with a mock look of astonishment, his eyes as big and round as two dinner plates. Janan turned the box around to look inside.  Sitting on a bed of baby blue satin was a gold medic alert bracelet with a diamond on each end.

"Ooooo!  Eddie!"  Janan took the bracelet from the box, laid the box on her desk, and held out her wrist to Eddie. "Not yet," said Eddie, his face now pensive.  "You have to get your arrangements back in order first."

"Right."  Janan closed her fingers over the bracelet.  "It's beautiful."  A big smile filled her face as she hopped off the desk to give Eddie a kiss.  "Thank you, Love."

"When?" asked Eddie, grinning.

"When what?"  Janan cocked her head. "When will you complete your arrangements?"

"How can I resist getting this," she opened her hand and looked down at the bracelet again, "on my wrist as soon as possible?" "When?" Janan shrugged.  "It's just a matter of finding the time. There never seems to be enough to do everything that needs doing."

"Okay," said Eddie as he took Janan's elbows in his hands and bent his knees to look straight into her eyes.  "Okay.  I can see I'm part of the problem.  I won't take you out anymore, until you've filled out your paperwork and gotten your insurance!"      "This is blackmail!"

"You bet, Lady, and I'm the roughest, meanest blackmailer around," Eddie said in a corny James Cagney voice.  "You get your cryonics arrangements in order or else."

"Okay.  I give. "When?" Eddie asked again. "You don't even let a person breathe, do you?" "Nope!  When?"

"Well, I could do it Saturday.  No, I promised Crisa I'd go shopping with her." "Cancel," said Eddie, cutting Janan off. "Cancel your date with Crisa." "But I promised."  Janan had a frown on her face, a look of disbelief.

"What's more important?" asked Eddie with a little shrug. "A new pair of shoes that'll wear out, or a chance to spend forever with me?" A smile spread across Janan's face, as if she felt good having someone really care.  "You make the alternative sound so foolish!"

"You dirty rat," Eddie continued his comical imitation of James Cagney.  "Either you let me watch you fill out your papers, or I stop seeing you till its done. "Okay!"  Janan clapped her hands together and laughed. Eddie grabbed Janan's coat and held it out for her.  "Great. I can't wait to see that bracelet on you. "Janan nodded and smiled and started for the door.  "Feel like Italian?" "You're on."

Nearing the Villa Roma, their favorite Italian restaurant, Eddie brought up the subject again.  "Why did you let your arrangements lapse, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know." "Any doubts about cryonics?"  asked Eddie. "Oh no.  Not at all.  It was..." she ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath, like she was searching for an answer. "What?"

"Oh, for a while it seemed like the whole universe was trying to crush me, Eddie."  Janan looked away.  "I was having trouble with my career, John and I broke up, then I started having financial problems.  It was just too much.  I let a lot of things slip until I got it back together again."  Janan smiled and looked back over at Eddie.  "Then I met you, Love, and things began to go right again."

"So, if things are going right again, why are you still without arrangements to be frozen?" "No good reason.  Just procrastination, I guess." "Well then!"  Eddie burst into a great big smile which warmed the whole car.  "Then tonight, after dinner, we'll go back to my place and fill out your papers together.  Deal?"  Eddie reached over and took Janan's hand.

"Deal!"  Janan raised their joined hands in a victory salute. Eddie swung into the parking lot of the Villa Roma and Janan popped free her seat belt. "Drop me at the door," said Janan.  "I'll get us on the list while you park." A small black sports car careened between the parked cars in front of them.  There were no headlights--the driver must have been drunk.  The shadow cloaked monster lurched and smacked into the passenger side of Eddie's Toyota like a giant shark gliding out of the murky depths. The world seemed to go into slow motion for Eddie.  The sound of the radio faded from his ears and was replaced by creeping silence.

The dark missile invaded Eddie's Toyota, pushing it's nose deeper and deeper through the flimsy door.  With no belt to restrain her, Janan was pushed ahead of the invader by the very power of its inward thrust.

Eddie tried to reach for Janan, but his arms felt paralyzed, as if they were made of lead, and the iron arms of his seat belt trapped him.  He could not reach her.  He could not help.

Concluded in the next issue.