way too high to land here. Chances were it would crash on the other side of the world. He went back inside and locked the doors, bringing down the steel door and sealing the building. The windowless building was designed to be a fortress if necessary, and Daniel felt it was necessary now. After he secured the foyer, he entered the hallway to the underground room. He turned and closed the door behind him.
He followed the spiraling hallway down under the main building. Once through the cryonic room’s sliding door, he pulled it closed and locked it. He looked around the dimly lit room that was situated directly beneath the building’s courtyard. There was another exit in the ceiling in case the building exit became blocked. Daniel made his way past the cryogenic pods to a steel ladder welded to the wall. He climbed the ladder and checked the hatch door, making sure it was secure. Then he climbed down and looked around for his aide.
Sam huddled in a corner, looking up at the ceiling every time a noise was loud enough to penetrate the thick concrete roof. He shivered in fear.
“Sam!” Daniel shouted.
Sam looked up at Daniel, then stood and ran over to him. “What do we do? Are we going to die? How do we get out of this? What do we do?” he babbled.
Daniel slapped him across the face to stop him from raving. Sam shut up and stared at Daniel. “We get into the cryogenic pods, and hope that when this is over, someone will wake us,” Daniel explained calmly.
“Yes!” Sam said, “That’s a brilliant idea!” He went over to an empty pod and began to climb in. Daniel realized that it was the only empty pod left.
“Hold on, Sam. There’s only one pod left.”
Sam looked around at the other pods in the room and saw it was true. He narrowed his eyes at Daniel and continued getting into the pod.
“Now, Sam,” Daniel cajoled, “you know the League will need me in the future. I’m the leader, and you’re just an aide. Letting me take the pod would be in the best interest of the League.”
Sam looked up resentfully. “Your father is already cryogenically frozen. He can be our leader again in the future. It’s you who aren’t needed.”
Daniel sighed in resignation, pulled out his gun, and shot Sam in the chest. Sam looked down in surprise as blood gushed out of the wound. He looked back up at Daniel as he died, falling out of the pod and onto the floor.
Daniel felt dizzy, and wondered if he should check his blood sugar. Then he thought that it really wasn’t necessary, as all his body functions would be in cryonic stasis in a few minutes. He hoped there would be a cure for diabetes when they woke him. He was tired of giving himself insulin shots.
Daniel went across the room to the control console and initiated the cryonic sequence for his pod. Then he rushed back to the pod and climbed in as the lid slowly closed. By the time he had settled himself, the pod sealed and the cryonic sequence began. He felt himself losing consciousness. Karina had told him time in stasis seemed instantaneous, but he wasn’t sure if it would be the same for everyone. He wondered if he would dream.
Earth shuddered as the comet hit the planet with just enough force to nudge it out of its orbit, but Daniel wasn’t aware of the impact. The cryonic sequence was complete, and Daniel began his dreamless sleep. Days passed and Earth froze as the sun was blocked out by particles of dust and moisture thrown up into the atmosphere. Within months the few millions of humans that had survived the immediate impact settled into bomb shelters and caves, unaware of the change in orbit. They waited for the day when the dust would disperse and temperatures would rise again, but Earth slowly moved farther from the sun and became locked in eternal winter.
As the years lengthened and summers shortened, people realized that with each orbit around the sun, Earth was traveling farther away from it. With increasing desperation they searched the ruins
He followed the spiraling hallway down under the main building. Once through the cryonic room’s sliding door, he pulled it closed and locked it. He looked around the dimly lit room that was situated directly beneath the building’s courtyard. There was another exit in the ceiling in case the building exit became blocked. Daniel made his way past the cryogenic pods to a steel ladder welded to the wall. He climbed the ladder and checked the hatch door, making sure it was secure. Then he climbed down and looked around for his aide.
Sam huddled in a corner, looking up at the ceiling every time a noise was loud enough to penetrate the thick concrete roof. He shivered in fear.
“Sam!” Daniel shouted.
Sam looked up at Daniel, then stood and ran over to him. “What do we do? Are we going to die? How do we get out of this? What do we do?” he babbled.
Daniel slapped him across the face to stop him from raving. Sam shut up and stared at Daniel. “We get into the cryogenic pods, and hope that when this is over, someone will wake us,” Daniel explained calmly.
“Yes!” Sam said, “That’s a brilliant idea!” He went over to an empty pod and began to climb in. Daniel realized that it was the only empty pod left.
“Hold on, Sam. There’s only one pod left.”
Sam looked around at the other pods in the room and saw it was true. He narrowed his eyes at Daniel and continued getting into the pod.
“Now, Sam,” Daniel cajoled, “you know the League will need me in the future. I’m the leader, and you’re just an aide. Letting me take the pod would be in the best interest of the League.”
Sam looked up resentfully. “Your father is already cryogenically frozen. He can be our leader again in the future. It’s you who aren’t needed.”
Daniel sighed in resignation, pulled out his gun, and shot Sam in the chest. Sam looked down in surprise as blood gushed out of the wound. He looked back up at Daniel as he died, falling out of the pod and onto the floor.
Daniel felt dizzy, and wondered if he should check his blood sugar. Then he thought that it really wasn’t necessary, as all his body functions would be in cryonic stasis in a few minutes. He hoped there would be a cure for diabetes when they woke him. He was tired of giving himself insulin shots.
Daniel went across the room to the control console and initiated the cryonic sequence for his pod. Then he rushed back to the pod and climbed in as the lid slowly closed. By the time he had settled himself, the pod sealed and the cryonic sequence began. He felt himself losing consciousness. Karina had told him time in stasis seemed instantaneous, but he wasn’t sure if it would be the same for everyone. He wondered if he would dream.
Earth shuddered as the comet hit the planet with just enough force to nudge it out of its orbit, but Daniel wasn’t aware of the impact. The cryonic sequence was complete, and Daniel began his dreamless sleep. Days passed and Earth froze as the sun was blocked out by particles of dust and moisture thrown up into the atmosphere. Within months the few millions of humans that had survived the immediate impact settled into bomb shelters and caves, unaware of the change in orbit. They waited for the day when the dust would disperse and temperatures would rise again, but Earth slowly moved farther from the sun and became locked in eternal winter.
As the years lengthened and summers shortened, people realized that with each orbit around the sun, Earth was traveling farther away from it. With increasing desperation they searched the ruins
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