Free Frozen in Time by Ali Sparkes Page B

she’s only three months really … if you know what I mean.’
    ‘He froze a puppy ! How could he?’ said Rachel— even more shocked about puppy-freezing than child-freezing.
    ‘Well, it doesn’t hurt her,’ said Freddy. ‘Any more than it hurts us! Don’t make him out to be some kind of monster. He’s not. He’s a genius!’
    ‘I know, I know,’ said Rachel, playing with Bess’s silky brown ears as the dog nuzzled into Ben’s palm. ‘And, actually, I’m really glad he did. We’ve never had a puppy!’
    ‘Well, she’ll be very useful,’ said Uncle Jerome. ‘We can test her—see how she’s holding up biologically and physiologically after such a long time in stasis. We’ll have to test you two, as well. Just make sure the extended suspension hasn’t caused any damage. Don’t want you going over too fast, like frozen strawberries. They never last an afternoon after they’ve been defrosted!’
    ‘ Uncle! ’ Rachel shoved his arm and glared at him and whispered, ‘ Don’t! You’ll scare them! ’
    Uncle Jerome nodded and tapped his nose. ‘Yes, good point,’ he muttered and went to run his hands over the cryonic machinery, his face a picture of reverence. Ben thought it was a bit like watching a pilgrim arrive at a holy shrine. ‘So,’ breathed Uncle Jerome, ‘the liquid nitrogen—I assume —must pass through these pipes and circulate around the interior of the chamber … cold enough to chill you into suspension, but not making actual bodily contact, thereby not burning your skin off or leading to a nasty multiple-fracture situation when you go to move again … Oh! This is magnificent! How does it feel? When you’re suspended?’
    ‘Um—I don’t know really,’ said Freddy. ‘We just go to sleep.’
    ‘Ah yes, of course, yes. Are there any special preparations beforehand? Do you have to eat or drink anything specific or …?’
    ‘Not really. We just get in. Although Polly always makes a point of going to the lavatory first. Don’t know why. I’ve told her enough times, her bladder’s just as suspended as the rest of her. You know what girls are, though. Bess just snuggles down in the bottom bit where your feet go. She likes it there—that’s why you couldn’t see her.’
    ‘And when you wake up again? Do you feel odd?’
    ‘Pretty queer sometimes,’ said Freddy, now stepping over and joining in the puppy petting. ‘Usually a bit foggy for a minute or so. But it doesn’t last. Of course this time it was worse, because our joints didn’t work too well for a bit. I suppose fifty-three years in cryonic suspension’s going to give anyone a bit of a dead leg.’
    ‘So how is it all powered?’ Uncle Jerome was pondering now. ‘Your father must have laid power down deep underground somehow. What would it have been connected to? Maybe there’s a generator somewhere here. Maybe it leads off the power from the house? Or—or solar energy panels somewhere. Or hydro-electric from the stream. I don’t know. So much to study—so much to find out! I must get the department out—I must get this properly recorded and studied, and—’
    ‘NO!’ Freddy shouted so loudly that Bess whined and Polly glared at him.
    Uncle Jerome blinked and stood up from examining the base of the nearest chamber.
    Freddy stood with his arms folded, lifting his chin. ‘You can’t let anyone else in! Father always told us this was top secret !’
    ‘But—but, my dear boy, he worked for the government! They must have known about his research!’
    ‘Not this research!’ insisted Freddy. ‘We know. We were there . He didn’t share this with anyone at the government. Me and Poll were the only ones who knew about it. He said it was more than his life was worth to let anyone else know about it.’
    ‘But, Freddy, that was fifty-three years ago,’ said his nephew, taking off his glasses and rubbing them with his handkerchief. ‘The government today is not the same as the government back then !