Chapter 17
Sebastian’s cryogenic chamber had been lowered deep into the sea
Reuben informed Cassandra that the cryonics research team had only built a cryogenic chamber storage room beneath the Syrannis Sea–not a research base. That meant the place could only house the cryogenic chamber, not the living
“As you know, Ms. Yeager, the seabed is unlike the surface. Due to its extremely low temperatures and high hydrostatic pressure, it would cost a fortune to build a research base at the bottom of the sea. To be honest with you, our cryonics research team has been operating on a shoestring budget all along That’s why we could only build a storage facility and not a research base down there,” Reuben explained
“The storage room has been sealed off to prevent the cryogenic chamber from being corroded by the seawater. Even the air has been sucked out to create avarmen to eliminate the oxygen that could cause oxidation and corrosion of the materials used to construct the chamber. Therefore, the storage room isn’t suited for human p
presence.
“If you insist on seeing Mr. Lowell, we can use a device to transport his cryogenic chamber back ashore. You’ll just need to pay for the cost of doing so.”
Money was no issue for Cassandra. She swiftly paid three times the amount Reuben asked for, requesting that the research team bring Sebastian’s chamber back up as soon as possible.
Alas, It would still take two days–48 hours in total. That didn’t sound very long, but to Cassandra, after losing Sebastian, every passing second felt like
Torture
She left the cryonics research facility despondently. Driving aimlessly along the roads of this massive city, she was akin to a wandering soul with nowhere to go.
Cassandra didn’t feel like going home. She didn’t have someone to return to anymore.
Alter parking her car by the side of the road, she got out and headed to a busy intersection. Standing in the middle and watching the passing crowd, she finally got a taste of what Sebastian had written in his final letter.
“I stood at the crossroads, the crowds rushing past me. The city was full of people, but they were all strangers–faceless, distant. But you, Cassie, you were the exception. You were my only connection to this world.
Yet, what did she do?
She had cut things off
between them when he had been diagnosed with cancer, the time when he most needed companionship and protection
In his letter, Sebastian said none of this was Cassandra’s fault, but how could it not be? She had personally terminated his only connection to this world. It was she who pushed him into that cold, dark abyss of despair.
She was supposed to protect him!
Cassandra’s heart stung with pain. She had to clutch her chest as she slowly crouched down.
“Are you alright, miss?” a kind passerby asked.
Smiling bitterly, Cassandra shook her head, but she didn’t say anything.
She wasn’t alright. On December 12th, she lost the person she loved the most.
In her daze, she arrived at a park Sitting on one of the benches, she stared listlessly at the doves soaring above the park’s central monument. Cassandra remembered bringing Sebastian here once to feed the doves
Being a meek child, he was too scared to feed the doves at first. He hid behind her and hugged her legs tightly as he secretly peeked at the doves. It was only when she had taken his hand and used it to stroke one of the more domesticated daves that he finally struck up the courage to grab a handful of feed and play with the doves
His smile had been filled with joy then.
Cassandra was fully engrossed in her memories when a crisp male voice interrupted her, asking, “Can I have a minute of your time, miss?”
She snapped back to reality and eyed the young man before her coolly
He looked like he was only in his early 20s. Although he wasn’t particularly handsome, he looked pleasant enough and had a liveliness about him. He was wearing a black tracksuit and carrying a large notebook, along with a simple ballpoint pen
“See, miss, the thing is, I’m trying to win the heart of this young woman I know,” the red–faced young man explained. “She’s like a sister to me–but we’re not related by blood! We’re neighbors. I was raised in a single parent family. My mom died when I was very young, and Dad was too busy making a living, so he couldn’t really take care of me.
“She pitied me,
so she often invited me over to her house for meals. She also tutored me, celebrated my birthdays for me, and bought me clothes… “She’s gentle and pretty. I love her very much. Ever since I was a kid, my biggest dream has been to grow up as quickly as possible so that I can profess my feelings to her. I want to date her. I want to marry her!”
