Reality versus expectations. That was never something Evan was good at. All facets of his life were perfect. He'd made his millions, on his way to making billions when the world came crumbling down. And it all fell, thanks to a dog.

"Come on, buddy, let's go," Evan cooed but it was to no avail. Buster, his mixed lab, far too old and heavy now to even walk much less run, looked up at him with pain in her eyes. "No. Come on. We've gotta go."

Getting her this far in this secure a facility was already a James Bond-esque feat.

It was no use so he resolved to pick her up and carry her. "Come on. I'm not leaving you."

Up ahead, yet another one of his expectations turned sad reality came into focus, Amber, his wife.

She waved him on. When he was close enough, the way she eyed Evan's dog wasn't something he took a liking to.

"Ev, baby, are we taking the dog? You told me we couldn't. I even left Coco behind!"

Coco was a rat masquerading as a dog. Anything that could be carried in a purse, Evan decided, was no pet. That was an accessory.

"We can take her," Evan insisted. "It's already too late."

Amber, sans the makeup was his reality. With where they were headed, she also had to stop bleaching her hair so now it was a dingy brown mess. The 'extensions' were gone, too. When he'd met her, she was a half-decent C-cup, then a D thanks to his money. But now that, too, was gone. Every 'unnatural' alteration had to go.

He reached past her to type his password into the keypad but it came back rejected.

"It's okay." Amber did the honors and the gigantic doors slid open. "Top clearance."

Evan was impressed. "Baby, you're amazing."

Still, she didn't look all that pleased as she hurried in. Two rows of cryo-beds stretched out before them. Some were inhabited and all were expensive.

They hurried down until they found three empty ones in a row.

"Here," Evan said. But as he put his dog down and hurried to examine the silver tube, Amber didn't follow suit. "What?" he asked her.

"Baby," Amber's voice quivered "you don't know the shit I had to do to get these keycards. Two was hard enough. I didn't get a third."

Evan stood to his full height. He turned to her so slowly he appeared possessed. "What?"

Amber's eyes held fear and something else; anger. "Six guys. Six guys and I won't go into any fucking details, Evan. Six. It'd take two more to get another card."

He wanted to scream at her but there was no point. They were already in the shitter just by being here.

Staring past her, he considered their options. Finally, the thought came to him. "All right. They were designed to sustain two people. We'll put her in one and you and me share."

Amber's mouth fell open. "What?"

But Evan was already in motion. He selected the closest pod and tapped on it. Nothing happened. He banged the glass but with how strong these things were, strength that he himself had requested, there was no getting in.

He turned to Amber and demanded, "Give me a keycard."

She refused. "Can we both fit?"

Evan stared at her for some time. "We'll fit. I told you, I requested the specs on these. Two of us in there will shorten the time but we'll be fine." She wasn't going to budge so he played to his strengths: the feigned romantic. "Besides, if anything happened and these things got bombed or something, one of us could end up coming outta this all alone. You wouldn't want that, would ya?"

At first silent, Amber relented and said, "You're right."

"Good."

Evan snatched the card held out and put it against the pod. The seal broke and he picked Buster up and eased her in. "There you go, baby. You rest up. On the other side of the century, they'll fix you right up."

Amber was already changing out of her clothes when Evan turned to her.

She was still skinny at least, but wow, seeing her in her natural state was a bummer.

The lights flashed red and Evan remembered how precious little time they had. A hundred years of sleep or jail, it was a pretty easy option.

Ten minutes later, after his dog was securely asleep, they climbed into one pod together. It was a tight fit but Amber wore a smile.

"I hope it's a good future," Amber said.

Evan slowed as he sat. "What?"

"Well, how do we know it's not all dystopian or something, babe? But at least we'll be together. Think of it. You and me, tasked with repopulating the world. We could end up being the last two people."

She lay back but Evan was a bit slower in joining her.

"Think of it, baby," Amber gushed, "they're gonna come in here and see you fuck them over one last time."

Her forehead snuggled close to him, she grinned.

Evan lay back, looking up at the glass.

"And this is a good idea. That way, we'll always be together."

She reached up to pull it closed but his hand moved on its own, stopping her.

Panic pulsed through Evan and he fought to calm. She was right. What if it was a hellscape on the other end of this? They could be all that was left.

A thought flew into his head and he asked, "Hey, did you pee?"

Amber leaned away despite their cramped space. "Pee? Does that matter."

"Yeah," he said, "cause we'll be sleeping for so long." The way she fell silent made him sigh. "Just go right now."

"Go? Go where? This is a cryo-chamber. There's no bathroom."

"Then go on the floor. Who cares?" At her shock, Evan groaned. "Are we seriously going to die in this thing because you feel shy?"

Amber hesitated then saw reason. "I—I guess you're right. But we don't have much time."

"Go on."

"But—"

Her eyes gravitated to the keycard in his hand and he gave it to her for assurance. "I'll wait for you. Here."

Without hesitation, she snatched it, climbed out, and fell to the floor.

Evan sat up and said, "Do it by the door so it won't touch the pods."

"I can't believe I'm doing this!"

Neither could Evan. He lay back, stared at the ceiling, and thought about how he'd rather spend his last days on earth should the world have come to an end in a hundred years. Buster was already sixteen, she wasn't going to last much longer. Still, it was enough. Amber was thirty-five, she'd last years and years. Her and her flabby chest.

He reached up and yanked the glass closed and the seal locked.

The sleep process took a few minutes to kick in but there was a sterile silence. Amber's face came into view sometime later.

She wore a look of confusion at first, then shock when she realized his trick. The keycard in her hand gave no yield.

That, too, was another part of the design Evan'd requested. Once closed, time became the key. A hundred years had to pass at the minimum to allow it to open. She could bang and bang away at the glass, which she did, it wouldn't matter.

Her face was red, spewing all sorts of colorful swears Evan could no longer hear.

A hundred years could mean anything. It could mean paradise or hell, either way, it was him and Buster and that'd be all right.

Goodbye, Amber, because as the glass grew blurry, so did Evan's vision.

Evan Mortice opened his eyes to the sight of a beautiful flushed face. Full parted lips, pixie cut black hair, dark eyes, bronze skin, slender neck, and a sizeable pair of tits.

This bitch looked man-made.

"Hello," she announced. "My name is Jhenai Cowel. I am your personal medic. Welcome to the future."

Evan's head pounded. His mouth tasted like sand. Bright lights blinded him from all directions. It took a good amount of time before he could see that face again. He wanted to see her.

With one more blink, she zipped back into focus.

"It's no good," the woman called. "Caleb. It's no good."

Something exploded above her head and she was gone.

"I've got my tether around him!" Jhenai yelled.

A gruff voice said, "Then go. I've got these two."

Evan started to move. He still lay on his back and the world above resembled a warzone. It wasn't open sky, however, but a building. That gave little comfort.

Distant gunfire, he assumed gunfire, closed in. Around his chest, a belt pulled him tight. He could at least look down to see that he was wearing a white lab coat.

Another explosion had Evan closing his eyes.

"Jhen!" Caleb shouted.

Someone ducked down. "I'm okay. How are you doing?"

"We're losing blood but I'm keeping them off the ground. Let's move."

"Hello," a jovial voice said.

Evan wasn't sure of its source but managed to turn his head to the left. Directly on the wall, a pasty-faced, red-headed young man smiled at him. It looked like a mannequin projected against the white surface.

"Are you in need of medical assistance?" it asked.

Both the man and the woman shouted, "No!"

"Shit," Caleb said, "it's awake. Keep moving before the medics get involved."

Perhaps Jhenai did just that because Evan was in motion again. It was a slow and laborious journey. She was pulling him.

Another explosion came, much closer.

Evan wasn't sure where he was or what this was but that face came with them on their journey.

"Hello," it said, "are you in need of medical assistance?"

No one answered so Evan stared up again. Shock made him flinch. He wasn't sure what he was seeing. It looked like a woman, dressed in a nice jumpsuit...crawling on the ceiling.

When she turned to face him, her body remained affixed to the wall. The bitch's head simply rotated.

Evan opened his mouth but a scream didn't come out. He couldn't move but he twisted and willed his muscles to react.

"A—a—a!" was all he could manage.

"Is he talking?"

Jhenai hurried to his side. "I don't know." She loomed over him then froze and swallowed hard. "He's looking up."

"What?" Caleb took time answering. "Shit."

"Um...what do I do?"

"Don't move. And whatever you do, don't take off that tether."

What Evan witness was beyond his imagination. The woman on the ceiling remained there but her neck started to grow. It was a pretty face she wore at a distance but as she closed in, a row of jagged teeth came with it.

"I can't let them go," Caleb screamed.

Jhenai closed her eyes and whispered, "It's okay. I don't mind going this way."

Panic surged through Evan but he couldn't will his body to run. The head closed in. It looked reminiscent of a snake, in more ways than one, as the large mouth opened, hovering just above Jhenai's head.

"Hello," the happy voice returned and said, "are you in need of medical assistance?"

Jhenai trembled.

Evan on the other hand, turned to the face on the wall and screamed though it came out in a whisper, "Yes."

The snake woman froze. Jhenai froze.

Caleb's voice was all that said, "Oh shit. He's just killed us all."

"Thank you," the mannequin's voice said, zipping away. "Goodbye."