“Patty, we need to be done!”

Patty sighed and pushed the door to the electrical panel closed. “Okay, it’s ready.”

Cynthia pressed the button and the Pod hummed to life. The smile that took over her face was almost maniacal. “Perfect.”

Patty stood up wearily. Cynthia stripped off her gloves and looked Patty over critically. “Are you going to be able to manage?”

“You know I’ll be fine. We picked the trainee together.”

Cynthia pressed the call button on the wall, notifying the engineers that the Pod was ready to be put back to work. Then she looked around the workshop in satisfaction. “It’s been a good ten years.”

“You’ve earned your rest.”

Cynthia caught the envy in Patty’s voice and pushed her playfully. “You’ll get yours soon enough. Only five more years.”

“Yeah.” Patty looked at the Pod as Cynthia gathered her things to leave. “Maybe this will be yours.”


Cynthia made a face. “This old thing? I hope not.” She threw her bag over her shoulder and looked at Patty somberly. “It’s been a good time working with you.”

Patty’s face broke into a smile. “You, too.”

The two embraced for a moment, and when they pulled away, Patty saw tears shining in Cynthia’s eyes.

“Well, I’ve gotta go. That pod took longer than I thought…” She looked at the clock. “I still have to drop the kids off at the Children’s Center, change my clothes, go see my sister… I don’t know, does it really matter?”

“Yes. Do it right. This is your last day, you can manage that at least.”

“Okay.” Cynthia gave Patty’s arm an excited squeeze, her eyes shining. “Try not to miss me too much.”

She hurried out, leaving Patty to clean up and supervise the Pod.

Another five years of this, she thought. But then…

“Cynthia’s last?” Jason interrupted, strolling into the room with Mitch at his side.

“Yep.”

Jason moved the Pod onto the tracks as he said, “Make your plans now, Mitch. By tomorrow, this place’ll be in pieces.”

Mitch smiled, then grunted when Patty dropped the part of the Pod she was holding. “Hey!”

Patty smiled sweetly. “I thought I’d get a head start on destroying the place.” She went to get her bag. “I’m sure you boys can manage without me.”

She heard Jason explaining the move to Mitch as she walked out. “The occupant of this one was woken up when a fuse blew. Guy almost died, but all he cared about was how he was about to save the planet from aliens or something. Anyway, now it’s going to the arrivals hallway, and…”

Patty sighed. Five more years of this. Couldn’t they just lower the age a little bit more? Everyone she knew was suddenly going, and she was left behind. It had been easier when she was younger, but now all her friends were of age or getting there fast. First Cynthia’s husband. Then the head engineer. Then her neighbor. And now, Cynthia. Who was she going to talk to?

She glared resentfully at the Life Center History Wall as she passed it. Twenty-Five, it proclaimed. The Perfect Balance.

When Life Pods first became available, it had only been to the oldest. The age got lower and lower, but a law had finally stopped it at twenty-five. Apparently, someone decided that if it were lowered any more, society wouldn’t be able to sustain itself. Patty wanted to know who that idiot was. What harm would a few more years do?

Five more years. Actually, four years and two hundred seventy days. But who was counting?

Patty sighed and checked her phone for messages as she walked down the street. Nothing. Why hadn’t the doctor gotten back to her yet? Was there something wrong? She didn’t think advance pregnancy tests usually took more than a day.

She had to have kids. She wasn’t going to let the child requirement stand between her and her Pod date. She checked her messages again. Nope, nothing from the doctor, just one from Adam asking for the results. She paused on it, then deleted it. She knew he was getting worried, and he had a right to be, with his Pod date so much sooner than hers, but she didn’t want to deal with it now.

Patty turned down a side street, passing the back of her old school, and then back onto the main street that led downtown. She didn’t like taking this way, but it was the fastest, and she wasn’t in the mood for detours.

She increased her pace as she passed the Children’s Center, tried to drown out the sound of a father coaxing his two kids through its doors, but she failed miserably. Seeing the Center always reminded her of her first time through those doors. That was when she’d realized that her life before then had been a lie. Her parents had never told her the real goal: age twenty-five. Right up until the end, they’d fed her lies about happiness and love and laughter. Right up until they stepped into their Life Pods to begin their perfect new lives.

Patty knew she would never do that to her kids.

Five more years, she thought as she turned another corner, leaving the Children’s Center behind. She could see her favorite bar up ahead, and her anticipation made her walk just a little faster. Five more years, and it will all be mine. Real happiness, love, and laughter. Not the made-up kind people pretend exists here.

Patty pushed open the door and ordered her usual, and it took her a second to realize that the bartender was different. A new, young, perky blond had replaced Tony. Patty frowned into her mug. Everyone was going before her.

The blond tried to chat with her, but she was too caught up in her thoughts to pay attention. Sitting in her place at the bar, her mind wandered habitually to the places she’d go in her Pod. Anywhere you can imagine, the Life Center boasted. Well, Patty was going to be prepared.

She’d start with a nice, long beach vacation, she usually decided. Beaches were too polluted to go to anymore, but she’d watched old movies so that she’d be able to take herself to one.

Movies. She almost couldn’t stand them. Why watch somebody else live when you can live it yourself in a Life Pod? But she knew she had to, if she wanted to be ready.

So anyway, after the beach vacation, she wanted to tour the world, and then –

Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzzz.

She opened her phone frantically the second she felt it. A message from her doctor, with a single line of text: Pregnancy test positive.

Patty smiled in satisfaction and took a sip from her mug, already forwarding the message to Adam. Everything was falling into place. Just five more years.