Just as I had accepted my fate, that dreaded voice bellowed for me to wake. “Open those eyes.”
And there he was beside me. Not the youthful image I had expected from television and other sources. He had shoulder-length grey hair and deep wrinkles. His eyes were a pale blue, surrounded by crow’s feet.
For a moment, he said nothing, just staring blankly as if I were some sort of exotic creature. I decided to speak first. “What is wrong with you?”
He gave a wry smile.
“Ah, you’ve never seen an old person before. Even with all our technologies, what would have been considered magic when I was born, there is a certain timespan we can not compensate for. In about two hundred years, you and many more will noticeably age. And there will be nothing you can do about it.”
I replied, somewhat confused. “Aging? I thought that disease was cured?”
He seemed to take some twisted delight in my response and laughed. “I thought it had been cured, too, but no. We extended our lifespan many times over, but it’s still nothing compared to the enormity of eternity. Eventually, our medicine ran into barriers that simply could not be overcome. And that is why you are here.”
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