Next Life
In 2067, Bruno Santucci decided to suspend his life, hoping his terminal disease will one day find a cure. But will any future life be any better than the one he already has?
By Eric W. Gershman
Sci-Fi, 20 minutes
Every person has a last day, and today was Bruno's.
He had taken the LINK from Sedona and arrived in Phoenix in the late afternoon. Stepping off the transport, he looked up at the station's Information Board, which was flashing world facts for this day, March 17th, 2067.
Amount of rain falling today: 4 billion, three hundred seventy nine...ten...eleven
Number of trees planted today: 1 million four hundred seventy five thousand
Number of births today: Two million, seven-hundred fifty thousand, seven hundred, and nine…ten…eleven
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Well, it looks like the babies are doing just fine, he thought. “I leave this Earth to the future Stephen Hawkins!” he said aloud. The station was near empty at this late Sunday hour. He was wearing his favorite outfit: carpenter shorts, work boots, and a Hawaiian shirt. Although he was seventy-six-years old yesterday, his 5’6” frame still held the thick muscular stance of a man used to working with his hands. He carried an old leather briefcase.