Cuba 2099

New Havana sings overhead while an ancient gas pump guards a choice to ignite or extinguish forgotten gods.

“Come on,” said Rosa, her pitch-black hair blowing in the warm breeze, glittering in the rising sun. She maneuvered her bicycle with fluid grace.

Ernesto's grin wavered. “Where exactly are we going?”

“It's a surprise,” Rosa said. “Don't tell me you’re scared of a little mystery?”

Ernesto sighed, recalling his recent resolution to challenge his anxiety; a topic he’d discussed at length with Dr. Vargas. “I suppose not,” he conceded. “Yeah, why not?”

“I knew you’re cool!” Her enthusiasm was infectious.

Ernesto pressed his watch against the dispenser’s screen, unlocking a bicycle for himself. “It’s… just been a while since I —”

“You'll be fine,” Rosa interjected, her smile warm. “Trust me.”

They set off down the side street, soon merging onto the main avenue — a serpentine artery pulsing through the heart of New Havana. The cityscape bustled with life: pedestrians strolled purposefully or lounged by ornate fountains while children’s laughter punctuated the air, their games an eternal enigma to the adult mind.

Ernesto glanced at the passing palm trees and overgrown buildings, wondering where the fuck they were going. He’d met Rosa just a couple of weeks ago at a community meeting and had fallen for her right then. How she’d danced…

Rosa glanced back, flashing a sly smile that set Ernesto’s heart aflutter. She increased her pace and Ernesto eagerly followed suit. They zipped down the bike lane, weaving through slower cyclists as Ernesto kept muttering apologies.

An hour of steady riding brought them to the city’s outer walls. A prominent sign declared: La Habana Wildlife Protection Area. Access Only With Permit!

Dismounting, Ernesto wiped away beads of sweat, feeling somewhat awkward. “What now?”

Rosa’s smile widened. “Ernesto, dear, I’m a woman of many talents. Don't forget that.” She held her watch to the scanner as Ernesto looked on doubtfully. Seconds ticked by.

“What are you —”

The scanner blinked green, and the massive gate slid open with surprising fluidity. Pedestrians turned, curiosity piqued by the rare sight of authorized entry into the protected zone that encompassed nearly the entire island beyond New Havana.

Ernesto gaped. “You have clearance? How? I thought only scientists were granted access and even for them it’s difficult. I know someone who tried to climb the wall and —”

Rosa closed the distance between them. Ernesto twitched as her deep brown eyes locked with his. The scent of coconut wafted from her hair as she gently pressed a finger to his lips.

“Hush, Ernesto.”

Her lips met his in a gentle kiss. Ernesto’s hands found her hips as Rosa’s arms rested on his shoulders. He wished the moment could last forever but Rosa pulled away, biting her lower lip.

“Patience, Ernesto. Remember, I have something to show you.” She gestured at his pack. “You brought enough water, right?”

“Uh... yeah,” he stammered.

“Good. Shall we?”

***

They cycled across untamed plains and through dense, overgrown forests, the Gulf of Mexico shimmering in the distance. The day grew stiflingly humid and the sweet fragrance of wildflowers mingled with the salty sea air, nearly overwhelming their senses. Ernesto’s last venture into this wilderness had been on a school trip many years ago. He’d hated it.

“We're almost there,” Rosa said as they ascended a hill. The inexhaustible supply of the sun, channeled through solar panels that could last forever, propelled them forward, the tires biting into the ground, friction and resistance overcome by sheer force. As physics had intended.

At the summit, Rosa halted and turned. “Do you see it?”

Ernesto squinted against the glare, scanning the plain below. At first, nothing stood out — just a serene lake bordered by lush forests, interspersed with glades and clearings. Then his eyes locked onto an anomaly: amid the wilderness stood the decaying remnants of metal and concrete, only partially reclaimed by nature. A relic from a bygone era, likely predating the Great Heat.

“Wow! How old is that, whatever it is?”

“I can't say for certain,” Rosa replied. "But it’s definitely from before the Heat. I found it a few weeks ago while studying the lake’s ecosystems. As far as I know, no one else has been there in decades.”

Ernesto realized something. “So, you are a scientist?”

“A biologist, yeah.”

“Had no idea.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Ernesto.”

He pondered this truth as he gazed at the ruin. “What was its purpose?”

“Gas station.”

“Gas station?”

“Yes.” She moved closer, inhaling his scent and resting her head on his shoulder. “Shall we investigate?”

“I... I suppose,” Ernesto hesitated. “Is it safe?”

“Oh, dear,” Rosa chuckled, that enigmatic smile playing on her lips again. “I’ll protect you.” With that she mounted her bike and sped down the steep incline, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. Ernesto scrambled after, afraid of losing sight.

They soon arrived at the derelict gas station. Its once-vibrant red and white hues had faded to ghostly pastels, and the metal roof bore the scars of rust and time’s relentless march. Vines and creepers had claimed significant portions of the structure, intertwining with the cracked concrete walls. The fuel pumps stood like silent sentinels, their nozzles long bereft of gasoline. No trace of petroleum lingered in the air; instead, the sweet aroma of surrounding wildlife permeated the scene. Birdsong echoed in the distance. It was oddly beautiful.

Ernesto dismounted with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He observed the eerily calm atmosphere that made it seem as if time itself had stopped here while the world had moved on. Moved on to better days.

Rosa joined him, her face flushed and animated. “Fascinating, isn’t it?” Her voice was colored with reverence. “People used to come and go here, refueling their cars, buying shit they don’t need.”

“It’s remarkable,” Ernesto said, examining one of the nozzles. The metal felt cold and rough with rust beneath his fingers. “But why did you bring me here?”

Rosa took his hands. There was a slight tremor in her voice. “Ernesto... you’re good with computers, aren’t you?”

“I guess,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

There was a quiver in her voice. “You have to help me with something. I don’t know what to do.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Come,” she said, leading the way. “I’ll show you.”

They entered the building, finding a faded sign that read “Office.” The door groaned in protest as Rosa pushed it open, revealing a small room with dust-covered shelves, a desk strewn with scattered papers, and a computer terminal with a flickering screen.

Ernesto’s eyes widened. “Is that computer working? How is that possible?”

“I was as surprised as you are,” Rosa said. She pressed a button on the terminal and a click emanated from below the ground. Ernesto watched in amazement as Rosa knelt, inserted her fingers into a hidden indentation, and lifted a concealed trapdoor.

“What the —”

Rosa was already descending the revealed ladder. “Come on, Ernesto. You have to see it. You’re the only one I trust with this.”

Ernesto nodded and followed Rosa down the ladder. The tunnel was brightly lit by small fluorescent bulbs lining the walls — powered for God knows how long — while the air hung heavy with the acrid scent of warm plastic and electronics. Ernesto’s breath quickened as claustrophobia threatened to overwhelm him, the confined space seeming to press in from all sides. He focused his thoughts on the open landscape above. Breathe.

The ladder eventually came to an abrupt end. Ernesto stepped off, his jaw dropping as he took in the sight before him. They stood in a vast underground chamber of concrete and steel. Bright screens and red neon illuminated the space, accompanied by the constant hum of what Ernesto recognized as servers.

At the center of the hall stood two rows of cylindrical pods, each with a transparent front panel, revealing… figures within. Ernesto’s breath caught in his throat as realization dawned. Those were people! — their faces blank, frozen in time. Each pod held a small display panel with vital signs, confirming that these people were alive, albeit in a state of suspended animation, perpetually teetering on the brink of death.

“Rosa?” Ernesto whispered, unable to tear his gaze from the surreal sight. “W-What is this place?”

“A cryogenic preservation facility,” she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “These are rich people, Ernesto. People who’d chosen to freeze themselves before the Heat laid waste to civilization. They’d hoped to awaken in a better world.”

“How do you know that?”

Rosa gestured toward a computer terminal. “It’s all documented there, Ernesto. But I can’t access the command screen. That’s why I need you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“See for yourself.”

Ernesto approached the computer terminal, studying the unfamiliar interface. It was simultaneously ancient and remarkably advanced. Drawing upon his feeble knowledge of ancient operating systems, he began inputting commands long forgotten by civilization.

“Fuck,” he murmured after several minutes, his voice quavering with a mixture of awe and fear. “Twenty people all from the year 2031.”

“Yes, and there are protocols to wake them up when certain conditions are met — conditions like the world being habitable again.”

Ernesto typed away, navigating through obscure screens as his mind struggled to process the information. He paused. “But the protocols have failed,” he said, his hands trembling. “They lost connection to the satellite network decades ago. These people will be frozen forever… or at least until the power supply fails.”

“Yeah,” Rosa said. “But look, there’s a command screen for manual revival. It’s protected, though. Can you bypass the security?”

Ernesto scrutinized the screen, immediately identifying a workaround. The command screen wasn’t truly protected but merely glitching; anyone who had made it this far was presumably authorized. The real failure had occurred in the gas station computer above. Far more time had passed than these frozen people had anticipated.

“Rosa,” he said. There was some reluctance there. “I can access it.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “I knew I could rely on you. Do it!”

They stared at the revealed command screen, noting options to initiate wake-up procedures. But another option caught the eye: Initiate termination, followed by a warning: Use only in case of critical failure!

“Rosa...” Ernesto stammered. “What do we do?”

She fixed him with a gaze that pierced his very soul. He’d never seen such intensity in her eyes before. “I think you know the answer to that, Ernesto.”

He wiped sweat from his brow. “A-Are you serious? We would be murderers.”

Her voice rose, cracking with fury. “They should be dead already! They destroyed the world, Ernesto! Devoured it! It took a miracle for this planet to recover. Billions died! Not to mention all those animals and plants. Entire biospheres, lost forever!”

She took a deep breath, calming herself as she regarded the frozen figures with undisguised hate. Her hands were shaking.

“I understand all that,” Ernesto said.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

She sighed. “Just unlock the screen and walk away. I’ll handle the rest. No one will ever know. We can’t let them live again.”

Ernesto hesitated, his chest tight with anxiety. Breathe. Rosa hugged him gently, her voice a soothing whisper. “Look at them, Ernesto. Look!”

He gazed at the expressionless faces, the pale skins, fragile limbs. They looked peaceful, reminding him of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Preserved to endure the ages while the peasants lived and died forever.

“They are already dead.”

And perhaps it was true.

THE END

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