The narrator, Mega, shares her story of being frozen for 15 years after failing her university entrance exams and feeling hopeless about her future. A bioengineer offered to freeze her in exchange for a large sum of money, which she accepted. After thawing out 15 years later, Mega finds herself struggling to adapt to the modern world, where technology, fashion, and people have changed dramatically. She feels like a stranger to her old friends and family, and even to herself, as she tries to navigate this new reality. Despite the initial excitement, Mega realizes that she has lost touch with her own time and feels morally disoriented. She concludes that she would have refused to be frozen if she could go back in time, believing that a person should live in their own time, not jump decades ahead.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The narrator is 16 years old.
2. The narrator failed their university entrance exams.
3. The narrator's parents were disappointed and upset by the failure.
4. The narrator was forced to work to support themselves.
5. The narrator got a job as a dishwasher at a cafe.
6. The narrator met a bioengineer who offered to freeze them for 15 years.
7. The bioengineer promised to pay the narrator $1,000 upfront and $15,000 after thawing.
8. The narrator agreed to the proposal and was frozen for 15 years.
9. During the 15 years, the narrator's parents grew old and their younger sister was born.
10. The narrator was thawed and found that the world had changed significantly.
11. The narrator struggled to adapt to the new technology and social norms.
12. The narrator was surprised by the changes in fashion and beauty standards.
13. The narrator met up with old friends who had moved on with their lives and had families.
14. The narrator realized that their biological age had frozen, but their friends had grown older.
15. The narrator received $15,000 as promised by the bioengineer.