“The billion seeds of the human species were gathered in ovoid vessels of milky light, each sperm cell resting in a thread of the pearly rope that hung suspended and protected inside each pod. The incubators were invisible behind the cold gleaming surfaces of the cabinets that contained them. A central computer accepted codes of entry to the directory of human men that harkened back generations upon generations. Andri was alone in the dark of the crypt, surnames A through D. The chamber was immense, cavernous, and Andri began to wonder how far beneath the surface of Earth he had traveled. He had dreamed on the journey down, after all. How long does a dream last?”