"And then Marco looks up at me with eyes the size of durian and says, 'No, Grandpa, I'm adrift'!" It was too stupid a joke not to laugh. Mr. Mendoza's body language changed after that. He settled into the chair and leaned back, no longer eyeing Cais like she was a harpy in disguise. She made a mental note to thank her boss: the easiest way to put seniors at ease was to ask about family.

He wiped a tear from his eye, then clapped his hands on her desk. "So. You need to freeze me?"

"That's a common misconception." She had tried for weeks to dispel this one, but the term "cryo" had caught on and was too easy. "It's more like a hibernation. We'll lower your body temperature and metabolic activity, but your mind will remain active in the CloudArk."

"Oh? I used to do some arking back in my day. Been a while, though. Mostly just use the AV stuff to visit the great-grandkids." He made a point of shifting in the chair. "The monorail's not great for the old scoliosis."

"I don't think anyone calls it 'arking' anymore, Mr. Mendoza, but you'll be able to see the grandkids just like an in-person visit."

She kicked on the viewing wall and displayed an image of Neomuna, except…

"No clouds?" He whistled appreciatively.

"We call it the Landing Zone. It's an exact replica of the city. Same laws of physics. Just nicer weather. You'll start out here while you get used to CloudArk living. We generate a body that's an exact replica of the one you have now. Once you get settled in, we have classes for customizing your avatar, building new spaces, even exploring the deep CloudArk if you feel adventurous."

"Sounds good, I suppose. But this, uh… this perfect replica of my body?"

"Down to the neuron."

"Can you make me one without the scoliosis?"