Chapter 1

A whirlwind flew across the room, sending me tumbling backwards to land on the bed.

"Daddy! Daddy!" the girl exclaimed, jumping on top of me and trying to pin me down.

"Princess, you're getting heavier by the day," I cried as I placed my hands under her body and lifted her squealing into the air. She screamed as I pretended to drop her, and then descended into fits of giggles as I lowered her, and then tickled her between the ribs. Angela tried to roll away, but I trapped her and tickled her even more, causing her to beg for mercy.

"Stop it, stop it, Daddy. I'm too ticklish."

"Nobody's too ticklish," I growled, continuing until the sounds attracted the attention of Julia, my wife.

"She's supposed to be going to sleep," Julia informed me. "It's late, and she needs to get up early for school in the morning."

"Uh oh," I gasped conspiratorially to the five-year-old. "Now we're in trouble."

"Uh oh," Angela mimicked.

"Bedtime, Angela. Mark, please take her to bed," Julia sighed impatiently.

"Aye Aye, Miss," I saluted.

Julia frowned as I picked the youngster up in my arms, and ferried her to her room.

"Have you cleaned your teeth?"

Angela nodded. "And I've had a wash and cleaned Teddy's teeth." The stuffed bear was her constant companion; it had no teeth that I could detect. I pretended to check them anyway.

"Last day tomorrow, then two weeks off school for Easter," I reminded her.

"Mummy says we're going to go and stay with Grandma."

"Did she really?" I replied, not fully aware of any such arrangements.

"Are you coming too?"

"Maybe, if things go well. I have to work this weekend. It's that special day that I told you about."

"Won't you get cold when they freeze you?"

"They're not actually freezing me, Princess. They're going to surround me with a magical field. While I'm in it, I won't age a single second."

"Why?"

"We talked about this the other day. Sometimes people get hurt so badly that they die before the doctors and nurses can help them. Other times, they get ill and nobody knows what's wrong with them. By the time they work out what's making them sick, it's too late to treat them."

"I remember now."

"If the equipment we're testing works, Princess, then we'll be able to freeze them until the doctor can make them better, or find out what's wrong with them. It will save thousands and thousands of lives."

"You're not ill?" There was an edge of panic to her voice.

"No, Princess, but I helped design the stasis chamber. It wouldn't be fair to expect anybody else to test it, not the first time."

She still looked worried.

"We've done lots and lots of tests with animals. They're all still as healthy as the day they went in. I'm just going to be the first person to try it. I'll be back before you even know it."

"Maybe Teddy would like to come with you," she pushed him into my hands. "He could look after you."

"Okay," I relented. "Maybe he'll come back looking just the same age also."

The girl giggled. "He's only a toy."

I ruffled my hand through her hair, realising that she was no longer such a little girl anymore, even though she sometimes acted that way. She was already going to school and making new friends, growing up faster than I could keep up with.

"Go to sleep, Princess. I'll see you in a few days."

"Will you say goodbye to me before you go?"

"If you're awake in the morning, I'll sneak in and give you a kiss." I gave her a peck on the cheek for good measure. She responded by throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

"Don't forget Teddy," she reminded me as I retreated out of her room. I returned to pick up the stuffed toy and carried it carefully under my arm. When I turned, she was still smiling, but her eyes had closed.

Julia stood against the worktop in the kitchen, a glass of Chardonnay in her hand, and the bottle beside her almost empty.

"You're starting early," I observed.

She shrugged and carried the drink through into the lounge. I retrieved a clean glass from the shelf, poured out the dregs, and followed her.

"Big day tomorrow," she sighed.

"Yes."

"Will SHE be there?"

"Jenny's my chief assistant."

"Assists with everything, or so it seems."

"How many more times do I need to say it? It was a mistake."

"How many more mistakes have there been Mark? How many others that I don't know about?"

"It happened, and I'm truly sorry."

I sat down and sipped the wine, tepid from standing open in the kitchen.

"I'm going to Mother's tomorrow, as soon as Angela finishes school."

"She said."

"I thought it best if we spend some time apart."

"What do you mean?"

"It will give me ... give us both some chance to think about what we want."

"Julia..."

"I still love you, Mark, but I ... I just can't get this out of my head ... the thought of the two of you, together."

I shook my head. I'd like to say that I regretted what I'd been doing with Jenny, but the sex over the past six months had been simply incredible.

"We can work this out," I stated adamantly.

"You can have all the access to Angela you like. I just need some space alone."

"You make it sound so final."

"Perhaps it is."

"Julia," I protested.

"I had to listen whilst her stupid bloody boyfriend told me you'd been seeing her, how he followed you to the hotel, and found the pair of you on the bed."

I cringed as I recollected Jenny's ex-fiancé beating open the door, and discovering me with Jenny's head in my hands, my cock deeply embedded into her mouth. Her pussy had shone with her juices from where I'd spent an eternity licking her to orgasm.

George had ranted and raved. For an instant, I thought he was going to attack me, although I keep in good physical shape and would doubtless have made a good account of myself. In the end, he spat a few choice epithets and departed. I'd asked Jenny what she wanted to do and within seconds, I was ravaging her once more, and then pouring my come down her throat.

We'd continued our affair, even after George and Jenny split, but the bastard took revenge by informing Julia of my adultery. At first, I'd denied everything, and then tried to convince her that it was nothing but a meaningless fling. She was unconvinced, and I resigned myself to becoming part of the ever-growing statistic of marital breakdowns.

"I'll stay with Mum, at least until I can find a place of my own," Julia added.

"If that's what you want," I replied morosely.

"I've seen a solicitor. He thinks the divorce shouldn't take more than a few months to come through."

I nodded acceptingly, knowing that I only had myself to blame.

"I hope she makes you happy."

"I don't love her," I replied unconvincingly. "It was just sex, nothing more."

Julia snorted derisively and drained her glass. "I'm going to bed. Try not to disturb me when you get up in the morning."

I watched her leave, and then prepared to head upstairs for another night alone in the spare room. It had been three days since I'd last been with Jenny. I hungered for her body.

Returning to the kitchen, I poured the remainder of the wine down the sink, then refilled the glass with water from the tap to cleanse my palate. I observed my reflection in the glass panel of the wall unit, running my fingers through the unsightly stubble.

I knew I'd screwed things up badly. I'd seen friends' lives turned upside down through separation, but never imagined for an instant that it would happen to me. Before we'd had Angela, I'd had no reason to stray. Even though Julia didn't indulge in any of the slightly kinky activities that Jenny and I enjoyed, she nevertheless gave me no cause for complaint. Julia had been a loving partner, deriving every bit as much pleasure as I.

Since Angela came along however, things had changed. Julia had lost much of her interest in sex. After the birth, she'd continually fussed with our daughter, as though if she didn't check on her every half hour, the girl would have lapsed into coma, or caught one of a multitude of childhood ailments. At first, I'd been tolerant, but as time progressed, I longed for the feel of her body against mine. Finally, I sought solace in a series of meaningless relationships, before finally becoming involved with my assistant.

I walked upstairs and undressed in the spare room before snuggling naked under the sheets, another habit that Jenny had developed in me. I caressed my cock, imagining her lips wrapped around the head before she twisted around to present me the choice of her two lower orifices. Julia had never even entertained anything other than the missionary position, but anal sex was just one trick in Jenny's extensive repertoire. If she'd never followed the path of science, the girl could have made a fortune through less conventional means.

Jenny was very different to all the other girls I'd dallied with. As well as having a healthy appetite for sex, she was incredibly intelligent. I remember vividly debating the moral dilemmas of cloning with her one moment, and then screwing her over the sofa the next. With memories of her body firmly in the forefront of my mind, I slipped into the welcome retreat of slumber.

I woke up early and took a shower, rinsing away the sweat of a night spent tossing and turning, restless with worry. I forced down a few mouthfuls of cereal, and then followed it with a cup of disgusting instant coffee. Angela was soundly asleep in her bed. I stooped to kiss her gently on the cheek then returned to the spare room to collect my overnight bag. Teddy was safely tucked inside, ready for his moment of glory.

The Audi started on the first turn. I made the hour-long journey to the outskirts of Cambridge where the headquarters of Genotech was located. Founded twenty years ago to develop genetic treatments for Alzheimer's disease, Genotech had ventured out into stasis research shortly after I took over as research director. Intended as a means of keeping genetic material viable for longer, we'd come up with the amazing idea of expanding the technique to cover macro-organisms. From initial trials in mice, we'd successfully frozen dogs and chimpanzees, without deleterious effect. The remaining hurdle remained only that of man himself.

Outside of my immediate family, just a handful of people knew about the forthcoming trial. The company had circumvented much of the government's stringent control on human experimentation. We reasoned that we were testing a process, rather than a drug. Absolute secrecy also seemed the best way to avoid details leaking out to the press, before we were prepared to go public with our findings.

When we released the results, following a successful outcome, the value of shares in the company would skyrocket, and investors would become rich overnight. Even my modest shareholdings would remove many of my financial worries, and maybe allow me to purchase that little beachfront property in Florida of which I'd been dreaming. My hopes had been that Julia would finally see sense and take me back, but that possibility now seemed remote in the extreme.

I pressed my ID badge against the smartcard reader and the glass doors slid soundlessly out of my path. A young blonde sat behind reception. I gave her a warm smile, suddenly imagining her naked and spread across the silk sheets of my bed. Shaking my head to clear the image, I returned her casual greeting and wandered over to the elevator.

My office was located on the fourth floor, overlooking the plush rear lawns. I sat down at the computer and checked my email, just as Jenny arrived bearing the first decent coffee of the day. She wore a slinky black dress that clung alluringly to her slender frame. High-heeled shoes elevated her to a level that allowed her to stand eye–to eye with me. Taking position behind my chair, she massaged my neck and shoulders, before reaching around to run her hands over my chest. My head nestled within the pillows of her soft breasts.

"I dreamed about us again last night," she sighed.

"Oh? What were we doing?"

"Guess?" Jenny giggled. "I've got this new apartment lined up. It's only ten minutes away. We'd be able to slip out during lunch."

Despite her voracious sexual appetite, Jenny had one of the most organised minds I'd ever encountered. I'd no doubts that without her, the project would still be foundering in the early planning stages. Her presentations had convinced the senior directors of the veracity of the scheme, although I sometimes speculated that their attention was focussed somewhere other than the projection screen, as she'd outlined details of the project and their possible applications, dressed in her figure hugging attire.