Copyfighter by A.R. Yngve

“Copyfighter” is a 2007 science fiction short story by A.R. Yngve. It is about a man with cancer who has himself frozen for 3000 years, and the strange situation in which he finds himself when he wakes up.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

Corky Bequerel has received the ultimate bad news – terminal cancer. With only three months to live he discovers a company in Canada that is experimenting with freezing entire living bodies. He volunteers to be the first human, and stipulates that he remain frozen for “as long as possible.” He is hoping that the future will not only hold a cure for his cancer but will be an all-around better place, free of the notions of “property.” Well, when he wakes up over 3,000 years later he discovers that things have changed – but not always for the better!

Corky stood in the flash-freezing chamber, his eyes open, naked and shuddering in the cold air. He would wake up in the future, when a cure had been developed, but he anticipated more. Much more.

If he and his friends had been correct in their speculations about the future, it would be an era where copyright had ceased to exist. All property would belong to everybody. There would be no poverty, no inequality, and unlimited information storage for all. Humans would be turned into pure data, and live forever.

He held out his arms and welcomed the freeze-flash…

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• This little story was really fun and easy to read. And its short length lends itself to being read quickly – a great lunchtime activity!
• Although the idea of being “frozen” in hopes of a future cure is not new, I really enjoyed the twist on what happens when he wakes up. Not something I was expecting!

• The bad:

• The only thing I really didn’t like about this story was that the ending seemed a little abrupt. I would have liked more description of the future. Oh well, just a minor point.

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 4
• Word Count: 1,234

Where you can find “Copyfighter”:

• You can read a free online version of “Copyfighter” at the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Some Interesting Links:

• This story was the first piece I had ever read by the Swedish author and artist A.R. Yngve, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he has written several novels and short stories. You can learn more about this author on his web site.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Heaven, As Built By Tackleby Ames, about a rich old jerk who builds a computer in which he can spend eternity, by Bart Meehan.

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