Chapter 16 " Mr. Townsend , please calm down , " Andre said while wiping the sweat from his brow . " I understand how you feel , but you've misunderstood me . When I mentioned thawing , I didn't mean it could happen now - I meant many years from now . " Our current technology can rapidly freeze a person without damaging their cells . But as for thawing ... I'm sorry , our capabilities haven't advanced that far yet . " How is that even possible ? " Murphy snapped . " Freezing and thawing should go hand in hand . If you can't thaw someone , why offer cryogenic preservation at all ? " " Mr. Townsend , please listen to me carefully , " Andre replied , his tone steady but firm . " Freezing and thawing are not the same process . " Freezing is relatively straightforward . As long as the temperature is lowered rapidly enough , a person's cells remain intact . Although the body is frozen , the cells are still alive , just inactive . The individual is frozen in that exact moment , suspended in time , and they'll stop aging . "