AfterLife

by S. P. Cloward

  She nodded. “Yes, I knew. Oscar called me yesterday to tell me the good news. I wanted to wait and tell you when we got to the Hub. I know you two will be great companions.” After a short pause she added, “I guess we’re wanted by the Ancestors?” The question was directed to Meri.

  “Yep.” Meri nodded.

  “Then we should head on over and see if they’re ready for us,” Emily said, motioning to the door with a nod of her head.

  The Ancestors’ office was quiet in comparison to the rest of the Hub. Only two Ancestors were in the office today, Anne Marie was sitting at her desk typing furiously on her computer when they entered. In another corner, Zachariah sat reading some documents that were spread across his desk. Apparently, the other Ancestors were occupied with other obligations. Neither of them acknowledged the three as they entered. Emily headed for the kiva in the center of the room and Wes and Meri followed. They simply sat in silence waiting on the Ancestors. A few minutes later, Anne Marie finished typing at her computer and stood up from her desk.

  “Okay, that’s finalized.” Anne Marie said as she walked over and found a seat near Wes, Emily, and Meri, “Zach, are you able to join us?”

  Zach looked up from his papers and nodded as he put them down. He found himself a seat opposite Wes, and greeted the new arrivals.

  Anne Marie adjusted her position in the seat so she was facing Wes. “So Wes, I understand you’ve completed your initial training. You must be excited.”

  “I don’t know,” Wes said. “I get the impression that there’s still a lot I need to learn.”

  “Most certainly; that is a completely normal and understandable feeling,” Anne Marie said. “You will continue to learn new things every day. All of us are still learning.”

  Wes nodded briefly.

  Anne Marie continued, “I think you already know we’ve decided to place you with Meri in Chicago. You two know each other and I’m sure you’ll work well together.”

  Wes looked at Meri and gave another nod. She smiled back. He also thought they would work well together, but he wanted to get to the point. “Am I going to Chicago because you still want me to contact Jezebel?”

  Anne Marie smiled at Wes’s candor. “Yes, Wes. We’ve been able to collect more information on the Atumra’s plans. As we suspected, and as you have witnessed, they are targeting individuals capable of becoming Mortui and prematurely recruiting them to strengthen their position, but we aren’t sure what their ultimate goal is or how it relates to antemorts. We need more information.” She paused and looked at Zach, who had remained quiet during the conversation. “The problem with the information we’re collecting is that it seems to be only what they want us to have. It all seems connected to their desire to recruit our members. The information we’ve received on the success of the process to inhabit antemort bodies, for example, doesn’t tell us anything except that they have something to offer Mortuis we don’t – and that information has encouraged recruitment to their organization and an increase in their numbers. We desperately need to know more. If you can get anything from Jezebel, it might help us understand what we’re up against. Even the smallest bit of information could be important.”

  The past three months had provided Wes with plenty of time to consider this request, and he knew he needed to do it. It was time to move on from the night of his death, but to do that he needed to know what had really happened and the role Jez had played in those last few minutes. “I’m game,” Wes said. “Is there any speculation as to what the Atumra is planning? I mean, even I know that when a group wants to increase its membership and decrease the influence of competing organizations, it’s really all about power.”

  “You’re right,” Anne Marie answered. “We know what they’re doing, but we don’t know why or what their final objective is.

  “Mortui and antemort societies have coexisted as parallel societies for as long as anyone knows. There are reasons Mortuis don’t make their presence known to antemorts, and the history between the two peoples is intertwined more than you can possibly know, but I can tell you that the way we live is the natural order of things. If the Atumra disrupts the unspoken agreement between the living and the dead then both groups will suffer. It won’t be just the living. You’ll have to trust me when I say it’s important for us to prevent the disruption of the current order. If it feels like you’re seeing the beginning of what could be a major confrontation between Mortuis and antemorts, you’re right. Mortuis exist because antemorts subconsciously allow us to do so. If they knew about us and wanted to, they could easily eliminate us all.”

  Wes wanted to know more about this “unstated agreement,” but recognized now was not the time to ask. He had put his trust in AfterLife. By helping this organization, his organization, maintain the existing relationship between Mortuis and antemorts, he would be working to ensure the survival of both groups. And maybe by doing so he would find his purpose as a Mortui. It was a good cause to support and a very good reason to return to Chicago.

  After they left the Ancestors, Meri went to prepare for her and Wes’s departure while Emily walked with Wes to his room. Neither of them spoke as they walked down the hallway and through the Den, each deep in their own thoughts, and Wes wondered about his upcoming meeting with Jezebel. He wasn’t bothered by the thought of their meeting, and he knew it was because of Emily. Somewhere in the past three months, he had come to care for her.

  She was gorgeous, but the attraction wasn’t physical and obviously there were no hormones involved. It was deeper than that. He liked being with her, liked talking to her – he felt complete when she was there, and that something was missing when she wasn’t. He’d never said anything because he knew it could make things awkward between them. However, now they were going their separate ways and he didn’t want to leave without telling her how he felt. Only problem was he had never been very good at expressing himself.

  “Do you mind if I come in for a minute,” Emily asked as they approached his door.

  “Not at all.” Wes opened the door and the two of them stepped inside. Emily sat on the cot and after closing the door, Wes joined her.

  “You’re not my trainee anymore, Wes, and I have to let you go so you’ll continue to learn and grow. I just wanted to tell you that I’m really going to miss you.”

  Wes wasn’t sure how to respond. What was she saying? Did she like him too, or was she warning him off? He didn’t have much experience with relationships, dead or alive.

  Emily seemed to pick up on the fact that Wes didn’t know what to say. “First of all, this is for you,” she said, opening her hand. In it was a single black string with an AfterLife medallion on it. “Wear it around your neck. You’ve earned it.” It matched the medallion on her bracelet. Emily watched as he put it on. “Wes, will you show me your Magic Kingdom again? I’d love to see how far it’s come. I know you’ve been working on it with Ken, and I’d really like to see it for myself.”

  This was a perfect idea. It would be much easier to create the perfect moment in an environment he controlled. “Sure.” Emily’s eyes were welcoming as Wes leaned in to soul-sync. In a matter of seconds they were in Wes’s version of the world’s busiest theme park, standing near a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. The sun was high and the walkways were full of tourists.

  Wes watched Emily as she turned around to see everything. The park had come a long way since the last time she’d seen it. The internet had enabled him to add many details to this world he created. One day in the future, when he had the time, he would visit the real park so he could fill in the remaining gaps.

  “I’m speechless,” Emily said, still looking around. She finally turned to Wes. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. If I didn’t know better I’d think I was in the actual park.”

  Emily’s response was exactly what Wes had hoped for. She’d inspired him to finish it after he’d shown it to her the first time. He wanted it to be a place they could always visit together.
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  “Let me show you one of my favorite spots.” Wes took Emily’s hand and they started walking toward the castle that dominated the center of the park.

  “I’m sure you have a number of favorite spots in a place like this.”

  “I do.” Wes looked at her and smiled. “But I haven’t really been able to share them with anyone special before.” He turned his head and kept walking. He didn’t want to see her reaction.

  Wes guided Emily up a staircase that led to a terrace wrapped around the rear of the second floor of the castle. From their new spot they could see Fantasyland stretched out below.

  “I think I like your theme park sanctuary more than I like my beach.” Emily admired the park from the higher position and placed her hands on the ornamented parapet. Wes decided to improve the scene. He slowly caused the sun to set and soon they were standing under a starlit night sky. As the darkness settled, the decorative lights illuminated the storybook facades in hues of all colors. Then fireworks began exploding overhead.

  Emily watched for a moment and then sighed. “Wes, this is all really beautiful, but you can’t do it for me.” She turned and looked up to Wes and lifted a hand to his face. “I was afraid this might be happening.”

  Wes knew it would be pointless to play stupid and pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. He didn’t want to dance around his feelings. “I care about you Emily.”

  “You can’t care about me. You need to be focusing on other things right now. Besides, I’m not the girl for you. You think I might be, but I’m not. You only feel this way because we’ve been so close. You’ve been dealing with a lot since you died and I’ve been the one to help you through it. It’s natural to think you like me in a more intimate way, but I think you’ll discover the feelings will pass.”

  Wes stopped the fireworks and remained silent.

  Emily continued. “You’ve become very special to me in a way that no one else has in a long time, and you must know that I care about you, but,” she motioned to her surroundings, “but not like this. I can’t return these feelings you have. I wouldn’t be able to do it properly.”

  “I think I knew you’d say that,” Wes said, “but I needed to tell you.”

  “I know. You really are wonderful, Wes. You’ve impressed me from the first time we met. It’s just that I…” She stopped to consider her words and when she spoke, her voice quivered slightly. “There’s a lot about me you don’t know. One day I’d like to be able to, I mean, I’d like to think that I could…” She took another pause. “I just can’t think of you as anything more than a really good friend. I hope you understand.”

  She was holding onto something from her past, quite possibly her antemort past. Whatever it was, it was stirring up a lot of pain. Instead of loitering on the topic, Wes decided it would be more appropriate to move past it. The themed world slowly faded around them and they stood in the dark space between minds. “If the only option I have is to be friends, I’ll just have to be okay with that. For now.” Wes broke the sync, bringing his small room in the Hub back into focus.

  Emily ignored his last words. “When I say I’m going to miss you Wes, I mean it.” Her tone and manner suddenly lightened. “Meri is going to be amazing to work with. Trust her as you’ve trusted me and I know you’ll be able to face any challenge.” With a little laugh she continued, “And if you ever really need me, you know where to look.” Then with a mockingly serious look she said, “But it better be important if you don’t want to make me mad!” They stood up. Emily gave Wes a hug, pulled his head down, and kissed him on the forehead. He watched her leave the room.

  The exchange in the park hadn’t gone as Wes hoped. He was disappointed but not surprised by Emily’s reaction. Still, he somehow felt okay with the situation. For now, he would focus on helping AfterLife fight the Atumra threat. When the time was right he would show Emily his feelings were more than just a passing Mortui crush. After all, time was something they both had plenty of.

  Chapter 20

  “With this new serum,” Doc said, holding out a small glass bottle for Seth to see, “we are able to make even the happiest antemort a candidate for the possession process.”

  “Wonderful.” Seth took the bottle and rolled it between his fingers as he looked at the clear liquid inside. “This is just what the Body wanted.” Although possession was finally possible, the program was still in its early stages and research was still being done to perfect the process. Once perfected, it would be used in other ways to promote the Atumra agenda.

  Initially, they had only been able to possess antemorts who were so unhappy their soul would sever easily from the body when it was brought close to death. The antemort needed to want to die, to view death as a release. Unfortunately, they were discovering that antemorts who fit this description were usually also in poor health due to the deterioration of their mental state – one that continued once the body was possessed. With the hallucinogenic properties of the new serum, they could, upon demand, put a happy, healthy antemort into a state receptive to possession. This dramatically increased the candidate pool, and the quality of the bodies possessed.

  It also facilitated the larger Atumra plan. For years, the Atumra Mortuis had been manipulating themselves into positions of power within antemort society so they could promote a Mortui takeover. Until now, however, the process had been time-consuming, and the inability of a Mortui to age put certain restrictions on the amount of time spent in any one position.

  With this new process, they could simply identify those individuals with the required genetic markers who were already in the right positions. Why wait for a Mortui to gain position as a head of state when one could simply possess the politician already there? Once the Mortuis had regained their power over antemorts, they would simply eliminate all the possessed politicians since they would no longer be needed. They were, after all, antemorts, and as such, disposable. This, of course, was proprietary information to which the Mortuis scrambling to possess antemort bodies would never be privy.

  Seth walked over to the metal table where a young girl in her 20s was sedated. She was held down on the table by restraints. “Is this the antemort for Heather?”

  Doc, his attention still focused on the bottles he was working with, made a confirming hum.

  This particular possession was going to be more than just a reward for Heather. The young antemort on the table was an intern for an Illinois senator. Heather’s assignment for the past few months had been to get close to the antemort with the intention of learning everything she would need to know to step into the antemort’s life. Heather was told that once the possession was complete she would be able to live out the rest of the antemort’s life. Seth neglected to tell her that when she was no longer useful, her life would be over.

  Every antemort was expendable. The girl on the table was an example of that. Pointlessly she had worked her way through school just to end up on Doc’s table. Any hopes she had for the future would be taken from her today. Her youth, beauty, long black hair, and fair skin would soon belong to a middle-aged Mortui.

  Heather came into the room and stopped when she saw Seth. She was older; her antemort body had reached close to 50 years of age prior to her death. If she didn’t dye her hair, it would still show signs of gray. The rebirth process could not eliminate years.

  “Seth, sir, I wasn’t told you would be here for the possession.” Heather lowered her head to acknowledge his presence.

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” Seth said. He looked at the girl on the table and then back to Heather. “We’ve got a lot at stake with this one. This antemort’s body will provide us with important access to state government.” Seth then motioned to Doc. “It’s also a chance for me to see Doc’s latest achievement.”

  Doc looked up from his clipboard to Heather. “You’re here. Let’s get started then.” Doc was as expressionless as always. Seth had known him for many years, and he could remember him showing emotion only a couple of times.
Now he shook the antemort until she woke. When the daze wore off, the girl realized she was restrained and started to struggle against the straps holding her to the table. They could hear squeals of terror through the tape over her mouth.

  After filling up the two syringes needed for conducting the possession, Doc approached the antemort, who had now started to cry. He emptied the contents of one of the syringes into the girl’s IV. She slowly started to calm. “Heather,” Doc said, disposing of the used needle, “hold her eyes open for me. I need to sync with her.” Heather moved closer to do as she was told and Doc leaned over the girl to initiate the sync.

  The sync lasted only seconds. “That should do it.” They stood around the antemort waiting. Suddenly she became frantic again, this time in a much more agitated state than before. Her muscles contracted with intense force and the metal table shook so hard it caused a banging sound on the tile floor. “Soon she will be in the right condition to sever.”

  “What image did you show her?” Seth looked curiously at Doc.

  “You don’t want to know.” Doc’s face remained expressionless as he stared blankly at the girl convulsing on the table.

  Seth watched as the antemort’s face showed expressions of panic, terror, and pain. These must have been the result of the psychotropic drug Doc had administered, combined with whatever image he’d shown her in soul-sync. The girl continued to struggle for such a long time that Seth began to wonder if the new drug did what Doc claimed. Finally, the girl stopped moving and lay on the table in a daze. Her eyes became droopy as if she were falling asleep.

  “Now Heather,” Doc said in a calm, neutral voice, “sync now.”

  Once more, Heather held the girl’s eyes open. This time she looked into them, and almost as soon as she completed the sync her body went limp and she fell to the floor. The body on the table took a sudden strong breath in and passed out.