[Afterlife] Ensign Kettick: Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)

[Darwin Awkward]

(( Mysterious doorstep, Abandoned city, Surface of Ring 42 ))

Kettick: ... Again.

He was laying face-down in... grass? Well, at least it was a pleasant landing. Still, he did a quick tally of his situation. Arms, two, check. Legs, two, check. Antennae and feelers, two of each, check. Hearts, two, beating, check.
Existential dread at the current situation, none.
Exasperation, six out of ten and rising.

Sera:  Ensign Kettick…Ensign Kettick!

He opened his eyes and got up, with some difficulties. His body was his own, which was a welcome sight, and he was wearing a worn, but comfortable work jumpsuit. The sky was an eerie blue, the air was crisp, and he was standing in a meadow of sorts.

Kettick:  Sensations indicate a material environment or the illusion thereof, but a radically different landscape than the city we were in... teleportation, or a local holodeck analogue?

Most peculiar.
As he turned around to the source of the calls, he froze and tilted his head to the side for a second. Sera's clothes were... definitely not compliant with Starfleet Regulations. She looked down, perhaps to follow his gaze.

Sera: It is the traditional garments worn by the Priestesses of Mount Seleya on my home world.  I awoke in this.

She gave an all-encompassing gesture, which managed to convey her feelings towards their current environment even to someone not used to read non-verbal language.
 
Kettick: I see. And...

He paused to gather his thoughts and formulate them diplomatically.

Kettick: has your current garb a specific significance that would be relevant to our situation?

Sera looked thoughtful at his inquiry.  

Sera:  I am uncertain, Ensign Kettick.  This clothing would proclaim my specific position as a Keeper of the Katras, however, in the past they were also tasked in a ceremonial manner I suppose, in guarding the gateway to Sha-ka-ri – the afterlife.  As the last thing that the computer expressed was to “Enjoy eternity in the afterlife,” perhaps that is why I am dressed thusly. If you will allow, please give me your hand – it will lend clarification.

 He was about to ask if she was out of her Vulcan mind when he remembered what had gotten them in this situation in the first place. Namely, she was a touch telepath. Holding hands was therefore a valid means to share information.

Kettick: I see. You have my consent to proceed and initiate telepathic contact.

Sera gently ran her fingertips over the palm of his offered hand but nothing happened, apparently to her surprise.

Sera:  I sense nothing…we are not in our physical forms.  Perhaps the console transferred our consciousnesses into some type of simulation?

It was a distinct possibility.

Kettick: An Afterlife-themed one, if your hypothesis is correct. And Remmilians do not really believe in an afterlife, which probably explains my appearance.

Sera: Then why change your clothing at all?  What do Remmilians believe in then?

Kettick: We believe in recycling, mostly.

Sera blinked. Which he found almost vexing. Surely recycling dead bodies into useful base components was not such an esoteric concept?
Whatever comment he might have thought of was cut short by the appearance of a light source behind the Vulcan.

Kettick: Behind you.

Dropping into a combat stance, cursing his current unarmed state, and completely oblivious to the fact that near anyone else would have graced his latter pronouncement with an exclamation mark, Kettick took stock of the new potential threat.

Stranger:  Oh! Visitors! We so rarely get visitors!  

 The stranger, emphasis on 'strange', looked like someone had built a wire mesh mannequin out of hard light. And while their general conformation was familiar: bipedal, two upper limbs, a head and so on, something about the proportions seemed off. As if their creator had looked briefly at a blueprint for the average Federation species, and tried to reconstruct one from memory.

Given that whatever device they had interacted with had the capacity to read minds, it was a real possibility too.

Kettick:  Ensign Sera? Would you have a First Contact pacakge ready at hand, just in case? Because I don't.

The Stranger superbly ignored him, chatting away with enthusiasm. Kettick noted that their voice spoke in perfect Federation Standard, far from the mangled mess they had heard only moments before, although with a lilting accent he couldn't place.

Stranger:  And you both are so…different!  This is fantastic.  We are all so bored here – your added experiences will be well received.  Come, come – please follow me.  ::gesturing::

They had identified Sera and Kettick as "different", which suggested at least a quantum of awareness. Not a simple background character in the simulation, then... Was it the real appearance of the creators of this program, a simple, neutral placeholder, the way they depicted their gods?

Sera:  You do not understand.  This is...we do not desire to be here.

 The Stranger scoffed, as if Sera had just told the most outrageous joke.

Stranger:  What?  Nonsense.  This is the afterlife – all your dreams are now made reality!  You will see – it is paradise.  Come, come!

And, without waiting for a reply, they turned around and started walking through the meadows, their leisurely stride immaterial enough not to disturb the perfect grass.

Kettick: Should we?

Sera:  I do not see any other viable option currently other than to follow them.

Kettick could have sighed, if book lungs were conductive to this kind of thing.

Kettick:  Neither do I. But we should be watchful for any opportunity to leave.

Sera: Response

Kettick: I have no talent for telepathy. Maybe try touching available surfaces to see if you can reach this place's code - or its analogue, if this is a simulation as we think of it at all.

Sera: Response

They hastened their pace, catching up with the Stranger and following him towards what looked like a lake, surrounded by a crescent-shaped wood of some unknown, blue-leaved trees.

Kettick: My apologies, but... how should we address you?

Stranger: Oh, it's of no importance. I am simply here to greet you. What matters here is you. This is your afterlife, after all.

Sera: Response

Kettick: In that case, Greeter, you mentioned Visitors before. Have people been here before us, and left since then?

Sera: Response

The Greeter scoffed once again, apparently judging the notion ludicrous.

Greeter: Please, while I appreciate your humour, where would they have left to? The after-afterlife? You are here for your dreams come true, and to enjoy an eternity of bliss while you leave your tired bodies behind.

They were near the edge of the woods now, and the chirping of insects and the songs of birds mingled through the air.The place was agreeable, peaceful, and inviting... perhaps unnaturally so. Kettick felt a pang of concern at the idea that something that could pull information from minds might as well put things into it.

Kettick: Don't some people believe in reincarnation?

Greeter:You don't.

This time, Kettick offered him a genuine shrug in response. Neither did he believe in an afterlife, and yet there he was.

TAG/TBC  

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Ensign Kettick
Engineering Officer
USS Juneau
G239107LR0