"Not even close."

Subject: "Not even close."
Author: Scapegrace
Posted on: 2016-10-25 04:09:00 UTC

"We haven't quite mastered fusion power yet, our fission power tends to be excitingly lethal, and there's considerable danger we might end the world before..." I look down. "Oh. Snake-chap now. Probably shouldn't be saying "we" when talking about humans. Force of habit, I suppose."

I straighten and brush some non-existent dust off my robe that is definitely not a picnic blanket (I caught that look of Hezrak's). "So, what kind of tech base are we talking about with our little enclave? What kind of museums? Any chance of a holodeck or similar, so that we can experience the great art and architecture of a myriad different worlds?"

If I sound overly excited, it's because I am, so that's how it comes across.

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You wake up in a forest. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 01:48:00 UTC Reply

This isn't a forest like any you've seen, though. The sky overhead is purple, and the trees are silver leafed, tall beyond imagination yet slender as saplings.

Beside you sits a little girl, barely seven years of age, barefoot and clad in a white dress.

The last thing you remember is walking home from a party, and then a car speeding away, leaving you bleeding on the pavement.

What do you do?

"So, I'm dead then." by Scapegrace on 2016-10-25 03:33:00 UTC Reply

I look around at the trees and sky. "This isn't where I'm from. If this was a hallucination, things would be more fluid; if I was somewhere else, I'd probably be half-choking to death on the local bacteria slash pollen. So, dead it is. Am I being judged? Are you the local Ammit? If so, well, that looks like a nice dress. I hope you brought a napkin."
I sit up, rub my head, then think I must be dreaming. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 01:50:00 UTC Reply

Of course, if this is a dream, there's no harm in asking, so I ask the girl, "Am I dreaming, hallucinating, dead, or in another world?"

The girl looks at you and tilts her head. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 01:54:00 UTC Reply

"Interesting," she says, and smiles. "Finally, someone who asks the right questions. You died, but you're not dead. Make sense?"

"Well, yes and no," I say. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 02:03:00 UTC Reply

"I mean, there are multiple ways to have died, but not be dead. I could be a vampire, or a lich, or any kind of undead, really, who have died, but blur the boundaries between life and death to the point where you have to wonder if they really count as dead. I could have died, but come back to life, meaning I've been resurrected, which would be weird, but possible, but I don't know why I'd get it. I could be dead and in some kind of afterlife where you don't count as dead once you're there, or the world could be some kind of Russian nesting doll, except with worlds and lives, so you die, then move on to a world and life. Or, who knows, maybe I was dreaming and I died in the dream, so now I'm in the real world. Is it one of those, or something else?" I ask, looking at the girl quizzically.

The girl's smile widens. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:08:00 UTC Reply

"You're a smart one, I'll give you that. Yep," she says, waving an arm at the forest around you. "Welcome to the next world. This planet's called Nesvir, and you," she says, gesturing to your body, "are now a Nesari."

When you look at yourself, you realize your body has changed—a lot.

It definitely isn't human, by any stretch of the imagination. Well, the basic configuration of limbs is there: two legs, two arms, and a head, though there's an extra set of arms right under the first. Your skin is green and covered in fine scales, like a snake’s, and unless you are very mistaken, it feels like you are sitting on a tail.

((Anyone else who wants to jump in as "you", feel free to join!))

"What is my name?" (nm) by Mattman The Comet on 2016-10-25 02:12:00 UTC Reply

"You don't remember?" by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:16:00 UTC Reply

The girl frowns. "Oh dear. That's not supposed to happen." She closes her eyes for a moment, like she's thinking, then nods to herself. "Ah, you're still a bit befuddled from crossing over. Understandable. In the meantime, though, let me share my name." She pauses. "Well, names, plural, I’ve had quite a lot of them. Kivaren, Sk’rrshish—wait, sorry, you wouldn’t have heard of those. What about Cù-Sìth? Thanatos?” She makes a face. "Well, there's one I know you know, but it sounds sooo dramatic... eh, whatever. I'm Death." She waggles her fingers. "Hello."

"You don't look very Death-y," You say. by Mattman on 2016-10-25 02:17:00 UTC Reply

"Like where's the Skull for a head? The Scythe?."

"I only save that for the people I don't like." by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:21:00 UTC Reply

Death laces her fingers behind her head. "See, I've found it makes crossing over much easier for people if they're guided by a friendly face." As she speaks, she morphs into a smaller lizard child, and you get a look at what your new body's face might look like. A single pair of eyes, with a ridge of dark green scales in place of eyebrows, a flat nose, and a thin-lipped mouth. Death smiles and reveals a row of small, sharp teeth. "Of course, everyone's definition of "friendly" changes depending on what species they remember being last. So—" She morphs back to the human girl. "Here we are. Any other questions?"

"Several," I say. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 02:28:00 UTC Reply

"How did I die, how's my family, how're my friends, where am I now, exactly what am I, what am I capable of, is there an end Heaven, is there an end Hell, who was Jesus really, is there a God or are there many, or none at all, is there such a thing as 'fate', as in 'a set path that one will follow, either because such a thing is forced upon you or because your very nature forces you to act out this path, is there such a thing as pure evil, and... what are you like, as an entity? I mean, it can't hurt to know Death a little better, especially since I'll apparently see you again, eventually, assuming I'm not dreaming. Haven't abandoned that train of thought. Oh, and now that I think about it, why am I here? That should cover it for now. And why am I not feeling shock, awe, despair, sorrow, rage, and an urge to scream. That's also important. Is it normal for dead people?"

"You call that several?" by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:34:00 UTC Reply

Death smooths out her skirt and tucks a strand of curly blonde hair behind her ear. "You've got a lot of stuff to ask, and some of it I'm not allowed to disclose. Fate... now that's a tricky one. See, technically, I'm omniscient, so I already know what you're going to do before you do. I can see what would happen if you were to make different decisions, but it's kind of a moot point, isn't it? Heaven and Hell don't really exist; you just keep moving on, one world to the next, in a never-ending cycle, reborn as a new person every time. Or, at least... that's how it goes for most people. You're a Breaker. As for your abilities, I've let a friend of mine know you were on your way. He should be here in a few posts, assuming people keep things moving along." She gives a knowing nod.

"Is there anything else I'm gonna ask?" I ask. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 02:46:00 UTC Reply

"Other than, that, you know, hearts really suck right now. But, then again, you knew that, so, no point in saying it. Let me rephrase the earlier question, though. In the future, will there be any questions I want to ask you that I am permitted to know. And... a friend? Who's this guy? Love? Hatred? Anger? Life? Hope? Wait... dang it, I really should just put this on you. Kind of want to punch you right now, anyways, but, again, you knew that." I shrug, and I've got tears in my eyes. "Really, just... anything else you can tell me?"

"Yes." by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:51:00 UTC Reply

Death thinks for a moment. "But I'm not gonna say it yet; we gotta get you oriented first. Oh, look, my friend's here!" She turns around and calls into the forest, "It took you long enough!"

"You know perfectly well why I was held up," a male's voice responds, and a lizard person like yourself emerges from the trees. He is dressed in airy robes of deep red, and is carrying another robe, a light blue one, folded over his bottom right arm. He holds it out to you. "You might want to get dressed," he says. "My name is Hzzrakshakskrrt, but I know it is rather unusual for all but my original people. You may call me Hezrak if that is simpler for you, though most on this world know me as Favei."

I reach out and take the robe. by Alleb on 2016-10-25 03:03:00 UTC Reply

I nod at the little girl. "She says she's Death," I say. "Anything you want to say to that... Hezrack? Also," I add, looking back at Death.,"'not allowed to disclose.' On whose orders?" I attempt to stand and begin dressing myself.

((Whoops! Sorry, Ganz. Consider this post unsaid. ^_^)) (nm) by Alleb on 2016-10-25 03:03:00 UTC Reply

((No problem. Want to take turns, or something?)) (nm) (nm) by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 03:07:00 UTC Reply

((And please, take these NM&NMs as a sign of my apology for stealing it.))

((*noms NM&NMs*)) by Alleb on 2016-10-25 03:18:00 UTC Reply

((I'm actually just about to head to bed, so you and whoever else can take it from here. ^_^ Thank you for the NM&NMs! And also thank you, Ixi, for starting this! I really like it.))

((-Alleb))

((You can get the next one.)) (nm) by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 03:04:00 UTC Reply

I look down, and blush, finding myself exposed. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 03:02:00 UTC Reply

"Er... yeah... I'm sorry about that, really sorry," I stammer, and I take the robe and put it on. "Well... I suppose getting oriented is a good idea, relatively pointless as it is. Do you prefer Hezrak or Favei? I might have a problem pronouncing the other one, and I'm sorry about that. And, are you like Death? And if so, what does Favei mean?"

"Do not apologize," Hezrak says. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 03:10:00 UTC Reply

"It happens to everyone when they first arrive. As for my name... it would be appreciated if you could at least use Hezrak; most of us Breakers tend to use our original names around each other, though. Death is... rather unique, I'm afraid."

"Ain't nobody like me but me!" Death sings.

"As for us, we are also rather different from the norm," Hezrak continues, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of you and steepling his fingers—all sixteen of them.

You can't help but notice, as you study him, that the anatomy of your new body is quite different indeed, with three toes on each foot, and three fingers and a thumb at the end of your four arms.

"We are what we call 'Breakers'—that is, we break the cycle of worlds in that we remember what happened in our past lives," Hezrak continues.

I also sit, facing Hezrak. by Alleb on 2016-10-25 03:17:00 UTC Reply

"Breakers..." I say, testing the word. "Did I just become a Breaker, or was my life on Earth my first life? How many do I get? Is there a way to actually die die? Furthermore," I point at Death, "what can I know about, and on whose orders am I not to know everything else? How may Breakers are there? What do we do? I'm somehow guessing that Death isn't telling me these things just so my reincarnation process is easy, so why are you doing it? Also I think I've moved beyond 'I'm dreaming' and into 'someone spiked my drink with LSD,' because I don't think I could come up with this unaided."

Death seems more interested in ripping up blades of grass... by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 03:37:00 UTC Reply

...than answering your questions, so Hezrak clears his throat.

"None of us really know why people become Breakers, but there are currently twenty-six of us, including yourself. We were wondering when you would come along," he says, nodding at you, "since there are two of us for each world in the cycle. As far as we know, there's no way to permanently die; we just move on, like everyone else." He glances at Death and sighs. "She is most unhelpful when it comes to dealing in the metaphysical, sad to say. I'm just filling in what I can."

"So, what, death is just an awfully big adventure?" by Scapegrace on 2016-10-25 03:46:00 UTC Reply

I sound sarcastic. It wasn't pleasant in my previous voice, and it's worse now, with the reptilian hiss in a language I can speak without ever having heard it.

"Wonderful. Super. Sen-smegging-sational. So, we're a functionally immortal collective of people who remember our past lives. How jolly. Do you perchance have a database of everything the other Breakers have learned over the course of their infinite existences, or are you more concerned with being cryptic and wearing a picnic blanket?"

"We do our best to collect what knowledge we can." by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 04:01:00 UTC Reply

Hezrak smooths the front of his robe, looking rather annoyed at having it called a picnic blanket. "It's... not always easy, with so few of us, and spread through the cosmos at that. It took nearly six cycles before we devised a way to communicate across the barriers that divide realities. It is... how to describe it? Imagine a large bubble, with thirteen smaller bubbles within it. Each smaller bubble is its own reality, not just its own planet. Breaching the gap wasn't quite as simple as broadcasting across empty space. Thankfully, the Nesari are quite advanced in the field of magic, and combining that with the technologies of other worlds, we were able to build bridges at last.

"So we are able to communicate with each other and share what knowledge we have obtained. We keep most of it here, in this reality—it is the most advanced, so far, though we are working on changing that as time passes. Tell me, have humans at least achieved intergalactic space flight yet? When I was last on Earth, they were still banging rocks together to make fire."

"Not even close." by Scapegrace on 2016-10-25 04:09:00 UTC Reply

"We haven't quite mastered fusion power yet, our fission power tends to be excitingly lethal, and there's considerable danger we might end the world before..." I look down. "Oh. Snake-chap now. Probably shouldn't be saying "we" when talking about humans. Force of habit, I suppose."

I straighten and brush some non-existent dust off my robe that is definitely not a picnic blanket (I caught that look of Hezrak's). "So, what kind of tech base are we talking about with our little enclave? What kind of museums? Any chance of a holodeck or similar, so that we can experience the great art and architecture of a myriad different worlds?"

If I sound overly excited, it's because I am, so that's how it comes across.

"There is a library," Hezrak says, standing up. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 04:16:00 UTC Reply

He offers you his right hands to help you stand. "If you wish, we can go there tomorrow and you may peruse the archives at your leisure. It contains three hundred cycles' worth of accumulated knowledge. That's nearly six million Earth years, if I'm remembering correctly."

"That sounds amazing," I say, taking his hand. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 04:18:00 UTC Reply

"But do you have textbooks on the magic I can apparently do now? Because that sounds really cool. And... er... Death, am I allowed to know how I died?"

"You got hit by a drunk driver." by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 04:24:00 UTC Reply

Death's voice has no compassion in it; her tone is as casual as one's would be when discussing the weather. "Sorry, that's just how it goes. If you'd been just a minute earlier or a minute later, you'd have lived to see your grandkids grow up and get married, and Claeryn would be the one explaining things to you. But we don't have time for 'what-ifs'; you've got a whole new life to explore! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and get an old grandpa from Ksstrashik." She begins fading away. "I'll come back when things get a little more... interesting."

"Such a dramatic..." Hezrak grinds his teeth. "Well, she knows exactly what I think of her, and it doesn't bother her one whit." He straightens his robes imperiously. "I can let you use the guest room at my place until we find more suitable accommodations. If you can't sleep—and I wouldn't blame you one bit if you can't—you may borrow a few books I have on hand about magic. If humans haven't yet achieved long-distance space travel, then magic would certainly be beyond them. I can understand why you would be excited."

"Well, I mean, she's Death," I say with a shrug. by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 04:30:00 UTC Reply

"It would be pretty stupid of me to ask her to be sorry about herself. I've got other things I'm annoyed with her about, but she can't really help that, so I'll just imagine what punching her would feel like. I mean, yeah, she'll know I'm doing it, but it's the action that counts here, right? But, uh, what exactly are we supposed to... do? I mean, there's probably a reason we've got people who Break the cycle, but why? What are we supposed to do?" I look around for a minute. "And... okay, I really should be freaking out now. The sky is purple, the trees are way too tall, I'm dead, and... I am really, really curious about books. That is just weird. Is this normal? Do we normally do this when we Break the cycle?"

Hezrak shrugs. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 04:58:00 UTC Reply

"It seems to me that humans get easily distracted so as not to think of more troubling things," he said. "But what would I know? I was last on Earth a few thousand years ago. Perhaps you've changed since then." He begins walking away, leading you to a path in the woods. "We don't know why there are certain people who remember what happened in our past lives, whether we are destined to do something, or if we are just a glitch in the system, but we have dedicated our lives to improving others'. We introduce new technologies and ways of thinking whenever we go to a new world. Earth has progressed rather quickly, though not as quickly as we'd hoped if what you told me is anything to judge by."

"In our defence, it's only been two centuries..." by Scapegrace on 2016-10-25 05:06:00 UTC Reply

"... since our industrial revolution. We went from a largely agrarian economy to primitive spacecraft and the Internet in that time. Maybe we'll get further, who knows. How long do we have before rejoining the cycle becomes necessary? I want to learn as much as I can before going out into the lands of the living again..."

Hezrak's eyebrow ridges go up. by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 14:29:00 UTC Reply

"Only two centuries? Not bad... not bad at all." He cleared his throat. "Technically, we're already in the lands of the living. This is the planet Nesvir. Its inhabitants can live to about fifteen thousand years, give or take a few centuries. We are the longest-lived of all the different species, especially compared to the Rachrakan, who have a lifespan of about ten years."

((Just to be clear, as a separate chain... by Granz the Ice Cream Monarch on 2016-10-25 02:11:00 UTC Reply

... or as one long story?))

((One long story)) (nm) by Iximaz on 2016-10-25 02:13:00 UTC Reply