In the real world of darkness

Hopes sometimes face bitter end,

When they turn themselves to madness

After smashing on the land.

Only if there was a cure,

Bringing light to endless night.

Maybe then we would endure,

Giving up on being right.

John fell asleep.

And then he died. Nothing special, he neither felt, nor expected it. His heart just stopped due to some issues not addressed in time. But frankly it could be anything else randomly clicked in his body. It just happens.

His closed ones found that out after some time. He wasn’t really of an extroverted type and didn’t contact them often. And they were fine to return the favor. They were sad, but more like “nothing special” kind of sad, let’s just do the formalities and get it over with. What else is there to do?

His body was cremated as he hadn’t left any last will or testament, besides, it was simply cheaper and easier to do. The ashes were scattered over the river he’d liked to walk nearby. It was also a way to not keep it somewhere.

That’s how John died.

John screamed. And then he opened his eyes. The screaming stopped as abruptly as it had started. He had no idea what happened and why he wasn’t in his bed anymore.

“Hello, John.” He flinched. A woman’s voice. Strangely familiar. He was divorced and lived alone. Who was she?

He finally got up and looked around. His couch, where he liked to spend evenings watching some random stuff. Soft beige color walls. As in his childhood room. A distant sound of the ocean, as it was during his honeymoon.

He looked at his clothes. His favorite jeans, worn out but so comfortable. His gray T-shirt he liked to put on after work.

He rubbed his forehead and patted his cheeks.

“It’s ok, John. Try to relax.” He jumped up. That voice again. Now he noticed her. It looked like she wasn’t there a moment ago but then appeared out of nowhere. On the other side of the room that looked different than the one he was on. Like his parents' living room, where his mother used to sit in that big soft armchair, knitting something and listening to his school stories.

“Who are…” he started talking but got silent right after the first pronounced words. His voice sounded strange, as if he hadn’t used it for a long time. Was it even his voice? He didn’t remember.

Nevertheless, the woman understood his question. “You can call me Naia for now.”

Her voice, like both of his parents. Calm, reassuring. Not the same but very similar. And her face, as if his wife and daughter looked at him back in the days when they were happy together.

“Speaking may feel strange at first.” She smiled softly. “Go ahead, try it again,” she said it exactly like his father used to a very long time ago, when he was teaching him how to ride a bicycle.

“Where am I?” Was it his voice? Did he really sound like this? It felt like listening to a recording of himself.

Naia was silent for a minute, as if waiting till these thoughts passed through his mind. She then answered his question: “You can call it a reception area for now.”

“What do you mean for now?” He clutched his head. Why did everything feel so calm and quiet? Even himself. He was supposed to be at least surprised or angry in that situation.

Once again she spoke right after he stopped thinking about it: “Names will be irrelevant soon. Don’t focus on it. Continue.”

She didn’t specify what exactly he was supposed to continue. Like everything he could do would be a part of it.

“What happened?” John was still standing in his part of the room, near the couch. Not knowing what else to do, he lowered himself back on the cushions. Naia was sitting in that large soft armchair in front of him. He couldn’t concentrate on her. Everything around the woman looked blurry, but at the same time gave an impression of seeing all his loved ones in one person.

When this thought passed, she replied: “You died, John.”

“What?” He flinched.

The woman repeated: “You died, John.” Then, after a pause, she added: “Your heart stopped while you were sleeping.”

“Is this a joke?” He stood up again. “What’s happening? Stop telling me this rubbish! Answer my questions!”

Naia put her hands on her knees, leaned forward and smiled. “Let’s take it slow, shall we? We have all the time we need.” The same way his mother used to talk when helping him with the homework. And he, in turn, talked to his daughter like that. He sat back on the couch once again.

“It is not a joke,” Naia continued. “We are just talking and I am here to help you. So far I have answered all of your questions. What else do you want to know?”

“I am not dead.” He didn’t ask anything this time.

“You are not,” she nodded at him.

“You said I died!” John began losing his temper.

“You did,” another nod.

“Then what is this?” He sighed. “An afterlife?”

“You can call it like that for now. Remember I’ve told you names will be irrelevant soon?” She winked and tapped herself on the temple. The same gesture his wife used to make when mocking him.

“Still sleeping,” he wasn’t talking to her and stared at the floor. “Will wake up soon and forget ever having this nightmare. Need to get up at six as usual, then work, and after that have to buy something for Kate. It’s my weekend with her…” He rubbed his forehead. “Just another stupid dream.”

After a moment, John raised his eyes. Naia was still there, looking at the window to the right of her. Mountains with snow peaks under the crystal sky and golden sun. The place he went with his parents on summer break.

“No comments now?” He raised an eyebrow.

She turned to him.

“You didn’t ask anything, and besides, weren't talking to me.” She didn’t wait for the question he was about to ask and answered: “No, not a dream. May look like it but it is not.”

“Whatever, lady…” He shook his head. “Can I just leave?”

“You’ll do it soon. There is no rush. Small steps, one at a time,” she laughed. Exactly like his daughter the day she saw that phrase in one of her mother’s books.

“Why do you sound like all of them?” John raised his voice. “Act like them? Why does this room resemble all the places I was happy at?”

“It’s a reception area.” That soft reassuring tone. “It should make you feel safe, otherwise the experience could be more… traumatic.”

“I don’t feel safe, are you mad?” A moment before saying it he was about to shout, but then realized that he didn’t want to for some reason.

“Imagine how you would feel if it was something else?” Naia gestured around the room. “You would try fighting me, banging on the walls, screaming, crying, calling for help. In that order.” She didn’t ask, simply stated the facts.

“Could still do that,” his voice trembled once he said it.

He was looking at his family, saw all the memories they had together and all their happy places.

He got silent for a long moment, then whispered: “Naia…”

“Neither heaven, nor hell, John. Though, the concept might look similar in some way.” She clarified more after a pause: “Not a purgatory as well. You can also discard other concepts of the afterlife.”

“Any chance you could be more clear?” He chuckled. “Fine, I died. What happened next?”

“It will all become clear soon.” She didn’t smile this time. “We’re in no rush, don’t forget. Time is one thing we now have plenty of.” She made another pause before answering his second question. “You’ve been dead for a… long time, John. Do you know why you screamed after waking up here? Because deep inside you understood that. You think that it’s just a dream, but your mind feels different after the recreation. It’s always the same reaction.”

“Recreation?” He was staring at his hands on his knees, trying not to focus on all the memories that surrounded him in the room. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Naia slowly leaned back in her chair. “Even if you hadn’t been cremated, it would not be possible to bring back to life a body that died seven hundred thousand years ago.”

Her last words were like a blow to the head.

“Did you just say…”

“Yes.” She carefully examined him. “And yes, you don’t believe it. I understand.”

“Oh, do you?” Rage started boiling up in him. “Listen, shrink impersonator, do you really think that I will just take your word for it? And you can just sit there, throwing these ridiculous half-phrases at me, using the voices of my daughter and wife?”

He almost yelled at her at the end, but she hardly noticed that. “That is exactly what I’m doing here. Giving you some space.”

He stood up and started walking back and forth near the couch. “Why’s that?”

“When the human body is recreated, the first reaction to the current state of the world may be overwhelming, to say it mildly.” John snorted once Naia said that, then continued measuring his part of the room with steps as she kept talking. “All this,” she gestured around the place, “was made to make it easier to comprehend.” After a pause she added: “A little bit easier. I’m here just to guide you on the first steps. It’s about you and not me, that’s why I’m not pouring all the details at you right from the start and simply acting like a shrink impersonator.” His mother’s smile again. “And that’s why I’m not telling you what to do or not to do. As it is not the question anymore. You can react in whatever way you want to react, say whatever you want to say, and do whatever you want to do.”

“Let’s assume for a minute that I’ve gone crazy and believed you.” John stopped in the corner and crossed his arms over his chest. “Can we finally switch from this reaction phase to you giving me normal answers phase? Consider my comprehension calmed down and zen reached. May I humbly ask for some kind of a welcoming explanatory speech before diving in this brighter future of yours?”

“Why not indeed! Let’s do this explanatory speech of mine then,” she emphasized the last phrase, as if making fun of him, the same way his wife used to when he was getting angry about some silly and unimportant things. “But before we start, fancy a cookie?” She pointed her finger to the side of the couch near him. There was a small table with a plate full of these tasty-looking sweets and a glass of milk.

He wanted to shout at her again but then, after a moment, just sat down, grabbed a cookie, defiantly showed it to her and took a bite.

That taste… Soft, reassuring, making you stop thinking about all the problems in the world…

“Feels good, right?” Seeing him getting up again, she raised her hands. “Ok-ok, getting to the point now.” She then invited him to sit back with a glance and her voice got serious. “Everything I’ve told you is true. Yes, it sounds crazy, but for now let’s just consider it a fact.” Seeing another question in his eyes, Naia added: “Another ‘for now’, I know. Once we’re done here and you leave, you’ll see why.“

John realized that he’d taken another cookie and was already chewing, without noticing it. Naia continued after that thought: “While you were dead humanity destroyed itself several times in a row. I’ll allow myself to simplify things and won’t be throwing all the facts, dates and terminology at you, deal? There’ll be time for it if you so desire, but at the moment you look like someone who prefers a more direct approach.”

Seeing no objections, she kept talking: “Imagine these historical events like a roller coaster. You are slowly going upwards for a wild spin, and everyone around is either scared or joyful, but then, not even reaching the top, you see that the rails have ended a second ago, and your cart is flying down to the inevitable concrete of the amusement park. Would’ve been nice to check it in advance, maybe postpone the ride, finish the rails or make the cart fly, but who cares, right? Let’s just roll and see what happens! And, who would have thought, nothing new was really happening. Humans just kept on reaching the same point of their rails and then…” She pointed to the floor. “To be a little bit more precise, sometimes they were slightly below or above that point, but never made any significant progress anyway. Some bright minds tried to analyze it, made theories about cycles and continuous development and so on. But in reality it was just random. Like your death. Sorry for bringing it back. You know, it’s just like that, without any reasonable explanation. And the more you seek it, the less you understand.”

“Until one day…” John interrupted her, sneering.

“Nah…” Naia shook her head and waved him off. “Sorry to disappoint. Wasn’t one day, not even a century. In fact, it wasn’t even about the roller coaster. Imagine, a millisecond before the final rendez-vous with the concrete, one person in the cart looks to the side and says: ‘Hmm, anyone else saw tha—’ Bang! Didn’t have the time to finish the phrase. For the next few rides nothing changed and went as usual. Then, a couple of other curious individuals also noticed something. This time they even managed to explain it to the rest, but were just ignored. A random amount of rides later, by some unknown reason, more than half of the cart’s population suddenly realized that the missing part of the rails could actually be seen from the ground, before you even bought the tickets. What’s more, if you looked a bit further, you’d see that there was a brand new and fully functional roller coaster there, which you could safely use.”

It was starting to annoy him slightly, but once again Naia answered John’s next question before he asked it: “Spoiler alert, the next roller coaster hadn’t been completed as well. They couldn’t see it from that angle sadly…”

She nodded towards the cookies. John thought he’d eaten them all, but apparently there was more.

“So, rides kept going and carts kept falling,” Naia continued, once he began chewing. “Until finally the cart's residents started asking themselves if they really needed to use this attraction, or even the whole amusement park. There are so many things to do over there, you know, but we just keep throwing ourselves to the ground.”

“Let me guess,” John produced another sneer, “not all of the cart’s inhabitants accepted this way of thinking.”

“Your guess is correct.” Naia smiled slightly. “Many carts went down without even having a single breathing passenger in them, pouring only the corpses on the ground.” She sighed. “A few random time periods and billions of lives later, the amusement park had finally been abandoned. Or maybe it’s better to say, the idea of the amusement park. And before you ask, no, it wasn’t about ‘one bright and brave individual who changed it all and so on’, wasn’t even about a group of individuals, be them scientists, politicians or whatever. As silly as it sounds… it just happened.” Naia shrugged, pursing her lips. “Partly because of the scientists, and politicians, and even folk like your old buddy Barry ‘Hold my beer’. Yes, the one that passed away trying to prove the point that he could run like a leopard.”

“Was he…” John’s eyebrow went up.

“Let’s leave Barry out of it.” Naia waved it off firmly. “His time has not yet come.”

“Fine.” John pointed at her with a cookie. “What happened after the roller coasters?”

“Let’s see…” Somewhat pensively, she looked at the ceiling, then, slightly shaking her head, began to recite: “At first, uncertainty, with many deaths. Then, searching for the ones to blame, with more deaths. Then, the so-called time-for-a-change period with much more deaths. Next came the transition period which was, to be honest, more like a death-inevitability acceptance phase.” She drummed her fingers on the armchair handle. “Afterwards there was a time for depression, recession, submission and obsession followed by the period which is best described by the words ‘that didn’t work, let’s wipe it all off and start over’. I’m not mentioning deaths anymore, just consider adding them by default to all of these periods and multiply each time by at least ten.” Seeing no objections, Naia nodded and continued: “So, after a while came the oblivion period. Even now nobody really knows what had happened back then. Some call it the dark times, others – a pre-hangover stage. To stay on the positive side of things, imagine it as a situation when one shady friend of yours brings some strange substance to the party. Then comes a blackout, and the next morning you wake up in the middle of a pool of blood, there’s your boss's car on the roof of your house, a bag full of money in one hand and a gun in the other. You hear police sirens in the distance and notice that body parts start floating near you.”

“Why all these shiny metaphors?” John finally interrupted her, a bit annoyed. “Is this some kind of a show? Can you just talk normally?”

“Haven’t you noticed that I’m simply adjusting to your favorite type of narrative?” Naia winked at him. “Sarcastic and blaming others, while pretending to be smart. I mean, if you were more of a pragmatic or mathematical personality, I would be more of a professor-ish type with a blackboard filled with numbers and formulas.” She leaned forward and pointed a finger at him. “But we’re here for you only, hence the sarcasm and intended pun.”

He thought about her words for a moment. “Do you mean that there are others like me?”

“Let’s not run in front of the train like Barry,” her finger went up. “We’ll get to that. You want to see the whole picture and not just skip to the end of the book to know that it was the butler all along, right?”

He hesitated for a second, but then just nodded, conceding. “Ok, give me all you’ve got.”

“That would be too much.” Another smile touched her lips. “I’ll continue from the hangover period instead. Remember the bag full of money I mentioned? Well, that was, as you would say, a metaphor for some of the things humanity found around itself at that time. Had they done it all? Aliens? AI? Higher powers? Nothing is certain, it’s called the oblivion period after all. Long story short, after some hesitation, disputes, riots, wars, negotiations, compromises, and, yes, more deaths, they started using those things. Think of them as a mix of technologies, fundamental principles of life, approaches on how to live with each other and the rest around you, some historical analysis, universe studies and advice on how to avoid stepping on the same rake. A sort of a smoothie with a taste of blood, if you will. The first reaction to all that could be described with phrases like: ‘It can’t be that obvious? Otherwise we wouldn’t have been doing all that nonsense for such a long time.’ But after looking at each other, everyone had to admit: ‘Yeah… We kinda would have…’ And then, John, something finally started to change in that loop of destruction. Not immediately, but through a long chain of trial and error, the wheels started turning.”

Naia got silent for a moment, and John decided to ask: “And that happened when?”

“Frankly, not so long ago, considering the scale of the changes.” She waved her hand vaguely. “A couple of thousand years before present, give or take.”

“That’s supposed to be ‘not so long’?” he chuckled.

“Taking into account the fact that you died seven hundred thousand years ago, I dare to say yes, John. Relatively short period.” Seeing no further objections to this argument, she continued: “Once the problem of a constant bloodlust had been solved, there came the question of what it could be replaced with. After all, one can only have a desire for a finite number of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll in life. At first everyone thinks that there’s no limit, forgetting that even the sky has one. And it can be reached sooner than expected. Doesn’t matter how many pleasures you want to have in your life and for how long, one day you’ll realize that there could be something else. Besides, you’re kind of full already,” upon saying that, she glanced at the plate with cookies. John realized that a few minutes ago he stopped eating them, and since then the plate was empty.

As before, Naia waited till he switched his attention back to her. “Something that is bigger than this. Humans, in their more or less presentable form, appeared what… about a million years ago? And even now they still have no clue if there is any meaning to all this. Thus, instead of trying to find it, could it be a better idea to simply create one? You don’t have to worry about the meaning of life, if someone’s already found one for you, right?” She tapped herself on the temple, then continued: “Humans' final frontier had always been their death. You can achieve many things, or few, or nothing at all. The end result is sort of the same. Upon some pondering, humankind had come to a question: what if we could try to traverse this frontier? To create this life after death that was the point of so many disagreements, conflicts and contradictions for so long? Let me clarify one thing in advance.” Naia looked John in the eye carefully. “We’re not entering the area of debates about the reality of heaven, Valhalla, reincarnation cycle, or any other kind of historically-known and regionally-chosen afterlife. That is a question for another discussion, and you can choose any position that suits you. We’re talking about a more,” she drummed the armchair handle with her knuckles, “down-to-earth approach.”

John looked at her with suspicion. “Do you really want to tell me that humans suddenly decided to be happy, kind, and polite gummy bears, stopped killing each other, and, what is more, started caring about each other, and, what is even more, they began resurrecting those who died thousands of years ago?”

“Let’s see.” Naia made a thoughtful face. “Happy and kind? Open to discussion. Each one looks differently at these criteria. Polite? Hm, well, ok, in a way, we can say so. Gummy bears? Sorry, that one – definitely not. Stopped killing each other? As crazy as it sounds, yes. Caring about each other? I’ll let you decide once we finish our conversation. Final one – resurrecting. As I said before, recreating. Apart from that, also a yes.”

John sighed, it seemed like for the tenth time already. “A bit more clarity on the obsession with the word recreate… please?”

“First, to avoid any confusion with the religious terminology. As mentioned already, that is a topic for another time and place.” Hearing no comments, Naia continued: “Second, it’s more accurate. Not to concentrate on the technical details of the process, simply imagine your cremated or rotten body after seven hundred thousand years. Not much to resurrect, right?” She tilted her head and bit her lip, as if looking for a suitable analogy. “Imagine some archaeologists equipped with a kind of nano-particles locating tech that search for any trace of your dead body. Then medics equipped with some living tissues creation tech do some tricks and bake a fresh new you. After a bit of tweaking, you come here and we have our nice little chat before you can jump into the brave new world.”

“So, I’m just a clone.” He looked at her skeptically. “Not John who died thousands of years ago, but simply a copy filled with memories of his life. Seems like a waste of time for such a primitive way of recreation.”

“No, John,” Naia’s voice suddenly got serious. “That is one area where most of the efforts were made. The whole idea behind this is not to clone people, but to bring them back. The real you, not your memories poured into an empty shell. The end result should be big enough to become truly meaningful, to have the scale which is worth all the efforts. Otherwise it would be just a waste of time, as you said. And I would call you Dolly in that case.” Her mocking tone came back in the end.

“So, here I am, recreated and almost ready to face this new world of yours.” He looked into her eyes. “Why such an honor? What’s so special about me?”

“Nothing.”

That took him by surprise. “What?”

“Nothing, John. There is absolutely nothing special about you.” Naia gestured at him, as if confirming her words. “I’m sorry for being honest, but just face it. You worked as a salesperson in the electronics store, married your classmate, got a child, divorced, and died before retirement.”

“Senior sales manager of the computer hardware center.” He didn’t want to say this, it came out automatically, like a text learnt by heart for a lesson. So many times he made this correction in his former life.

“Of course you are,” Naia said it exactly like his mother the day he got third place in the rowing competition at school and told her that he was among the winners.

John blushed and they were both silent for a moment.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve said that not to offend you.” Naia’s voice softened. “Every job is meaningful as long as you love doing it or at least good at it. I was simply trying to clarify that you, with all due respect, were neither better nor worse than pretty much everyone else.” She leaned forward and clasped her fingers. “I understand, with all the mass culture influence of your time and your personal love for science fiction, fantasy and 100-level overpowered characters in shiny golden armor, it’s hard to believe that just a random guy was chosen to be brought back to life, right? There should be something special about him. Super powers, hidden knowledge, potential, or at least his grandfather's old watch he keeps close to his… heart, and which one day will be a key to understanding the mysteries of the universe.”

“Just to be clear,” a bit confused, John cleared his throat and muttered, “I don’t keep any watches anywhere. But I get the hint.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Naia waved it off. “Let me cheer you up. Imagine for a moment that you were not an average salespe…” Seeing his face, she corrected herself: “Senior sales manager. Instead, you were the ruler of the whole planet. And before you ask, yes, a few thousand years after your time period there was one when such a position existed. Short version, dude got mad and tried to make himself a golden throne the size of the Earth. And you know what’s the funniest thing about that? At first, everyone was like ‘Sure, why not?’, that sort of attitude.” Seeing John’s bored look, she coughed. “Sorry, I’m in a dreamy mood today. Back to the matter at hand. So, you are the supreme leader, the pinnacle of creation, the very foundation of the world. But do you really think that in the year one million plus somebody would care about that? I mean, ok, you were great back in your days, but what can you offer those who live thousands of years after you, have the knowledge and experience way too out of your league, and who also have the means to recreate you? What’s so special about you?”

“Nothing.” It was John’s turn to admit it.

“Yep,” she clicked her tongue. “Sales person, senior manager, planet overlord, doesn’t matter. Everyone is equal in that queue and can’t skip a few places in it.”

“So what,” he squinted at her, “you just decided to bring back… everyone?”

“Why not?” Naia leaned back in her armchair.

“What do you mean, why not?” John got a puzzled expression on his face. “Where would you find the place for them, the resources, the means to organize it?”

She laughed. “Ah, so you think that after all these years we’re still sitting on the Earth, watching the sky, and fantasizing about how nice it would be to fly to Mars and grow some potatoes there? That political regime and economics still play an important role? And that humans look exactly the same as they were when you were your former you?”

John avoided Naia’s gaze and said nothing. He unconsciously looked at his arms and legs and thought: “I look the same…”

“No, you don’t. It’s just a projection.”

He tossed his head abruptly. “How did you…”

“Read your mind?” she finished for him. “Well, simply speaking, we are inside of it. And it’s hard not to read it. Or better say, see it. To be more clear, you weren’t talking from the very beginning, just thought you were. Remember the strange feeling of hearing your own voice?”

“What is this?” John stared at his hands again. “Some kind of virtual reality?”

“Just a place outside of the so-called real world where we can talk while your body is being prepared.” Naia shook her head, preventing his next question. “Don’t ask to show it, you’ll have your moment later, once my job here is done. My task is only to get you ready for the reality over there. I’m not an anatomical museum guide.”

“Who are you?” John managed to croak after a while.

She straightened up and folded her arms neatly. Her skin got glossy and looked artificial. Then she made a silly robotic smile and said in a mechanical voice: “Hi! I’m Naia, newcomers artificial intelligence assistant! How may I help you today?” In the next moment she got her previous appearance and continued as before: “Sorry for all the dramatic effects, just trying to be creative.”

John thought he should be surprised, but that feeling had been lost somewhere along their conversation.

“So,” he sighed, “you are not a human but just an AI.”

“I was made by humans. Same as you,” she had a funny offended face while saying that. “To say more, at least half of your current you is made by the likes of me. Are you a human?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Rhetorical question. I forgive your arrogance and lack of politeness, sir. Also, AI is not exactly correct. I’ve just made this name up for you to simplify things. I’m a sentient being much more advanced than what you would imagine as an artificial intelligence. After all, my distant ancestors managed to wipe off most of the humanity from the face of our lovely home planet… A couple of times.” She theatrically covered her mouth. “O-o-opsie. That wasn’t supposed to be mentioned… But! Don’t you worry, fellow human, I’m with the good guys now!” For a moment John had an impression that he saw a red gleam in her eyes, but then she winked at him and it disappeared.

He shook his head, thinking: “The longer we talk, the weirder she becomes. Though, I guess I kinda like it…” He then looked at her again and realized that she could read his thoughts.

“Yep.” Naia waved at him with her fingers. “Still here, friendo. An enjoyable side effect of mine is that I know pretty much everything about you. To address the weirdness issue: I’m adjusting to the type of conversation that is most comfortable for you, remember? We’re past the denial and closer to the acceptance phase now, thus family memories are being replaced by the chat with a dream girl you always wanted to date.”

While his face was getting red, her eyes were saying something like: “Yeah, I know that too.”

“Don’t stress about it,” she added shortly after. “You’re not the only one like that. Geeks will be geeks. And I have to admit, it’s always a tiny bit easier to explain all that to the types like you.” She giggled. “Your imagination helps you to sort of draw the picture of the world in its current state, and you focus less on the practical side of things. You should see the talks we have with all these people of science we’re bringing back.” She puffed out her cheeks. “How does this work? Prove it! It’s mathematically impossible! I’ve tried that already… Ugh…”

“How many are there?” John interrupted her. “I mean, like me.”

“Recreated?” she clarified, then shrugged. “Thousands… millions… billions. The process doesn’t stop. The end goal is to bring back everyone. Issues of space, resources and mutual hatred got evaporated, throwing that piece of the problem off the table. Still, that is a lengthy process, and it’s relatively not a long time since we’ve started.” As before, she predicted John’s next question: “Yes, at this very moment I’m talking with many others in various forms and using different terminologies. Maybe there’s a caveman neighbor behind the wall, and I’m looking exactly like him with all those animal skins, a giant cudgel in one hand and a piece of coal in the other, making strange sounds and drawing on the stones. But behind the other wall could be two tentacle-looking creatures that humans turned themselves into during one… particular period of history. Don’t ask why, believe me, I’ve tried to figure it out and even spent 0,00000000001 percent of my processing power (which is A LOT) to find an answer and couldn’t succeed. Same as with the golden throne obsession, they just thought that it’s a brilliant idea.” She shook her head and concluded: “To sum things up, I’m with you and everyone else simultaneously."

John didn’t realize that he unconsciously folded his arms and glanced at her resentfully.

Naia then smiled slyly. “Don’t be upset, I love and remember you all.” She looked back at him, waiting for another question.

“What about my family?” He got tense and clenched his fists on his knees.

“Sorry, John.” Naia stopped smiling. “Can’t skip the queue. Choosing who’s next is random. There’s no ‘I just need to ask’ ticket. Otherwise it would end up in a slaughter… in the best case scenario.” Seeing his objection coming, she raised a finger. “Please don’t start. I see your thoughts and know that you understand this. Let’s not go there. Believe me, it’s useless. One day you’ll see them.” She sighed. “But today is not that day.”

They were both silent for a long moment. Then John finally started talking: “To summarize all this. Around a year one million, peeps, after lots and lots of crappy decisions, got smart enough to stop killing each other, managed to deal with the lack of resources and space, and even made some sort of a resurrection slash recreation technology. Then they started bringing pretty much everyone back to life, randomly choosing who’s gonna be next. Also, somewhere among them,” he pointed at Naia, “sits a super advanced AI which considers itself to be not an AI but almost a human. And it plays the role of a reception psychologist, helping former corpses to comprehend the happiness of the situation. Plus, all that happens inside their mind, while the new body is being prepared to receive its freshly cooked owner.” He raised his eyes at her. “How am I doing so far?”

“Bravo-o!” Naia applauded. “A+ to you, my young apprentice. And do please take my personal admiration as a bonus. Though, pardon my meticulousness, I'm a receptionist part-time only, ok? There are some other hats to wear. And I’ve a hu-u-u-ge collection.”

“Does everyone speak like you now?” hearing her mocking tone again, John decided to ask.

“Common John, you were doing so well.” Naia looked slightly disappointed. “Why do you think that they speak at all? Who said that they need a mouth, for example? Or do you expect to go out there and use your ancient native language to communicate? Exactly like it was back in your days? I mean, with respect to all the linguists, given the sufficient amount of time, every language just dies slowly and, most of the time, painfully throughout the course of history.” Once again, she continued explaining before he asked another question: “To elaborate on the question at hand, we’re here talking as you used to just to minimize all the nervousness of the situation. You’ll hardly ever need this again. At this moment you’re also wondering why this lady,” she pointed at herself with her thumb, “keeps mocking me and not giving me all the instructions, tons of practical advice and tourist guides instead? And the answer is… there’s no need. Once you’re ready, it’ll happen like this,” she snapped her fingers. “As Lilo would say, science, Stitch!”

Naia got silent, giving him some time to process that.

“Yes,” seeing the analogy forming in John’s thoughts, she nodded, “you can imagine it like a whole package installation directly into your brain. The main difference is that this time you’ll actually know what each of these files does exactly.” She looked around the room. “As for our small talk here, it’s mostly about the mental part. So you won’t go YOLO once fully functional. That experience can be overwhelming at first, thus we need to remind you to take it slow. We can spend as much time as you want here. It doesn’t matter. Some folks want to jump out right after a few seconds, others stay for years. As we’re not in the so-called real world, it won’t have any effect on the time flow out there. Besides…”

She smiled mysteriously and John finished for her: “The concept of time may be different now.”

“Oh, you’re good, mister.” She clapped her hands a bit too overexcitedly. “What should we do next?”

“Have some more questions.” He was staring at the floor, as if trying to make a decision.

“Hit me,” Naia cheerfully said.

He didn’t raise his eyes. “What am I supposed to do over there?”

“How should I know?” Her voice sounded sharp all of a sudden. “Whatever you want, frankly. There are no plans about you and a few more billion others. After all, it's your life, not mine or somebody else's. No one’s going to ask you to repay your vehicle loan. Get in and drive wherever your heart desires.”

“What’s that,” John looked puzzled, “some kind of an advanced democracy, a finally achieved utopia?”

“Democracy, idiocracy…” She yawned. “Call it whatever you like, won’t matter anyway. I mean, I get your time period obsession with shoving everything into political molds and having nice little chats during tea-time, explaining to the opponent that your voting choice is the best one in the world. But, apologies for mentioning it a hundred times already, all these things bravely proceeded, along with the fate of the languages,” Naia pointed her thumb down, “right into the dumpster. As for the utopia, it was initially an imaginary concept already, correct me if I’m wrong. But we are here and utopia is not.”

She yawned again, showing that it was not something she needed to explain to him. “John, let’s address the elephant in the room that you’re so desperately avoiding. You expected that, once we’re done here, some tremendous task, or impossible mission, or heavy burden will be gently placed right onto your scoliotic back.” She slapped the chair handle, preventing John’s question, instantly forming in his mind. “Hush, it was another metaphor. Your back is no longer an issue, along with your myopia, my little fan of the late night gaming sessions. May I continue please?”

He unconsciously tried to adjust the glasses he no longer had, then just nodded bluntly.

Seeing that, Naia repeated her previous words: “Yeah, expectation of some great task placed on your shoulders, some preprogrammed life path with red and blue dialog options here and there along the way, leading to an epic finale. Yet, John, I daresay, the future doesn’t really need your service. The universe has enough space but lacks empathy. In other words, it doesn’t care if you do something or nothing at all. You were dead, you are not anymore. From here on you can do practically whatever you want. That’s the idea. Seems dumb at first, but what did you expect to see while standing in an endless line of every single human that ever existed? That you’ll be sent to fight alien races? To build a pillar of society for achieving eternal enlightenment? Upon some pondering, these two are even dumber than the first one.”

John frowned. “Sounds depressing.”

“Oh, really?” Naia’s voice sounded slightly annoyed. “More depressing than eliminating other species to prove some futile point, to dominate over something? More depressing than spending ridiculous amounts of resources, life forms included, to build some useless gigantic who-knows-what? What’s with all of you folk over there? Whining about freedom and uniqueness day after day, but once you stand naked in the field of infinite possibilities, your first thought is: ‘Ok, Naia, show me the most popular routes.’”

“Erm.” Perplexed, John glanced at her, then cleared his throat. “Was that part of your speech also supposed to be… adjusted to my personality?”

The way she smiled made him shiver. The softness of her voice only added to that. “Of course, John, it’s ALL about you.”

He hesitated for a moment, then finally decided to ask: “Can I take part in…” he gestured around the room, “this?”

“Recreation process and the rest of our cute big goal?” Naia shrugged. “Yeah, why not. Don’t expect much though. It’s not like there’s a real need for personnel. Be prepared for some mundane bureaucracy and lots of boring meetings. You won’t be wearing a white robe and mixing some chemical liquids. No one’s going to trust you with that, at least for a very long time. Besides, the process is rather tedious, and guess who’s doing most of the heavy lifting?” She pressed her thumb against her chest.

John looked confused and coughed, rubbing his neck.

Naia pretended she misunderstood his previous question. “Aww, Johnny, you want to be like mama? I’m flattered.” He started angrily muttering something and she became slightly more serious. “Once again, you are not alone having this idea. Some ask for it indeed. To be a part of our welcoming party. Can be arranged, though…” She sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your dedication, but it’ll be like… Hmm, remember your childhood, when you helped your dad in the garage with the car? Sometimes he let you tighten a few screws and said: ‘Good job, John, helped me a lot!’ Then, the moment you were looking away, he took the wrench and tightened every one of them once again.”

“Fine, can hear you loud and clear.” John shook his head, then asked: “And what if I just want to stay here? Not sitting and talking with you, but keeping this virtual form, looking like me back there and… maybe even doing the same stuff and not entering this future of yours?”

“If you so desire, my dear.” Naia shrugged, looking somewhat disappointed. “Can live like that in sync with the real world out there, so the time will flow exactly the same way. Can even connect the two existences. But I’ll be honest, that’s a weird choice. You can do all that in real plus a ton of more and still prefer to lock yourself up in a digital form of your old self. But who am I to judge?” She spread her arms. “Just a supercomputer with the power of ten thousand suns and experience of a million years!”

He ignored her mocking. “You didn’t really draw an inspiring picture, to be honest. I mean, I guess I’m glad to be alive… once again. But you’re basically telling me that I’m a randomly selected number in the queue whose only purpose is to be reborn and, once that’s done, it’s just being scratched off the list. Next please! Would be nice to…”

“To have a purpose?” she finished for him. “John, let me increase the level of honesty. Believe it or not, it won’t be a part of the ‘adjusting to your type of character’ process.” She leaned forward in her chair. “All this welcome back party doesn’t have any meaning, I myself don’t have any meaning, and the whole million years tango during the masquerade ball and clown fiesta at the same time does not have one as well. The only meaning you can get is the one you set yourself. And the sooner you do it, the better it will be. You expect me to bring it to you on a silver platter? At most, I can suggest a purpose – to find a purpose. But even that will be meaningless. As it’s coming from somebody else or, if you prefer, something else. You want some strings attached, some rules to follow? Can be done, sure. But it is you who must choose it first. And if you won't like it, well, then make another choice and so on. As long as you don’t meddle with others' choices, you have an eternal green light to do whatever you want. No one’s going to judge you. Just be and let others be.”

“Is it always like that?” He looked her in the eye. “ I mean with the newcomers.”

“The flow of these conversations may differ, but in general it’s more or less the same.” She leaned back again. “Frankly, the main goal here is just to make sure that your brain or, to be precise, consciousness won’t get microwaved once you’re out. If you’re curious, you passed that checkpoint the first time you sat back on the couch after waking up here. The rest is more of a bonus, you know. As if you are being transported to the destination point but also provided with a glass of champagne and a nice view during the trip.” Naia winked at him. “We’re approaching the ‘cherry on top’ section now and for the types like you it’s usually this feeling of becoming a sad romantic hero, standing on the brink of the world and looking back. He achieved his goal, won, conquered the world, but!” Her finger went up. “There’s always this nasty-tasty but, right? This melancholic feeling during the happy ending that makes it more real, more complete and less sugary. Otherwise friends wouldn’t approve.”

“Screw you, you almighty piece of tech,” John snorted, not able to hide his grin.

“Thanks!” Naia smiled playfully. “Just doing my job!”

“So, seems like you’re driving me through the whole range of emotions here.” He squinted at her. “How about making me laugh?”

“How about I make your mom laugh tonight?” Her reply was instant.

John clenched his jaw and stared at her. He tried, tried really hard, but finally couldn’t hold it and burst out laughing like an idiot.

“Why?” he managed to say after a moment. “Why is it always the most stupid thing that works every time?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Naia shrugged, looking genuinely bewildered. “Always so skeptical, cynical, using some advanced terminology without even fully understanding it, pretending to be the smartest person in the room. And yet, the moment mom-joke comes in, at once everyone turns into a joyful puppy, playing on the grass.” She thought about it for a second. “Though, some may get emotional. So I give it a 50/50 chance.”

John stood up and, for the first time during their talk, crossed the room and stepped into the part where Naia was sitting.

“Ok, madam sentient being created by humans. You’ve won and I surrender.” He raised his hands. “My heart is conquered and my brain is ready to embrace this everlasting happy future. How do I get out of here?”

“Why, through the door of course!” She pointed to the side and John saw a door there. “How else do you exit a room, silly?”

He knew there was no sense in saying it, but he still did it: “It was just a wall a moment ago.”

“Was it?” She blinked innocently. “What a peculiar observation. As if we were in some unreal magical place!”

“Does it mean I’m ready and won’t get crazy once facing the outside reality?” He glanced at the door again.

Naia leaned towards him and whispered: “Go check it out, wanderer.”

John turned around and walked to the door. He put his palm on the handle, then looked back one last time. “Can I see you again?”

“Come back any time. I have cookies.” She smiled softly and nodded at the plate that was full again.

“Till next time, Naia.”

“Goodbye, John.”

He opened the door and went into the future.

John woke up.

Could this story ever happen,

Spark of hope in this mad world?

Better leave this question open,

Those who answer it are bold.

In the meantime life continues,

Running up and down the hill.

When the end looks not so nearest,

Let’s pretend there’s light shines still.

Was once posted somewhere else. Not anymore. Just want it to be here.