He was floating in a void. A pure nothingness that didn't even allow it to be called nothing. Across from him floated a she. With a face that was just as emotionless and expressionless. He knew her and she knew him. But however they regarded each other, it had now passed. Both of them had once had names, but in this nothingness this had no meaning. The realization that they were dead did not shake them. It was a fact. Period.
Like two moons they circled around a something. It was made of light and darkness. When they turned their attention to the sphere, it deformed. The darkness enveloped the light, forming eyes and mouth into one face.
„Hello“
A voice that She and He perceived without there being any air in the room. It was pleasant and upsetting to them. It was warm and cool.
"You have arrived. Can you remember?"
He wanted to open his mouth, a habit as a living person, but the words were already forming. "We are dead. Died in a containment breach."
"Are you death? Are you God?" She asked, without curiosity. A clarification of a fact.
The Something took on different forms one after the other. His mother. Her grandfather. A skeleton. The neighbor's dog and cat. A long-dead movie and music idol.
"I am everything. I am the manifestation of the after. You have given me many names. God. Hinkefuß.1 Hel. Osiris. Nirvana. Death. I have no true form because you give me many."
"What's next?" Do She and He together ask, "What comes after we die?"
Afterwards silenced.
"I have seen your life. I've seen your relationship. I saw the potential. I am not just what you call death. I am also what you see as the embodiment of life. Mother nature. Gaia. I have a request to make. It may also be considered an offer."
A laugh rang out. It echoed, in the emptiness.
"I am, as you always say, also only human. I love tragedy, like I love comedy. The bittersweet irony you call fate. When you wake up, you will have a second chance at life - a new life. All you have to do is grant me one small favour."
Dr. Orma Kabhu was sitting at the cafeteria table watching Dr. Stephan Faust and Agent Alice Peterson, who were standing around somewhat nervously trying to get out of the embarrassing situation caused by the presence of the other person. The whole Site knew that the two had a crush on each other, except the two of them.
Dr. Kabhu sighed and let his typical clear laughter resound: "The two are so… funny and it warms my heart how naive they are.
Dr. Felizia Zwingli also looked at the researcher and the agent, who had managed to come to an agreement in silence, to sit together after all: "Yes, it is truly lovely how pure love can be".
Dr. Kabhu laughed again: "I could not say it more in literature. What do you think, Dr Ainsworth?"
Dr Bell Ainsworth snorted, "I'm sick of them fooling around so long, but at the same time I have peace from Faust."
The agent most people knew under Wolf was silent.
"I have a strange feeling…" Wolf finally said.
"What do you mean?", picked up Dr. Georg Sturm, who had just joined them and of course could guess about who they possible talking, when everyone was looking in that direction.
"It's ridiculous," Wolf still hesitated, "but I somehow have the memory that until the containment breach a month ago, the two of them were always quarrelling. And yet we talk as if they've been in love with each other since the first time they met. It sounds stupid, but I just can't get rid of it."
No one objected. Wolf had uttered something that they had never dared to think before.
Had someone changed the reality?