In A Dead World

I really hope this worked.

I’ll feel really stupid if I just got my hopes up for nothing.

I open my eyes and see a field of flowers in front of me.

“Oh, this is so beautiful!”

Behind me I hear a loud voice shouting, “Litrófsfrávik greind!”

I turn around to see what appears to be a humanoid looking robot or someone in a full set of armor standing near something sort of resembling a motorcycle with no wheels, aiming what appears to be a gun of some sort at me.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Robot, sir. I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Tungumál greint. Stilltu tungumál á Terran undirmengi japönsku. Language now set to Terran variant language Japanese.”

“Wow! I can understand you! That’s awesome that you know Japanese!”

“Correct, I have recalled the Terran variant language you call Japanese.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You can see and hear me?”

“Correct, I detected a spectral anomaly not native to this planet. Once I observed you, I concluded you were of minimal threat. Query, why is there a spectral anomaly from Terra on this planet?”

“Uh, um, oh you mean me. Right, m…my name is Michiru Kinzawa and I, uh, read this article about, uh, the scientists on Terra, as you call it, discovering this planet. I was having a bad day and decided to see how life was here. I hope I’m not causing any trouble.”

“Your ability to hinder my mission is inconsequential however, the planet here is still unsafe.”

I look out past the beautiful flowers and see a gray landscape with a massive tree in the distance devoid of leaves.

Hmm, I guess it is.

“So, uh, Mr. Robot sir, do you have a name and where am I?”

“I am not a robot; however, I know my appearance can be deceptive. My designation is: Environmental Repair Cyborg Vitan Mark 90. You have arrived at the planet the natives once called Midengard. It was laid desolate by a monster called Raganrog. Once the oceans and nine continents here were drained of life, the Raganrog left to seek another planet to claim.”

“Wait, these names are sounding familiar and nine continents sounds like nine realms. Not to mention that huge tree as well. Were there any survivors?”

“Affirmative. Records state that there was a group of approximately one hundred million natives of this planet fled in the final days. To try to keep their genetic information from extinction they set out to three different planets. One of those was your planet, Terra. They arrived approximately two thousand of your Terran years ago.”

“Wow, no way! It has to be them. I mean it makes sense that people from a more advanced world would be considered gods.”

“Indeed. The native Terrans in the northwestern part of the Eurasian continent incorrectly considered them deities. Some survivors remained in that area and mated with the local natives. The remaining left in search of a less populated planet.”

“That’s probably how the legends there were started. That’s amazing! I have to wonder though, this place doesn’t look that bad, in fact it looks gorgeous!”

“This area is the result of my primary directive on this planet. Primary directive: return the environment back to its previous state prior to the devastation caused by the Raganrog. Secondary directive: investigate the disappearance of Environmental Repair Cyborg Vitan Mark 88.”

“I see. These flowers you made are so beautiful.”

“I did not make these. I used the energy of the Kirtov I defeated to reconstitute the dead plant and animal life in the immediate area.”

“Oh, I see…wait, WHAT!? You brought the plants and animals back to life?! I mean you’re not God or a god obviously how is that possible? No wait, we just talked about this. You’re from a more advanced civilization than where I come from.”

“Correct, your logical conclusion is sound.”

“But I thought there was no life here. How did a, uh, Kirtov you called it, end up here?”

“The Kirtov remained in stasis after traveling on some small meteorites. The meteorites bombarded the planet approximately 517 Terran years ago. Once the meteorites crashed on Midengard, the Kirtov remained in stasis waiting for signs of life so that they can consume and create more spawn. Once I arrived a nearby Kirtov awoke and attacked.

“They kind of sound like that Raganrog you mentioned.”

“Incorrect, the Raganrog stands approximately three hundred and twenty-seven Terran meters tall and systematically consumes all manner of life on a planet. The Kirtov stand at over two of your Terran meters tall and drains the life force from animal type lifeforms. Kirtov are more similar to what you Terrans called vampires.”

“Wow, vampires!?”

“Correct, unlike your Terran vampires of fiction, Kirtov are very feral and attack once the first sign of animal life is nearby.”

“That’s pretty scary but, you took care of the one here, right?”

“Correct, there is no danger in the immediate vicinity.”

“That’s great, not that I’d be in much danger since I’m a ghost and all, right?”

“Correct, had you arrived 1.06 Terran minutes earlier you would have been inadvertently reconstituted as well.”

“Whoa, WAIT, WHAT? You can do that?!”

“It is still within my ability to repair your body allowing you to become whole once again.”

“Oh my, um, I’m at a loss for words. I have a wave of emotions flooding me. What should I do? I mean I can be alive again and see Shinichi.”

“Warning, repairing your body will prevent you from returning to Terra. You would have to remain here and the area is still very unsafe. Additionally, I will have to alter the isolation barrier on planet Midengard to prevent further inadvertent intrusions. Do you still want to proceed?”

“There’s always a catch. Hey, I know, couldn’t you just take me back to Earth…I mean Terra? I mean you must have a really cool spaceship, right?”

“Confirmed, unfortunately I am unable to leave until my objectives are complete.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. It’s not like you know me let alone owe me anything. So, I can stay as a ghost, return home and finish my mission there or take a chance here with my body returned unable to return to earth. Not to mention trying to survive against unknown dangers.”

“Your conflict is correct. I cannot assure your safety assuming you decide to remain.”

“Right, and I guess you won’t be done here any time soon.”

“Correct, time to complete mission is unknown. Current time on planet Midengard is six Terran days. Current completion percentage of primary directive is 3.27%. Secondary directive is currently at 0.00%. Additional directives have potential to be created in the process of completing the primary and secondary directives.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I think it really is me having to come to terms with letting Shinichi go on with his life without me and if I were to come back to Earth alive is that really fair to Shinichi and to a lesser degree Yoko? I upended both of their lives to set them up for the future and coming back now would be pretty mean and undo everything I’ve done so far. I have to think about them and not just myself.”

“Quandary analysis. If returning to Terra alive would cause an error in your current progress the only option is to continue as you were before to complete your mission. The conclusion is sound.”

“Well, I was mostly thinking out loud but, yeah, we pretty much came to the same conclusion. I can’t run away from my problems. I need to fight them head on.”

“Interjection, I still detect hesitation from you about your decision.”

“Why shouldn’t I be hesitant? I get killed, then brought back as a ghost and told to give my fiancé, the love of my life, to another woman all for the sake of a future I will never get to experience. I still love him and I know he still loves me too. Why can’t I have that life with him?”

“Counter-point, while I do not profess to know your situation entirely, I would like to present you with a narrative from a position of strength. Death is something that has been familiar to me since even before becoming an environmental repair cyborg. As a Vitan I visited many planets ravaged by the Raganrog. Among them is while being able to reconstitute some native lifeforms there were some that were beyond saving. In a few cases those that were considered the closest to those that were reconstituted were unable to be. While I could sense their spectral form, they would not manifest and would instead continue to deteriorate until they would disappear.

“Additionally, those that were reconstituted would pay tribute to those that did not to help ease their pain and to help them start their journey without those that did not return. I would sometimes observe some natives return to a designated spot to continue to pay tribute to those that are gone. I would like to posit that the natives continuing to visit the designated spots was them being able provide a sense of mental relief and to thank them for being a part of their life.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty normal for us on Earth as well. I don’t see how any of that really applies to me. I know that my parents and Shinichi miss me and visit my grave every year. They even have my picture with an offering plate always available to remind them of me. I know they miss me and would want me back and I want to be back with them. If I never saved that boy, I would have had a perfect life. The man I decided to spend my life with, to have children with and supported me in anything I wanted. I deserved to live my life with him and not give him to someone else. What’s wrong with that?”

“I detect your regret at saving the young human but, I will continue.”

“No, I’m sorry, I can’t let that go. I lived my life with no regrets. Why can’t I have some regret for once, huh? This is my life after all.”

“I understand your emotion. I believe the rest of my anecdote will be of use to you.”

“Fine, if you say so.”

“I will now continue. The majority of the spectral forms were resigned to their fate; they were just glad to see their closest individual be reconstituted and survive. Those that were not resigned to their fate would become distorted due to their harbored resentment or negative emotions. They would cause problems for those that are alive to the point of becoming what you on Terra call “vengeful spirits.””

“What happens to those vengeful spirits? Don’t they just hang around and create trouble for the living?”

“They will however, also continue exuding their negative energy and eventually dissipate infecting objects and areas.”

“I had read about cursed objects and haunted buildings before and it all seemed believable but they were just stories. I’m not vengeful though.”

“Correction, I have detected the beginning stages of your spectral devolution.”

“Spectral devolution? Me? I mean I am upset I can’t live my life with Shinichi and seeing him with another woman hurts me but I don’t think that is me devolving at all.”

“Query, was it just this one time just prior to arriving here or were there other instances? I posit that there have been instances of regret and/or jealousy before arriving here.”

“Well, yeah, but no more than any normal person. That is what it means to be human, to feel all the emotions we experience in our life and how we deal with them. How’s that any different than now?”

“Understood, however the difference is that you are not a whole Terran anymore. You are a spectral form and will eventually dissipate. How you dissipate and leave your mark depends on the actions you do before the end. You can finish what you need to in order to accept your fate or you can let your attachment to the corporeal world distort you.”

“He’s MY fiancé. I should be the one to live our lives together! I know he will never forget me!”

I crumble to the ground and tears fall from my eyes.

He comes up to me and his hand begins to glow.

His hand reaches out and touches the top of my head.

It doesn’t feel like metal that is touching me.

“Understood, if this Terran was close enough to be your mate, experience dictates that if he were to find another, he would still remember everything the two of you accomplished together. Those memories will never fade. You may be gone physically but, the impact that you had on their life will not diminish. It will leave a mark on their soul.”

“Is that just another of your anecdotes?”

His hand slides from the top of my head, down the side and below my chin.

He brings my head up to look at him as he kneels down.

The armor is gone and he’s wearing some strange clothes almost like something out of some Futuristic American Sci-Fi show.

He has shoulder length black hair, striking green eyes and a very slim, pale complexion.

His hands come to rest on my shoulders.

“No, it is my own personal experience of losing the woman I loved.”

His monotone semi-robotic voice is gone.

“Even after becoming a cyborg all those years ago, the memories of Mishandra are still here deep within me. Sometimes while I am in stasis between planets I would reli…I mean dream of those happy days we spent together. While I’m not the same as I was before becoming a Vitan my love for her never went away.”

“But, did you ever find any one after her?”

“Of course, I did. I met Shatara a few years later. We fell in love and had three kids. While I did love her, she was never Mishandra and I never expected her to be Mishandra. My life with the both of them is very precious to me. They both shaped who I am.”

“Do…do you think Shinichi will be the same way?”

“If he feels anywhere close to the way I felt for Mishandra, I don’t see why he wouldn’t feel the same way. Especially, considering what I know about people from Earth. You need to let him live his life.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I have to let him go on with his life. I have to believe that he’ll never forget me. No, I KNOW he’ll never forget me.”

“Good, I’m glad you are feeling better. Here let me help you up.”

He offers his hand.

I grab it and get up.

Wait a minute!

How is he doing all this?

Just as I start to think about that, he becomes fully armored again.

“Danger! Enemy detected three hundred Terran Kilometers away. Recommend you return to Terra without delay. I will take down the barrier so that you may return.”

“Are you sure? You’ll be ok, right?”

“Affirmative, you should return to continue your mission.”

“Right, what can I do here after all? Ok, I’m ready to go.”

“Understood, the barrier has been adjusted. I wish you success on your mission and you do not forget what we discussed here.”

“Right. Thank you for everything and I hope everything goes well with your missions as well.”

I close my eyes, put my hands together and think of Shinichi’s apartment.