Welcome to the Digiscape

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A sweet symphony of orchestral music and light from the window invaded my senses as my eyes crept open. The swaying of the train as it chugged down the tracks lulled me into a false sense of relaxation, but I was well aware that this trip was not for the sake of leisure. I was told as much, but…

I barely had a moment to think before they shuffled me onboard, without as much as a proper explanation.

I sighed to myself. It was painfully clear that I wasn’t anywhere near Tokyo anymore. The huge blueish-green crystal spire in the distance against a lavender sky was proof enough for that, surrounded by miles and miles of grassy plains. According to the conductor, we were heading for some place called ‘Castella’, a small village on the outskirts of this province.

I felt someone lightly tapping on my shoulder, and I turned to see who had woken me up from my nap. A young brunette woman with brown eyes stared, unblinking at me. She was much too close to my face for comfort, and I scooted away slightly.

“Umm, can I help you, miss?” I muttered, questioning whether personal space was common in this place or not.

“Ah! I’m sorry, the conductor’s been calling your name to the front of the car, and we’re the only passengers left.” She said, giggling. “You’re quite the heavy sleeper though, mister.”

“Nagai Jiro-san, could you please make your way up to the front of the car and prepare to disembark for orientation. NOW.”

“Alright, alright.” I grumbled to myself.

“You must be one of those Hunters, right? We get in-home ads about you guys all the time, I think it’s great what you guys do for the Digiscape.”

“Digi…? Yeah, I guess that’s what those station attendants said before they forced me on.” I scoffed, recalling how much of an honor they insisted it was to be a ‘Hunter’.

Though I don’t know what being one entails beyond that, or what a Digiscape is. I can only assume it’s where I am now.

“Well, thanks for the wake-up call, lady.” I yawned. “Looks like this is my stop.”

“What a coincidence, it’s mine too!” The woman ran back to her seat and grabbed a briefcase full of her belongings. “My daughter should be waiting for me on the platform.”

I stood, first in line by the exit door as the world outside slowed to a stop. The open grassy plains became a small provincial town with a modest train station, and the platform came into view.

“We have now arrived at Castella Station. Please don’t forget to grab your luggage, and—as always—may the light of Memoria guide you for all eternity.”

I scratched at the stubble on my chin as I stepped off the train. The woman from before exited next, running over to where a little girl with short hair was waiting for her. Based on their identical looks, one could assume it was the daughter she mentioned. The woman gave me a gentle wave and her daughter eyed me curiously as they left. I realized that I hadn’t asked for her name, but such pleasantries were the least of my worries.

“Now, where did they say to go again…”

My eyes scanned the train platform until I spotted an attendant holding a sign that said: “New Hunters meet here!” in borderline-illegible kanji. I walked over, hands in my pockets to stand next to the gentleman in the navy blue uniform and hat. After a moment of waiting, the attendant glanced at me, his mustache twitching.

“Guess you’re the only one we have for today. I’ve been expecting you, Nagai-san. Right then, let’s get you to the orientation hall.”

“Yup.”

As we left the station, we took a walk through the village, akin to a shanty town en route to the orientation hall. Children played in the streets and smiles painted the faces of every person I saw, despite their meager living conditions. I received my fair share of bows and respectful head nods, for some reason or another. I expected to be ostracized, considering what had happened to get me here in the first place.

“You aren’t going to ask any questions, Nagai-san?” The station attendant, and my guide, asked. “The last batch of new non-volunteers I guided bombarded me with question after question on our way to orientation. Like where we are, why the sky is purple, and when they can go home. Things like that. Aren’t you curious?”

“Not particularly. Ain’t that what orientation is supposed to be about?” I pointed out. “But… You got smokes in this place, or what? I haven’t had a drag since I got here.”

“Well, you’re pretty much what your profile said you’d be like. Nonchalant and dismissive.” The attendant sighed, pulling out a small carton. “Here, but make sure to put it out when you step inside.”

The man handed me a cigarette, and lit it after I put it in my mouth. I took a couple puffs as we continued walking, the other hand remaining in the pocket of my jeans. I was used to having a bad cough whenever I smoked these days, but it didn’t seem to affect me like usual.

The wind picked up a little, blowing away some ash along with my beige trench coat as it fluttered behind me. We came upon a decently sized building with clean glass windows, and a more modern design. It looked out of place next to the other run-down buildings in the village.

“Please head inside, I’m needed back at the station for now.”

“Thanks for the tour.” I said, propping the door open. I squinted to read the man’s name tag. “Oh, and Tom… Your fly’s been down since I walked up. Thought you should know.”

Exasperated, I saw the man scramble to zip up his pants in my peripheral vision as I chuckled to myself.

Upon entering the building, the soothing orchestral tune I heard outside changed into a more upbeat piece, like something you would hear as a newsbreak flashed across your television screen. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the music was part of the world itself, like something out of a video game. I regretted not asking the attendant if there was a way to mute it, however. Before me a few paces was a front desk, and an enthusiastic woman with a bullhorn called out in my direction.

“Right this way, new Hunters! To your left at the end of the hall you’ll find the theater! Please choose your seats, and the next orientation session will begin soon!”

I entered the theater as instructed and glanced around at all the empty seats.

Didn’t have to yell, there’s only one of me.

It appeared that I had a private viewing, and so I had my pick of where to sit. I chose the end spot of one of the middle rows, which was also my choice whenever I went to the cinema to catch a new release with friends.

The lights eventually dimmed and the screen at the front of the theater flipped on as a video began. A man with slicked back blonde hair and blue eyes, a foreigner, wearing a lab coat spoke enthusiastically on-screen.

“Hello volunteers, and non-volunteers! My name is Director Connor Barnes, but you can call me Director. If you’re watching this pre-recorded message, it’s because you’ve recently disembarked at your pre-selected location, or as I like to call it: Your new home here in the Digiscape.”

“Oh no, it’s this guy.” I muttered.

“Now I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them, but first let me ask you a question I like to start with. What do you think happens when we die?”

I don’t know, but I bet you’re gonna tell me.

“Eighty long years ago our founding father, Ueda Akito-sama, asked that very same question. It was 1953 when the first bomb dropped, and Russia set off a chain reaction that would lead to World War III and an incalculable loss of life and cultural heritage. Ueda-sama’s own hometown of Kamakura was reduced to rubble, and national enthusiasm was at an all-time low. That is, until ‘Project Memoria’ was born.”

The words flashed across the screen.

Project… Memoria…? Why does that sound so familiar?

“The afterlife has been a fierce topic of debate in religious circles since time immemorial, but what we hoped to accomplish with Project Memoria is a true digital afterlife. Through tireless research, the directors before me have set the stage for our soft launch of this experience that we call the ‘Digiscape’. The world you now find yourself in is a place where you can be anything, do anything you want for all eternity.”

“Sounds too good to be true.” I muttered.

“Or that’s the idea, anyway. You have doubts, I imagine. Well don’t take my word for it, take it from one of our happy customers.”

The director stepped aside to reveal an elderly man, a farmer by the clothes he was wearing. He began to speak to the audience in a slightly forced tone of voice, I could tell he wasn’t used to being in front of a camera.

“I was working out in the fields one morning before the rest of my family woke up. I had a heart attack and died right there. But we knew something like this might happen, so we signed a waiver in advance and the Project Memoria team came and collected my body within the hour.”

“This man, among our first batch of beta testers, died out in the real world. But with our state of the art brain-mapping technology, we’ve been able to import his consciousness into the Digiscape, so-to-say.”

Wait, so he’s actually…?

“That’s right, we have achieved a true digital afterlife.”