Before the After (Shadam / Adashi)

Dearly Departed

The following is a transcript of the last air to base communication from the "The Wrath of Gaia" squandron...

Maverick: Our weapons have no effect.

Maverick: Evasive maneuvers.

Maverick: Wildcat's gone.

Maverick: Titan's not responding.

SnakeEyes: I can't shake these things. He's got me on target lock.

Maverick: Hang in there. I'm heading your way.

SnakeEyes: I can't – No!

McClain (Base): Be aware. Another Galra fleet is launching and approaching.

Quicksilver: I've got target lock - No!

Maverick: No!

**********

Screaming. His own screams... detaching themselves from the source and dwindling away at a distance. Darkness.

But then...

Bright white light fading up until finally Adam could see again.

"Dearly Departed, we are gathered here today so I may welcome you to the After," said a Giant Blue Catfish Man as he spread his arms out wide. His face was calm and reassuring. "Here you are safe and warm, but unlike Luxia's kingdom, you won't be mind squished."

All around him voices erupted in laughter. Adam turned his head from side to side and discovered monsters of all shapes and sizes standing about him, looking up towards the Blue Catfish Man who stood on a raised platform in this land of pure white light.

"If you don't get the reference, don't worry because there are no worries in the After. Not when the final page has been written in the book of your life and you are ready to be at peace."

'Who the hell is this guy?' wondered Adam and he shot his hand up into the air in hopes of asking him just that question. He was surprised to see hands rise all around him.

"Ah yes, the questions," said Blue Catfish Man. "I know you all have many so in the interest of time I'm going to answer the most common questions you may have." Everyone lowered their hands with an awkward giggle. Adam raised his higher still. Catfish ignored him though and kept speaking to the group. "First let me introduce myself. My name is Blaytz and I am a Guardian of the After. You may be wondering what exactly the After is. There are billions upon billions of religions across the universe and throughout all realities and they all of course have their own names for this place. Cloud Palace, Val Luna, Descarte, The Ending, Heaven, Dua Laguin, The Unbirth... It would be impossible for me to name all the different words each of your personal beliefs have for this space therefore we simply refer to it as the After. The place you go after your physical life has ended.

"Next you're likely wondering how you got here. The simple answer is you died. The more complex answer is you've always been here. At least your soul has, as this is where your soul resides while your quintessence –which is a fancy word we use for consciousness – inhabits a physical body. When that physical body died your quintessence returned to your soul..."

Adam's arm was already fatigued, but he had no intention of dropping it no matter how long it took for his raised hand to be called upon. At least he had until he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "Bishop!" whispered Adam. When Lieutenant Bishop didn't look his way, Adam dropped his arm and started pushing his way through the crowd whispering, "excuse me" to the various monster-like creatures.

On stage the Catfish was still blathering on, "... And that makes it possible for your soul to be connected to the quintessence inhabited in bodies through many realities. Sometimes these are slightly different versions of your current selves, but just as often these people are nothing like you. Your soul does have the potential to birth a consciousness that can en-soul a physical person who could be literally anyone in any reality. So..."