*Pop*
A flash of bright light. The sweet smell of burnt fireworks. Unsteady glimmers of sparkles rained down on the office furniture around the epicenter of it all.
“W-what?!”
A male voice, pitched towards panicked girl squeakiness. Was all he could get out. While squinting and rubbing his eyes.
“Ahh there you are. I was getting worried that someone in the requisition department messed up again! Haha!”
With an invitingly warm elder gentlemens voice. The undefined shape waves a translucent hand towards a soft looking chair.
“Please sit. This always goes better down that way. He. Down, got it?”
Slowly being able to see a bit better. The young man kept squinting, trying to see who he was talking with. But even so, he could make out the comfortable office space he was in, as he turned his head around. The overly religious decorated walls. With pictures that one could describe with a faustian vibe. The fluffy looking couch on the side, made of silky soft material. All those really old looking books in bookshelves that seemed to be covered in gold. But most prominently, a small holographic projection on the table just before him of the earth.
Where’s that coming from? No, that’s not important right now …
“What?! Down? What are you talking about? Where am i?”
“Ah, yes yes. You’re right. Please sit. I will explain then, nothing to worry about anymore. Jack.”
After a moment of hesitation. Jack sat down, in a greenish office lounge chair. With a surprised look on his face, he started caressing his hands over the soft leathery texture.
“Nice, right? I only got the best. Special made so to say. Just perfect to calm my people down. It’s actually Rex.”
“Y-yeah this is nice … no wait. What's happening here? Weren’t I just … driving to work on my bike? How do you even know my Name?!”
*Cough*
Rubbing a translucent hand over the scheme of his shin. His opposite snapped his fingers. An image appeared before him instantly, hovering a bit above the earth globe.
“That’s … quite the resolution … spy satellite photo. Have I been abducted by some state agency? I did nothing wrong! Th-those files aren’t mine.”
“Nono, all is fine. No one is going to be interested in those. Well from experience its best to come straight out with it. You died.”
A short moment later. The mouth of the dead person in question. Went flop flop, like a fish out of water. Wanting to say something to that ridiculous statement. Cause clearly, for everyone to see. He was still there, alive and kicking.
“O-okay. That really can’t be it. If this is some weird game show or something like that. I’m so gonna sue you guys into oblivion.”
“Ha, that's a unoriginal one. Marking it. There we go, I nearly got a bingo! Just need an ... hmm ... Ey Man?”
“ … “
Rubbing his translucent hand along his even more translucent cheek. He just shook his head. That for everyone observing him, was featureless. Devoid of eyes or a mouth.
“Well. Just watch this, we can talk afterwards. Ah, no need to panic. What’s done is done.”
“ … “
With an raised eyebrow Jacks eyes wandered back to the quite crisp image of him riding his bike. He saw himself on the same route he always took. Just remembering it, made him shiver slightly. It had been a bit cold for an April morning, nearly freezing actually.
“AH! t- tt- tTa- a!”
“Oh yes, that happened. Probably not the brightest idea, in a sleep deprived state. That’s quite the nice downwards slope there. Date of death 5:34 AM UTC +2.”
“Thh-tthhaa! Thaa!”
Waving his translucent hands before him in a calming up and down manner.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Yes, yes. You died. Quite spectacular even. We picked up your soul and set you up for this interview.”
“ … “
Now pressing his hands against his forehead. A pained grimace spread over Jack's face.
“ … i … i rem-mem … “
“Ah yes. But worry not. Let bygones be in the past. Now is the time that counts and you’re quite lucky to not just be sent through the soul cleansing. Rebirth Cycle and such. Your next life would have been … oh, a grasshopper? Well, that would be something.”
“ … “
Again with quite a good fish impression, Jack squinted at his conversation partner.
“Have we calmed down a bit more? How about some tea or would coffee be better?”
“Coffee … “
“Sugar or milk?”
“Just coffee …”
With a juvelent ring of a bell. A coffee which had a fine aroma wafting off it and a fruity smelling tea appeared out of nowhere. Just as if they always had been on that desk. For the whole duration of their talk.
“You're going to miss out on some heavenly good sugar or milk. Really just black coffee?”
“Y-yeah. Sugar in coffee makes me sleepy. And I don't do well with dairy.”
“Well, that’s something I must have skipped over then. Please drink, while I lay out the options.”
Carefully, just a small sip of the piping hot coffee made its way down his throat.
Haaa … oookkkaaaaaaayyyy. Just relax. Either this is some really fucked up shit of an tv show. Or … or … I really died.
Looking at the coffee mug he was holding. He noticed that it was actually his mug. To be specific, it was his favorite mug with the anime cat motif on it. A stealthy ninja cat [If you can see it, it’s too late!] was printed in yellow letters onto the black background.
“I see that you’re able to smile already. So let’s start this up for real.”
“Y-yes?”
“Good question. What’s this all about?”
Waving his translucent hand around the room, without aim. The shiny shoulders of his shrugged.
“Simply said. There’s too many souls in my world. While others have a quite stern lack of them.”
“ Ha ..?”
“Well without a real threat, other than humans that is. You guys keep breeding faster than rabbits. Do you know what happens, if there’s no soul left to inhabit a newborn's body?”
Shaking his head slightly, Jack was drinking the quite fragrant coffee a bit more greedily.
“A new one is created! That’s actually quite a joyous event. In most of the worlds, so rare. That the ones in charge would throw devilish divine parties for years. Just to get one single soul more!”
“ O-okay?”
“Even with wars and all the other things happening. The human population here just keeps growing and growing. Which is all well and fine. As the more souls there are, the more in strength we grow. And with enough new bodys coming up, there’s never a backlog so to say.”
Nodding, as it was the most natural thing. Both of them looked at each other.
“So basically I am lending you out to someone I know. Your task is quite simple. Just change that world for the better. How? Doesn’t matter.”
“Me?”
“Yeah you. I know that might sound weird. I can see that the whole [Oh there must be someone better suited for this] thought is going through your head. Why you ,for starters you’re open minded and not racist. Which sadly, quite literally cuts the percentage of useful personalities down by a good margin.”
“ … “
Waving his translucent hand dismissively.
“Yes, I get the hypocrisy in that. Don’t want no racists, kinda makes me an anti-racist racist. Everyone is equal, atleast at the moment they were born. A clean slate. What you guys do with that, is and always has been open to the person in question.”
“So, that’s it?”
“Well not really. If i would need to go over the whole list, we would be stuck here for days. Basically you got some survival skills. A good base knowledge of many topics. Plus you're familiar with fantasy-like world settings. You must give me credit for that last one, quite a good idea to have some prophets with dreams of other worlds.”
“ … yes?”
“Still sounding a bit unsure there. Well. Let’s wrap this up.”
Cracking his translucent fingers, lightly glimmering sparks fell down on the ornate wooden desk.
“The deal is as follows. Either you get reincarnated into another world, upon which you will get back your past lives memories … hmm around the age of 6. Or you can find out what being a grasshopper is all about. In a few dozen reincarnations you might get back to being human again?”
Excitedly Jack smiled.
“Do I get some special powers or some other help?”
“Ha, good one! I always get a laugh off with you guys. Why would we do something so stupid. I mean, that’s not information we spread. Just something you lot came up with on your own. Like so many horrors or other things. Which actually is quite nice. You won’t believe how much the asking price for genuine new ideas of that kind is … ehm.”
*Cough*
“What I meant was. No. Just what I said.”
“ … and if I die in that other world?”
Doing a joyful skit with his hands waving from side to side. That made more sparkles fly off them.
“Quite simple, the same as what would happen here. Soul cleansing, getting popped back into a new body to inhabit. Bam. The cycle of life!”
With a bit more serious of a tone he continued.
“Well, being in a world that lacks souls. Or rather a surplus of newly created bodys, which would generate more souls and give every soul a new home. Everything is more or less stagnant. It might take a bit of time for that to happen. Last I checked, they had four-hundred-something souls stuck in limbo for … oh 780 years? Oh my. Well good that’s not me. HAHA!”
*slurp*
In one way to hasty gulp. The rest of the coffee went where it was dearly needed. As an iciness spread throughout his body.
“I doubt we will have long enough for another one. So what will you choose? New Life in another world or grasshopper here?”
“ … new life. That’s better than a grasshopper for sure.”
“Ah well. Give or take, that you won’t actually know you were ever human. It’s quite a nice existence as a grasshopper. Tried that myself once. Think, I died in a frying bath made of oil. Ah, I'm drifting again. Ehem. Good luck. I would say, see you soon. But i doubt we will meet again~”
“So wh-”
*pop*
Massaging his shoulder by hitting it with a translucent fist. The one left at that comfy office stretched himself out a bit. Leaning into his luxurious cushioned office chair. With a flick of his shiny finger, a new screen showed itself.
“Who’s next? Ahh, a group of the kind of idiots that thought it’s safe to have an electric grill inside a swimming pool. I guess they will be shocked to see me. Haha! I gotta love my job, the last 20 or so years have been great.”
*Pop*
As a group of still slightly soaked party hipsters appeared. One could faintly see a smile on that face of his.