Novels2Search
Eusocial
Poker face

Poker face

Crecur knows I'm trying to stall, it's going to distract and confuse me until I have nothing left to ask! All that pleasantness is just an act! It wants something, and doesn't want to give up anything substantial to get it. It's just speaking nonsense to throw me off and waste my time! At this point my questions are probably futile; I haven't even been able to come up with a way out using the time I already had, more time probably won't fix that. But I won't give up, I have to try something. Stay calm, don't let the Essence know you see through the deception.

"What do you mean 'how you have been seeing it.' what is selection, how does it work?"

"What I mean, is that when a soul does a thing or multiple things we Essences consider improbable, we seek it out and try to understand that soul on a deeper level. We find if it can fit our needs, and if it does, what the soul is best fitted to represent. Just like right now."

Crecur is messing with me, toying around with someone who could do nothing to defend against it. I understand that now, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. My only confusion is why Crecur kept up the charade for as long as it has.

"By right now, you mean me?"

There's a funny thing about the afterlife, no one talks, no one can produce words or any sound. It's more like concepts and ideas are intentionally shared with one or more other souls, although it's rare to find it happening often when we are reincarnated as quickly in the way we experience it. This has the effect of making it somewhat hard to lie. You could omit, but outright lying would leave an imprint of deceit. Something similar must have happened to me, as Crecur seemed to respond to my melancholy.

"Well, yes. Why not you? Is there really something so bad that you would think I should just disregard you?"

"I refused to give up my memories for one, then I dragged a soul into what was meant to be my body just so I wouldn't have to go back to living a little longer."

"I will admit, those two instances were surprising, but not truly malicious or harmful. Speaking of those events, how did you accomplish them?"

Aha, there's the motive. They want to know how I did the deeds, and prevent others from repeating my attempts. Sound logic, all things considered. I can't refuse, they won't accept that. Lying will get me caught and put in a potentially worse situation. Honesty may not always be the best policy, but it is the most reliable one with an authority such as this.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"With the.... river, I simply forced my way through instead of waiting or resisting. It was hard, but I wouldn't consider it impossible. As for the body escape act, I don't know, I just refused to give in to the feelings of nothingness or exhaustion."

"Hmm. I see, and would you say this capability was more mentally or emotionally driven?"

Why would that even matter? Aren't they basically the same thing here?

"U-umm, I would say both. I thought about how much I didn't want to go back, and the thought of being forced to made me angry; I suppose that they both fed into each other."

There was a long silence. I had given all the information I reasonably could; I had no clue what else Crecur could want from me that I could realistically provide. After a while Crecure simply stated.

"While a little unusual, it does fit the profile."

"Huh?"

"Your behavior and motives, they match the lives you lived and to an extent give a better understanding of your overall temperment."

"That means... what exactly?"

"It means, I think I have found the perfect role for you as an Essence."

"Wait... WAIT. OH SHOOT THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING, IT ISN'T A RUSE!"

Shoot I could have handled that better. Well, guess I just have to roll with the punches now. I can't believe this is all actually happening.  I thought for sure there was an ulterior motive.

The realization hit like a brick, throwing out any semblance of the illusion I knew for sure what was happening. In all of this, I had only one question.

Why me?

"What could there possibly be that I would do well at that others couldn't do better?"

I've never actually been a huge influence in my lives, a minor breakthrough here or a life saved there were the exception not the rule, compared to the large amount of souls that exist the probability of no other entity being better suited to my role is...

"I know what you're thinking, me being the best for this is impossible."

I was shaken from my thoughts at this, now listening to what the Essence was telling me.

"But it isn't, It's only improbable. Just because it wasn't likely didn't mean it couldn't happen to you. So, I suppose that makes three improbable things that you are responsible for." Crecur said this with the mirth and affection of a proud parent, despite the fact it should have barely known me.

Then again, Crecur implied alot more knowledge about me than it should reasonably have. They must posses some way of accessing information on me, however impossible, or improbable as Crecur would insist, it sounded.

Crecur continued its spiel about how 'no odds were truly impossible' and other such things I wasn't sure I fully agreed with. Before finally going quiet, Crecur had one last thing to ask me.

"Soul of the afterlife! Due to your will, your selflessness shown in life, a willingness to take necessary actions despite reservations on them in recent events, and a capability for the improbable: You alone have been selected to become the Essence of Eusociality. Should you pass the trials, you shall never again know death or life as a mortal or mere diety. You shall become responsible for all in your domain, and they shall serve unquestioningly in their loyalty. Do you accept?"

"...Yes!"

For an unknown amount of time after that, I knew no more.