[USER 1: Thanks again for helping us with this. It’s been a while and we’re out of practice]
[USER 2: No problem. I do this all the time. Teaching you all the standard procedures is like a holiday for me. For the first human, we’ll just see their last day, and judge them. Quick and easy.]
[USER 1: last I checked there was some guy throwing gold around like it was sand, how much have things changed?]
[USER 2:....Let's just start your retraining.]
<’ Random Option’ Selected>
[USER 2:Ok, here we go. Now it’s good practice to watch their last moments before reading the details. we have to form a level of attachment, or else it will become far too easy to stop caring.]
[USER 1: Makes sense. So I just start the playback?]
[USER 2: Yup.]
An uneasy feeling encompasses my body,
the air cold, as I slowly started to gain consciousness from a deep sleep,
???:“Wake up…”
I try to make my body move but the Mattress is sooo soft and warm despite the loss of my blanket,
“I must have pushed it off again,” I think to myself as I continue to enjoy the restful night.
???: “Wake up!”
Who is that? Why are they so loud? “Assmmsisla femmm semmmm…” I mumble out
???: “Viola Kabiliti Mwamba! Get out of your Bed NOW!”
I rocket out of my bed in a panic, dressed only in my nighties and instantly stubbing my toes on a toolbox I improperly stowed away
“Ow, My foot,” I exclaimed as I hopped around holding my foot
“I told you to properly put your engineering stuff away many many times.” my mother commented under her breath “Kabiliti! You're going to be late for your graduation and I just know a Valedictorian like you wouldn’t be late for that!”
Panicking, I exclaim“What Time is it?!?”.
“5:50 AM dear”
My face drops in disbelief, “5:50…AM? Mom, why would you wake me up at 5:50 AM?”
“Because You told me you didn’t want to be late and I just finished my shift at the hospital-” She started to list off various reasons but I cut her off
“That doesn’t matter you can just drive me there”
At that, she grimaced
“That's the thing, I may have driven around for too long doing some shopping aaand used up all the fuel in the car”
“MOM!”
[USER 2: Skip past this part.]
[USER 1: Why?]
[USER 2: Trust me, it’s not needed.]
[USER 1: You said we ‘need to know the mortal's last moments’]
[USER 2: Yes ‘Moments’, not ‘Entire day’]
[USER 1: Maybe we like doing things differently.]
[USER 2: You all asked for an expert on these things since your “”” out of practice”””. Well here's your expert and he says skip.]
[USER 1:I’ll just fast forward.]
[USER 2:Are you deaf, I said sk-]
Viola: “Bye Mom.” I say as I hug her- wait what was-
Mom: “Bye dear”
she let go- That was too short -wait. ‘Too short’?
Mom:” Oh and be careful of the protests, they may be peaceful but I heard the government is bringing in the army”
“I’ll be fine,” I shouted back as walked to University
I hope I-
I should have listened, I should have just-
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[USER 1: Ok what is that?]
[USER 2: the reason I told you to skip. The mortals here are…Different. Look, let me just……]
[USER 2: OK, it seems we’re in the clear, but I’ll skip ahead just in case. ]
[USER 1: You still haven’t told me what that was?]
[USER 2:I’ll tell you later]
-the shouts from the protest were deafening but if I took this shortcut through the crowd I could make it on time-
I should have taken the long way.
-OK what is that?
[USER 1: That's what I said!]
[USER 2: Shut up! Don’t talk during the playback.]
Huh, who’s that?
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
“Huh!?!” I turned to the front of the crowd
“GUNS! GUNS! THEIR SHOOTING!!” A man shouts as more gunshots ring out.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Quickly the crowd of protesters began to panic, people started to run to the sidewalk and I followed, they wouldn’t kill us if we dispersed right?- They did.
“Car! Car! Car!” Someone shouts, I...I see it starting to swerve and..and I try to get out of the way- I tried,
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *PING* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *SQUELCH*
A sharp pain fills my leg. Time feels like it’s slowing down. I have to move, I can’t, I can’t- I can barely stand…I’ve been shot… I’m going to bleed out.
-I won’t,-
what do you mean I wo-... The car,
-Yes,-
I see the driver, the evil in his eyes, the greed. It was as if he would get a bonus for each one of us he killed.
-What do you hear?-
Screams… and the distinct lack of breaks on wheels. He could have stopped. Even our Police vans could have stopped at the distance we saw him approach. I’ve helped Dad with that very model! He could have stopped!
-But he didn’t, he chose to kill his people and most importantly US! -
What's happening to me?
-Don’t stop, we need to remember. What did you feel?-
Thankfully, Little. Someone tried to save me.
-What happened?-
They pushed me to the ground and saved me then we lived-
-No.-
Th…They got shot while running from across the street. Their body managed to hit me and I fell-
[USER 1: Do we need to see this? Can’t we just skip]
[USER 2: No, this is what I was talking about when I said we should get attached. Reading about how she died is significantly less impactful than witnessing it and would cause us to act with far less empathy than they deserve.]
[USER 1: I see. I’m sorry Viola, hold on a bit longer.]
-down,
-Something is wrong-.
The wheels crushed my torso…I died…I’m dead.
-Did you hear me? something is wr-
[USER 2: That's enough, we can skip to her reaction to her corpse and her Parents grieving]
[USER 1: What's that voice?]
[USER 2: *Sigh* It’s her Spirit, it’s trying to become its own Persona]
[USER 1: wait. That shouldn’t be possible! There's no magic in her world! Souls shouldn’t be able to separate without a magic system present!]
[USER 2: And yet they still do. WHY you shouldn’t let the judgment drag out for
[USER 1: What's a Flat Earther?]
[USER 2: Getting off topic- Anyway, let me check her current Soul Cohesion while we chat.]
[USER 2:Tell me, did your continent have spirit or Ancestor Worship of any kind?]
[USER 1: Yes, both. Why?]
[-SHE MUST REMEMBER!-]
[USER 2: WHAT THE FUCK!]
[USER 1: HOLY SHIT!]
[-SHE, I MUST REMEMBER! STOP INTERFERING!-]
[USER 1: HOW IS IT DOING THAT! HOW IS IT DOING THAT!! YOU SAID THEY CAN’T BE AWARE OF US WHILE BEING JUDGED!!!]
[USER 2: CALM DOWN! It-]
[-She!-]
[USER 2:...-she seems oddly cooperative?…. I guess continue the Judgment and skip to the next moment?]
[USER 2:...Yes…]
-my body is… dead….. My dreams are gone….. My Mother’s still fighting for me…give up Mom medicine can’t bring me back… your flame has flatlined.
-I’m sorry.-
WE’RE sorry,
-we’re? -
Yes, ‘we’re’.
[USER 2: Oh oh.]
[USER 1: Oh oh?]
-You remember? You are aware?-
Yes, I’m an introverted engineering nerd. I’ve seen isekai before.
[USER 2: Oh shit.]
[USER 1: A what?]
-What did you- I hear?-
You got my attention at the first call… and there's my dad to pull her away from my body……..I never did see him cry.
-I’m sorry.-
No, no. Let's continue. YOU wanted me to remember or did you forget?
[USER 2: Did she just fast-forward?]
[USER 1: WE DON’T KNOW, YOU'RE THE “EXPERT”!]
It was sunny… I should have expected as much, why would it rain specifically for my funeral?
Mom’s being pulled off my casket begging to see me again, Dad’s trying to soothe her. Only Uncle and Dad’s friends seem to have the strength to pull Mom off.
-I’m sorry.-
I remember you know. It’s not like I can forget.
-What?-
It’s like my bed. It's so soft and warm despite the loss of my life. I, no, we had dreams,
-I didn’t know, I thought we-
A home, a family, class friends. We even had a job lined up at one of the new Robotics labs that opened up.
-I didn’t want us to forget…i… i…-
And you're right. I shouldn’t. Especially since we’ve got a chance at something new.
-But it’s a judgment. They might say no! I might have made us dangerous. They might-
We deserve this.
[USER 2: Ok, I’ll be honest, this is new]
[USER 1: I have an Idea, You said the others can see the judgment outside right?.]
[USER 2: Yes, As I said outside, it’s fast if only a few try it out while the rest watch]
[USER 1: Good, Stop the Judgment.]