Chapter 1. Endings and beginnings.

All things considered; Tom felt like he had a good life. Was it cut a little bit short? Sure, in Tom’s opinion, especially. It was less than six months since he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Tom had done everything he could to fight it; after all, he was only 40 years old. The multiple rounds of chemo didn’t work, and now, just a few months later, Tom was taking his last breaths in his own bed, surrounded by family and friends.

He looked at his beautiful wife, Anne, and his two children as he struggled to take in his last few breaths. They had already said their goodbyes, and everyone knew today was the day he would finally get to rest. Rest, that sounded nice to Tom as he lay there fading, his body having betrayed him to this terrible disease.

Tom was sad; there was no denying that, but he had long since come to grips with the feelings of anger that consumed him early. Now, he was at peace. Anne stroked his hand as she sat with him, tears streaking her face as she forced herself to watch her husband pass from this world.

There are worse ways to go, Tom thought to himself as he tried to force out one last pained smile. He regretted that Anne would be alone, but he knew that his insurance policy would ensure she was cared for. The kids would be okay; they would learn to live with the pain with time. Eventually, they would only remember the good times. That was a reassurance that Tom needed. It was something that he held tight to as he continued to fade.

“I'll be damned…there is a light,” Tom said with a dry, weak chuckle as his eyes focused on a spot just past Anne’s head.

“No, don’t you go yet, Tom! Don’t you leave me yet!” Anne shouted as she pressed herself against her dying husband's chest, wailing and begging him to hold on.

Tom brought himself back one more time, and with what seemed like a herculean effort, he lifted his hand to place his palm on his wife’s tear-soaked face. He smiled at that moment and looked deep into her eyes.

“I've loved and been loved, Anne. I couldn’t ask for more than I have been given. I will see you again, my love, and I’ll be watching over you until that day comes,” Tom said as he gently pulled Anne toward him for one last kiss.

As Anne leaned in to kiss the man she loved so deeply, she felt his chest rise for the last time. When she pulled back, the life was gone from his eyes. She broke entirely in that moment as she came to the realization that her best friend was gone.

When Tom opened his eyes again, they were flooded with brilliant, white light. He was alone in a room of sorts. There was no furniture, no walls, just white light everywhere. He looked down and to his surprise he saw no physical body. He could still feel his body, he had the sensation of hands and feet, a head, a torso. He felt normal but there was nothing there. Where his body should be there was just a brighter shade of white.

“Wha…what is this? Where am I?” Tom asked, but no words came. He didn’t have a mouth; he seemed to just exist in this place, for lack of a better term. Even without a mouth, he felt that his words were still heard, and soon enough, this was verified.

“Please calm yourself. I am your processing entity. We will now begin the review of your records and decide on the next course of action. I will try to answer any questions you may have throughout the process,” a male voice said; the voice was powerful and calming in equal measure as the words came.

“Where am I?” Tom asked.

“You are currently in processing. As one of Earth's deceased, you will be processed and redistributed accordingly,” the voice replied.

“So, is this Heaven?” Tom asked.

“Ha, you humans all have the same question. Heaven, Hell, this place is neither. The concept of the afterlife has been the subject of much speculation among your kind, but none have, as of yet, been able to completely guess at the complexity of what happens when you pass. I am merely a processor and can answer more questions once I complete my review,” the voice said.

“Well, do you at least have a name?” Tom asked.

“Irrelevant. Your time here will be short, depending on the results of your review. Please be patient; I have almost completed your review,” the voice replied.

Tom decided not to press further. This was odd; the whole situation was odd. Then again, Tom knew he was dead; he wasn’t sure what to expect after death, so he guessed this was as possible as anything.

“Review complete. A verdict will now be delivered. Subject: Tom Reynolds03062024 has received a review and will now receive the verdict of said review. Based on the results of the records viewed, the subject will be assigned an eternal destination or redistribution,” The voice said, though Tom wasn’t sure he was the one it was speaking to.

“Are you talking to me?” Tom asked.

“I am merely speaking the verdict into the record. I will now address you directly,” the voice replied.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Tom replied.

“Subject Tom Reynolds has lived neither a life of great kindness and giving nor a life of evil deeds. He does not meet the minimum requirements for ascension nor the requirements for damnation to the tortured realm. This processor suggests reassignment to physical life in a diminished capacity.

“Wait! What the hell do you mean? I lived a good life! I wasn’t a bad person,” Tom shouted, or tried to as he was still painfully aware that he didn’t have a physical mouth.

“You did not prove yourself worthy of ascension, Tom Reynolds. It seems that you passed under extenuating circumstances, so I will admit that you could have gained the requirements for ascension if you had lived a longer life. There was also the possibility, however, that you would have proven yourself to be worthy of damnation. The data is incomplete, so we must default to redistribution,” the voice said.

“Why do I have to go back as a diminished life form? Is that like an animal or something?” Tom demanded.

“Generally, it will be an animal, yes,” the voice replied, “We realized early on that there must be time before a soul can be redistributed into a human form. It wouldn’t do at all for you to seek out your loved ones. A period of life in another form often cuts the bonds formed from one life to another,” The voice replied.

“No, I will not let this happen! I was a good person, I loved my family, and…and I just won't let you do this,” Tom was getting angry and scared. This isn’t how this was supposed to go.

Tom felt the rage building inside him, the regret, the pain of having no control. It wasn’t just that he had no control now; he had no control over the way that he died. The way that he left his family, the way that he left the woman he loved with his entire heart. Then it dawned on him that it wasn’t just his heart; he loved Anne with his entire existence down to the very fibers of his soul, and he had promised to watch over her. He would not allow this processor to send him back to Earth as some damned animal.

“We have an anomaly in the processing center; please provide soul suppression measures,” the voice calmly said, but Tom barely heard anything as the rage and regret continued to build.

Tom only felt a desire to regain control. He would not allow this being to decide his fate, as he felt something new radiating from all around him. It was…power. Tom reached for the power. He had no arms to reach with, but mentally, he reached out, trying to grasp anything that may be able to help him.

A golden glow began to emanate from where he perceived himself to be; it shot out from him in pulses as he grasped for the power.

Almost…I almost have it, Tom thought to himself as he felt the power begin to flow through him. It was more power than he had ever felt in his life. The power invaded his being, completely engulfing him. This was it, this is what would allow him to escape this place. Then, without so much as a warning everything went black.

“This is the first anomaly we have seen in more than a century,” Titus said.

“He is not capable of transitioning to the force, Titus. For Heaven’s sake, he lived a normal life. Would you expect him to be an asset to the force with not even a basic amount of training during his physical life?!” Antillius huffed in response.

“It is not unheard of, Antillius. While it is true that anomalies have been rarer as Earth has progressed and war has become less prevalent, it is not impossible. His readings were off the chart! Did you not see the data?” Titus asked.

Antillius sighed in response, turning his head back to the monitor to review the data once again.

“Antillius, we have seen only a handful of anomalies that present during processing. We are aware of most before they pass from their physical forms. Even then, I have never personally witnessed an anomaly with this candidate's level of power during processing. He reached a power level of B before we suppressed him, B Antillius! Do you even understand the implications of that?” Titus asked.

“It is a gamble, Titus, and one that you will be held personally responsible for should it fail,” Antillius said, his finger pointed directly at Titus’ chest.

“I believe it to be worth the risk, Antillius,” Titus said, sitting in the oversized, comfortable leather chair opposite Antillius.

“Then you can handle it personally, Titus. I will be watching to ensure this candidate doesn’t smear our good reputation,” Antillius said with exasperation.

“Understood, old friend,” Titus said as he stood up and saluted before taking his leave.

Once again, Tom awoke in a strange place. This time, however, everything seemed a lot more familiar.

“Well, at least I have my body back,” Tom said as he clenched his hands into fists repeatedly and stretched his arms and legs, “and clothes, apparently?”

Tom had been dressed in a dull grey uniform. There were no insignias or anything indicating where he was or who the clothes belonged to, but they fit well, and it was better than nothing, he guessed.

Knock, knock, knock.

Tom looked around at the knocking, confused. He was in a comfortable-looking room with a large fancy wooden desk directly in front of him. A fireplace was crackling in the corner, and large bookshelves sat on either side.

“uhh, come in?” Tom said, with all the confidence of a kindergartner on their first day at school.

“Hello, Tom. My name is Colonel Titus Acilius. May I join you?” Titus asked, slowly entering the room.

“Ugh, sure. I’m not sure whose office this is, though,” Tom said.

“It’s fine, son, it’s my office,” Titus said with a slight chuckle, “Tom, I am sure you have a lot of questions, and I will answer as many as I can. We have a few things we need to discuss first, though. Is that okay with you? Titus asked.

“I am not going to be redistributed or whatever. You can't make me, I refuse,” With those words, Tom felt the power start to rise in him again.

“Calm down, son. That is not going to happen if you don’t want it to. I’m here to discuss another option,” Titus said, holding one hand out to calm Tom down.

“What other option?” Tom asked cautiously.

“Tom, there has been a war waging since the dawn of the universe. I am on one side of that war, the side that is good and just in its cause. However, to be fair,  if you were to ask someone on the opposing side, I am sure they would say their cause is just as well,” Titus sighed as he said those words, “Tom, I am going to make this as simple as I can; is that okay?” Titus asked as he sat down in one of the oversized chairs and motioned for Tom to do the same.

“Sure, my day can’t get any weirder,” Tom said.

“I want you to join the Purgatory Force. We are an army consisting of souls from across the universe. Specially chosen and intensely trained. I want you on that force, Tom,” Titus said matter of factly.

Tom sat there for a second, mouth agape in surprise, trying to grasp the words he had just heard.

“I have questions,” was all he could manage to say.