A field of white so complete that distance didn't feel like it had any application greeted me as I awoke. Nothing, that was apparently something, expanded out in every direction. My stomach began to turn and my head swam slightly when I tried to find a visual anchor point to mentally right myself and feel some sense of orientation in the void I found myself in. Someone once asked me if I could see a polar bear eating marshmallows in a blizzard as a joke while showing me a blank white canvas, and that was all I could think of as I surveyed the vast white expanse in front of me. Floors, walls, ceilings, the sky, none of it was present for me to get some sense of direction or distance.
I put a hand to my head. Or rather I tried to. I didn't seem to have any hands, arms, or body....or really even a head to hold. I tried to move around, but it was impossible to tell if I was actually going anywhere without some type of object movement as a frame of reference. So I stopped and just sat there. Floated there? Whatever I was doing I just stopped. I tried to speak, but I realized I had no mouth. Apparently, that was the cue though for whatever was there.
"Hello" came a friendly, but obviously synthetic female voice like the ones used for the AI systems back on Earth. "Welcome to Hogarth. I am Selina and I am here to help you through the reincarnation process."
"Wait....the WHAT?! WHAT THE HELL? REINCARNATION PROCESS?! YOU MEAN I'M DEAD?!" I yelled out in sudden shock at my situation.
"Well, dead isn't the right term. It is kind of like being dead, without being dead, but now you are being reborn and given a chance at another life. You are fortunate as not many get this type of opportunity. It truly is a special case." She continued to droll on in that always sweet and sincere AI voice, as though not bothered at all by my outburst.
"What's so special about it?"
"I am not at liberty to discuss that with you. I am only here to help with the reincarnation process. Would you like to begin with the reincarnation process?"
At this last question, a screen appeared in my vision showing simple green digital text that read "Begin reincarnation process?" with two buttons one marked 'YES' and the other marked 'NO' underneath the text. This was really starting to get freaky. This looked like a confirmation screen from the games I used to play in the pods. Was I in one of the pods now? Did I just hit my head and forget I decided to try another game? No, Damien wouldn't make that kind of mistake.
"This is not one of the games that you played. This is the reincarnation process." The female voice intoned.
"Are you reading my mind?"
"I guess you could say that. You have no physical attributes so speech is not possible. It is the only method of communication we have at the moment."
"No physical attributes eh? Well, that's just great. How am I supposed to be reincarnated if I have no physical....anything?"
"Through the reincarnation process of course."
If I had hands I would have facepalmed. I guess that explained the no body thing. Was this what my soul was?
"Soul is an apt representation of what you are at this moment. All that you were as a being was kept in a form that is not truly representable in a physical form. Physical forms tend to decay and be fallible. They are also replaceable. This part of your being is not." She explained, again reading my thoughts. "You can select a physical form during the reincarnation process to house this part of you. Would you like to proceed?"
Again the prompt filled my field of vision, asking me to select YES or NO.
"So, since you're here to help me, what happens if I select NO on this prompt?" I asked, looking in the direction I thought was up as though I might be able to see someone who was talking to me.
"You will be destroyed." She replied simply, with no real inflection showing she cared either way about what happened to me.
"DESTROYED?!" I yelled indignantly.
"Yes. Do not worry, you will not feel a thing. You have nothing with which to feel at the moment. You will simply cease to be."
I sat there for a moment, too stunned to do anything. Destroyed? Nothing with which to feel? Did that mean there was no afterlife? Was I removed from that process because of this option of reincarnation? What did all of this mean? Was I OK with dying? Should I just give in and go peacefully into whatever great beyond there was? What kind of things would await me if I did go through this process? I had so many questions and, of course, this time the voice stayed quiet, not answering any of them.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice then," I said, selecting YES mentally on the prompt.
"Excellent! However, you always did have a choice. Now, what name would you like to go by?" The voice said, seeming to show a bit of excitement, the most emotion I had heard thus far.
"Huh?" I said stupidly.
"The name 'Huh" has already been selected, please choose a new name or a variation of this name to proceed."
"What do you mean it's taken?" I asked, becoming annoyed at the antics of the AI.
"The name 'What do you mean it's taken' has already been selected, please choose a new name or a variation of this name to proceed."
I shut right up at that second response. I had almost unwittingly named myself both "Huh" and "What do you mean it's taken" and I would not have been OK with that. I had to think really hard. Growing up all the other kids had actually thought my name was pretty cool, and if I was going to be reincarnated and I had my memories like this, then maybe naming myself the same thing would lead others to find me that I had already known. If they were here that is. Which from the original comment sounded like a stretch. I couldn't know though. I decided I would keep the name I had on Earth.
"Callan Ryder," I said confidently.
"Callan Ryder has not been chosen yet. Your name has been accepted. Welcome, Callan Ryder to Hogarth. Next, we will begin the race selection option."
"Wait, race selection?" I questioned, becoming slightly nervous at the mention of a rather hot topic in my previous life.
"Yes, though this is not the kind of race you are picturing. This will be a selection between the different races of the world of Hogarth. You will be able to see the available selections momentarily. Not all reincarnations get to choose the race that they will be in their next life. That is why this is such a special process. You are being given an advantage. While most reincarnations are assigned a race randomly, you will be given the option to choose."
"What makes me so special?"
The voice seemed to pause.
"I do not have the answer to that. I was only created to guide you through this process, nothing more." The voice stated simply, not leaving much room for explanation.
Well, that wasn't going to be helpful. I wished I knew why I was so special but decided I shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth. Suddenly, another thought occurred to me.
"Hey, wait a minute. Why am I not feeling anything about my past life? Why am I not upset about being here like I really think I should be?"
"There is an emotional suppression that occurs when you leave your physical body so that you can make a more rational decision about your next life. It would be really inconvenient to have you sitting here crying about whatever you left behind while trying to decide what would be best for you in the future. So your emotional attachment to the previous life has been removed." The AI voice replied nonchalantly.
"Removed?! Like you just took it out like it was an appendix?!" I blurted louder than I meant to, beginning to feel scared about what other things they might have removed from me.
"I'm not sure what an appendix is, but yes it is simply a part of the brain that can be removed and replaced," Selina stated, as though about to begin giving a lecture.
"So I have no other physical attributes, but I have a brain?" I questioned, not fully understanding how I could have a brain but not have a body.
"The answer to that is complicated. You do not have a brain in the same sense that your body does, in that it controls your motor functions, autonomic responses, and emotional replies, but in the same way that you can think, respond, and emote, so too can your current form as though the brain was present to supply those functions," The AI stated, as though reading from a script. "This allows you to make ask questions and make decisions based on the information given to you without the need to form attachments to anything at this time, leaving you free to make rational decisions that will affect your entire existence in this new world."
"So am I not going to be able to form attachments in my next life since you took that out?" Concern crept into my voice at this pronouncement.
"No, you will be able to form new attachments because you will have a new brain. In this instance, your memories will be downloaded to it, but the part of your brain that had that previous attachment will not be there so you can remember, but will not care." Selina reassured me.
"Well...." I paused...I really couldn't bring myself to care. I tried to care but found myself unable to feel anything toward my previous life that might make me feel something. Which was supposed to make me upset.....but, I just didn't care. This was probably the oddest sensation I had ever felt mentally. A real catch-twenty-two.
"I'd like to be mad, but I can't seem to bring myself to be..." I said, almost to myself as much as the AI assisting me.
"Yes, that is the idea. Now, would you like to see the options for your race selection?"
Reluctantly I agreed. Once I did, the nothingness around me changed. Rounded stone tiles rose from the infinite nothingness below, shooting up from the void into place one at a time like an old computer screen saver, forming a path in front of me that somewhat resembled a cobblestone road that went on into the distance farther than I could see. I was still unable to feel them, but the creation at least gave me a sense of direction and familiarity to know where things were. On either side of the path that had materialized beneath my feet, or where my feet would have been, were statues of different races, which had also apparently just flown up from the ether. Some I thought I recognized right off the bat and others I wasn't sure I really knew.
"How do I know which to choose?"
"The choice is entirely up to you. You can go up to the statues and inspect them to gain more information, but I cannot tell you which to choose. That must be a choice you make." Selina replied. "I also cannot give you any additional information other than what you will gather from inspecting the statues themselves. Choose wisely, as this will be your only opportunity to make this decision."
That really didn't seem fair. How was I to make a choice that could affect the rest of my life with so little to go off of? Then again, who was to say that her choice would be best for me? She may have more information than I do, but at the same time, it would be something that only I had to live with. Making up my mind, I moved to the first statue.
A man was standing on the raised stone platform in a typical option selection pose of hands on hips staring straight out into space. It seemed to be a normal human being. Average height, average build, wearing nothing but a loin cloth, and sporting a slight smile on its face. and average medium-length haircut was sported on top of its head with a clean-shaven face. I appeared to be a man, as the chest was uncovered, and he seemed to have a familiar face. I looked at it again and realized it was me, or rather Earth me not me as I was now since I was apparently some incorporeal nothingness in this form. Looking at the base that the statue was sitting on, which looked to be at what would have been about chest height, had I had a body, there was a bronze plaque at the top with engraved writing on it and I focused on that. As I did, a pop-up appeared in my vision similar to the one that had asked if I was ready to begin the reincarnation process. Details about the human were available for me to read.
Race: Human
Humans are basically the vanilla flavor of all races. They do not have many extra abilities that other races have that would give them an advantage in certain situations, but they have an uncanny ability to thrive in most situations despite the lack of abilities, and their expansion across Hogarth is vast despite their life expectancy.
Life Expectancy: 75-120 years
Humans gain 5 attribute points to distribute per level and can distribute all of them to any attributes they choose.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 10 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10 Luck: 10
I had been right, it was indeed a human. I had been a human in my last life. I knew that one pretty well and would be comfortable in my own skin right out of the gate. But I am not going to make a decision on the first choice I see. Suddenly I realized something.
"Hold up a minute. You mean I will be making myself stronger, faster, and just generally better by leveling up like in a video game?" I questioned, once again looking up into the void as though I'd see someone out there watching me and waiting for me to make a decision.
"I am not sure what a video game is, but yes you will gain experience as you do things such as complete quests, defeat enemies, and other actions that will help you level up, and as you level you will be given attribute points to distribute to improve various abilities you have." Selina intoned, still in the unconcerned informative voice she almost always used.
"Sweet!" I whispered, excited at the possibility of being able to improve myself in the same manner I had when I played games with my friends.
Turning from the first statue, there was another directly across the path from it. Hovering over to it, as walking wasn't really the best way to describe my current form of movement, this statue showed a lithe, slender figure with pointed ears standing with only one hand on a hip and the other hanging down at its side giving the statue a more relaxed look. It was also wearing nothing but a loin cloth. It was also of average height just as the human had been, but its facial features were far more refined, and high cheekbones, slender eyebrows, and long silky-looking hair, gave it that look that most runway models had that made people jealous of their gorgeous looks. Again, I noticed that the face appeared to be my own but was placed on the body of this magnificently sculpted being. Looking at the plaque it had on its base another pop-up appeared giving me the race details.
Race: Elf
Elves are one of the longest-living races in Hogarth. They have better than average vision and hearing and thereby have greater than average perception. Their grace and beauty make many of the other races jealous, though their reproduction rates are much slower than that of other races on Hogarth.
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Life Expectancy: 2500-3000 years
Elves gain 1 point in Dexterity and 1 point in Wisdom at every level with 2 additional attribute points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 10 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10 Luck: 10
Reading that the Elf had a lifespan of twenty-five hundred to three thousand years left me shocked and amazed. If I had a mouth I'd have whistled. That was a long time to live. I sure could see the advantage of choosing Human for the short term. Long-term the elf would likely be able to overtake the human, providing there aren't level caps or maxes. If there were then human would be a better choice. I didn't know if I liked being forced to have points put in certain attributes, but I could see why that would happen. Elves had always been described as graceful and elegant creatures that had vast amounts of knowledge and wisdom from their communing with nature for so many years back on Earth, so it only made sense that their attribute points would reflect that.
"Well, let's see what the next race has to offer," I said, moving diagonally to the third statue on the path, opposite the Elf and spaced about fifteen feet to the right of the Human.
A short, stocky man with a magnificent beard that had braids running down both sides with a bushy middle section was standing with hands on hips staring straight ahead. His nose was more rounded than the others, and he was pudgier than the rest, looking like someone with a really thick bone structure. He had a wide grin showing between his bear and mustache and his ears were hidden by an equally bushy head of hair that met with his beard. It was much harder to make out with all the facial hair, but it still appeared to have my face. I guess this was trying to give me an idea of what I would look like as each of the races.
Having already identified Human and Elf, I was pretty sure I knew what this race was going to be. Despite that, I took a look at the plaque anyway and another pop-up appeared in my vision with the race details.
Race: Dwarf
Dwarfs are a hearty and longer-lived race that loves to live in the mountains of Hogarth. While not as long-lived as the elves and shorter in stature, they are solidly built and can really take a beating and keep going.
Life Expectancy: 500-750 years
Dwarves gain 1 point in Constitution, and 1 point in Endurance for every level with 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 12 Constitution: 12
Dexterity: 8 Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 8 Luck: 10
Dwarves looked like they could be fun. I still wasn't sure how all these attributes affected physical limits, but if it was like the games I played then Strength was just like it sounds for lifting heavy things and hitting hard. Constitution was for health and hit points as well as durability. Dexterity was for moving around swiftly and possibly gaining stamina. Endurance was for how much stamina you get and how much you can do before getting tired. Intelligence was for magic usage and magic points or whatever they were called here. Wisdom was for magic regeneration, meaning the points spent on spells coming back to you. Charisma was for your looks, I thought, and getting people to like or follow you. Luck was one of those stats that no matter who you asked you would get a slightly different answer so I won't worry about that one for now.
So dwarves got a starting advantage for Strength, Constitution, and Endurance, but were lacking in Dexterity, Intelligence, and Charisma. That all lined up with what I knew about dwarves. Still, only four attribute points per level, but the distribution lined up more with my play style. I had usually played with a style of being a front-line fighter and then mixed in a little bit of magic to get myself out of sticky situations. Dwarf definitely made that a good option, but I wasn't sure about the automatically assigned attribute points, the deficit of certain attributes, and, quite frankly, the shorter stature. I still had other options to consider so I decided to move on.
The next statue was directly behind me and across the stone path. This statue was standing with its arms crossed over its chest as though it couldn't be bothered to be here. It was a tall creature, taller than any of the others so far. It had a broad chest and shoulders with a squared head. Its jawline was wide and two incisors stuck out from its bottom jaw at the corners of its mouth giving it a look of having an aggressive underbite. It almost appeared to have a unibrow from the way its eyebrows were so bushy and growing together. It stood there in its loin cloth with a scowl on its face, that again somehow looked like my own face, but stretched onto its wide skull, as though it was unhappy to be forced to do anything. Looking at the plaque, I read the information that appeared in the pop-up window.
Race: Orc
Orcs are a large greenish-grey-skinned race of creatures that have lower-than-average Intelligence and higher-than-average strength. This makes them a physically based race and they have above-average low-light vision. Their general disposition to other races is one of dislike, as they tend to be treated as brutes who would rather fight now, and talk later.
Life Expectancy: 60-100 years
Orcs gain 1 point to Strength and 1 point to Constitution for every level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 14 Constitution: 12
Dexterity: 10 Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 8 Wisdom: 8
Charisma: 8 Luck: 10
That was one big meathead. I bet he was strong though. Unfortunately, it was a little lopsided for my style. I typically went for someone who is more well-rounded to have options. Also, I didn't know if I could stand to be that ugly. The description said greenish-grey-skinned, and the statue looked like it had slightly longer than normal arms. That combined with the two tusks jutting up from the lower jaw really was a bit off-putting. In games I had played on Earth, Orcs were not a well-loved race, and that appeared to carry over here. When playing an MMO, I would see people playing as Orcs for the strength attribute, but no one ever made the hero of a game an Orc that went out to save the princess. Orcs were usually the bad guys or minions of the big bad guy. They tended to love war and fighting, so I'm not sure how that would play out in this new world.
"I guess we should see what else is available," I said as I moved to the next statue along the path. "This does not appear to be a race I have seen before. I don't recognize it from any games I played."
A man stood there, both arms down to his side like he couldn't make up his mind what pose to take. He looked even more slender than the elves and appeared to have no hair on his head. It had a nose that pointed up a little more than most making it look slightly pig-like, which was a little disturbing seeing as it had my face on it like the rest of the statues. Its ears were really long and pointy, even longer and pointier than elves, and its arms and legs were like sticks. I wasn't quite sure what was keeping the loin cloth up at the moment as the being didn't appear to have any hips that stuck out to hold it. Moving closer, I looked at the plaque and read the description on the pop-up.
Race: Orthix
Orthix is a rare species and has not been on Hogarth as long as the other races. They are about the same height as humans, though they have a grey, almost blue complexion. They are frailer than most races of this size but have a greater-than-normal affinity for magic.
Life Expectancy: 200-350 years
Orthix gain 1 point in Intelligence and 1 point in Wisdom for every level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 10 Constitution: 8
Dexterity: 9 Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 10 Luck: 10
Limbs like that clearly meant no fighting up close for these guys. But they would be magic powerhouses with that attribute distribution. Still, it felt really lopsided. Being a mage always had its advantages in that you could destroy your enemies with impunity from a long distance and with area-of-effect spells, but it came at a cost of not being able to defend yourself when the fighting got in close. There were still more options though. So I moved to the next statue.
A short man with a neatly trimmed short beard sat atop the next block of stone. He had a look that was almost a cocky sneering smile with one eyebrow raised as though questioning whether the person challenging him was completely out of their mind. He didn't have a mustache which gave him that Amish look and had his arms crossed over his chest in a completely confident stance. His face was handsome, I mean come on, it was my face, but it was slightly more handsome than I had been on Earth with better-than-average facial structure. Still wearing nothing but a loin cloth as I had come to expect, I thought that if confidence was something that came with this race that it might be something to consider. I read the pop-up that came with examining the plaque.
Race: Gnome
Gnomes are a smaller race, they look like small humans but are longer lived and are a race with a higher affinity for tinkering with objects. Because of their smaller stature, their physical qualities are slightly diminished compared to other races.
Life Expectancy: 500-600 years
Gnomes gain 1 point in Intelligence and 1 point in Dexterity for each level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 8 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 12 Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 10 Luck: 10
I remembered these guys from video games. Always inventing something and they tended to be a little bit on the pyromaniac side of the spectrum. They also were in a lot of shops. I didn't know if I would be happy to be that much shorter at this point, but the point balance wasn't too far off. The inability to decide where all my points went each time I leveled still ate at me though.
Looking ahead at the next statue, a small creature was next in the lineup and I was pretty sure I knew what it was. I moved over to it and looked at a familiar body and ugly face. I was really disturbed to see a few of my features on its face and though it had one of the more animated poses, standing with one leg forward and the other back while extending its hands out as though it was about to try to grapple with someone, I just wasn't sure why anyone would choose this creature as their race. Its bulbous nose, with warts scattered around its body and face, little scraggly strands of hair on its head, and horribly kept uncut nails on its hands and feet, it was just as I remembered always seeing them. An immediate dislike and feeling of disgust came to my mind at all the havoc these little bastards had caused me over my years of playing video games. Knowing what I was likely to find I read the plaque and accompanying prompt anyway.
Race: Goblin
Goblins are a filthy lower-intelligence race that breeds very rapidly and can live in almost any condition. They are smaller in stature than the average races but are ferocious. Most other races hate these creatures and they have a lower-than-average charisma due to their lack of general hygiene and inbreeding causing them to be extremely unattractive. They also have slightly diminished physical stats due to their size. What they lack in physical ability and charisma they make up for in ferocity and uncleanliness.
Life Expectancy: 45-55 years
Goblins gain 1 point in Dexterity and 1 point in Endurance for each level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 8 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 12 Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 8 Luck: 10
Weren't goblins normally considered monsters? I guess if it existed then it had to be an option. Knowing that I would never choose this race as an option I quickly moved on to the next statue.
The next guy didn't look much better. It was a creature with extra long arms that reached down to its knees, with long nails at the ends of its hands. It had the more square-shaped jaw of the orc with the incisors jutting out, and a smaller top half of its head with the scraggly strands of hair sticking out and the big bulbous nose of the goblins. Warts were scattered across its body and it stood there with a completely blank expression on its face, slightly hunched over, and arms hanging down to its side. There was no intelligence in its eyes or expression and it looked like it was about to be bored enough to start picking its nose.
It literally looked as though someone took all the worst features of the goblin and the orc and meshed them together to get this creature. Once again I wasn't sure why someone would choose this race and I was rather disgusted looking at it. I think I could guess what I was looking at, but just to be sure I inspected it and read the prompt.
Race: Hobgoblin
Hobgoblins are the result of some magical experiments gone wrong. An Orc lord decided to try to mix goblins, humans, and orcs into a single race to control. Unfortunately, he succeeded in his efforts, and hobgoblins were created. He later regretted his decisions when his new race overthrew him and started their own society and has now bred to form their own established race. Hobgoblins are a stronger race with lower wisdom and charisma.
Life Expectancy: 50-75 years
Hobgoblins gain 1 point in Strength and 1 point in Intelligence for every level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 12 Constitution: 10
Dexterity: 10 Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 12 Wisdom: 8
Charisma: 8 Luck: 10
This was a really weird combination, but I guess what could you expect from what basically amounts to a magical science experiment? Higher intelligence was odd as well and was not something I had expected from the look of the creature. I guess the years of inbreeding to get this creature were something that just caused it to have such a horrific and dumb look. Did that mean that if I encountered Hobgoblins they are likely to be spellcasters? One thing I knew though was that I couldn't underestimate their intelligence if I ever encountered them. The split of stats actually made me consider the option for a moment, but I also quickly discounted them as an option as most towns would likely not feel too friendly toward a Hobgoblin.
Moving onto the next race I was very surprised to see a creature that I would not say had any of my facial features. It appeared to have the body of a man with the head of an eagle with long wings extended out behind it. It was in a ready-for-action pose with its right leg forward and fists held up ready to fight. The look in its eagle eyes was one of complete intensity and it made me stare in awe for a moment at its features. It had a long hooked beak just like a bald eagle that would be great for tearing meat. The wings were extended to their full length showing their complete feathery majesty at about seven feet in length each. I eagerly inspected the plaque ready to read more about this race in the prompt.
Race: Avian
Avians are bird people that do have the ability to fly. Starting out they cannot fly as far as true birds but are capable of flying over short distances. As they grow in age and levels, they are able to fly farther with greater Endurance. They have a higher than average dexterity and endurance due to this fact. Due to their hollow bones that allow this flight, their constitution is also slightly lower than other races.
Life Expectancy: 80-150 years
Avians gain 1 point in Dexterity and 1 point in Endurance for every level and 2 additional points to distribute as they see fit.
Starting Attributes:
Strength: 10 Constitution: 8
Dexterity: 12 Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 8
Charisma: 10 Luck: 10
This was amazing. I could actually choose a race that flies. I could actually fly. How cool would that be? There was always a catch though wasn't there? Hollow bones made this race a bit of a bummer in that hand-to-hand combat would be tough. I would have to use the flight to my advantage to take enemies from the sky rather than running in to fight them head-on. The point distribution wasn't that bad though, a few more points into Constitution might help make up for the weaker bone structure fact. Before I made a decision though I needed to consider all the facts.
I needed to keep in mind all of the benefits each race offers. While some races had special abilities that would make them fun to play, this wasn't a game. This was to be my life from this point on. I had to be practical. What would give me the best chance to survive in the long term? I thought about each race and just kept coming back to the human option. They didn't have special abilities, but the extra attribute point and the fact that they were an open slate with no predisposed points made them the choice I knew he needed to take.
"I think I've decided to be Human again."
"An interesting choice. Given the chance to try again, you still choose to be the same race you were before?"
"It wasn't just because of that. There are too many benefits to pass up for being a human. While the longer life races might let me get ahead in the long run, the extra attribute point and ability to put them into any of the attributes of my choosing was just not something I felt like I could pass on."
"I see. Well, this is your choice. You will be a human in your reincarnation. We just need to finalize a few more things."
Another window appeared in my vision and I stared at it. It was to make some small decisions about my appearance. First, was gender. The options were simple, male or female. This was an interesting question to pose. I had been a man my whole life on earth, but now I could choose to be female if I wanted to. There was an old saying on earth, women ruled the world, and I was curious to see what it might be like to be a female in this life. I was also worried I might just end up playing with my boobs and laughing like an idiot because men are pigs, we really are. In the end, though, I went with what I knew and chose to be male again.
Next was height and weight. I decided to make myself taller, because who didn't always want to be taller, but not absurdly tall, and ended up at about six foot four inches. Weight, I kept slender, but not too thin, so as to have a little bit of bulk. Up next were skin tone, eye color, the roundness of the chin, and other options. I didn't normally care about these aspects, but I spent a lot more time here than I would normally, seeing as this would be how I would look from now on, and how often do you get to choose exactly how you'll look? I chose to go with a face I'd likely recognize when I looked in a mirror, so I made the character look as much like me as I could, with two exceptions. I made the skin tone darker because being pasty white was a pain being in the sun, and I made the eyes bright blue because I had always been jealous of my baby brother's bright blue eyes. I confirmed my selections and waited.
When nothing happened I tried speaking to the voice again.
"Hello? I made my choice. Is everything OK?" I questioned, starting to get concerned at the lack of response.
Getting no response I didn't really know what to do. I was in the middle of what was basically nothingness with nowhere to go and no way to get there. Suddenly a red light seemed to flash from behind me. I turned to see where it was coming from but it seemed to just stay behind me no matter what way I turned. As it flashed on and off a warning siren sounded as well making me extremely nervous.
"Error, selections confirmed, attempting reincarnation, reincarnation failed, attempting backup protocol. Backup protocol failed. Engaging emergency backup protocol. Emergency backup protocol succeeded." Came the voice of the AI.
Suddenly I felt as though I was being flung forward on a roller coaster that was just continuing to accelerate. The stone path rushed by under me until it ran out all of a sudden. The white began to fade to stars again, then a planet formed in front of me starting as a pinprick of light far off in the distance but rapidly growing closer as I raced through the universe. It wasn't Earth for sure. The continents were all wrong. There was nothing I could do at this point so I just did what any normal person would do. I screamed like a little girl. As I neared the planet's surface, I again began to get tunnel vision and blacked out again.