Into The Next

	The sand was hot on his back, it was rough and itchy inside his robes. Warmth radiated across his face from above. Clenching his hands deeper into the sand he found the cold he’d been looking for, the cold he knew was real. He was taken back to his childhood on the beach with his father. Whenever the sand was too hot, his father had always said to dig down to the cold sand. He was relaxed now that he had flipped to the cold side of the pillow.
	It was his blindness that he couldn't understand. That, and the fact that he had no idea how he had come to lay in what he believed was a desert or a very large sand box.
A voice, faint but clear, called out.

"Hello there!"

	He picked up his head and tried to look around...or at least turn in the direction of the voice - he listened.

"Young man, are you ok?" The voice was closer.
"I think so...I can't see."
"Really now? Well that’s no good at all, let me help you."
"Where am I?"
The voice let out a chuckle followed by a saddened sigh.
"Oh, my boy, you know where you are."
"Heaven?"
"Yes, Salem, Heaven."
"How do you know my name"
"Your name tags, my boy."

	A firm grip wrapped around Salem’s upper right arm. It was strong but cold, without a pulse. He wanted to jerk away, but knew he needed any help he could get. Dusting himself off, Salem stretched out his left hand to grab at anything.

"Here you go, take my hand"
"Thank you. Sorry, who are you?"
"They call me the wanderer, I prefer not giving out my real name, but you can call be Wand."
"Thank you, Wand. Do you know where in Heaven I am or if I'll ever be able to see where I actually am?"
"Oh yes, yes, you're vision should return soon, if it doesn't we'll just contact someone higher up and get it resolved. As to your location, you're currently in the Sands of Time - pretty witty eh?"

Salem managed a grin, but there was little to be happy about. The warmth continued to beat down heavily on him. He never thought that in his next life, there would be such sensations, but here they were, beating him down. Suddenly he realized that he had no idea what he was suppose to do next.

"I'm really lost, what am I suppose to do?"
"Didn't you go through your Transition, young man?"
"No, I just ended up here."
"That can't be. What is the last thing you remember?"
"Bright lights, two of them, surrounded by a very dark blue...it was wet, very loud."
"Ah, yes. It looks like you may have had a bit of a memory lapse during transport, I suppose these things do happen from time to time. I'm sure you'll get your memory back soon enough. In the mean time, we should probably find shelter soon, a storm is on the horizon."

	Though blind, Salem could feel the warmth retreating, cowering away from the coming winds. So many strange things about heaven that he never expected. He thought he knew what he was getting himself into when he signed up, just not that it would come this quickly.
	Soft breezes licked his face and now bald head; he used to have hair, shaggy and dark, but was not surprised that it was now gone - everyone lost their hair when they died. Even the stubble that once graced his face had been replaced with porcelain. In time, he was sure, the roughness would return, if not by chance, at least by choice.

"Do you believe you could handle flying, Salem?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to?"
"It may be best to wait until your sight returns...I will build us a shelter here. Please, sit."

	Salem sat back down cautiously as the sounds of thrown sand flung by his ears. A small crackle and a loud thud, then silence. BOOM! Thunder cracked the sky. Salem jumped in his own body, digging his nails into the sand.

"Let's get inside, my boy, it's never fun to be hit by a bolt from one of these storms. The bite is much, much worse than the bark."

	Salem stood, reached out and clasped the outstretched hand of the Wanderer who lead him into darkness. The sound of a click illuminated Salems sightless eyes with a faint orange hue. Wand placed Salems hands on the wall, which was much colder than the sand and much harder. It must be stone, Salem thought to himself. As he ran his hands along the wall, step by step, he noticed the orange glow flicker to his left. His vision was slowly returning and what he had hoped to be a fireplace crackled and popped in his ears. He smiled.

"Sit down, sit down, here, sit right here my boy."

	Salem felt the chair and sat down.

"How did you build all of this out of nothing?" Salem asked Wand.
"Oh, in time you will learn to create as well. It is nothing but a simple select and place, you will be able to access such abilities as time passes. And yes, even in this world, there is time to pass. The only difference between creating for me and creating for you, is that my resources are unlimited. Yours on the other hand, will, for the most part, remain limited for quite some time. Do not be discouraged, though...you'll have plenty of time to grow."
"I don't think so. I remember being told something about having very little time here."
"No sense in worrying about it now, you're time may be shorter than others, but if you work hard, you will extend your stay."

	Salem wanted to frown, but couldn’t show it. In his mind he was frowning, but he knew Wand could not see this. It was the first time since waking up in the desert that he felt frustrated about his situation. It seemed like a long time. Though, now that he thought about it, he had no idea how much time had passed since he awoke earlier.

"I feel tired, am I suppose to feel this way?"
"Yes, Salem, in the beginning there is lots of sleep to be had, it's how it has always been. Come over here and rest; we have some traveling to do in the morning."

	Salem followed Wand’s guidance and lay on a warm, comfortably soft mattress - uncomfortable enough to put him to sleep before he even knew he had drifted away.

------------------------------

	The brown stone ceiling flickered with a soft orange light, but was washed out by much brighter blue streaks. He blinked, rubbed his eyes and followed the bands of blue swimming across the stone surface. A window. He blinked again.

"I can see!"
"So you can, my boy, so you can."

	Salem quickly looked in the direction of the voice where the outline of a man sat in the corner of the room, covered in gray robes, hooded and all. The figure was hunched over a small writing table, looking at a blank piece of paper. Salem stood to make his way over.

"No need to pry my boy, it's just a simple message to the boys up stairs. I'm reporting your memory issues. Hopefully we can get them restored by the end of today. How are you feeling?"
"Much better now that I can see. May I go outside?"
"Oh yes, the storm has passed. If you see anyone coming, let me know."

	Salem walked towards the large wooden door. It looked solid, heavy and wet with the night’s rain. So there is rain in heaven. He pushed it open easily, something that took him aback for half a second, then fleeted.
	The desert was vast, flat and yellowed like aged paper. Nothing moved except for pockets of dust picked up by the breeze and a watery horizon of heat rising from the surface. Salem took in a deep breath. It filled him with nothing, but he could smell the petrichor hovering like an invisible mist above the sand. Clouds still hung low over the valley, but they ached with empty stomachs. The surrounding dunes held tightly to the fog which disappeared like slow waterfalls into the valley floor. It was as if he was still alive, maybe even better. This thought was only hardened as he heard the sound of barking.
	It wasn't a friendly barking, though. In fact, Salem wondered why there would be barking at all. It was a labored, frantic howl that sent fear through his chest. He spun around, desperately looking for the source, but there was none. The sound grew louder and more manic, but it was invisible to him. Louder and louder it swelled until it was upon him in a shadowy fury. The shrill bark pierced his ears, his brain, his soul. He fell to the ground as it knocked into him. Scrambling, Salem crawled as fast as he could toward the hut. As he strained to reach for the door something very powerful engulfed his left foot, pulling him back with a force Salem had never known. He slid across the desert in a painless fear that struck him dumb.
	The door of the stone hut flew open in an explosion of dust. Gray robes swirled out of the dark interior like snakes thrown from a basket. There the wanderer stood, robes flowing around him as if a great wind tunnel lay at his feet. Wand slammed his open palms onto the desert floor, with a force Salem had only dreamt of, sending a shockwave of sand towards Salem. Then it was dark.

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	The sound of running water woke Salem. The grass was cool and the shade colder. He shivered, but enjoyed the flickering of light that the leaves from the tree above cast over his face. He sat up. Wand sat at a creeks edge, his feet resting in the water, his hood removed. Long black and red hair lay across his shoulders. He turned to Salem.

"There is not all good in Heaven, my boy. This is something you must always remember."
"What were those?"
"Soul Hounds. They can't do you much harm except greatly inconvenience you. Being dragged for hours by an invisible force is never enjoyable."
"Where are we now?"
"I flew you up to High Country, known as Realm 43. Very few bad spirits up here, less to worry about."
"Where to next?"

	Wand stood up, his feet were dry. Something clicked and leather shoes appeared on his feet. He smiled and walked over to Salem.

"I really do think it is time you remembered."
"Huh?"

	Wand grabbed Salem by the neck, turning him around. Salem could do nothing; it was a strength ten times that of the Soul Hounds. A sharp, deep pain hit him in the back of the neck, slithering up his spine and into his brain. It was the first time he could truly feel something and it was excruciating. The pain overran his senses, his vision ebbing and flowing from dark to light. He tried to breath, but nothing happened, his body was gone.

"I'm sorry, my boy."

	Pain covered his body. Darkness.

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	He was dead and he awoke. It was dark, the air was cold. Not stale, but crisp, like walking along a tree-lined gravel road on a gray autumn afternoon. The empty room rustled like an autumn day, too. Even his thoughts seemed to have an echo in this colorless box. Then it hit him, or maybe it was the lack of any feeling that slightly touched the ghost that was his body. Alone in a gray room with only the bed he lay on to keep him company, he was scared. The last thing he remembered was saying goodbye to his brother, then flipping down his visor.

"Hello, Salem." - A disembodied voice, somehow familiar but mechanical, echoed through the empty room.
"Um, hello?"
"My name is Idcom4, I'll be your AI Transitional Guide. How are you feeling? Salem."
"Ah Jesus, where am I?"
"I'd be happy to field your questions after our initial integrity check. I have a few questions of my own that I need you to answer first."
"Can't you just tell me where I am?"
"We must know that your motor and cognitive functions are in good standings before we proceed. You had a long journey here, and we want to make sure everything is still connected correctly. May I ask you a few questions, Salem?"
"Sure."
"How old are you?"
"24"
"What was your Social Security Number?"
"Um...916-44-7691.3...I think."
"That is correct."
"Why are you asking me if you already know?"
"This is the cognitive check, Salem. Soon we will check your motor skills and you will be free to ask me any questions you'd like. What is your brothers name?"

	Salem wasn't expecting this. He froze for a second, took a deep breath.

"Asam."
"Thank you, Salem. Both your verbal and auditory functions are synced correctly, as is your memory. Please stand up and take two steps forward."
"Okay."
"Thank you. Now please perform two standard 'jumping-jacks'...good. There is a small screen on the wall in front of you. Please enter the passcode 4424."

	Salem walked forward, but stumbled. His right knee gave out, but he couldn't feel it. There was no pain, no warning. He fell to the ground without impact, the ground gave no force of its own. Salem looked up, searching for the disembodied voice.

"Why didn't I feel that?"
"It seems your nervous system is not fully functional. It may take some time before our system can read your brain at full capacity. Please try to stand up and make your way to the keypad."

	Salem pulled himself up and walked cautiously towards the screen. He made it without incident, but his knees seemed weak; they didn't feel weak, but he could sense it. He entered the passcode and the sound of rushing air filled the room. Light struck the left side of his face. A small door slid open, emitting a soft glow. Idcom said something to him, but Salem ignored the voice, transfixed on the light as he made his way toward it.
	It was another almost empty room, except for a raised circular pad surrounded by glass in the far corner. Beams of yellow light rushed around the perimeter of the room. He looked about at more nothingness as the door behind him closed. He snapped out of his trance in time to hear Idcom.

"Salem, please respond, can you hear me?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. You are now in the Transport Room. Your nervous system is at 95%, it would be best to wait a few moments before leaving. I'm sure you have some personal questions you'd like to ask."
"Where am I?"
"Where do you think you are?"
"Heaven?"
"Some call this Heaven, yes."
"How did it happen?"
"November 24th, 8:17pm, Local Freeway 97-5. Your motorcycloid hit the center divide, throwing you into oncoming traffic...feet first...which is why you are here and not...gone. Your brain stayed intact during and after the crash. As per your signed contract with Protocol Systems, your brain was removed from your body and placed into your pre-purchased VRpod where it was connected to the Next Life Project system grid. Do you need any further explanation on the accident or your contract and housing?"
"No, what day is it?"
"November 25th."
"My parents?"
"Yes, you may talk to them after Transport."

	A warm tingle quickly ran down Salems spine, slowly into his extremities. It was as if his entire body had fallen asleep and was reawakening as the blood flowed through him in the form of ten thousand painful needles. He winced, then again from the pain of wincing. He could feel his lungs filling with absolutely nothing as it sucked the emptiness in. He let out a long sigh.

"It seems your nervous system is at 100%, do you have any further questions regarding your past life before we begin the Transportation process?"
"Where am I going?"
"I will inform you of this once you have no further questions regarding your past life."
"Yes, fine, where to now?"
"Due to low balance within your tier 3 citizen account, you have been assigned to Realm 7-2, a desert biome with low fertility and little resources - commonly referred to as ‘The Sands of Time’. Your current account balance is $172.34, which will become insufficient within 4.5 hours of your Transport. You will have one week to earn enough credits to pay for your stay here, which is $3,600, as per your signed contract. If you do not have enough credits by the end of the seven days, we will have to terminate your contract and you will be unplugged at the end of the 8th day."
"Fuck me."
"Welcome to the Next Life Project, Salem, where the end is just the beginning in your virtual afterlife."
"If you have the money..."
"I'm sorry your account is low, but there is nothing I can do for you regarding funds. Forge your own destiny here within the Next Life Project. I will warn you of this: Once you transport to Realm 7-2, an electrical storm will arrive within the hour, I recommend finding shelter. If you can not find it, the wanderer will help you. When you are ready, please step into the transportation pod and press the blue button."
“Who is the wanderer?”
“He will find you if you need him.”

With a sigh, Salem stepped into the pod. He eyed the large, round blue button and with a deep breath, he pressed it.

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