Elysium Chapter 7

Maeve uses a digital afterlife service provider; 'Elysium'. This follows her journey.

7

          Maeve could feel the sun. And there was a sun—not needed of course—but manifested, all the same, by the other deceased sitting around the green. Flourished metal framed wooden benches circling the band stand.
          In the distance; the faint double chime of the tram announcing its arrival. A cool breeze; making the grass tremble ever so slightly. Soft warblings of brass and flute playing a rendition of: 'Can't take my eyes off of you'. Perhaps the band were fellow deceased or manifested, but it didn't matter to her. For the first time in so long; she relaxed, warmed by the brightest day she had ever known.

          It wasn't just the sights and sounds that took her troubles and diffused them into the ether but smells too: the grass, the baked goods, sweet shop, even the exhaust of the old fashioned bus. It harkened back to a simpler time that never was for Maeve, but familiar all the same.

          So, this is what people can make when they're finally at peace, not just in death but with one another.

          Heaven is other people.

          It was something she wouldn't have been able to manifest on her own. No. Too many details, too many little memories lending to the patchwork of nostalgia. The reverie within the revelry.

          The band held the last note of the piece letting it linger and resonate across the scene as the spectators applauded. There were about 20 people: twin women knitting, A husband and wife, A handful of single people and many others.
          Edmund approached the bench Maeve was sitting on ice creams in hand.

          "Mint chocolate chip." He said passing a small tub and spoon with a trembling hand.

          Maeve took them, thankfully nodding. "So that's where you went." She scooped a few chips off the top with the spoon and took a bite. It was cool and refreshing. "Couldn't you have just manifested this?"

          He slowly took a seat next to her as the band looked towards the conductor; ready to start their next piece. "I like going to the ice cream stall; doing things the old fashioned way. Plus, I find food always tastes better when someone else makes it."

          "You were a takeaway kind of guy weren't you Ed?" She smiled at him.
          He smiled back. "Much to the protest of my wife."

          Maeve took another bite and enjoyed the melting sensation letting her eyes drift to the most perfect nimbus clouds she had ever seen and then over to the treeline at the top of the hill. There was someone standing at the edge of the green and when she blinked they were gone. For a moment Maeve thought she saw—It looked like—No it couldn't have been.

          "Are you okay, my dear?" Edmund asked, tucking into his ice cream.

          Maeve looked at Ed, then back at the place where the figure had been standing hoping she would see it again. "I ... I thought I saw—. Sorry Ed, give me a moment I just need to check something.

          Edmund gave her an understanding nod as she placed the tub next to him. "By all means, and take your time, the ice cream wont melt if I don't want it to."

          She gave him a smile then made her way up The Green's hill, on the other side of the band stand. It was just at the tree line ... I'm sure it was. She thought to herself. Once she was there, she could see a vast forest ahead; there at the bottom of the hill was the figure again. This time unmistakable. It was Juno. She had finally come to visit. Something wasn't right, though, she stood awkwardly like a mannequin stiff and unmoving. Maeve began running down the hill towards the forest. "Juno ... Juno!"

          It was bizarre; the closer she got the further away Juno seemed; Like something from a nightmare. Maeve had cleared the hill and was now deep into the dark forest below.

          "Here" came an ethereal voice from up ahead, in the distance "this way." It was a mischievous voice like the voice of a child. "Over here."

          Maeve was beginning to get scared but the promise of seeing Juno again pushed her forward.

          "Almost there" came the voice.

          Sharon's words came to the surface of Maeve's mind once more.

          "... you'll always be able to see what you want to see here."

          Still running through the forest she yelled. "Show yourself."

          "Took you long enough... " Came the voice. The image of Juno in the distance disappeared. Maeve felt a gust of wind as leaves swept up into a whirlwind in front of her. From the vortex, appeared a woman with short hair wearing jeans and a hoodie similar to herself. She had an earpiece and a lanyard with a badge that read: Zeegen industries - Karen Shay - Operative. The leaves settled.

          "The handshake protocol to this system isn't half difficult to break into," Karen said. "Needed you to accept it. Part of me thought you'd keep running forever."

          Maeve needed answers; "Where's Juno? Who are you?"

          "Ah ... well. That's why I'm here. Your partner isn't in Elysium, sorry about that. It was just a way of getting you out here. Away from prying eyes and ears." She looked about to confirm they were truly alone." Oh, and er ... Karen. Karen Shay" She extended her hand to shake Maeves "nice to meet you."

         Maeve just looked at her with a sceptical frown. "I know your name. I read it on your badge but who are you? What's Zeegen Industries?"

         Karen dropped her hand "We're a digital afterlife service provider too. A competitor of Elysium. We're a younger start up but we'd like more of the market share and, if I'm honest, I think you'll find, we provide a much better service, Maeve."

         "But I'm dead. How would that even work; Switching providers? Not that I want to or anything."

         "Oh you absolutely can. Currently you still have a special account with your bank back on earth with all that novelist money; one that doesn't terminate upon your death and you, being your digital clone, are your own next of kin. If you want to, you can sign up to a different provider and change the standing order to another company." She clapped her hands into a begging-like gesture. "And like I said, Maeve; I think you'd like our service a lot better."

         "How would your service be any different?" Maeve asked.

         "Well we wouldn't lie to you, for starters." As Karen said this she folded her arms.

         "What do you mean?"


         "Oh come on, Maeve. 'Visits are temporarily unavailable'" She said this while making quotation marks with hand gestures "and then your partner fortuitously leaves the country. How long have you been here now? Almost a week? That's nearly 4 years in analogue world time and the visitation tech is still on the fritz? You're smarter than that."

          "Why would they lie about Juno not being able to visit?"

          "Because they can't, Maeve; the technology never worked. Oh they can fake them with premium members—those in the stratosphere—but you have a standard subscription, chook. They were never going to even bother faking it with you."

          Maeve started to cry. She thought she had gotten over Juno, only to have the loneliness and heartbreak all come flooding back in an instant.

          Karen unfolded her arms and went over to comfort her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Woah, woah, woah, chook. Hey, they're a rubbish company but that's why I'm here. Please don't get upset."

          Maeve wiped tears from her face.

          "My company—the one I work for—Zeegen. We've figured it out. Yes, she can't visit you but what if you could visit her?"

          "But how would that even work?"

          Karen pulled a business card out of her hoodie pocket and handed it to Maeve. "Never mind the details. Look, I've got to go but If you ever get sick and tired of the B.S. around this place just give us a call." Karen stuck her hands in her hoodie pocket and began walking away, slowly, as the leaves picked up once more, her image slowly fading.

          "But my phone doesn't work." Maeve cried after her.

          Karen turned her head looking at Maeve from the corner of her eye as the forest behind her became more vivid than herself "You can make emergency calls can't you? Oh, and make the call here; Sharon will try to stop you. Remember; she's beholden to her company as much as I am to mine" There was that mischievous childlike energy again. "See you around chook."

          The leaves covered her completely then dissipated leaving Maeve alone in the woods holding the business card.

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