Hafman (2)
A piercing klaxon sounded, reverberating off the inside of the Soul Box. Hafman groaned as his ghostly head regained its shape. A disembodied hand slid forward from the hovering ectoplasmic cloud, striking a glowing red rectangle and silencing the soul boxes’ service alarm. An emotionless female voice said,
“GS 15, your appointed service time will begin in fifteen terra par-cycles. Please touch the blue indicator when you are ready for reconstitution.”
“Alright, curs ’ya, alright “ he muttered as the hand extended a finger and mashed the blue indicator. Hafman’s world shifted up and then down as the soul box began to extend and unfold, slowly transforming from a minuscule square to a long vertical rectangle.
While it did this, the air crackled, the box began to hum and a piercing blue light blossomed along its surface, casting a glow and flickering shadows on the other soul boxes spaced evenly all around Hafman’s. The chamber where they floated was pitch dark, making it impossible to accurately gauge its size, and impossibly cold.
The enlarged chamber began to glow with a crackling blue surge that started at one end of the left wall, snaked quickly along the length of the chamber and (Hafman still wasn’t used to this even when he knew it was coming) lashed out and struck his floating form, electrifying every inch of it.
It didn’t hurt exactly but it didn’t feel good either. As the current struck, his essence writhed and stretched, expanding its surface at unpredictable intervals. Hafman’s form shifted up as his torso, neck and shoulders took shape. From this perspective he saw an arm erupt on one side and then the other. He rose and rapidly stabilized as hips, legs and feet emerged. A stylish set of clothes including a dark blue tailored shirt, tan slacks, and calfskin boots swept over his shimmering form.
As the last garment took shape, a silvery peal sounded, reverberating through the chamber as a portal appeared in the air in front of Hafman’s chamber. The female said “GS 15, your destination is now available. Curia Dei, New Bastable. Prepare to disembark.”
As the portal took its final shape, Hafman could just make out blurry impressions of thick green trees on either side as a wide dirt path materialized at the edge of the portal, its dirt surface slithering up and spilling into the chamber. A soft spring wind wafted in and the sound of bird song crept into the icy stillness.
The soul box door opened, folded down and slowly transformed into a shining path leading directly to Curia Dei. Hafman groaned, rolled his shoulders and was about to take a step out when a face appeared through the wall of the chamber on his right. The head had a tangle of brown hair mixed with gray with a permanent pointy cowlick above the right eyebrow. A similarly brown gray mustache and goatee ringed a smirking mouth and stubble spread like lichen across two sallow cheeks.
“Well hey there, Haf!” The head said with a slight drawl. “Where’s the Geist sending you today?”
“Mornin Cisco,” Hafman said with a sigh “Not allowed to tell you, but you knew that, so…”
Cisco’s head glanced at the park hovering in the portal and sniffed.
“Looks warm anyway. Only the best for us floaters, eh Haf?”
“I asked you to stop calling us that, Cisco.” Hafman said but he made sure to wave to Cisco before he stepped through the door. Cis was a bit much sometimes but he was the only friend Hafman had made since he’d arrived at Artz-Geizt. The Ghost Self gig had its perks, but camaraderie wasn’t one of them.
Hafman stepped onto the path in Curia Dei and froze in shock. Just past the visible field of the portal he saw the still form of Mr. Holbrook lying on the ground.