Ramses is back in his own body. That’s the first thing Mateo wanted done
when they returned to Kansas City from their nearly three week-long ordeal
into the bulkverse, and between the realities. They didn’t switch bodies,
though. Ramses took his place where he belongs, but Erlendr was left in the
Insulator of Life. He’ll be trapped there until he can be delivered to his
fate in the afterlife simulation, where Past!Leona murders him with a
zeroblade. Now no one is in Leona Reaver’s body. It’s destined to return to
its native reality as well, so it can die for real—fortunately without the
consciousness that once inhabited it, however. They have to figure out how
they’re going to make that happen, just to be safe. They don’t want a doomed
substrate floating around that someone might end up in without a chance to
escape before fate intervenes, and destroys it forever.
Trina’s body is currently not being used either. Its original consciousness
found itself in a new home in the main sequence, and lived a complete life
from then on, choosing not to undergo any significant life extension
treatments or enhancements. So that’s done, and will likely not be undone.
Unlike Reaver’s body, Trina’s isn’t destined for anything. If they wanted
to, they would be able to keep it indefinitely, but they’re not going to do
that, because it’s unnecessary and macabre. Maybe if they were discussing an
adult substrate, it would be one thing, but they don’t want to leave
themselves open to the option of transferring someone into the body of a
child. That’s just creepy. They might regret not having the alternative
later, but they will burn that bridge when they come to it. Trina deserves
to be put to rest in all her forms. They’re on their way to a memorial
service, one that her brothers, Carlin and Moray can attend, since they
could not be present for the first one.
In this region in the main sequence, normal people are not allowed to dig
the graves for their family and friends. It’s a liability issue that
requires paid employees to take part in the work. For religious reasons, the
law can’t really stop it from being a thing, so that’s what they’ve chosen
to do. They’ve selected a non-denominational cemetery, since Trina wasn’t
old enough to come to her own decision about what faith she would follow.
This is a sacred space where any interreligious squabbles people might have
with one another are put aside. Everyone has the right to bid farewell to
their loved ones. Carlin and Moray are young, but they’re both old enough to
wield a shovel. They’re mainly responsible for the digging, but Mateo and
Ramses are helping as well.
Now the youngest, little Moray has grown tired of the work, and they’re not
even halfway through. He climbs out of the grave, embarrassed and ashamed.
“It’s okay.” Heath has shown up without anyone realizing. “I got you.” He
gently takes the shovel from the boy, and hops in to continue the digging.
“Thank you for coming,” Marie says to him.
“I’m not here for you.”
That’s when they notice that he did not come alone. Vearden and Arcadia are
here too, arms locked together. Are they together, together? “We’re here for
you, even though we don’t know you very well,” Vearden says.
“Have you two been living in the condo the whole time?” Kivi questions.
“Yeah, it’s an unfilmed updated reboot of Three’s Company,” Arcadia jokes
softly.
Marie doesn’t know what to think of all this.
“We assumed that you ran off to a far corner of the Earth,” Leona tells
them. “We never thought to look this close.”
“That’s what we were planning to do,” Arcadia says. “Starting at the Bran
safehouse seemed like the most logical first step.”
“We didn’t know that someone would be coming back to it, especially not so
soon,” Vearden adds. “We talked, and agreed to share the space as outcasts.”
“No one cast anyone out,” Marie argues.
“Let’s not fight today,” Heath requests.
Marie looks at her bare wrist. “Well, I’m free tomorrow, and everyday after
that.”
“I’ll come back when I’m ready. Today is just about Trina and the McIvers.”
“How did you even find out about the service?” Mateo asks.
Heath can’t help but glance over at Angela, not sure if she wants to keep
their link secret or not. They all look over at her. “Someone had to
maintain contact. It’s a safety thing. Rule Number Thirteen, never get
separated from the people you love. Please don’t ask me to pick sides.”
“Thank you,” Marie says to her alternate self, taking her by the hand
affectionately. They smile mildly at each other.
Heath takes note of the tender moment, and then gets back to work.
Twenty minutes later, the job is done. The gravediggers move off to shower
at the facilities, returning with the formal clothes they had brought. Heath
didn’t have any extra clothes, because he didn’t come knowing that he would
help, so the sexton provided him with a spare set of ceremonial robes to
keep the dirt and grime covered. Leona was never officialized as a ship
captain. She was chosen by the crew at a time when a leader was needed, and
accepted by all who have joined the group since. The state would not usually
acknowledge such a distinction, but it made an exception after a
conversation with a certain U.S. senator. She performs the ceremony in this
capacity, so the whole memorial can be kept in the family.
All three siblings speak to their relationship with Trina, but no one else
speaks, because they did not know her well enough for that to be
appropriate. At the end of the ritual, each attendee tosses a handful of
dirt over Trina’s casket. To make up for having to quit earlier, Moray
insists on finishing the burial all by himself, determined to stick to it no
matter how long it takes. While the others return to the Lofts for the
reception, Mateo hangs back so he can drive Moray home later. He gets it
done quickly, then Mateo waits for him to take another shower. The reception
is nice, and bigger than they thought it was going to be. Heath, Vearden,
and Arcadia came with a bunch of food of their own. It’s considered a
celebration, but a rather subdued one. They don’t drink and laugh and tell
stories, or dance. They mostly listen to the siblings who knew her best,
particularly Alyssa, who is able to relate stories she heard during Trina’s
final moments. At the end of the day, the outcasts go back to the condo, and
everyone else retires to their apartments.
That night, Ramses gets out of bed, and sneaks out of the building. He takes
one of the cars, and drives back to the cemetery. He digs up Trina’s grave,
steals the body, and then fills it back up exactly as it was, so that no one
will notice. He takes Trina’s corpse to their building, and leaves her in a
secret refrigerated room in the basement that he never told anyone about, in
case he needed to store hazardous materials. When he wakes up the next
morning, he has forgotten all about it.
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