From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MegaZone23)
Newsgroups: alt.prose,rec.arts.anime,wpi.students.story
Subject: OIC (13)
Date: 11 Sep 1992 11:48:23 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

-----------------------------------------------------THIRTEEN

     "Who wants to live forever?"
                         --Queen

     Edison was awakened by a loud knocking sound.  He
thought for a moment to figure out what it was.  He finally
decided it was the sound of someone knocking loudly on his
door.  He squinted at his chronometer.  4:38AM.  Gaaah.  Who
would be knocking on his door at 4:38, well, 4:39, in the
morning?  Well, only one way to find out.  Edison rolled out
of bed and wrapped himself in his robe.
     Knock knock knock.  Sheesh.  Whoever it was, they were
sure impatient.  Edison shuffled to the door and opened it.
Standing there was an apparently distressed Yuri.
     "What is it, Yuri?  Is something wrong?  Did Zoner wake
up?  What do you need at.." glance "...4:40 in the morning?"
     "I couldn't wait any longer.  I've made my decision and
I want to do it before I have time to change my mind again."
     "What?  I'm afraid I'm not following you here."
     "Omega-2.  I want you to inject me right away."
     "What?!  You wake me up at four something in the morning
so that I can give you a shot?!  Couldn't this wait until
morning?"
     "Well, actually yes," Yuri replied, shrinking back.
"But it's sort of important to me.  I've been thinking since
I talked to you and I finally made my decision.  I want to do
it.  I love Zoner and I want to be able to share eternity
with him."
     "Ok, ok.  You know the facts, you're a big girl, you can
do what you want with your life.  Come in.  But don't expect
eternity; one of you is bound to get killed eventually."
     "That's a pretty pessimistic attitude."
     "It's the voice of experience.  After the Patron Wars
I've very few friends left.  Are you sure you want to do
this?"
     "Yes, positive."
     "Very well."
     Edison opened his cabinet and fished about for a moment.
He withdrew the same black box he had used earlier on Zoner.
Placing it on his night table, he released the latch and
opened it.
     "One last time.  Are...you...sure?"
     Yuri's reply was a solemn nod.
     Edison withdrew the injection gun and the serum bottle
from the case.  As he approached Yuri he loaded the bottle
into the gun and prepped it.  He placed the gun to her arm
and looked directly into her eyes, searching for any
uncertainty.  Finding none, he pulled the trigger.
     "That's it?" Yuri asked.
     "That's all.  It's done now.  There's no turning back.
You have the rest of your life to think about your decision,
and that's a long time.  Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to
get some more sleep."
     "Oh, sorry. Thank you."
     "I'm here to help."
     Yuri left the room and Edison closed the door and
returned to bed.  4:47.  Hmmm.  In less than ten minutes he
had totally changed the course of Yuri's life.  The universe
was really quite interesting sometimes.

     After leaving Edison's room Yuri went to sickbay to see
Zoner again.  She looked down at his unconscious form and
prayed that he was at peace.  Before turning to leave she
leaned down and kissed him and whispered, "Now we have all
the time in the world, my love."

     Zoner was lying in a field next to Death.  They weren't
talking at all, just lying there enjoying the peaceful scene.
The sky was incredibly blue, the clouds incredibly white, and
the grass was incredibly green.  He had never seen anything
quite like it while he was still living.  Living.  He had a
bad feeling that his time here was growing short.  As of late
he was beginning to lose the feeling of freedom he had felt
at first.  Something was pulling on him, weighting him down.
He was being pulled back to the land of the living.
     The worst part was that he wasn't sure if he wanted to
go or not.  The living world had his friends, and Yuri, but
it also had all of the evils he had tried to fight or avoid
for so long.  This place was at peace, everything was in
balance.  Death had so much to say and teach him.
     He turned and looked at her, laying there in the grass,
her black outfit in stark contrast to the green of the grass.
She was beautiful.  But more than that she exuded a
confidence he had seen so rarely amongst the living.  Was he
in love with her?  Perhaps.  But it was different from what
he felt for Yuri.  Damn!  He was so confused, being dead
wasn't really like anything he had pictured. He actually was
enjoying it.  He knew, though, that he had to return if it
wasn't his time.  But he would return here eventually.
Everyone did.
     Death turned to face him--looked him right in the eye.
"I'm sorry.  It wasn't your time yet.  There are those with
the ability to alter the paths of Destiny, and your paths
must have crossed.  It won't be long now before you have to
return."
     Her sudden speech surprised him, as did the apparent
sadness in her eyes.
     "I just wanted you to know that I really enjoyed my time
here.  I think you're terrific.  You're beautiful, charming,
funny, intelligent, everything anyone could desire.  Yet so
many people fear you.  I hope I remember at least some of my
time here so I can tell others what you're like.  Then maybe
they wouldn't fear you quite so much."
     "That's sweet of you, but I don't think it will happen.
The fear of death is something that runs very deep through
most people.  Mortals such as yourself come along only once
in a great while.  You're special.  Which is why it is sad to
see you go.  Let's just try to enjoy the little time we have
left together."
     "Sure.  Why don't you tell another tale?  It must not be
very often that you get an interested audience."
     Death smiled.  "Ok, I will."  And with that she began to
tell a tale which spanned the years as if they were minutes.

     Around eleven in the morning Yuri awoke.  She sat in bed
for a long moment trying to notice any difference in her
body.  She discovered nothing.  Slightly disappointed, she
decided to get up, get dressed, and go for a walk.  She also
wanted to find Edison and apologize for waking him in the
middle of the night.
     On her way to Edison's cabin she ran into Kei.  Kei
immediately noticed the change in Yuri's attitude.
     "Yuri, what's up?  You seem happier or something."
     "Well... I am, I guess.  The future is looking a bit
brighter today."
     "What?  Did Zoner wake up?!"
     "No.  He's still out cold."
     "Then what's going on?"
     "Once he wakes up Zoner and I will be together forever."
     "What?  I don't understa... YURI!  You didn't!  You had
Edison inject you with Omega-2 too?!"
     "Yes.  Now Zoner and I can share the rest of time."
     "How could you do that?  I mean, Zoner I can understand,
he needed saving.  But you--you're perfectly healthy.  Why?!"
     "It has nothing to do with health.  I know what I went
through when Zoner died, and I don't want him to go through
the same thing when I die.  This way he won't have to watch
me grow old and die while he lives on.  Alternatively he
won't have to make the decision to grow old and die with me.
Now we can stay together forever young."
     For some time, Kei had no reply to that.  She stood
silent in the hallway, thinking a thousand thoughts at the
same time and not getting a clear fix on any particular one
of them.  Certainly nothing coherent enough to put into
words.
     At length she looked sadly at Yuri, her lips trembling,
and said quietly, "I hope you miss me."
     "What?  Kei--"
     She could say no more; Kei had turned and run away.

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