Prologue: We meet at last
Death hurts.
Let me rephrase that. Dying hurts like a fucking bitch!
That's if you are as lucky as me that is. I died the most gruesome and painful way possible, and all for trying to be a good guy. Or you could say that I died from my own stupidity, either would work. Not like I have any reason to complain now.
My name?
I doubt that is important at this point, but it's not like it would matter if I did. I am Igor Ćulafić, the lead scientist and inventor of the "Colonization program". Known by another alias in our group of researchers as M!W.F.U., aka. Move! We Fucked Up. There are many, vastly more important things the world could be investing in than colonizing Mars!
I'm going to stop now, before I start ranting.
How did I die?
I would have liked to have died from old age preferably, or at least a hero. Well in a way I did, just that I will be villanized by the world; Perhaps an unsung or misunderstood hero?
Anyway. While I was working on a project I happened to stumble on a restricted part of the memory bank in the building.
How?
It might have been by accident, a mishap on their part, I might have been overly curious - or it was a test. Perhaps they wanted to see what I would do with the knowledge. I was starting to become an invaluable asset to the research, almost irreplaceable. Alas the key was almost. I was appalled by what I found - secret inhuman testing's, cures for diseases that have plagued us for so long and to which we got not long ago. I mean some of that stuff could...No, would have save millions of lives, some of those people might have been today's Nikola Tesla's. They kept them all secret, and for what?! To monopole the people, lives?!
I couldn't stand for it. Unfortunately, I didn't go about it the smart way. No, I had to go and make a foolproof site where I would post all of the information, I couldn't do it gradually with an escape plan!
That's what got me killed, my own stupidity.
More specifically?
Trough be told to this moment I am not absolutely sure what it was that killed me. I was sitting at my home, a penthouse suite, yes I was a rich and stupid bastard that couldn't appreciate what he had. As I was saying, I was sitting on my sofa and drinking some strawberry tea and reading Hominids by Robert Sawyer, it wasn't my first time reading it, but did I love the book. Anyhow that is beyond the point, while I was reading and sipping my tea I suddenly felt excruciating pain, first in my chest and then in my head. I fell to the floor contorting in the unbelievable pain. I don't remember if there was any blood, I just remember laying contorting for what felt like hours. Soon after that everything went black and I was here.
I am not certain if my tea was poisonous, if someone shot me, or something else. All I know is that it hurt so much, but I guess that's what I get for not thinking things trough.
Was this what I expected?
Honestly, it's a lot closer to it than the paradises the many religions depicted would have. I'm an atheist, or I was one, I'm kind of dead now. Wait how do you refer to yourself when you are dead?
Oh, I can use either? Well that is convenient.
As I was saying, I imagined death would be nothingness, loss of unconsciousness and thought. I guess I was somewhat right.
Would I like to play a game? Where did this come from? Alright, it should help to pass the time. Which game are we playing though, I'm not so well versed with all the kinds of games there are.
Chess? Well I'll gladly play a game then, I might be a bit rusty though. I think it's been about 4 year since I played a serious game with someone.
I'm not worried, it's just a game. It's supposed to be played for fun, right?
Just, how do we play it. There's no board, light and I can't really feel my limbs.
All right, I'll let you take care of it.
A beam of light appeared in the black space, strangely I couldn't determine if it was close or far from me, it was just there.
How do we play now? I still can't feel my limbs.
Just say where and which piece I want to move? That's pretty simple.
We started our game, I had the white pieces and he had black. At least I presumed it was a He. On that thought, who was I talking to all this time? What was I talking to? Was it really talking back, I can't seem to recall its voice - just the words.
Not to worry?! How can I not worry when ... all this is happening. Wait, am I even talking? I can't hear my voice either?
What do you mean not to panic? How can I not, this is beyond the laws of physics!
How can I claim that? Well none of this is possible where I came from, not even in any plausible theory!
How am I wrong?
Other universes?
Yes, I am aware there are other universes. That and that the laws of physics might work differently in some. As well as that there are some in more or less dimensions than mine.
Overlapping universes? I find that a bit hard to believe, do you mind elaborating it for me?
I-I think I get the gist of it. thank you... What do I call you?
I'm really not good with naming things, that and I don't want to offend you in any way. What do others call you.
Others. Others members of your species.
You are the last? Sorry then, but what did they call you?
Y-you don't remember. Then what do beings call you now, not yours in general.
Well, what do the members of my species call you. I can't be the first human you interacted with?
Uh, I think I'll stick with Grimm.
Yes, I think we should. My move first , I guess.
I started out with my pawn, d4.
His answer was Knight to f6.
It was my turn again, c4. It would go like this for some time. We played multiple games, I would lose each one. Every time I felt as if I was getting closer and closer to beating him, only for it to turn the game upside down on me and reveal his expertly woven strategy.
After who knows how long, and after unaccountably many games of chess lost, at which I felt no frustration whatsoever. I started to ask questions.
How can universes overlap?
I'm afraid I don't understand it.
Oh, well can you teach me then?
No? Why not?
Well I might agree with you on that, I don't think myself ready either. Is there any possibility that I might, at some point, be ready.
Well, it's not as if I could just get out of here, wherever here is.
If there is a way I doubt I can achieve it. At least not for some time, which - I'm guessing - to you wouldn't be so significant.
Why would you help me?
I interest you? Great, but there must be a catch to it. No one just does something like this out of goodness of their heart.
I don't know other species so excuse me for being a bit bias in that regard.
Yea, I knew there was. What is it?
I...I really don't know why I did think you would.
Just as that the chess board disappeared, and the black enveloped everything one again.
The last projected spectral thought Grimm sent to me was "Good luck". Or at least that's what I perceived it as.
Guess I'll have to find out if I'll really need it.
