Happier Times (IC)

[Skysong]

It was the moment of truth. Silence weighed heavily on Zakitaj's ears, threatening to tear them from his head if he himself did not first out of the unbearable anticipation. And though the corpse's mouth remained peacefully set in the crooked head that held it, Dead Head began to speak. It was strange, listening to the seemingly one-sided conversation, stranger even that the reading of the photograph. But there was no more time to question whether all of this was madness. It didn't matter anymore. He tensed as Dead Head touched the body, but forced himself to remain as calm as possible. It might yet all be worth it. Surely it had to be.

Fire was a bringer of destruction, a primal, uncontrollable force, or so the alien prince believed. And yet, when it seeped into the corpse's pale, chilled face, it was a bringer of warmth, a bestower of life. It was a further twisting of a mind that had already been twisted sideways and backwards in the course of half an hour, a rubber band drawn so taut that a tenth of a newton of force would shatter it like ice. And when those eyes, those eyes of stunning sea green snapped open, they weren't the only thing that snapped. A wave of pain dragged at his heart like a falling anvil. It had happened. Triumph, and yet despair.

"Zak!" Physicus laughed, the hearty sound his student remembered distorted by his bent windpipe. "Fancy seeing you here! You're looking well!" "You're not," Zak joked back, a slight quaver in his voice. Physicus reached up one hand to tap the jagged gash that had ripped through his spinal cord at the base of the neck. "No," he replied, wincing, "I bet I'm not. What happened, exactly?" "It didn't go as planned." "We had a plan?" Zakitaj laughed; there was no doubt that this was his old friend.

[Skysong]

Briefly the young alien summarized his flight from Khalados and arrival on Earth; two days past, it was still vivid in his mind. With some hesitation he told of his visit to Physicus's family earlier that day, and of the honor he had asked for. "But now that you're here, I won't need to do that, will I?" Physicus was quiet for a moment, then spoke with a more level and subdued voice, the voice of wisdom that Zakitaj had long respected and heeded. "I don't think it works that way, Zak." Both of them fell into pensive silence.

Zakitaj broke that silence. "What... what was it like?" "Being dead?" Physicus laughed nervously. "Until now, I had no idea of what was going on. It was like... like a bad concussion. I was out like a light; no thoughts, no knowledge of the passage of time, but this vaguely uncomfortable feeling in my head. I... hope it won't always be like that." He laughed again, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. Zakitaj clapped him on the shoulder, and he reached up and grasped his pupil's hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

They were quiet again, but this time Physicus spoke first. "Zak, you should know something. The reason I left Earth... it wasn't just the Moore Act. See, I never told you, but when I teleport..." "It ages you," Zakitaj supplied as the older man's words slowed. "Erik told me." Physicus nodded. "Maybe it was selfish, though I had myself convinced that it wasn't, but I was looking for some way to.. to turn back the clock, to give me more time. And I almost found it, too. I left something behind when I left, something I want you to have..."

[Skysong]

Zakitaj cut him off again by raising the little film capsule, and his mentor grinned again. "See? You'll get on fine without me." A lump formed in the young alien's throat, and he did his best to swallow it. "I thought I had to. I guess I still do." The quiet didn't last long before he remembered something else. "Erik wants you to know that he didn't understand back then, but he does now. He's sorry; he misses you." Physicus nodded, and some of the tension eased from his features. "Thank you for telling me that, Zak. It makes this all a little easier."

The old man raised up the hand Zakitaj wasn't holding and used it to turn his face toward Dead Head. "Thank you for this chance," he told the zombie-man quietly. "I don't know what's waiting, but I think... I think I'll get there more easily now, no matter where it is." He turned his head back to his student. "Zak, I want you to know that you have my blessing. Be the next Physicus. Zakitaj always sounded more heroic than Herbert anyway." His final grin crossed his features. The alien nodded in reply; he didn't know what to say.

Turning back to Dead Head, the aged superhero spoke one last time. "I'm ready."

[Dr Archeville]

Zak likely did not notice that, through the entire conversation, Dead Head had a big smile on his face. Not just his rictus grin, but a true, warm smile. Reunions like this were what he lived - er, existed - for, the chance to help others. To help the living exchange final works with a loved one taken too soon, and help the dead make their final words and wishes known.

When the two were done, Dead Head's smile faded a bit. He'd helped these two have just about the best reunion they could ask for, but he knew it must end, as (almost) all things do, and endings were always a bit sad.

He placed his left hand behind the elder's head and eased him back down onto the cold metal drawer. His right passed over the mentor's face, and the glow began to fade from his eyes. "Close yer eyes, an' count to seven. When you wake, you'll in be in Heaven."

He had no idea if that was actually true or not -- even he didn't know exactly where spirits went when they were done with their unfinished business -- but it seemed comforting, for both Physicus the elder and Physicus the younger.

And that was that. The elder Physicus' remains were as cold and still as they had been when they'd arrived. Dead Head gently pushed the drawer back into the hole in the wall, then closed and latched the door.

"You okay?," he asked, turning to face Zak. "I know this can be weird fer folks...."

[Skysong]

As soon as the old superhero's eyes were shut, Zakitaj's face became blank; he looked weary in both body and soul, slumped there, watching the drawer retract. It nearly took his hand with it, his fingers still interlaced with those of a dead man. Heaven? He didn't know whether he believed in any such thing, and from his point of view it didn't really matter. Physicus had been passed on, and Herbert had passed on. He didn't look up even after Dead Head's words for some time, but his face became screwed up in concentration. I have not cried since I was twelve, he told himself, and I will not cry now.

When he finally did look up, his features were smooth again. "Yes," he replied, "I'll be okay. I... don't know how to thank you. You didn't have to do any of this. I started out fighting you and thinking you were totally insane, and you go and do more than anyone else possibly could... If you ever need anything, look me up. I owe you." Pushing himself off of the wall and back fully onto his feet, Zakitaj extended a hand for Dead Head to shake. After a moment, he spoke up again. "We'd best be getting out of here before someone starts asking awkward questions."

[Dr Archeville]

"Oh, it's been a pleasure fer me, Zak," the strange being said as he clasped his hand. "It's what I live- er... exist fer!"

"An' don't worry none 'bout attackin' me," he said with a friendly slap on Zak's back, "happens t'me all th' time! I'm jes glad ya tried t'hold me, instead'a blastin' me in th' head!"

Not because doing so would put him down, like it would most other undead, but because doing so would be quite messy and disturbing to see.

"You can go on ahead, though, I gotta close up here." He shuffled down the rows of morgue drawers and double-checked the latches, making sure all were closed securely. "Gotta make sure they're all tucked in fer th' night."