Life

"November seconds? Can all November seconds please make their way to the deciding room for final placement."

The voice over the speaker was as unenthusiastic as a pile of dirt, but Emerson was excited nonetheless. Not that their name was really Emerson... souls didn't have names. They were actually November 2nd number 7,842, but this time around they preferred the name Emerson, and had called themselves that for the past year. Ever since their death.

Emerson got up and followed the other November 2nds to the deciding room. They had all spent the last year working towards one goal, and they had finally reached the end.

This is it, Emerson thought as they joined the other November 2nd's in the elevator. A year of studying everything it means to human. Countless hours pouring over human book and movies. The time I spent inhabiting that practice human, perfecting my walk, my speech, even my ability to sleep! It all comes down to this. The final test. The Placement.

Emerson had been through the year of tests many times before. Slowly moving their way up from one life to the next; worm to beetle, to fish and so on. They had particularly enjoyed their time as a bird. Flying through the air had been an experience unmatched by any other so far in Emerson's many lives.

But finally, at long last, it was Emerson's turn to be human. The greatest honor for a soul. Once you went human, you stayed human until you retired. No more dirty animal bodies or weird ocean creatures. No more short lives filled with zero autonomy.

Emerson was thrilled at the opportunity before them, confident that they had mastered their tests and would continue to master this last test, the most important of them all. They were lost in thought when they realized the soul next to them was chattering away.

"I can't believe we have more tests. You would think after a year of examinations they would know if we were worthy of being human or not. And what is this final test anyway? I didn't have to do a final test to be an animal or a bug. Why do we need to do one now?"

Emerson looked to their left to where the soul had left their question hanging in the air, deciding if it was worth it to respond, when another soul in the elevator piped up.

"I don't get it either! It's just another meat sack to embody. More time meandering around on earth looking for things to do. And food to eat. Man I do not enjoy eating. Why are earth creatures always so hungry. I'd rather stay a soul."

Emerson had heard quite enough. Didn't these souls realize the opportunity they were about to receive? The life of a human is... well it's spectacular. I watch these humans during my lives and marvel at their lives. At their existing together. The feats they have managed. It's incredible. I cannot wait to live with such purpose!

"I cannot let you speak of humans in such a manner. Being a human is the highest honor for a soul! Remember what happens if a soul doesn't make human status!" Emerson hoped the fear of that outcome was enough to shut those souls up.

"Oh please. Like that's actually true. I've never heard of a soul not becoming human." The first soul to speak was looking especially proud of themselves.

The second soul took their cue from the first and continued to rag on the process and Emerson. "How do you even know being human is an honor? Just because the Test Masters tell us it's so? You won't even be aware of the fact you're a soul when you are human. You'll just be another warm blooded meat sack eating and sleeping and fighting. And stuck on that dying planet. Worthless."

The soul did have at least one point, Emerson had to concede. Souls in animals get to retain their soul awareness throughout their time on earth. But as a human, the soul loses their awareness completely. From birth until death, the soul knows only of it's human life. This little nugget of information had stuck with Emerson ever since they had read about it in their third month of studying. Shocked that they had never been told of this before.

Losing my awareness for years, decades! What if it doesn't come back?! The books say that it does, that once we die and return to our Soul Realm we remember our previously lives, along with our human ones. Like waking up from a dream. But what if it doesn't?

The elevator doors opened then, and if any of the souls had any final words to say on the matter, they didn't dare speak them now. Not when five Test Masters were standing in front of them. The souls slowly left the elevator and entered the Final Placement room.

For such an important room, it sure is oddly dull. Emerson was surprised and a tad disappointed to find the Final Placement room nothing more than an average size space, with bland beige walls and one bright light hanging overhead. Five chairs were up at the far end of room, each with a Test Master standing to it's side. They had stood to welcome in the Souls.

In the middle of the room, Emerson noticed, was a bench, like the kind they had observed in the movies whenever a human needed medical attention. There was a clear screen set up around the bench, and Emerson assumed it was to prevent the others from finding out the final test before their time. What happened in the Final Test was to remain a mystery, just as the first soul had said.

Emerson and the other November 2nd Souls were directed to the other end of the room, and settled in the seats that had been set up for them. It took a moment for everyone to sit and the room to become quiet. Finally, the Test Master in the center spoke up.

"Welcome, November 2nd Souls. As you know, today is November 2nd in the human realm, and you have all been studying to enter your new lives since the deaths of your previous lives on November 2nd last human year. Today is your final test. You may all be wondering what this final test will be. We have intentionally left the final test a mystery, as this is one test that cannot be studied for or prepared for in advanced. Your results must not be influenced or tainted by any outside factors. It must be your true, honest selves. Soul 32, will you please inform our Souls of what is to come?"

The Soul that had been speaking turned and motioned to the soul to their right, and that soul stood and came a bit closer to the November 2nds.

"Thank you, Soul 5."

These must be very old souls, Emerson thought, to have such small numbers. Just think of how many human lives they must have lived.

Soul 32 continued, "November 2nd souls, your final test today is the biggest test you will ever take. To be a human is the final placement a soul can have until they retire and join us in the running of the Soul Realm. You have spent the last year facing brutal challenges and mastering them beautifully. Each of you is ready to inhabit the body of a human by all measures except one, and that is the one that will be tested today. I know the details of this test have been vague, and as Soul 5 said, this was by design. And I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about what happens if a soul fails this test." Soul 32 paused for a moment and slowly looked at each of the souls waiting to be tested.

Emerson could feel the tension in the room rising. Soul 32 took a breath, despite not needing one as a soul, and spoke the words each Soul had been waiting to hear. "Some of those rumors held truth. Should a soul fail this final test, they will not become a human. They will not receive a second chance. Upon failure of this test, the soul will be...moved on."

A chill fell over the room. Every soul understood the implication of "moved on". The rumors had been circling around the study halls for as long as they could remember. Souls disappearing, never to be seen again.

Emerson was shocked to find they had expected this. So it was true. Souls can be... extinguished. In all of their lives on earth, and all of the time spent studying to become human, Emerson had learned that the main question all humans struggled with is, "is there life after death?". Souls knew the truth. There was no Heaven or Hell, a paradise or torture. No, there was just souls cycling through different bodies. But the fact that souls could cease to exist? This changes everything.

Emerson sat, frozen to the seat as the wave of realization hit them in the face. One misstep on this Final Test and *poof!*, I'm gone!. No more cycles on earth. No more years of studying. No more existing. Will I be aware I don't exist anymore? Is there an after... for... the after? A million new thoughts and worries were filling Emerson's head that they didn't notice Soul 32 had begun to speak again. Emerson tried to focus in on their words.

"Each one of you will come sit on this bench, and answer one final question. Should you pass, you will be instantly sent to your new life on earth. Should you fail, you will be moved on. Any questions?" Soul 32 once again slowly looked at each soul ready to take the Final Test. The souls remained silent, still shook from the revelation of the life or death stakes before them. Soul 32 sat down and another Test Master stood and moved towards the bench. "I will begin with November 2nd Number 1."

The first soul to complete the Final Test made their way to the bench and the screens closed around them. Every soul was silent, waiting to see what would happen. Exactly 30 seconds later, November 2nd Soul number 1 vanished. There was no warning or indication anything was going to happen and then suddenly there were no longer there. Just gone, without even a sound.

The other souls began to murmur.

"They really just vanished!"

"Did they pass? Was that a pass vanish?"

"This isn't like the other tests. We have never vanished into our new lives before!"

"Will it hurt?"

"Will we even know?"

One by one each soul was called up to the bench, and one by one each soul vanished. If there was a difference between a pass or a fail vanish, Emerson couldn't tell. Regardless of outcome, the end result was the same. Gone from the Soul Realm.

Finally, it was Emerson's turn.

"November 2nd Soul Number 7,842."

Emerson felt themselves shake as they got closer towards the bench.

This is it. It's now or never. I know everything there is to know about being Human. I know their customs and their history. I know their languages and their love of literature. I've watched their wars, their destructions, and I've watched them build and grow and overcome any obstacle that comes their way. I can do this.

Emerson sat on the bench and waited for the final question.

"November 2nd Soul 7,842, What is the point of humanity?"

A calmness fell over Emerson. In the face of sudden danger, it was as if their mind had cleared and everything around them had stilled. Emerson smiled. Everything they had studied for one year, every piece of information memorized and retained was all rendered useless. No book, no movie, no other form of information in the worlds could help with this answer, Emerson knew. It had to come from within. And Emerson knew they had it in them.

Emerson took one final look around the testing room and made a mental image of this moment, for one way or another, they would never see it again. Then, they were ready.

"The point, is to live."

There was a rush of wind and Emerson found themselves in a very dark and wet place. Their senses were running over time as sounds and feelings rushed all around them.

Suddenly there was a large amount of pressure and Emerson felt themselves slipping away... they were barely holding on everything was moving so fast there was fluid and tightness and sounds and lights and grabbing and pulling and... and... and...

Life.