D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 611: Where do you Keep your Dead Bodies?

”That seems to be everything,” said Nira checking over her data pad once more. ”Do you have any more questions before I introduce you to the two demons responsible for monitoring the procedure?”

”Well… what can you tell me about the demons actually doing the procedure? I know you… sort of… but I havenʼt even SEEN them or what theyʼre supposed to be good at,” said Lily.

”Well, I donʼt know too much about them myself. Iʼm certainly not on personal terms. In fact, I do not know what Rank they actually are. I do know Iʼll need to give you a special brooch to wear so that simply standing in their presence doesnʼt cause issues, but I donʼt know if thatʼs because youʼre human or to stop any contamination from their auras when conducting the scans. I donʼt cause enough disturbance myself, so youʼre fine with me.

”As to what they do… I know one is going to be responsible for working the equipment to build your knew body and ensuring that there is no issues with it, while the other is responsible for ensuring your soulʼs safety with a minor secondary duty to ensure your current body suffers no ill effects. While watching the procedure Iʼll also be partially responsible for monitoring your original body alongside the second doctor.”

*That doesnʼt exactly tell me much… but I guess thatʼs fine. Itʼs not like I know much more about normal doctors. Granted most normal doctors donʼt even know that the soul exists let alone have the qualifications to mess around with it, so maybe itʼs more important… though wait. Nira seems to have unintentionally raised an interesting question. Perhaps a concerning one as well.*

Lily scrutinised Nira who just looked back with a cheerful smile and open demeanour. Lily wanted to stare at her until she gave up the answer she was looking for, but Nira likely wouldnʼt know what her question even was let alone the answer to it just yet. ”So… um… you sort of gave me a thought but… err… what happens to this body once Iʼm not in it anymore?” asked Lily.

”That…” said Nira with a finger on her cheek, ”is an excellent question now that you bring it up. I have no idea. I donʼt really know what standard procedure for that would be. Let me just…” Nira started swiping across on her data pad, words and numbers streaming by faster than Lily could see as Nira searched. ”nope, not in my notes. I have no idea. We should really find out actually.

”Still…” Nira sat up and got a slightly more serious face, ”I doubt anything particularly bad will happen. My first assumption is that it would be burned because it just isnʼt safe to leave an old body lying around. The problems you could cause with a complete body that has had its soul removed are quite numerous. Not just to you, but on a wider scale. So destruction is certainly an option, and definitely the safest thing.

”The next most likely is that theyʼll keep it in secure storage for a while. Iʼve never heard of someone having issues after the first day in the new body. If you were going to have issues theyʼd become apparent really quickly and if your soul isnʼt happy weʼd know within the hour… but this is also a bit more experimental then normal, so maybe theyʼd want a safety margin? Not really sure how long it would be stored for anyway…” Nira trailed off as she considered what she knew of it the long term storage vaults but came up mostly blank. It wasnʼt really her department. ”I suppose they might also give it to you… but storage would be an issue and again, wouldnʼt want it stole because that would lead to bad things…”

*Well. Thatʼs… honestly I donʼt really know how to feel about that. Iʼm not exactly sure any of these options sound pleasant to me. Do I want to know my body is stored on ice somewhere? Or watch it get burnt to cinders? And like… what about keeping it? At first that sounds like the best idea, keeping it for sentimental reasons, but… it sounds dangerous to do it that way and what sort of creepy person just has a dead body in their closet.

Even if itʼs their body, and only sort of dead. Why didnʼt I think about this before? Did I just assume my body would be used in the process or something? We were told it was a whole new body multiple times and Nira has even said ʼnew bodyʼ a few times before. This… well this requires some thought but at the same time I donʼt have that time.*

”Something the matter Lily?” asked Nira with what felt like genuine concern. Lily didnʼt really have the brain space to properly determine if it was on not. On Niraʼs side of things, she really was concerned. She was under the impression Lily had wanted to go through with this. For Nira, this was the first true hesitance Lily had shown. Of course there was the more typical, which is better, type of concern she was familiar with when listing treatment options or looking at dresses, but she could tell this was rather close to an existential crisis.

”I… I… Yes. Yes there is but there also isnʼt? I mean… ok first thingʼs first, Iʼm getting the upgrade still, I… even if I donʼt like the implications, which Iʼll get to, I think itʼs worth it.” *The chance to stay with Kat forever even if it doesnʼt work out. MAGIC. Actual REAL MAGIC and quite a few nice little touches to my humanoid form but at the same time…* ”I just… donʼt know how to feel about whatʼs going to happen to my old body. I mean… I just didnʼt really think about it I guess?

”And like… this isnʼt just getting a new car or saying goodbye to an old house, because well, those things suck too even if the new stuff is necessary or better,” *Trust me I know how necessary it can be to move house,* ”but… this is MY body you know? I never planned on getting an upgrade. And yes sure, some people get plastic surgery but Iʼd never want that. To… to try and ʼfixʼ my body and make it look better that way. Yes, I do know that it might sound hypocritical considering I plan to upgrade my body…

”But I feel like this and that are different things… and even if I didnʼt itʼs not really the issue here. I have no idea what Iʼd want done with it. The stuff you listed… I donʼt particular like any of them. Part of me really wants to keep my body around because itʼs mine and I grew up with it and it so many ways… it IS me… except itʼs not and souls are real and like I thought I understood that, and with the confirmation that souls are real itʼs easy to say Iʼm a soul piloting a body…

”It doesnʼt FEEL like that though. I feel… I donʼt know how I feel. I guess… for some reason I felt like my body would get used in the process? Or just sort of dealt with somehow I guess? Now that Iʼve had to think about it. I… I donʼt even know. I mean what would you want done with your body?” At some point during the rant Lily had started to stand up and gesture wildly, Nira just let her get it out of her system completely. When Lily dropped herself back into the chair, Nira even gave her a few more minutes.

Then a few minutes after that as she realised she didnʼt rightly know the answer to that question. ”Iʼm not sure either Lily. I… well I have had my body since birth. Iʼm also not sure if itʼs even possible to turn my body to ashes. Additionally, as a medical professional I have a much better idea of both the security we have here, and of the consequences of letting my body fall into the hands of others, which, actually now that I think of it… would be much worse then yours, simply due to power disparity. Still, I trust my Faction to keep it safe if they stored my body. So… probably storage or incineration. As much as keeping it may sound nice to me on paper I know Iʼm not strong enough to protect it properly”

*Yeesh, if Nira doesnʼt think she could protect her body acceptably then I doubt Kat or I could. So that really shouldnʼt be an option… and I suppose if they need to keep my body around just in case something horrible goes wrong thatʼs better then death… I… Iʼm not happy with this. I donʼt know if keeping my body locked up is easier on me then burning it… but I might not have a choice really. It has to be one of the other for safety reasons… and I donʼt rightly know which is worse, or more likely.*