[The Lone Outsider] 14 – An Omen unleashed upon reality

[A/N: Was listening to Johnny Goth's Can't Get You Out of My Head and Starset - Monster while I wrote this chapter. Don't judge my music taste because I listen to a little bit of everything, and I know for certainly, I will know and have listened to music you have never heard before,  :p]

When I reached the lone log cabin, I immediately noticed the Weeping Angel statue standing in the middle of the field, staring at me.

Ever since he accepted to become my totem bearer, I could swear that I felt, heard, and knew about everything that was going on with him, even to the point that I knew what his mind dwelled on while he stared into the distant sky.

The connection did not go both ways, but Mr. Wilson could feel my presence and a general feeling of where I was.

Floating down to the field, I examined Mr. Wilson's soul.

It visibly vibrated with power far stronger than what his soul was capable of previously. It was almost like I artificially strengthened his soul, though I had no idea what kind of cost or drawbacks would occur from this boost of strength.

Looking over the statue, I noticed a few problems.

It was unstable.

It appears that the soul was too powerful for the vessel it was in, and it would not be able to unleash its full power without the risk of destroying the vessel.

So, clearly, I would need to make something more durable for my Totem bearers in the future, or they would not be as effective as I wanted them to be.

Another thing is that I would also need to make their vessels more...versatile.

For example, the wooden statue Mr. Willson inhabited at the moment was slow, cumbersome, and brittle.

In the future, I believe a few...features would be necessary, such as vocal cords, potential flight, super hearing, super strength, much higher durability, possible internal and external weapons, and more along those lines.

Not to mention the need for touch or the other sensations mortals had.

After all, if the Totem Bearers could not feel, hear, see, or sense anything around them, I feel I would be getting quite a few complaints in the future.

Shaking my head, I focused on Mr. Wilson.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

'Yes,' Mr. Willson telepathically replied.

Nodding, I briefly glanced at all the others in my Afterlife before ripping open a portal back to my cell.

'Note to self: upgrade the Afterlife and add some housing for the resident souls now roaming within and speak with the Souls. Perhaps some would accept the offer to become Totem Bearers or may even help with designing some kind of town in the future,' I thought to myself.

Beckoning him through, I walked through, finding that the unknown Task Force members and the Scientist were still waiting.

Though they decided to wait for me, even though I had been gone for nearly three hours, I did not know why.

It was clear they wanted something.

Finding all of their eyes on me, I simply waved as my Weeping Angel came in behind me.

Immediately, I felt the effect.

All of the fresh souls of the deceased that still lingered within the mortal world began to move in our direction.

Smiling, I felt Mr. Wilson reach out through our connection and ask, 'What...What are those?'

Replying through our connection, I said, 'What you are feeling are the souls of the recently deceased. It is your duty to guide these souls to my afterlife, where they will be free.'

'Free?' Wilson asked, confused.

'Yes. It is my wish to grow my Afterlife into one where people are truly free. Free to do whatever they wish and pursue whatever they couldn't in life. Whether that be science, the arts, or even building a car. Free from the burdens of life that held them down.' I explained.

'Burdens?' Wilson asked, appearing to grow increasingly angered.

I laughed out loud, 'Calm down. I do not mean family, friends, or any other souls that one grew attached to in life. No, I meant governments, modern-day slavery, discrimination, censorship, and whatever else that held someone back or down in life. In my afterlife, you and everyone else can be whatever you wish to be,' I explained.

Wilson seemed to get lost in thought after hearing what I said, and I let him stir.

Hearing the scientist begin saying something, I instead ignored him as I extended my senses outside the room and over the facility.

The death count has risen since I left from four souls to twenty-eight, though strangely, I felt some...strange souls surrounding one of the many anomalies of the site.

Curious, I shifted into my Harbinger form, stunning the scientist into silence as I wordlessly walked through the wall toward where I felt the strange souls.

As I walked down the hall past Blackwood's cell, I realized that whatever souls I was feeling must have had something to do with the Plague Doctor as I could feel that the souls that I knew were not there before were there now and in the general vicinity of where I remember 049's cell being.

I noticed that the emergency lights were still on and that the hallways were empty.

I casually walked and passed through any obstacles in my way until, eventually, I found myself behind a literal line of Site Guards, all of whom had not noticed my presence.

Amuseed, I spoke up, "What seems to be all the commotion? Have you all not captured 049 yet?"

They all jumped and turned, aiming their guns at me.

Luckily, none of them had an itchy trigger finger and decided to shoot first and ask questions later.

They clearly had no idea who I was, as they refused to drop their guard and continued to hone their guns on me.

Getting no verbal response, I suddenly said, "Watch out behind you!"

They all turned around to see...nothing.

When they turned back to look at me, I waved and walked through a nearby wall.

As I passed through the wall, I had a sudden epiphany.

I realized that as the days passed, I was changing.

In my old life, I was a recluse bookworm.

I certainly wasn't this outgoing, confident, or mischievous.

Was that dear old Dad's influence changing me?

Probably. I'd ask him, but I'd prefer not to have the current realm I exist on getting unmade again; it certainly would not be a pleasant experience for me or the local residents, I fear.

Simply walking around the guards, I soon found myself standing in...some kind of cafeteria where I found the Good Doctor himself working on a... cadaver while surrounded by only what I could describe as malformed zombies.

"Uh...did I come by at a bad time?" I asked jokingly.

"Oh?" The Plague Doctor spoke in surprise, not expecting my sudden arrival.

"Come, come!" The Doctor beckoned me, not waiting a moment as he pushed past the zombies and pulled me to the cadaver on the table.

"Tell me, what do you see?" The Doctor asked.

"A corpse?" I replied.

"Yes, yes, but that's not all. This poor man was infested with the Pestilence. I'm afraid he would have succumbed to its influence sooner rather than later in his condition," The Doctor explained.

"I see. If you do not mind me asking, how are you able to know who has the Pestilence and who does not?" I asked.

"All but you and me have the Pestilence, but few are born with the gift to detect the Pestilence; I am one of the few. It is my hope that you are one, too," The Doctor explained.

"I'm afraid you will need to start small with me, Doctor; I am far from trained in medicine or even human biology; perhaps we can start there?" I suggested.

"Ah yes, forgive me. I do sometimes forget not all are as knowledgeable as I am. Come, come, let's start with identifying the major organs of this specimen and their condition," He pulled me forward, digging his hands directly into the chest cavity of the cadaver.

Watching with curiosity, I began to learn.