Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
Project Revive
Turning away from the frost-covered window after observing the cute but unwelcome visitor leave, Mary almost runs into her skeleton that she saved from her uni days. She was surprised to find her trunk in the attic the first year she returned to this world. It contained her things from the university. She remembers bringing the trunk with her to the lodge as she was planning on going straight to her new job after her vacation. After she was murdered, someone must have hauled the trunk up to the attic and there it stayed. Mary is a genius and studies to keep learning. She is able to update all her equipment with the tablet. She updates the brain enhancing machine on her return and is able to receive new technology fast. Her science station was bought on S-Bay, and she keeps her mind engaged by experimenting with it. She is astonished at how much the world has changed in technology in the years since she was slain. Sadly, the science station does not possess any information about restoring a life that she discovered on the radio. She will have to go to the science center and find the information there.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50126909901_1c8c1bffac_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50126339223_f7c1c49c8a_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50127132707_da780d27a6_b.jpgMary soaks in a hot bubble bath trying to warm herself before going out on the cold winter night.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50122329696_75842ec5a0_b.jpgThe manager recommends that Damien try the local diner. He finds the food delicious and likes the atmosphere of the diner. He enjoys well-cooked fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, lima beans, and homemade biscuits that melt in his mouth. He goes back to his room at the lodge stuffed and satisfied. Despite his excitement about purchasing his new home, he falls asleep quickly and sleeps through the night.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50126339323_3fea58da92_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50127132647_893d659e15_b.jpgAfter midnight, Mary floats through the peaceful town and enters the dark science building. It looks like all the workers have gone home. She floats through the hallways until she finds the computer room. She recognized the way very well from previous excursions in the science lab. She uses her tablet and connects to a terminal. She sets her software to hack into the computer hoping they have not changed passwords since her previous visit. They have not, and she searches all archives for the information she wants on resurrections. She eventually discovers the files and downloads them into her tablet. She spends some time searching for other advances in technology and adds to her downloaded files. She is caught up in her search and almost does not hear the sounds of a door opening. It must be the night security on their rounds. She promptly shuts her mobile tablet down after carefully saving the selected files and tucks it back in her handy bag. She floats through the cement wall in the back hallway of the facility just as the door handles jiggle as keys are put into the lock. She silently glides through another wall and finds herself outside on the loading dock.
"Phew, that was close. I hope I extracted all the information, but I can always come back another night."https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50150987426_9603466713_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50150987416_f1a7c26c44_b.jpgMary hurries home anxious to read the reports. She plugs her tablet into the science station and uploads the data. Mary's bird Sherlock distracts her wanting to play as it zooms around the room. She was lonely and when she found the bird in the cold snow one evening she brought him home and ordered a tree for him. She has enjoyed the company of Sherlock and has taught him a few words. She plays with him and tries to teach him a new word. She makes certain he has food and water and watches him play with his toy before going back to work. He squawks as he pecks at the toy and the bell rings. Mary wonders if she should free him, but the weather is so cold and she is afraid he will freeze.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50127275422_8c9020904b_b.jpghttps://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50126479733_f57fc1737c_b.jpgMary picks up her tablet and opens the report she downloaded.
Physical Manifestations of Non-Dimensional Souls Chief Researcher on Project Revive: Liam O'Dourke
Assistant Maya Abbot
The untimely death of humans can result in a non-dimensional soul being unable to cross over the veil to the final destination. In most cases, souls make the journey and are never seen again. The ones that are unable to cross are left to struggle between our plane of existence and the netherworld. They are not alive but not human either. They are generally tied to their urns or gravesites. Occasionally some are tied to strange ghastly gnomes that appear randomly in the world. Others can be tied to a memory or physical location that seems to prevent them from moving on. Research suggests some will cross if the tie can be broken. The longer a soul is present in the world the harder it is to send them over to the other side. Some become playful, mischievous spirits, others become evil manifestations. Our goal was to find a way to assist them to move on before becoming spirits or evil. Shockingly, we discovered that most don't want to move on. Some want resolution for their untimely death and once that is resolved, they are able to move on without our help. Others desire nothing more than another attempt at life without being constantly pulled into the netherworld. They don't even mind their form if they don't go back into the netherworld.
Of course, a non-dimensional soul otherwise known as a ghost wandering around town is not fully accepted by many humans at this time.
Thus, our goals became:
1) Find a way to stop the pull to the netherworld.
2) Find a way for the ghost to become corporeal.
With the help of many ghosts, we have been able to successfully prevent them from returning to the netherworld. We must have or identify the object they are tied to be it urn, grave, memory, or building. A spell is performed releasing the tie to the netherworld. Once released a few ghosts will choose to remain in their ghostly forms. They are encouraged to move to towns more accepting of occult souls. Others want to become human again and we can help them with that dream.
My considerable research over the years on plants and animal toxins and the effects on humans contributed enormously to our success. A Master Witch who specialized in potions that prolong life helped immensely. A Master Chef assisted in combining the ingredients so the effects of the ingredients are not inactivated during preparation. We tested extensively and eventually devised a recipe that will bring a ghost back to human life. It has been successful in 100% of the trials. The ghost must not be tied to the netherworld, or the risk is they will be sent back to the netherworld permanently. It is complicated to prepare, and the ingredients are rare and hard to find and they don't last long, and preserving is useless. It must be produced specially for each ghost.
This report is released to all affiliated science facilities and world leaders. A member of our facility will gladly travel and instruct local scientists on how to help any non-dimensional souls who would like assistance in moving on or resurrection and eventual transformation to human. A fee schedule is attached in appendix A.
The technique for releasing a ghost from the netherworld and the formula is encrypted and stored separately and will not be released as part of this report. The following data describe the trials and protocols we followed.Mary stops reading the report not interested in statistical data.
"My word, what a dry and dusty report. He is a scientist and not a novelist. I do know a non-dimensional soul is in fact a ghost. I have some hope for a future of not being a ghost tied to the whims of Fate. I will look up this Liam scientist. It sounds as if he has an affinity for helping others."https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50231170511_90f0f49123_b.jpg