The Inception of an Afterlife

Just two weeks ago, I found myself contemplating the universe’s demise and the possibility of parallel ones.

There may be very many other universes similar to ours.

The mere thought accompanied surges of excitement that overwhelmed me. It drove me into a profound, infinite universe of my own, speculating what might occur next and where can I even start on this? Will I be lucky enough to witness this ground-shattering discovery?

Yet now, in what seems like fleeting moments, life flashes in front of my eyes.

The last thing I remember was writing these words in my journal right before I fell asleep, and now I find myself in this white void surrounded by emptiness. Exactly what I have always thought.

I can only assume this is the middle ground between life and death, yet I find myself anxious about what might come next. There might be a God out there, but I have always believed that science could explain everything, and that God is the name people give to the reason we are here.

Still, in these definitive moments surrounded by oblivion, I find myself reminiscing back to when I was 20 and could walk on my two own legs before I was confined to a chair.

How marvelous things were, yet I took many of them for granted. How elegant our earth was, yet I often dwelled on my work and fantasized about the cosmos up there. Yet even in this unknown territory, I still am confined to this chair.

Honestly, being in it was not so bad. Despite battling this illness for decades, I wake up every day to create something bigger than myself. I had the support of numerous people, not all of which I knew.

Every day I wondered what the world beyond our scope looks like and whether everything was more straightforward than we thought it was.

As thoughts flitted through my mind, the achromatism surrounding me starts to shift, and there was a sudden rupture of light emerging from every single angle. My heart races and my breath ceases. I find it hard to breathe as a tear rolls down my cheek.

A star was collapsing on itself in a matter of seconds, creating the most beautiful array of lights I have ever seen. What was forming in front of me was astounding; a phenomenal black hole. I cannot believe I finally witnessed the one thing I have always dreamed of.

A sudden jerk propels me through space, and now I am moving at supersonic speed; this must be what the speed of light feels like. I could not open my eyes as the shift of colors encircling me was blinding. Seconds later, I come to a halt. I gradually open my eyes to find myself peering over our tiny planet with all its glory.

My thoughts cease to exist. This marvel was not something I ever expected to see from a distance.

Suddenly, a faint yet powerful voice with a German accent asks:

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Unable to turn my gaze towards the voice, I reply:

“Better than I could’ve ever imagined. And I tried.”

“Oh, you did so much more than that. By the way, I’m Albert.”

Hot waves flood through my veins as I gradually turn around to see him. I could not believe what I was witnessing, yet my grin spreads across my face, and my hand starts trembling with emotion.

“Pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Hawking.”