Dining with Death

For Death, mortals provided it sustenance at the end of their lives. Sometimes they were a feast, other times they were poor and lacking. Death preferred the long-lived who’d filled their time with happiness, love, and passion.

One day, scientists discovered the process to reverse aging and were able to give people indefinite lifespans. This outraged some people who believed that life extension went against the natural order, but Death was not offended; in fact, Death was thrilled to know that souls would simmer longer and taste even more delicious.

Unfortunately, the outraged fought to put an end to life extension, and Death could not stop them, for it could do no more than reap the dying.

Then Death had an idea.

It slipped into the only world in which it could be perceived, the world of sleep.

Death started with one of the outraged, a religious man. It had him sit across from it at a long dining table lined with plates of gourmet food.

“Where am I?” the man asked.

“You are in my domain,” Death said. “I am that which you feel after you take your last breath.”

“Do you mean I’m dead?” the man asked.

“No, you’re asleep,” Death said. “Do you wish to be dead instead?”

“No,” the man said, “but if the Lord has decided my time, then I will accept.”

“The Lord has decided nothing,” Death said. “Do you see all this wonderful food? I will have no more of it if you destroy the technology that extends lives.”

“The Lord does not want us to live so long,” the man said. “We exist in the flesh to suffer and live as sin-free as possible until it is our time.”

“I can tell you are going to taste terrible,” Death said.

Death could not reason with the man. He was trapped in dogma.

The next person that Death chose to speak to was a pagan woman.

“This food, it sustains me,” Death told her. “And I prefer the best quality. If you prevent others from extending their lives, I will suffer too.”

“But we aren’t supposed to be immortal,” the woman said. “We’re supposed to give our bodies back to the earth.”

Death laughed.

“Life extension does not grant you true immortality,” it said. “At some point, mortals will die by either accident or their own choice. Nobody would really want to live forever. I know this, for my sibling is Entropy, who is woven into the very fabric of existence. In time, all souls come to me.”

“But the gods will punish us for our hubris,” the woman said.

“What hubris?” Death said. “If you live longer and healthier, you can continue being a steward of the earth. You would make the gods proud.”

The woman pondered Death’s words.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said.

Death watched the woman change the minds of some of the outraged in waking life. Although it could not help the religious man, he was becoming outnumbered as less dogmatic religious people questioned him.

But there was another man. One who believed in nothing beyond the observable world, yet stood against life extension. So, Death visited him in his sleep.

“Why are you trying to prevent people from extending their lives?” Death asked.

“Because the rich and powerful will live longer,” the man said. “Who wants immortal dictators?”

Death stared at him.

“The rich and powerful have legacies and connections to ensure their rule persists,” it said. “They don’t need life extension for that. Why didn’t you do anything to fix the system before?”

“Because the people are powerless,” the man said. “We are doomed, no matter what we do.”

“Then what difference does it make whether or not people extend their lives?” Death asked.

The man could not answer. He seemed persuaded.

But he was not.

In waking life, the man continued to push his anti-life-extension agenda, angering Death, and, like the religious man, nothing Death said to him would change his mind.

Finally, Death gave up. It watched mortals fight and fight, and it reaped those who died before they were fully ripe.

One day, Entropy visited Death.

“What’s the matter, sibling?” Entropy asked. “You look grimmer than usual.”

“Mortals,” Death said. “I tried to teach some of them about the value of life extension, but they would rather sabotage my future feasts.”

“I see,” Entropy said. “Allow more time. I promise things will change.”

And they did.

In time, more and more people adopted life extension.

Now, Death was visiting Entropy.

“Tell me, sibling,” Death said. “What have you done to change mortal minds?”

Entropy smiled.

“Nothing intentional,” it said. “You see, humanity is in love with life. No matter the state of the world, no matter their beliefs, mortals want more time to live. They want to stay with loved ones. They want to do all the things that a short lifetime can’t afford them. So, enjoy your future feasts, dear sibling.”

Death grinned. It hadn’t needed to try to persuade anyone after all, and so mortals came to fear Death less and less, welcoming it with open arms when they were truly ready to become a main course.