Death (deth) noun - Death occurs when there is not sufficient consciousness or brain material to operate cybernetic prosthetics. Before the invention of life extending gene therapy, death was the inevitable end of every life. Life expectancy reached the point to 104 years when a genetic ceiling was reached. At that point the discovery of genetic aging inhibitors made death a thing of the past for most people.

Tom looked up from the book in his hand and put it back on the virtual shelf then he disengaged his mind from the computer generated library to look at the actual room around him.

Somehow Tom expected the decor of a funeral parlor to be more Victorian. The leather chairs and matching couch reminded him of a lawyer’s office. A preacher was sitting at the desk that was obviously the work desk for the director of the funeral parlor. He looked up at Tom, “Sorry I’m almost finished. Just putting a few finishing touches on the service.”

Tom thought how considerate and professional it was for this preacher to maintain an awareness of his actual surroundings while using the chip implanted in his brain to edit the funeral service. He would probably use his virtual input chip to enable him to see a copy of the service where there actually was nothing. That way he could conduct the service without having to carry actual pieces of paper and notes into the chapel.

Tom on the other hand had not been as considerate and had completely ignored the surroundings when he engaged his chip. He had often seen people do the same thing. Off in their own virtual world and oblivious to those around them in the real world.

The preacher looked up and Tom asked, “Do you do many of these funerals.” “No, this is my first. 60 years of ministry and I have never done a funeral. Believe it or not before the advent of genetic aging inhibitors preachers used to do these things all the time. My great-grandfather lived back before the anti aging drugs; back when life expectancy was less than 100 years.” Tom couldn’t help but interrupt, “Life expectancy? It should have been called death expectancy. It’s hard to believe that people once expected life to end.” “True,” the preacher continued, “They not only expected it, but lived their lives by it. Every town, even the smallest, had a funeral parlor like this. My great-grandfather had a whole library of books for planning funerals. He once told me that he performed over 600 funerals in his 40 years as a preacher. But this is my first. He even had a set of resources for funerals on an electronic storage disk. You should see this thing! It is as big as the palm of your hand, huge, and they called it a ‘compact disk!’”

“You do seem to know a lot about funerals even though this is your first,” Tom observed and that led him to the real question: “Do you know what a ‘Paul Bearer’ is?” “Yes,” the preacher chuckled, “It’s one of the people who carry the coffin to the grave. Usually a young friend of the family.” Tom looked at the preacher, “That’s kind of archaic isn’t it. After all there’s no body. If there was we probably wouldn’t be having a funeral.” “I know,” said the preacher, “the position is usually honorary. There may be no coffin for you to carry, but you can help me in another way. I never really knew your friend. Knowing something about Jack would help me conduct the funeral. How did he die?”

Tom thought for a minuet, “Jack was into living on the edge. He had done the mountain climbing thing. He had a cybernetic leg you know. He lost it about 30 years ago in a hydroplane accident. Recently he had gotten into orbital skydiving. They would take him up to a low orbit and he would jump. Somewhere around 30,000 he would let out his drag chute. Apparently his forcefield failed and he burned up at reentry. He had dove several times before and went on and on about being only inches from the fire during reentry. He said it was like going to Hell and living to tell about it.”

The preacher had a puzzled look on his face. “I thought they had three backups for those forcefields.” “They do,” responded Tom, “but somehow or other all of his failed. It was a ‘once in a lifetime’ accident.” Tom paused for a minuet to chuckle at the irony of what he had just said. Then with a very serios look he continued, “I really don’t think he killed himself. That was one of my thoughts, but I think he may have been careless because the possibility of death made him feel alive. He was only 60 chronologically. I know he looked 21. He started gene therapy at 19, a year later than most, but it took on him faster and his aging stopped within a few years.”

The preacher sat back in his chair, “It sounds like Jack tried to get the most out of life.” Tom thought for a moment then he spoke, “I don’t think he enjoyed life. If he did he wouldn’t have been so careless with it. I mean actual orbital skydiving. If I wanted to jump to earth from space I would do it virtually from the safety of my own living room - thank you. He wasn’t trying to get the most out of life. Jack was trying to find a way to feel alive. The sad thing is I don’t think he found it.” Tom shook his head, “I’m sorry. That may be more than you wanted to know.” The preacher looked at Tom, “No, that’s fine. I know it wasn’t easy for you but I really do appreciate it.”

When the service was getting ready to start Tom walked into the chapel with the other pawl bearers. The actual room was small and contained about 20 people but it had been virtually extended to accommodate hundreds of others who were attending via virtual space. Tom noticed in the actual crowd a man with gray hair! He knew someone once who had a gene for premature gray who had a few gray hairs, but this man was half gray and when he turned his head Tom could see that he was starting to bald a little in the back.

In front of the crowd was a large picture of Jack. It was taken when he went white water rafting on the Martian south pole. It was just like Jack to travel to another planet to get wet and cold. But there he was with the spray and the red sky in the background.

The preacher stood behind a small podium over to one side of the picture and began to speak, “’Friends we have gathered here today to remember and thank God for the life of Joseph Smith Jones. May God search our hearts that in pain we may find comfort, in sorrow hope, and in death resurrection.’" The preacher looked up from the podium at the people. "I don’t know about you, but I have never attended a funeral much less conducted one. These words were written in a day and age when death was a common part of life. People expected their bodies to wear out and stop. The Christian faith offered the hope of eternal life at such times. To people back then eternal life meant life after death, so the main way of expressing it was the resurrection of the dead. But now we know, better than ever, that eternal life is more than living forever. Anyone can do that. Eternal life also refers to a never ending quality of life. As we worship today let us keep these things in mind.”

Tom thought about what the preacher had said. He had a life that would most likely last indefinitely, but so had Jack. The problem was that Jack never found a reason to live. In times past people died of heart disease or cancer or some illness. Jack had died of meaninglessness. Life just isn’t life without purpose. Tom looked over his shoulder at the old man with the gray hair and resolved to speak to him after the service.

The rest of the service was fine. Not that Tom had been to any other funerals to compare it to. The preacher spoke a little about Jack but his main purpose seemed to be to offer comfort and hope to the people gathered there.

After the service Tom walked up to the old man. He couldn’t help but stare when he got close and realized that age had affected his face. There were wrinkles in it. He had seen pictures but never an actual face like this. Then the stranger broke his concentration, “What’s the matter, you never seen a old man before?” Tom was suddenly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I just wanted to ask you some questions.” The old man stared back, “Okay, how did I get so old? Actually I am only genetically 50 or so. I am a first generation gene therapy recipient. So by the time anti aging gene therapy was developed I was already in my mid 30’s. It took 20 years for the therapy to stop my aging. It didn’t work on my wife. I stopped aging and then watched her grow old and die. And a few hundred years later here I am still having a mid life crisis.”

Tom wasn’t quite sure what he meant by ”mid life crisis” but he realized that this man was open and would answer his questions. “I suspected that it was something like that and that’s why I wanted to talk to you. I am only 50 chronologically.” “And you are having a mid life crisis?” the old man interrupted. “I guess so,” Tom replied still unsure of what he meant, “and I am wondering, with hundreds even thousands of years ahead of me, what for?” The old man nodded then he grabbed the young man’s hand, “This is what it’s all about. Everything in life is about people and the connections we make with them. Not ourselves, but other people. That is why I am here. I traveled over an astronomical unit to be here. Some of the other people in that virtual gallery,” motioning to the now blank wall, “were not only on the same planet, but the same continent, yet they didn’t bother to actually show up. That is why I am talking to you. I have all the time in the world for the things I want, but I only have a few moments to respond to what you want.” “I am not sure I understand,” Tom replied. “That’s Okay. Let me put it this way, sometimes I think that God created everything just so that he could make people. So the meaning of life is love. Not the gushy stuff, but the kind of love that means you would give your last credit to a friend.” “I guess that is what it is all about. Kind-a-like love thy neighbor.” Tom wasn’t sure where he had heard that but it sounded right. “By the way,” Tom responded “what’s your name?” “Take me to lunch and I’ll tell you a long story about that. We old people like long stories.”

As the funeral home attendant took down the picture of Jack, Tom and his new old friend walked off to talk about lunch, friends and the meaning of life.