Cat goes on, “The real-world reader will see this and form an opinion regarding my existence. I’m not saying I’m alive like they are, but I’m real like their lifeless computer. That opinion they form will be based on what I say because, even if they disagree, there wouldn’t be anything to disagree with if I hadn’t started speaking. If my wicked actions and words are recorded, especially without proper context and biblical instruction, those actions could influence a reader with poor discretion to mimic my wickedness. Ergo, my fictional influence can be just as good or bad as those of real-world folks.
“Now, that being said, we don’t have souls like the people in the real world. God created everything, and those that accept His Son, Jesus Christ, and believe in His death and resurrection as their personal means of salvation will go to heaven when they die. However, within that main universe is a certain Christian author who’s made his own simulated world within his mind and fashioned it after a computer, calling it the System. We, therefore, try to use our activities as illustrations of Bible principle. As much as his limited hardware is able, the System Director tries to give his characters as much autonomy as possible while still, of course, maintaining healthy control of his own mind, giving the ultimate authority to Jesus Christ. We can either choose to help teach Bible truths or be selfish and get in the way. Don’t be selfish and get in the way. Now, since we are programs, our life and death routine is very different because the System Director thought it better to treat us practically and realistically than try to use an imaginary heaven to parallel the genuine artifact. While we originally all just ceased to exist until needed again, it was decided that we should have our own vacation spot while waiting for the possibility of being brought back. Thus, we go back to the Drawing Board.
“As you can see from just looking around, it’s like the world of the living, except the residents here have their programs altered a bit to alleviate such hinderances as stress and pain. This is not supposed to be heaven, so don’t be surprised if you come across people with a bit of sorrow or something of that nature. Basically, the emotional receptors and such have been adjusted to make life here amazing, but the PACs are still themselves. The System Director wouldn’t have a problem with making the deaders completely perfect here, but his own hardware isn’t able to keep up with that as perfectly as would be needed. No one’s complained about how it is yet, so there’s no reason to stress the details. Also, as you’re well aware, the Drawing Board main computer was moved to the Juniper District, the true System Guards headquarters located above Planet HQ, and the bosses chose to alter things a bit and give the deaders more freedom. Thanks to the fun physics of Juniper, everyone in the Drawing Board can walk freely within Juniper, visiting their living relatives, but cannot leave beyond this region to explore the world of the living unless they are either given special permission or completely revived. This isn’t necromancy nor is it intended to promote such a wicked, abominable practice forbidden by Scripture. This is the practical setup made for computer programs sitting in something with much more security and peace of mind than a standard recycle bin.”
Catherine stops to adjust some lettuce stuck in her teeth. “Now, you should recall from the several past field trips that the Drawing Board used to be divided into various regions coinciding with the infinite number of parallel universes we call storyboards. While the real universe is the one and only, the System takes the fact that most authors have multiple versions of their writings in their minds and turns this into an excuse to make a multiverse with endless possibilities. Of course, with endless possibilities, that raises several plot holes questions, but I’ll shoot that down by saying the extreme opposite scenarios cancel each other out enough to make everything work well. That all being said, when these multiple storyboards were combined one grand universe, the Drawing Board did the same thing, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally being here for hundreds of years from our perspective…anymore than you do when we’re in any other given galaxy besides our own bizarre home.”
Duplica thinks of the next thing to say but notices a group of dead people heading their way.
Inner Man Theatre 