The Postmortal

John passes by a construction site and is handed a pamphlet for the Church of Man. The pamphlet details a belief system that focuses on humanity, disavowing an omnipotent being. The sermons are scientific, historical, and attempt to inspire love toward other humans. The religion emphasizes healthy lifestyles and denounces violence of any kind. John shows the flyer to his friend, Scott, who speaks disparagingly of the church.

John goes out with some coworkers to celebrate a pregnancy. While drinking at the bar, he sees a woman named Alison with whom he went to middle school; he was in love with her but moved away in 10th grade. His passionate feelings resurface when seeing her, so he rejoins his group until Alison notices him. The two chat and flirt, eventually turning their conversation to more difficult topics like John’s child and Alison’s divorce. John pretends that he has dinner plans, and the two exchange numbers before he travels to another bar, calling a friend to come out and get drunk with him. While headed home in the early morning, John is attacked by three men with green-painted faces. They cut his birth date into his upper arm with a knife before leaving. At the hospital, the police identify the men as a type of troll called a Greenie, named so because of the green paint they wear. They are not hopeful in their abilities to find the attackers.

John begins to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. He is unable to sleep and is constantly fearful of being attacked.

John gets his stitches removed, and then meets Alison at his apartment for dinner. She believes herself to be bad luck and describes all the unlucky things she has been involved in. The two comfort each other, and then begin a romantic encounter.

John gets a call from the police station; they have arrested a Greenie and would like to see if John can identify him. At the precinct, John is shown a lineup of five men, one of whom is wearing green paint. Although John knows he is not one of the men who hurt him, he lies and identifies the man as his attacker.

John visits his father and does not tell him about the attack. He reflects on how he understands his father more now that he has a child. His father shares that he has pancreatic cancer and that he has declined treatment. His father outlines his desire to die and reflects on the wonderful things he has seen, stating that he has seen enough. Although initially saddened, John comes to understand his father’s perspective.

John reads a news article about a serial rapist who was executed by lethal injection in Texas. He was killed under Darian’s Law, a new policy in Texas extending the death penalty to violent crimes and large-scale drug trafficking offenses. Protesters argue against the death penalty, but prisons can no longer support holding prisoners for lifelong sentences now that lives are indefinite. The article writer describes different attempts to address the prisoner dilemma.

John meets his sister, Polly, and finds her drinking heavily. After they discuss their father, Polly confesses that she and her husband, Mark, are having difficulties. Mark wants to convert to a cycle marriage that ends in a decade, but she is resistant. Her children are putting off their educations to pursue international travel, and she has been invited to “divorce parties” thrown by people transitioning into cycle marriages. Polly mourns her family, knowing it will soon be disbanded.

John and Alison cuddle and discuss marriage. When John says he would marry her, she teases him, which leads to a debate about love and time. She touches the mark on his arm where a plastic surgeon has covered his birth date scar. He encourages her to be hopeful about their relationship and love in general.

John reads news article headlines. Gas and water prices are increasing, there are high numbers of abandoned children in orphanages, and international war continues to flourish.

John’s father’s nurse calls, alerting him that he should prepare for the end. John and Alison pick up his almost one-year-old son, David, and travel to the family home. His father’s condition has rapidly deteriorated. Polly arrives with her children. Alison takes the kids out for pizza, giving Polly and John time alone with their father. He passes away. Alison and the children return, and as Alison holds John, he realizes the depth of his love for her. The nurse plays with David and shares details about her own large family, describing the cure as a blessing: “I don’t want a family tree; I want a rain forest. I’ve watched my kids raise their kids, and I’ll watch their kids raise their kids, and their kids raise their kids, and on and on and on. That’s the miracle” (170).

John reads a news article about a version of the cure that can be taken at home and does not require synthesizing time.

Alison takes John out for dinner after David’s birthday party, and he shares memories of his father. As they leave, they run into a Greenie. When the man threatens Alison, John chases him with the gun given to him by his client, revealing he has started carrying it for security. He beats the Greenie’s teeth out with the gun, an act of violence that Alison witnesses. She flees in fear and is hit by a truck, dying on impact. Her body is taken away, and John is brought in for questioning by the police.