The Elsewhere Omnibus

The People of Interest List

I admit to a bit of deliberate subterfuge here; from the name, you might suspect the Elsewhere's People of Interest list is for friends of the Elsewhere Incorporate. You would be wrong; beings whose names are listed on the People of Interest list usually have annoyed one or more Dreamers, and as such have become prime candidates in situations when the Elsewhere requires people who are, shall we say, disposable. 

Being put on the list isn't a casual decision; beings who end up there typically are not very nice people and have caused significant problems for others even outside the Elsewhere. It takes three Dreamers to put forward a name to the list, which should tell you just how badly a being has to screw up to end up there.

That said, the history of the People of Interest is not all negative. Some do end up redeeming themselves. Such a case is Kevin Raleigh, a man who was for a significant portion of his life nothing more than a bully. His name was put on the list by five Dreamers who have requested to not be named, after which he was 'recruited' to assist in a task on the world known to its inhabitants as Kellis. While early days were rough for the fellow, he ended up coming to terms with his past self and rose to the challenge far more than anyone expected, even himself. It was thanks to him the assignment was a success and Kellis was saved.  As for Kevin himself, he married one of the worlds inhabitants and (with a little help from the Elsewhere) ended up with a big family before dying of old age alongside his wife. Kevin still occasionally provides assistance as allowed by the Sunset Accord, and is someone I personally call a friend.

Not every person of interest has such a positive story, however. Take William Perefore, a snobby socialite from Earth's late 1930s. When put into a similar position as Kevin Raleigh, William did not adapt to his situation as much as he expected it to adapt to him. He continued to belittle others, expected others to give him preferential treatment, and ultimately abandoned by the few allies he managed to make. The Elsewhere stepped in before he could be killed, but I'm sad to say even then he still didn't learn his lesson. He was eventually returned to Earth, where unbeknownst to him or us (presumably), a former colleague he'd belittled was lying in wait to claim his life.  

Should you find yourself on the People of interest list, consider contemplating your actions. It's difficult to admit one's faults, but doing so might mean the difference between a happy ending and an unfortunate fate.