"How do you intend to prove anything?" I asked. "What kind of experiments have you designed?"
"Well, Bridget, I'm going to kill myself."
The room fell quiet and Micah, mistaking the shocked horror for awed silence, stood a little taller and finally smiled.
"You can't be serious."
"Oh, I am and it's completely reversible. I am going to be the first person in the world to prove or disprove the existence of an afterlife."
"We," demanded Sean.
"Yes, we. This paper is going to be our ticket into any university in the world. Wars have been waged for centuries over deities and religions and we are going to prove what is scientifically correct beyond a shadow of a doubt!"
"You're an idiot," I sighed and rose from the couch to leave. Irina followed me but Micah beat us to the door.
"Bridget, wait! At least hear all of it before you walk away. Please."
I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head.
"I want no part in killing anyone. Even you."
"I'd like to hear how it works." Holly the Philosophy major coolly cut in from her spot on the couch.
"Ah, actually, it's something I developed." Sean said. "A cocktail of biological and non-biological chemicals. It's been tested and it's safe."
"Tested?" Irina asked in horror. "On whom?"
"On local wildlife."
"So never on a person." I said.
"Not yet but it is safe." Sean said quickly.
"So then how does it work?" Irina asked. She took a step back toward the couch and that's when I knew they had her.
Micah gestured to Sean.
"I've developed a poison and a biologic. I call them the Romeo and Juliet serums. Juliet is a poison that kills the body. Romeo is a biologic, or antidote for lack of a better word, that revives it."
"Clinical death will only take place for 30 seconds." Micah cut in. "No brain damage, no organ damage."
"Yes, it truly is perfectly safe; the body will only be dead for a short time." Sean confirmed.
"So, Flatliners." I glared at Micah.
"What?" Sean asked.
"Flatliners, it's a movie. The characters kill themselves and bring themselves back. If I recall it didn't work out too well for them in the film. But Micah knows that since he's obsessed with it."
"That's a Hollywood movie." Micah said, dryly. "This is legitimate science." "No, you're Kiefer Sutherland," I pointed at him, "he's Kevin Bacon," I pointed at Sean, "and I'm Julia fucking Roberts!"
"No," Micah said hotly, "actually she's Julia fucking Roberts!" He pointed to Holly.
"So am I Oliver Platt, then?" asked Irina.
"No one is Oliver Platt!" Micah yelled.
"Well, if we get to choose I'd rather be Oliver Platt than Kevin Bacon." Sean interrupted.
"Sean, you're fucking Kevin Bacon." Micah spat.
"And you're Keifer Sutherland!" I yelled at him.
"THIS ISN'T FUCKING FLATLINERS!"
I sighed. "So I'm not going under."
"No." Micah looked exasperated.
"Then why am I here?"
Micah combed his hand through his dark brown hair. "Jesus, I've been trying to get to that."
"Am I going under?" Irina asked.
"No, just me, Sean and Holly."
"And you think she's going to agree to that?"
"Actually," Holly interrupted, rising from the couch. "I already have."
"Why?" I gaped at her.
"Because I want to know, I need to know why I'm here, why any of us are here. I want to know what the soul is and where it goes, I want to hold the keys to human existence, love and suffering, life and death. I want to understand our purpose. And I'm getting paid and it's perfect for my dissertation."
"That's another thing," Micah said quickly, "everyone will get paid."
"How much?" Irina narrowed her eyes at him.
"$500 each."
I groaned. $500 was pretty much how short I was on tuition for this semester and Micah knew that. What an ass.
