Can you hear it, the sound of the universe? It is like music, joyful and harmonious.

The mysterious female voice tapered off before Inspector Ludovico Rossi could locate its source. He looked around - whoever was hailing him had already slithered into oblivion. It was a soft, gentle whisper that sounded both near and distant. It was not an illusion.

But only he had heard it. The three Marines from Earth did not. They presented him with stern faces, patiently waiting for Ludovico to get a move on.

"Pardon me." He wiped the cold sweat off his face and kept walking.

The space station's central module was up ahead. Ludovico typed in a special police code on the security panel. When the lock was disabled, the cumbersome hatch door began to roll. It was slow.

The Marines raised their weapons. Fingers on triggers, carbine chambers pointing forward. They expected a threat looming around the corner. Ludovico stuck out his palm and urged calm.

"Easy, gents. We're inside a pressurized space pod. What are you carrying, five-five-seven armor piercing? Any of you jarheads take a shot, the structural hull will be punctured and this entire place will go kaboom. Do you hear?"

"Please step aside," said the Marine sergeant. "The suspect might be armed."

"This is my case," said Ludovico, "and we're going to do it my way. So either you lower your guns or I don't make an arrest. Is that clear?"

The sergeant weighed his options and stood down. His privates followed suit as well. "If anything happens, I swear..."

"Trust me, nothing's going to happen." Ludovico made a sneer. "I've done this a hundred times before."

It is also like water, and whoever drinks it will never thirst. 

Okay, maybe his mind was really playing tricks on him. Deep space travel can do that to people, and Ludovico was getting old. He was a seasoned police officer who tracked criminals across the settled worlds. But after a while, loneliness and stress began to take a toll on him. His last psychiatric eval came back with damning results. It was time to bow out.

In other words, retire. And then become eligible for the ultimate reward - the Elixir.

For hundreds of years, the Principality of Sol had been gifting the Elixir to retired citizens. The white pill would alter their genetic make-up and grant them forever life. But retirees had to be patriotic and law-abiding. So generations of peoples kept their heads low and worked hard towards that goal. 

A minority of people questioned this tradition. To them, immortality brought only more suffering. So they rejected the Elixir and embraced death as part of the natural life cycle.

Protests broke out in the border worlds. In return, the Principality conducted orbital bombardment on their people. But the wheels of revolution had already been set in motion. Planets after planets flared up in open rebellion. After a long, hard battle, Judea IV became the first to secede from the human empire.

Like cancer, the movement spread to the inner worlds. Scientists became interested in finding God's heaven. If life after death could be proven, the Elixir program would be rendered useless.

And it threatened the Principality's very existence. For Ludovico, it was his job to shut down their experiments.

It took the Inspector many years to find Ann-Zenora Kohn, codenamed Ostro, who was the only scientist coming close to her goal. Now, she awaited her fate behind that hatch door.

Finally, the group gained entry into the room. The galaxy's most wanted criminal was seated on a high throne.

Ann-Zenora's eyes were closed. Her skin was pale as stones. Cables were protruding from her scalp and running into countless directions. She had become one with the space station, which was itself an inter-dimensional portal.

"What's this?" asked the sergeant. The two privates stood still, their mouths agape in horror.

"Playing with fire," Ludovico answered. 

It was illegal to manipulate gravitational field. A wormhole could open and expose innocent people to phenomena beyond comprehension. Yet this was what Ann-Zenora had hoped to do. By embedding her body into the station's hadron collider, she was going to tear space-time apart and find her so-called God.

Ludovico found a red lever. He pulled it, and the cables rescinded. Ann-Zenora fell and regained consciousness.

She looked up to her unexpected visitors. Her breathing was weak and shallow.

Ludovico produced his badge. The golden shield stood for Stellaris Police, Ministry of Public Security.

"Dr. Kohn, you are under arrest for crimes against humanity. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say could be used against you in the court of law. The gentlemen behind me are to escort you to Earth. You will receive a fair trial there."

Can't you hear, Ludovico? Can't you hear?

The Inspector felt numb from his face down. But he was able to shout, "Who are you?"

The Marines were startled with puzzled looks.

Just shut up and listen! We are calling out to you!

The next thing he knew was a white blaze that blanketed his eyes. Later, he emerged as an invisible observer. He could see himself as time seemed frozen.

"What's going on?" asked Ludovico.

"You're in our world," said the mysterious female voice. "It was the only way to get your attention."

"Who are you?"

"Can't you tell? I'm Ann-Zenora in her afterlife. You may call me Ostro. It's my name in the cosmos."

Ludovico was able to move about. He felt exceptionally peaceful and calm. The stress and tiredness that had plagued him for years now seemed distant.

He studied Ann-Zenora - her dark hair, brown eyes, and every strand of her facial muscle. He could feel her conviction, the will to endure hardship in the name of a greater cause.

"Afterlife, huh?" asked Ludovico. "You died?"

"No, she died," replied Ostro. "I was her, but I'm separate from her. You understand?"

"Sort of.  So how did she die?"

"After you arrested Ann-Zenora, the Marines took her to a black site on Earth. They tortured her for weeks until they executed her. You were never informed."

"Had I known," said Ludovico, fiery yet calm at the same time. "Did she get to hear it, the sound of the universe?"

"Of course. Right before you budged in."

"What does it sound like?"

The space station slipped away before his eyes. Next he saw a world of strings, infinitely fine strings vibrating in different frequencies as one harmonious music. Inside the melodies, there was no sadness. It was a kingdom that had been promised and delivered.

"You belong here," said Ostro. "We all do. You believe me now?"

"I think so," said Ludovico.

"One day we will unite," said Ostro. "But first, you must do something for me. For us."

"What is it?" asked Ludovico.

"More people need to know about Afterlife. Ann-Zenora is the only person who can open a portal and lead mankind to us. Get her to somewhere safe and protect her from the Principality for the rest of your life, until death do you apart. Understand?"

Before Ludovico could utter another word, the world of strings vanished.  There was no longer any doubt. The only thing that remained was the determination to drive forward.

Back to the space module. The Marine sergeant asked, "Inspector, are you going to arrest her or not?"

Ludovico did not respond. Instead, he was considering the soldiers' weight, atmospheric pressure, and the small caliber of his Glock-27 service pistol.

He drew a long breath to bring his pulse and adrenaline level under control. When there was clarity to a great cause, killing became acceptable.

It took a mere second for Ludovico to draw his pistol. He fired two shots into the first private's chest and then another two in the second. Both privates were gunned down in an instant. The sergeant's eyes widened.

"No, please, no!"

The last gunshot could be heard throughout the station. The sergeant fell with a hole in his forehead, his fading mind still wondering what had just happened. 

Ludovico carried Ann-Zenora on his back. He brought her to his Laredo-class police corvette, docked outside, and buckled her up on a reclined seat. 

"You and I are going to rely on each other here on. I hope we get along."

He hopped into the pilot's seat and started the engine. From this moment, the Principality's law enforcement will come down hard on them. He must find a safe haven. 

"Computer, set course for Judea IV."

The corvette released its clamps and pulled away. It adjusted its bearings with vector nozzles while the course was still being plotted. Soon, a green light appeared on the flight instrument board. All systems ready.

Go. Ludovico stepped on the throttle. The corvette's pulse engine threw deep blue flames into the dark, propelling the wanted fugitives forward.