It was a beautiful day, blue sky and hot sun shining down on white sand and shining sea. Mary grinned with joy. This was their fifth day in Fiji and the first that she had managed to get to the beach. She watched the waves with what was almost hunger. She quickly discarded her blouse and shorts leaving her clad in her swimming costume.

She noted vaguely the resigned chuckles of Mama and Flip. Auntie Vera seemed bemused as did her cousin. She ignored them as she moved towards the waves. She still regretted not having her fishing tackle, but just the opportunity to get into the ocean was precious.

As she started to trot she felt as if something vast was examining her. Then she felt a painful wrenching, almost as if something inside was tearing.

Mary stumbled and fell face first into the sand of the beach. She desperately clung to – to something – that was her – that in a truly fundamental way – was her. And then she lost consciousness.

* * *

Mary Silvestre woke, only to find herself in what appeared to be a vast nebulous room. She wasn’t standing or sitting, she seemed to be floating amongst numerous shiny gaseous looking spheres. Where the beep was she? The last thing she remembered was that she, mama and Flip had been visiting her auntie Vera on Fiji, and that today they’d gone to the beach. And why, oh why couldn’t she move. Come to think why was she so calm.

She was surrounded by an absolute babble of – mind voices – yes mind voices – it seemed to be some kind of near telepathy. Not that any the voices were making much sense.

« Where am I ... am I dead ... what happened ... is this the afterlife ... impossible ... I’m gonna sue ... what’s going on ... Whaa! ... » on and on and on!

‘I was at the seaside, no way I’m dead, so what the beep! Beep beeping!’

Mary was slowly getting mad, if it wasn’t for whatever was keeping her calm she would have been in a cold fury by now.

It was at this point that a lectern materialized in the room, behind it appeared a tall slender woman with waist long blue hair and truly massive breasts.

‘Bit excessive in the breast department don’t cha think lady,’ scoffed Mary to herself.

« teeheehee! My new helpers are all here, don’t worry dears, you did not die! As you all are, or maybe – were all atheists, none of you had any attachments to your local gods, whoever or whatever they were. And, as your world has so many people, you are all new souls and thus devoid even of lingering attachments. So I merely appropriated your souls for my use. Teeheehee. »

Several exclamations of displeasure and threats of legal action followed whilst the woman floating behind the podium smirked at her captive audience.

« Don’t worry dears, I left a scrap of your soul behind, just enough to keep your original bodies from dying. It should regenerate in time, leaving you none the worse for the experience. Possibly. Maybe. Teeheehee. »

« I’m Azurea, Goddess of dungeons and you are all my new subjects. If you want to succeed you need to hurry up and worship me already. »

‘No way in hell you blue haired cow!’ Mary decided.

« Forget your names, you are now ANS 1 through ANS 100 – stands for Atheist New Soul. Teeheehee. »

Mary heard deep in her mind ‘ANS 48’ but she furiously rejected the order, demand, suggestion. She was Mary Silvestre! And no idiotic tittering blue haired cow was going to change that!

« I’m sending the dungeon cores ANS 1 to ANS 25 to the planet Diavlo, you are needed there and will be a blessing to the locals. »

Fully a quarter of the shining misty globes vanished.

« As for the cores ANS 26 through ANS 50 you are going to the Planet Parthia. »