CHAPTER 7: MEANING OF LIFE, PART 3
To spend time with loved ones is an activity that nearly every human being on Earth shares, granting people a sense of universal selflessness that allows all of them to find a way to connect with their brother and sisters, both by close relative or by neighbor, and seek some kind of harmony on their planet.
Since the night prior up to moments ago, Danny was able to share one of the closest connection that two human beings can share between one another, choosing to share it with his wife, Sam Manson Fenton. Following a flirtatious training session that brought them both stripped to their underwear, and the revelation of her pregnancy, the moment of love had instilled itself firmly and prepared itself to stay.
However, that one moment was soon gone before it could take foundation; uprooted from its grounds by the hands of another. The other who had caused this interruption was another member of the Fenton family, this one the mother of the family by the name of Maddie, calling for Danny's help on her next invention.
The interruption was not one that Danny took kindly to, but nonetheless he allowed the moment between him and Sam to be postponed in favor of her needs, still making himself available for his mother and be an aide to his family when he is needed. In exchange for time with the woman that will soon provide him with life, he is given a chance to spend time with the one who gave him his.
Moving into the laboratory, he finds her waiting for him, tinkering on her device to complete its finishing touches. In his absence, progress on the project moved near completion at last, leading him to join the job late. Nonetheless, his assistance was welcomed all the same; Maddie Fenton offering her kindness to her son unconditionally as always with a large smile and a wave from his arrival.
"Hi, Danny! About time you came back in. Care to give me a hand?" Maddie asked.
"Sorry, mom. You know how needy Sam can be. Got it yet?" Danny asked.
"Almost. Just need some help getting this piece in. Give me a hand, will you?"
Just seconds away from finally finishing her new anti-ghost weapon, Maddie Fenton struggled to fit a piece into the her new invention, making one final roadblock to her success. Offering his assistance to his mother as promised, Danny offered his own physical strength to finish the project, forcing the new piece in its place.
At last, the piece slid into its designated location, completing the new invention; the device powering on and light up with a quiet hum as its final component was in place. The final contraption resembled something of a large flyswatter with a series of lasers in lieu of netting, intended for use on ghosts rather than insects.
After successfully installing the needed piece into the invention, Maddie let out an exasperated sigh, proudly holding up her new weapon.
"Finally got it! About time, too." Maddie said.
"Looks great. What is it, exactly?" Danny said.
"Name-wise? Still no idea. What's it do? I'll show you. Let's do a test run."
"Test run? We don't have any test subjects in custody right now. I just sent those ghosts I caught today back into the Ghost Zone."
"Oh. Well, I hate to ask this, but could you be the test subject?"
"Me?! Again?! I hate being the test subject. All your inventions hurt like hell."
"Well, that's the point, sweetie, otherwise it wouldn't ward off a ghost. Please, for me?"
After giving in to his mother's pleas, Danny reluctantly agreed to help test the new invention, sticking his hand inside the invention's beam net. Still in his human form, his hand harmlessly passed through the net, leaving himself with no physical harm or injury afterwards.
"Whew, well, I guess it doesn't work, it was a good try-" Danny tried to say.
"Danny. You need to be in ghost form in order for the test to work." Maddie said.
"But it should've done something to me. Our weapons can still harm humans, too."
"Not this one. I designed it to only work on ghosts for civilian use. Go on, change and give it a try."
After giving a long sigh of annoyance and anxiety, Danny reluctantly changed to his ghost form, now ready to properly test the invention. Slowly easing his hand towards the net, he instinctively winced and closed his eyes in anticipation of the pain, knowing that a mere touch of it would cause him harm.
Upon placing his hand on the beam net, Danny was immediately knocked several feet back upon touching the beam, causing him immense pain as he predicted it would. Danny landed into a pile of boxes filled with spare parts of other inventions, groaning in pain from the unpleasant experience.
Losing all his concentration after the painful experience, Danny unconsciously turned back to his human form, still in pain from the test.
"Wonderful! The test was a complete success! We'll be ready to sell the first version within the month!" Maddie exclaimed.
Danny gave a loud groan of pain from the pile of displaced boxes, reminding Maddie of the other member of the family accredited for the invention's success.
"Oh, and it's all thanks to you, Danny." Maddie said.
"I hate this job." Danny muttered.
"I love this job!"
As Maddie celebrated her new invention by heading to record her results, Danny continued to lay in annoyance and pain at the experiment's success at his expense. Soon, Jazz entered the room in search of him, only to find her younger brother lying on the floor, not knowing the context why he was led to this scenario.
"So, do I wanna know what happened here?" Jazz asked.
"Mom had me test a new ghost weapon... again." Danny said.
"Again? You really don't learn, do you?"
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for sweet old ladies. So what was it you needed help with?"
"I was doing some more research until M.I.S.T.E.R. found something weird in the Ghost Zone. Something really weird."
"How weird is 'really weird'?"
"You better come take a look for yourself."
Following his sister inside her personal laboratory, filled to the brink with various Jazzbots hard at work, he was led to a supercomputer displaying a map of the Ghost Zone. Taking to the keyboard, Jazz began to pull up findings of rather peculiar news regarding the Ghost Zone, calling on the assistance of the M.I.S.T.E.R. artificial intelligence while doing so.
"M.I.S.T.E.R., pull up your findings from 22:03 hours." Jazz said.
"Retrieving the files, Miss Jasmine." M.I.S.T.E.R. replied.
"I don't get why you have to keep talking to him in military time. He understands regular time just fine." Danny said.
"I would not recommend pointing out this anomalous behavior trait in your sibling, Master Daniel. The effects of presenting the logical solution to this issue do not achieve the desired effect, it only results in Miss Jasmine providing another diatribe on how she wishes to continue this 'because it's fun', as she says."
"Can the smart talk and give me the readings. This is kind of important. And don't call me Jasmine." Jazz protested.
"As you wish, Miss Jasmine. Here are the readings that I have taken from a particular spectral individual in the Ghost Zone that does not match any readings of any known ghost that we have previously documented. The ectokinetic energy readings that this specter emits is the highest in recorded history, outmatching Master Daniel's by at least twofold."
Danny found himself in extreme disbelief from hearing the news, not easy to accept that there now existed a stronger ghost than him.
"That can't be right. Check it again." Danny said.
"Miss Jasmine gave me the same order upon viewing my readings, and I double-checked upon my first reading, and triple-checked the following reading, as she subsequently requested. My sensors are all functioning correctly, and there are no software errors within my operating system; a possible cause of error Miss Jasmine has also checked." M.I.S.T.E.R. said.
"Well, then, take a look again right now!"
"As you wish, Master Daniel. I will display you live reading within the Ghost Zone. Everything you see is current and ongoing."
M.I.S.T.E.R. changed the computer's display to the current readings in the Ghost Zone, displaying every known and recorded ghost residing in the Ghost Zone. Once again, the map showed the same readings as before, with a notable mark of a blip showing a large power reading, further pushing Danny into a state of disbelief.
"We haven't had any reports of any Danny Phantom reproduction projects, could we have missed one?" Danny asked.
"It's possible. There's no telling how many people have the technology or know how to use it." Jazz said.
"Could they have really made someone that powerful?"
"I don't know. There's no telling what could be done with the right parts and the right people."
Jazz's comment made Danny grow further anxious over the unknown threat, leading his own instincts of action take precedent over care and thought in response.
"M.I.S.T.E.R., is the Fenton Portal working?" Danny asked.
"As always, Master Daniel." M.I.S.T.E.R. replied.
"I want to go in for a recon mission, find out what this thing is."
"Very well, Master Daniel. I will prepare the portal for your entry at once."
"Danny, wait! What are you doing?" Jazz protested.
"What do you think I'm doing? If there's something out there that's more powerful than me, I wanna see what it is, and, more importantly, how we're gonna stop it." Danny replied.
"But you have no idea what to expect! You could seriously hurt yourself."
"Look, Jazz, I appreciate that you're still trying to look out for me, but I can handle this. It's just like we did in the old days. One quick look, and I'm back in, I promise."
Despite Jazz's sisterly (and borderline motherly) instincts, she finally gave in to her brother's persistence and gave Danny a hug, giving him her blessing to go.
"Okay. Just be safe, alright?" Jazz asked.
"I will. You just take care of Sam while I'm gone." Danny said.
"But what am I gonna do with her?"
"I don't know, girl stuff."
"'Girl stuff'? What, do you think we're still in high school?"
"Okay, fine, just watch TV. Whatever. Sorry if that wasn't PC."
"I am far more than a personal computer, Master Daniel, and I would note that it is impossible for a human being to become one." M.I.S.T.E.R. said.
"Oh, great. Computers are getting offended now? Is this the end of the world?" Jazz asked.
"According to my readings, the Earth should be sustainable for human life for approximately 1.7 billion more years with Greenhouse Reversal Act signed into effect by President Foley, and the similar treaties signed with our allied countries."
"It was a joke, M.I.S.T.E.R., get a sense of humor."
"I require a software update for that feature, Miss Jasmine."
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"
Growing tired of the argumentative banter, Danny broke up the fight to remind both parties of his current mission.
"Hey? Guys? Do you mind? Danger in the Ghost Zone?" Danny asked.
"Of course, Master Daniel. Please follow Jazzbot 37." M.I.S.T.E.R. said.
Following the Jazzbot numbered 37 as requested, Danny was led to a room housing the Ghost Portal; the very same one that he stepped inside many years ago which gave him his powers. The sight of the portal is always one that he never takes in with ease, but always with the discomfort is a sense of impression from the kind of life it had given to him.
Changing to his ghost form, he prepared to enter the Ghost Portal for the first time in several years, ready to see to the strange reading himself. Before departing through the portal, he was stopped once again by his accompanying Jazzbot, with M.I.S.T.E.R. offering his services one last time.
"Master Daniel, will you be requiring Item G-B84?" M.I.S.T.E.R. asked.
"The Infi-Map? What for?" Danny asked.
"You have not entered the Ghost Zone for several years. Your memory of the layout of the Ghost Zone may have left you, and the layout of the Ghost Zone itself may have changed from when you last visited it. A navigational tool would exponentially increase the chances of you making your return home safely."
"Oh, good point. Give it to me."
Another Jazzbot stepped into the room to offer the Infi-Map for Danny to use; still well-kept from its days of preservation.
"Anything you need from me before I get back?" Danny asked.
"According to my life-sign sensors, I have gathered that your wife, Sam Manson Fenton, is pregnant. Judging from my surveillance systems, you have not informed the rest of your family of this news. Am I correct in gathering you wish this to remain a secret?" M.I.S.T.E.R. asked.
"Yes, you are very much correct. The last thing I want to do is my whole family jumping in on the whole bandwagon of 'Oh, we're having a baby!', or, 'We're gonna be grandparents!' thing. You know how parents are."
"I do not know the behavioral patterns of a parent via personal experience. I am an artificial intelligence and I was not conceived by such methods. However, viewing your parents' eccentric behavior and seeing the elevated levels of stress they cause to your body, I understand your concerns of self-preservation."
"You know, M.I.S.T.E.R., you really need to work on your smaller sentences. Sound a human being once and a while. Fire up the portal, will you?"
"Yes, Master Daniel."
Two Jazzbots took to the controls of the Ghost Portal and activated the machine, creating a rift into the Ghost Zone as ordered. Several defense turrets encamped around the portal soon shut down from the Jazzbots' controls as well, allowing Danny passage through without threat of danger to himself.
The portal powered on, flashing a green burst of energy from its center and opening a doorway to the realm of the undead once again. Stepping to the portal, Danny turned to the Jazzbots to give his temporary farewells to the A.I. controlling the bodies, doing the same to his home before leaving.
"Tell mom and dad I'll be home for dinner, okay?" Danny asked.
"Yes, Master Daniel. Have safe travels." M.I.S.T.E.R. said.
Danny flew through the portal, setting off to find the source of the unexplained ectoplasmic phenomenon. Through his control of the Jazzbots, M.I.S.T.E.R. shut down the Ghost Portal and reactivated its defenses, ensuring that no threat would come through after Danny through his doorway.
Heading off into the Ghost Zone once again, Danny began his mission to investigate the strange power, holding back his own fears from what he might find.
The future is a complex place.
Though it has its many heroes and ambassadors, there are still many problems in the world that go unfixed or even unnoticed.
Looking towards the worlds of science and invention with the Ghost Zone, the Fenton Family is always quick to handle any affairs of ghosts that may threaten the world, but its sights are not set on the lesser problems of others. Instead, such matters are ones that they leave to the politicians. The one that they put their utmost trust in to handle that job belongs to the incumbent Tucker Foley.
More focused on his re-election campaign, President Foley is uninterested in the petty problems of the American public, unawares of the troubles and hardships that fall on them; a statement that describes his current state of mind as well as when he first took office. Consequently, the majority of Washington follows his lead in ignorance save for a few renegades, going along with his own agenda, or lack thereof.
Never are the problems of the American people addressed, and never do most of any citizens find peace brought to their own tribulations in life. This fact is not only one that rings true for the living citizens of the country, but also does it apply to its undead citizens as well.
One notable example is the resident of Amity Park known as the Box Ghost. A familiar foe to Danny Phantom during his early days of superherodom, the little clout of danger he has received over the years has not stuck with the specter; instead he descends further into irrelevancy and neglect.
During his life, he was a simple warehouse employee who had a good-paying job and great benefits. Or so he thinks. He can't remember if he had a wife or any children, or even friends. Such details were lost upon him following his death and afterlife, leaving him with only his obsession:
Boxes.
Need the boxes.
Need to set the boxes right.
Need more boxes.
He loves the boxes. They contain everything.
A perfect and holy shape encapsulating everything he needs. It can hold anything he wants it to. It's a womb just for him. He feels comfortable with a box.
The 4 corners of the Earth... No, 8 corners. A box has 8 corners. Those are all the world that he needs. Nothing else matters.
Boxes.
Need the boxes.
Such thoughts comprise him and hold his body together like a spiritual glue, giving him purpose and a sense of joy in his purpose. They hold him together to keep what is left of his mind running, not unlike holding the motor of a car together with stitches and duct tape...
...but where it goes and who is driving it is no longer clear. Rambling on about his undying obsession with boxes, it is all that the being can focus on or think about. No longer does it remember its past goals or missions, who it knew and who it did not, only the boxes are what it thinks about.
Consciousness decays from him like a half-life, perpetually degrading down until nothing is left but the focus of the boxes. Friends and enemies are forgotten and drifting away like a passing dream, leaving only the boxes, and nothing else to his thoughts and name, nor what remains of his life.
Floating aimlessly in the streets of Old Amity Park, he continues over the one thing that keeps him thinking.
"Box Ghost... I am the Box Ghost... I control the boxes... The boxes... The perfect shape... The boxes hold anything... I am the Box Ghost..." Box Ghost mumbled.
His thoughts trail on as he does; searching out for something without knowing what he wants or how to get it. The only thought that makes him now is the undying obsession of boxes, the collection of 8 right angles, 6 flat surfaces, and an endless possibility of content within; a divine thought driving him mad.
And it is the sight of a box that drives him madder when one comes to his sight. Stepping out from a small store before him were two people, carrying their newly-purchased items in their hands. What concerns him is not any of the items that they have purchased moments ago...
...but instead a box within the hands of one of them, bringing forth all his thoughts and attention to the object.
Feeling arousal and focus take control of his mind, the Box Ghost rushed towards the two, focusing himself on his sole target of the box that one of them held. Flying towards them, he reached out for the box, caring not for what was in it, only seeking to obtain the sacred shape for himself.
Keeping his hold on the box, the one who rightfully purchased the box kept his hold on it, refusing to let it go.
"I am the Box Ghost! I desire my sacred and holy shape!" Box Ghost said.
"Hey, let go, you goddamn spook! I just bought these shoes!" The man said.
Both struggling against the box in a game of tug-of-war, neither side let up on holding it, hoping that one side or another would give up their hold and leave. Stepping into the fight to aide their friend, the other individual leaving the store reached in and grabbed the box as well, placing two fighting against the one Box Ghost.
Outflanking him in pure strength, the two successfully reclaimed their box, snatching it out of the arms of the Box Ghost. The two continued to shoo away their annoyance by kicking and pushing the Box Ghost away, ensuring that he would not pose any more nuisance.
"No! I am the Box Ghost! I am the-" Box Ghost began to say.
The Box Ghost was stopped short in his sentence with a kick to the face, sending his corporeal form tumbling down the street.
"Get out of here, you stupid spook!" The man said.
"Yeah, beat it, ghost! Get an afterlife!" The woman said.
The pair, successful in warding off the obnoxious ghost, continued on their way back on their own affairs and concerns for the day. The Box Ghost, conversely, was left to wander and sulk on his own once again; left to meander aimlessly in the streets without a reason to fight or be.
Settling on a place to sit in an alleyway, he spared his metaphysical form any further use, choosing instead to attempt to rest in his seat of choice. Now a being beyond the needs of life, including that of sleep itself, he has no need for rest, but the attempt gives him some semblance of a temporary peace, not unlike a prodding attempt at meditation.
Whatever his state of mind can be classified as, what it cannot be called is peaceful, desperately as he tries to make it so.
"I am the Box Ghost... The boxes... I control... I am... the boxes... The boxes are... I... I don't... I don't remember anymore... I can't remember... I can't remember anything... I can't..." Box Ghost muttered.
The Box Ghost was not alone in his rantings and incoherence; soon joining him was a wandering young woman by the name of Danielle Phantom, wandering down the same alleyway by chance. Seeing the troubled spirit in his restless state of being, the half-ghost girl did not pass him by without care, instead taking her time to observe him.
Hearing the despair that flowed from his mouth, citing a lack of purpose and direction, Danielle took sympathy on the undead creature. Putting herself out of her own way, also lacking in its own direction, she sought to join the ghost and converse with him, kneeling down next to him.
"Shitty day, huh?" Danielle asked.
Hearing the stranger speak to him, the Box Ghost turned to her to acknowledge her greeting. Misrecognizing her as his sworn enemy of Danny Phantom, he stood up from his resting place and floated in a defensive stance, preparing himself to attack the mistaken half-ghost.
"Danny Phantom! Beware! I am the Box Ghost! You have trapped me in your blasphemous cylinder far too many times, I will not see myself defeated once again!" Box Ghost said.
"Slow your wad, there. You've got it wrong. I'm not Danny Phantom. My name's Danielle." Danielle said.
The Box Ghost soon realized he had misjudged the individual before him, leading him to lower his guard against her.
"But... You look just like him... How-?" Box Ghost asked.
"Long story. Doesn't really matter. From what I saw, it didn't seem to be the most pressing thing on your mind, either. You looked like you had enough problems as it is. Wanna talk about it?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because maybe I'm just a person who cares. Maybe you just need someone to talk to."
The Box Ghost no longer made any attempts to defend himself against Danielle, instead choosing to return to the ground in a civilized manner.
"I don't understand. Why do you want to talk to me?" Box Ghost asked.
"Let me just take a guess: You don't have anything to do with yourself anymore, so you just wander around here trying to find something to do. Sound about right?" Danielle asked.
Surprised at the accuracy of Danielle's observation, the Box Ghost further grew skeptical of her and her intentions, asking for her to continue and clarify herself.
"What does it matter to you? I asked you, why do you want to talk to me?" Box Ghost asked.
"Because you're not the only one in the world with those problems. I've got the same raw deal. Why do you think I live down here with you?" Danielle asked.
"I don't know. You... I could have sworn you were Danny Phantom. How do you look just like him?"
"Like I said, it's a long story. To put that long story short, I was supposed to be him, but I can't be. I'm just a copy that nobody remembers. I've been trying to find my own way in this place, just like you. But you don't have to, you know. Your problems are already behind you."
"No, they're not! I need the boxes! I have to have the boxes! The boxes are part of me!"
"Why?"
The simple one-word question posed to the Box Ghost was far from simple to answer, leaving the wandering spirit stumped to respond to the question.
"I... I don't know. I need them! I just need them!" Box Ghost said.
"Can you remember anything about your life? Before you died?" Danielle asked.
Once again, the Box Ghost could find no easy answer to give to Danielle. He could make some kind of response to the question, but it was far from a clear answer.
"I... remember... boxes... Moving boxes... Moving boxes all day... That was my purpose... To move the boxes..." Box Ghost said.
"A warehouse job, maybe? Is that what you think you did?" Danielle asked.
"I... I think so. I can't remember."
"What do you remember?"
"I can't remember anything... I just know I have to move the boxes. I need to move more boxes... That was my purpose..."
"Don't you feel like you've moved enough boxes in your life?"
"No... I need to move more... I... didn't get enough... I didn't get enough..."
"Didn't get enough out of life?"
Danielle once again put a stop to the Box Ghost's speech, redirecting his train of thought closer to a realization.
"No. I didn't. I wanted more. I needed to live more. I don't know how I died or when, but I didn't get enough. I was so young. I mean, I must have been so young. I didn't get all I wanted. It wasn't fair." Box Ghost said.
"It rarely is. I didn't ask to have what I have. To be what I am. But I make the best out of what I have. That's all we can ever do." Danielle said.
"And what about me? I've been trying to get more life, but I haven't found anything. All I've had was just cold and pain. I haven't found the warmth again. The warmth I had when I was alive."
"That's because it's over now. We savor what we have when we're alive while we can, because that's all the time we have for it."
"But it's just not fair! I worked until the day I died, and what do I have now? Nothing! I've given my whole life and I got nothing!"
"Sure you did. You got what everyone else gets when they're born. You got a lifetime. Regardless how long it lasted, you got a lifetime. You got to know what it was like to be alive and enjoy life when you could."
"I still want more! I want to live forever! I want to enjoy life forever!"
"But we weren't meant to do that forever. All good things have to come to an end eventually. Otherwise, what's the point?"
The reasoning seemed to land with the Box Ghost, making him start to rethink his own dedication and will to continue existing past death. What emotion first began in him as depression and carelessness soon became fear and uncertainty, unsure of what would become of him in his afterlife.
The Box Ghost began to cry, still not willing to accept his own passing.
"I don't want to go." Box Ghost said.
"Nobody wants to go. But it has to happen." Danielle said.
The Box Ghost reached out his arms to Danielle with tearful eyes, calling out for a hug.
"Help me." Box Ghost said.
Danielle met his request by hugging him, giving the lost soul the comfort he at last desired. Allowing himself to sink into the arms of Danielle Phantom, the Box Ghost found a taste of peace that he had looked for after so long, weeping softly as he found what he was seeking.
The taste of peace he had soon turned to a full sampling, and that full sampling a full-fledged devouring; his malnourished soul gaining the kindness and warmth it needed at last. No longer having his troubles to haunt him to continue to exist, his form began to dissipate, moving on from the world at last.
The form that Danielle held in her arms faded out from her hold, reduced to nothingness. The consciousness that once made up the Box Ghost departed at last; his form moving on to wherever it may roam from here on out. Gone at last, there is no more haunting coming from or coming to the lost soul, finding himself at last.
The Box Ghost is gone.
Standing up from the ground once again, Danielle smiled, knowing that she gave the ghost a departure in peace that he desired. Unfortunately, the same realization that she gained also brought to her a realization of her own state of affairs as well, taking from her the smile as quickly as it came.
The Box Ghost had found his peace because his own troubles of life were now over, having moved on from his life. Danielle, half-ghost as she was, still had much of her own life to go. Her own life was not too dissimilar from the departed Box Ghost's, searching for a purpose and reason to continue existing.
And unlike the ghost who had recently passed, she knows that she, a living being, does not yet have that privilege.
There is no temptation in her mind to end her own life and join him, no urge to cause harm unto others, but an emptiness still remains in her heart from the questions she asks herself. Looking to the sky one last time as the particles of the Box Ghost left, she saw with it a long, endless trail of uncertainty as he did, and fear from what may lie ahead.
But, once she began to depart from the alley to continue on her way again, she found the hope to see what may come yet.