The Postmortal

John is waiting for a date and talks with an Australian man who is touring the world, living a year in every country. The man also describes his open marriage with his wife, who is not accompanying him on his trip. John’s date arrives; John invites the Australian to join them but ultimately spends the whole night talking with him.

John passes by a construction site and is handed a pamphlet for the Church of Man. The pamphlet details a belief system that focuses on humanity, disavowing an omnipotent being. The sermons are scientific, historical, and attempt to inspire love toward other humans. The religion emphasizes healthy lifestyles and denounces violence of any kind. John shows the flyer to his friend, Scott, who speaks disparagingly of the church.

John goes out with some coworkers to celebrate a pregnancy. While drinking at the bar, he sees a woman named Alison with whom he went to middle school; he was in love with her but moved away in 10th grade. His passionate feelings resurface when seeing her, so he rejoins his group until Alison notices him. The two chat and flirt, eventually turning their conversation to more difficult topics like John’s child and Alison’s divorce.