Encounters Out There

Humans practiced their religious beliefs in a designated reservation.

"Arise to give one another thanks," said the pastor.

"Will we ever be free to worship again?" asked a follower.

The pastor reverently held their hands together. "Perhaps someday."

Another believer spoke, "The aliens are giving people what they've always wanted. That 'cybernetic vessel' of so-called 'immortal bliss.' No faith's required when uploading the deceased's mind to a virtual heaven."

"Is it a real eternal afterlife?" asked another devotee.

"Not really." The pastor shook their head. "More like a purgatory for the soul because it must be truly free to transcend."