"Road trip!" Pratya announced at breakfast. "We're going to Nakhon Pathom today. Containment Bureau headquarters. Siripan says they have files on Papang we should review in person."
Junjao looked up from her khao tom. "How far is that?"
"About sixty kilometers. Hour and a half with checkpoints." Pratya adjusted his Hawaiian shirt, this one covered in tiny elephants. "We leave at nine sharp."
"Can't we just teleport?"
"Interprovince teleportation is restricted," Ruj said. "It destabilizes the spiritual ecosystem. The After banned casual long-distance portals in 1923 after someone created seventeen in one day and nearly collapsed the entire Chiang Rai region's spiritual infrastructure."
"So we drive."
"So we drive."
At nine o'clock, they gathered in the parking garage beneath the office. The space was enormous, far larger than the building above should allow. Rows of vehicles lined up in organized sections marked with department names and purposes.
The vehicle waiting for them looked like a white van from the outside, but with no visible driver's compartment. The interior was arranged like a small comfortable lounge with seats facing each other and a table in the middle.
"Self-driving," Ruj explained as they boarded. "The Spirit Transit Network controls all vehicle movement. Impossible to crash, impossible to speed, impossible to get lost."
Siripan was already inside reviewing files. She looked up when they entered.
"Morning. Thanks for making the trip."
"Absolutely my pleasure!" Pratya said, sliding into the seat across from her with practiced casualness. "I've been wanting to visit your headquarters for months. The work you're doing with spiritual containment theory is groundbreaking. That paper you published on binding disruption techniques? Brilliant synthesis of traditional methods and modern applications."
Siripan looked genuinely pleased. "You read that?"
"Cover to cover. Twice. The section on layered ward systems was particularly insightful. I'd love to discuss your methodology sometime."
Junjao sat next to Ruj, impressed. Pratya had clearly done his homework.
The van started moving smoothly, silent except for a faint hum of energy. They exited through a tunnel that shifted reality around them, emerging onto a road that glowed faintly blue-white.
"The Spirit Transit Network," Ruj said. "Built in 1897 by Holy Spirits. Took fifteen years to complete across Thailand."
The road stretched ahead, perfectly maintained and empty of chaos. Other vehicles traveled alongside them, all moving at exactly the same speed. The landscape around them was purely spiritual, structures and pathways with no physical world counterparts visible here.
"Why is everything the same speed?" Junjao asked.
"Fixed velocity," Ruj said. "Eighty kilometers per hour, spiritually speaking. The road itself regulates movement. You literally cannot speed or slow down once you're on the network. The vehicles don't even have speed controls."
"What's the point of that?"
"Prevents energy disruptions. Spiritual travel creates ripples in the realm. Standardized speed keeps those ripples predictable and manageable. Before the network was regulated, random portal usage caused what the old reports call 'spiritual turbulence.' Imagine trying to exist peacefully as a spirit while reality keeps hiccupping around you."
"That sounds awful."
"It was. The network solved it."
They passed a large facility marked with official symbols. Through the windows, Junjao could see spirits working at desks, moving between rooms, conducting what looked like normal office work.
"Transit Authority regional office," Ruj said. "They monitor traffic flow, handle permit applications, coordinate emergency responses. That building processes about three thousand permits per week."
"For what?"
"Regional crossings, cargo transport, emergency vehicle authorization, spiritual hazard warnings, route maintenance schedules. The network requires constant administration."
Pratya was explaining something to Siripan, using his hands for emphasis. "The problem with traditional binding methods is they rely on sustained energy input from the living world. But your mirror technique creates a self-contained feedback loop. Theoretically, it could maintain indefinitely without external offerings."
"Theoretically," Siripan agreed. "We're still testing long-term stability. The mirrors sometimes develop fractures after six months."
"Have you tried layering different reflective materials? Silver versus bronze versus polished stone? Each would have different spiritual resonance properties."
"We tested silver and bronze. The stone idea is interesting though..."
They approached the first checkpoint. A massive gateway spanning the entire road, glowing with protective symbols. The sign overhead read: BANGKOK METROPOLITAN EXIT.
The van slowed automatically, joining a queue of about fifteen vehicles ahead.
"Every vehicle exiting Bangkok gets inspected," Ruj explained. "They verify permits, check passenger manifests, ensure nothing dangerous is leaving the region unrecorded."
A spirit officer approached, tablet in hand. She wore an official uniform and the expression of someone who'd seen everything twice.
"Transit permit."
Ruj held up his phone to the window. She scanned it.
"Bangkok After Office to Nakhon Pathom Containment Bureau. Four passengers." She looked into the van, counted them, then her eyes fixed on Junjao. "Living soul requires special authorization."
Siripan leaned forward with her tablet. "Containment Bureau escort clearance. Priority classification."
The officer scanned it, reviewed something on her screen, then nodded. "Approved. Proceed."
The gate opened. They merged back into the flow.
"That wasn't too bad," Junjao said.
"That was the easy one," Pratya said. "Regional boundary checkpoint is more thorough."
"Speaking of which," Siripan said, "how did you manage to get priority classification for this trip? That usually requires three levels of approval."
"I called in a favor with the Transit Authority deputy director," Pratya said. "We worked together on a case five years ago involving unauthorized portal usage. He owed me."
"Impressive networking."
"I've been doing this a long time. You learn who to call."
Junjao whispered to Ruj, "He's actually being smooth."
"He prepared," Ruj whispered back. "Probably spent all week researching her work and planning conversation topics."
"That's kind of sweet."
"It's strategic. But yes."
The landscape around them shifted as they traveled. Facilities appeared and disappeared, each marked with different department insignias. A large complex labeled Reincarnation Processing Center South. A smaller building marked Temple Spirit Training Regional Branch. A structure that looked almost like a warehouse labeled Spiritual Evidence Storage Facility 7.
"All these places are just... running? All the time?" Junjao asked.
"The After never stops," Ruj said. "People die constantly. Souls need processing, judgment, assignment, containment, training. The system operates twenty-four hours a day across every region."
"How many regions are there in Thailand?"
"Seventeen. Each with its own administrative structure, staffing, facilities. Bangkok is the largest. Nakhon Pathom is mid-sized but strategically important because of the chedi's spiritual power."
A sign appeared ahead: REST STATION - 2 KILOMETERS.
"Should we stop briefly?" Pratya asked. "Stretch our legs? Not that we need to, but the facilities are quite interesting."
"I could use a break to review some files," Siripan said.
"Perfect! The rest stations have excellent work spaces!"
The van automatically exited at the station. The facility was large and purposeful, designed for travelers who actually needed stops, not random souls wandering through.
"Rest stations serve officials and authorized travelers," Ruj explained as they parked. "Transit officers, evidence transport teams, emergency responders, administrative personnel on interprovince assignments. They're equipped with communication centers, briefing rooms, secure storage, and yes, food courts, because even dead bureaucrats appreciate good coffee."
The building was modern and efficient. Inside, transit officers filled out paperwork at tables. A team of what looked like evidence transporters sat in a briefing room reviewing procedures. A group wearing Holy Spirits Administration uniforms discussed something at the information desk.
"I'm going to use the secure communication room," Siripan said. "Need to check in with my team."
"I'll come with you," Pratya said immediately. "I have some questions about inter-departmental coordination protocols. If you don't mind."
"Not at all. Actually, your perspective might be useful."
They walked off together, Pratya gesturing as he talked about something bureaucratic but apparently interesting enough that Siripan was listening attentively.
Junjao turned to Ruj. "He's actually doing well."
"He researched. Made a plan. Pratya is many things, but he's not stupid. Just enthusiastic."
"And he really likes her."
"He really does."
They walked through the rest station. The food court was busy with officials grabbing quick meals between assignments. A group of transit officers discussed route maintenance schedules. Two Containment Bureau agents reviewed what looked like case files while eating.
"Everyone here is working," Junjao observed.
"Rest stations are for official travel breaks. New souls go directly from death site to their assigned After office. They don't pass through the transit network unless they're being transferred between regions, which is rare."
They stopped at an information board showing a map of the entire Spirit Transit Network. Lines connected different regions, each marked with distance and travel time.
"This is the whole country," Junjao said, tracing the routes. "All connected."
"And it connects to international networks at border crossings. You could theoretically travel from Bangkok to Singapore using only Spirit Transit, but you'd need multiple permits and about sixteen hours of travel time."
"Do spirits actually do that?"
"Diplomatic staff. Specialized investigators. Sometimes souls who died far from home and want to return to ancestral shrines. But it's heavily regulated."
A group of transit officers entered, looking tired. One of them approached the information desk.
"Route 7 between Ayutthaya and Lopburi needs maintenance," he reported. "We're seeing minor spiritual fluctuations in the forty-kilometer mark. Nothing dangerous yet but it should be addressed."
The desk officer made notes. "I'll schedule an inspection team. Probably take three days to get approval."
"Standard bureaucracy."
"Standard bureaucracy keeps the network stable. You know this."
The officer sighed but nodded.
Pratya and Siripan returned, both looking engaged in conversation.
"So if you layer the wards in opposing directions," Pratya was saying, "the energy signatures should cancel out interference patterns."
"In theory. But the timing has to be exact or you get resonance collapse."
"What if you used a buffer ward between layers? Something neutral to absorb excess resonance?"
Siripan paused. "That... might actually work. I'll have my team test it."
Pratya tried not to look too pleased with himself and mostly succeeded.
They returned to the van and continued the journey. The landscape shifted again, more open now, less dense with facilities.
The second checkpoint appeared, larger than the first. The sign read: BANGKOK-NAKHON PATHOM REGIONAL BOUNDARY.
Multiple lanes, several inspection stations, and noticeably more security.
"This is the thorough one," Ruj said.
Their van moved into an inspection lane. A different officer approached, older and more official-looking.
"Regional crossing permit."
Siripan handed over her tablet. The officer scanned it slowly, cross-referencing multiple databases.
"Purpose of regional crossing?"
"Official Containment Bureau business. Case consultation with Bangkok After Office regarding historical curse investigation."
"Duration of stay in Nakhon Pathom region?"
"Approximately four hours."
"Nature of materials being transported?"
"None. This is personnel transport only."
The officer made detailed notes. "Bangkok office personnel identification."
Pratya and Ruj presented their IDs. More scanning, more cross-referencing.
"Living soul in vehicle. Authorization code?"
Siripan rattled off a number from memory. The officer verified it.
"Code confirmed. Regional Director authorization. Approved." He stamped something on his tablet. "Welcome to Nakhon Pathom region. Maintain approved route to Containment Bureau headquarters. Any deviation will be flagged."
The gate opened.
"That was intense," Junjao said as they merged back into traffic.
"Regional boundaries are taken very seriously," Ruj said. "Different regions have different spiritual characteristics, different administrative rules, different security protocols. Unauthorized crossings can cause jurisdiction conflicts."
"Has that actually happened?"
"In 1967, a spirit crossed from Nakhon Ratchasima to Khon Kaen without approval and both regions tried to claim jurisdiction over his judgment case. It went to The After's Supreme Administrative Court. Took three years to resolve."
"That's insane."
"That's why we have checkpoints."
The landscape changed noticeably after crossing the boundary. The spiritual infrastructure looked different, more spread out, with different architectural styles on the facilities they passed.
And then Junjao felt it. A massive presence, warm and protective and ancient.
"The Phra Pathom Chedi," Ruj said. "You can feel it from here. That's why Containment Bureau headquarters is in Nakhon Pathom. That much spiritual power provides natural containment assistance."
The chedi appeared in the distance, enormous and golden even in the spirit realm. The energy radiating from it was immense, centuries of devotion and worship creating a power source that made everything else seem small.
"It's incredible," Junjao said.
"It's strategic," Siripan said. "Containing dangerous entities requires enormous energy. The chedi provides that naturally. Our facility is designed to channel and direct that power where needed."
The van navigated through streets that existed only in the spirit realm, turning and moving with purpose until they pulled up to an ordinary-looking office building.
"This is it?" Junjao asked.
"The real facility is underground," Siripan said. "What you see is just the entrance."
They got out. Pratya smoothed his shirt, checked his reflection in the van window, then straightened his posture.
"Ready?" Siripan asked.
"Absolutely. Very ready. Professionally ready."
She smiled. "You're doing fine, Pratya."
He beamed.
They entered the building. The lobby looked normal for exactly three steps. Then reality shifted.
The space expanded impossibly. The lobby was massive, filled with activity. Containment Bureau staff moved with purpose between areas. Large screens displayed information feeds. The walls were lined with doors marked with different department names and security levels.
"Welcome to Containment Bureau Central Region Headquarters," Siripan said. "Try not to touch anything without permission. Some of it is evidence and very dangerous."
A young woman approached with a tablet. "Director Siripan, the possession case in Ratchaburi just escalated. The entity refuses negotiation."
"Status?"
"Hostile but contained within the subject. Team three is ready for extraction."
"Brief them on protocol seven. I'll review the case in thirty minutes." Siripan turned to the group. "Sorry. Let me get someone to give you the tour while I handle this."
"We can wait," Pratya said. "Take your time. Emergencies are important. Very important."
A man in uniform approached. "You're the Bangkok office group? I'm Officer Thana. I'll be your guide today."
Siripan nodded and headed off toward the offices, already pulling up files on her tablet.
Thana smiled at them. "Right then. Let's show you how we contain the dangerous parts of the afterlife."
He led them deeper into the facility, past security checkpoints and reinforced doors, into the working heart of the Containment Bureau.
And Junjao realized that The After was far more complex, far more organized, and far more fascinating than she'd ever imagined.