Jack remembers little of Life, both his Life and Life in general. He has existed here for a long, long time, and he's learned many of its rules, its secrets, and its dangers. Names for this place drift back to him from across the sparsely populated expanse of his memory, but Jack only knows it as Between, and he knows that he's running out of time.
He knows that there was something Before, because he was there once, or at least he thinks he was. His dreams dance with images of Before, though he's not sure if he ever really dreams anymore.
Life was Before.
Surely, he remembers it correctly, because there is no more vivid memory in his mind than that of Life. He remembers Life, pulsing, warm, and overwhelming, as it spilled onto his hands, sticky and sweet. Before, there was light, and there was darkness, but most importantly, there was change. Between does not change very often, and the changes never last very long.
Jack knows that there is also an After, though he's never been there, and he never will, if he has his way. After seethes and hisses at him, taunting and terrorizing, beckoning and mocking. Most people move directly from Before to After, though some stay Between for a while. Everyone has his own path to After, and some may even have multiple paths. Nobody ever comes back from After, even if it sometimes seems like they do.
Jack knows better.
They don't come back. They are Replaced.
They look the same. They often Feel the same, but They always want you to go After, and They can be very crafty about it. Jack knows to stay out of the affairs of the Replaced, because if They concentrate on taking others, They won't worry Themselves with him. As long as he hasn't done anything to hinder Their work, They've left him alone. After is a dark and ominous place, and he will do anything to stay out of it.
Jack has struggled to maintain his place Between for almost as long as he can remember. He hasn't met many others who have managed to stay Between nearly so long, though it's difficult to track the passage of time here. From Between, Jack has glimpsed wondrous throngs of people, surging with Life from Before. He remembers a time when the changes he saw in Before used to shock, awe, or excite him, but it has gotten harder and harder for him to see into Before, and he barely remembers anything with which to compare it anymore. He only knows that Before is full of Life, and when he can reach that Life from Between, it anchors him more strongly than ever.
He was once one of the strongest of those Between, but lately he's found it impossible to focus his strength, and he knows that this means he will soon pass into After. However, he has learned that it is possible for some to pass from Between back into Before. Though it is far too late for him to go back, Jack has discovered a way to bind himself to someone else in Between, and if this anchor manages to find a way back to Before, it should keep Jack from slipping away into After.
Some people manage to bring objects from Before with them into Between. Only things of great emotional or fateful significance, like a wedding ring or a murder weapon, will make the journey. Most importantly for Jack, people will sometimes bring a tiny Spark of Life with them. If the conditions are right, someone who possesses three Sparks of Life should be able to find a way back into Before. Jack simply needs to convince someone to anchor him and collect the Sparks of Life. Fortunately, he has a good deal of knowledge to offer, as well as a few tricks. He just needs to find the right candidate and enough Life to open the way back.
At the beginning of the game, you'll be waiting outside of the passenger area, away from the main group of players. While the other characters are busy chatting with their neighbors, taking naps, or reading magazines, Jack will be wandering through Between, considering his predicament. When one of the judges announces the explosion, chaos will break loose. Jack will suddenly feel the rich pulse of Life nearby, and he'll collect himself enough to investigate. He'll feel a horrible wrenching sensation as he gets pulled into this pocket of Between. Wait until a judge signals you to place your body among the other corpses. When you're placed, just lie still on the ground with your eyes closed until a judge announces the continuation of the game.