"Now we make decisions about your next life - usually people reincarnate at this point, and you'll have the option of either keeping your karma in reserve for the future or spending it on a better position in your next life. You can also gain karma credits by taking on life elements most souls are reluctant to."

“...okay. What sort of things can I spend karma on, do you have a list?”

"Yes, right here - "

He reaches for another stack - and then a phone rings.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I have to take this - "

“Of course.”

He stands, half turning away, a phone appearing in his hand. "Yes ma'am? - Of course, ma'am - I understand, ma'am - are you sure - of course - right away, ma'am."

The other side of the conversation is completely inaudible.

He hangs up, and turns back to Ayra - "There's an offer going out, right now, to all reincarnating souls, if you'd care to hear?"

“That seems like relevant information.”

"One of our other offices - for a different universe than your own - is suffering a critical shortage of souls for a specific time period. We're offering a rather large karma credit to anyone willing to reincarnate to help relieve that shortage."

"A different universe. Huh. Why is there a shortage? Is there a reason people from that universe wouldn't want to be reincarnated back into it?"

"Population growth, and it's in the middle of a time of turmoil. This particular period is quite close to some cataclysms, though they can be averted."

Hhhuh.

"Well. That seems like a reasonable deal. Could you tell me more about the world?"

He picks up a paper, squinting at it. "The specific region in question is a galaxy - it's fairly crowded with inhabited planets, especially compared to your home world's galaxy. Many of the planets have space flight, though some haven't been contacted. The time you'd be born... A transition between a reigning Republic - in the middle of a civil war - and a Galactic Empire that is expected to shortly unite the known galaxy under one rule."

"The universe has a native magic system, usable by a small percent of the population."

...well that sounds weirdly familiar. But maybe Galactic Empires are a thing that lots of sci fi and also apparently alternate universes have; she's not sure she can pinpoint the one thing this is reminding her of.

"Is there any way to know whether I'd be in that percent of the population?"

"That'd be one of the things you could spend your karma on, if you wanted to be sure."

"Oh. What else can I spend my karma on, here?"

"There's a list..."

He digs a bit, and pulls out a piece of paper - her current karma total is too low for the magic, naturally, but if she took the credit it'd be raised...

The things she can purchase with her karma include 'past life memories,' 'perfect past life memories,' 'magic sensitivity,' specific magical talents, lifelong luck, royalty or other high class raising, eidetic memory going forward, quick learner, some talents at mundane things... There are also disadvantages, which will give her credit. 'Born with enemies' and 'imperial enemy' are worth extra credit, as are unpopular backgrounds, statuses, and such.

These are so many things.

She would like to keep her past life memories. Perfect past life memories seems unnecessary given that she does not have perfect memory of her current life (or is it past, already??) to begin with.

Lifelong luck would be extremely useful, it's incredible that that's even an option. Maybe it's expensive? (She assumes she did not purchase any lifelong luck the last time she made these decisions, given that she was randomly hit by a car at age 22).

Quick learner would also be useful. High class ranking is unnecessary, but might be helpful to her in working to avert various cataclysms. So, that depends on the cost.

She'll take a disadvantage. Born with enemies is fine, imperial enemy seems also fine - can she ask for more details about this Galactic Empire? Also, what sort of unpopular backgrounds are on the table here, is she able to know or select details about her range of options there?

Yes...

Lifelong luck and perfect past life memories are both expensive enough she wouldn't be able to afford them and the magic; she could get magic and luck without past life memories, or perfect memories without magic or luck.

She can have a list of all options and their costs! Unpopular backgrounds contain things like some disabilities, extreme poverty, born into a war zone, abusive parents, born into slavery...

The Galactic Empire is not expected to have total uncontested control of its territory, but is likely to be fairly brutal to those of its opponents it catches.

It is being founded by the Supreme Chancellor of the old Republic, by a vote in the Republic's Senate. Senators who opposed the formation of the Empire are expected to continue to oppose it, and to be natural imperial enemies - most likely she'd be born into one of those families with that detriment.

Hm.

Okay. She would like magic and non-perfect past life memories and eidetic memory going forward. She will take the born with enemies + imperial enemies option. She is not going to choose any of those unpopular backgrounds. (Though. Given her life and the lives that she read about in her file, she has to wonder if this is not a choice she usually makes.)

Is that... everything she needs to decide?

She has a few miscellaneous points she can spend on small things, like specific areas she could be talented in - or she can ask for those points to be assigned randomly, or keep them back for future lives.

What are some specific areas of talent that she can afford?

Of mundane - marksmanship, piloting, politics, fighting, languages... Really most talents that existed in her world.

Of magical - visions, visions specifically of events surrounding objects, seeing 'shatterpoints' (sort of how best to break something), healing, the ability to sync multiple minds together for large tasks like in battle... The last is quite comparatively expensive, but affordable if she's willing to not take many other things.

She would like visions and politics and fighting, please, assuming she can afford all of those at once.

She can.

Great. Is that all set, then?

Yes. If she's sure of her choices, he can file the paperwork, and she can get on to her new life.