The trial for Jeffrey Keating is today. Dante Amar is pressing charges against him as a war criminal, claiming he initiated the violence which caused the First War. As a human, Keating is charged with infiltrating the powered army as a sympathizer and inciting violence at a rally. With a jury of powered individuals stacked against him, Keating is facing life imprisonment. However, Amar has repeatedly asserted that he will not impose the death penalty – which has been standard for war criminals in previous regimes. – Kaitlyn Quinn, 203 Anno Imperi Ortu

A dozen confused faces stare at me. A few brave children step forward, but their parents hold them back. Silently, I stand with Jade and Lukas at the edge of town. Ravi takes a few steps forward, waving toward the villagers. One man dressed in a nice shirt and slacks steps forward. A few others try to join them, but he holds a hand back and they stop in their tracks. For a brief moment, I wonder if he’s like me. That fleeting thought doesn’t last long, though, as I realize he’s simply a leader and they followed a silent order.

Ravi walks to meet him. I confidently take a few steps forward as well. I’m careful to avoid appearing confrontational while demonstrating a lack of fear. The villagers cower and stumble back as I move toward them, so I slow my approach. I don’t want to start with a bad first impression when I have just rediscovered hope.

Deciding to let Ravi handle the introduction, I stay back as he stops near the man and looks over his shoulder. Lights come on in the distance. Despite the silence of the encounter so far, word seems to be spreading about our arrival. I have no idea what powers may exist out here, so I cautiously look over my shoulder. With a glance toward Jade, I nod to my left. She steps forward and turns to press her right shoulder against my left. Falling into formation, Lukas presses his left against my right. Between the three of us, an ambush is impossible. Still, we are clearly outnumbered.

I want to be hopeful. If all of the people here are as welcoming as Ravi, I should have no problem melding into their society. However, it’s quite possible they aren’t. It’s also possible it was a front. While I can’t necessarily explain why he would have saved us from the Beasts simply to kill us here – I can’t discount the possibility. Maintaining an inconspicuous posture, I put my fingers in my pockets and turn my palms toward the potential attackers.

More people come out of their huts while Ravi and the stranger whisper to one another. I try to eavesdrop, but I can’t make out any sounds. I wonder if it would be possible to capture the sound waves from their voices and subtly carry them toward myself. Even if it were possible, I can’t risk something completely new when it may start a war. Unable to hear them, I simply have to be as prepared as humanly possible. I feel Jade’s shoulder twitch and see Lukas’s finger rapidly tapping his thigh. With good cause, they’re both as paranoid as I am.

As far as I can tell, all of the people gathering are coming from in front of us. If they don’t surround us, we are in a defensible position. I know I can’t hold the entire town back, but I would be able to use the element of surprise. The odds are that they haven’t seen anything like my power, and Ravi still thinks I’m a flier. I have to keep my weapon a secret, at least until I’m slightly more convinced I can trust them.

Finally, Ravi looks back toward us. The stranger pats his back and takes a few steps forward, leaving Ravi behind. Tensing, I slowly move toward them to intercept the man. I’m not afraid of him – but I am cautious. We will have a place to stay even if I need to take it by force. I can’t let my people be taken by the Beasts. We won’t survive out there.

Still, I hope it won’t come to violence. I need these people. Their numbers are far greater than I would have expected. While not nearly comparable to the number of those inside the wall, it’s more potential followers than I’d accumulated before. It’s also a group who hasn’t seen my failures.

The man stops in front of me. Cautiously, I move my hands from my pockets and wait for him to greet me. His face adopts a broad smile. It may be due to my history – but I trust him even less. A well-dressed man smiling with no good cause has never meant something good for me.

“Satoshi Eldric,” the man greets, extending his hand. I don’t know if his power has something to do with skin contact like Alexis. Erring on the side of caution, I surround my own hand with a thin layer of telekinetic energy. I hope he won’t notice the fact that he isn’t directly touching my skin as I grab his hand.

“Carson,” I reply. “Carson Adachi.”

“Adachi,” he muses, shaking my hand once before releasing it. “Interesting. Inspiration from our names comes from the same land.”

“What makes you say that?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.

“Ah, my apologies. I find the most peculiar things interesting. It’s been so long since I met someone from the inside. I forget the lens through which the Council presents history.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” I stammer. I’m not completely sold on Satoshi, but he doesn’t seem to pose an immediate threat. His shoulders are relaxed and he glances in the general direction of the wall when he mentions the inside. If he were anticipating an attack, he wouldn’t have turned his face from me. Using that as comfort, I try to relax as well.

“A long time ago, names used to be more indicative of culture. For example, Satoshi and Adachi are names from an Ancient civilization known as Japan. When the Council formed a single land for all powered individuals, names from those cultures blended. It’s interesting, but of no import.”

My mind is reeling as he rambles about nonsense. I know civilization existed before the First War, but I have trouble understanding how those unevolved pre-humans had any understanding of names and culture. He has no reason to lie to me, but I have trouble believing someone I’ve just met over years of history class. I realize, however, that it’s that exact mindset which leads to the brainwashing of the people back home.

“I’m sorry, history excites me. There are more important things to focus on now. You three must be exhausted – please come rest.”

“You don’t care who we are?”

“Oh, quite contrary my friend. Your stories intrigue me. There will be time tomorrow for stories. Tonight, I can see the need for sleep in your eyes. Bring your friends.”

Satoshi turns to walk away, but I catch his shoulder. Inquisitively, he looks back at me. His willingness to show me his back lulls me further into a sense of security, but I’m careful to keep my guard up nonetheless.

“What are you?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Your Power? Your Class?”

“Well, The Council called me an Intellect, but we don’t necessarily think of things the same way out here.”

“Why are you here? Why are you all here?” I demand.

“There will be time tomorrow for stories,” he reiterates. Widening his eyes and glancing at my hand, he silently requests that I release him. With a sigh, I obey. I look back at Lukas and Jade and wave toward myself. Together, we all follow Satoshi into town.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much in the way of spare rooms,” Satoshi explains along the way. “As I’ve mentioned, we don’t get many visitors. However, for the time being we can set the three of you up with mattresses on the floor of town hall, if that’s alright.”

“Are you kidding?” Lukas laughs, quickly accepting Satoshi as a new friend. I recoil and almost scold him for his informality, but it’s too late now. Satoshi hasn’t been particularly formal either, so I suppose it’s fine. Still, I hope Lukas doesn’t begin to trust him too much without some type of evidence. “I’d be fine with the floor.”

“That can be arranged if it’s your preference,” Satoshi muses.

“No, thank you!” Lukas cheers.

Satoshi leads us to the largest of the huts. Some people clear the way and retreat into their homes as we pass. Others wave and smile, so I try to greet each of them to build a rapport early. Even in the middle of their village, the architecture rises merely a few feet above my head. A strange circular device with three lines radiating from the center rests on the front of the building. One of the lines appears to be moving. I can’t decipher it, so I choose rather to focus on the environment. We stand in a small town square with a stone ground. Primitive buildings surround us. One has a strange symbol with a snake on it. Overwhelmed by the new symbols and change in environment, I resolve to stop overloading my senses As long as I know my escape route, I can explore my surroundings when I’ve had sleep and food.

Satoshi opens the door to their town hall, but I’m reluctant to enter. Lukas pats my back and walks inside first. I want to stop him, but he’s willing to scan for traps for me. I suppose he’d be the most qualified to escape. When he steps inside, he quietly runs around the building in a matter of seconds before waving me inside.

Trusting Lukas’s assessment, I lead Jade inside. Satoshi follows us in and closes the door. I can’t help but think this is an ambush. Quietly, he flicks a light switch and illuminates the room. No one jumps at me. In fact, I find myself in a fairly plain room. There is a couch to my left and a few bookshelves block the walls. The floor is carpeted until it meets a hallway to the right, where it transitions to tile. A door separates me from another room to the north, but it’s closed and therefore obstructs my observation.

“This room is the closest we have to a library, unfortunately. Not many books survived. Our meeting hall is in the room to the north. You have a bathroom and kitchen down that hall, and there’s also a recreation room,” Satoshi explains.

“Wow,” I stammer. I can’t hide the fact that I’m pleased with what I see. Though the construction is subpar, the amenities are far superior to my previous base.

“I know, it’s not quite what you’re used to inside,” Satoshi sighs.

“I’m impressed,” I laugh. “This is incredible.”

“Great. Well, I’ll get some help and bring a few spare mattresses to set you all up. We can talk tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Satoshi,” I reply. Turning around, he heads back through the door. I have no reason to distrust Satoshi. Clearly, he isn’t fond of the Council. All he’s had to about them was a brief, albeit confusing, insult. I can’t exactly process Satoshi’s new take on history yet, but I knew he doesn’t seem to support them. At this point, that’s enough for me.

By the time I pull myself out of my head, I look up and see that I’m standing in an empty room. I assume the others have gone to explore our new base. I take the opportunity to gander at the bookshelves. Everything present looks old with yellowed pages and chipped covers. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a single title. Books like this clearly aren’t sanctioned by the Council, and I have no idea how Satoshi found them. The world must be even more massive than I’ve ever imagined. Turning away from the books in some language I can’t interpret, I find the door to the meeting hall open. Stepping through, I see a simple podium in the middle with a few dozen chairs filling the rest of the space. Lukas stands at the podium waving his arms dramatically, but he freezes when he sees me and slowly lowers his arms.

“Everything alright?” I tease.

“The people love me,” Lukas shrugs. “Maybe you have competition for your role.”

“That so?” I laugh.

“No, sir,” Lukas replies quickly.

“You can have it, if you like.”

“I respectfully decline.”

“Well, in that case, feel free to continue inspiring the crowd for me.”

Lukas drops his head and flees from the podium. Before I have a second to turn and walk away, he’s already at my side. Chuckling under my breath, I pat his shoulder and leave the room. Lukas runs past me and stands at the bookshelf, rapidly removing and replacing each book.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Checking for secret doorways,” he replies nonchalantly.

“Cool.” Leaving Lukas to his own devices, I walk down the hall. I wonder where Jade went, but I’m sure I’ll run into her if I just explore. Opening another door, I peek my head inside. Jade is nowhere in sight, but I’m intrigued enough to step into the room. There are a few balls of various sized on the ground. A machine which appears to have weights strapped to it sits in a corner and two others are on the other side. Cautiously, I approach one of the machines. I can’t figure out what it’s for. Stepping on it, I try to move the belt beneath me. It requires a deal of effort, but I’m able to walk on the machine. It appears to be something which offers leg exercises. Dismounting, I turn and see a rack of free weights. Behind a half- wall are coloring books and children’s toys.

Resolving to investigate more later, I leave the room and close the door behind me. On the other side of the hall is a small kitchen. When I glance inside, I see the refrigerator door open. With a groan, I enter to find Jade rifling through the food.

“The Beasts stole our dinner, Powerless,” she defends. She doesn’t look toward me but rather continues digging through the refrigerator. Finally, she grabs a few carrots and closes the door, chomping down on one of them loudly.

“I’m aware,” I tell her. “I don’t think stealing food is the best way to build relationships with these people though.”

“Better than dying.”

“Alright, that’s overdramatic,” I argue. Despite my good intentions, I can’t ignore the growling of my stomach. Finally, I sigh and step forward. The door opens once again and I look through it. Even back home, I’ve never seen such a well-stocked refrigerator. I can’t imagine they’ll miss a few vegetables. Following Jade’s lead, I take some raw carrots out for a snack.

“I’ll talk to Satoshi about how to earn food,” I tell her guiltily.

“You don’t have to justify yourself to me,” she shrugs.

“Fair enough,” I admit. Biting into the carrot, I pivot and leave the kitchen. Jade returns to her food hunt, apparently unsatisfied and searching for something more substantial. I hear the front door open again so I freeze in the hallway. Worried about angering our host, I drop the carrot, allowing it to hover above the ground, and finish chewing before returning to the main room.

Five people bring in three large mattresses. One of the men has scars covering his entire body and a woman has holes in her arms and one through her skull. Another man holds a mattress on his own, balancing it on a strong shoulder with a disproportionately massive arm. I try not to stare, but I can’t help but wonder exactly what’s happening.

“Thank you,” I stammer.”

“What happened to you?” Lukas asks, looking at the woman with holes in her body.

“I’m sorry?” She asks.

“Does it hurt?”

“Oh, it’s there,” she laughs. “I’m invisible. Partially, at least.”

“I’ve never seen something like that.”

“That’s not surprising. I don’t think the Council likes to advertise it.”

“Let’s save that discussion for tomorrow, if that’s alright,” Satoshi interrupts.

“Sorry,” the woman apologizes. After depositing the mattresses, the others leave silently. Satoshi remains behind for a moment and catches my eye.

“Sorry about that. People here aren’t necessarily fond of the Council.”

“You won’t hear me coming to their rescue,” I assure.

“Nonetheless, such talk is dangerous when we don’t know you well.”

“Wise,” I admit.

“There’s a refrigerator down the hall. Feel free to eat anything you need. Our harvests and hunts have been bountiful, so we have plenty to go around. Besides, I’m sure you’re all famished.”

“Thanks,” I reply, guiltily thinking about the carrot I’m still hiding in the hallway. Lukas accepts the invitation and disappears as he races to the kitchen. Satoshi turns to leave, but I have too many questions to ask him. I ask, “Can you read these books?”

“But of course. I’ve read all of them. The language isn’t hard to learn,” he tells me. “I’ve taught it to most of the others here.”

“Could you teach me how to read it?”

“Happily.”

I want to ask him about his power, but he’s already made it clear that he has no interest in discussing that tonight. Allowing him his privacy, I say my goodbyes and watch as he leaves. Locking the door behind him, I allow myself a brief moment of calm. I collapse onto the bed and stare at the ceiling above me. So many people have given their lives to get me here, but now I have hope that it won’t be in vain.

I hear Jade drag her mattress into the meeting room and Lukas jump onto his. Then, the next thing I hear is a knocking on the door. I sit up quickly and look around. Jade is already eating eggs and Lukas appears to have resumed his search for a secret door.

“Did I fall asleep?” I ask.

“Yes,” Jade sneers. “It’s morning.”

“I must have been tired,” I yawn, stretching toward the ceiling. Hearing the knocking again, I rise to my feet and walk to the door. Especially around people who don’t know my power yet – I need to keep up appearances. It would serve no purpose to open the door telekinetically, even though I make a point to try to practice my power in every minute way possible.

I pull the door open and see Satoshi standing on the other side; dressed just as well as he had been the day before. Surprisingly, he has come to see us alone. I understand why Dante was willing to approach me alone at the farmlands. With his power, he has nothing to fear. However, Satoshi doesn’t share that luxury. Either there’s something he isn’t telling me or he trusts us. I don’t understand why the latter would be true.

“Good morning,” he greets with a smile.

“Good morning,” I reply, stepping away from the door to grant him admission.

“I’m glad to see you’re all awake. I was worried I’d come too early.”

“No, you’re fine,” I assure him.

“There’s no polite way to begin this conversation, so I think it best I just get into it. Why are you here?” Satoshi asks. His voice doesn’t necessarily seem stern, but it definitely isn’t as jovial as it had been leading to that moment. He closes the door behind him and leans against it.

“We were getting attacked by Beasts,” I shrug.

“No one is Outside without a reason. Why are you here?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Enlighten me, Carson Adachi,” Satoshi demands. I can barely stop myself from laughing. He’s trying to appear threatening but clearly has no idea what I’m capable of. Apparently sensing my hostility, he raises his hands and straightens up, taking a few steps away. The confidence and composure he has right now is enviable. Despite my power, I find myself concerned about a potential fight. Finally, he clarifies his point. “Aside from my own search for knowledge, I must ask. You see, people around here aren’t trusting of the Council. I’ve heard concerns that you’re spies. As ridiculous as that may be, I need to be able to assure the people.”

“We’re not spies,” Jade spits.

“Excuse her,” I laugh. “She is right, though. We are no friends of the Council.”

“Good to know.”

“We don’t have a good history with authority,” I admit. “So I’m hesitant to divulge too much.”

“Reasonable, but don’t worry. I’m not an authority by any means.”

Satoshi calmly walks to the couch and sits down. Following him, I lean against the bookshelf. I cross my arms in front of my chest and place one foot over the other to mirror his relaxed stance.

“You don’t lead these people?”

“We don’t have an organized government system. We simply survive together.”

“Yet you’re in here questioning me. They listen to you.”

“I’m intelligent,” he shrugs. “By no fault of my own, mind you, it’s my power. They tend to defer to me as the expert on most things.”

“What is your power?”

“I remember everything,” he reveals.

“Everything?” I press. Satoshi sighs and stands to his feet. I step away from the bookshelf and he moves to stand in front of the books. Silently, he runs a finger along them. Finally, he finds one written in the language I can recognize and tosses it to me.

I open the book and he starts reciting it verbatim. To prove his point, he has me pick a random page and recites that one to me. Baffled, I close the book and hand it back to him. I have seen impressive powers before, and plenty of Intellects can memorize books, but something about Satoshi seems different.

“I don’t necessarily have to read or learn things. The second I am exposed to it, my brain seems to understand without my conscious decision. I learned complex mathematics by skimming through the book for twenty minutes.”

“With that kind of power, why are you not a Class I back in Sanctuary?”

“When knowledge comes so easily, it becomes a bore,” he explains. Satoshi steps back and walks across the room. Jade rolls her eyes and retreats to the kitchen. She seems to be annoyed that someone else’s power is impressive – though that has no bearing on her own. Lukas taps his foot and stands in the corner. Clearly, the conversation isn’t moving quickly enough for him, but he is too interested to simply leave.

Satoshi retrieves a book from another bookshelf and turns to face me again. This book is more of a collection of newspaper clippings, many of which hang from the sides of the cover. It appears sloppy and unfinished, but he holds it as though it’s a prized artifact.

“I desperately sought not only more information, but something I had to try to learn. I wanted the challenge,” he explains.

“You found it in there, I take it?” I ask.

“No,” he shakes his head. “Not at all. But I found truth in this book. Some of these are news clippings I managed to sneak from the Council. They had a secret library – which I’m sure is destroyed by now.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They teach you that the world is confined to their Sanctuary – but there’s so much more beyond it. I found fallacies in the Council’s leadership, so they banished me. During my wanderings, I found buildings from Ancient societies and accumulated what I could. I want people who come through here to know the truth.”

“The truth?”

“The Council has their version of history. This is mine. Putting this together gave me a purpose. My mind couldn’t understand something it hadn’t seen yet – so I had to search for more information. Then, I settled here. Now, all I have is stories. They’re delivered to me at the speaker’s discretion.”

“That’s an interesting outlook,” I admit. I walk around the couch and take a seat on the back of it. There is a genuine sense of wonder in Satoshi’s eyes. Also, from the way he speaks, he clearly harbors resentment toward the Council. This is exactly what I need. I’ve found a new Intellect to help me – someone who can strategize now that Michael is gone.

Jade returns to the room with an apple in her hand and obnoxiously bites into it. Lukas, apparently enticed by her choice in a snack, runs to the kitchen. In a matter of seconds, he’s back. Silently, he looks at me and Satoshi, probably trying to assess whether he’d missed anything.

“So, you know why I’m here,” Satoshi says. He sets his precious book back down and comes to stand near me. He seems trustworthy enough. Any enemy of the Council is a friend of mine.

“Alright,” I concede. “I’ve got a story for you.”