by Jason Tesar
made his first attempt at writing, managing to complete a whole scene before returning once again to reality. A year and a half later, a spontaneous nighttime conversation with his wife encouraged him to take his writing seriously and to keep on dreaming. Over the next seven years, Jason carved time out of the real world to live in an imaginary one of epic fantasy, science-fiction, and military & political conflict. The fruits of this labor would later become the first three books of the bestselling AWAKENED series.
Due to the incredible support of readers from around the world, Jason continued his trajectory into make-believe, jumping from stable employment in the microelectronics industry into the mysterious abyss of fiction writing.
Living in Colorado with his beautiful wife and two children, Jason now spends the majority of his time fusing the best parts of his favorite genres into stories of internal struggle and triumph, friendship, betrayal, political alliances, and military conflict.
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GLOSSARY
Abigail McCormack
One of the Founders, responsible for developing some of the first algorithms of Esh’s rating system.
Canopy
A curved structure that extends over Esh to protect it from the environment. It is anchored to the ground in several places along its perimeter and is supported by a single column at the center. It consists of a metal framework, with semitransparent panels that function as optical filters to clarify the incoming sunlight. Attached to the framework at regular intervals are machines for warming and dehumidifying outside air before pumping it through exhaust vents into the city. The framework is also designed to collect rainwater and channel it to processing centers throughout the city for use in homes and businesses.
Canopyscraper
A tall building, most often found at the Center of Esh. Despite the term, no building is tall enough to actually touch the Canopy.
Center
The central part of the city, known for its wealth and technology. The Center is where the Founders’ concepts are the most fully accepted and implemented.
Clarine Waite
Rena’s adoptive mother. A logistics supervisor at a food distribution center and a model lower-middlerate citizen.
Collective
The holographic information system used by all citizens of Esh. Designed to be a collective mind of useful information. New and existing content requires votes in order to remain relevant and accessible. Irrelevant information is deleted from the system.
Commons
Green spaces located throughout the city, designated for recreational use and shared by all citizens.
Community Hall
The place where citizens go to attend consensus and become informed on voting issues. Community halls and the staff who run them are supported by citizen donations. There are numerous halls located in each city segment.
Consensus
A weekly gathering of citizens, where they inform one another about social issues and inspire each other to vote.
Dalyn (Dal) Rigby
Rena’s first and best friend who lives down the street from the Waites. Seventeen years old. Male. Goes by Dal.
Eldric
Rena’s father.
Esh
A city of approximately two and a half million citizens. Circular in shape and organized into twelve segments. The wealthiest area is at the Center, where the most advanced technologies are utilized to bring citizens together in a communal, urban existence. As one moves away from the Center, society becomes more suburban, low-tech, and individualistic.
Exterminal
A device for accessing the Collective. A terminal that is external to a citizen’s body, intended for multiple users.
Founders
The group of scientists and engineers who created Esh and the rating system that is the basis of society.
Gareth Waite
Rena’s adopted brother. Five years old.
Hutton (Mrs.)
Rena’s communications teacher.
Interminal
A device for accessing the Collective. A terminal that is internal to a citizen’s body, intended for a single user.
Jandreau (Mr.)
Principal of Rena’s school.
John Barrett
Leader of an Outlier recon team.
Kalmus (Dr.)
A university professor from Segment Eleven. One of the discussion leaders for the young adults at Rena’s consensus meeting hall.
Kirti Vasu
Rena’s friend who lives closer to the Center. Female. Sixteen years old.
Lowrate, Lower-Middlerate, Highrate
Slang terms for classes of citizens, based on where they are positioned within Esh’s rating system.
Lukas Kagan
A young OCON operative assigned to spy on Rena. Male. Seventeen years old. Orphaned by Outlier radicals. Later adopted by OCON and raised as a ward of the city.
Lyn Mallory (Dr.)
Rena’s counselor.
Marshall Waite
Rena’s adoptive father. An efficiency consultant and a model lower-middlerate citizen.
Nadia Prall
A former Outlier who, at the age of four, wandered into the Outskirts of Segment Six. She had no implant, indicating that she had been born outside of Esh instead of removing herself from society as other Outliers. Her presence highlighted the need for a method by which Outliers could reenter society if they chose to do so. Ms. Prall later became a productive member of society and the poster child of the Reentry process.
OCON
OCON is an acronym for Outlier Control, a classified intelligence and para-military organization created by the Founders to protect the citizens of Esh from Outliers.
Operatives
Agents of OCON. They live within society as normal citizens, conducting a variety of political, economic, and military operations to maintain social order.
Outliers
Former citizens of Esh who have removed themselves from society and its rating system.
Rating
A three-digit number, displayed on the back of the right hand by way of a subdermal, flexible LED array. A citizen’s rating is his/her percentage of value (from 000 to 100), relative to the rest of society. Also referred to as one’s number.
Reentry
The process by which an Outlier may reenter society. It involves legally establishing one’s identity and undergoing surgery to install an implant that connects them to the rating system.
Rena Waite
Adopted daughter of Marshall and Clarine Waite. Adopted sibling of Gareth and Suzanne Waite. Sixteen years old.
Ryce
The commander of the Outlier military. Referred to as Commander Ryce.
Suzanne Waite
Rena’s adopted sister. Two years old.
Terrell
The director of OCON. Referred to as Director Terrell.
Transit
The public transportation system of Esh. It is comprised of an above-ground network of tubes, through which pods—filled with citizens—are propelled at very high speeds. There are twelve curving lines, arranged in concentric rings spiraling out from the Center. In addition are twelve straight lines radiating from the Center to the Outskirts. At each intersection are switching stations providing access to the transit system. Also referred to as transit stations. From there, citizens can pay for a cab ride, but most aren’t willing to spend the credits.
‘verse
Short for converse. A holographic messaging system used to communicate remotely with other citizens. Also used as a verb.
Voting
The act of rating a product, service, personal or business interaction, or any other part of Esh’s society. The average of all current votes determines the rating or number of that thing, as well as the laws of Esh. Votes expire after twenty-four hours, ensuring that all ratings stay current.
Yan (Mr.)
Rena’s social studies teacher.
Fourshadow Publishing
Copyright © 2015 by Jason Tesar
Cover and interior design by Jason Tesar
Consensus: Part 1 - Citizen is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental.