“That, will be up to us to decide. After researching methods of governing this decision, Jade and I have found that the democratic method of voting - commonly used in the United States to choose a presidential candidate - should work quite well. Following their example is a wise choice, since it is common knowledge that the United States of America is the strongest, and most influential country on Earth.”
“Okay, so who are the candidates?”
“We still need to decide that. So, I’ve put together some forms here. Please write down the names of anyone you think would be able to handle the most important position in existence. Do not take this lightly - your future, and the future of humanity, depends on your careful decision-making.”
“But how do we decide?” Another record-keeper raises her hand. “I’ve studied records and statistics of many sorters, but no one stands out to me as being able to handle it. How do we know?”
“Well, we don’t, and won’t know for sure, until we try. It’s going to take a leap of faith. But, some things that you may want to consider are the following:” Evander points to the next page of his holograph presentation, and waits patiently for the entire crowd to settle down before continuing.
“Consider the knowledge a given candidate has about Earth, humanoid life functions and processes, as well as ethics, obligations, and adaptability. Does this person know both how the Upperworld functions, in conjunction with how Earth functions? Who do you know that has extensive knowledge in both areas? If you can think of someone that fits that description, then you’ve got a strong potential candidate to be the Most High Being.”
“There’s not many of us that can boast of knowing enough about both the Upperworld and Earth.” Another younger sorter joins the conversation.
“Yeah, the only one I can think of would be Onyx…” A friend of that sorter nods next to him, and pats him on the back for added emphasis. Then the murmurs begin to fill the room again. Evander clears his throat to get their attention again.
“Well, as you may know, Onyx is… unavailable at this time.”
“For how long?”
“Well, indefinitely.”
“Where is he? What happened?”
The questions the sorters ask are quite private and require what Evander commonly refers to as a “high level of clearance”, but given the magnitude of the situation in conjunction with their dire need, he quickly decides to just briefly explain what was going on.
“He had been sent to Earth to protect Luna. I don’t know if you all had heard about the various problems surrounding that horrendous mix-up in the Sorting Room, but it is related to that.”
Brielle pipes up, her bright eyes shining in the low light of Evander’s pod. “Well, bring him back then! Since he’s been to Earth, and survived there for a while, I bet he’s the most qualified for the job.”
Upon hearing her suggestion, the rest of the crowd begins to mumble their accord, with their voices steadily growing stronger and louder as the idea takes shape in their minds and carves out a home in their hearts.
Evander opens his mouth to speak, but quickly realizes the reality that Brielle has so effortlessly brought to his attention: Onyx really is the most qualified member, and by a long shot. No one else can boast of extensive Earth training, Upperworld knowledge, and actual experience surviving on Earth. Dumbfounded, he shakes his head in disbelief - how did he not see this before?
“Brielle, you are absolutely right. I will speak to Jade about this immediately and see what we can do. So, is there any need to vote? Or perhaps I’ll just propose - all those in agreement that Onyx should be the Most High Being of the Upperworld, and oversee all functions of orb production and the resulting humanoid lives, say ‘I’.”
He barely finishes that sentence before the entire room explodes in a chorus of “I’s”, and he realizes that the right choice was right in front of him all along - he had just been too wrapped up in his research to see it.
CHAPTER 17
Seth is seated at the retro diner, looking through the menu, even though he has no idea what any of it actually is. He continues mindlessly staring at it, hoping to decode something before the waitress returns to his table.
“Hey kid, I’ve been seeing you around, and I gotta know… what’s your business here?”
Seth looks up from his menu to see an older balding man wearing faded jeans and a beige cardigan sweater. His gray eyes peer condescendingly down at Seth from behind his black-rimmed reading glasses perched low on the bridge of his nose.
Seth meets his gaze and stares at him with equal intensity. “I am here to ingest some food.”
The older gentleman waggles a finger in his direction. “Nope, I really don’t think that’s it. I saw you on the bus threatening the driver…”
Seth looks at him, shooting daggers out of his narrowed eyes. Then, only a mere moment passes in complete silence before Seth gets up from his chair and places his blade at the man’s throat, all in one fluid motion.
His wife shrieks from a nearby table and the other patrons stop their conversations to see what is unfolding in front of them.
“Hey, hey kid, I didn’t mean any harm, I just, I just…” Seth tightens his grasp, and applies some calculated pressure to the dagger, calling forth a bead of blood to appear.
“Leave me alone, or I will shove this blade through your critical artery and never look back”, Seth explains through his gritted teeth.
The man, terrified, slowly nods. Then Seth releases him from his grasp, and runs out of the diner before anyone can detain him. He is not privy to Earth law enforcement, but he is smart enough to know that the uproar he unwittingly caused would easily be enough to get him into trouble if he sticks around.
Meanwhile, the older man catches his breath and his wife clutches him while crying hysterically.
“He… he could have killed you, Harold. Why would you upset him like that?”
“I didn’t mean to… I really just wanted to know what he was up to, I had no idea he would pull something like that!”
“But you saw him threaten the bus driver?”
“Well, that’s true, but I didn’t think- ”
“See, that’s just your problem, Harold - you never think! And one of these days, you are going to get yourself killed!”
“Sylvia, if this is about the toaster I left plugged in then - ”
“No, well, yes, but no! I just, can’t stand to see you act like such an imbecile! I don’t know what I would do without you! So smarten up!”
Harold sighs as he finally begins to catch his breath. His pulse rate is still heightened, but he is confident it will settle down within a few minutes, at least now that the crazy kid was gone.
“Um, excuse me, Sir?”
Harold turns around to see one of the waitresses standing with a fully-decorated police officer, who is armed with a fully loaded utility belt and a notepad.
“I’m here with Officer Carnes, and he’d like to ask you a few questions about what happened. And… your breakfast is on the house, as small compensation for the…. uh, traumatic event that just occurred.”
“Oh, uh, that is very kind of you. Sure, I’ll answer anything you want to know about that blue-jumpsuit character. My wife and I have both been seeing him, and others similar to him, around town, and it is quite unsettling, to say the least.”
“Oh, so there has been… more than one?” The officer’s interest is clearly piqued, even beyond his profession.
“Well, not violent like that one, per se, but there’s a female character in a pink jumpsuit, and another male one in a blue one. Maybe some sort of cult, I don’t know.”
✷✷✷
Eyes closed, Zephyr leans back in his throne. He is no longer able to move without expelling an inordinate amount of energy, so he sits there. The current continues to flow through him, and the orbs continue to be produced, but it is getting harder. Zephyr tries to remain calm, but he knows his time is coming - and soon.
In a moment of sheer curiosity, Zephyr manages to pry his eyes open for a moment, to see what is going on in the Grand Hall. Per usual, nothing at all exciting is happening - it is just the routine patrols of his workers and keepers. After a quick perusal of the area, he succumbs again to the heaviness of the eyelids covering his dark, abysmal eye sockets. The rest of his body lies vulnerably on the throne, seemingly waiting for him to be overtaken by his weaknesses.
But he is not going down without a fight - not here, not now.
CHAPTER 18
“Onyx, where are we going now?” Luna looks up at him with her big, bright purple irises.
“To a vendor that sells a wide variety of humanoid garments… it is called ‘the mall’. We are going to procure as many as we need, so that we can better blend in to the society here.”
“Okay, but I might feel strange doing that.”
Onyx raises an eyebrow in confusion as they walk, hand-in-hand, down the street to the mall. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, we don’t belong here…”
Onyx stops dead in his tracks and looks at Luna. His cerulean eyes meet hers, and he places a hand on each of her shoulders.
“I understand this is difficult for you, but it is necessary for us now. We do belong here now, Luna. We just need time to get used to it. More specifically, you must grant yourself ample time to get used to it. Can you do that for me?”
Luna nods her head, and a small smile appears on her lips. “I can try.”
“That is all I ask!” Onyx smiles back at her and grabs her hand, continuing to lead her toward the mall.
Upon entering the mall, the duo is met with a plethora of stores and styles to choose from, but Onyx uses his mental database of Earth knowledge to figure out the latest styles.
“Luna, we must find some new clothes for you, let’s try this store here. According to my research, this vendor is very popular among the female humanoids within your age bracket.”
“Onyx, how old am I?”
He pauses for a moment, trying to process what she asked in terms that she could understand.
“Well, you do not have a fully established age the way humanoids do, but for our purposes, based on your body composition and appearance, just say you are twenty years old, should anyone ask you. It’s far too complicated to entertain any kind of story different than that.”
Luna nods her head.
“Oh and Luna? I suppose now is the time to tell you that… you will age here. That means your body will deteriorate a bit as the years go by. Granted, that is a while away, but I don’t want you to be shocked.”
Her face turns pale. “Will it hurt? Will I recognize myself? Will you recognize me?
Onyx pulls her close to him and strokes her back. “Of course I will, Luna. It is a gradual process, so I’ll always know who you are. And… I will age too. Everyone does. But it’s okay - a lot of humanoids have been able to age gracefully - we’ll be able to do the same, you’ll see.”
The younger girl’s lower lip begins to tremble, but Onyx pulls her into a tight embrace.
“It really is okay, you’ll see. Please do not worry! I’ll always be, right here. Just trust me.” Onyx smiles at her, his bright white teeth glistening in the bright fluorescent lights of the clothing store.
“Okay, now let’s get you some clothes.” The two of them begin trying many different things off of the shelves, until deciding on a vast array of jeans, sweaters, tee shirts, and shoes for Luna.
“Onyx, does this look okay?”
Luna emerges from the dressing room in a very pretty yellow sundress, paired with some black leather gladiator sandals. The dress fits her perfectly, and Onyx’s jaw drops.
“Luna, you look absolutely radiant. Add that one to the pile, we must get that one for sure.”
She smiles gleefully and closes the door to the dressing room to try on the next outfit Onyx had pulled for her. Luna has no idea how to style herself in a way that would allow her to properly assimilate, so she let Onyx pick out her clothes based on his knowledge of Earth popular culture.
“Oh my gosh you’re like, so sweet to take your girlfriend shopping!”
Onyx turns around to see a younger girl, perhaps around fourteen years old, smiling at him through some neon-pink braces and blue-rimmed glasses. Her wild, curly red hair is pulled into a messy ponytail and peeks out from behind her head.
“Uh, sure. She just… needed some new things.” Onyx rubs the back of his neck while staring at the floor. Getting noticed by humanoids is still a very unsettling experience, even though he knows that he will have to get used to it eventually.
The younger girl smiles and waves at him, and then she catches up with her mother perusing the sales rack nearby. Onyx allows a small smile to escape from his lips, while thinking about how lucky he is to have Luna all to himself, forever and always.
“Onyx? How’s this?”
He snaps out of his silent thoughts to see Luna in a pair of gray fitted jeans and a deep purple sweater which perfectly compliments her eyes while her long, dark-as-raven’s-feather hair cascades in loose waves down her back.
“It’s perfect - add it to the pile!” It is undoubtedly a bit strange seeing Luna look more and more like her humanoid counterparts, but Onyx is also quite pleased that she seems to fit in perfectly - that is a key component of successful assimilation, as he knows all too well.
After some time looking for her new outfits, Onyx does the same, and they reconvene to pay for everything and leave the store. Onyx walks out of the store wearing black jeans and a red-and-black flannel shirt layered over a tee shirt of a band he doesn’t know, while Luna decided on a pair of pink jeans and a ruffled blue blouse. They both have swapped their clunky boots for more comfortable, light-weight sneakers and socks. Armed with bags of new clothes, and other needed personal items that Onyx had said they might need, they enjoy the rest of the mall trip immensely - at least until Onyx remembers something slightly uncomfortable to attend to.
“Luna, there’s something else we should get for you.” She turns to meet his eyes and smiles, but the uncomfortable frown on his face suggests something slightly awkward is brewing under the surface.
“What’s that?”
“Just, uh, follow me.”
Onyx gingerly grabs her hand and leads her toward a store that he only knows about from his humanoid research - the specialty lingerie store.
Luna looks around confused, so Onyx awkwardly explains the best he can after taking a quick breath.
“Girls here… they wear things under their clothes. To fit in, you’ll have to do the same.” He avoids her gaze and calmly leads her into the store. Luna looks around at all the mannequins with wide eyes, not quite understanding the contraptions on their bodies, but curious about what it means for her.
“Hi, may I help you?” An overly-perky employee with medium-brown hair and a sparkly pink name tag smiles at Luna, and looks at Onyx questioningly.
“My… girlfriend needs a… fitting.” Onyx searches his mind for the right terms, and sighs in relief when the employee nods.
“Certainly! Right this way.” Luna looks at Onyx with tangible fear in her eyes.
“I’ll be right here, Luna.” Onyx tries not to stare at the outlandish undergarments on display, and goes over to the nearby couch to stay as far away from the center of the feminine specialty store as possible.
“Oh, that’s your name? How pretty!” The shopkeeper’s voice trails off as she leads Luna to a nearby dressing room.
CHAPTER 19
“So, how was your meeting?” Jade asks Evander while they both walk to their respective workplaces from their nearby housing. They have to watch what they say, of course, since they are out in the open without any soundproofing.
“Oh, it was good, I think.”
“Good!”
“Indeed.”
To avoid arousing suspicion, Evander stages a fake trip, and leans discretely toward Jade., to whisper in he
r ear: “Let’s meet later, just you and I, at my pod, please. Something happened that we should discuss.”
“Oh Evander, get off of me! You are so clumsy.” She frowns and shoves him away, pretending to be annoyed at him for “falling” on her, and then nods nearly imperceptibly.
“See you then”, she whispers back.
Evander continues walking toward his office, as Jade heads in the opposite direction toward the Sorting Room. He inhales, and then exhales, relishing the feeling of the calm, tepid air of the Upperworld filling his lungs. It is so easy to wonder, how much longer would they have before everything began crumbling down? Based on his own meticulous calculations, and data entries - probably not very long. Zephyr is getting weaker every moment, and it is only a matter of time before everything unravels.
✷✷✷
The scorned child catches his breath a few blocks away from the diner. He had been running, as the people there had questioned him, and they didn’t seem to take too kindly to him defending himself.
Earth is so strange. Why do people challenge me like that? They will quickly realize that I am not one to upset.
He shakes his head, and then realizes that he is still very hungry - and thirsty, for that matter, since he never did get a chance to order food before he was questioned. Seth doesn’t even know why they were so concerned about him being there, but regardless, his presence seemed to be quite a disturbance.
The mall… maybe I can find food there? Without any better options presenting themselves, Seth enters the mall, slowly and deliberately making his way across the parking lot. A few cars swerve to avoid him, because he keeps his head straight ahead, moving toward the building like a shark to its prey. His very essence is unsettling - his eyes glaze over with their piercing violet gaze. Nearby, families pass him as he makes his way to the mall entrance, and the children stop, stare, and point as their parents embarrassingly avert their stares and try to redirect their children. But Seth does not falter, or even hesitate. He makes his way over to the mall entrance, and continues in, looking for the first sign of food.
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