by E. L. Aldryc
That was weird.
“How did you know?”
Soraya huffed dismissively.
“I know them. They can only say that you need to join if they can prove that your ability is so strong that it would hurt you otherwise.”
“So they’re telling the truth?” she said carefully.
At first, Soraya didn’t respond. She had a well-guarded face in public, but here, Elodie could recognise a grim mix of agitation and worry.
“Did they say immediate release?” she finally replied.
“I learned the phrase from them, so.”
“All right, then,” Soraya said and brought up a document and projected it on the table. “Let’s get legal.”
The tola density needed to support the AI inside the lab made it look crisp and solid, almost like real paper.
“Gifted legal issues are messy. That’s why they always push for consent first. In the end, it depends how much they want you. If they do, they’ll fight you all the way to prove you need to release the ability to save your health.”
“Yes.”
Soraya was getting it right. That’s exactly what they did.
“But they can’t just determine you’re super gifted on the spot. They need to look at brain scans, look for potential, all that stuff. The document normally takes some time to compile,” Soraya said, unconvinced at the ruling. “And even then, the threshold for the gifted to even qualify for immediate release is crazy high. Especially in Madilune.”
“They said I have potential for both paragnosis and prognosis,” Elodie said. It was hard to repeat the words. They didn’t sound real. None of this did.
“Like an A-class paragnost? Are you serious?”
This was new. Soraya never looked at her like that. With that ounce of fear.
Elodie had the holy grail of gifts. And if there was any logic in what happened, also no way they’d let anyone go free with that kind of potential. The gifted thrived through their strength, and strength in numbers.
“I mean, yeah, that’s what they told me,” Elodie said. “And by the way, if this is a prank orchestrated by you to make me realise how I didn't think this through, I’ll never talk to you again.”
Feeble hope.
Soraya raised her hands in surrender and shook her head. “Nope. But A-class?” she repeated.
She quickly opened a new holographic window and pulled up a document protected with several passwords.
She skimmed it, highlighted a part and forwarded it to Elodie.
[If a subject with a high levelled para or prognostic ability is discovered during testing, the need for the release of ability must be communicated to them clearly. However, no coercion should be present when familiarising the subject with the data. If the subject accepts the terms of training, they must be scheduled for urgent augmentation as soon as possible and their next of kin must be informed of their consent. If the subject is not of legal age, any decisions should strictly be made by their legal guardians.
If the subject refuses training and treatment, the participating testing body has a right to inform their doctor, and the information will be placed in their medical file.]
“Did they inform you of all of this?” Soraya asked. She got up, crossed her arms and started walking around in a small circle.
“Yes.” Elodie nodded after reading it again. “They said it’s possible my cognitive functions are suffering because of it. They looked at my achievement record.”
“Your achievement record is suffering because you spend more time drinking at the beach than you do grinding numbers in the lab. If that’s what they told you, I’d doubt anything they say is true,” Soraya replied, scrolling down and reading the next few pages of regulations as she continued to perambulate the lab.
“Of course. Why would someone actually give me a compliment? Or a means to do better? Why would I have any problems other than my laziness? This is so typical!” Elodie snapped.
“I think you can improve plenty,” Soraya replied, “but maybe it doesn’t need to involve the interference of people who follow a poorly written diary of a sixteen-year-old as their bible. Have you even read any of Nada Faraji’s work? To call it primitive is an insult to picture books. You joined the Institute to deliver the Universe of Infinite Wonder. Contribute? Have your name written in history? None of that will happen if you join Rising Dawn. You will serve as one of their drones in a best-case scenario.”
Just in case Elodie forgot that she was living with a fanatic, Soraya had a sermon ready.
But that was the thing. The gifted were the enemy in her world. And that's not where Elodie wanted to live.
“Stop with this whole thing. I don’t need to do what you do. You take up enough space in my life, and the Institute already. And you don’t even have to fight for it. Things fall in your lap. Seravina practically adopted you! You don’t know what it’s like to have nothing to give!”
Soraya stopped walking around and knelt next to Elodie slowly, as if this was the conscious alternative to aggression.
“Bad timing, I understand, but you crossed the line. Let me explain something to you, so that we never have to have this conversation again,” she said coldly. She entered a state Elodie knew well, one that emerged often in fights on topics she was particularly passionate about. The intriguing, polite façade fell off. Something raw and furious addressed her instead. “Seravina is my employer. She picked me up from a mentorship programme for runaways, a fact she puts into every speech she makes to a reluctant investor. I escaped the filth I was born into, and she found me at my most vulnerable. But I wasn’t stupid. And you can’t be either. I understand that this is a business arrangement. I play along. Laugh with her. Made her feel good about herself. I've been doing it for longer than I thought I'd stand it. So don’t you dare. You know this.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Soraya,” Elodie replied. Soraya raised her hand to stop her.
“I am a walking trophy, proof of her charity. She loves me the way you love a good app. And that’s normal. No one will pick you just to save you. You’re a tool. I was smart and resourceful; you might be gifted. The more personally you take it, the deeper they’ll get to manipulate you.”
Elodie was already sorry. She sighed and waited for an opportunity to respond.
“You want to do something different? Go. Get your validation. I get it. But don’t ever trust the gifted, Elodie. You don’t need them to find yourself.”
“Yes, I do.” Elodie tried to explain. “Because nothing like that, nothing life-changing ever happened to me. You’ve done so much with so little. While I’m here, just in the middle of average life. Every type of extraordinary is out of my reach. And fine, it’s selfish, but I still want my special. Can’t I be happy if I haven’t suffered enough?”
“Rising Dawn won’t give you the tools to compete with this idea you have of me, or your own imaginary failure. Work hard and believe in Ai Kondou. That will.” Soraya shook her head. “But why are we even arguing? You have no more decisions to make. Welcome. You’re now in Rising Dawn.”
“I haven’t signed anything,” Elodie objected. Soraya laughed bitterly.
“You tested. That's enough. You’re on their radar now. Excellent work, Elodie. I mean, A-class paragnost. They’ll literally bag and gag you if you even think about saying no.”
“Is there any part of you that's actually happy for me?”
“You did say something about suffering, didn’t you? I think you’ll have plenty of opportunities to catch up,” Soraya snapped. She looked at Elodie, who began to tear up. “Okay, I’m sorry, that was too far. I’m sure everyone else will be really happy for you, and you’ll have parties and everything. I just…”
Soraya leaned over to Elodie and hugged her from the side.
“I need you to support me through this,” Elodie said. “And advise. That’s all I need. I don’t need this.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Soraya said. “I should know better than to scare you. You h
ave a right to decide. Just, let me be the one doubting, so that you can be the one trusting.”
“You’re a good friend,” Elodie said.
The bottle of port and two glasses appeared in Soraya’s hands, and there were no more questions, just a quiet nod and the sound of pouring.
“I’m the best friend,” Soraya said, passing her an opulent glass of red. When she tasted it, it finally sank in. This was a celebration.
She was gifted. It was all coming together.
The Jolly Aftermath of Being Seen
Monday, 4 February 2363
The aftermath of Testing Tuesday had left the Sight Institute with more lasting damage than your usual bender. Out of approximately eight hundred people who were tested, only about seventy tested gifted enough to be invited into Rising Dawn, and it wasn’t the people who wanted to be a part of it. Sensing a crisis, the PR department quickly released a statement that assured all who were tested that this is an “invitation, not order” sort of thing yet again, and that there were no repercussions to rejecting the offer. Test results were to be kept secret. Under public scrutiny, the Institute was obliged to stand by it. Elodie didn’t need to be told that for her, it was different. A-class paragnost. It still didn't sound right.
Elodie hadn’t heard from anyone. She assumed they were trying to give her space to think and recover. Testing Tuesday’s drinking got fully out of hand on Wednesday afternoon, when everyone accepted that the week was over and cancelled all meetings until Monday. Even without the drinking, the week would have been a blur. Elodie decided that she was going to take as much time as she wanted. Hours, days, even months to decide when and how deeply she was ready to get involved. Soraya was right about one thing. She needed to stay in control.
For now, she was going to stay in the PR wing and see how she felt in it with another option on the table. At least she knew what to expect. Before Testing Tuesday, she had been helping draft some sensible words about a new product release: an alchemical item that only had Dr Birkelund’s seal of approval and purpose specifications available to the public. The Institute’s unsung hero and head of brand Kenji Yoshida had informed all juniors who worked on the assignment that this one was going to ruffle some feathers in Europe, and the copy had to be written as innocently as possible. Elodie was good with words and more than ready to think about something else.
With all of her notes ready, she walked towards the building when a breeze threatened to mess up her impeccably placed fringe. She waved her hand elegantly and erected a strong shield made especially to protect from the elements. The wind around her stopped. This was more like it. Elodie Marchand. In control. A pep in her step.
The schedule for the day was full, and there was no slot in it for fear and doubt. The media release polishing until lunch. Lunch with Soraya and their wider circle of acquaintances, which was to be full of awful jokes about the last five days. Five! And the hangover hadn’t even hit her yet.
After the afternoon lab shift, there were tentative plans for a “Hair of the Dog” party hosted weekly at one of their favourite clubs. They had a complex dress code that was a combination of clues left on the messaging board for the event. No one could get in without adhering to it, even Elodie, who was one of the founding members that came up with the idea to weed out the non-committed plebs.
The world didn’t stop to think about Testing Tuesday’s aftermath.
But Kenji Yoshida was looking rather startled to see her at the door of his office.
“Elodie,” he said. “I didn’t expect you.”
What was there to expect?
“I’m here to polish the, erm, isotope killer copy? Or did we do that when we accidentally wandered inside the PR wing on Friday? I honestly don’t remember.”
Kenji frowned in response.
“No, I mean, I had to take you off my team,” he replied sternly. “So there’s the ‘didn’t expect you’.”
There was a lot of annoyance in his voice. Kenji Yoshida was an oddly direct, orderly man. He hated when others changed his arrangements, and he hated even more when others still showed up when these arrangements got changed.
“I didn’t get an update,” Elodie said.
Kenji hated that too.
“Oh,” he said. “I guess you’ll ask me to show you why they asked me to remove you.”
He forwarded her a message.
“I hate it when she does that.”
[Ciao amore! Could you be a sweetheart and remove Elodie from your schedule till further notice? I’m having a catchup with her on Monday, but it’s confidential. Thanks!]
“Seravina hasn’t spoken to me at all,” Elodie said. “W-what does this mean?”
“They’re taking people in to discuss the results of Testing Tuesday,” Kenji said. “I’ll let you make the logical assumption.”
It wasn’t his place to express opinions on these matters, but if Elodie had to divine, he was pleased the news upset her. Rising Dawn was about to reap a plentiful crop of employees that had tested positive and deplete a lot of well-staffed departments. He was probably hoping she’d fight the move.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, another chill making its way down her spine. “I’m going to talk to her.”
She wasn’t ready to face the unbreakable Seravina Giovanotti. But what else could she do? Go home?
Reluctantly, she walked down corridors to the left, finding an office door already open. There was a chair ready in the office as if someone had been expecting her. She peered in and the first thing she saw was Tammy. Then things really made sense.
“My god, look at that, she’s like clockwork! Sit down, bambina. Let’s chat.”
The gifted knew when you were going to get to work. They knew how you’d react to their setup. They knew that Elodie would be stunned and unprepared for this. They knew she would simply enter, hands shaking, mouth dry again, and sit in the intended chair. Not just because she was summoned by the head of the Institute. But because all possible reactions she could have were already explored. The look on Tammy’s face was slightly less amicable this time. She knew that Elodie was thinking of running out again. When she said hi, the door behind her closed.
Seravina was in a great mood. Her black hair was down, and she wore massive golden bulbs for earrings. She looked like a goddess inside her own temple, ready to decide on her subjects’ fate.
“So Tammy here tells me that you had a nice little surprise on Tuesday. Congratulations,” Seravina said. The golden baubles shook when she spoke.
“Thanks.” Elodie was trying to recover from the setup. Think straight. What was her play? What was she trying to get out of this? Buy time? Make them understand that she needed space?
“Don’t be afraid. I knew you’d be here even though she forgot to send you an invite,” Tammy explained when Elodie refused to relax.
“I understood that,” Elodie replied. “My cognitive function isn’t that broken yet.”
“And I understand that you have concerns about what we talked about on Tuesday.” Tammy ignored the swipe. “I just want to assure you, your future is not yet determined.”
She looked more worried than Elodie. It was as if her good heart was breaking at the thought of someone even considering her to be malicious.
“That’s not what you said.” Elodie remembered. “You literally said I’ll be mentally challenged if I refuse to enter Rising Dawn. For the record.”
“The only thing I offered, maybe too soon, was advice. I told you the truth. Abilities come at different levels of intensity. Some can be harmful if they’re not released,” Tammy replied, radiating empathy. “The choice is still yours.”
“But what are my, you know, real options?” Elodie asked, twisting her fingers. Definitely not ready for bargaining this early in the morning.
“Your options,” Seravina intervened, all annoyed, “are not listening to Soraya.”
Tammy grimaced. It was not a nice thing to say. But the hatred between the gifted and S
oraya? Definitely a two-way street. Tammy was just less obvious about it.
“It’s not about—” Elodie tried.
“Don’t give me that. I know her. I know all the tricks. Do you know how many times a week she asks me if there’s something we can do to move Rising Dawn headquarters away from Madilune? The words she uses for them? Come on. I can only imagine the things she’s been telling you.”
“But are they false?” Elodie asked. “Would you let me say no and carry on with my life?”
“Yes!” Tammy said, outraged that anyone would even suggest the opposite.
“No!” Seravina objected, “because why would you? You don’t want that.”
Elodie wanted to say what she really thought, but it might have been too rude. Soraya made the mistake of speaking to Seravina in the same way that she was spoken to and had ended up in dire disciplinaries a few times before she learned. Seravina could be informal with you. You couldn’t be informal with her.
“Listen, you took the testing because you wanted to see if you were gifted. Is that not true?” Seravina asked.
“It is,” Elodie replied, looking at the floor.
“Forget about this immediate release thing. I don’t care,” Seravina said, ignoring some kind of protest from Tammy. “All I’m hearing right now is a damn A-class paragnost. Do you know how much that’s worth? For you? For the Institute? What kind of life you’ll be able to live now? Once you complete your training, you’ll be invincible. Like Tammy. Do you think her skills are of no value?”
“No,” Elodie replied.
To deny this would be foolish. Tammy and her teams had protected the Institute with such accuracy that no inspection had ever arrived without being thoroughly anticipated with the exact number of coffee mugs on the table. No weather phenomenon or market disaster ever touched them. The gifted were steering the world towards the Universe of Infinite Wonder. The gifted told the Institute which projects to finance based on how successful they saw them being. The gifted were making the Institute future-proof.
“Do you want to throw that life away, just because you’re afraid Soraya will be offended by a little competition? Because that’s what it is. And you shouldn’t change your mind because of one voice that says no. Do you understand how happy we are to have found you?” Seravina said.
