Prologue
London, England - Trafalgar Square
July, 2019; Two months before CN Mandate 113
A tame, temperate sun caressed the swelling crowd within Trafalgar Square that Sunday afternoon, as every man, woman and child looked on toward the raised platform erected before them. The Square itself, along with the rest of London, had gone through years of reconstruction lately to repair the extensive damages. The ceremony was to mark not only the end of such repairs within the city, but also the unveiling of a new statue to he featured prominently in the park. It was a momentous day - a historic one, marking five years since the end of the worst period in human history, which made way for a new, worldwide Golden Age.
A woman in her mid-thirties wearing a simple yet elegant red and black dress stepped up to the platform, and the noise of the crowd immediately began to dissipate. She had shoulder-length silky black hair and Japanese features, and she retained a level of utter beauty and grace despite the visible effects of stress and a permanent scar running across her cheek. She stood a mere 1.6 meters, yet her eyes, black as her hair and appearing to at once monitor each and every person in the audience, gave her a commanding presence.
"Who is that?" Nine year old Freddy Cooper asked his older brother, pulling on his shirt and anxiously trying to find a better place to see through the crowd as the woman prepared to speak. Raising a brow, Duncan gave an incredulous look to his brother ('who is that?!'), before remembering that, unlike himself, Freddy wasn't old enough to remember those days. Duncan scooped him up and placed his younger brother on his shoulders, as he remembered the first time he had heard her name, five years ago today.
"That's Aika Tanaka, Freddy. She.. She ended the War."
The War. Nobody even had to specify anymore - never before had that word been given so much meaning. Perhaps because this War wasn't over the petty squabbles so particular to the human race. No, it was for the utter survival of humanity itself: a worldwide defense of planet Earth from a superior and exotic alien force. And the death toll itself was colossal - four hundred million worldwide. But while the armies of the world were forced to mostly play a defensive role — as their citizens needed to be evacuated and safely escorted — it was one unit that brought the fight to the enemy. XCOM - the International Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. Tanaka, along with around fifty other soldiers, were part of the elite force. She was one of the six selected to board the Mothership, kill the alien leaders, and end the war. In fact, she was designated Squad Leader for the mission. But most importantly, she was one of the first Human Psychics.
One of the most startling revelations that came out of the war with the aliens was the discovery of a special kind of "gift" hidden away in some life forms. The enemy was able to tap into it, and when the soldiers defeated them and took back artifacts, scientists working in the XCOM Project were able to find ways to discover the powers they witnessed in human soldiers. They became Psychics - able to use their minds as a weapon.
It started with five - a select few soldiers in the Project who had the 'Gift'. Then, after the war was over, the psychic testing equipment was standardized and released to the public. Though the tests were initially quite expensive, by 2018 it became required prior to entry into high school. It was estimated that a little over a million individuals were capable of Psychical powers greater than that of an average human. Initially, due to the popularity of the world-renowned soldiers of XCOM such as Aika and others, the Psychics were hailed as savants and 'wonders'. However, as the years went on and more and more individuals were tested to have the Gift, public opinion went from that of awe to one of utter fear and resentment. Those who tested positive were often ostracized by their peers and mentors alike. Duncan was one such outcast.
"Hello everyone," Tanaka began, her voice cutting through the silence of the afternoon. "I'm honored to be standing here today, to represent the soldiers of the XCOM Project in this unveiling." As she spoke, the drapery over the object was removed to reveal a large bronze depiction of the six soldiers who had stopped the enemy. The legendary soldier turned to look at the memorial, before turning back to the crowd and — Duncan could have sworn — stared directly into his eyes. No, deeper: into his mind. She knew, and he knew, and they shared an intense moment of infinite mutual satisfaction in their knowledge, before she promptly went back to her speech. She opened her mouth, but the words she spoke were no longer the words that Duncan could hear. No, they were tuned out by a much more personal monologue — one spoken in his own head.
"If any of you out there can hear this, then we share a particular kind of bond. A Gift. And I'm reaching out to you to tell you that there are those who would want to see you harmed because of that Gift. Taken away from your homes, and your families.. This is a certainty. It will happen, I'm afraid. This is my warning: be ready."
The mental communication closed suddenly, and Duncan was left to ponder the validity, and the potential ramifications of her words. Meanwhile, Freddy stared on, perched safely atop his brother's shoulders, oblivious.
"The war, though tragic, succeeded in bringing us all - people of every nation, of every generation, of all colors and creeds - together. And I sincerely hope that unity may remain among us," she concluded.
"Thank you, London."
Applause followed, but Duncan - once believing the crowd to be so attentive, so favorable toward Aika (she was a hero, after all) - was now disillusioned; he knew the truth in what he saw. Sure, they clapped: she was a war hero; but he could see the hesitation in most - the resentment, hatred even in some. The rosy glasses had been removed, the true world revealed. Duncan helped Freddy down to the ground, before herding him away from the crowd. He had to get home, think things through, figure out what the hell had just happened. The government would take him.. Away from his parents? From Freddy? No.. He would fight - Duncan swore that to himself. The world was afraid of him.. Now he would give them a reason to be.
New York, New York - United States
September, 2019; Present Day
Aika Tanaka awoke to the sun rising through her window, and the bustle of the city below. Her Manhattan apartment was right in the middle of the action, and she had always been a light sleeper.. Regardless, she would only stick around one more day before returning to her primary residence in Osaka. She was here to see a friend - well, a colleague, really, she hadn't spoken to him in around five years. Not before last month, actually, when he called her out of the blue asking to meet.
So there she was. Taking a quick shower and toasting a bagel, she sat down to her tablet for the news. It was only about eight - Arthur wouldn't want to meet for another hour or two she was sure. Flipping open the news app with a flick of her finger, the first national headline nearly stopped her heart.
International War Hero Found Dead in NYC Home
Arthur Powell's face was below, followed by a lengthy article discussing how police found the body early this morning after neighbors reported a kitchen fire. The authorities cited carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death, and did not suspect any foul play in this "tragic loss of a worldwide icon". Aika knew better - Arthur had called because he feared an event like this would happen. The Psychics involved with XCOM posed a threat: one that the government wasn't just going to disregard. No, they would pick them off, one by one, until the problem was resolved. But it wouldn't end with them. Aika knew the rumors, that the Council of Nations was passing legislation that very day to isolate Psychics worldwide from the general public. The danger was real: and it would start with the elimination of every figurehead for the Psychic cause: herself included.
Retrieving her cell phone, Aika dialed a Dutch number and called. Fred Haugen's number rang, then rang again, but to no avail. She had to assume that they had gotten Fred, too. Roman had died of natural causes two years back, and since Jonah Azulai dropped off the map soon after the war was won, she was all alone. The full force of the Council of Nations would be after her. But she couldn't hide; no, she needed to act. The lives of Psychics everywhere would be ruined if she didn't. What the people needed was a leader, and that was what she was going to be.
London, England - Trafalgar Square
July, 2019; Two months before CN Mandate 113
A tame, temperate sun caressed the swelling crowd within Trafalgar Square that Sunday afternoon, as every man, woman and child looked on toward the raised platform erected before them. The Square itself, along with the rest of London, had gone through years of reconstruction lately to repair the extensive damages. The ceremony was to mark not only the end of such repairs within the city, but also the unveiling of a new statue to he featured prominently in the park. It was a momentous day - a historic one, marking five years since the end of the worst period in human history, which made way for a new, worldwide Golden Age.
A woman in her mid-thirties wearing a simple yet elegant red and black dress stepped up to the platform, and the noise of the crowd immediately began to dissipate. She had shoulder-length silky black hair and Japanese features, and she retained a level of utter beauty and grace despite the visible effects of stress and a permanent scar running across her cheek. She stood a mere 1.6 meters, yet her eyes, black as her hair and appearing to at once monitor each and every person in the audience, gave her a commanding presence.
"Who is that?" Nine year old Freddy Cooper asked his older brother, pulling on his shirt and anxiously trying to find a better place to see through the crowd as the woman prepared to speak. Raising a brow, Duncan gave an incredulous look to his brother ('who is that?!'), before remembering that, unlike himself, Freddy wasn't old enough to remember those days. Duncan scooped him up and placed his younger brother on his shoulders, as he remembered the first time he had heard her name, five years ago today.
"That's Aika Tanaka, Freddy. She.. She ended the War."
The War. Nobody even had to specify anymore - never before had that word been given so much meaning. Perhaps because this War wasn't over the petty squabbles so particular to the human race. No, it was for the utter survival of humanity itself: a worldwide defense of planet Earth from a superior and exotic alien force. And the death toll itself was colossal - four hundred million worldwide. But while the armies of the world were forced to mostly play a defensive role — as their citizens needed to be evacuated and safely escorted — it was one unit that brought the fight to the enemy. XCOM - the International Extraterrestrial Combat Unit. Tanaka, along with around fifty other soldiers, were part of the elite force. She was one of the six selected to board the Mothership, kill the alien leaders, and end the war. In fact, she was designated Squad Leader for the mission. But most importantly, she was one of the first Human Psychics.
One of the most startling revelations that came out of the war with the aliens was the discovery of a special kind of "gift" hidden away in some life forms. The enemy was able to tap into it, and when the soldiers defeated them and took back artifacts, scientists working in the XCOM Project were able to find ways to discover the powers they witnessed in human soldiers. They became Psychics - able to use their minds as a weapon.
It started with five - a select few soldiers in the Project who had the 'Gift'. Then, after the war was over, the psychic testing equipment was standardized and released to the public. Though the tests were initially quite expensive, by 2018 it became required prior to entry into high school. It was estimated that a little over a million individuals were capable of Psychical powers greater than that of an average human. Initially, due to the popularity of the world-renowned soldiers of XCOM such as Aika and others, the Psychics were hailed as savants and 'wonders'. However, as the years went on and more and more individuals were tested to have the Gift, public opinion went from that of awe to one of utter fear and resentment. Those who tested positive were often ostracized by their peers and mentors alike. Duncan was one such outcast.
"Hello everyone," Tanaka began, her voice cutting through the silence of the afternoon. "I'm honored to be standing here today, to represent the soldiers of the XCOM Project in this unveiling." As she spoke, the drapery over the object was removed to reveal a large bronze depiction of the six soldiers who had stopped the enemy. The legendary soldier turned to look at the memorial, before turning back to the crowd and — Duncan could have sworn — stared directly into his eyes. No, deeper: into his mind. She knew, and he knew, and they shared an intense moment of infinite mutual satisfaction in their knowledge, before she promptly went back to her speech. She opened her mouth, but the words she spoke were no longer the words that Duncan could hear. No, they were tuned out by a much more personal monologue — one spoken in his own head.
"If any of you out there can hear this, then we share a particular kind of bond. A Gift. And I'm reaching out to you to tell you that there are those who would want to see you harmed because of that Gift. Taken away from your homes, and your families.. This is a certainty. It will happen, I'm afraid. This is my warning: be ready."
The mental communication closed suddenly, and Duncan was left to ponder the validity, and the potential ramifications of her words. Meanwhile, Freddy stared on, perched safely atop his brother's shoulders, oblivious.
"The war, though tragic, succeeded in bringing us all - people of every nation, of every generation, of all colors and creeds - together. And I sincerely hope that unity may remain among us," she concluded.
"Thank you, London."
Applause followed, but Duncan - once believing the crowd to be so attentive, so favorable toward Aika (she was a hero, after all) - was now disillusioned; he knew the truth in what he saw. Sure, they clapped: she was a war hero; but he could see the hesitation in most - the resentment, hatred even in some. The rosy glasses had been removed, the true world revealed. Duncan helped Freddy down to the ground, before herding him away from the crowd. He had to get home, think things through, figure out what the hell had just happened. The government would take him.. Away from his parents? From Freddy? No.. He would fight - Duncan swore that to himself. The world was afraid of him.. Now he would give them a reason to be.
New York, New York - United States
September, 2019; Present Day
Aika Tanaka awoke to the sun rising through her window, and the bustle of the city below. Her Manhattan apartment was right in the middle of the action, and she had always been a light sleeper.. Regardless, she would only stick around one more day before returning to her primary residence in Osaka. She was here to see a friend - well, a colleague, really, she hadn't spoken to him in around five years. Not before last month, actually, when he called her out of the blue asking to meet.
So there she was. Taking a quick shower and toasting a bagel, she sat down to her tablet for the news. It was only about eight - Arthur wouldn't want to meet for another hour or two she was sure. Flipping open the news app with a flick of her finger, the first national headline nearly stopped her heart.
International War Hero Found Dead in NYC Home
Arthur Powell's face was below, followed by a lengthy article discussing how police found the body early this morning after neighbors reported a kitchen fire. The authorities cited carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death, and did not suspect any foul play in this "tragic loss of a worldwide icon". Aika knew better - Arthur had called because he feared an event like this would happen. The Psychics involved with XCOM posed a threat: one that the government wasn't just going to disregard. No, they would pick them off, one by one, until the problem was resolved. But it wouldn't end with them. Aika knew the rumors, that the Council of Nations was passing legislation that very day to isolate Psychics worldwide from the general public. The danger was real: and it would start with the elimination of every figurehead for the Psychic cause: herself included.
Retrieving her cell phone, Aika dialed a Dutch number and called. Fred Haugen's number rang, then rang again, but to no avail. She had to assume that they had gotten Fred, too. Roman had died of natural causes two years back, and since Jonah Azulai dropped off the map soon after the war was won, she was all alone. The full force of the Council of Nations would be after her. But she couldn't hide; no, she needed to act. The lives of Psychics everywhere would be ruined if she didn't. What the people needed was a leader, and that was what she was going to be.
