Downgrade

Early Chitchat

The city of Embreal isn’t just an ordinary place. It has a ruddy, huge dome featured structure, subdivided into three floors. It has a large opening in its middle, which will lead to a central conic, gracefully tiled fountain, where air can freely enter the city also. It was called the Long Range Fountain. The outer appearance was monstrously transparent, letting the people inside have a clear vision of what’s outside - surrounded by darkly green and brown, swampy and trackless forest. Everyone has no information about what’s in the forest and how to get there. The city also has its own complex superior technology. Over three decades, a ranking system was made up by the three Founders. No one has ever known who they are, what they are and where they come from.

Things have scattered around the place, in which, they said that the Founders built the levels to initiate proportions of goods, properties and even local influence, and also to reduce the population. Each level has its own limits of bearing a child. The Founders were able to divide the community into 3 levels. The Royals which are at the top, the third level of the Embreal, where Penelope Hamington is ruling and in charge of the current ranking system. The second level, the Elites, who’re conventional is ruled by Zyrender Everdeen. And the last one, the first level are the Lowies who had the former leader, Bervely Tin who was killed by someone, who is known to have the powers of Regeneration.

The system is running by the birth of someone. If the person bearing a child together with his partner is in their specific levels, so does the baby will have the same rank as his parents. Everyone had their chip implants on their wrists to be recognized. The Royals are limited to three children for every couple who’re registered in the system. The Elites couples should have two children, while the Lowies are limited only to one child. Anyone who’s against the limitation and is found of having multiple births will be strictly eliminated. Others, who’re rarely not to be registered in the system will be eliminated, likewise and will be thrown outside Embreal City.

Yet, no one knows what happened to those eliminated people after they’re brought to the forest. No one. No one from them had ever returned to the city. On the other hand, the Elimination Process will take place every month and at any time if necessary. But about what happened yesterday at the center, was clearly against the law. Penelope is doing her own ways in exiling the others, including Loshiana and Miguel. Hopefully, the Embreal Committee will have some actions for this matter.

“This is too much. Why am I the one who needed to do this?” Vixen blubbered as she put some posters about the Era on the streets’ bricked walls. It’s still early in the morning, three am specifically. She needed to finish posting them as fast as she can to avoid in seeking attention from the people. Their recruitment is still moving secretly. Vixen had already finished half of the piled posters that Kinzel gave her last night.

“Finish it, or you’ll not have your breakfast.”

Vixen remembered the exact words that Kinzel said to her.

“Damn that woman. She should be the one kicking her butt in posting this stuff.” Vixen said annoyingly, kicking a pebble over the road. She crossed the street and turned to the left. Someone is lurking behind the bush, she noticed. She slowly kept her distance and patiently waited. After a couple of seconds, a shirtless man moved over the bush and stood still just behind the lamp post’s light. Vixen couldn’t see his face clearly.

“I know you’re here.” The man said unexpectedly.

Vixen didn’t move an inch from her position or tell a single word to the man. All she knows is that, they are the only ones in the street right now.

“Don’t you have some time to talk? Don’t worry, I won’t kill you for now, Vixen.”

She was frightened when she heard her name from the man. She composed herself and carefully walked outside the shallow darkness and stood just a few meters from him.

“What do you want and how did you know my name?”

“I guess you still don’t know who truly you are. You might be the greatest weapon that anyone would want to have, but for us, you’re just a pest lurking around these streets.”

“I don’t want to waste my time to deal with this nonsense conversation with you.”

The man walked and let himself be revealed. He got this broad complex body, greyish hair and a demeaning aura. The man was grinning and enjoying their little chitchat.

“I said, who are you?” Vixen was getting annoyed by the man’s presence.

“Let’s just say you happened to cross the path with someone they called Jack.” The man introduced himself with a monotonous tone. “I’m not here to catch a fight with you. Instead, I just want to see the so-called greatest weapon of Era. Do you think that endearment suits you well?” He added.

“Mind your own business.”

“I am. I think you’re the ones who are bombarding our business. I mean the ranking system. Don’t you think that if you succeed in what you’re planning, things will come to your way? Having that happiness, free will, advantages and oh the thing you wanted the most…mmm…equality? Do you think all of us would want to have that same goal of yours?”

Vixen looked back right at him. “You’re right. Not all of us would want the same goal as ours. But do you think this current system is a total mess? This ranking…it’s been years that we’re dealing with this. Do you think our goal is the only chance for those who are below you, continuing to be humiliated and disgusted, to get a better life? Like what most of us wanted.”

“The Founders won’t be glad if they found out what you are doing.” The man said.

“f**k those founders. They are the ones who built the system. Their selfish behaviors just led us to our misery.”

“You’re building your own misery.” He harshly said which made Vixen more irritated. “I guess you’re not having fun with this conversation anymore. I’ll be going ahead and be looking forward to meet you at the top sooner or later, Vixen.” He added and slowly walked in the opposite direction.

Vixen looked at him until she couldn’t trace any presence from the man.

“At the top. So, he’s a Royal. Then, I’ll also be looking forward to meet you again, Jack.” Vixen muttered to herself and continued her work.

It was already 4:30 in the morning, when she finished posting the papers. She headed home straight with a worn-out face and a flunking body. Cody was patiently waiting for her and opened the main entrance door at an abandoned, secluded house.

“How did it go?” Cody joyfully asked.

“You should do it next time, Cod.” Vixen said and made herself go to her room and decided to get some sleep.

On the other side of the house, Loshiana and Miguel are taking their time eating their breakfast together with Kinzel and Guilbert. They’re quite getting better and gaining more strength than before.

“Can you hand me over the bread?” Kinzel asked Guilbert.

Guilbert slowly handed the plate with bread to her while taking a sip of tea.

“How’s your body, Miguel?”

The young man looked at Guilbert. “I’m fine. Just some soreness over my body.”

“Do you mind if we can use some of your powers? We just wanted to have some information about them. Cody suggested it too.” Guilbert frankly said.

“Sure. I’ll let you see everything that had happened from us there. But can we do it after a week?” Miguel asked for a favour.

“He’s right. We still need to take some rest, Guilbert.” Loshiana uttered, brushing her damped hair with a comb.

“Okay. Just tell me when both of you are ready.” Guilbert patted Miguel by the shoulder and traversed himself to Cody who’s enjoying his time looking over the others through the window.

“You’re here,” Cody said as he sensed Guilbert’s presence.

“They agreed, but both Loshiana and specifically Miguel suggested that we should do it after a week.”

“What’s with the ‘a week’?” Quinten said, rubbing his eyes and yawned.

“They needed to take some rest-” Guilbert stopped as soon as Quinten poked him by his side. “What’s up with you?” Guilbert raised his eyebrow.

Quinten sat beside him and stared for a while at the window. “We need to get some information as soon as we can. Then, that would be a great help for the Era. We can’t let our guards down, now that they’re here again with us. Having them inside the Royals’ territory was an advantage, but we don’t know how the Royals think about things. They can turn the tables easily if they want to.”

“You’re right. I think we need to go to the Riverside and talk with the Informant.”

“Then get something to make that old hag speak.”