Convening With Cisca

Soon after, we are back on the road. Trees are still covering every stretch of the land. Not a word has been spoken in the cabin. I suspect that the girls have fallen back to sleep.

I turn around for a little peek through the window, and my suspicion is proven correct, all except for Lohikaarmi, who is just staring into empty space. I'm sure she has been doing that for quite some time when she was still a free-roaming dragon.

After a night's rest, the horse's energy is back to max. I can't believe that this was how people got around before the invention of trains. It's so inefficient.

Trains will probably be one of the first things I bring to this world when I have the chance to, well, I guess by the order of things, the industrial evolution is supposed to be the next era, anyway.

The day passed just like that. I don't exactly feel an urge to sleep, as the way I was waken up rinsed every hint of drowsiness out of my body.

By late afternoon, the passengers in the cabin are coming back from their naps. How can they sleep for an entire day like that? As they yawn tiredly, I get a beeping sound and text popping up in the corner of my eye.

"CALL REQUEST FROM CISCA," it reads.

Oh, I guess she's done with her work.

"Accept," I say.

The text disappears, and the familiar video feed comes back to the top left. Cisca is in the same place as she was when I first came to Eden: in front of the computer in the section of quantum mechanics in her lab.

"Hi, Kris," Cisca says with a wave. She is in the same old twin tails, glasses, and lab coat. It's as if time hasn't passed since the first day.

"Hey Cisca, you got time today?"

"Yeah. My bad about yesterday. There was a huge problem that I couldn't figure out, but with the power of caffeine, I managed to power through it," she says.

Typical thing to come out of Cisca's mouth.

"No worries."

"Are you still on your way to the Holy Capital?" Cisca asks.

"Yep."

"And what about that Goddess business? You got that sorted out?"

"Yeah, she's going to travel with us and help us advance Eden's civilization."

"That's cool. You've got a Goddess on your side. What can she do?"

"Not much, other than messing with me."

"Oh."

Cisca takes a sip out of the mug in front of her.

"Oh, something happened yesterday," I say.

"What is it?" She says and puts down her cup.

"Remember Faye? From when I first arrived at the village?"

"Yeah?"

"I ran into her and some other elves being transported by a slave trader, so I rescued them, and now she is also traveling with us."

Cisca's mouth suddenly opens wide.

"Whoa," she says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Could this be fate?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You fell in love with her at first sight, and now the Goddess has decided to pair you two together. Saving the damsel in distress, and she joins in the journey with her hero. This could be made into a movie! Actually, it probably already has been made into a movie."

"You are messing with me."

Cisca laughs.

"You believe what you want to believe. She's your elven beauty, not mine," Cisca says.

"Alright, that's enough. Anyway, I learned some stuff from her."

"Yeah? Any moves you want to pass on to me?" She says with a smile.

Why do I feel like Cisca and Astra would definitely hit it off?

"Shut it. She told me…"

I proceed to explain to Cisca everything about the inequality between elves and humans in Terradivina, and some other stuff relating to religion. Cisca gets out of her silly mode and begins earnestly jotting down notes.

"…and that's about it." I finish with my little lecture.

Cisca spends a few extra minutes typing into her computer, and I hear a conversation starting up in the cabin behind me.

"Hmm, this seems to be a bit more complex than we had expected," Cisca says.

"How so?" I ask.

"Well, you see, the optimal government system relies heavily on absolute unity and equality. For the humans over here on Earth to migrate smoothly, this whole social hierarchy needs to go," she says.

"Yeah, that's what I am thinking as well. Faye's goal is to do exactly that, and I want to help her to the best I can."

"Ooh, you are a romantic, huh? You'd do anything for the one you love, won't you?"

"Shut it."

"Right, sorry," Cisca says, "but both ways, you've got a whole lot more work ahead of you. You have two choices, either completely abolish the Theocratic government and start your own…"

"I'd rather not. Higher power is real here, after all, so there's no way to change everyone's beliefs ethically. What's the second choice?"

"A social reform," Cisca says.

"What? Like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela?" I ask.

"Exactly."

"Okay, I can fill those shoes."

"Hold your horses, Narcissus. It's not going to be that easy. Elves are fundamentally different than humans. Reshaping a practical class system like that is not that simple."

"Yeah, I had that concern, too, so what's your plan?" I ask.

"No plan with the information we have so far. You have to learn more about the Holy Capital before we come up with something solid," Cisca says.

"I understand."

I got quite the road in front of me. It seems like I have to take up the roles of all the greatest people in history at once, but imagine the glory after this. I will never be forgotten for as long as this world exists. Kris Kaplan will become a household name taught in every school.

I will be the new Thomas Edison, George Washington, Nelson Mandela, Leonardo Da Vinci, Issac Newton, the list goes on and on, all rolled into one. That's what I'm talking about.

"Kris."

I hear Astra's voice as a finger taps on my back.

"What?" I turn around. Astra is sticking her head out the window.

"Faye has a game for us to play on the road to pass time, do you want to join?" She asks.

A game? You are interrupting the future figure of worship, girl.

"No, I'm fine," I say.

"Please?"

"I don't feel like it."

"Bummer," Astra says and slides back into the cabin.

I turn back and put my eyes back on the road.

"What a buzzkill, Kris," Cisca says.

"Why would I want to play a silly game?" I ask.

"The same reason as to why you would want to make friends?"

"And what reason is that?"

Cisca sighs into the camera.

"You are helpless, Kris," she says.

I'm helpless?

"Watch who you are talking to."

Cisca pretends to be scared and holds her hand up.

"Oh, I am sorry, I didn't realize I was talking to the hotshot Kris Kaplan," Cisca says, "but seriously, how are you going to get Faye's heart acting cold like that? I've seen her once, and I know she's not the type to fall for that."