Chapter 19: Meeting/reunion/exposure

Leaving the underwater exploration to Emotion, Kite aimed for the densest human population areas while flying at a low altitude. Once he saw more people, he planned to switch to walking. He had a feeling that Queen Bee would come quickly if called, even from the other side of the earth.

When he landed, he noticed that the red and naturally colored areas formed a sharp contrast. It looked as if something had drained the life from the reddish parts. In these areas, both plants and man-made structures were parched and beginning to weather. In some places, concrete building remnants were already crumbling in the wind. No life was visible in urban centers, even in vital areas.

Without essential utilities, the remaining life in the city was as good as the products left behind. There was no sign of functioning electricity or water.

"Maybe I should have brought emotion along," Kite muttered.

About 90% of Earth's human population has perished. Kite wondered what happened to the other living beings. Given that he was still able to breathe, Kite surmised that plants were stubbornly enduring. Given that half a year had passed since society collapsed, many must have died from food shortages or disease. Still, it was quite a sight.

Emotions' sensors would have been useful in this situation. He noticed a patchwork of red and green in the air. Occasionally, a discarded human skeleton rolled by in the wind. It seemed like no one lived in this area anymore.

Is it okay if I hurry up a bit? Focus on Devin and Gilbert Jane's observed coordinates.

"Fly!"

Violet electricity engulfed not just his hair but his entire body. The next moment, Kite’s body soared into the sky like a bullet.

Relief.

The first thing Emotion felt was relief that they would not incur the displeasure of Terapora Panesio.

Surprisingly, the underwater environment seemed much less affected compared to the land. Perhaps the Federation had already intervened, but it seemed unlikely that a dead ecosystem could recover so quickly. It was more natural to assume that the rate of extinction was different between land and sea.

“Well, at least I’ve managed to alleviate the captain’s concerns.”

Despite lacking Kite's superpowers, Federation-made machinery largely replaced Emotion's body and brain. For her, it was easy to manipulate earth-made objects. She quickly converted a derelict ship drifting in the sea into something useful.

An improvised aquarium for Earth jellyfish.

It was a small space that might make the jellyfish feel uncomfortable, but if that happened, she could gently release them back into the sea.

“It doesn’t seem like we’ll have to wait long.”

Emotion looked up at the sky. While she couldn’t observe space from Earth, she could sense the representative waiting impatiently on Zodokia and the Terapora Panesio swarm hurrying towards it.

Earthlings might think it was the end of the world when they see a swarm of space jellyfish descending.

“They wouldn’t descend in person, probably.”

Emotion herself wasn’t confident about the odd behavior of the Terapora Panesio, even less than Kite was. The question was whether Kite's comparison of such different species with entirely different values was considered strange, or if her own perspective was limited because she only had Kite and the Terapora Panesio to compare. She decided not to ponder that any further.

The port of the Ark.

Apparently, this settlement goes by that grand name.

They claim that if you go there, angels will welcome you and you won't starve. The survivors that Kite occasionally saw were all heading towards the settlement, clinging to these rumors.

The number of people collapsing along the way increased. No one offered a helping hand. In the past six months, everyone has learned they aren’t in a position to help others.

After half a day of avoiding people’s eyes, the city finally came into view.

There were a lot of people. It seemed they had drifted to a city that was relatively less damaged. Even without the utilities, it felt nostalgic to see a familiar cityscape again.

He appeared conspicuously healthy when landing and walking towards the city compared to the others walking, but further disguise was unnecessary.

“Welcome to the last hope of humanity! The port of the Ark.”

“Congratulations on making it here alive.”

On the outskirts of the city, two fairly clean-looking men greeted him. They appeared to be working as gatekeepers. They looked healthy, but water was evidently precious, as there was a faint smell of dust and dirt.

They were carrying tools that looked neither like guns nor staves—designs unfamiliar to Kite's three-year-old memories. It made more sense to assume that Devin provided these weapons, rather than pre-collapse Earth-made ones.

Kite was admitted quite smoothly. Looking around, he noticed that he wasn’t the only one. They seemed to be admitting everything.

“Last hope, huh?”

Kite roughly sensed Devin’s intention behind them. All humans were commodities. Even if they rebelled, one could subdue them and make them compliant.

One could perceive the abandonment of the devastated land for space as a symbol of hope. If they had enough to eat, the sale to aliens might not matter to those in life-or-death situations. Given the choice, they would prefer freedom without food worries. They should at least have the option to become Federation citizens if one existed.

“Alright, those who want to show off tend to live in the center.”

He aimed for the large Y-shaped or T-shaped object in the city’s center. It was likely a port for spaceships descending from the sky, judging by its shape.

People were kneeling in front of the object. Devin looked like a human with wings, according to the Federation's recorded images. Kite found them surprisingly similar, though according to the Federation, Devin had six functional limbs (arms, legs, and wings), unlike Earth humans, who had four; hence, they were not considered similar. By their standards, humans on Earth were closer to the Gimmi species of Ritimiele than to Devin. Kite felt this showed how different the standards could be with so many species.

Regardless, many Earthlings would see Devin as a heavenly savior. Compared to Terapora Panesio, Kite, being from Earth, wouldn't be confident in convincing others to join the Federation. He was thankful that Ritimiele was the first he encountered.

While thinking about this, he failed to notice a nearby presence.

“Stop. Only those close to Representative Damos or recognized by the Ark can enter from here.”

Turning around to apologize, he saw a familiar face.

“...Rebecca?”

“Kite? Kite Hughes?”

Realizing it was someone he knew, Kite called out her name.

Rebecca Lutiano. Like Kite, the organization raised her as a leadership candidate, and she fought alongside Kite until the end to become the next leader.

It wasn’t just Kite who was surprised. Rebecca, with wide eyes, walked over and grabbed his arm.

“You’re alive...!”

“Yeah, somehow.”

Seeing Rebecca overwhelmed with emotion, Kite felt a warmth spread through his chest.

Unlike the adults who attempted to exploit him, she was a comrade with whom he spent equal time. Although they were rivals, she was emotionally the closest person to him.

After standing still for a while, Rebecca shook her head and pulled Kite’s arm.

“Come with me. I’ll introduce you to Representative Damos. Let’s go to space together.”

“What?”

"I have a reservation for the next ship." Ten thousand people boarded the first ship. The next ship will carry 20,000 people. We need capable individuals like ourselves to lead people to an unknown new land. Don’t you think?”

“Are you close to Representative Damos?”

“Yes. Because you weren’t there. Following that, I underwent extensive training to become the closest assistant to the incoming leader. I’m an excellent assistant.”

“I know you’re very capable.”

Kite believed she would become the next leader. She had the strongest ambition. However, she had received education as an aide and appeared to take pride in it. Did she accept Kite’s leadership?

Rebecca didn’t seem to realize that Damos was Gilbert Jane. She described him as a saint leading Earthlings to their next home, extolling his virtues as they walked.

"The representative, Damos, is a wonderful person. He's just as impressive as you are. Devin must have recognized his incredible character, and that's why they approached him," Rebecca said.

People believe only what they want to believe. That phrase came to mind. Whose words were those? Knowing the truth made me feel a bit sorry for Rebecca, even though I didn't want to say it.

But telling her now wouldn't help.

"So? How did you survive? It must have been tough," she asked.

"No, not really. It was more comfortable than I thought," I replied.

"Did you find an intact plant? Well, knowing you, you probably overcame it all with your usual calm," she speculated.

"You're giving me too much credit," I said.

Rebecca automatically came up with the story of how we survived. There's no need to deny anything, so I'll just talk about it without actually denying anything.

Then Rebecca stopped walking. Ahead of us stood a relatively large building, visible even in the city. It wasn't as grand as the central monument, but it was substantial enough to be a power-holder's residence.

Standing before the gate guards, they all saluted Rebecca in unison.

"Miss Lutiano. Who's this?" One of the guards inquired.

"A talented individual. She replied, "Far more capable than I."

"No one could be more capable than you, Miss Lutiano," he responded.

"Can you let us through? I need to introduce him to Representative Damos," she insisted.

"The representative is currently in a meeting with the angels," the guard informed.

"All the more reason to hurry. Rebecca urged, "With his help, the plan will accelerate."

"Understood. Please proceed," the guard conceded.

It seemed Rebecca really was close to Damos. Without even asking my name, they let me in.

I had been wondering how I would sneak in if needed. This was a pleasant surprise.

The hallway was somewhat dusty, but overall well-maintained.

Rebecca knocked twice on the door marked "Meeting Room." A raspy voice invited us in.

"Excuse me, Representative," she said as she entered.

"Lutiano. Is something urgent? Who's this?" He asked, turning towards us.

"Angels, I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting. I wanted to introduce him," she said.

"A citizen of the Federation?" murmured one of Devins, a question I didn't miss.

There were four Devins. They looked like humans, but it was a disguise. The images I had seen of Devin showed they had no noses. Their wings varied in shape, perhaps reflecting individual traits.

Stepping away from Rebecca, I addressed Damos first. I hadn't planned to reveal his true identity here, but I needed to wake Rebecca up to reality.

"You've lost weight. Your beard and hair are overgrown. If I hadn't seen old photos, I wouldn't have recognized you," I said.

Damos spun around sharply, glaring at me.

Rebecca seemed confused by the tension as she looked between us.

"What's wrong, Kite? Do you know the representative?" she asked.

"Not just me. You know him too. With his changed appearance, anyone who hasn't seen old photos might not recognize him," I said.

"Tch!" Damos clicked his tongue.

"Representative?" Rebecca was puzzled.

"Life and war are profitable, aren't they? Are you planning to apply the same strategy to aliens now, Gilbert Jane? I accused.

"What?" Rebecca gasped.

Damos didn't deny it.

He wasn't quick, but without hesitation, he drew a gun and pointed it at me. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, one of Devins sharply commanded him to stop.

"Wait, Damos!"

"Why? This guy is trouble. Rebecca, you've brought a headache," Damos snapped.

"No, Kite? Representative? Gilbert Jane...?" Rebecca was bewildered.

"He's real. He is a human trafficker, a war profiteer, and the demon of Gumjin. That's who Damos really is," I revealed.

"No, no," Rebecca muttered before vomiting.

She must have been intimately involved with him, given her reaction. It was pitiable.

Gilbert ignored Rebecca and questioned Devin, who didn't answer him but instead spoke to me politely.

"So, why is a Federation citizen on this primitive planet?" Isn't the Zodokia fortress retreating?" inquired one Devin.

"You recognized me as a Federation citizen quickly," I noted.

"Oh? Yes, your clothing material made it obvious. Is this your first encounter with another civilization besides the Federation? Devin was once—"

"I know Devin was once a Federation citizen. I also understand the reason for your exile," I interjected.

"I see..." Devin's face twitched.

Their schemes were over. It was time for a final warning.

"I'm Kite Hughes. I'm from Earth," I declared.

"What...?" Devin was shocked.

"Earth is now under the Federation's jurisdiction. Your actions constitute an offense against the Federation. Cease them immediately," I ordered.

Devin visibly paled.

Despite their disguise, their emotional expressions were remarkably human.

It was sickeningly unpleasant.