The Intelligence Test

Chapter 2

Omniscern is derived from the word omniscient, which means all knowing.

We're a nation built on knowledge. That's why the motto is Knowledge is Power.

It's inscribed on the bullet train station wall, carved into the stone.

That's the only stone wall there is, though. All the other ones are sleek and clean and white.

I wondered about Earth too. The planet that our species originated from. Stone is a rare commodity to come these days, and it originates from there.

No, we do not live on Earth, despite the fact that our planet's sky is blue like Earth's.

On Earth, the sky is blue because of the oceans that were reflected by it. We don't have an ocean on Riono.

I glance down towards the city. The bullet train station is high off the ground, giving me a nice view of Feroline. The difference between the view from my room and the view here are the plants.

Well, on Riono, they're machines that suck out the carbon dioxide from the air. According to the History district, that's how Earth lost all its life. We were irresponsible with our carbon emissions and destroyed the world with it.

It was only due to luck that our best scientists managed to locate a planet with viable conditions, and transferred the majority of the population there.

Now, Riono is part of a 3 planet chain that orbits two stars. Earth only orbited one, called the Sun. Our two sols are called Lux and Fos, light in both Latin and Greek respectively.

The trees are glassy and smooth, leaves held in shape. Never in my eighteen years of life have I seen a tree with rough bark, or their leaves sway in the wind like those in the books. The same goes for bushes, topiaries, flowers... so on.

I want to see a snowy mountain someday too, or deep green grassy valleys. Maybe glaciers..

We only have plateaus, canyons, and large lakes, but no ocean.

Earth's surface was 70% water. Or more.

Grass is also pretty hard to come by. It's to the point where our food farms are the most protected place on all of the Triad, because in the past, our food was diminished due to climate change, an aftereffect of immense carbon emissions.

Don't worry, there's still animals. Small things like squirrels, bugs, mice, the occasional dog or cat. But huge beasts like lions, tigers, bears.....

They're about as real as dragons.

I would've joined the History faction.. But-

No. Math. Math has to be the one for me.

The bullet train arrives, dashing the rest of my thoughts away. Like everything else, it is white, and it travels through a transparent tunnel that overlooks the city. A bright sign on its side has its route: Cinemark Ave.

I get on the train, scan my bus pass, and continue staring out the window.

Time travel isn't possible yet, but if I had the chance....

I'd go back 150 years. See how everything changed. How everything was. What was Earth's landscape like? How hot was the atmosphere, if they only had one star? And the cities....

In books, there were always so many types. Slums, high tech, suburban.

Omniscern is just a textbook city. Tall buildings, advertisements everywhere. Maybe like Earth's New York, but cleaner.