ARRIVAL (ERA 1)

23 | the Exit Plan

            I walk directly to my cubby. New papers clutter the desk and I've no doubts as to what they're about: my re-Evaluation.

"After what happened, I received a telegram with instructions. I had to gather background on Shaw and his rallying to see whom he may have been in contact with." Charlotte says.

"I was ordered to theorize about your situation. You know, try and develop a theory as to why the breachers are so fascinated with you. My correspondents are quite determined." Charlotte bites her lip.

Correspondents. Plural. I'll deal with that later.

"And?" I don't recognize my own voice. It's detached and demanding like I'm somehow entitled to demand.

"And... what? That's what I have been doing here," she says.

"I mean what have you found." I exhale.

"And I haven't developed anything yet. It doesn't feel right, looking into you like you might be some super powerful refugee or, or I don't know what they think!" She sighs, exasperated.

"Me? Powerful?" I laugh. "Absurd."

She shrugs. "It's happened before."

"Me being powerful?"

"No. This isn't a matter of power, as much as a refugee stirring up commotion for the C.R.I.S," says Charlotte. "They don't like commotion."

"And we can assume this is coming from the C.R.I.S., right? Or the Archives?" I crease my brow.

She lifts her shoulders again. "We can assume that, but it doesn't make it right. There's been a sort of theory circulating among the correspondents."

"A theory... What is it?" I probe.

"I told you once before that the orders and documents are all signed by numbers... one for each of the five regions." She pauses. "The other day one came across on the radio. It was a broadcast and it ended... Six."

"Six." I repeat her last word. "So you're saying.... Is the conspiracy valid? There are more locations? More centers or whatever you call them? Outside of the Five Lands?"

"I'm afraid it looks that way. And if this is true," she says, "then the instructions could be coming from anyone –from anywhere. It could even..." she trails off.

"Could even what?"

"It could be coming from them." Charlotte says 'them' with a familiar bitterness.

My stomach drops. Maybe the C.R.I.S. is not my enemy after all. Maybe it's bigger than them.

"Charlotte... who are they? Who is over there?" I make air-quotes with my hands. I'm finally asking my questions out loud, determined to get answers. "What aren't all of you telling me?"

I see the resignation in her eyes as she realizes her battle is lost. She closes her eyes, recalling her thoughts.

"After the Destruction, during the Cord Wars, the overseas was governed by a single family. They built an entire culture, blending the old ways with new practices. There was only one problem. They were believers of bloodlines. That is to say that they believed only those who survived the Destruction were worthy of living in the New Land.

"Over time, they regarded the portal as a problem. It was unnatural they said and they sought to end resurfacing for good. During the Dark Age, they hunted down refugees in mass, slaughtering them as soon as they resurfaced. They titled themselves Mactantes Malum."