Chapter 2 - Remembrance

A car raced over a puddle, splashing water at the people walking on the sidewalk. Tetsuo spun, quickly shielding the package he was holding from the water. Water dripped off the back of his shirt, but thankfully the package remained dry. Although the macarons inside wouldn’t be enough, it was a start. He hadn’t figured out what he would say yet as he couldn’t understand how such a calm discussion led to tears being shed. They had fought countless times before, but there was a solemn fragility to the words she chose that made Tetsuo far more scared than any other arguments they’d had. To see the most brave woman he had ever met tremble as she forced her words out made him realize that a fundamental part of them had a wound that had been festering for far longer than he could have known.

Tetsuo started moving more quickly, each step growing more reckless and staining the cuffs of his pants with muddy water. He kept his head low to shield the desserts from the rain, looking at the reflections on the ground to keep track of the space in front of him. Streetlights and shop signs would momentarily flash him, but irritating as they were, he wanted to maintain his pace. Each drop of rain that reverberated through his head helped drown out the thoughts of what she would think of him coming back drenched with a dry box of sweets.

His body jolted as Tetsuo heard a loud pop and the sound of a truck honking ahead of him. He briefly looked up only to be blinded by its headlights, magnified by the rain. He squinted and staggered to the side to try to regain his vision, nearly tripping on a torn garbage bag leaking plastic and decomposing slop. As the truck drove by, he could see that the cardboard lid of the dessert box had deformed around the drops that had landed on it. He cursed the truck, then the trash, and then the city before ducking into an alley that provided a small amount of cover from the downpour.

He opened the box to verify that the icing or strawberries hadn’t been ruined, before closing it and blowing the lid dry. Tetsuo ducked between alleys, using his body to protect the box from every gap that allowed rain. While these paths were slower, he felt more comfortable with their silence and knew them well enough to know which ones to avoid. He ducked and ran over to the next awning, watching the ground until another bright light shone from below, blinding him again. He stopped moving and looked around in an attempt to escape it, but regardless of where he turned, it was all white. He closed his eyes again and struggled forward, as the sound of rainfall and traffic dwindled. The cold sensation of wet fabric disappeared from his back, and the laminated cardboard of the box in his hands had vanished. His feet began to lose sense of the ground while his body drifted in all directions, as if gravity had become undone. Strangely, as Tetsuo’s consciousness faded, he could only wonder how much longer it would take for him to get home.

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“Here you go, your registration and identification all taken care of.”

Tetsuo jumped as Alon snapped him away from his recollections. He handed Tetsuo a long canister filled with paper and a sturdy-looking metal badge.

“I can’t believe you're older than me… Man, this is humiliating…” Alon fiddled with the hilt of his sword while sulking before continuing. “Oh right, make sure you use the time conversion sheet included with your documents to memorize your birthday or any important days with our calendar. I know it can be a pain to have to relearn calendars, but it’s better to at least write it down before you forget it.”

On their way here, Alon introduced himself as a knight of Alvania, whose duty was to protect and serve the kingdom. Part of that included gathering people transported from Earth and registering them with the kingdom as a “Specially Designated Citizen.”

“So as a benefit of Alvania’s rehabilitation program, you’ll be provided one month of lodging; that’s using our calendar, so give or take 38 Earth days. For now, the only thing you need to know is that you can find where you’ll be staying across the street. The sign has a picture of Earth on it, at least the way some early Earthens described it to us. Some of the newer ones say it’s wrong, but it gets the point across.”

“What does this have to do with with–” A loud crash interrupted Tetsuo, as the grimy woman Alon referred to as Eleanor burst through the main entrance.

“Ha… ha… I made it… I’m here so I still… get paid right?”

The soldier at the registration desk behind Alon piped back, “To qualify for the Earthen surveillance bounty you must be present during registration.”

“Damnit… Even if I was the one who spotted him?”

“To qualify for the surveillance–”

“Yeah, yeah, okay whatever.” Eleanor calmly picked herself up off the ground, brushing her hands over the scratches and bruises she had gained from her messy arrival. As she moved her hands across herself, the wounds disappeared as though they had never existed.

“So that superior intellect doesn’t come with the sense to watch the time?”

“Thinking takes up far too much space to concern myself with trivial things like time.”

The two of them began to bicker, which devolved into Eleanor begging Alon for a share of the bounty he received. Entertaining as it was, Tetsuo had a more important question to ask before they both left. “I appreciate… whatever this is, truly. But I need to know, how do I go back?’

Alon winced as the words left his mouth while Eleanor suddenly went quiet and looked away.

“Right. I guess it’s about time…” They both straightened themselves before Alon responded to Tetsuo. “Here, come with me. I’ll explain it over drinks.”

They walked off the main road and entered a small tavern that smelled strongly of wood and ale. Most of the people inside were clad in armor bearing the mark of Alvania, softly discussing amongst each other. Tetsuo caught a few curious glances directed at him, but they quickly returned to their drinks. They took a seat at the counter as Alon called over the bartender.

“Give me three please.”

The bartender poured out three wooden mugs of ale and placed them in front of them, as Eleanor began her explanation for Tetsuo.

“So, Earthen is the term we use for your people, seeing as you’re from Earth. Some, something, years ago, your people started appearing in our world without explanation.” As she spoke, she traced a diagram in the air.

“Drink,” Alon prompted him as Eleanor continued.

“So, rather than letting you guys run around like vagabonds, our kingdom generously decided to create a rehabilitation program, so you guys can assimilate to life in Alvania.”

“Don’t act like they did it out of kindness,” Alon interjected. “It’s because the first Earthens were scared and didn’t understand our world, so they’d form gangs and rob people travelling outside the city.”

“I was trying to let him have some dignity and pride in his ancestors.” Eleanor rubbed her brow before adding, “Fine, it was mutually beneficial for Earthens to adapt to Alvania. That’s what you’ll be doing for the next month or so.”

“And this program will help me get back home?”

“Well… not exactly, but it’ll help you adjust–-”

“Eleanor.” Alon interrupted. He looked down at Tetsuo's cup, and then his own before taking a long drink. Eleanor grimaced as she turned her gaze to the ground.

“There is no way back.”