Lovers of Babel by Valerie Walker Page B

George.
    “Explain.”
    George, the Australian and Cameron sat with Amias for hours explaining to him how they discovered their powers and who in the underground would have them. When Amias realized that he had powers his mind opened up to the unlimited possibilities he had as ruler. Not only was he the sole leader of the entire world, but he was super human as well.
    “So, what would I have to do to discover my power?” Amias asked the trio.
    “Well we came to discover ours when we were faced with extremely stressful and intense situations. We once tried to bring out the power in someone who was born before the apocalypse, but I imagine that technique wouldn’t bode well with your security,” George looked at Agent Higgins apologetically who was now standing by the door with his arms folded.
    “I feel like there should be a more safe and effective way to bring out our powers,” the Australian brainstormed.
    “How about if he just internalizes his anxiety or whatever intense emotion he might have about something? Like instead of actually experiencing something traumatic he thinks about a traumatic experience he’s had or could have and the power would come out that way?” Cameron suggested.
    “That could work,” George looked at Amias.
    “You want me to sit here and imagine a traumatic experience that I’ve had that brings out an intense emotional reaction from within? This will help me to discover my ability?”
    The trio nodded with a slight uncertainty.
    “It beats releasing a massive lion into the room,” Duncan added.
    Amias took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The room was silent. The underground had entered its artificial night and it was black outside the windows in the office. The trio was looking at Amias intently waiting for something to happen. Amias’s eyes were closing tighter and his eyes were rolling visibly behind his lids. He grabbed onto the arm chairs tightly. His brow was wrinkling and he began to moan hauntingly. His grip on the armchair grew tighter. Then is eyes flew open wide. There, behind the group, was a shadowy figure dressed in a black cape and hovering ominously over the desk. The trio turned around to look and the caped ghost was moving closer to them. They immediately moved away alarmed at Amias’s scary creation. George glanced over at Amias who was staring at the ghost as though he were in a trance. The figure started moving quicker toward them and George reached over to wake Amias up.
    “Hey, Mr. Riley! Hello, anybody in there?” George was shaking Amias to wake him.
    Then, he snapped out of his trance and the figure vanished.
    “Whoa! What was that!?”
    Amias was still regaining his consciousness.
    “Well, looks like the Ruler’s a creator! And a good one at that.” the Australian said nervously.
    “Mr. President what was that?”
    “Oh, I don’t know. It just appeared. How strange.”
    The trio looked at each other in silent deliberation.
    “So, now what? Now that we know that some of us have powers. I mean, it’s not like this has happened before. How does the entire world come to know of this?” Amias asked dropping his leadership persona.
    “You can address the undergro und through holo-vision. Just announce that you’ll have an important announcement to make and when the time comes, tell them.”
    “And what about the surface? George, you said that it’s habitable now right? We all know that humanity can’t continue to thrive here underground. I mean almost an entire generation is lost and the atmosphere down here keeps getting worse. If the surface is safe then we have to go soon. We have no choice.”
    Amias sat thinking for a while.
    “I’ll have to announce that we must migrate to the top. We’ll give the underground a year or two to prepare.”
    “But the surface is empty. There’s nothing left. No buildings, no homes. How do we start all over again?” Cameron asked.
    “There isn’t any reason why we must wait long to start over.