LOCATION: VOSS TOWER, 10TH FLOOR
CITY: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
DATE: JANUARY 5, 2032 | TIME: 8:00 PM
The first two days on Earth were a blur for Rin Shale, as she alternated between deep sleep that bordered on unconsciousness, and short periods of being awake.
Erik Drexler never left her side as they transported her to Voss Tower in San Francisco.
Dr. Elise Draven’s team had set up advanced medical facilities on the tenth floor, and she flew from Boston to meet Erik and Rin upon their arrival from the Sahara.
Each time Rin woke, Drexler would have water and simple, easy-to-digest food ready for her. She would take a few bites, then drink down all of the water, before falling back asleep again.
“So far, since we brought her through the portal, she hasn’t spoken a single word,” Drexler said.
All members of the Core Council were standing near Rin’s bed as three nurses connected various devices to monitor her vitals.
Elise watched the nurses carefully, then turned to Erik.
“First, we have to establish her biological makeup, then we—”
“What do you mean?” Erik asked. “She’s clearly human.”
Elise laughed. “She appears human. But we don’t know anything beyond that. She may have two hearts, she might—”
Ronan couldn’t help himself. “You’ve rescued a Time Lord! We need to tell the Brits!”
Everyone laughed, but Elise reined them back in.
“Whether she’s The Doctor or not remains to be seen. Why don’t you guys head to Mallory’s office and let us work here.”
She reached out for Erik’s arm. “You can stay if you wish, but we’re going to need some privacy for at least an hour.”
Erik nodded.
“I’ll be over here, then.”
“Let us know when you have any information,” Mallory said. “The rest of you, let’s head to my office to discuss. I set up a call to brief the world leaders in two hours.”
The Council left and Elise set up a partition to give Rin some privacy. The nurses cut away her clothes.
The loose black pants and simple buttoned blouse fell to the table, revealing a body that was remarkable.
“She really does look to be human,” Elise said. “Bring the full scanner over.”
They performed an x-ray, then an MRI, and finally a CT scan.
They covered Rin in a hospital gown, and Elise called Erik over.
“You may as well listen while I report to the Council,” she said, dialing Mallory’s office and leaving the call on speakerphone.
“Elise,” Mallory said. “We’ve got everyone here. What have you discovered?”
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“First, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ronan, but she’s got only one heart.”
Some on the call laughed, while Ronan moaned.
“To skip to the end,” Elise continued, “Rin Shale is… human. All her organs are the same as ours. I need to talk to Erik about the environment in which she lived, but she demonstrates a persistent dominance of low-frequency brain activity even while awake.”
“Uh… what does that mean?” Darian asked.
“It’s as if she’s lived her entire life in a sensory deprivation tank, and then suddenly dropped into a loud, colorful pool party,” Elise said, shrugging.
“The world she came from,” Erik said, “was completely black. It was like everything was covered in soot and ash. We were only there for a few hours, but heavy clouds covered the entire sky and there was only a bare hint of any natural light.”
Elise nodded, tapping her chin with her finger.
“That makes sense. So it really was like living in sensory deprivation, and then being pulled into a place full of light and color. It also explains her long bouts of drowsiness. We’re going to run some tests to see if her body would respond to Vitalyx and Rejuvenex. The serums would correct all of these issues and likely help her acclimate to Earth better.”
Grim spoke up next. “Is there any indication you’ve found that she has a way to communicate with the planet she came from?”
Erik began to protest but Graham cut him off.
“I’m not saying she is a spy, Erik. I’m saying we need to make sure she isn’t. Those are not the same thing.”
Erik sighed. “I understand.”
Elise thought for a minute.
“There are two more tests I could run, but I can tell you there are no physical structures on her person or in her body that would provide such a function.”
“Let us know the results,” Mallory said. “We need to brief the world leaders now.”
By 2032, the Core Council had taken to regular briefings with world leaders. Political infighting was largely a thing of the past, but leaders still wanted to be read in on major events and issues that might affect their countries and people.
The System had almost entirely eradicated oppression from the planet, and the world leaders who remained in place now viewed their roles as obligations of stewardship, not instruments of authority.
The Council informed leaders about Rin and promised updates as they learned more.
After one more day of tests, Elise and her team deemed Rin safe for Vitalyx. The next time she woke, Erik handed her the bottle and explained what it would do.
She didn’t ask any questions. Just took it from his outstretched hand, swallowed it down, smiled, and went back to sleep.
Elise had taken to keeping the blinds closed and the medical bay darker than usual, but the stimulation still seemed to overwhelm the young woman from another world.
Two full days after taking Vitalyx, Rin stirred in her bed.
Erik, who had never left the room since arriving with her, heard the rustling of blankets and rose from his sofa.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Rin sat upright for the first time and stretched her arms.
She smiled, also for the first time, and reached out toward Erik.
He stepped forward and allowed her to wrap her arm around his waist.
“You saved me. More than once.” She raised her eyes to look into his. “I’m ready to talk now. There’s a lot your people will need to know.”
For the next thirty-six hours straight, Rin sat in Mallory’s office. She answered every question the Core Council and world leaders asked of her.
They brought in food and water. Even had her try some of the now world-famous enhanced coffee Leah Barnes had perfected. The jolt of energy made Rin giggle, and it was the first time she had shown any joviality since her arrival.
But it was the warning she provided which had garnered the most attention.
“Once a civilization develops sufficiently advanced technology to enhance its own population, it begins to light up like a beacon in the multiverse.”
She took another sip of the coffee. The flavor was bitter, but she couldn’t deny it was growing on her.
“It will gain the attention of races powerful enough to travel and interact with it.”
Her expression grew somber and serious.
“But being spotted by the Obsidian Empire is entirely the wrong sort of attention. I’m afraid that if they’re already opening incursions on your planet, you are now fully under their eye.”
She paused, looking down at the conference table. Steam swirled in the air over her coffee cup and she watched it for just a moment before taking a breath, steeling her nerve, and continuing.
“You must develop a plan to counter them, or your planet will end up just as drained, suppressed, and black as mine.”