It is interesting to note that artificial attribute-enhancing drugs have no direct effect on Numbers. Although there have been many controversial studies demonstrating conflicting results, a recent study by Southeastern University conclusively proved that in over a thousand participants for over a year there was no statistically significant difference in the strength Number of subjects after taking body-enhancing steroids compared to those administered a placebo, despite displaying a difference in the subjects’ comparative muscular strength. A similar study from Blue Northern University found the same results applied to the intelligence Number and memory-enhancing supplements.

- Excerpt from “The Five Numbers, 5th Edition”

“...in our country, the government has three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. They each serve to balance each other out. Different responsibilities for governing fall to different branches, but there are checks and balances between the branches to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful.” Styx says.

“...not that it works…” Melete mumbles. As usual, we ignore her aside.

“What do you mean, in this country? Do other countries function differently?” Sam asks.

“Yeah, each country is really different. I don’t know the specifics of other countries as well as our own, but some have dictators, councils, royal families, and so on. Nowadays, most are some form of democracy or republic though.” Styx replies. We’ve been hiking for a few hours and are currently taking a short break under some trees. Over the last hour, the open farmland has morphed back into a forest. I’m appreciative of the shade, but I can’t help but be a little nervous being surrounded once again by trees.

“Is there any organization between countries?” Sam asks.

“Some.” Styx replies. Apparently Styx was a member of a young political leaders club at school, and I’m surprised by how much information she’s able to rattle off from memory. I make it a point to try and forget most of the political knowledge I gain as quickly as I can after passing the tests -- although most of the information she provides is common enough that even I know it. “There will be treaties between different countries. Usually they’ll have to do with trade or mutual support in the case of war.”

“What do you war against? Did humans only recently conquer the other native species on this planet?” Sam asks.

“No, humans ‘conquered’ the earth thousands of years ago. Well, I guess there are some parts we still can’t go to, like the ocean, and there are theories about some pretty monstrous beasts down there...but that’s beside the point. Wars are against other countries.” Styx says.

Sam doesn’t speak immediately. “...against other countries of humans?”

“Yeah, of course.” Melete answers, exasperated. “What else would we be fighting?”

“...I am confused.” Sam states. “A war, by definition, requires a cooperative force. And yet, despite cooperating, you fight other humans in wars?”

“Well, not us, personally. We’re too young still.” Styx says.

I’ve started to pay a bit closer attention now. “Are you saying the Alatir don’t have wars?” I ask.

“Of course we war. We are a cooperative species. But never against fellow Alatir, only ever against others.”

“And the others are always different types of aliens?” I ask.

“Of course. No creature I know of wars against others of its own kind. I suspect any that did would have wiped itself out.” Somehow, despite its voice remaining steady, Sam gives the impression of being affronted.

I hang my head. It figures that after killer alien monsters invade the earth, humans are still the worst of the lot.

“What happens when you disagree with other Alatir then? How do you resolve the disagreements?” Melete asks, clearly not convinced of the aliens’ supposed unity.

“I would seek other Alatir of higher standing than myself to resolve the disagreement.” Sam says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“And if you still disagreed with the alien in authority?” Melete presses.

“Why would I disagree with them? They have higher standing than myself. If we are in conflict, I am clearly in the wrong.”

I marvel. I know Sam is an alien, but I never expected its thought processes to be so...alien.

“Humans aren’t like that.” Pallas says, finally contributing to the conversation. I look up, only to see him staring down at his own feet. “When we disagree, we fight. We war. We kill. All the time. I doubt any species of monster could ever kill more humans than humans have.” The bitterness in his voice is tangible.

There’s a pregnant pause

“Let’s get back on the road.” I say, forcibly changing the subject. “We’ve still got a ways to go today.”

As we pack up our supplies, I hear Sam speak. “...I will think on this.”

The rest of the morning passes uneventfully. We’ve walked for another three hours with only one additional break when we see buildings in the distance.

Over the last hour we’ve walked by a few clearings in the trees that contained large secluded houses, but we passed each by without further investigation. At first glance, there was no sign that any of the houses were occupied and I didn’t want to risk getting trapped in an unfamiliar environment. Melete had been eyeing the swingset in one backyard with desire, so I hustled us away from that house especially quickly.

It’s at the edge of what I first presumed to be just another clearing when we see more buildings. For the first few hundred yards, there are just homes surrounded by extensive yards and long driveways. But in the distance I can make out buildings grouped closer together, what I assume is the town proper.

My heart beats faster, but I refuse to get my hopes too high. A small part of me can’t help but be slightly optimistic.

I turn and whisper to Sam, “Can you hide us from any monsters?”

“Not unless I see them.” It says. “I need to be able to know the general location of the creature to be able to affect its mind.”

I nod. Gesturing for silence from the rest of my companions, I crouch-run to the edge of the first building.

Sneaking from building to building, we make our way through the outskirts of the town. I don’t see any bodies, but as we get closer to the center of town there are more signs of the apocalypse than in Aliston. Many of the stores look like they have been broken into and there are a few cars crashed on the side of the road.

I round the corner of the most recent building, about seven or eight buildings into the town proper, and I see it.

A wall. Between two buildings up ahead, the windows of the buildings all boarded up, a truck is wedged. Various debris and other junk have been pushed under and around the car forming a more secure barrier. It wouldn’t be too difficult to climb over, but it would take a few seconds and would be almost impossible to do sneakily. And behind the wall shadows move.

Humans! There’s real, living, breathing humans walking over there. Only two that I can see -- I can’t make out much more than their silhouette and the outline of guns in their hands -- but where there’s two there has to be more. The effort put into creating that wall seems to imply a sizeable population taking refuge behind it.

I turn to my friends. Styx and Pallas have wide smiles on their faces to match my own, and I think those are tears in the corners of Pallas’ eyes. Finally.

For some reason, Melete’s smile isn’t quite as authentic, and she looks almost apprehensively at the men in the distance. Before I can ask her why Sam starts speaking.

“Just so you know: I am on a diplomatic mission to all of humanity. I will not be able to assist if you...conflict with other humans.”

And just like that my joy deflates. Sam, ignorant as it is of humanity, has the wisdom to acknowledge the potential danger of these new humans. As much as I want other people to represent safety, we can’t discount their potential danger. I’ve watched too many war movies to believe in humanity’s inherent goodness in the face of crisis.

The smile disappears from my face. Still gesturing for silence, I lead my friends back around the corner out of sight from the wall.

“I hate to say it, but we need to be careful.” I whisper. “We can’t assume that they’ll be benevolent.”

Styx looks like she swallowed something sour, but she nods along. She looks at me and asks. “What’s the plan?”

I sigh when I see all eyes turned to my own, including Sam’s single yellow orb.

“First, let’s back away and find a camp. We’ll need a place to regroup if we have to run. It should be far enough away from the town that they won’t find it if they send out patrols.”

“How about that giant treehouse back at the home a half-mile ago? It looked big enough to fit us all.” Melete offers. Part of me is suspicious her suggestion has more to do with the nearby rope swing than any sense of safety the treehouse may provide, but I can’t deny the appeal of being hidden up off the ground. The worm monster yesterday would have had no way to attack us if we were in a treehouse.

“Let’s do it.” I say.

Fifteen minutes later we’re hauling our supplies up to the treehouse while Melete gleefully plays on the rope swing. The treehouse is raised about ten feet in the air with a simple wooden step ladder leading to the entrance. The doorway is a bit small for our frames, especially Pallas’, but once we’re inside we have more room to spread out. The treehouse clearly was professionally built -- it has none of the splinters or rotting wood that might indicate a do-it-yourself job.

Once we’re situated, I call Melete over and she reluctantly joins us up in the tree, Sam crouched in the corner.

“We all need to make sure we know how to find this place.” I start. “It’s roughly southeast of town, behind the yellow house with the balconies.” I hope I don’t need to explain all of this to them, but it never hurts to have a reminder.

“You think we’ll actually have to run from the town? Or split up?” Styx asks.

Melete nods, but I simply shrug. “Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.” I say. “If we’re running, try to stay off the road and cut through the woods instead.”

“We should leave some supplies here, just in case.” Pallas says.

I nod in agreement. “That’s a good idea. Let’s leave the wheelbarrow for sure, and probably one backpack. Also a few weapons.” Styx starts digging through her bag to figure out what should be left behind. “Let’s eat before we go visit our neighbors, but before that, we need to make sure the house is safe.” I pause, thinking. “Is there anything else you think we should do to prepare?”

“Numbers and tattoos.” Styx says, looking up from her backpack. “If we can, we should hide them for as long as we can.” I nod. That isn’t a problem for me with my skill, but it’s definitely wise for everyone else. And I should try to blend in.

“Should Sam go and scout the people for us?” Melete asks, not looking towards Sam’s corner.

I shake my head before it can respond. “That would be risky. Even if Sam can hide from them, they’re bound to be on the lookout for monsters. And to be honest, I don’t think Sam’s familiar enough with humans to provide us any useful intelligence.” I shrug in Sam’s direction.

Melete nods in response. When no one else presents any ideas, I grab Pallas’ backpack and start digging through it for food. “Okay, let’s eat. We’ll raid the house to make sure there aren’t any monster nests, and then we’ll go greet our neighbors.” Despite our pessimistic plans, I can’t help but smile optimistically.

All things considered, our exploration of the house is fairly tame. The front door is cracked open, and we slowly and carefully explore room by room. We encounter a single dog monster in one of the basement rooms, but with Sam creating illusions it is almost trivial to defeat, resulting in a gain of only two free Numbers for each of us. The rest of the house is empty, if a bit trashed, but provides a good haul of replacement food and clothes.

I snag a handful of markers from a drawer on a desk and toss one to each of my friends, keeping a few to leave in the treehouse. “If we get separated, leave any messages on the wall of the treehouse, just next to the entrance.”

They each nod and take a minute to trade markers, picking out their favorite colors. I shake my head, but make a note to myself: Styx likes blue.

All too soon the house is cleared and all the good supplies are relocated to the treehouse. We bid goodbye to Sam, telling it that we’ll try to send someone back out to the treehouse tomorrow to let it know if it’s safe to approach.

Sam has been much quieter since the revelation this morning of humans warring with each other. It obviously has some thoughts to work through, and I hope it will still see us as potential allies. Our goodbyes knock it out of its silence, and it responds.

“Stay strong and stay safe.”

We leave the treehouse behind with our weapons in our hands. Within a few minutes, we get to the edge of town and forgo stealth. Side by side, we walk down the middle of the road up to the wall of cars.

S: 100

D:100

W: 321 (+2)

I: 100

C: 70

0

Skills: Adjust:Self