Introduction
This story is a draft form, something I wrote while finishing my PhD. It is told in a series of dialogs, and a bit strange, as it merges superheros with certain alienation themes.
I don’t intend on putting it in a finalized form. The problem is that from the superhero side, there is a lot I wish to change, but such changes will remove (or greatly modify) the aspects I wish to show in terms of alienation, especially in showing my emotions from the time I wrote this.
Everything happens after a major superhero vs supervillain battle. In a world where superhumans exist, the main villain, Rob, had a laboratory where he had an orb, which acted as a battery intended to grant the wielder superpowers. He charged the orb by leaching power from someone, Kate in this instance, without superpowers, but presumably some sort of latent magical potential. Once in the orb, it can magnify itself with minimal limit. Many details are undefined, unknown, or unclear, including where the orb comes from, what exactly it does, and its intended purpose.
Once Rob got what he wanted out of Kate, he proceeded to attempt to conquer Russia. Again details are lacking, but presumably conquer means replacing Putin with a western-chosen liberal on orders of some unspecified other individual, not literally installing himself in charge. Kate had warned the Russians in advance, preventing a clean assassination attempt.
Kate then, feeling suicidal and left out, puts herself in the way of Rob’s attacks, which, since they are beams of pure energy from her own magical gift, they don’t just burn her like they do with everything else.
Note that dialog in <> is in Russian, while without these markers is in English. This follows the typical webcomic convention of using brackets <> to indicated translated speech.
Issues
- When Kate confronts Rob, what is she actually capable of saying? Note that the orb draining her put her into a deep depressive state, only to recover once she drained the power from the orb.
- If Kate were to return home, would she be arrested? Note that she gave the Russians access to the lab with the orb, and it is presumably classified, even if she was given access to it without clearance and Rob used it in a way which would need to be considered villainous. Probably, based on circumstance, she can be deported, denied entry to Canada, but she can’t be arrested by the US or Canada, unless they make something up to arrest her for.
- The whole “Mother Russia” thing is weird and feels wrong. Presumably, in context, she is a spirit, and as a spirit, she has a bond with people, and the bond affects people in strange ways, and is misinterpreted in this way.
Other Notes
- The proper English translation of the Russian version of “Mother Russia” is actually closer to “Motherland.” I don’t want to go into this, as there are no perfect translations, ever, so trying to go into such details are meaningless. (Ideally, if I were to do a translation, I would be adding something rather than subtracting it, but my Russian is not that good. Also, I am not that good of a writer.)
- I have many characters which don’t like Kate. This may create a false impression that Russians don’t like Americans. I needed to put in a diversity of views, and with limited characters and all conversations being spoken, this is how it turned out. In reality, Russians love Americans, they just hate the American government and it’s insistence on trying to destroy Russia.
- I write this story from the perspective of someone who has a sense of being left out, i.e. there is a strong alienation theme. Some aspects can be considered as a critique of liberalism and the whole "social justice" project, making people feel guilty for being from a privileged group, especially by conservatives who don't understand the underlying philosophy. That being said, it should be equally possible to say that there is present a critique of conservatism and the rigid identity structure present within, making people feel pushed out for being from an underprivileged group. Since people tend to be defensive of their own side and blame everything on their opponents, I wish to warn you of this, so that people can back up and be self-critical as well as examining the alienation theme outside of preconceived conceptions.
- I will get the pdf up somewhere at some point.
People
- Kate A
- Main contact B
- Support C X
- Friends D E F K
- Non-friends G Q R
- Followers H I
- Military J Y
- Officials L M N O P
- Journalists S T U V
- Diplomat W
1.
A. <What happened?>
B. Your “friend’s” orb lost its power after he used it against you.
A. <I don’t understand.>
B. <It is strange.>
A. <I remember Rob was destroying things. … I was trying to convince him to stop, or at least distract him. You didn’t want me to go.>
B. <You wanted to sacrifice your life.>
A. < So that others wouldn’t need to die. Here is something which I can do, which needs to be done, which I know of. I gathered enough courage to do what I needed and have a better chance than others. And you (pl.) don’t want me to contribute as I can.>
…
B. <You went in and tried to plead for him to stop. From what I was told, he didn’t care about you. You were just an inconvenience.>
A. <Yes. He blasted me with a special beam. … He talked as if he recognized me, recognized what I did, but that it wasn’t relevant and I wasn’t relevant. And then he struck me again with the beam and I grounded myself, willing the power back to where it came. The rest is fuzzy.>
B. <From what I was told, he hit you twice with the beam, after which the orb shattered. Some of his followers flipped then, while others did after you ordered his arrest. Then you fell unconscious.>
A. <I was telling them what to do?>
B. <It doesn’t matter. You were trying to prevent Rob from escaping.>
A. <What happens now?>
B. <Without a “divine” super, Rob’s followers are weak and unable to maintain power. We will be able to deal with what remains. We will go through the formalities, then you get to go home.>
A. <Home … >
B. <You won. I don’t know how, but you saved us.>
…
B. <I am sorry. I thought of you as a civilian. Someone to protect. But you never thought of yourself that way.>
A. <I am a civilian.>
B. <But this is not how you think and act. We all saw what was on the surface. But that doesn’t make this true.>
…
B. <Your language skills have improved significantly.>
A. <Huh?>
B. <You used to talk poorly, now you talk as a native.>
A. <I am just talking.>
pause
B. <You know you are speaking Russian, right?>
She just stares at him.
2.
C. <Are you observing how you changed?>
A. <I need a haircut.>
C. <What for? You look beautiful. Most other girls would be jealous.>
A. <I am not most girls. Long hair is impractical, difficult to manage and gets in the way.>
…
C. <Do you not recognize yourself?>
A. The haircut does alter the impression, but I look the same, except healed, without flaws, and my eyes have lost their color … >
C. <Does this displease you?>
A. <No. … It is like Athena, the gray-eyed goddess … >
C. <I don’t understand.>
A. <Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, and crafting – weaving is typically associated with her. The Roman name is Minerva.>
C. <But what is this to you?>
A. <She is my goddess ... Well, personality archetype, I guess. (If you ignore the myths where she does horrible stuff.)>
C. <Do you believe in these gods?>
A. <No, it is just a tool.>
C. <And you want to cut your hair to mimic her?>
A. <She does not have short hair. Besides, I think the whole soldier cutting his hair is a modern thing. When the Greeks conceived of the Amazons, they cut off one breast, not their hair. Athena was one of the most beautiful goddesses.>
C. It is to be like the boys, like the soldiers.>
…
A. <Am I taller?>
C. <Yes, you are tall like a super. We can check later.>
A. <I am not a super.>
C. <Why do you say that? You survived the blast. Besides, when you got hit by the blast, it changed you. You obviously showed extraordinary abilities. There is a high probability you absorbed power from the orb.>
A. <I returned the power to the earth. Nobody should have that power. Those with power tend to abuse it.>
C. <We will figure out what happened. You shouldn’t make assumptions. You are not undeserving as a person.>
C. <I don’t understand.>
A. <What?>
C. <The scissors just go through. I cut and nothing is cut.>
A. <You just don’t want to cut my hair.>
* passes scissors *
C. <You can try.>
A. <You are right. … I don’t understand. Why is this happening?>
C. <It is not unusual for supers to have odd traits.>
A. <But I am not a super.>
C. <These things change. Here, I can help you tie your hair up so it won’t get in the way.>
A. <I am not a super. I can’t be.>
C. <Why are you so insistent?>
A. <These things don’t happen to me. … Besides, power is easy to abuse. Those with it often ignore the needs of those without, often just want others to fall in line.>
C. <I don’t understand. You have talked to other supers. They are people, part of the society. … But you don’t think you are worthy of being a person. … >
A. <I am an outlier, irrelevant.>
C. <You saved our lives.>
…
A. <Maybe we shouldn’t tell people about this. We don’t want the Americans thinking they may have a potential weapon.>
3.
D. You recovered fast.
E. Yes. And why …
F. You actually did it …
A. <I am sorry. I don’t understand what you are saying.>
F. <Well, this is new.>
D. <Are you implying that you would rather speak Russian?>
A. < hmm … yes.>
E. <How are you doing?>
A. <I don’t know what is happening to me. I am different, but I don’t understand.>
E. <You are not the first super who has had trouble adjusting.>
…
G. <Wow, you are so beautiful!>
D. <Just ignore them.>
A. <Aren’t you the same people who said that I … >
G. <Yes. You were a woman pretending to be a man, an American pretending to be Russian. But now you are a hero.>
A. <And I am still a male-cultured woman, and an American who relates better with Russia. Besides, I thought you thought I was part of some conspiracy with Rob.>
F. You shouldn’t push your luck.
A. (Looks confused.)
D. <Seriously, you should not engage them.>
A. <I need to know.>
E. <He thinks you are pretty, so wants to have sex with you. He is saying what he needs to make that happen.>
D. <What is happening is that you don’t understand English.>
(Everyone stares.)
D. <What? It seemed obvious.>
A. <That is not true.>
D. Then prove it.
E. <It will be ok. It is just another artifact of the transformation. You can learn. At least you are alive.>
A. <I don’t know what will happen. It is over, I am supposed to go home, but I don’t even know if I can, much less if I want to.>
F. <Why would you not be able?>
A. <I guess .. if I violated the “superterrorism prevention act” and am classified as a terrorist for interfering in foreign affairs. Or if the US government wants my abilities, thinking they are like the orb … I don’t know. It just feels wrong.>
D. <Didn’t the orb let the user know any language?>
A. <No. He learned how to use it to translate, but that was not the same as learning.>
F. <Here. Can you tell me what you can read?>
A. <Ok. … Hmm … This, this, … This I can figure out by deductive reasoning. Here I guess I could understand with a dictionary. ...>
F. <So it is more like you are out of practice.>
E. <So absorbing the orb means you can understand all languages of the RF?>
…
A. <What are you doing here?>
H. <We apprehended Rob. We await further orders.>
A. <I don’t understand. Who are you? How did you get here?>
E. <They are dressed as Rob’s followers do.>
I. <We live to serve you, Mother Russia.>
A. <What is you name?>
H. <Anton Valereyevich>
I. <Pyotr Ivanovich>
A. <Were you Rob’s followers?>
H. <We only serve you, Mother Russia.>
A. <Before that. Before you arrested Rob.>
H. <We were. I had believed that he was chosen by God (to serve you).>
I. <And I believed he would bring wealth and human rights to your people.>
A. <And now you defect because you realize that this is not true?>
H. <We live to serve you, Mother Russia.>
A. <But why? What do you want? What do you expect?>
* silence *
A. <You don’t seem to identify with who you were.>
F. <They seem to be brainwashed.>
D. <They seem to be unable to tell the difference between you and the country.>
A. <I noticed. I need to take these people to the medical staff. Can you deal with my tray?>
E. <Can I finish your food?>
A. <I don’t see why not.>
4.
A. <These people found me. They were the ones who brought in Rob. I think they are brainwashed. They call me “Mother Russia” and act as if I am to give them orders.>
C. <If they were Rob’s followers, take them to be arrested.>
A. <But there is something wrong with them.>
C. <Ok. I will look at them, but get someone first.>
C. <I need you to sit down here.>
A. <She intends to help you. … Follow her directions and answer questions.>
…
J. <What is going on?>
C. <These men were acting suspiciously.>
J. <Why are you here?>
A. <I didn’t want to directly turn them in because they were brainwashed.>
J. <Who is this?>
C. <Kate, the American who helped us.>
J. <Kate, it is not your place to decide what happens to them.>
A. <Yes, sir.>
J. <What is their status?>
C. <They are dehydrated, injured, and incredibly compliant.>
J. <I want to question them.>
C. <I can finish dressing their wounds, then you an question them.>
…
J. <They are not responding.>
A. <Answer his questions.>
…
A. <I think somehow I brainwashed them when I was taking down Rob, but I don’t know how. I was in the moment, I guess. I don’t know how to fix it.>
B. <How are you doing?>
A. <Everything is overwhelming. I can’t cut my hair. I am having trouble with English. And now these guys are following me around, calling me “mother Russia”>
C. <This is not related to Rob’s powers, is it?>
B. <You think she is superhuman?>
C. <It is likely.>
A. <I don’t understand what is going on. I can’t be super. I didn’t do this to be super. I just wanted to help. … >
C. <You said you gave the power back. Maybe you bonded. … Besides, these men will do anything for you and you prioritize their safety. I don’t think you should worry that you will be corrupted.>
A. <I don’t know how to break it. They still exist, but … >
B. <You can try to tell them that they do not need to be of service.>
A. <It won’t work. There is too much risk of it causing problems. … >
C. <Rob was capable of such things. Did he tell you how?>
A. <No, but I think it was internal.>
…
J. <They were very cooperative. This will aid our bringing down the rest of them.>
A. <You do know that technically everything they said was under force? … What? If they were brainwashed, it is like under the effect of drugs.>
J. <This is none of your business.>
A. <Yes, sir.>
B. <Why do you care about these people?>
C. <They came to her, effectively put their trust in her, and she blames herself for their current condition.>
B. <You did what you needed to do.>
A. <I know. That is why I let them be questioned. We need to prevent any more issues. But they are still people. … >
J. <Your American may have mastered our language and convinced these men she is “Mother Russia,” but she is still an outsider and has no business dictating policy.>
B. <She controls them. She is the only reason you can question them. She is the reason we no longer need to deal with Rob.>
J. <Fine. If she is here, she follows orders. Don’t break the brainwashing until this is over. We may still have use for them. We will find something for them to do.>
A. <Yes, sir.>
…
C. <You are not happy.>
A. <It is typical that people forget criminals are people too.>
B. <But you will comply.>
A. <I was always intending to turn them in. I don’t have to like the system to accept it.>
B. <And?>
A. <Why are they following me around? Why is any of this happening? What even is happening?>
C. <We will figure this out.>
5.
K. <Your hair is deceptive.>
A. <Are you trying to pull my hair?>
…
K. <You are extremely strong. Have you tested your current strength and stamina?>
A. <No.>
K. <Well, you should do that.>
…
6.
B. <You should call your parents.>
A. <I don’t know what to say.>
B. <Tell them that you are ok.>
A. <No, I mean … >
B. <You are having trouble with English?>
A. <Yes. … When am I leaving?>
B. <When do you want to leave?>
A. <I don’t know. I want to get back to my life, but I keep having this feeling that I am not supposed to leave.>
B. <You should take time to recover. You are not expected back yet. When we finish with the formalities we will figure out what should happen. … You can start right now by trying to relearn English. If you have actually lost knowledge, we can get a translator to help you talk to your parents. If we need to, we can transfer you here or find something for you to do.>
7.
L. <What are we going to do with this girl?>
M. <She did save our lives. She deserves a medal.>
N. <She is working with Rob.>
M. <Why do you still believe that?>
N. <She is an American. She knew Rob before. She was the one to survive.>
B. <Have you met her? She acted as any of our soldiers, maybe better. She was willing to sacrifice her life to save us.>
N. <And look what happened! Everyone else was killed when they did what she did. She ended up with superpowers.>
B. <She struggles with English.>
O. <I don’t understand the significance. Is she unable to talk?>
B. <She talks in Russian. But if she goes back, she would struggle. Whatever happened to her, it is unlikely that she could just return.>
M. <We knew there was a possibility that she wouldn’t be able to return.>
L. <Let us review her abilities.>
B. <She is taller and her eyes changed color. Her hair has grown out and can’t be cut.>
O. <Can’t be cut how?>
B. <It becomes incorporeal when cut or pulled. There are indications that this applies for all her body, but she is also more resilient. She has good strength and endurance. She apparently knows several languages. And we think she can brainwash people, although she doesn’t want to try.>
L. <What happened to those who were following her?>
B. <She was told not to try to free them until this is over. She gave control over to the military.>
O. <That is it? This American had control over others and she just followed orders?>
N. <How do we know that you are not brainwashed?>
…
M. <I think we need to ask if we want to give this woman to the Americans.>
B. <We can’t force her to stay.>
M. <But we can offer her citizenship and help her find a place here.>
B. <She won’t accept.>
M. <She doesn’t want this?>
B. <She doesn’t think she deserves this.>
N. <So, what, she is just here to play hero, then return to her luxurious American life?>
B. <She sees people who aren’t offered this. She doesn’t think this option will be given to her, and she thinks others need this more.>
…
8.
B. <They want to talk to you.>
A. * looks up *
B. <You do realize they are talking about giving you a metal and offering citizenship?>
A. <Why?>
B. <You came her to help us. You were willing to put your life on hold to warn us and help us. You were then willing to sacrifice your life to help us. And you managed to save us. Why do you think this is strange?>
A. <I acted when I needed to. If there was no danger, I wouldn’t need to be here. I was willing to sacrifice my life because I wanted to sacrifice my life. And citizenship isn’t something just given. There is a process. … >
B. <You have shown more patriotism than most are called upon to.>
A. <That doesn’t change how these things work. … People like me, we learn that we will not be allowed to be who we are.>
B. <This is what was considered appropriate in this circumstance. It not about what you may have experienced in the past or the circumstances and experiences of others. Do you want this?>
A. <I want to contribute to the group. I want to be recognized for this contribution. But I don’t want to be a public figure, and I don’t want others’ contributions to be ignored. … I did what I needed to, and I, we, got lucky.>
B. <And citizenship?>
A. <It is inappropriate. I have only been here for a week and a half.>
B. <But do you want this?>
A. < I do want to be able to not go back to the US … >
B. <You have been trying to learn our culture and language for years. Is it still difficult to admit?>
A. <I was told growing up that I was lucky …
I see everyone likes this world, culture, and I don’t. It is imposed.
I am not patriotic, so I am anti-nationalistic.
I leave, find someplace better. But reality is not so simple. At least if it is foreign, I need not conform.
But I have emotions, and others say this is not free. And potentially conflated …
This is not how I was taught these things work.>
B. <But do you want this?>
A. <Yes. It won’t solve everything, but I do.>
B. <Ok. It is true that there are those who are unhappy that their savior is American. There are people who believe you just want to play her or worked with Rob. This is a minority viewpoint, so try not to let it bother you too much.>
…
9.
L. <Let’s start at the beginning. Can you tell us how you met Rob?>
A. <We started talking one day at the university. (Some event maybe?) I told him that I was asexual, but he still wanted to talk again. Later, he took me to his lab to show me the orb.>
L. <What happened next?>
A. <We kept meeting to talk. He gave me a key to his lab. I remember, over the couple of months from them to now getting sick often. When I was stressed, I went to see the orb. I don’t know why. … He was studying supers. He thought he could empower people. I was worried about abuse of power. … He showed me some of what the orb could let people do.
Over time, things changed. He was not talking about trying to save the world. He wanted to conquer Russia. He gave a lot of irrational reasons. I suspected he wanted to impress me by“freeing” the people I loved. … I pushed him. He had a contact and a plan. I think the contact was paying him.
I did the only thing I could do. I tried to discourage him. And I told someone.>
L. <You told us.>
A. <I didn’t know whom I was supposed to contact in this case. I decided to contact the Russians first.>
M. <It is possible that the orb reacted differently to you due to prior contact?>
A. <I don’t know. I never learned the details.>
N. <Why did you contact us first?>
A. <It is complicated. … I guess I felt that this is of your concern. And I didn’t know if the Canadian authorities would contact or involve you. … I had intended to tell everyone eventually.>
N. <Why would he think conquering Russia would impress you?>
A. <I don’t actually know his motives. But you know how the West views you and the rest of the world. I would talk to him about things. I had developed a love or sense of connection, maybe. … But my values and needs were libertarian, in contrast to the current authoritarian tendencies. I always viewed reality as complex, but he probably assumed that my beliefs and understandings were American. …
They always forget history, including the 90s.>
L. <Ok. … >
M. <When you met him here . When you encountered him the previous time he didn’t indicate he cared about you.>
A. <That is correct to my memory. He didn’t seem to … he acted as if I was an inconvenience.>
M. <But he recognized you?>
A. <I believe so.>
M. <And you thought he liked you before, trying to impress you with the orb and trying to conquer a country.>
A. <That is correct.>
M. <Did he do anything else?>
A. <He talked to me about the orb. He listened to me, trying to encourage my thoughts, but maybe not really understanding. He tried to talk as if he liked me and liked my ideas … >
M. <No gifts?>
A. <Nothing he insisted on. He only insisted on showing me the orb giving me the key.>
N. <You told him you were Russian, and he wanted to conquer her?>
A. <I never told him that.>
N. <But you told him … >
A. < I was learning the culture, language, history. I frequently use what I know to explain.>
N. <Why were you learning this? Did your ancestors … >
A. <That was over 100 years ago! I am not even the same as my parents and people change over their lifetime.>
N. <Then what got you interested?>
A. <An article, some dreams, and someone pointing out someone’s background.>
N. <We are not Soviet.>
A. <I don’t understand the significance of this.>
N. <Can you explain?>
A. <I am not sure what to say. When I was young I had an image of myself as a winter warrior, I guess. This has stayed. I always had this sense that I didn’t belong, I was forced into a culture. There are so many things, and I assumed this was a given for me. This interest, when I encountered it, I couldn’t shake it. I didn’t understand. When I see Snowden …
…
This guy Rob just acts as if people are just there for him to conquer.>
L. <So, do we have more questions, want to continue, or are we ready to discuss?>
M. <We should continue. There may be more we are missing.>
A. <It took some effort to get in contact. There was skepticism that Rob’s plan could work, also curiosity about the orb. The Canadian authorities were not happy I didn’t tell them first. I at one point was showing the orb to one of the Russians. We were trying to see if there was anything on his computers. … I touched the orb and fell unconscious. He took me to the hospital. When he went back, the orb was gone.>
M. <Was this the first time you touched it?>
A. <Yes.>
M. <You were never tempted to try using it?>
A. <No.>
M. <Had you seen anyone but Rob use it?>
A. <No. I was the only person he would even let see it. Probably the only one he would even tell about it.>
M. <You never told anyone before us?>
A. <No.>
M. <The orb affected you somehow.>
A. <I don’t know.>
L. <Do you know why you are here?>
A. <Yes.>
L. <We want to have a public ceremony, to give people closure. People will want to see their hero.>
A. <Will the other heroes be there?>
L. <Yes. Everyone will be honored as appropriate. Will you come? Accept what is offered?>
A. <Yes.>
L. <Ok. We will arrange for you to have something appropriate to wear.>
10.
A. <Oh. … Woah>
P. <Kate! … Oh. Wow. How beautiful.>
A. <I know… >
P. <I wanted to thank you for saving my life.>
A. <It needed to be done. It shouldn’t have been needed, but it was and I could.>
P. <You do realize that many other people wouldn’t have done what you had.>
A. <(What was I supposed to do?) I was taught that I need to not be selfish and give back to society.>
P. <What you did was good. You showed great loyalty. You shouldn’t doubt yourself. Why did you hesitate to accept what is offered?>
A. <When I was in school, I remember the teacher talking about the differences of the concept of property between the natives and the colonists. I understood the concept from the natives. But even as I listened to the indigenous rights activists talk about natives being risen as colonists .. I relate, but know this is not my people.
I know Americans are not my people. I can feel it. When the activists, dissidents talk about how they are still patriotic, I know this is not where I am from. I don’t want to fix the system, I want to destroy it.
But in the approach to adopt another one, I am reminded of cultural appropriation. I am told that one is not just to adopt another’s culture as their own, and that one should see value in the culture of their ancestors if not their own.>
P. <And where do your ancestors come from?>
A. <But culture is not genetic, it is trained. If I do not belong with my parents, how am I to belong with their ancestors. Everyone constantly obsesses a bout their heritage. Like, we aren’t allowed to determine our own identity. I am told I am American, I am lucky to be American. My ancestors go back 100 years on one side, 400 on the other. I am told I am Jewish, from Israel, but I am not, maybe 2000 years ago. But I want to be with the wolves and snow, feel native, …>
P. <So your ancestors … Oh … >
A. <Americans will go to another culture, say things and think they save it.
An American being the savior …
I don’t want fame, attention …
But people will go in, legitimately believe they are helping, but they are causing more problems. They think they know everything. I know I don’t know everything. And I learn. But I also want to engage, and to talk about what I know, and to help, to make things better, more inclusive in its own way, determine what works within the culture, true to the people and their needs, not based on American mentality.
But I remember I am not allowed. Americans make things worse, not better. I know very little, I understand little, and I am not allowed to trespass where I do not understand. But I am required to help, otherwise I am taking from society. When will I be allowed?>
P. < You think too much. These things are not for you. We know you are not a typical American. Your actions shown great patriotism towards the Russian people. Yet you still think these feelings are false?>
A. <If I hadn’t done this, would you still trust me?>
P. <Do you not trust me?>
A. <I believe that you are loyal. I believe that you are skilled and intelligent. I believe that you help stand up to the west. But your position of power has skewed your perspectives. I can feel that many trust you. It may not be for the right reasons, but that is real. Although people are complex in their own way.>
P. <Wow! … But do you trust me?>
A. < I don’t think I could feel any other way.>
P. <The American attitude … >
A. <Right now, only the weight of the Russian’s beliefs matter. And it feels like we have known each other for a long time despite just meeting.>
P. <I feel this connection too. You are a beautiful and intelligent Russian girl. This is real. You deserve this. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.>
11.
Q. <Hey Mother … uh … >
R. <You can’t be that scared of the girl … oh … >
A. <Seriously. This doesn’t need to be spread, it is not … Do you believe this?>
R. <Of course not. How could you ever believe some foreign girl could represent our people?>
A. <There was Catherine the Great … I am sorry, I need to go.>
12.
B. <The president had indicated that you didn’t think you know anything about our culture.>
A. <I can learn. It will just take time.>
B. <I want to give you a test. You can think of it as a pretest, to see what you still need to learn. The results will not impact our decision.>
A. <Ok.>
→ not going to go through the whole conceptions
goes through basic things with no error, somewhat surprised
without telling her, he eventually tries both things for the US and university level history
the results show how she has been affected
B. <Are you ok?>
A. <I am forgetting things I learned in school. I can’t answer all of your questions … >
B. <You can’t answer things about the US. You know far more than most citizens. I would ask how you learned, but I think we know. There don’t seem to be any problematic gaps in your knowledge. You should stop worrying about this.>
A. <You expected the orb to have affected my knowledge?>
B. <It seems to fit the pattern. How are you doing?>
A. <I don’t know what to think. People seem to be accepting this … I am not going to be able to go back to my old life, though, am I?>
B. <We will figure something out. … What do you want?>
A. <I don’t know. It seems wrong to abandon my previous responsibilities, to give up, but it is not unusual. I could transfer, finish my studies here, if someone will take me.
…
I will need to go back at some point, at least to pack, even if I remain here. And my parents will want to see me. Are they coming to the ceremony? This is the type of thing they would want to see. I think … >
B. <I am not aware of any such invitations. Is this something you want? We could check the feasibility.>
A. <I don’t really care. It just seemed like something they would want. But last minute travel is expensive, and they probably would prefer to be able to see it in English. They can see it at home better. But it is polite to ask, right? It is not for them, but there still is some conception of individuals being honored, and there are foreign guests. …>
B. <You realize you forgot about your family again, and don’t actually know what they want. … Is there anyone you want to come?>
A. <I think they are already coming. There is nobody from before I really want there. I would probably invite certain close family members as they like this sort of thing, and the people I knew who were Russian as they may want to see this independently of me. I can give the information, but it is not my decision.>
13.
A. <Who is that?>
B. <Foreign journalist … >
A. <Who is over there?>
B. <Representatives of … >
A. <What about him?>
B. <Businessman … >
A. <No, next to him.>
B. <Foreign business partner … >
B. <What is going on? Why do you want to know about all the foreign guests? Do you not think they should be here?>
A. <They feel empty inside.>
B. <Huh?>
A. <When I look at people, I get a sense of their soul. A connection. They may not be the kindest, but there is something, some connection, some sense that they are human, that to hurt each other would be to hurt oneself. I can tell what type of person they are, what motivates them in a sense. It is like when someone knows someone else. I know if I can trust them.
The people I ask about, I don’t know. We are not connected. They feel like strangers.
I guess when I have the sense of being surrounded by friends, the strange faces stick out.>
B. <Strange. But what about your mother?>
A. <She felt like a stranger, but that was through a translator, over the internet. I intellectually knew her. I am used to dealing with intellectual skills. But yes, all instincts were gone.>
B. <Can you identify people?>
A. <I don’t know.>
B. <Who is he?>
A. <… He is loyal, but mostly to himself. He is married … >
B. <I don’t actually need the life story. Can you tell anything else, read thoughts for instance?>
A. <Hmm. No, empathy, not telepathy, I think. Only what you would have with a close friend. You need emotion from the body, and I can sense the emotion being projected. I think, I don’t know. It feels natural to me. These people, they don’t feel like strangers and their needs matter.>
B. <And with the foreigners?>
A. <Nothing. Note even a basic human empathy. I don’t wish to harm them, I know that they are human, but I feel nothing. They are empty.>
B. <If you can sense, this is based on citizenship?>
A. <I don’t know. There are various strengths, then there are those who are empty.>
B. <We should investigate. For now, we should keep this quiet.>
14.
(I don’t remember what the speech was supposed to be.)
many helped
I don’t blame people for siding with Rob
Kind enough to offer that I stay
I don’t wish to tell you what to do next
not talk about …
it is over, now the stage of rebuilding begins
it will be difficult, but we will succeed
15.
S. <Do you want to tell the public about your abilities?>
A. <Why do you think I have abilities?>
T. <Seriously. You are taller than before and survived the encounter.>
A. <Survival was chance … and the orb broke.>
U. <You speak with a Russian accent.>
A. <So do most of the people here.>
U. <But you didn’t before. You barely knew Russian.>
A. <These things change.>
U. <The orb changed this.>
S. <There were reports that you turned into an angel.>
…
T. <You had answered questions before.>
A. <I was in a planned interview, not being pestered by people.>
V. <All our men .. and some American comes in to save the day, gets the powers. What makes you deserve this?>
A. <Deserve what? Risking my life? I don’t have powers. I had come here to warn of danger. I sacrificed my life to help stop him. I wanted to help. I didn’t expect to survive.>
V. <We didn’t ask for your help.>
A. <Nobody asks for my help. If I want to be a part of the world, do what is expected, I must offer myself.>
V. <But why are you really here?>
A. <It makes me feel human. It is the first time I felt part of the group. I could eat food, felt comfortable with culture, wanted to learn, change adapt, no longer forced where I don’t belong.>
V. <You lie.>
A. <Believe what you must.>
16. ** many issues **
W. Kate, I need to talk with you.
A. (She knows the speaker is a foreigner) …
W. I work for the American embassy. I need to talk to you about your situation.
A. <I don’t understand you, foreigner.>
W. <Seriously, “foreigner,” you don’t recognize your own countrymen?>
A. <I do.>
W. <I work for … >
A. <We have nothing to talk about.>
W. <I hear that you are planning on giving up American citizenship, becoming Russian. I don’t think you should do this.>
A. <Of course you don’t.>
W. <If they are pressuring you, we can help. You don’t need to do what they tell you to do.>
A. <I have made my own decision about this.>
W. <I have an alternative suggestion. Have you ever thought about serving your country, helping people?>
A. <I already did that.>
W. <That is not what I mean. … You have certain skills which would be invaluable to us.>
A. <What skills? I haven’t even finished my education. And I don’t see how what is of use to you has any relevance to serving my country.>
W. <This is not what I mean. You have certain abilities which others don’t possess.>
A. <I am sorry. I am not a super.>
W. <You are still in denial. You are larger, prettier; you have obviously been affected. Have you wondered why you were not killed? When the cage opened, the soul returned home. You can’t be killed by your own soul.>
A. <Yes you can. You have never experienced life as I have.>
W. <We can help you. We know of this orb, the power transferred to you.>
A. <No. You don’t understand. The power, I gave it back to the Earth. It is too much for anyone. You are not better, more capable of morality … >
17.
A. <There was an American agent who tried to recruit me.>
B. <So they know you have powers.>
A. <I denied everything, but he was persistent. He knew things about the orb. He called it a cage for my soul.>
B. <What else did he know?>
A. <He claimed the power couldn’t kill me because it was mine, my soul. He claimed people knew about the orb, what it can do.>
B. <The US government knows more about the orb than we do?>
A. <Apparently.>
B. <Did they know of the orb before?>
A. <I don’t know.>
B. <Where did Rob say he got the orb?>
A. <He never told me. It was given to him, but he never gave details. I don’t know if there was a connection to the US.>
B. <But it is possible that his research had some US connection.>
A. <It is possible.>
B. <Do you think the US ordered the invasion?>
A. <I was under the impression Rob’s contact was Russian. I guess it is theoretically possible that the US security state encouraged events to happen that way, but I still think it is more likely that this was just some former oligarch. I am not quite sure how relevant it would be, unless there is some proof … >
B. <If the Americans think you have powers, we may want to reconsider your return there. Did you get any impression of hostility?>
A. <I was hostile … He seemed to think I was imprisoned, pressured here.>
B. <We should consult others for advice. It will be your decision, though.>
18.
[On the plane, near the border, Kate starts to get anxious.]
A. <Excuse me, we need to turn around, now.>
X. <I am sorry, miss … >
A. <Something is very wrong. I can’t go this way. We must turn around … >
X. <What specifically is the problem?>
[Kate screams and falls unconscious.]
…
19.
[Kate wakes up.]
A. <What happened?>
X. <We turned around. We are back in Russian territory. We will land in SPb.>
A. <I don’t understand. Why did we turn around?>
X. <You were sick. You fell unconscious and started to fade away after we crossed the border.>
A. <I feel fine. I think. It may not be needed.>
X. <Seriously? You screamed, fell unconscious and started to fade as soon as we crossed the border. When we crossed back, you got better.>
A. <I can’t leave Russia … I am biologically bound … >
X. <Everyone felt it in their soul. We don’t want to repeat that. We will be happy to be home.>
A. <Not everyone. … It is not home for everyone. … >
X. <What do you mean?>
A. <The people for whom this isn’t home, they didn’t feel anything.>
X. <How do you know?>
A. <There is a pattern.>
X. <Why do you think your life is less important than the convenience of others?>
…
A. <Why am I wearing this?>
X. <When you faded out, your clothes fell through your body. That is what you were wearing.>
A. <But people don’t dress this way anymore.>
X. <How is this relevant to anything?>
A. <I am not supposed to stereotype people.>
X. <This is not what you are doing. I don’t know what happened, but you saved us, you are not an imposition.>
20.
A. <I don’t understand. What is happening now?>
Y. <A “friend” has offered for you to stay in his house in the area while we figure out what to do.>
A. <I don’t understand. Why?>
Y. <I know you are used to military bases, but this is also secured, preventing uninvited public access, and will be more comfortable. There is no reason to bring you to the hospital right now as we need the superhuman specialists. You can either go to him or wait for him to come here. While we wait, though … >
A. <I am not a tsar. I do not need this.>
Y. <You are a public figure now. And people can sense you. You should not expect that you can go on the street without attracting attention. You saved us. People will be happy to see you there.>
A. <I don’t know how to sit in the car with wings.>
Y. <How did you on the plane?>
A. <I didn’t. I remained in the service area.>
Y. <Well, there is room here and you are not required to wear a seatbelt.>
21.
B. <Hey. How are you doing?>
A. <Everything is strange, wrong … I can’t leave the country …>
B. <Everything will be alright. We can find a place for you here. Your friends and family can meet you here.>
A. <But it is biological. I will die if I leave. How is that even possible?>
B. <We don’t know what the boundaries are. It is possible that what happened to you is not based on boundaries like that.>
A. <I can feel it. I think I don’t exist outside the borders. When I crossed, you felt it … I exist where the land is, where the people are, not where this body is. My soul is in the Earth.>
B. <Perhaps we should figure out what your abilities are. We can experiment, determine what are your actual limits.>
A. <Yes … something happened … we need to know… >
B. <Something is bothering you.>
A. <I, um, who I am … I can’t actually be the country, can I? I am still me; I still remember, identify with who I was. I am not others. I can’t represent everyone’s collective self.>
B. <I don’t understand.>
A. <When I was young, certain things felt wrong. Being with the other kids, I knew I didn’t belong. They kept talking about heritage and genetics, but if it is not who I am, then genetics doesn’t make a person, and I am who I am, not who my family is. For me, not being defined by the culture is important, not changing myself to fit in, or to stand out. Even seeing the American flag made me feel trapped. I am an individual; nobody can represent me, so I can’t represent anyone else. I can’t force myself on others. I am not even Russian.>
B. <You are Russian.>
A. <Now, but … >
B. <No, before, before you changed. When you came to us, you were learning. You didn’t avoid the culture; you wanted to adapt to it. You chose to trust us; everything you did … Perhaps everything felt wrong because you were meant to be here. Here you felt everything as familiar. …
If you talk of continuity, this is continuous.
And nobody is asking you to be representative, but if you are, there are many worse. You know how to analyze the needs of all and to accept difference.You are not telling them to be someone else. You are asking them to accept parts of themselves they have been told to be ashamed of.>
B. <The wings … maybe you can fly.>
A. <They are not … um … physical. They go through physical objects. Besides, they wouldn’t be able to work anyways.>
B. <Your wings are not real? You can’t feel with them?>
A. <I get sensations, I can control them, but they are not physical.>
B. <Can you make them disappear?>
A. <I, um … It seems so. >
B. <You hadn’t tried? Don’t you usually experiment with such?>
A. <Imagining is not the experimentation, and I have been distracted.>
B. <I can come soon and we can experiment.>
B. <So, why do you not wish to stay here?>
A. <This is not a private residence.>
B. <I don’t understand.>
A. <When I was young, I learned I am irrelevant, my needs irrelevant …
I can see others put in this situation
If I am to have status, respect, others must as well
These places exemplify that some have everything and others have nothing.
I am not better than others, not superior …>
B. <You have a sense that all must be treated fairly.>
22.
B. <How are things?>
A. <It feels weird to eat.>
B. <Huh?>
A. <You asked me to observe things.>
B. <Yes. Feels weird how?>
A. <I don’t think I need to eat.>
B. <Ok. This is something new. Are there any other observations you wish to add?>
A. <Well, I don’t need to go to the bathroom, or breath either.>
B. <What about sleep?>
A. <I sleep.>
B. <You need to sleep?>
A. <Probably, but my dreams are weird.>
B. <Weird how?>
A. <I don’t know. I am often in multiple places around the country, I think. Like I am watching everything, if watching is the correct term. I modify things in subtle ways to help people. And it works. It is not the same altered consciousness feeling as before with my dreams. I think. Memory is not perfect.>
B. <So you do have abilities.>
A. <I am different. Not human … >
B. <Maybe there is more. Perhaps we should experiment.>
A. <Alright. We can start with flight.>
B. <Can you make your wings appear?>
A. <The wings are just for show. They are not physical.>
B. <Maybe we should test that too.>
A. <Sure.>
….
A. <It appears I can float with or without wings.>
B. <How fast can you fly?>
A. <Not very fast inside. It would be better to go where they test airplanes.>
B. <How fast do you think you can fly?>
A. <Well, physical objects cause problems if they go faster than sound.>
B. <So, we need to test in an uninhabited area. We have a lot of that. … Do you think you could go into space?>
A. <Space and the sea are unclaimable. If I can’t leave the country … >
B. <How would you get to Kalingrad?>
A. <I don’t know … >
B. <Maybe we should test these limits.>
A. <Sure. We can get radios and find a place. Draw a map. … Borders are kind of arbitrary. Maybe it is based on people’s thoughts. It seems to follow the whole empathy and connection thing.>
B. <We can see. … Can you make anything else non-physical? You said your wings were not real and your hair as well. How does this work?>
A. <I don’t know.>
…
A. <Whoa!>
B. <Cool! … If there is a limit on how fast physical objects can go, how fast can you go if not physical?>
A. <I don’t know. I would think it would depend on what I can imagine.>
…
B. <Whoa!>
A. <I am in this dress again.>
B. < You don’t like the dress?>
A. <I don’t know. It is like I am not real. A reflection of people’s thoughts. Like a symbol, … or a goddess. … >
B. <You think you are a god? Seriously?>
A. <What do you think?>
B. <That you jump from superhuman to god, then talk about it as a bad thing. Look, it is very dangerous to talk about yourself as a god, as if you are above others.>
A. <I never said that a god would be a superior, more deserving person. And I don’t speak for those who assume that having more power means one can do what they want, with no concern for others. A god is a personification of nature. Of a concept. This doesn’t grant entitlement. … >
B. <Look, if you don’t like the dress, why don’t you change the image. If you can’t change yourself the normal way, try a different way.>
A. <Ok.>
….
A. <It does seem to work.>
B. <You never thought of that before?>
A. <No. But if I am not physical, maybe my body is mutable. I wonder how long these clothes last if removed. Maybe I am telekinetic. Or can make objects out of nothing. … >
B. <It seems we have a lot of experimentation to do.>
23.
A. <What is this?>
E? (or Z). <This is the news. This family was lucky to survive an avalanche.>
A. <Yes, but I recognize these people.>
E. <You do?>
A. <They were in my dreams last night. I remember … >
E. <Seriously? You talk as if you believe you saved these people from the avalanche.>
A. <It was just a dream.>
E. <If you were there, could you?>
A. <Yes. But I was asleep. I didn’t know what was happening. It is just a coincidence. Or I misremember something.>
E. <If there were someone in trouble, would you know?>
A. <Yes, if they were Russian and nearby.>
E. <How close?>
A. <I don’t know.>
E. <You have never tested?>
A. <Well, my empathy fades with distance. … Although if I see people over the TV, it is also strong. And I think this is just my conscious mind and unconsciously I know more.>
E. <And when you sleep?>
A. <I don’t know. I am not conscious. But my dreams have been strange … >
24.
B. <Your parents want to visit.>
A. <I don’t believe that.>
B. <You don’t think your parents want to see you?>
A. <I don’t believe my parents would be willing to come to Russia.>
B. <Why?>
A. <They haven’t in the past wanted to visit me.>
B. <Well, now you can’t leave the country. You can’t go to them. And everything has changed. It is important to see you.>
A. <Yes, but … >
B. <We can make sure they have appropriate accommodations. Everything will be taken care of.>
A. <… What if they feel empty. And I can’t speak English.>
B. <Whatever happened, they are still your parents. If we need a translator, we can find one. But they are still family.>
A. <Ok.>
B. <Do you not want to see them?>
A. <I don’t know. It just feels strange.>
B. <You don’t have your own home?>
A. <Right now I live in a palace.>
B. <You want your own apartment?>
A. <Yes.>
B. <We can work on that. Meanwhile, your parents can come here. There is plenty of capacity for them to eat as they choose. We should be capable of providing someone who can cook for them.>
A. <This seems like a lot of money and resources you are putting in to provide for my family.>
B. <You saved us, and there is much more you will do.>
A. <How do you know that?>
B. <Because I know you.>
25. ...
