"Yes". The officer replied. "Exceedingly so".
Alistair eyes shifted towards the officer, a flicker of interest in his eyes. "How so?".
"It's simple actually". The officer leaned closer, close enough for Alistair to catch the name on the name tag— Dee, that was his name.
"Power". Without waiting for Alistair to question him, he continued. "The world has and will always bow for the powerful".
"Back before The Fall, Money was power". He stated, looking into Alistair's weary eyes. "And the people who had it, were gods".
"I still remember".
His eyes glazed over for a split second, a flicker of memory crossing his face before the professional mask snapped back into place.
"Every day, hunger forced us to sell the ceiling wood; every night, we risked the cold, sleeping with the oven open".
He continued.
"Then at school, I would listen to privileged brats brag about useless things: designer bags they barely used, or shoes that served only as collectibles".
"I always wondered if they even knew someone across from them was starving. 'Why waste money?' I'd think.
— Listening to them, I began to resent my parents. Why did they have to give birth to me? Why did they have to be poor?".
"But it all changed during The Fall". He said. "Luckily for me, I was among the few who huddled with the rich kids in school, and was privileged to be among the first taken underground".
Then he let out a short laugh. "Even in the middle of a crisis, the rich were favoured".
Then he turned to Alistair. "Until I, myself was called to nightshift, upon surving, my life changed".
He continued with a broad smile. "People stumbled to do whatever I wanted, even before I asked. Suddenly I became king".
He soon wipped the smile off his face. "Soon "The Authors" were called to battle, to reclaim the surface world".
"But I rebelled". He continued. "Why risk my life? When I could stay down here and be treated like a king?". But his expression soon crumbled.
"But against an [ Ascendent ], I was but a 'Mortal' and all I could do was bow. And fight against the Aliens for seventy years".
This time Alistair was taken aback. According to the recordings, The Fall took place approximately 776 years ago. Based on Dee's account, he must had to have been an adult at the time.
At sixteen, you were considered an adult, as this was generally when you were called for the Nightshift.
As if reading Alistair's thought, Dee said with a nonchalant expression. "Yes, I'm well over 700".
Alistair's eyes twitched. From Dee's expression, he could tell the officer had no idea how massive this revelation was.
He personally hadn't seen anyone live past fifty, for a variety of reasons:
—starvation, food poisoning, rock falls, poisonous gas from landfills, poisonous insects and pests, and countless other hazards.
Alistair sank into his thoughts, still reeling from the shock that the man across from him, who barely looked ten years older than him, was already more than seven hundred years of age.
"So where was I?". Dee continued. "Right, power".
"So you see, if I had enough power, I would have been able to reject being sent to fight on the surface".
"If your kind had had power, you would have been able to reject Zephyr The Undying's banishment of all mundane individuals to live underground".
"Zephyr The Undying had the power, and was able to enforce all his wishes."
Silence fell across the room at Dee's declaration, most of the officers bore proud expressions on their face.
Although they didn't possess any power of sort, as they weren't Elites themselves, they had descended from Elite families.
This heritage alone allowed them to escape the fate of living underground forever.
For a while they was silence as most of the officers basked in the glory of their linage, then Dee's voice cut through the silence.
"What about you?". Alistair turned towards Dee, his face clad in confusion. Dee continued. "What's your origin story?"
Alistair took a deep breath. His origin story? He wasn't particularly keen on sharing his story. But then again, it wouldn't matter; he was dying soon.
"My story, I don't really have one". Alistair began. "You see, I never really knew my parents. I only knew my name because of a slate tied around my neck that read, 'Alistair'.."
"So they died before you were born". Dee said, clearly unsurprised.
But Alistair shook his head. "No".
Dee frowned. "No? Did your parents perhaps abandon you?"
Alistair shrugged. "They were Stained Parents".
The room descended into a stifling silence, as all the people stared at Everett in shock.
"... Uh?". Was all Dee managed to choke out.
You see, after 'The Fall' five centuries ago and the seventy-year war that followed, humanity moved on, rebuilding from the ashes with the strength of the Elites.
Back then, following Zephyr the Undying's declaration, other powerful Elites with close ties to mundane families pleaded with him to reconsider the exile.
After much negotiation, the "Slave System" was established: any ordinary human willing to surrender their freedom to serve the Elites was permitted to return to the surface.
Some agreed immediately, fearing the Elites' power. Many others rebelled against the proclamation, but after suffering in the dark for years, they too gave in, only to be received under far harsher terms.
Despite this, the population remained at an alarming low. Zephyr the Undying was too proud to admit defeat and allow the remaining underground dwellers to return freely.
Instead, he worked with the Great Clans and the fledgling government to reward every pregnancy with massive incentives.
The birth rate spiked as people rushed to claim the rewards, but it was still just a drop in the ocean.
The age of adulthood was lowered from eighteen to seventeen, then sixteen, yet it wasn't enough. Other continents, less devastated by The Fall, were already eyeing their borders for invasion.
In desperation "Project Crèche" was commenced.
It was a project where women were paid to bear genetically enhanced children. The gestation period was artificially cut to seven months, and the resulting infants were healthier than any natural-born child.
These children were faster, stronger, and far more intelligent. Soon, they began to dominate every sector, from the medical fields to the front lines of combat.
But as their numbers grew, natural humans began to fear a takeover. They labeled the parents of these children "Stained". Even the children themselves were seen as less than human.
That fear eventually poisoned the government, especially once the external wars ended.
The very enhanced humans who had saved society in its hour of need were hunted to the brink of extinction. Only a few scattered remnants remained.
Alistair understood the weight of the silence following his confession. Even though enhanced humans were no longer actively persecuted, it was only because they were practically extinct.