Three and a half years have drifted by since my rebirth. While much has occurred in that time, the vast majority of my experiences can be filed under a single category: culture shock.
I had prepared myself for a change in scenery, but the technological stagnation of this planet is staggering. In fact, when I first learned that my current region is considered one of the more "advanced" areas on the globe, I was so stunned I nearly lost the ability to move.
Though the inhabitants have mastered rudimentary orbital technology like satellites, interstellar travel remains a distant, impossible dream. Their robotics are half-baked at best, leaving the bulk of labor to be performed by hand. It was a shock to find that physical paper and pens are still the standard for writing; their "speeders" are powered by archaic internal combustion engines, and as for research into the Force? It is non-existent.
In the Republic, even the most desolate Outer Rim territories—worlds far removed from the Core—possessed some semblance of a space-faring industry. By comparison, I have been cast onto a decidedly primitive world.
Furthermore, the geopolitical structure of this planet is in total disarray. In the Republic, a single planet is generally treated as a single administrative body. While there were exceptions, it was rare for a single world to be fractured into a multitude of independent nations.
The linguistic diversity is equally baffling. Since becoming "Kotoha," I have had to learn a language that utilizes three distinct sets of characters—an unnecessarily convoluted system. (I still cannot wrap my head around Kanji. Why must a single character possess multiple pronunciations?) A world with such a chaotic jumble of tongues is a rare find indeed.
However, nothing surprised me more than the revelation that roughly eighty percent of this planet's population possesses a superhuman ability known as a "Quirk." No matter how I search for the words, I cannot adequately describe my astonishment.
You see, these "Quirks" are not merely "unusual." Once you pull back the veil, you realize most of them are terrifyingly potent.
Take my father, Shigeo. He manipulates gravity. He can increase or decrease the gravitational pull on anything he touches. While this planet has yet to develop artificial gravity generators, he could likely solve that engineering hurdle single-handedly.
Then there is my mother, Hiromi. She can enlarge anything she touches. Under her influence, a mere pebble becomes a boulder; a tiny shard of metal becomes a devastating blade. These are not the kinds of powers a single individual should possess. The Law of Conservation of Mass is weeping in a corner.
The greatest concern, however—true to the name "Quirk"—is that these abilities vary wildly from person to person. It is not uncommon for even blood relatives to possess powers with entirely different applications. This makes the world an incredibly volatile place.
It is sheer folly to expect humans to exercise perfect self-restraint when granted such overwhelming power. To possess power is to want to use it; to wield it. That is the nature of sentient beings.
How many people are truly capable of suppressing those desires and maintaining self-discipline? Even among the Jedi, whose entire creed was built upon such mastery, there were those who fell. I need not imagine how the "average" person fares.
In truth, horrific incidents are a daily occurrence here. Scarcely a day passes without some violent "Quirk-assisted" crime. Every day, an incident occurs; every day, someone dies or disappears. The lack of public order is appalling.
What is truly frightening is the fact that the country I currently reside in is considered one of the safest on the planet. A country where something happens every single day is considered "exceptionally peaceful"? You wouldn't find a sentiment that delusional in the Outer Rim, nor even in the territories of the Hutt Clans.
Of course, the government is not sitting idly by. They have established a civil service profession known as "Heroes," who utilize their own Quirks to combat these crimes. Yet, the fact that incidents continue unabated suggests that I have been tasked with a monumental trial.
Despite the rampant instability, people describe the current state of the nation as a "Hero-Saturated Society." Worse yet, a significant number of these so-called Heroes seem more interested in fame or vanity than in actual crime deterrence.
Are they sane? Do they truly accept this as "good"? It is utter madness!
Perhaps those living within this system have been submerged in it so long they can no longer see it for what it is... but even so, this is wrong. I feel a profound pity for those who believe this is "peace," and more so for the victims caught in the crossfire.
There are a few individuals working on a personal level to break this cycle, but they are a small minority. Unless a massive movement occurs, the status quo will likely remain unchanged.
...I digress. Regardless, this world is defined by these "Quirks." Having been granted a new life in such a place, how should I proceed?