Spurious raised a furrowed brow, curious as to why the stranger introduced himself by names from the past. “Those names mean nothing to me,” he lied. “Why don’t you get on with what you want and stop wasting my time?”
Leo paused. His features flexed, illustrating the deep lines of age engraved across his forehead. He rubbed his white beard, which appeared to be neatly groomed, unlike his coat and pants which were covered in dirt.
Spurious noticed the man’s trembling hands and his twisted spine. For a second he almost felt empathy for the old man. His age and crooked back both indicated he had worked in the early Biomass factories, long before they were closed due to safety concerns. Most workers developed physical problems far worse than from the ones Leo appeared to be suffering. Yet he knew appearances could be deceiving and he could be suffering within his body as well.
“Spurious, when I saw you pass by a few hours ago, I knew I’d regret not talking with you. I also know as I stand here and speak with you that the threat of being caught runs higher and higher and yet I’m compelled to tell you a story — a story about the meaning behind the names I mentioned. You see, William, my younger brother, was your father’s best friend. In fact, they were both TDU staffers in the beginning of the Biomass Revolution.”
“Wait, TDU staffers? You have to be mistaken. You’ve confused my father with someone else. He was not part of the TDU. He was a factory worker.”
“By day he was a factory worker. This is what you were told as a child, Spurious. Let me go on. Promise me you’ll have an open mind.”
Spurious frowned. “How do I know you aren’t lying to me?”
“Just give me a chance, son.”
Spurious stood at the edge of the drain, contemplating whether he should just climb into the tunnel and be done with the old man’s nonsense, but once again curiosity kept him frozen in place. “Go on,” he finally said, curiously.
Leo smiled and cautiously approached Spurious. “My father knew your father when he was a boy and young man. He helped train my brother and your father in peaceful ways to fight against the CRK. The building you visited today, the building you grew up in, was not just a flat for families. It was also an underground TDU stronghold, one of the first of its kind,” Leo paused, waiting to see the reaction in Spurious’ features.
Spurious, however, did not flinch. His defined jaw was tight and his dark brown eyes locked on this new stranger. He studied him, wondering if he should trust the old man.
“You look much like your father, but your curiosity to find the truth of what happened to your parents and your childhood home is what gave you away. You see, Spurious, I’m somewhat of the keeper of this side of Lunia. Everyone knows me, and I know everyone. I have kept myself alive by avoiding the CRK, thieves and stragglers, and now it has all been worth it, because I have met the man that will help free Tisaia from tyranny.” Leo coughed, his face alive with excitement.
Perplexed, Spurious stared at the man, not sure what to say or do. The only thing he knew was he came to Rohania to find something about his parents and something about his past. He wasn’t certain what it was, nor was he sure he would know if he found it. What he did know was the old man standing in front of him was the closest he had come to finding out anything about his parents for years.
“So…” Spurious paused, “so my parents were part of the TDU?”
“Spurious, your father was one of the founders of the TDU, and your mother was instrumental in bringing together women to oppose the first leaders of Tisaia. They kept these things from you to protect you from the fate they knew would eventually find them.”
“Hold on, hold on, just one second,” Spurious said, flailing his arms in the air. “You’re telling me that my parents, who worked normal jobs, created the organization now recognized as the most significant terrorist threat to Tisaia? And if there is any truth behind this at all, then why am I, out of all people, still alive?”
“That is a good question. You’re alive because the CRK never knew who you were. Your parents made plans for you before the TDU was conceived. In fact, they even had your birth records changed. To further protect you they registered you in a boarding school. They had an arrangement with Superintendent Angelo, who was one of the early members of the TDU. Luckily, the CRK never found out about you. After their deaths, Angelo had you transferred to the Tisaian Academy for Youth to further protect your identity.”
Spurious kneeled, placing his head in his hands. The same warm rush of anxiety he felt just the other day passed through him as his knees hit the ground.
Leo stood at a distance, watching Spurious with a curious eye. He knew this information would be troubling to Spurious, but he did not know it would bring the young man to his knees.
“Are you okay?” Leo asked sympathetically.
Spurious kept his head in his hands but responded with a slow nod of his head.
“How do you know all of this?” Spurious asked.
“William told me most of what I know. I’m all that is left of my family now. And you’re all that is left of yours. I tell you these things because when I saw you today I knew you had the right to know who you are and where you come from. You must be careful though, Spurious. If the CRK ever discover your true identity you’ll never see beautiful Lunia ever again.”
He paused, breaking into a coughing fit again before continuing. “I presume you’ll soon be at a crossroads in your life. You’ll question whether you should sympathize with the TDU or stay loyal to Tisaia. Whatever you choose is up to you. Your destiny is not written in stone. I can’t tell you how or why, but you have the ability to shape the future of Tisaia.”
Instantly Spurious brought his head out of the safety of his hands. He brushed a strand of brown hair from his eyes before he gazed back at Leo. And for a second he felt a tint of nostalgia, a connection founded by a history he had not known until this moment.
“What do you mean I’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of Tisaia? Do you realize I’m just a simple State employee? I review maps. I go to work and I come home, that is it. I’m not part of the TDU. I don’t have any special abilities, nor am I a soldier.”
“Ah, but you do,” Leo interrupted. “You have a connection with the past. The rebels are losing the battle for Tisaia’s future. They need hope. And they need to know the son of the TDU’s founders is still alive.”
“I don’t want to have anything to do with the TDU, I told you I am nothing more than a peon!” Spurious exclaimed.
Leo smiled. “You’re much more, Spurious. This is why I tested you not ten minutes ago in the alley. I wanted to gauge your reaction. And react you did. Do you remember raising your fists? Do you remember rushing into the darkness? Deep down you have the same fears as your parents, but you also share their fighting spirit.”
Spurious glanced down at the brick ground. Realizing what Leo was saying was true.
“You’ll see, but for now you must get going. The future isn’t set in stone. And you must take precautions, starting with returning to Lunia before anyone reports you missing.”
Spurious nodded, turning for the storm drain. “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me here Leo. I appreciate the information, I do, but I don’t want to have anything to do with this. Goodbye!” Spurious yelled, climbing into the tunnel leading back to Lunia.
Leo stood in the darkness of the alleyway and watched Spurious as he crawled through the narrow storm drain. “Godspeed, my friend,” he said, as Spurious disappeared from sight.
Time: 5:01 p.m. January 26, 2071