Free Oppression by Jessica Therrien Page B

more reclusive. The battle was between us and the humans, not just humans themselves. So, if our people were fully integrated with human society, and for many years lived in peace, what changed? In essence, what caused the war that divided us? If we were to integrate now, what sort of problems would we face? Would they be the same?”
    “Human hostility,” a redheaded boy yelled, sounding fairly hostile himself.
    “Not necessarily,” said the girl next to him.
    Other voices began to pipe up throughout the room.
    “Well, based on the history of our people, human hostility would most definitely be a problem.”
    “That was ages ago. Times have changed.”
    “History repeats itself. It would be no different.”
    Dr. Nickel raised a hand, quieting the class. “Well, let’s analyze why we experienced human hostility during that time,” he said, trying to focus the discussion.
    “We were arrogant,” another girl answered. “We tried to pass ourselves off as gods.”
    “Right,” someone else responded. “So if we didn’t present ourselves in such a way, if we didn’t act superior, maybe human reaction would be different.”
    “Are you kidding?” a surly girl with a high ponytail jumped in. “Hundreds of Descendants were killed back then. People didn’t want us around. They felt threatened. Things are fine the way they are.”
    “Fine by what standards?” William suddenly spoke up. “Don’t pretend you don’t know how The Council is. You talk about human hostility? What about our own hostility toward humans?”
    “There are arguments for both sides,” Dr. Nickel interrupted, “and consequences.”
    I sat quietly for the next hour, listening and learning as Dr. Nickel worked through pros and cons for exposing the Descendant race to humans. Pros: a better world, freedom, abilities in public, lives would change, less crime, human interaction, the list went on. Cons: human hostility, secret governmental experiments, persecution, another war with the humans, The Council fighting for power. Again, the list went on.
    When Dr. Nickel dismissed the class, I expected William to head out with the rest of the students, who were now making use of their abilities, but he grabbed my hand and headed toward the professor.
    “Hey, Dad,” William said, and then it hit me. I’d seen him in the photograph next to my parents.
    “Hello, Elyse,” Dr. Nickel greeted me.
    “Hi,” I answered, getting used to people already knowing me by name.
    “Are you adjusting all right?”
    I laughed. “I was until some crazy guy tried to tell me I had to save the world.”
    “I knew he would tell you,” William said, slightly irritated. “Did he say anything else?”
    “Anything else? What, a crazy prophecy isn’t enough for you?”
    William threw a secret look to his father. “It’s not crazy,” William answered.
    “We shouldn’t talk about this here,” Dr. Nickel insisted, glancing at the open classroom door. “Come with me.”
    I followed the two of them to a well-lit and neatly organized office. William closed the door behind us and took the seat against the wall as I lingered, unsure of what to expect.
    “Elyse, why don’t you sit down?” Dr. Nickel suggested. “I know this might be a bit hard to process.”
    I sat without a word. It wasn’t as easy to brush off this man’s words or take them for nonsense. He was put together, professional, and he had known my parents.
    “The oracle can see all things that will be, but only the things that will cause profound change stay in the forefront of her mind, things that will change the course of the future. It’s a hard job, knowing what will happen. When things don’t play out the way they should, do you watch the sequence of unfavorable events unfold or do you step in and try and change the tide? Not long after you were conceived, she saw you, Elyse. She saw what would happen if she didn’t come that night.”
    “What night?”
    “The night your parents left to