I listen intently as the man I rescued, who I learn is a "Corporate Arbitration Specialist" named Jerry, is interviewed by Linda. As I listen to the two chat about things like jobs, moving around, and even cities aside from this one, I notice that many eyes aren't on Jerry.
About half of the people in the crowd are staring at Linda. That is understandable, as even without having many other people to compare her to, Linda is a stunningly beautiful woman. She has long, silky blonde hair, eyes that resemble a cross between a storm cloud and sapphires, and a curvy body that is only somewhat hidden beneath her disguise.
What's more curious than that though is that everyone else is staring at me. I don't know why people are staring at me, as I don't actually even really know what I look like. As soon as I start to think about that a text box appears in front of me.
[Query:
Would you like to use [Observe] on yourself? [Observe] will allow you to see your own stats and to receive a description of yourself.]
I attempt to answer it, in the affirmative, and find that it vanishes as soon as I think "Yes I would". A split second later a new, longer text box appears.
[Observe:
Name:
Species: Essence Entity
Gender & Sex: Man, Male
Details: The observed target is an Essence Entity that lacks a name. Essence Entities are beings that have either imbibed an essence or essences, or that came into being with an essence or essences baked into their very souls. Essences are legendary elixirs that grant their imbibers or those who have them baked into them extraordinary powers, incredible resources, or other significant boons.
The target, at a glance, appears to be a somewhat tanned human male in his early twenties. He is classically handsome in this form. The creature's build, in this form, is that of an effective but casual gym-goer, someone with relatively unrefined but still visible and decently effective muscles. This appearance is actually a disguise and the target possesses no true form.
One of the essences in his possession, the [Essence of the Superorganism] allows for fairly freeform shapeshifting so long as the target seeks to have features that are physically possible for humans from Earth or incorporate features from animals and other lifeforms native to Earth. This essence makes anyone who uses it an adaptive lifeform capable of replicating the appearance of and using the abilities of, any type of lifeform native to Earth.
The target possesses an [Absolute] skill known as the [Absolute Essence Creation] skill. This is an ability that allows the target to create and share essences freely, which thereby makes the target a creature a [Pseudo-Omnipotent-Being] or [POB] for short. This designation is unique to the target, and serves to signify its extraordinary status.]
The level of detail the ability provides me with regarding myself is eye-opening. It seems that I am a truly... special being, and that my abilities are quite fearsome. I glance at Linda and attempt to use "Observe" on her, which causes the initial text box to vanish from view and be replaced by another one keyed to the brave young journalist.
[Observe:
Name: Linda Lee Danvers (Alter-ego)/Kara Zor-El (Birth Name)/Supergirl (Superheroine name)
Species: Kryptonian
Gender & Sex: Woman, Female
Details: Kara Zor-El, or "Supergirl" as she is known to many of the people of Vaporwave City, is a superheroine and a beloved symbol of hope. This woman is a Kryptonian, a member of a now nearly-extinct species of humanoids from a distant universe, who once felt the glow of a red sun and in that glow were effectively human beings with a few curious organs. Their unmoderated scientific advancement and the collective greed that was influencing the leaders of their species led to their planet and sun being destroyed and their species using their advanced technology to escape the destruction of their homeworld in various ways.
Kara is one of the survivors of the destruction of Krypton, and under the light of a yellow sun, her immense power began to awaken. Kryptonians are natural solar-power receptors due to strange organs that are a part of their physiology. Differently colored suns affect them differently, with red suns leaving them comparable to human beings. Under the light of a yellow sun, such as the one in the distance, Kryptonians become immensely mighty beings. A strange event occurred on a planet named Earth and ended with Kara being stranded in this universe a few months ago.
In the time since she was stranded, she has both begun working as a local superhero and in her alternate identity has taken a job as a local journalist and is now a popular interviewer for "Today In The City", a popular, local news segment that sends out correspondents and has them cover the news, on location. Today she is here covering the biennial event known as "The Falling", wherein new arrivals appear in the skies above the ocean that nearly completely surrounds the city. Occasionally a newcomer will appear directly in the water, but that is rare. For more information on Kryptonians, physically touch Kara at some point in the future.]
My eyes widen when I read this, as it revealed a powerful set of secrets. It seems that Kara is remarkably powerful, and not just a mousy, but beautiful journalist. I wonder what her powers are, but I suspect that if we make physical contact I will be able to discover that.
"Thank you so much for taking the time to let the people of Vaporwave City get to know you, Jerry! That said, I bet you also want to get to know your savior, don't you?" Kara, in her civilian identity, asks the man who I rescued from a watery demise a few minutes ago. Jerry turns to face me and smiles at me.
"I sure do Linda! I'm so grateful to that young man, and would you believe me if I told you I don't even know his name?" Jerry replies, and while his words are sincere I can tell he doesn't mind getting a chance to get out of the spotlight. Funnily enough, I don't even know if people will remember this interview in the days to come, but for better or worse I bet they'll remember mine. Kara laughs at Jerry's remarks, and I have to admit that as awkward as he comes across there is a sincerity to him that is endearing. Linda looks at me and beckons for me to come into frame, which I do with a bit of trepidation.
The cameraman smiles at me and gives Kara a thumbs up as Jerry slyly moves out of frame while smiling at me as well. Kara looks at me and gives me a relaxed, casual smile. I can see the camera and as I study it I notice that there is a small, steadily blinking red light that seems to serve as an indicator that the thing is recording and possibly transmitting footage.
"Well hello... Sir?" She asks, uncertainly. This gets curious gazes from the onlookers, and I smile and laugh lightly at her remarks. I suspect that she is unsure of my identity because she is uncertain as to my species. I know I look human, but if she really is some powerful superhero her senses might well exceed mine which could allow her to clock me as a non-human. I think for a brief second about how to answer her question, and the question that would inevitably follow it, before coming up with answers that I like.
"Yes, I am a 'Sir'. My name is Arthur. Arthur Wright." I tell her, a bright smile on my face as I speak. This causes her to relax and she seems genuinely happy she didn't somehow step on my toes with that question.
"It is so nice to meet you, Arthur! As you heard, you are in Vaporwave City. Every two years the beautiful beaches that line our great city become the landing point for a handful of extraterrestrial newcomers. These individuals can come from as far as the other ends of the omniverse!" She tells me, brightly.
"Do you know where you came from? We also tend to get newcomers who seem to either have amnesia or spontaneously come into being, so it's fine if you don't." Kara asks me, her brilliant eyes casually studying my features. I allow my features to darken for a moment, and this surprises her.
"I actually don't know where I came from. I think I might be one of the people who was spontaneously created. Either way, I'm just happy to be here!" I tell Kara, excitedly. This makes her smile soften a touch and she is quiet a moment as she processes this news.
"In that case, your heroics are even more commendable! You saw someone in trouble and went out of your way to help them. What a heroic start to your time in our city." She says, recovering from the news that I am one of the rarer types of newcomers who may well have begun to exist due to cosmic chaos with style.
"I heard someone struggling behind me and I couldn't ignore it. I'm just happy I got to Jerry in time." I say while looking at the man and smiling. This causes Kara to smile at me, which she probably thinks I don't notice but I can see quite easily.
I can see everything around me just as clearly as I can see things directly in front of me. I am aware that this is probably an effect of a perk, but regardless of its origins, I can appreciate it.
As far as first impressions go, Kara seems like an incredibly kind-hearted person. She is a lively and entertaining interviewer who is good on her feet and is capable of moving a conversation along. She asks me various things, and with each question that she asks, I can feel her influence.
"In the past when my predecessors have met 'Fallers' like you they've talked about having knowledge in their minds, sans context. Do you feel like sharing if that's the case with you?" Kara asks me, a few minutes into our interview. I pause for a moment to consider her question. It's a strange one to ponder since I have only JUST arrived in this city.
"That is the case with me! I have memories now, but even before that, I had plenty of knowledge. My very first memory was of me beneath the waves, looking around the crystal clear water. With but a glance I could identify and name the types of fish that I saw swimming around me. Although my ability to name the kinds of fish I saw reveals something intriguing... Names, particularly of species, are not objective things that are set in stone. Different civilizations call the same fish by a thousand different names." I explain, turning slightly to smile at the camera.
"When I first saw those buildings," I tell the cameraman, even as I point behind him causing him to turn and show the camera the buildings not far from the boardwalk. "I recognized that they were buildings, distinctly artificial objects, and part of a cityscape. But before I met you, Jerry, and the lovely people who've come to celebrate the arrival of new neighbors, I didn't know any relevant specifics. It's like looking at a map of a fictional land or of a distant country in a language you don't speak. You can recognize that what's in front of you is a map but that alone doesn't give you the context to know what it's a map of." I explain, rather patiently.
Kara's eyes are brightly lit the entire time I've been speaking, and I can tell that what I'm saying resonates with her. I guess it makes sense that she'd find what I'm saying here helpful or at least relatable given that she is from a planet that exploded, arrived in another world and then some accident happened to her and now she's here, in a third world.
"I'm sure I mentioned it to Jerry but I'm a new arrival as well. I've only been here a few months, and I have to admit when I first arrived I didn't have as good a handle on things as you do. I still miss my old world." She confesses, causing me to look downward and smile sadly. I lightly place my hand on her shoulder and give her an affirmative squeeze before I look back up and smile more genuinely.
"It... it makes sense that you didn't adjust as quickly as I am. This is all I know, and I am putting my all in taking steps forward but that's because I lack what you have. I lack memories, attachments, and experience. My only option is to step forward and to progress until I have something to look back at." I tell her, causing her to regain some of her energy. For a moment we are both silent as we think about our circumstances, and it is only now that I notice the hush that has fallen over the crowd around us.
I glance at them and smile gently. Kara can make you feel like you're the only person in the world. For the next few minutes, Kara continues to interview me and many of the questions are reasonably generic or even exact repeats of what she asked Jerry but one question is particularly interesting. It's also a fully original question she didn't ask Jerry!
"For those of you who are just tuning into today's broadcast of 'Today in the City', I am interviewing Arthur Wright one of the 'Fallers' who arrived today. He is a young hero who saved the life of Jerry Richards when his fellow faller fell into the sea in a well-kept suit that was not ideal swimwear. I was just about to ask him what sort of jobs he might be interested in. You see, friends, he is one of the rarest kinds of fallers, one who lacks memories but possesses knowledge." Kara tells the cameraman and the audience, both the good people watching this program at home or at work and the actual, physical audience who are currently present in the room.
"I'd really like a chill job. I understand and can respect the attitude the city has towards newcomers, but I'm more than just new to the city... I'm new to everything. I'd love an opportunity to really explore who I am and who I could become outside of work." I say, somewhat thoughtfully. She nods at me and smiles at the camera.
"You hear that folks? If you want to hire this young man, you need to do what you can to make your workplace a relaxing, educational place!" She says, cheerily. Her cameraman makes a signal with his hands as soon as she is finished talking and she subtly nods at him.
"Alright friends, thank you so much for letting me into your homes, your workplaces, or even spending your lunch break with me. That's all the time we have for today, so for now, here's Linda signing off!" She tells the cameraman and I wave in a manner that I hope will be seen as either cute or charming, right as a flashing red light from the camera stops flashing. Kara smiles and turns to look at me with a relaxed look on her face.
"You know you're a natural at this!" She says, cheerily. I chuckle as Jerry approaches the two of us and smirk when the man plants his wet arm on my shoulder.
"Hey, Jerry. How are you feeling buddy?" I ask, as my eyes dart upwards at the jovial man. During his interview, he got much of his energy back and became a much more cheerful man than I initially thought he was.
"Well Arthur, I'm feeling great. And hungry!" He tells me, which causes Kara to look at him and flash the man a brilliant smile.
"I have some news on that front! I'm not just a television personality, I am also the city's 'Newcomer Integration Council', and to support our efforts we made a packet for newcomers and have a schedule for helping you all. All over the city, there are other people like me stationed in other places where we anticipate fallers will arrive. I'm hoping the two of you would like a tour guide who can lead you to town hall and get you some food along the way!" She offers, which both Jerry and I accept without hesitation.
"Perfect! Alright, Cameron, I'll head back to the office after getting these two situated." Kara says, turning to the cameraman who silently smiles at her and begins to head to a distant van. Some of the crowd who had gathered around here are already heading to where some of the other swimmers are just reaching the shore. I'm quietly grateful that the crowd has begun to disperse, even as Kara turns around and begins to lead us into the city.
"I hope you two are prepared for a bit of a walk! We're a few blocks away from town hall." Kara tells us, mischief audible in her voice.
