Intermix Nation

“Nazirah –”

“I’m tired of everyone treating me like achild every second of every day! Like I’m some sort of porcelaindoll! Well I’m not, okay? I can handle this, okay? And you knowwhat? I hate dolls! And besides,” she rants, breathless, “isn’tthis showing the exact same favoritism that you’ve been condemning?It’s not even favoritism, Niko! It’s like anti-favoritism, becauseI don’t even want –”

Niko slams his fist on the desk. “Nazirah,shut the hell up for a second, will you?” He rubs his temples. “MyGod, you’re exactly like Riva! You talk and talk and no one can geta word in edgewise!”

“Sorry, but –”

“Shut up!” he yells. “If you had let mespeak from the begi

The door creaks open. Nazirah snaps her headaround, watching Adamek walk in with the silver Iluxor briefcase.She hasn’t seen him in weeks, not since Aneira’s funeral. Hisexpression is unusually haggard, his hair is slightly tousled, andthere is intense sadness in his face. When he sees her, though,every emotion is wiped clean, replaced by his usual mask. Nazirahglances at Nikolaus. His eye twitches once.

“All right there, Morgen?” Nikolaussays.

Adamek nods. “I didn’t realize you hadcompany.” He places the briefcase on Nikolaus’s shelf. “Justreturning this,” he says and leaves without another word.

The recruits haven’t had Iluxor training inweeks. Nazirah doesn’t think Adamek gives private sessions. Why hadhe borrowed it? “What was that about?” she asks Niko.

“Nothing important,” he says, brushing heroff. “Listen, back to what we were discussing before … or what youwere ranting about before … I’m pleased you want to help. Andyou’ve misjudged me, because I have a special assignment for you.It’s unusual and will be incredibly challenging. But I believe thatyou’re the only person for the job.”

Nazirah sits on the edge of her seat inbreathless anticipation. “What is it?” she asks.

“For several months now,” he says, “therecon team and I have formed strategic alliances throughout theterritories. Coupled with the information that Morgen and ourvarious spies have provided, including the city layout of Mediah,we plan to seize the government in a coup within a few weeks. Ourultimate goal is to surround them simultaneously from all fourdirections. With the help of our allies, we’ll take over their maingovernment skytowers, strongholds, and symbols of power. The restwill hopefully fall after that.”

Nazirah is stu

“It is,” Nikolaus reassures her. “We plan ontaking out the Medi leaders in one fell swoop, replacing theirgovernment with our own.”

“Which would be what, exactly?”

Nikolaus shrugs. “A democracy maybe,” hesays, “like they had in the Old Country. Maybe even somethingsocialist. We haven’t really thought about it much.”

“You haven’t thought about it much?” sherepeats.

“We’ll need a government where there’sequality of opportunity for all races, including intermix, whereresources are distributed according to need, where people aren’tsegregated, are allowed to live where they want and marry who theywant. But the exact details are still up in the air.”

“Clearly.”

“Nazirah,” he sighs, “we have to figure outhow to win the war first. The rest comes later.”

Nazirah scoffs, shaking her head indisbelief. “Do you really think it’ll be that easy? That’s yourgrand plan? Throw the entire country into chaos and let the cardsfall where they may?”

“You’re simplifying it.”

“I’m not!” she cries. “You expect to defeatthe Medis like that?” Nazirah snaps her fingers. “They’re theMedis, Niko! Not a band of Eridian school bullies! And even if wedo somehow miraculously win, you can’t just flick a switch inpeople’s minds! Nobody is going to suddenly accept intermix intothe fold!”

“You think I don’t knowthat?” he shouts. “But it’s worth a shot! Every revolution, everychange in history starts somewhere! Why not with us? Nazirah, we’vebeen lucky, if you can believe it. Most intermix don’t seeadulthood, poverty is so rampant. You said you wanted to dosomething worthwhile, that you needed to do something worthwhile.What’s more worthwhile than this?”

“But –”

“I’m not done!” he snaps. “The Medis try toappear strong, Nazirah, because they are weak. It is our fear thatkeeps them in power, not much else. They are the minority. Theyspend all their money indulging in luxuries. Their troops are avery real issue, but they are not insurmountable. And we will neverwin with an attitude like yours.”

“And what happens to them?” she asks. “Whatdo you plan on doing with an entire race of people?”

Niko hesitates. “That, I ca

“Are you honestly justifying theiractions?”

“I’m not justifying anything! But I try tounderstand their perspective. To me, punishing every Medi wouldmean going against the ideal the rebellion is founded on … thateveryone is inherently equal. How could I knowingly commit anentire race to a lifetime of servitude, because of the actions of afew? That’s a death sentence I don’t want on my shoulders. I canonly hope the others will see reason.”

“So what exactly do you want me to do?”

“If we are to do this, Nazirah,” Niko says,“I mean really do this … we need more support. We have a solidfoundation, but it’s not enough. We need human resources andstronger alliances. A few well-meaning rebels will not win this warfor us.”

“Just spit it out,” she says.

“We need you.”

Nazirah is baffled. “Me?” she asks. “Whatcan I possibly do?”

“More than you probably know,” he responds.“I was wrong to send you to the Deathlands, thinking no one wouldrecognize you. Everyone in the entire country, from Mediah to themost outlying territory, knows who you are. Everyone knows yourface, your story, what happened to our parents.”

“But only because that’s what the Mediswanted!”

“Exactly,” he says. “The Medis used you aspropaganda. You became the symbol for what can happen to everycitizen if they step out of line. We are hoping to turn thatpropaganda around. We want you to become the face of the rebellion,the face of intermix. Be the voice for people who are so unable tospeak for themselves. Show them what happens if they do not joinus.”

“So you want me to pose for an advertisementor something?” she asks. “Shoot a video?”

“It’s a bit more invested than that,” hesays. “For a few weeks, we want you to go on a campaign of sortsthrough the four territories. Just show your face to the people alittle, tell your story, and make a few speeches. Try to gather asmuch intermix and territory support as possible.”

“But I’m crap at public speaking!” sheargues.

“It doesn’t matter,” he says. “The peopleliving in the territories, especially intermix, are in a constantstate of starvation and poverty. They want to revolt against thegovernment, Nazirah. They just need a push. You need to become thatcatalyst.”

Nazirah scoffs. “Oh, is that all?”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t wantto,” he says. “I’ve spent several weeks arranging your safetransfer with our most trusted allies around the country. AndAldrik will be with you the entire time, trying to forge newalliances along the way.”

“Aldrik?” she whines. “He hates me!”

“He doesn’t hate you,” Niko says. “He justdoesn’t like you much. I don’t want to mislead you into thinkingthis will be entirely safe, because it’s not. But you will be asprotected as possible.”