Consensus: Part 1 - Citizen

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Rena's heart beat fast from exertion. Sweat clung to her skin, but the air was cool and dry. Refreshing. The pine forest towered overhead, blocking out most of the direct sunlight. Her soft, leather boots made little sound against the damp earth. Just quiet, dull thuds in the steady repetition of a brisk hike. All around her, higher pitched sounds echoed through the forest. Some were clear and close. Others muffled. Distant. The trill of birds was almost a constant presence, yet Rena could only see a few of them at a time. The tiny, brown and gray bodies flitted through the branches so quickly it was a wonder they didn't crash into something. Even when they landed, their heads still moved with a sense of urgency. Pivoting from one position to the next without any discernable movement between.

Rena inhaled a deep breath of the pine-scented air and kept ascending. She'd been following a gurgling stream that meandered back and forth as it came down the mountain. This was her favorite route to the top, because the water gave her something interesting to watch for almost the whole trip. Where it spilled over rocks, it shimmered. Where it landed, bubbles floated to the surface. Where it changed directions, it swirled lazily in wide pools. And that was where the flowers grew. Clustered around its banks. Miniature crowds of rainbow-colored hands. Greeting each other. Reaching out for the sunlight.

The mist that had surrounded her at the lower elevation was gone now. Up ahead, a break in the trees revealed a large patch of blue sky. To her right, a familiar boulder protruded from the soil, jagged and gray. All indications that she was seconds from reaching her destination.

Rena couldn't contain herself. She ran, pushing until her legs burned. The ground passed by in a blur. The trees opened. All of a sudden, she found herself standing on a wide expanse of bare rock ending at a cliff. Her heart thudded in her chest. Her breathing was ragged. Sky and trees and rolling hills as far as her eyes could see. A gentle breeze blew across the cliff, and Rena closed her eyes, feeling its caress on her damp skin. Long strands of hair swung in front of her face, tickling her nose. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth.

"And now ... you're back with me," said a calm voice. It was followed by the sound of snapping fingers.

Rena opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of Dr. Mallory's office. The white panels and artificial lights were a disappointment after what she'd just witnessed.

Dr. Mallory was sitting nearby in a chair. "How are you feeling?"

Rena sat up on the couch. "Fine."

"Are you ready to talk about what you saw, or do you need a minute?"

"No, I'm ready."

"Good." Dr. Mallory looked down at her notes, hovering in the air above her hand. She had one of those expensive interminals like Officer Dougherty, in addition to the exterminal at her desk. "Tell me about the land."

Rena tucked her legs underneath her and made herself comfortable. "It rose up in the air. Not straight up, like buildings. More ... at an angle, like this," she demonstrated with her hand.

"Like stairs?"

"Yes. But it wasn't all at the same angle. And not all the same height. It was ... random."

"You called it mountains. Where did you hear that word?"

"I don't know."

"Was someone there with you? Someone else who called it mountains?"

"No. I was alone. I just knew what to call it when I was there."

"So you were alone this time?"