POV: Third Person
A professor stands at the front of the classroom and clears his throat. The low murmur of students fades.
He turns to the board, picks up a piece of chalk, and writes a single number:
"2139."
The professor stares at the class for a brief time, and then begins.
"Class, I want you to imagine New York City in the state it finds itself in. Not what you experience, but what the city itself experiences." He pauses a bit for dramatic effect seeing the bored look in some student's eyes becoming more intriqued.
The lecture continues.
"Thirty five years has passed since the conclusion of the Third World War, as many of you know though for much of the world the conflict never truly ended. There was no official treaty, no victor. The United States still technically existed, and was still shown proudly on official maps, yet east of the Mississippi federal reach had become little more than a ceremonial display allowed by others. Where as, the aggressor to this conflict, China faced issues of it's own.
Notable cities like Washington D.C, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, and countless other cities suffered both internal and external collapse throughout the later decades of the war. Economic devastation, cyberwarfare, and vast waves of migration hollowed entire regions of the country from within. What remained of the eastern United States slowly fractured into isolated pockets of centralized cities separated by lawless stretches of uncentralized land.
In the absence of the state, corporations rose to fill the vacuum left behind. None benefitted more from this new era than Vought International." The professor takes a breath in feeling tired from speaking all at once, the man straightens his posture writing Vought on the board. He notices the looks on his student's faces most are excited about the mention of Vought, but theres a few who are wary of the name drop. 'Good' the professor thinks.
Setting the chalk back down, he continues. "What began as a wartime contractor eventually transformed into one of the largest industrial and private military organizations in North America. Entire sections of the eastern coast relied on Vought supplied energy grids, transportation systems, and most importantly of all security forces to function.
For a brief period, it appeared as though corporations like Vought would run the United States entirely.
Then what is today known as the Great Wake came.
The first confirmed incident occurred somewhere within the Sichuan Province of China in 2083, in the middle of the Third World War. Official reports were heavily censored by the Chinese government, though pieces of footage eventually leaked online. A child no older than four had seemingly ignited into flames without suffering injury. Within weeks similar reports began surfacing across the globe.
At first the phenomenon was dismissed as simple hysteria. Others imagined it was either genetic mutation, biological weapons test, or simply religious paranoia.
Then people began flying across cities and the country.
Others would be in one area and in another second would be across the room.
Some developed the ability to level buildings.
Hummanity had spent years prior preparing for what they thought was eventual, Nuclear War, but no one prepared them for this.
And class, Im sure many of you know of what I'm referring to. Quirks, X-gene, meta-ability, whatever your preference is for it has become our new normal." The bell rings.
The professor sighs, he wanted to continue onto the Ultimatum but that will have to wait another time. Dissapointed he mentions to his students, "alright class, saved by the bell. See you tomorrow." And the students begin pilling out quickly.
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