Chapter Six
--Evan--
As Evan turned to Ienji, about to explain, he found he couldn't.. Physically. He had expected to have days to prepare; he knew only basic Japanese.
Still, he knew he must, immediately. He was there primarily to guide these children through this, certainly, but the explaining was no less important. False conclusions, self-deception, and every other aspect of the the 'human condition', made the change something to be approached delicately.
He considered taking some time--maybe a few hours, a day, a night--to think through his word; but, he couldn't ignore the fact that the kid had managed to materialize his digivice, twice. As such, Evan knew that the kid's empathy must have set in already, which would leave him open to a lot of strange feelings. And there was no telling when any of the non-standard 'abilities' might begin to manifest; or to what degree volatility they might do so.
Instead, he sighed and, choosing his words carefully, hazarded an explanation.
--Ienji--
Ienji recognize that Evan spoke with a limit vocabulary; he assumed that the other was American, and spoke English as a first language.
As a student of Siojaton High School, he had taken classes in English, but had only barely passed, despite many hours of intense studying. So, he did not attempt to communicate with Evan in the American's own language.
As the Ienji listened to Evan's explanation, he corrected verb tenses and mispronounced synonyms it in his mind.
What he heard and understood might have sounded like this, if it were translated back into English.
"The reason for these things is big and long and complicated," Evan said, making obvious his meager experience with the language. Ienji said nothing.
Ienji had been thinking through all this, of course, but for some reason had kept his calm throughout. He figured himself to be in shock or denial; any normal person would have called the police or sought immediate medical attention through all of this.
At this, Evan interrupted the beginning of his speech to say, "You are an ordinary person no longer."
Ienji blinked. "How did you....? Did you read my mind?"
--Evan--
Evan shook his head. "No, it is only empathy. Likes touching the tips of your thoughts, and emotions. With practice, it can work like...." Evan did not know how to say 'telepathy' in Japanese. He resolved to look it up later as he continued his sentence. "....reading the mind."
"But," he added, "I have not yet reached that part of this conversation. I must explain to you the origin of these things." Ienji nodded, and Evan continued.
"For many years--no one is certain how long--there was another place. Another world like this one. Its...." Evan searched his mind for the word.... "....structure is electronic, digital. That world, the 'digital world' and this world, the 'real world', are connected. Whatever happens in that world may affect this world." He paused to see if his words had sunk in.
Ienji appeared to be contemplating this deeply; Evan reflected that the kid seemed very mature, especially for his age. He continued.
"Because of this connection, on rare days, people from this world would be petitioned to help the digital world. There were strange...." He decided the word 'animals' would suffice--"animals who lived in the digital world. Some of the animals were good and some were bad, a little like people."
Evan allowed another pause after this. He thought he was doing a fairly good job of communicating this with the language barrier in place.
He went on. "No one knows exactly when it happened, but it was a few decades ago. Something happened, and now there is no digital world. There is only this world. But," he told Ienji, "some parts of the other world still exist in some ways. People in this world are still petitioned by the other world even though there is no other world any more."
Ienji cut in. "Was I petitioned today?" Evan didn't let the smile reach his face, but nodded in response. "Yes. You were. A.... connection, was made between you and some of these remaining parts of the other world.
"The device you were able to.... bring out.... is called a 'ghost digital device'. It is part of you now. You will also find yourself feeling the minds of other people. You will become familiar with it."
With this, Evan quieted, and waited for Ienji to ask him the question.
--Ienji--
When Ienji realized that this was not a pause, and that the other had finished his short speech, he found he had many questions. But one seemed more important than the others, so he asked it first.
"What do I do now?"
Evan replied readily. "There is nothing you can do. The purpose for all that has happened to you, is no longer true, because there is no digital world. You must learn to...." He paused, and Ienji assumed he was searching for the right word. "....adapt to the new part of yourself. I have moved here temporarily, to guide you through this. However, there are a few other things of importance."
Ienji listened concernedly as he went on. "This ghost digital device--which has many uses--and the empathy, are the two standard..... qualities, that all of us share. As you must have realized, I am like you."
Evan paused for a second, opened his palm and briefly materialized and dematerialized his own ghost digital device. Ienji's eyes involuntarily flickered to his own hand.
He continued. "Those of us who can do this are named...." He cut himself short before continuing. "....chosen children." For a moment Ienji felt that Evan had been about to say something else, but soon forgot about it as the other continued. "Because for some reason, only those between the ages of seven and nineteen have been petitioned."
--Evan--
Evan examined the kid as he spoke, and found that the kid wasn't a kid. At least, he seemed very calm about this.
He decided that now was the most opportune time to put forward the knowledge that was bound to disturb this kid's composure.
"I was petitioned a few years ago," Evan said. "Since then, I have met with others like me, like you, like us. Other chosen children. Many are in their twenties and thirties, although most are younger than you or me."
He paused, and Ienji decided to put a word in. "And you knew I would be petitioned, so you came to Siojaton to see me?"
He noticed Evan's hesitation before responding. "No. I did not know who would be petitioned. And there are others in Siojaton who will be soon, as well. They are your classmates, maybe even your friends or family. I hope that you will be able to help me find them, before it is too late."
Evan noticed the expression on Ienji's face, and felt his mind shift significantly with this information.
He felt he had communicated effectively. The kid seemed to have accepted what he'd learned particularly well. Which was excellent, considering the work they now had, finding the other digidestined. But despite all he'd told him, the most important thing had been left out.
Ienji shouldn't have walked out of that library.
--Evan--
As Evan turned to Ienji, about to explain, he found he couldn't.. Physically. He had expected to have days to prepare; he knew only basic Japanese.
Still, he knew he must, immediately. He was there primarily to guide these children through this, certainly, but the explaining was no less important. False conclusions, self-deception, and every other aspect of the the 'human condition', made the change something to be approached delicately.
He considered taking some time--maybe a few hours, a day, a night--to think through his word; but, he couldn't ignore the fact that the kid had managed to materialize his digivice, twice. As such, Evan knew that the kid's empathy must have set in already, which would leave him open to a lot of strange feelings. And there was no telling when any of the non-standard 'abilities' might begin to manifest; or to what degree volatility they might do so.
Instead, he sighed and, choosing his words carefully, hazarded an explanation.
--Ienji--
Ienji recognize that Evan spoke with a limit vocabulary; he assumed that the other was American, and spoke English as a first language.
As a student of Siojaton High School, he had taken classes in English, but had only barely passed, despite many hours of intense studying. So, he did not attempt to communicate with Evan in the American's own language.
As the Ienji listened to Evan's explanation, he corrected verb tenses and mispronounced synonyms it in his mind.
What he heard and understood might have sounded like this, if it were translated back into English.
"The reason for these things is big and long and complicated," Evan said, making obvious his meager experience with the language. Ienji said nothing.
Ienji had been thinking through all this, of course, but for some reason had kept his calm throughout. He figured himself to be in shock or denial; any normal person would have called the police or sought immediate medical attention through all of this.
At this, Evan interrupted the beginning of his speech to say, "You are an ordinary person no longer."
Ienji blinked. "How did you....? Did you read my mind?"
--Evan--
Evan shook his head. "No, it is only empathy. Likes touching the tips of your thoughts, and emotions. With practice, it can work like...." Evan did not know how to say 'telepathy' in Japanese. He resolved to look it up later as he continued his sentence. "....reading the mind."
"But," he added, "I have not yet reached that part of this conversation. I must explain to you the origin of these things." Ienji nodded, and Evan continued.
"For many years--no one is certain how long--there was another place. Another world like this one. Its...." Evan searched his mind for the word.... "....structure is electronic, digital. That world, the 'digital world' and this world, the 'real world', are connected. Whatever happens in that world may affect this world." He paused to see if his words had sunk in.
Ienji appeared to be contemplating this deeply; Evan reflected that the kid seemed very mature, especially for his age. He continued.
"Because of this connection, on rare days, people from this world would be petitioned to help the digital world. There were strange...." He decided the word 'animals' would suffice--"animals who lived in the digital world. Some of the animals were good and some were bad, a little like people."
Evan allowed another pause after this. He thought he was doing a fairly good job of communicating this with the language barrier in place.
He went on. "No one knows exactly when it happened, but it was a few decades ago. Something happened, and now there is no digital world. There is only this world. But," he told Ienji, "some parts of the other world still exist in some ways. People in this world are still petitioned by the other world even though there is no other world any more."
Ienji cut in. "Was I petitioned today?" Evan didn't let the smile reach his face, but nodded in response. "Yes. You were. A.... connection, was made between you and some of these remaining parts of the other world.
"The device you were able to.... bring out.... is called a 'ghost digital device'. It is part of you now. You will also find yourself feeling the minds of other people. You will become familiar with it."
With this, Evan quieted, and waited for Ienji to ask him the question.
--Ienji--
When Ienji realized that this was not a pause, and that the other had finished his short speech, he found he had many questions. But one seemed more important than the others, so he asked it first.
"What do I do now?"
Evan replied readily. "There is nothing you can do. The purpose for all that has happened to you, is no longer true, because there is no digital world. You must learn to...." He paused, and Ienji assumed he was searching for the right word. "....adapt to the new part of yourself. I have moved here temporarily, to guide you through this. However, there are a few other things of importance."
Ienji listened concernedly as he went on. "This ghost digital device--which has many uses--and the empathy, are the two standard..... qualities, that all of us share. As you must have realized, I am like you."
Evan paused for a second, opened his palm and briefly materialized and dematerialized his own ghost digital device. Ienji's eyes involuntarily flickered to his own hand.
He continued. "Those of us who can do this are named...." He cut himself short before continuing. "....chosen children." For a moment Ienji felt that Evan had been about to say something else, but soon forgot about it as the other continued. "Because for some reason, only those between the ages of seven and nineteen have been petitioned."
--Evan--
Evan examined the kid as he spoke, and found that the kid wasn't a kid. At least, he seemed very calm about this.
He decided that now was the most opportune time to put forward the knowledge that was bound to disturb this kid's composure.
"I was petitioned a few years ago," Evan said. "Since then, I have met with others like me, like you, like us. Other chosen children. Many are in their twenties and thirties, although most are younger than you or me."
He paused, and Ienji decided to put a word in. "And you knew I would be petitioned, so you came to Siojaton to see me?"
He noticed Evan's hesitation before responding. "No. I did not know who would be petitioned. And there are others in Siojaton who will be soon, as well. They are your classmates, maybe even your friends or family. I hope that you will be able to help me find them, before it is too late."
Evan noticed the expression on Ienji's face, and felt his mind shift significantly with this information.
He felt he had communicated effectively. The kid seemed to have accepted what he'd learned particularly well. Which was excellent, considering the work they now had, finding the other digidestined. But despite all he'd told him, the most important thing had been left out.
Ienji shouldn't have walked out of that library.