In a rare interaction with a non-L adults, the kids are given an audience, via teleconferencing, with Potentate Carpatescu, who simply introduces himself as the leader of humanity.
He says that Yahweh will send His Son, Jesus, in only a few months to take the world to the sword, and that the kids' Legion is the most important line of defense between the supernatural threat and the rest of humanity. Carpatescu adds that, for fairness, he will show what the other side has to say, and shows a recording of fiery Tribulation Force preacher Tsion Ben-Judah, who does indeed say that all the catastrophes and deaths have been God's doing, to induce people to repentance.
Carpatescu concludes: "If you wish to submit to a nonhuman, or call it repent if you like, and join the Christians, I will not stop you: you will be escorted out and brought to the Christians at Petra, and what they do with you there is not my problem anymore. If you wish to fight, for humanity, for each other, my job is to make sure you have the best weapons, the best food, the best teachers. Centurions of the Legion, I will allow to each of you one question."
A couple of kids ask about their parents, and are told about the privations imposed upon the world by God's apocalypse: grueling work, only canned food to eat, constant fear.
It's Andy's turn to ask a question.
Andy, after a moment of contemplation, meets Carpatescu's gaze through the screen. There's a clear determination in their eyes. "Potentate Carpatescu," they begin, voice unwavering, "If our purpose is to fight for humanity, and if we truly are the last line of defense, what assurance can you give us that you, as the leader of humanity, will fight alongside us and not just command from the backlines?"
There's a brief silence, palpable tension filling the room. Everyone waits for Carpatescu's answer.
arpatescu nods gravely. "My word of honor." He taps a few keys on a keyboard, and a schematic of a tank-derived command vehicle is shown. "I am much older than you and don't have your training or reflexes, but I will be on the front lines. If I can talk Jesus out of fighting, I will. If not, I will be coordinating you and the rest of the global defense locally. This is for all the marbles." Andy has played with marbles, of course, but some of the kids who came here as babies never did... a situation which is rectified in the following days; as a treat, the training schedule is relaxed for a week or two, giving kids a bit of time and space to be kids.
During this respite, Andy sees another side of the children. Away from the stress of battle simulations, the pressure of the leaderboard, and the looming reality of the war they'd soon face, there is a return to innocence, however brief. They play marbles on the ground, laughing and trading marbles of varying colors and sizes.
