Climate

You are sixteen. And you are God. It's just a fact. It was instilled in you.

You were in the silence of the forest

Sound.

A human sound. The rustle of a jacket against bark.

You stepped towards the sound and pushed the branches aside.

There was a guy squatting.

“Who are you?” you asked.

The boy jumped up, the fear in his eyes giving way to surprise. And then to a strange calm.

"Are you one of them?" he asked, nodding towards the mansion. "Listen, I'm going to leave now, okay? I don't need any trouble."

"You desecrate sacred ground," you said. Anger boiled inside you. How dare he stand so calmly before you? "You should prostrate yourself."

The guy blinked.

-Yeah. Right here? In the mud? Listen, buddy, my feet were wet half an hour ago, so thanks, I think I'll stand.

Buddy?

-You don't know who you're talking to - you took a step forward - I'm the one they've been waiting for

"I know," he said unexpectedly, "You're a mistake in their calculations. Or, on the contrary, the pinnacle of their skill. It depends on how you look at it."

-What are you talking about?

• My name is Klim, - he extended his hand to you, - I was born here too. About fifteen years ago. Then my mother and I ran away.

Escaped? From the community? From the truth? It's impossible. People don't escape from here.

Something inside you snapped. You raised your hand to curse him. You felt the power coursing through your veins. Now he would fall dead or explode from the inside.

Klim waited. He looked at your hand. A second. Two. Ten.

Nothing happened.

"It doesn't work, does it?" Klim asked quietly. "Because it's all just a show. You were led to believe it exists. And you feel it. But it's just brain chemistry, kid. You're not a god."

You hit him.

“But this is real,” he said, wiping his lip. “It hurts. That means I exist.”

You stood opposite each other. Klim extended his hand to you again.

“Do you want to know what’s behind the fence?” he asked. “I’ll tell you.”

The branches behind you cracked. Your father's voice echoed through the forest:

-Are you here? We found traces of an alien! Have you seen him?

You turned towards the voice.

• Call them. Tell them you've caught the heretic. They'll praise you. They'll throw a feast in honor of your vigilance. And they'll burn me. And what happens next?