Stepping onto the shore was like stepping into a new world. Instead of being met with suspicion and accusations, we were greeted with smiles and waves. Was this because of Bereth’s reputation? Still, I was a stranger they’d never seen before.

“Greetings, stranger. Welcome to Redbank Island”, a young woman with braided hair said as she approached, her basket full of fruit. Mangos?

“Umm, thanks,” I said.

“Would you like me to show you around?” a young man accompanying her asked.

They wore matching earrings. On the left ear was a star, the right a moon.

“Sure. I mean… I appreciate the offer, but I really must speak to your leader right away. It’s about the sickness plaguing your island.”

“She is leading a study at the moment. There will be plenty of time to speak with her after. For now, why not enjoy a tour of our island?”

His insistence and kindness were equally unnerving. Yet, there was nothing that would indicate anything sinister.

Ghost perched on my shoulder, keeping quiet for now.

“Your companion is beautiful,” the woman said, reaching her hand slowly toward Ghost before stopping halfway. “May I?”

I twisted my head, looking up at Ghost, who… had no expression, as usual. He was a bird, after all. I’d never get used to that.

“As long as he doesn’t mind,” I said.

She slowly brought the back of her hand to his chest, gently brushing him with the back of her index finger.

He didn’t react. Come to think of it, this was the first time I remembered someone trying to pet Ghost. To me, he was a friend. An equal. Petting him would feel condescending, but to these people who instinctively saw him as a pet, it made sense.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m Remira.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Taylor.”

This whole interaction gave me a big dose of the creeps. Was I just being unreasonable, conditioned by the face everyone I’d run into lately were mostly huge jerks?

“Right this way,” the man said, waving for me to follow him. “I’m Randolf. Pleasure to meet you, Taylor. Which island do you hail from?”

I paused, narrowing my eyes.

“Are you implying that if I were from Adversity Management, you’d welcome me the same way?”

“We don’t judge others based on the company they associate with. Everyone is an individual, like the stars that make up the night sky.”

The religious cult vibes were off the charts.

“That’s... Well, thank you for the warm welcome.”

I’d wanted to say it was naive, but resisted the urge to start an argument with the very people I was trying to save, two minutes off the boat. I only hoped I’d dodged his question.

“Of course,” he said, smiling. “I saw you eying the mangoes in my wife’s basket. Would you like to have one?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Ah, a food bribe. My weakness.

“Um… sure. Thank you.”

I turned and was greeted with the young woman’s overly warm smile, and an extended hand holding a ripe mango.

“This one’s perfect for eating today,” she said.

I turned to Bereth and Isaiah, intending to thank them, before noticing they’d already departed while I was distracted.

“Where’d they go?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Randolf said. “They visit almost daily to trade. You’ll see them again soon if you had something you wanted to tell them.”

I took the mango from Remira with a slight bow, turning to follow Randolf.

“Redbank Island is the largest island in the zone. Even larger than the other two combined, in fact.”

“Based on your explanation, you know I’m not from either of the two other islands. You seem awfully relaxed in spite of that.”

“We are under the protection of the stars here. We have no need for fear. Fear is for the wayward and uncertain.”

Ghost just stared ahead. That he wasn’t hurling condescending insults by now was a true testament to his commitment to the bit.

“I see. That’s, um… a very interesting way of seeing the world.”

“You must think we’re naive to be struggling with so many sick and dying, and yet remain blindly optimistic in spite of it. I would understand you feeling that way.”

“It wasn’t my intention to judge you,” I said. “It’s just a foreign way of thinking to me, is all.”

He smiled and nodded as he continued leading us through the rows of trees, motioning to the sagging branches, weighed down with fruit, even as a worker walked along each row, examining each branch for what was ready to be picked. Still more nods and smiles from each stranger.

“Do you only grow mangoes on this island?” I asked.

He chuckled, then smiled. Clearly he’d thought I was joking, but was careful not to make me feel uncomfortable with the correction.

“Stars above, no. We grow all sorts of things here. The heavens have blessed this island with fertile soil and an ideal climate. We have just the right ecosystem of animals and insects to promote the growth of both fruits and vegetables, and we always get just enough rain.”

PanTech weather manipulation, and these people believe their faith is being rewarded by some sort of divine force. However, offering counterpoints was not my place. My goal was to disrupt the social order as little as possible. If it didn’t serve the purpose of convincing their leader to help take back the vaccines, it wasn’t any of my business.

“That’s fortuitous…” I said, pausing on my words a moment.

Fortuitous. Good fortune. Lucky. Not things that mesh well with “Strength Through Adversity” at all. PanTech had never given the citizens of a zone a break before. Yet, these were trees. They hadn’t just sprouted up here in the past few weeks. This island was years in the making. Why had Adversity Management allowed this to happen? Something wasn’t right here…

“You seem troubled,” he said.

“Not at all. I was just thinking, is all,” I said. “Sorry to press you, but will your leader’s study be over soon? I’m certainly interested to see everything your amazing island has to offer, but my mission is urgent and let’s say… distracting me from enjoying this as much as I otherwise would.”

He nodded grimly, raising a finger in agreement.

“That makes sense, Taylor. It does. Let us go and sit in on the final minutes of the study, so you’ll be there to talk to her the moment she’s ready.”

I smiled. “Thank you. That would take some weight off my shoulders, Randolf. Your wife’s a very sweet woman, by the way, and beautiful too. Lucky man.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, blushing slightly. “Oh, yes… the diviner chose well for me. I truly am fortunate, as you say. Rather, the stars gave me a fine wife, and the diviner simply told me their will. She is very modest and would prefer I phrase it that way.”

Modest. Right. Why did I have the feeling this woman was anything but?

“A diviner? So, she reads the will of the stars, and communicates that to everyone else here?”

“Better that you ask the diviner herself,” he said, as we continued walking toward the center of the island.

Eventually, we made it to a long flight of steps, leading up to a temple. How long had this been here? PanTech did not allow religion to be practiced openly, and yet… here was a temple, right before my eyes. A religious figure leading the island, choosing marriages. Where was the adversity? This broke protocol in so many ways. I hadn’t even noticed any weapons. They were practically sitting ducks for PanTech to swoop in and take over the orchards. Before the fall of HQ, they would’ve had limitless access to knowledge of how to do virtually anything, even tending to fruit orchards.

Something about this stank. Was it some sort of front? An act to throw off visitors?

If these were actors, they deserved an award.

A pale woman with long, platinum hair stood in front of a group of sitting men and women. She spoke in a soft, hypnotic tone.

“Ah, it’s the visitor I spoke of,” the woman said, slowly pointing toward me.

“It’s just as you predicted!” one woman said.

“Praise the stars!” another man shouted.

Something was very, very wrong here.