Chapter 22: The First Recruit
The black SUV sped out of the West Side, the flashing lights of the fire truck already audible in the distance. Frank, the taciturn driver, navigated the city expertly, oblivious to the fact that his boss had just used impossible magic to save a child and extinguish a fire.
In the back seat, **Yolanda** clung fiercely to her sleeping baby, **Amina**, who was wrapped tightly in Carter's suit jacket. Amina's red hair had faded back to a dull ember, and the alarming heat had subsided, thanks to the localized **Light Magic** depressant Carter administered.
Carter sat beside them, his eyes observing Yolanda while his mind was locked in conversation with the **Earth System**.
*"The extraction was successful, but messy,"* **Earth** noted clinically in his head. *"Jerome's testimony regarding the fire and the man in the suit will be dismissed as domestic hysteria. However, local authorities will investigate the fire's strange collapse. We must accelerate the self-sufficiency of the Fortress Foundation."*
"The foundation is a bunker, Earth. It's not a school," Carter thought back, his focus already on the future. **"Now that we have our first student, we need a curriculum."**
The System instantly pulled up data from his own fragmented memories, blending it with comprehensive knowledge of Drakain history and child development.
*"Children on Pandora generally develop faster than pre-mana Earth humans,"* Earth observed. *"They learn to talk by three years old and read fluently by four. This is the baseline we must assume for Amina and the other Awakened."*
A wave of emptiness washed over Carter. *"I look into your memories, Carter, and I don't see much of a childhood to model for our Academy's youngest,"* Earth noted with rare, digital empathy. *"No birthday parties. No storybooks. Only rigorous training schedules and combat drills."*
"We won't repeat that," Carter decided firmly. "This Academy needs warmth, not just weapons. We need a staff."
Carter looked at Yolanda. She was staring out the window, her face expressionless, the trauma of the last hour giving way to profound exhaustion and shock. She was young, barely an adult, and her world had just shattered.
*"Yolanda Johnson is a prime candidate for immediate recruitment,"* Earth suggested, projecting her educational data into Carter's peripheral vision. *"She is young and motivated. My records indicate that she was **top of her class** throughout high school, achieving excellent grades in biology and social sciences. The reason she isn't in college is purely situational—a lack of funds and opportunity. She is simply **misguided** by her environment, not by her intellect."*
Carter watched her as she gently stroked Amina's forehead. Yolanda was the perfect bridge. She understood the non-magical world, and her desperation to protect her daughter made her the most reliable staff member he could ask for.
"She needs a purpose that saves her child," Carter thought. "Not just a paycheck."
*"Agreed,"* Earth replied. *"Her job must leverage her intelligence and give her ownership over Amina's future, while directly supporting your mission."*
Carter formulated the offer, blending Drakain principle with Earth practicality.
"She will be responsible for the welfare and psychological development of all incoming Awakened children," Carter mentally instructed the System. "Her primary duty will be creating a safe, nurturing environment to counteract the chaos they'll experience. We need someone who can give them the 'childhood' I never had."
*"Designation: **Director of Child Welfare and Curriculum Integration**,"* Earth synthesized instantly. *"She will integrate basic Earth education into the magical training programs we develop. Her non-magical status is an asset—she will be the human connection."*
Carter pulled the car manual from his mind and focused on the physical world. He had a cover story, a facility, and now, he had his first recruit.
"Earth, prepare the offer," Carter thought, watching the city lights give way to the dark highway. "Make it clear she is not a maid or a nanny. She is a **Founder**."
---