Inside the Governor's Mansion, Anna's words finally managed to pull Charles back together. He knew she was right—he had to do something.
The situation on the Earth's surface wouldn't be easily resolved. He couldn't wait for the people above to come down to him; he had to be the one to go up to them. This wasn't just for the faint hope of saving his crew, but also to bring closure to his many years of struggle.
"My deskmate in second grade was a fat kid. I can't recall his face anymore. I don't know if he was taken by the Shadow or if I'd just forgotten him. It's been too long; I really can't remember." Charles, reeking of alcohol, sat on the floor, clutching his head in pain as he struggled to recount his memories.
Anna, legs crossed beside him, grabbed her pen and kept jotting things down in a notebook. "Mm, what about third grade? You changed deskmates then—do you still remember her? Try hard to recall what she looked like."
