Chapter 53: The Oracle of Elysium

The next day Yuki woke at what her clock insisted was dawn.

In truth, it was hard to tell anymore. Sunlight only appeared for a few hours each day, and the world had settled into a permanent gray twilight.

By now two months into the end of the old world, the snow no longer fell heavily each day. But the temperature was permanently below freezing. On the warmest days, one might feel the temperature slightly above zero.

But for the most part, the world had become devoid of warmth outside those few hearths that still burned bright in defiance of fate.

Yuki seldom had to worry about this. Dean had provided her the ultimate form of luxury in a new ice age that had brought the civilized world to an end. Food, water, warmth, shelter, power, and even entertainment existed for her without issue.

And when she did go outside, she wore multiple layers, designed perfectly to wick her own sweat and prevent outside moisture from penetrating within.

Today, her whiteboard that she kept in the living room just beyond the entertainment center, contained the names of those who would receive priority rations for the hard work and dedication they had provided to maintaining the neighborhood and the survival of the community within it.

She sighed heavily as she erased a name and shook her head. She was deep in thought about how to structure things today. That is until a voice came from behind startling her into panic.

“Hey Yuki, I need to speak with you.”

Yuki turned around swiftly, frightened by the sudden intrusion into her focus. And there she found Dean standing there once more in his full load out.

She sighed in relief when she realized it was Dean and quickly calmed her heart.

“God dammit Dean, don’t sneak up on me like that! I was in the middle of something important and you scared me!”

Dean chuckled and shook his head, Yuki didn’t seem to realize he had been standing there for some time trying to gain her attention. But he didn’t bring it up, instead he looked over at the board and all of its contents.

At the top were bold letters “Paradise Falls Reconstruction Efforts:”

Followed by everything else. He took the eraser and wiped away those words and instead replaced them with his own.

“The Building of Elysium.”

Yuki stared at the change. It was subtle, but she didn’t quite understand its intent.

“The Building of Elysium?”

Dean patted her head and responded with a wistful tone in his voice as he looked out the windows behind them and the world beyond.

“It isn’t enough to be a neighborhood anymore. The people need an identity. A myth to believe in. Otherwise, the snow will break them. We are no longer neighbors bound by happenstance. We are Elysian. The torchbearers of the last vestiges of human civilization in this cold and frozen world. And you are our oracle. You’ve done a great job keeping people satisfied with the current regime. But I need you to take things a step further, if you’re willing?”

Yuki wasn’t well versed enough in her Greco-Roman mythology to understand the precise nature of Dean’s rebranding. But she didn’t need to be. The way he explained it was well enough that anyone of any cultural background with a basic education could grasp its meaning.

He wasn’t simply rebranding the neighborhood, he was building a tribal identity and a city state around it.

She may not be fully familiar with the concept of what an Oracle was. But she could easily surmise the understanding behind Dean’s words.

“You want me to be the public face of your new order?”

Dean smirked when he heard this and nodded his head. Once more, petting the girl’s hair.

“Outside of my soldiers, the people of this neighborhood hate me. The hoplites may have transferred their grief and resentment towards me onto Avery, Richard and the old HOA. But there are still those within our borders who call me murderer and tyrant.”

Yuki averted her gaze, she knew all too well the whispers spoken of Dean behind his back by those in the community, if it weren’t for the fact that they needed Dean to survive, many of them likely would have rioted, or revolted by now.

But Dean’s next words brought Yuki back to attention.

“They may hate me, but they love you. I’ve seen the way they speak with you as you distribute rations, as you coordinate their efforts, as you give out extra snacks to the children.”

Dean took a brief pause to think about his next words carefully before continuing.

“I can’t tell them what to do, they would resent the very idea if it came from my lips. But if you spoke my words to them, in the warm, thoughtful, and kind-hearted way you do. They’ll rally behind the idea of being something more than simply neighbors enduring the cold together in a heartbeat. You are my Oracle Yuki, you are my voice given authority.”

Yuki’s cheeks began to flush as the idea overcame her thoughts. For a moment Yuki imagined herself in a flowing chiton, standing atop a hill, delivering divine proclamations while Dean ruled from the temple behind her.

When her mind returned to reality, the weight of responsibility finally hit her. And the fear that she was replaceable, no matter how much Dean had assured her otherwise finally vanished.

Katherine may be a doctor, she may be mature and sophisticated. But she could never be Dean’s oracle.

That was a role reserved for Yuki alone. She didn’t know how to thank Dean and simply hugged him tight.

“I’ll make sure they understand! You have my word, Dean, I’ll do everything in my power to help you create carry the torch of civilization!”

Dean smirked as she finally released him. Yuki had already been doing this job for weeks, but now she finally had a title worthy of her role.

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