A long white table is set up on a raised stage. The camera footage is coming from the back of the room, but there aren't any reporters or any people at all. Even though the table is empty, ten identical chairs are sitting behind the table. They aren't thrones; they are carefully constructed and clearly made by a master craftsman. There is a black screen behind them, but it isn't playing anything yet. Then it turns on and begins counting down from five, in an innumerable number of symbols. Every known numeric system must be represented here. When it hits zero, it goes dark again before a new symbol appears. A chair matching the ones placed at the table appears on the screen with a crescent moon on the back of it. Then ten stars fade in, surrounding the chair. That's the Rub el Hizb. And it isn't a chair, it's a Seat.

With the symbol clearly displayed, ten men enter the room from both sides. They are all obviously Middle Eastern, but they could not look more different, both in dress and appearance. One of them is a mountain of a man with a large, thick beard. He towers over the rest of them in an almost comical way. He's the only one who clearly stands out amongst the others. Some of them are wearing white thawbs with keffiyehs, others are wearing dark colored business suits. Each man's dress is different in various ways, but the one thing they all share is that they're wearing a black and gold bisht over their clothes. Each man takes his own seat. The one in the center waits a moment as a name card appears below him. Seat of the Future. What are you planning that has everyone so nervous? And what kind of power do you hold? As he begins to speak, the translation tech perfectly changes his speech to English for us.

"I am the Seat of the Future. I have no other name, having severed all ties to my past, before my sworn brothers and I began this holy mission. I come to you today to announce our intentions to the world at large. Today is November 7th, 2225, and approximately twelve hours ago, the Court of Princes officially laid claim to the territory surrounding the entirety of the Persian Gulf. All of Oman, Qatar, the U.A.E., Bahrain, and Kuwait are part of our territory, extending from Chabahar to Yazd and Dezfūl in Iran, to Al Basrah in Iraq, and then to the ash-Sharqīyah region of Saudi Arabia. Those previously in charge of the land have willingly surrendered it to us. With that, we are establishing the region as a new country known as the Crowned Princes' Province. In twenty-four hours, we will be entering a period of isolation where none may enter our borders. Anyone currently living within our designated territories will be allowed to leave, but no one may enter after this period is up. All citizens within our borders will be protected and treated equally. We are ushering in a new age of prosperity and safety for the Middle East as a whole. No longer will the poor fear the wealthy, no longer will the weak fear the strong, there will be no famine, no war, no strife or oppression within our borders. Allah ma'akum," The Seat said as the footage stopped.

As soon as the words leave his lips, every single one of us is stunned. Neuvohumans aren't allowed to hold office; it is part of the Accords. In fact, it's one of the first rules that was added at the time of the Accords creation. It has never, ever been tested. Neuvohumans are allowed to vote just as any citizen can, but we can't hold government positions. That means we aren't allowed in the FBI or the army. It's what keeps the BNA as the largest employer of Neuvohumans. The law is supposedly designed to prevent abuses of power, but I believe it's much more likely that it's something petty. Like they're afraid of an immortal holding a position that doesn't have terms associated with it. A Supreme Court judge who lives forever could be bothersome to people. Or the regular people are desperately grasping for a scrap of power to hold onto in our changed world. I can see why he was so excited. This is truly a turning point for humanity. The ramifications of today will have a lasting impact for years to come.

The screen switches back to the panelists, all of them equally stunned. So they didn't know that was happening either. Interesting. Launa recovers quickly, transitioning back into host mode. Malik, Simone, and James recover shortly after, but Chronicle looks panicked. Holy shit. Did the Heroes' Union not know? Where's the BNA, and why didn't they step in? Why didn't Technologica stop this? Does she not consider this a massive change for humanity? If she didn't stop it, and there is no way she isn't aware of it, then I should assume she either wants this to happen or has made it happen. There is no chance in hell she doesn't have her eyes on it. How did a multi-country quasi-coup go unnoticed? Violet is talking to me, and I barely noticed with the bombshell that just went off.

"This is insane, Eryk. Eryk, are you even listening to me?" Violet loudly whispered in my ear.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm listening," I answered.

"Mhmm, I'm sure. Well, I was saying how crazy all of this is. The Middle East is about to become like South America was," Violet said.

"How so?"

"The Seats are just a coalition of violent warlords. It won't be long before the Heroes' Union is called in," she said.

"Ms. Graves, save the idle and instantiated chitchatting for after class," Professor Arbol said, clearly irritated.

He points to the projection where the panel is discussing the announcement. Chronicle is notably missing. That's another reason to believe that the Heroes' Union had no idea about this. I am very interested in figuring out how this group accomplished its task. AS someone well-versed in secrets and planning, I have no idea how I would begin to hide the founding of a nation from the rest of the planet.

"For those who don't know, the Neuvohuman Accords have a bylaw that disallows any powered persons from holding any station or office in all forms of government. What the Court of Princes has just done is openly declare that they will not be bound to the Accords. That means they are no longer afforded the protections or rights granted by the Accords as well. We are officially in uncharted territory," Simone remarked.

"You are correct, Simone. It does have me wondering what their plan is without announcing this. They have many supporters, but it's only ten Neuvohumans at the end of the day. The territory they say they are annexing is massive, and there is no way they can possibly hold onto it," James agreed.

"Malik? Do you agree with them? You have been following the rise of the Court of Princes since they first appeared. Did you have any inkling that this is what the press conference would be about?" Launa asked.

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"No, not at all. I am not the foremost expert on the group, but I know enough about them that they would not have done this if they didn't believe it was possible. What I will say is that based on what I know of the abilities of certain Seats, it is very doable," Malik answered.

"Are you saying you actually know the powers of the full Court of Princes?" Launa asked.

"No. Several members have never been seen using their powers. The Seat of Growth, the Seat of the Future, the Seat of Stillness, and the Seat of Direction have never shown any abilities in public. The other six have, and what they have shown might be enough to defend their demesne truly, especially when we remember that four members have yet to reveal anything," Malik said dramatically.

"Well, don't make us wait too long. Tell us what you know, I'm sure everyone watching at home is on the edge of their seats," Launa urged him.

"I, too, am curious," James added.

Oh, they planned this part.

"The Seat of the Earth is a mass sand Manipulator. There are stories of him stopping sandstorms that stretched over a hundred kilometers wide and over eighty meters high. He has precise enough control to move individual grains and has shown no sign of a limit. The Seat of Conflict is a Ruler who creates great warriors of stone. The golems have four arms and wield stone weapons. They are twice the size of a man and do not tire. They require no payment, no food, and no accommodations. They are vigilant at all times. No one knows how many he can create. The Seat of Commerce is an Alter able to transform rocks into various metals, such as copper, iron, and others. They have used this to help isolated communities or those without mining operations. This is a bit of speculation on my part, but I think they are also using it to trade for what they need," Malik paused, milking the moment of suspense.

"Allow me to interject. You said that the Seat of Commerce is able to transform ordinary rocks into copper and iron? Is that the limit? If he can create precious metals, they would be capable of making trade agreements with countries that might make them willing to recognize the legitimacy of their new nation. There are certain metals that are all but gone from our planet, and without deep space mining, they would be unobtainable. His power could end up being the most integral to their goals," James Mathas said.

"Malik, we'll get back to your explanation in just a minute. Why do you think that, James? As an economist, what is it that makes you excited for this? I'm sure that the prospect of deep space mining might be confusing to some," Launa remarked.

"We live in the most technologically dependent period of our species. And that dependency only rises as the level of our tech does. Our technology requires numerous metals that are finite resources. The supply of lithium is dwindling rapidly, and it is essential for us to continue to produce rechargeable batteries. Your cellphones, your laptops, and your electric vehicles all require lithium to be manufactured. The same thing goes for gold and copper. Everyone knows the price of gold has skyrocketed due to its uses as a conductive material. Rhodium is another, which is used in the production of mirrors, lab equipment, catalytic converters, and more. So if there is a person who comes along and can offset the scarcity, reduce prices, and keep the supply aloft, they'd be highly sought after by companies and countries alike. That's all, not even considering being able to shift the Middle East's reliance on the sale of oil and natural gas. Which are also not an infinite resource," James said passionately.

"Well put, James, you can read more about his thoughts on the world's economy as a whole in his new book, The Price of Progress, which is out soon. It's available digitally or in paperback at your local bookstore," Launa recited as a picture of the book appeared on the screen. "Now, Malik, you were saying?"

"I was talking about what we do know for certain about some of the Seats' powers. Next up is the Seat of Clear Skies. His Seat is the only one that does pretty heavily relate to what he is capable of. He is a weather Manipulator, responsible for bringing rainstorms to areas affected by droughts, filling empty wells, and helping keep local wildlife from dying of thirst. This man could change the entire climate of their territory to make it more hospitable. A true warrior holds the Seat of the Champion. He is a protector, a guardian, and a defender of the weak. He is known for his impossible strength, his impenetrable defense, and his incredible speed. They say he has never lost a fight since his first appearance. The final Seat we know anything about is the Seat of the Visionary. He is a Traveller, a teleporter specifically, and there are records of him teleporting across countries in a single jump. He can also bring others with him. There's footage of a town in Iran that was going to be swept away by a landslide. He arrived, gathered every living creature, including livestock, and brought them to safety. As you can see, given what we know of their powers, they are a very formidable group, capable of succeeding in their claim," Malik answered.

"The war potential seems quite high," Launa said.

"Okay, that's enough of their yapping," Professor Armol said as he shut the stream off. "I'll be honest, class, I thought this stream would have potential for us to talk about journalism and the unwritten rules of it. I had no idea it would be the founding of a new nation. We are certainly on the precipice of what will very likely change the world as we know it. So, in the spirit of surprise, we will be putting the work you've done on the Bystander Clause on hold for now. Instead, I would like all of you to group up in pairs and take a thorough look at the bylaw in the Neuvohuman Accords that prevents them from working in the government. I won't force you to pick a certain side; I want you to really consider whether it is ethical for a worldwide organization like the United Nations to unilaterally ban an entire race of people from positions of power. Regardless of where you fall on the topic, explain why. I expect a ten-minute presentation on your findings, opinions, and the legal implications. This will be due on Friday."

Without even looking, I know Violet is staring at me. My partner has already been picked. She won't accept no as an answer. I turn to her, and she's already thinking of what kind of PowerPoint we should make for our presentation. Yep, I don't get a choice.

"I'll text you when I'm free, and we can start working on it," Violet said happily.

"Ooh. About that, I lost my phone, and haven't had a chance to buy a new one," I lied.

"Jeez, Eryk, how did you do that?" Violet asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but it's gone. I'm going to go after my 11 am class to shop for a replacement."

"I'll go with you. It'll be fun and we can grab lunch," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Eh. I don't know about that," I said, trying to decline Violet's offer politely.

"Not as a date. Just as friends. You already said you weren't interested, and I'm not going to keep throwing myself at you after you've rejected me once. Cmon, it'll be fun. I've needed to go shopping for a few things anyway."

"How did this end up turning into a whole thing? This should take thirty minutes tops," I said adamantly.

"I'll be waiting by the fountain at the quad," she said.

There is no way this takes less than several hours.

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