In the end, Aldith was only able to gather a few people, mostly kids who didn't know any better. It seemed the villagers were still wary of an outsider like me. I couldn't blame them—change, especially in a world like this, didn't come easy. Trust was something earned, not given freely. The food was laid out in a modest mess hall; the table was no bigger than my parents' dining room table back home. The children in front of me appeared to be orphans, kids without parents to warn them away. I assumed they had shown up because they were promised food; they didn't seem interested in the science behind it. They all looked at me warily, like I was a green vegetable on their plate they didn't quite like.
I sighed, feeling a bit defeated. There were four children in total—three girls and one boy. Aldith ushered them to introduce themselves one by one. The oldest girl went first. She had tangled brown hair tied back messily, with dirt on her cheeks. Her purple eyes looked mystical, a pigment we didn't have on Earth unless it came in the form of contacts. She was about 15 years old and seemed to be a sort of guardian for the other kids. She spoke, "I'm Kali," her tone guarded. A small girl with short golden-blonde hair held her hand. She was no more than 8 years old.
The little blonde squeaked out, "Cosmare." I nodded, turning to the girl with short brown hair who seemed to be peeking out from behind Kali's legs. This girl was around Cosmare's age but much more timid. Her small blue eyes looked at me warily. "Milly," she whispered.
Finally, I turned to the boy, who had a red scarf wrapped around his neck, covering most of his face. He had golden eyes and appeared to be closer in age to Kali, probably around 14. His pale blue hair caught my attention, standing out against what I knew of hair pigments on Earth. They were all dressed in rags, for the most part. The boy sighed, "Name's Noah."
I wasn't thrilled to be around kids. I was never very good with them, but Noah piqued my curiosity. He gave off an air of quiet intelligence—no, if I had to guess, I'd say he was a genius. It reminded me of myself at his age. I had no proof, of course, but I got the impression he was a smart boy. I smiled warmly at them. "Call me Ruze, or Dr. Aizawa if you prefer. We've got a nice hearty meal for you today." My introduction fell flat as the children remained guarded. I frowned a little but kept my tone light. "I know I might seem strange to you, and that's okay. I'm a stranger in this place too, trying to learn just like you all are."
The children exchanged uncertain glances, and I could see that their wariness wasn't just about me—it was about survival, about not getting too attached or trusting too easily in a world that had likely been harsh to them. I understood that well enough. Aldith helped me out a bit. "He's not here to hurt you, trust me. I would have dealt with him already if that was the case. He's... here to help. He made you an amazing stew, so please give it a try."
Kali, the eldest, eyed the bowl in front of her suspiciously. She was clearly the leader of the group, the one who felt responsible for the others. After a moment of hesitation, she finally picked up her spoon and took a small bite. The other children watched her intently, waiting for her reaction. Kali chewed slowly, her expression unreadable at first. Then, to my relief, her eyes widened slightly, and she nodded. "It's... good," she said, almost surprised by her own words.
The boy tapped his bowl challengingly. "Don't fall for it, Kali. Nobody's nice just for the sake of being nice. He wants something, I can see it in his eyes." Had I been figured out already? It was true I offered the stew as an act of goodwill, but I also needed extra hands. I decided to come clean.
"You got me. I do want you to eat the stew, and yes, I do want something, but it's not a selfish want, I assure you." His guarded golden eyes stared at me intently. "I'll be the judge of that," he said firmly. Aldith chimed in, "Enough, Noah. He's only—" I cut her off with a wave of my hand. Trust had never come easily to me on Earth either.
I chuckled, a bit amused. "You're a smart boy. You're right, I do have motives outside of feeding you. My goal," I began, "is to help this village improve its way of life, but I won't lie to you—there's more to it for me. Ultimately, I want to push science forward here, far enough that I can either thrive in this world or, if possible, find a way back to my own."
Noah looked taken aback. "Go back to your own?" I nodded. "You might not believe me, but I'm actually from another world. The scientific knowledge I have is far beyond what exists in this one."
Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Another world? You expect us to believe that?"
I nodded. "Aldith already does, and so do most of the elders of your village, I hope. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me, but it's the truth. Where I come from, we have machines that fly through the air, medicines that can cure diseases in days, and tools that can make entire cities light up at night." I paused, watching their faces for any sign of comprehension. Most of them seemed confused, but Noah... Noah looked intrigued.
"Machines that fly?" Kali echoed, her purple eyes widening with curiosity, though still guarded.
I laughed. "That's right, like a bird."
"And if I can help this village," I continued, "I can begin to recreate some of that, little by little. But I can't do it alone. I need people who are willing to learn and work with me. That's where you all come in."
Noah narrowed his eyes. "And what's in it for us?"
"Better food," I said plainly, gesturing to their bowls. "Cleaner water. Maybe even warmth in the winter without needing to burn wood. A chance at a better life. And for you, Noah," I met his eyes, "a chance to learn things no one else in this world knows yet." Noah tapped his bowl, thinking. I added, "If you're unsure, why don't you try the stew first?"
Noah seemed to weigh my words carefully, glancing at the others as they ate. Finally, he took a leap of faith. He picked up a wooden spoon and began eating with the others. After a couple of bites, the child in him seemed to come forward. "What is this? It's... incredible."
I laughed. "Mushroom stew, with a pinch of salt." Noah looked shocked. "Mushrooms? Salt?" I began to explain the properties of both, and he listened intently. Noah tilted his head. "Are you suggesting we can sustain ourselves by farming in a dirty cave like this?"
I smirked, feeling like I had found a kindred spirit. I laughed at his question. "Not just sustain, but thrive." Noah looked down. "There were others like you before—people who promised salvation and led us to ruin." There must have been primitive scientists here before. It seemed they had all died or left the village.
I grinned. "I'm not like those others," I said, meeting Noah's gaze firmly. "I'm not promising miracles overnight, and I'm not going to lead you blindly into danger. What I can promise is a process. Science is slow, sometimes tedious, but it works. I'll show you how to grow food, how to extract resources, and how to use what's around us in ways no one here has thought of before. It won't be easy, but it will make a difference."
Noah hesitated, his skepticism still apparent. "And if you fail? What happens then?"
I paused, thinking carefully. "If I fail," I said slowly, "we'll be no worse off than we are now. But if I succeed... well, then this village could become something extraordinary. And who knows? Maybe we'll even discover a way to connect my world and yours." I grinned, half-jokingly. "How does a flying machine sound?"
Noah blinked, processing my words. His golden eyes flickered with something—a spark of curiosity, perhaps even hope. "I'll give you a chance," he finally said. "But if things start going bad, I'm out."
I nodded. "I expected as much. How about I show you something on a lighter note?"
Kali spoke up. "A lighter note?"
I nodded. "How about I show you a game we play on my planet?" Aldith looked at me questioningly. "A game?"
I smiled. "Yes, a game. You have paper and pencils, correct?" Aldith nodded. "Yes, we at least have that. It's one of the few things we managed to carry over from our homes."
I laughed approvingly. "Let's play cards."
Noah frowned. "Cards?" It was jarring to me that they didn't even have a rudimentary game like this, but it made me happy to know I could teach them so much. I smirked. "I'll show you how to play Go Fish."