I take a deep breath and look at the crowd in front of us.
It looks as if every single person in the entire block has come.
My stomach feels like a knot and I can feel the bile rising in my throat, but I must not show it.

Focus, Sirus. Don't think about the crowd or what's on the line here. You need to convince these people.

"It's not too late, you know?" a familiar voice suddenly says.
I open my eyes and look over to Eva who had walked up to me.
"Please, don't do this. If...if you forfeit now, we'll just forget any of this happened and..."
I tilt my head slightly and wonder, 'So she does know I exist. And she cares about me?'

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, you idiot!" she suddenly says and only now I realize that my face had put on a smile without asking me first.
Stupid subconscious!

I stop smiling, sigh and eventually respond, "I would love to, but...I can't. I can't back down now."
"Why though?! What is so important that you would risk your name over it?! Your very future!"
I scratch my head and peer over to Robert, who eyes the two of us suspiciously when suddenly something dawns on me.

"Why, our future, of course. The future of our people," I reply, monitoring Eva's reaction carefully.
She twitches, apparently not sure what to make of my response.

After a few seconds of silence, she says, "And what of us? Imagine you lost, w-what would become of us?"
I raise an eyebrow, shake my head and say, "You should go back to the audience, Eva. If you really want to help me, then please stand on my side once this is over."

Eva opens her eyes wide in surprise, but eventually, she turns around, disappearing into the crowd.
I peer over to Robert, who snorts disappointed and faces the crowd himself.

I think, 'Yes, Robert, I saw through your little ruse...but to think that you'd employ Eva to make me give up, that's a new low.'

I face the crowd again, but something has begun nagging at me.
Eva had talked to me...even suggested that we could be something in the future.
I am somewhat sure that she only said what she thought she had to say to make me give up.

But this raises multiple questions.

For one, whether Eva holds me in so little regard, that she would try to get up my hopes to get what Robert wants.
For another, why she would allow her to be instrumentalized by Robert in such a way.
Did I misjudge her so badly?
Or was there a different reason for her acting like that?
Maybe she was just feeling sorry?
Just what did he tell her?
I really don't know.

However, as I follow that line of thought, another question surfaces from the back of my mind.
Robert sent Eva to get me to forfeit.
Why would he do that though?

After mulling over it for a few seconds, an answer presents itself and my eyes widen as I realize it.
He's trying to shut me up!
All of this, the threats, the trial, Eva...everything he's done has been for the sole reason of silencing me!

He might genuinely be scared that I might win this!
I close my eyes again, face the crowds and take another deep breath.
I will not be silenced.
I will tell everyone of what is to come...and face the consequences, no matter what these may be.

Now, Marcus, Robert's father and the elder of the block, steps forward from the crowd and asks, "Are you two youngins really going to do this?"

I open my eyes and look at the sorrowful face of the old man.
I know the look on his face.
It is the same look he has each time we send off one of our brethren to sleep in the gardens.

Robert steps forward and says loud and clear, "By God and those who came before us."
A shiver runs down my spine as he says that, the cold reality of what is about to go down washing over me once again.

I strengthen my resolve, meet the gaze of the old man and repeat, "By God and those who came before us. Let the trial commence."

The old man nods and turns around to the audience, shouting surprisingly loud, "So let it begin."

The old man points over to Robert and says, "Very well then. You have five minutes to make your case."
"...with all due respect, Elder, and while I may have been the one to summon the trial, I believe it to be better for Mr. Loctor to go first", Robert responds, pointing over to me.

Marcus raises an eyebrow, clears his throat and reaches out to me.
"Very well then. May Mr. Loctor make his case then?"I nod and step forward to the speaker platform.

I take another deep breath, while everyone in the room falls silent, waiting for me to begin speaking.

I feel my legs getting wobbly and I'd really love to just run away, but I must not back down.

"D-dear people..." I start, my throat immediately drying up, making me cough involuntarily.

Marcus hands me a cup of water and whispers quietly, "Calm down. I know you are nervous and scared, but this is your hour to shine. My son must be seeing something in what you have to say. He wouldn't have summoned the trial to stop you otherwise."

I take a sip, clear my throat and begin anew.

"Dear people of block D. My brothers and sisters. Last night, I have witnessed an offer being made to our esteemed Robert. An offer he does not want you to know about. A chance to break free from our years of slavery!"

I pause for the dramatic effect as the crowd bursts into talking and whispering to each other.

I look over to Marcus, who taps his left wrist, an ancient gesture to remind me that I'm wasting time.

"He was told, that all doors of all blocks will be opened this midnight. He was promised, that the ship systems would be disabled at this time as well, preventing our slavers from calling for help! All their machines and weapons would be useless then! If we act swiftly and decisively, we can, at long last, break free from our captivity and make them pay for all the deaths and humiliations! We can once again be a free people! We can finally take back the future they have taken from our ancestors!"

Excited murmuring goes through the round, but when I peer over to Robert, he just stands there, his arms crossed, patiently waiting for his turn to take my argument apart.

Marcus walks up to me and asks, "Have you made your case, Mr. Loctor?"
"...can I save the remaining time for after Robert had his say?"
"No. However you will be given the chance for a rebuttal once Robert is done."

I nod and step off the speaker platform, motioning for Robert to take his turn, who nods and steps on the platform himself.

The dance has begun.