Timaeus

Well, we’ve all said we won’t hurt each other, but…

I had spent so long trying to push the idea from my mind that I felt terrible for even saying it.

Timaeus

…How do we know we can trust everyone?

Yusra

We can’t.

Timaeus

But I don’t think we should just assume people are lying, either! Everyone seems to get along so well…

Yusra

For now, yes… But even if it cannot harm us directly, MONO-9000 undoubtedly plans to turn us against each other, and it sounds rather confident in its ability to do so.

Timaeus

I-I guess, but still… do you really think any of us would go that far…?

Yusra

Perhaps I am being uncharitable. I certainly have no immediate reason to distrust anyone here, and I have been treated kindly thus far…

Yusra

I think you would understand my cynicism, though, if you knew the kind of people my family deals with.

Timaeus

Your family… You say that like you’re yakuza or something!

She let out a short, inscrutable laugh.

Yusra

I am sure there are those who think of us that way. My father owns a large corporation, you see, with… substantial political ties.

Timaeus

…OH!

Yipes! I thought her last name sounded familiar… I’d heard it on the news!

“Large” was an understatement. Samara Enterprises was a massive energy corporation that owned several key oil reserves and recently made headlines for a landmark investment in solar farms. Recently being a couple years before I lost my memory, I guess… Needless to say, the amount of political and economic clout this girl wielded was frankly terrifying.

Yusra

…Please don’t look at me like that. Up here, I am no different from any of the others.

Timaeus

But– but you’re–

She didn’t seem upset, per se, but her hand moved to her necklace as she fidgeted with the beads.

Yusra

Timaeus, it is true that I will inherit the corporation one day. And I will have tough decisions to make about how best to use that power, with countless factors and consequences to keep in mind… But a corporation is not a person, and I am not a corporation.

Yusra

All I am is a girl with a strange mind and far too much responsibility on her shoulders. I hope you will treat me as such.

Timaeus

…Of course, Yusra.

She smiled her enigmatic smile and straightened the hem of her hijab. This was… a lot to take in at once, but she was right. Yusra was her own person, no matter how intimidating her family might be.

Yusra

It’s not as if my status matters here, anyway. All I can hope is that my father will spare no expense to rescue us quickly, inshallah.

Timaeus

Yeah.

Somehow, that did actually make me feel better, knowing there was someone with big money and connections who must be looking for us. Could MONO-9000 be placated with a ransom fee…?

Yusra

Ah, I got sidetracked… All I mean to suggest is that you keep a sharper eye on your companions and surroundings. You were rather quick to invite yourself into a stranger’s room alone, with no witnesses in the hallway and no control over the door’s locking mechanism…

Timaeus

…I sure did do that, didn’t I… B-but isn't that such a cynical way to think about people? You wouldn't hurt anyone!

Yusra

Of course I wouldn’t. Trust whoever you like, Timaeus, just… be a little more careful. You seem like a kind person, and I’d hate for someone to take advantage of that.

…Did she realize how ominous she sounded? It was hard to tell what was going through her head behind that pleasant smile… But she didn’t give me much chance to ponder her warning.

Yusra

Now, I suppose all of this is not what you came here to learn, is it? What would you like to know?

Timaeus

Oh… well, I was just curious about…

And so Yusra and I made a little small talk, as I tried to ignore the elephant in the room. I learned that she preferred nonfiction (especially travelogues), that she had two Siamese cats at home named Aqila and Fatima, and that her favorite colors were orange and purple.

…Despite my best efforts, I still couldn’t get over my intimidation. She remained as polite and unassuming as ever, but I’ll admit it was a bit of a relief when she left to eat lunch, giving me some space to think.

Yusra wasn’t just a celebrity– someday, a single memo from her office could shift the direction of the entire global economy. Maybe she wasn’t an “Ultimate” student by Hope’s Peak’s peculiar standards, but she was absolutely a force to be reckoned with. It must be exhausting to live the way she does, though, under constant scrutiny by rich and powerful people…

But those of us trapped aboard this station weren’t powerhungry politicians or cutthroat businesspeople– we were just high school students, that even got along together decently well. Maybe we could prove her pessimism wrong… maybe.