Series One, Epi. 1

Series One, Episode One – The City Will Be Awoken

March 1, 1998. Young Maya Fertaine, 9, sneaks through a hospital reception, and into the intensive care unit. She finds a humidicrib labelled “N. & A. Fertaine”; in it twin brother & sister babies. Maya talks to her baby cousins about teaching them in the world, before showing them a magical display – whispering to them that all three are ‘Powers’. As she tries to sneak out, the hospital goes into lockdown. Soldiers break in, talking of the Powers being taken – including twins Nickey & Arianna. Maya gets out, making it to her parents. Quickly, her father forces her to wear an anti-magic bracelet – as they watch the opening of the Somnium Power’s Asylum on TV.

The Somnium Asylum presents a cheerful mood. Ready to celebrate his sixteenth birthday, Nickey meets up with his twin and her young friend Kara, as they enter the dining hall. After much conversation about the two short years until their release, Nickey returns to his room to celebrate privately. With his roommate Daved also having his birthday, turning eighteen, they talk excitedly about Daved’s impending release the next day. Daved reveals his intentions – not to leave, but to help Nickey escape. They fight, but the adult sends Nickey to get a watcher, their guards. Suddenly, Daved drives a broken pipe into his own chest, whispering as he dies – “There’s your distraction.”

Teaching new recruits at a conference, senior officer Maya Firrick uses them for practice with her spear fighting. During her early morning break, she manages to meet with Tristan Mendorne, her boyfriend of three years, for a movie date. They talk of the Asylum, crime, and of the city of Novus Somnium – Tristan revealed to be a councilman. As they continue to talk, she fiddles with her bracelet – the same from sixteen years prior. Walking the streets together, they talk of her mysterious past. She refuses to reveal her Powership, instead sending him off towards the council meeting, and putting herself to work.

Thinking to first consult Ari, Nickey locks him room up, placing it on Do Not Disturb. Finding Kara & herself in the Rec Palace, Nickey pulls his twin aside. They have a heated discussion about the opportunity, the wishful-eyed Arianna wanting to search for the parents who ‘abandoned’ them. She asks to take Kara, but he reveals a plan he took from Daved’s body – the scanner hack would only suffice for two. Agreeing, Ari embraces Kara for a goodbye, as her twin directs watchers towards the room.

As the Council Chambers of Novus Somnium bustle, Mayor Charlie Neinford finds difficulty in discussing issues with the roaring crowd. Tristan offers to him a suggestion, and Charlie talks of sixteen years since the capture of the Powers. The city happily talks of lower crime rates without magic – and also the prevention of a second military vs. magicians’ civil war. Charlie asks Tristan to “ensure they’re still there”, before leaving. He makes a call to the Asylum, getting the response “Our decoy has set the plan.”

With the Asylum distracted over the suicide, Nickey uses the cover of ‘needing time to accept it’ to make the escape with his twin. Sneaking through the halls as they whisper of their plans on the outside, they come to a security check – using fake scanner keys to divert it. They make it into the secret guard’s room, Nickey stocking a small backpack with food & bottles of water. The twins share a hug, saying goodbye to a trapped life. Moving out of the room, they start entering the tunnels as guards begin to approach.

Forcing his way into an abandoned apartment, janitor Edmund Taverick mumbles to himself about his life, before meeting with a hooded man whom he refers to as ‘V’. They talk of a plan to free the city, before V suddenly interrupts Edmund – signalling him to turn on the pedestal fan. As V catches the air in a ball of wind, he throws it at the wall, breaking it; declaring “The Powers are out.”

>>Next time on Somnium<<

1.02 – Letters

Nickey splits from Ari, only to be found by Maya. Meanwhile, a package comes to Kara through Julien, and Tristan learns the truth of the escape ‘plan’.