Interview with Rome I - Part 5 of 17

As Steve Fisch and I get the scripts ready to sell Rome's Revolution as a streaming series, he asked me for a lot of background information that I did not have. So I took some time out to interview Rome and Rei. Rome was very talkative so I had to break up the interview into two parts. Rei was a bit more concise. So here is the first Rome interview, part 5 of 17.
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Rome: This is a harsh word but I was tortured. My mother was strong enough to push the Overmind away. She had a very loving relationship with my father. And they both loved me. I knew I was not supposed to have feelings but I did. The Overmind took advantage of me and broke me when I was only six.
Perry: What do you mean broke you?
Rome: When I was six, I found a tiny kitten huddled up against the wall, mewling. I picked it up and it was shivering.
Perry: How did it get there?
Rome: I don’t know. Maybe the Overmind had it put there? I don’t know but I just knew when I picked it up, it stopped its shivering right away and just started purring so loud. It was soft and warm. I stroked it. My mother was alerted and my parents came outside. My mother was against me keeping it. The Overmind, it used Second Sight to show me that my parents were arguing about it. They weren’t. My father said I could keep it if I promised to feed it and take care of it. I promised I would. The Overmind told me it didn’t matter. It would have the kitten removed. I begged it to let me keep it. It agreed but only if I would submit to Second Sight for the rest of my life.
Perry: You keep mentioning that. What is Second Sight?
Rome: It’s where the Overmind supplies the actual sensory input for you instead trusting your own eyes and ears. That way it could control your very perception of the world.
Perry: That sounds horrible. What happened? Did you agree?
(Rome holds out her hands)
Rome: What was I supposed to do? I was only six years old. All I knew was that the kitten was mine and the sensations were mine and nobody could take those away. So yes, I agreed. I kept the kitten and named him Skodla and he was with me for over 21 years.
Perry: And that was it? Second Sight for you?
(Rome bows her head)
Rome: Yes. For the most part. But what a terrible price to pay. It just goes to show you that the Overmind isn’t human and had not a clue what it means to be human. What it took away from me. I can still feel the pain today if I try.
(Rome looks over her shoulder)
Rome: Not the Overmind here, though. I’m talking about the Overmind of Earth. The Overmind here was young enough and flexible enough that after we had days of discussion, it learned the meaning of having joy and was willing to relax its grip on the Vuduri here. This eventually spread to Earth but it took a long time.
Perry: Rome’s Revolution
(Rome gives a half-smile)

Tomorrow, part 6