He recalls his life back then. While there are some that would say that almost 300 years of dedication towards research would end up in him being a dull person to talk with, he thinks that the results quite justify that.
….
….
….
Fine. A lot of people. You happy? Dammit, that guilt from even trying to hide that little fact was crushing. I know all my family and friends and even the damned research staff kept poking fun at me for only knowing about my research.
So what if I'm one of those workaholic freaks. I work hard play hard. Yeah.
I went for that basic survival trip didn't I?
(Yeah, coz that asshole Dalbir conned you didn't he?)
….
Then how about that time I went for that target practice camp?
(Still related to the first one. That asshole conned you again. You learnt shooting in the jungle, obviously he wanted to brag about his dead center aim but doesn't have the aim. Who else can he drag to practice but you?)
….
That time I went for the real estate and property classes? Heck, I made a killing from the crash next year didn't I?
(Yeah, no. You got that killing because the government automatically tagged your property as high value no matter how shitty it was when you bought it, simply because they don't want you to feel down and upset about it and just maybe commit suicide instead. You pretty much got a free renovation plan each time you bought a property *scoffs*)
….
I learnt all those languages didn't I? That should let me talk with all the people around the world and all my research staffs didn't I?
(Don't even go there. I remember how you almost offended a guy by telling him that day was a good day for him to die. Seriously? Of all things, you used death? Wasn't there something lighter at least, like a slip, an accident or something not as horrendous as death?)
….
*feeling sullen now*
----
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
----
Must be hearing things.
You can't deny this one. I went for that island dive right? Met some chicks too, and damn they were hot. Quite a hellion too.
(Yea. You sure did. Did you manage to keep her though? Pray tell)
….
….
….
Conscience, if you stop talking like that, we can still be pals okay? F-in hell, how did I forgot I met her there. Tsk. Now I just wanna go sit down and draw circles in a corner. No need to worry about research or dignity anymore.
(Yea sure. As if I don't know that you still keep her pictures. I mean, dude, seriously? You got friggin NTR-ed. Just delete those damn pics, tsk.)
….
You're being quite evil today. That's a blow towards my gentle heart.
(That's because I'm trying to push you out of this heartspace. I know you're spacing out and in denial but seriously, how random can you go?)
----
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
"Mr. Zuman!"
----
Nah, just my imagination again.
(Imagination your head. You hearing me is the real imagination now. Seriously. Scram)
I don't understand what you're talking about, nope.
Gotta say thanks to all of those novels, mangas, manhuas, manhwas, comics and cartoons back then. While most of em are the product of chuuni obsessed minds, they do give interesting angle to approach my experiments from.
(You sure it's only for scientific curiosity? I seem to recall a fervent member in the research station's underground cosplay meet)
!!!!
I was there to give face towards my juniors. Yeah. Letting em know that elder bro here doesn't mind such outlets of stress.
(Even when that member joined the mock laser sword battle exhibition? Too think that was the purpose you went for fencing classes and various other sword arts lessons. You damn 300 year old chuuni)
That's for athletic purposes. My passion has always been the spear after all.
(Yeah. Spear. An Art that has almost died out. Don't know what possessed you and made you go out to learn those Spear Arts whenever you got any leave approval more than 6 months. Only for you to end up almost spearing yourself to death when a leap attack practice somehow ended with you falling on your own spear. That was priceless. An immortal dying to a spear, you trying to start a religion?)
Nuuuuoooooooooooooooooooooo.
I'll fight you for this!
(How? I've been telling you this from the start. I'm not here bruh)
----
"Professor!"
"Professor!"
"Mr. Zuman!"
"Is he okay? He's been standing there like a statue for almost 6 hours now. We can all see his lips moving as if he's muttering stuffs but we can't hear anything. Is he communicating with spirits?"
(Hah, this guy have good intuition, I'll give him that)
"We don't know. Our scans indicate he is healthy. And his lips are actually speaking but they don't seem to fit the current situation."
"Scans. I assume that is how you measure his health. By the way, who are the 2 of you?"
"We are.. What are we now?"
"Unsure how to proceed. The plan was to ask the Professor before he malfunctioned there."
"Suffice to say, the 2 of us are the product of the Professor Zuman's care and affection for the last 20 years. Oh. Seasons I believe the word is for your race."
"Ah. You're his children I take it? I'm Adika and these guys here are my friends from the village. Did you play with Garim when he was recovering?"
"Garim? Ah. The child that was exiled to die before? We were involved in treating him. The Professor made us create the cure for his illness at that time."
….
….
Adika was shocked upon hearing that. To think that Mr. Zuman didn't make the cure for Garim himself. That he ordered these 2 children made them.
Yes. 2 children. A boy and a girl. Both around 11 year in age. They look incredibly alike and it's highly likely they're twins. While they look very beautiful as children do, there's something weird that Adika can't grasp about them. But he dismisses such feelings as to be expected from the progeny of an undying SkyLord.
Yes, dear readers. It's these very children that are the reason why our Zuman has went off the deep end and is having a weird discussion at the moment. Who are they?
They are or were the A.I. of the Habitat. During Zuman's absence, they took independent action and decided to download themselves into one of the Android frames that was available in another portion of the research Habitat. The Android frames are there because there was a research regarding A.I.s for military ops insertion. How come there's 2 now? The A.I. originally downloaded itself into the male frame, then perceived that it might lose out if it restricts itself only to one gender, so it made a copy and uploaded it into the female frame. As such, the original is the male frame. It could even be casually said that the male frame is the older brother now.