After a day had passed, Jack had settled Ninzhe and began his treatment.
For the sake of proper recovery, Jack decided that the treatment won't be rushed. In their universe filled with technology, anything regarding soul is extremely scarce.
There is not a single piece of technology that can touch the concept of souls.
This includes a new lifeform made from a metal that has a valency of 4, similar to carbon. Not only that, but that same metal is able to keep its own genetic code. The race refers to themselves as Bionicants.
Ever since the birth of this new race, countless experiments have been done to understand their existence. It is said that the brain controls everything about the body, be it memory, activity, or emotions. The brain has the wheel. But then what makes the brain work?
This is just an oversimplified argument, but the answers given were thoughtful yet thorough. Some considered that the brain is the hardware, while the soul is the software.
Some say that the soul is the only thing in your body for which you have full possession, while the body functions as a whole. Some of the body parts, like the guts, houses a million types of microorganisms that control your appetite. Every inch on your body instinctively asks for what it wants. Whenever you stop a mechanical action, that was your soul controlling the body.
In any case, this study hasn't really borne any fruit, and in both answers, the underlying meaning is the same. The soul is one's access to their own bodies denying access to those external influences.
To Jack, Hjuutza is also a long term experiment. He had absorbed pieces of knowledge from the people that his wearer had killed due to blood accidentally dripping on the necklace. For technology, theories, and such, he could just ask Zhenin to take them on.
With a god as a support, what could Zhenin not do?
But due to the actual lack of progress in Pneumatology, he has to conduct his own experiment.
Because under his cold and expressionless face is fear. Fear that him becoming whatever he is now is a fabrication of another.
"Are my thoughts mine?"
"Are my actions something I wanted?"
"Where did these abilities come from?"
"Why do I feel so different yet me at the same time?"
...
His own space follows the same time coordinates as the known universe due to how close his body is on the known universe.
A second in the known universe is a second in his place.
And it had been thousands of years since he woke up. He only feels fear. Because for someone who has the capacity to learn and understand by just a look, the mystery of the unknown is truly the most terrifying of all.
So he must conduct his own experiments.
"Hjuutza, you'll monitor his conditions and try to understand the soul. You two, if his body wakes up, knock him out." Jack commanded.
Compared to when he controls blue energy to create, in Jack's hands is a ball of golden light. This is one of Jack's abilities he gained after waking up.
The blue energy has a transmutation ability that can turn into anything it wants as long as the underlying concept is understood.
The golden energy acts upon the will of the user. As long as one's will and desire are strong, the effect can be whatever one wants.
The golden light began to extend out of Jack's hands like tentacles as it began to wrap around Ninzhe.
Whether the treatment is successful or not, he wasn't really sure either. But when it really comes down to it, he'll just have to trade Ninzhe's parents to save his soul.
This marks the beginning of his first experiment and treatment.
…
Two days had passed since Zhenin received his task.
For a while, Zhenin felt lost. After Jack left him with Ninzhe, he was all alone.
But due to his environment, his perception of the event was a bit crooked. A part of him nags that Jack kidnapped Ninzhe to make Zhenin do his bidding. Even so, what can he do about it?
"Ninzhe is out there. I still have to save him, and my only chance is to currently do these goddamn quests. Who the fuck does he think he is? A god?" Zhenin shouted loudly as he punched a wall.
Some other survivors saw the scene and moved on. If you want to rob someone, better do it when they're feeling sober, not when they're brimming with killing intent.
Even if they're all in the same faction, infighting never went away. Due to the lack of long-distance communication and the universal internet, no one cared for their appearance anymore. The dirtier you look, the harder you are to find.
As he kept moving, he reached a dome-shaped house. The house looked abandoned due to its exterior being uncleaned for over ten years. Instead of going in, Zhenin moved to the side and entered the backyard.
In the backyard is a thatched house made from wood, leaves, and other plants.
Since their house is in the middle of the territory, it's relatively safe against the other factions. Those who are living in the border need to live underground for more sheltered accommodation. Those who are deep within a territory can still live in their own lands if they do so choose.
Due to the amount of smart furniture inside houses, if a solar flare manages to pass through the weak magnetic force of the planet, it'll cause terrible consequences. Especially when one is asleep.
There was no need for a centralized power grid due to energy crystals, but these things still need a proper energy source. When an energy crystal is unused, it won't discharge anything; hence the people could hold it in their bare hands. However, the ones that are placed inside the smart furniture has the rechargeable feature. Compared to real energy crystals, these leak energy. Not only that, using rechargeable energy crystals or R-Energy Crystal has only an efficiency rate of 50% during transfer.
Using these for high energy bursts may directly break the R-energy crystal. Using ships to fly in the space when everything has died is akin to suicide, warping directly is the only way to go. This is why no one bothered removing them from the furniture.
No one likes to carry unstable bombs in their own pockets, and these things are still useful.
Energy crystals, however, are more suited for high burst usage. Most devices have a close-ended chassis. Thus, replacing energy crystal ever so often leads to degradation in materials.
Also, regular stainless steel, aluminum, and other primitive metals immediately break down when touched by an energy crystal. No one would use high quality synthesized metal for tv, that's stupid and wasteful. It is close to the end of the universe, after all.
As Zhenin entered their house, he was welcomed by a sleeping android bionicant. A reliable friend of the Leiman twins but is a lone wolf.
//AN: Bionicant has two genders, android is the equivalent of males, and gynoid is the equivalent of females. //
Besides the tri-bunk bed, there are also three desks. These desks only contain paper and smart devices that use energy crystals, similar to Zhenin's watch. Other than that, they still use the house's facilities when the need comes.
They just don't want to wake up when they were devoured by flames.
As he closed in on his desk, he began to type and write down his current objectives.
This is Zhenin. And this is why his brother trusts him so much. Every scene is expounded, every location has its own summary, every action he did has webs of effects of what could have happened.
For a sixteen-year-old, this level of focus is too high. No matter how many genetic modifications one had, determination always comes from the person.
His meticulousness is well utilized as he jots down everything and some notes on what he could possibly do. After triple-checking everything, he began to feel exhausted.
He's physically fine, but his mental state is in turmoil. For the first time, he's feeling anxious for the future. He always had his twin brother all this time, giving him mental and emotional support.
But now, he truly felt alone.
Looking at his necklace, he decided to sleep for the time being.
In a tidally locked planet, there's no such thing as a day and night cycle. The body clock is a choice, and since Buriean follows the 24-365 system (24 hours a day, 365 days a year), which is the norm for terraformed planets.
Zhenin strictly sleeps at 2000 o'clock. In this era where a little bit of neglect can result in death, a healthy mind and body is a must. It's the most significant advantage one could have over the savages. However, this time, it was only 1646.
…
After a good rest, Zhenin got out of his bed. Looking around, his android friend is missing.
For the last three days, Jack hasn't contacted him whether it's through verbal or system message, there was none.
He already decided to do the quest, but still, he can't help but think of his twin and how he's faring.
After climbing down the third bunk, he immediately noticed his friend's note that is currently stuck in a corkboard.
In the note are the words were written: "I'll help, off to churches – Sullivan."
Zhenin snickered. Bionicants were an accidental result of an experiment. If they have someone to call a god, then it's those scientists. How would the church react to a bionicant entering?
Satellites have been long gone, the top of the towers have melted long ago. Long-distance communication had been impossible for a good 14 years now.
In this apocalyptic world, isn't it the best time to gain followers?
Fine. Jack is a god, then what should the believers call him? The Lord? God Jack? God Hemmons?
Hmm?
God, Hemmons sounds good. The lord is too pretentious for this era, and Jack is such a standard name, it doesn't stand out.
Coincidentally, it was the same name that Hjuutza thought of.
Now it's time to find a good way to proceed.