Socrates was hesitant to speak for a while, but he also thought within himself, maybe he could dissect some information from this guy. He was unsteady tapping his finger in his armchair. He turns around once, and again with his chair. Stroking his goatee finally he spoke, "It's Quanta boy."
Raj's eyes sparkled as he heard those words. But upon hearing those, he cannot relate any of his experiences. It was the first time for him to hear the term. His face turns awkwardly blank "What?" Raj asks.
"Sit down first, it might be a short, long story" They sat down on the couch that was old and repaired just beside where he stood."
Zodiac and Quanta are just the same entity. Quanta was the energy source where it originally came from, the outsiders call it the Zodiac because of its artificial nature extracted from a star from Orion in the heavens.
"I don't know how you found that but .... Here is the story just keep it to yourself or you might find yourself dead. But I know you will not tell it, doesn't look like you could."
Raj gulped and felt nervous.
"Hundreds of years prior, the public authority was all the while working admirably was yet in congruity with the public and individuals. The people itself," Socrates recalls the past.
"But when the leaders found out the potential of the technology we are developing for the world, yes you heard that right we, I was part of those creation, their greed rose so high that even them, they do not want us to finish our research, I was part of the research team that time, they do not want us to finish the research and they want it to end and just give them the models and prototypes.
They said the investors will stop funding, but in truth, they signed a contract selling our research to the higher-ups and the military," Socrates chuckles.
"Of course, we do not want that to happen to lose all our progress suddenly.
The leaders had some of the technology and embedded it within themselves. We call it Quanta. The government has supported investigations and technology demonstrations that will advance us to the future.
The initial 15 years of usage in the group has helped answer logical inquiries going from quantum tech up to how to break up our mass bodies to resemble a photon, for conceivable human teleportation yet those were lost. Some were recovered. They tried to revive that same project years back that caused the worldwide tremor and explosion. They just don't have the right experts to handle the radiation that this single ingot emits.
A group of people from the Gemini group. A group that was assembled by the government. Composed of the highly intellectual people, was sent into space to acquire a superior comprehension of the natural reactions in living beings after delayed openness to microgravity. We tested it in the space itself.
Those were some of the underground experiments we're conducting in the shadows behind. But as of now, I do not know what the government has been doing," Socrates stood up and showed his back to them.
Raj sat relaxed and was perplexed by what he just heard but still, he listened carefully, he did not understand a single word "With all due respect sir? Can you do the talking next time I'm not well educated about those things."
"I thought you wanted to learn about something? Here, that is why I am speaking to cure your ignorance," Socrates was unsure of what he was doing "If you wish to cure your ignorance, listen. If you listen you can learn, don't just speak."
Unsure of what he should ask Raj kept butting out questions "But for now, I need your help," he asked nonsense questions. He does not know where to start. Socrates lost his temper. The strings were cut but he is still trying to regain his patience.
"Help for what," Socrates said. Walking back and forth carrying his cup of coffee. The room was filled with the smell of caffeine from the coffee "You must get lost boy. With all your questions you don't know a thing…" Socrates calmly said extending and reaching out his hands with a source of energy gathering in his open palms. Focusing on a single point. He was bluffing at this point.
Raj with a shock jumped quickly and hid himself behind from where he was sitting an old and dusty sofa, covering only his lower limbs. He broke off and shook his head fiercely and wrung his hands. He took a deep breath and let his arms fall to his sides surrendering himself "Please sir, I do not harm," it was like an involuntary reflex that snapped in an instant "I don't also know which part I need help," there was a tone of confusion from him "I came to no harm. I was followed by these bad guys from an organization who was extracting those things the same as yours," Raj explained. Socrates wonders "Same as mine?"
"Same as mine?" Socrates mulled over "Yes the one you showed me right now. I can also do it, but I don't know how, and they could also do it," Raj was sweating heavily as he hid himself, he felt coldness cover him "Quanta you mean? Oh yes I forgot I can do that," his expression seemed to ease out, but he was still sounding and looking serious. Raj peeked "If I'm not mistaken, they call it Zodiac."
"Zodiac?" Socrates laughed hysterically "Zodiac is the jargon term for the illiterate ones. How funny. Was that what they call it?" he continued to laugh then he refrained with a smile. He seems to get a hold of the situation.
"But you are weak boy. I can see it from the way you stand and talk. I bet. You do not also have a place to stay. I mean you were holding a backpack," the energy the energy dissipated from the point as Socrates flexed his arms and put his palms in his pockets. Offering down the coffee on the table as if he did not threaten him, like nothing.
"I know where to find these energy sources, the natural ones. The government is diluting these sources for their interest in creating weapons of mass murder. So, you've seen it? How do they do it?"
"These natural energies should remain concentrated because they are the one that supports life in the universe, and should they be used for harm the one who wields it should be exterminated. That is how they do it, there was no other way that they could think of. You can just leave it the way it is. If you do not fully understand something, you will tend to do stupid and reckless things towards it."
"Bahahaha all of those government dickheads knew nothing about this kind of technology, this kind of natural thing." He emphasized. Raj was caught by the line government "but from what I know they are not connected or linked with the government. I learned that they are a private organization."
"Not? Is that what they told you? How do you think they manage to operate? Pierce has been observing all their actions and agendas. I am not on the run or something but…You're such a fool!" Socrates noticed Raj's bracelet after he glanced and hid himself behind the sofa, it seemed familiar to him "Who are you?" his face was now filled with questions and confusion, he asked. "Never mind" Socrates followed up. He notices Raj is covered with bandages.
"Pierce take care of his wounds and take care of him. I will get back to him tomorrow. I need to rest. I just ran home," Socrates went in first in one of the rooms.
"Yes master," Pierce replied with a forty-degree bow. He then proceeded to the stairs. Pierce was taking Raj to his room upstairs - still underground. "What a piece of luck are you. What did you feed to my master?" taking a few steps up the steep stairs. "Why what did I do? I didn't do anything," Raj said brushing his mouth with his arms and removing the patches of dried blood near his mouth and neck. "Yes, you didn't but I wonder why he didn't kill you. Maybe he'll still torture you." Pierce stood in front of the room while keeping his thoughts up. Opening his room for him. Old but with a comfortable bed made up of some soft cotton bedding.
There was some sort of confusion in Raj's face "The.... are you talking about?!" he suddenly became worried and troubled. His troubled some thought adds some. "My master is calm always, but sometimes weird you see, he instantly kills. I wonder why he didn't kill you," he was joking Raj. "Why would he?"
"He even killed the pizza delivery guy after receiving our orders, when reached here above," -pointing upwards. Looking at Raj blankly. It was a joke "Okay, so here you go. Sleep for now, I'll just fix your wounds tomorrow, or shall I add them… kidding."
Meanwhile, Socrates was in deep thought in his room, sitting on his old broken couch "As a very young lad Romeo you experienced and knew the world better than others. You are born with extreme talents. Especially with technology. But how poor you are for wasting your efforts and life like that. You let other people enslave you for years," he was talking to himself recalling some old memories.
"Why master?" Socrates knew what he meant. Pierced asked although he already knew the answer. Raj had the remnant of supposedly artificial energy that came from the explosion seventeen years ago. But it bothers Socrates because it emits a natural one. For this reason, they should keep him alive.
"Nothing Pierce" he continues to mumble over "why do you choose to let this child live master?"
"I also don't know but it seems that he is someone I know. Fate brought him here, Pierce. I do not know who groomed him. His father had been a much professional, forgetting his only son."
"From the look of that chest and that bracelet," Pierce did not notice anything from his hands any kind of jewelry or accessory from the moment they met "bracelet? Master?"
"Of course, I don't expect you to see it either. Only a trained eye can, he can also probably see it. An aura is covering it melding it with his skin. It looks like there was nothing he was wearing. The aura matches him, and the wavelength matches his Quanta. It was made for him," Pierce listens and agrees with his master and just plans to check it himself tomorrow "One more thing master, why do you speak like you knew of this young man?"
"I don't know, he reminds me of someone. A person from the past that I knew. You see Pierce when something touches your emotion you try to keep those things," he changed his drink to liquor "I knew that child. He was the son of an acquaintance of mine." Pierce's face grew in shock. His eyes bulged like they were about to pop from his face. "But…how are you so sure?"
"Are you not listening? I told you, the chest and the bracelet are sufficient enough…" now Pierce understood more. It was more than what he thought, there was already an attachment to this boy before they even met.
It was almost nine in the morning and Raj was still in his bed asleep. It was some time since he got a comfortable bed to sleep in. Socrates orders Pierce to go upstairs and wake up Raj. He knocks the door rapidly like a rapid fire. "Faster get up and change immediately," Raj was still in his deep sleep rolling over the bed. Pierce fetched some cold water and threw it over Raj "I said… wake up!"
The sudden sting to his skin startled him. The damp sensation of the bed immediately called his attention. Raj was brought fully awake. His heavy eyes are still forcing their way to close as he heads down "Master wants you now," Raj fixed his bed and changed his clothes. Immediately he went to Socrates.
"You called me?" asked Raj. He heads above the ground. As he walks out, the horizon starts to spread.
"I can only entertain you for three to five days boy. Fasten up it's going to be bumpy," while fixes his sleeves. "What do you mean? I did not even have my treatment yet. From the looks of you. I feel like you are going to beat me. No! That's not my purpose here."
"Not?" he sees a clear look at Raj. "Let us see. Wounded, second-degree burns," he touches it, and Raj complains. "You said someone is following you. You need to learn to defend yourself first. Properly. You will also be learning some things that I know you wish to understand. Come closer. Stand this part here."
"But I can do that?! The defending I… part," he smiles awkwardly.
"You do? Are you sure?" Raj wanted to show off. Flexing that he can still do something even though he is wounded. He gathered his strength and punched the ground. The ground breaks and some dust bit off the air. He felt a tingling pain from his fist "Aw... what was that."
"Come here. I need you to focus. Well, I must say that is not bad," Socrates continues to speak with his thoughts "If he could do that with raw strength then he could probably do more."
"Quanta like all…before that, tell me, if I teach you more things than you knew, that I know. How will you use it? I mean I do not even know you and if start to teach you things. Things beyond your imagination. How will you deal with it how would you use it?" Socrates showed off. A vortex of fire emerged from his hand. When the fire dissipated a puddle of water floats replacing it.
Raj was astonished. His imagination ran wild. His adrenaline was spiking, and his blood was rushing. Stuck with amazement he tries to copy it, but nothing emerges from him.
"What is it that you desire? Before I teach you some things that I know? It does not matter if it is good or bad. That idea is a matter of view. It is a matter of perspective and I want to see the perspective you are viewing. Before I begin, I must ask. How do you plan to use this skill when you acquire it?"
"You even came all the way here? And I do not think that the bad guys you are talking of were already chasing you the first time you came here," Raj was stuck and confused and didn't know what to think. He could feel his bruises and wounds pinching him. He tried to think hard but there was nothing he could think of.
"See. From the look on your face. It seems that your life is aimless. You are like a stray dog that does not know where he wants to go. No plans, no goals, no objectives," Raj felt the sense of harsh words that struck his pride. He could not evade it.
Raj still responded out of nowhere "But I know what I wanted…" he paused and thought for a moment "I…I…I wanted the ability to protect my grandmother. I…I…wanted to avenge her...I wanted to fight and not feel helpless when I encountered that monster that killed my grandmother!" Raj was raging.
"It seems like I still can't give you what you wanted. You still have a poor sense of self. When you find what you aim for then come back to me and decide when you are ready. Looking at you right now… you are still confused," Socrates taps him on the shoulder "Head back for a while now, when you find your why, tell me. Tell Pierce to assist you in changing your bandages, you don't know how to apply some."
Raj went back inside and called for Pierce "Thank you Pierce for assisting me," Raj felt a solid thing pressing on his back. He turns around and sees that Pierce is a half-cyborg. "Stop it, I know you just knew, Socrates was the one who revived me. Up until now, my memories are still foggy. It has been already 10 years I think."
Raj turns his back again and continues to think of what Socrates was saying "Okay…Pierce, how do I know what I wanted? I mean…I cannot deny it. Socrates said things that I have not thought of for a while. True things that apply to me."
"You should try to reflect more on yourself and meditate. That is what masters do, and what I do when my mind is tangled up. I know what you are feeling right now. Fear, confusion, anger, self-pity…do not think too much. Everyone has a reason for being, but it is not something that life gives you. You create it yourself."