THEY COULD ERASE THE TRACES OF HIS EXISTENCE FROM THIS WORLD!
Ram was so angry at them that veins popped up on his forehead, just thinking about them. His breathing became ragged, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened.
If he were to go to the meeting with the Elder of Light, they were going to plant a device inside his body that would kill him whenever they wished, erase his existence from this world?
Are they crazy?
Ram thought for a moment, about how curious the Powerful Female Elder was about him. So much so that she wanted to experiment with him to see whether he could use the other powers.
He thought about how the Deep-voiced Male Elder was careless about him, but still wanted to teach him a lesson thinking he were a spy form the enemy, which one Ram didn't know. He ridiculed Ram right from the get go.
He thought about how the Elder of Air was so against him, scared of him so much that she want him to be killed. From the way she had conversed with the Powerful Female Elder, Ram believed that they had some unsettled personal business between them. They are probably going to take it out on him.
After Ram observed all these facts, he thought that The Elders are definitely crazy.
Let's not forget about the Elder of Light. The real deal, not the Proxy (either Deep voiced male Elder or Powerful Female Elder as Elder of Air could not be an Elder of Light). She had fooled the whole Faction of Hope as well as Faction of Realists and working for herself. Moving them as pawns.
They are bunch of crazy elders and Ram was supposed to meet with the scariest and the craziest one among them. The real Elder of Light.
But if he were to meet with her, the Faction of Hope were going to implant that damned device that could blow him up.
What should he do?
If he declined meeting with the Elder of Light, whom even the previous Elder of Time was wary about, it wouldn't be so good.
Ram didn't know her motives. He didn't know when he would get a chance to meet with her alone.
After all, she had convinced the elders, no, more like ordered the elders of the Faction of hope to start monitor his actions and thoughts after their meeting.
She wanted to keep the meeting with him as a secret.
That meant she either wanted something form him or wanted to warn him or give something to him.
Ram didn't know what it might be as of now.
But Ram wanted to know about it.
But doing this all meant that damned device to be planted inside his body that could get him killed.
He thought of asking whether they would not plant the device inside of him if he refused the meeting, but Ram doubted that they would.
Ram was left with no other choice.
He had to meet with the Elder of Light. At least, he would think of this as a date. After all, they are going to be alone.
At least that was what Ram hoped.
***
A couple of guards ushered Ram out of the Cell and into a separate room that had a transparent slab that was alight with words 'Authorities Only' on it. They pushed it open, then shoved Ram roughly inside.
Ram fell down to his side and it wasn't that his side that hurt him. Their grip on Ram's hands were so tight that they were practically crushing his wrists.
Ram wished for this to be over as quick as possible.
But even after 15 minutes, when none entered the room, Ram sighed to himself and got up.
He surveyed the room he was thrown into.
It was part storage room, part laboratory and part wellness room.
It had bookshelves whose racks filled with books, hard covers, Paper-backs. It even contained the latest leather bound edition of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. He was Ram's favorite author and Ram's fingers itched to take the book.
Ram harshly scolded himself and went on to resume his surroundings.
Another section was entirely made of glass, with several racks upon it. It had some devices that were obviously broken down or rusted into. They left it open and Ram thought no one would dare to even touch them, forget about stealing them. After all, the way they looked, it seemed like they were useless.
There were also couple of tables filled with documents all around it. Some had computers and printers, some of them were still in use, but others with broken screens.
There was similar shelf with intact devices, but they were locked inside. But they could still see them along with their details that were displayed on the transparent glass section that locked them. Ram was interested in them, but he didn't know how much time he had inside this room, so filed this information at the back of his mind so that if he visit this place again, he could look more closely into them.
Another side has couple of tables filled with chemical laboratory with vials of various colored liquid as well as some with steam still rising about them.
Ram walked as far away from them as possible. God knows what they were experimenting on, he did not wanted to inhale something or touch something dangerous.
Then Ram turned to see that there was a huge space that was empty down in the middle.
Ram frowned. What a weird place. How could this room work the way it looked? Why did they bring him here?
Ram didn't know. He didn't' have to wait for more time either. A pair of teens with white coats appeared after couple of minutes.
The teenagers were not horny and crazy as the Elites he had seen in the Hall, but they looked like excited and geeky ones, with thick glasses, disheveled hair and they looked exactly the same. But he knew that one of them were male while the other were female.
It took Ram a minute to figure out who was who and Ram gasped at them.
"Hello Ram. I am Nano and this is Rita. We are twins. We are the rookie scientists that The Institute had recruited and you are one heck of a lucky guy to receive our device implanted inside you," Nano said.
Ram felt nervous. Rookie scientists? Are they treating him as guinea pigs? Ram asked them the same.
"Oh, of course not. You are a very valuable asset to the Institute. After all, it had been a long time since the Elders, with their respective Elites were all summoned to the Hall in such large numbers. And they all came here for you. You should feel proud of yourself," Rita said.
Ram shook his head. "If that would lead me to get inserted a device that could kill me, no thanks. I wouldn't even have this device implanted in me if I had a choice. But alas…" he trailed off.
Nano grinned. "Don't worry. Usually the devices we work on had a huge chances of success. We guarantee 60% success that you would be alive after we insert it," he said.
Ram swallowed. "You are joking right? 60% is a huge success rate? Doesn't it meant there is a 40% chance that I could die? This is crazy. How about we make a deal amongst ourselves. In exchange of you not implanting device, I would take any other one in its place, provided you guarantee 100% success," he said.
Nano frowned and he was about to object, but Rita grinned. "Any device with 100% success and you won't tell Elders or others about it?" she asked.
"Rita, what the heck are you talking about? This is absolutely crazy. No, we can't test that device on him. Even though it had 100% success rate, it doesn't mean that we could give it to him. After all, it is our blood and tears and did you forgot for how long we have worked on it?" Nano asked.
Rita's grinned even more. "I remember all of that. But we had been waiting for a long time for one like him to appear. Even when we promised benefits, nobody took it upon themselves to help us," she said.
"It was because they were afraid of the Elders. Besides, I don't want to waste such an important device on a potential criminal," Nano said. "No offense, Ram. But as the way it looked, they considered you to be dangerous. Even the Elder El who rarely interrupted our proceedings think so."
"None taken. You don't have to worry about me. I am as innocent as a new-born baby," Ram said.
Nano scoffed and Rita's smile disappeared.
Ram don't want to miss a chance that could save his life. "I am technically a new born baby if you consider me using my powers. I just got them recently and I don't have any control over it. I had approached Chandra and Sandhya hoping that they would train me. But look where it lead me to," Ram said.
Rita shook her head. "Poor child. You had to face so many dangerous situations at such a small age," she said.
"You are talking to him as if you are an elder of him. Did you forget the fact that we both are practically teenagers?" Nano asked.
Rita ignored him. "What do you think? Are you interested in getting our device implanted in you rather than the one that the Elders wanted you to have, the one with 100% success rate?" she asked.
"Has it been tested on humans?" Ram asked.
"Of course it had been. Why did you even ask?" she asked.
"You said others didn't dare to help you as they are scared about the Elders," Ram said.
"Oh that… we tested it on humans and if you want, we will send the data to your assistant later. But we don't have much time. I could either insert you with that device or the one that the Elders want," she said.
Ram thought for a moment. Anything would be better than that freaking bomb that Elders wanted. "Ok. Let's get this over with," Ram said.
"I don't think we should do this," Nano said.
"You are such a whimp. If you hadn't interfered, we could've made batches of this devices and release it to the market. We would've became millionaire… no, we would've became billionaires by now," Rita said.
"But…" Nano trailed off, looking at Ram.
"Look, I don't have any issues with it. What are you worrying about?" Ram said.
Nano finally sighed. "Fine, let's do this," he said.
"Don't you think he could become our best friend? I felt like we were destined to meet. What do you think?" Rita asked Nano.
He frowned. "It's too early for me to say," he said.
"You don't have your instinct honed like mine. You are hopeless," she said, then turned to me. "What do you think? Do you also feel the same?"
Ram frowned. They were the only ones who were talking to him without any motives. They are even willing to help Ram. Who knows, this device could save his life. "Yes, I think we were destined to meet."
"See, he is much sharper than you," Rita said and then proceeded to bring out cubical device. It resembled a Rubik's cube, but without all those check boxes, but with the colors intact.
Rita pressed at the center of one of the facet and with a whirr and flashing of white light, the cube parted itself in the middle, revealing an obsidian bead with glowing lines and curves here and there that resembled like cuts.
"What is this?" Ram asked.
"I will explain it to you later. Wait! I will send the data to your assistant as we leave. For now… Nano, what are you doing, come and help me," Rita said.
Nano sighed. It seemed like he was the younger one, being bullied by her elder sister.
Ram wished he had a sister who cared enough about him to order him around, at the same time giving him the confidence that he lacked.
Nano took out a pill from his pocket and gave it to him.
"Do I really have to take this?" Ram asked.
"Yes. Otherwise, it would be very painful," Nano said.
Ram looked to Rita and when she nodded, Ram sighed.
Ram took the pill but didn't put it in his mouth yet. "Water," he asked.
There was a knock at the door. "Hurry up!" the voice shouted.
"Not enough time," Rita said.
Ram sighed, took the pill and swallowed it. Before he could complain its bitter taste he lost his consciousness.