'Very useful, indeed', the village chief thought. 'But what was that sound of a bone crack?' He turned his head instinctively and his eyes focused on a family of three with their daughter having a plaster on her right wrist. He gulped.
Xana smirked at Tina. "Pay me back?" she mouthed towards her and watched with satisfaction as Tina's face twisted even more.
The village chief cleared his throat and turned to the expressionless Old Tim and the grinning Bill.
Bill smiled at him. "There are 20 recorders, heart rate monitors and safety alarms currently available. These would be given for free. After these, everyone would pay a dollar and three cents for the recorders and safety alarms, and two dollars for the heart rate monitor.
Everyone in the audience nodded their heads. For such heavenly works, these prices were too cheap. Infact, these amounts were chicken change in the eyes of these farmers who sold acorns to cities and earned a quite a sum from it.
.....
Year: 3120
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Thidas
Area: B
In a large and tall building made with glossy metallic materials, people were gathered in front of it. People of roughly the same calibre, dressed and decked in fashionable robes or plated AI armours.
Inside the building, a small number of men and women dressed in white robes were trying their best to enter a room. Or at least, force the room door open.
"Dr. Leon, Dr. Leon, you have to be present for this assembly. Everyone is outside waiting for your esteemed presence." A bespectacled man spoke.
"Yes, yes Lord Doctor. You are the only one who can satisfy the cravings of the rich masses. Lord Doctor please come out." Another scientist begged.
Inside the room which the scientists outside were trying to force it's doors open, was a short, whitehaired man. His hair was spiky and he adorned a white and gold robe which was the uniform of Lord Doctors - A realm in study higher than ordinary scientists. He had a goatee and had unusually long feet.
He sat on his chair and was scrolling through the AI net with his virtual screen.
In his ears were two small studs that seemingly blocked the noise from outside the room. The man was in a very bad mood.
'Conferences, assemblies, meeting and all the rests. I won't just be left alone to conduct my research in peace. Must I be the head scientist in every assembly?' the man seemed to forget he was the only Lord Doctor from Area B to Area E and who had the highest chance of coming in contact with Area A.
This scientist, Dr. Leon, was the one who conducted the experiment of sending an AI to the past.
Parker3000 was his very good friend and he really hoped it would come back but the AI had an accident in between the portals and was torn into pieces by the current. Since then, this eccentric scientist had become more temperamental.
As he surfed the net, suddenly a red orb with a tiny version of Parker3000 started to furiously blink. It went unnoticed by the man.
After a while, the incessant knocking on the door still there, Dr. Leon stood up and opened the door.
"Waaah!" a junior scientist who was leaning on the door fell on Dr. Leon. He stood up instantly and apologized quickly to him.
'Weak.' Dr. Leon tsked inwardly. Every scientist must have good coordination with their qi and balance was a stage a scientist should have overcome by now.
He patted his clothes and walked out, the group of scientists opening a gap for him. Then, they all scurried after him, but not before the junior scientist saw the blinking red orb.
He widened his eyes. 'That is the transmitter for Parker3000. It's alive!' Immediately, he rushed after the rest.
.....
Acorn Village
Xana, Old Tim and Bill were invited for dinner at the chief's house. Sam and Max were present at the dinner table along with a few other individuals from the village.
The village chief addressed the small crowd before they began eating.
"This important epoch in our village has been brought about by Miss Deanna. Her parents must be more than proud of her.
I have decided to introduce these miracles to the cities and that would be through Hon. Ronald." Hearing this, Xana's brows furrowed. She wasn't yet ready to meet this man again. But then she smiled, 'What nonsense, I'm ready anytime.'
The dinner went on happily with everyone heaping praises unto Xana. Her head was beginning to hurt with the talks. She needed to rest. Today's events had been tiring.
After the dinner, she walked back home with Lucas followed her to the dinner. Xana was getting a bit suspicious of him. From her memories as Deanna, Lucas was never this smart or mature. Sometimes, she found him thinking to himself now, she has begun to wonder if he is also transmigrated. She shook her head. Was transmigration so common nowadays?
Lucas seemed to notice his sister's hesitance. He wondered what she was thinking about. Maybe he's been acting out of character lately.
Tina and her mum were absolutely livid. The embarrassment caused by Xana had made them hate her.
"Mom, are we really not going to do anything about this?" Tina seethed
"Don't worry, my daughter. I've contacted your father. He and his gang would teach that wretch a lesson." her mother replied.
This was something no one knew. Tina's father was the leader of the gang that terrorized Acorn village and the surrounding villages. The person who harassed the poor married woman was one of the members of the gang.
As Xana and Lucas walked back home, they were intercepted and led into a dark alley. She smelt something fishy going on. Turning back, she realized the alley entrance had been blocked by a group of touts.
'Oh, Tina hunh." she thought as that was the only person against her. Well, and a host of others, but Tina was their leader.
A huge shadow emerged from within and Xana saw a huge man with a long scar on his cheek. His eyes were sharp and ferocious.
"What do you want to do? Get it over with. I don't want my brother getting scared." Xana said while patting Lucas' head.
The man was shocked then enraged.
'This pipsqueak is not even afraid.' He laughed. "I'm gonna feed you to my boys and you'll tell me if you'll still be this calm."
Lucas narrowed his eyes. A gleam of raw killing intent passed through his eyes and the huge man felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head towards Lucas.
'No, I must not be seeing well. How could it have been this boy that gave that pure feeling of death?'
The man motioned at his subordinates who began to smile lustfully.
"Oh, don't fight much missus. Let us take care of you and your brother." a perverted voice sounded.
Xana smirked.
"Oh well, come handle me." she walked towards the owner of the and raised her hands as if to caress his face but, without warning, her hands curled to a fist and she punched the man.
He cried out and his brothers growled at her.
'Yeah, that's my sister', Lucas smirked.
....
Back at the village chief's house, Max was gorging in food while Sam was using a long spoon to eat [1] hers.
"What's up sis? Why so dull?" Max asked with bulging cheeks.
"I do not like the expressions of Tina and her mother. I feel like they want to do something very bad to Xana." As Sam talked, her eyes widened in realization and she got up from the table dragging Max by his jacket.
"Nooo! My prawn mandous[2]!!!", he cried as he was taken away.
Sam and Max ran down the street. Even though Max felt very aggrieved at the thought of his mandous, he knew his sister's instinct was very correct.
On the way, they heard some noises from an alley. They walked towards it and were greeted with the sight of Xana giving a rounded kick to a thug.
Sam's jaw dropped.
Max widened his eyes. "Oh my, Oh my. My poor eyes are blinded!"
[1] this means not eating with gusto or not eating much.
[2] Mandou is the transliteration of the word 'dumpling' in Korean