On a call, a media channel representative asked Kabir, "Sir, where would you prefer to give the interview?" Kabir replied, "You can come to my office. I'll give the interview from there." The media person then asked, "Sir, what time would you be comfortable for the interview?"
Kabir responded, "I'll be free tomorrow between 11 AM and 12 PM." The media person said, "Okay, sir, thank you!" and the call ended. By this time, Kabir had walked to the balcony during the conversation and had been standing there for almost two hours.
After the call ended, he returned to the room. Kabir checked the time; it was ten minutes to 9 AM. Meanwhile, Mahira had also learned about the viral video and was on a call discussing it. While speaking on the phone, Mahira said, "Okay, come to the office," and ended the call.
Mahira turned to Kabir and said, "Did you hear about it?" Kabir replied, "Yes, I was just discussing the same thing." Mahira asked, "What do you think?" Kabir replied, "This is no big deal. Something like this happens to someone every day. There are countless fake videos like this circulating all the time. We just need to categorically deny its authenticity."
Mahira agreed, "Yes, I was thinking the same. We'll have to clarify that nothing like this is currently possible." Kabir added, "Next News is coming to the office tomorrow to interview me." Surprised, Mahira exclaimed, "You're giving an interview too?" Kabir asked, "What do you mean, 'you too'? Are you also giving an interview to some media channel?"
Mahira replied, "Yes, I've been getting calls from different media companies since morning. I thought it would be a good opportunity to clear people's misunderstandings on this topic, so I gave Ideal News the same time slot—11 AM to 12 PM." Kabir was surprised. "You also gave the same time slot?" Mahira said, "So did you!"
Kabir remarked, "Our thinking aligns so well." Mahira replied, "Not at all. The truth is, that's the only time I have available for the interview today."
Kabir then asked Mahira, "Where's Sophie?" Mahira replied, "She left for school long ago. She was supposed to go with you, but when she saw you busy on the phone, do you know what she told me?" Kabir asked, "What?" Mahira replied, "She said, 'Mama, you know Papa is working to save the world like Superman, so don't disturb him.'"
Hearing this, Kabir's eyes welled up with tears. He jokingly said to Mahira, "I knew my Supergirl loves me the most." Mahira teased, "You're forgetting something." Kabir asked, "What?" Mahira replied, "Going to the office." Kabir exclaimed, "Oh, yes!" and started getting ready quickly.
Mahira said, "Hurry up! I have to reach early today." Kabir replied, "Me too." Both of them quickly got ready and left for the office together in the car.
While driving, their AI car assistant, Plato, said to Kabir, "Sir, I saw a video today where you were talking about the multiverse, but it was a fake video." Mahira was surprised and asked Plato, "How did you know it was fake?" Plato replied, "It's one of my features. I can detect any fake video or photo." Mahira asked, "Kabir, did you know about this feature?" Kabir replied, "No! I had no idea about it."
Mahira asked Plato, "How many other features do you have that we don't know about?" Plato responded, "I have thousands of different features, but I don't know which ones you are unaware of. If you wish, I can display a complete list of my features on the screen." Kabir interrupted, "Plato, that won't be necessary." Plato replied, "Okay, no problem."
Soon, Kabir and Mahira reached the office. Kabir went straight to the multiverse project lab. The team was hard at work. Kabir said, "Attention, please. Is everyone from the team present here?" Venky replied, "Sir, Sandeep and Kritika haven't arrived yet."
Kabir addressed the team, "As you might know, a fake video has gone viral, and our project is in the spotlight because of it. Every news channel is eager to interview us. We don't want any details about our achievements to leak out. The public should only know what's already available about the multiverse, nothing more. I hope you all understand my point."
Kabir continued, "All we need to say is that we are working on unraveling the mysteries of the multiverse and hope to succeed in the future. Today, Next News will be coming to interview me."
Kabir asked, "Has anyone here given an interview on this topic today?" Venky replied, "Yes, sir. Using virtual teleport technology, I participated in an early morning debate. I clearly told them that nothing like multiverse traveling is possible yet."
Virtual teleport technology allows a person to project their presence at another location. For instance, someone sitting at home can appear to be physically present elsewhere, making it impossible to distinguish whether the person is real or virtual.
After the discussion, everyone got back to work. Soon after, Kritika entered the lab. Kabir noticed her and asked, "Kritika, why are you late today?" Kritika replied, "Lucy, my girlfriend, was unwell, which delayed me." Kabir said, "Oh! How is she now?" Kritika replied, "She's better now."
Kritika, who has been in a relationship with Lucy for four years, is a lesbian. She went to her desk and greeted Jyoti. Both Kritika and Jyoti have been working on the multiverse project as scientists for the past five years.
Kabir went to his desk and wrote a post on social media about the fake video, clarifying its inauthenticity. Shortly after, the Next News team arrived and set up a hall for the interview.
The interview was to be conducted by a robot reporter named Suman, Next News' best journalist. Suman was known for her sharp questioning skills that left even seasoned politicians tongue-tied. Many politicians avoided interviewing with her.
Suman, being a robot, had extensive knowledge of every subject, whether it was math, physics, rocket science, logic, history, psychology, or combat. She could master anything.
Looking at Suman, no one could guess she was a robot unless scanned with a smart device. Nowadays, most news anchors are either robots or humans enhanced with nano devices connected to their brains, making them learn faster than any computer. However, this technology poses risks, so it's not widely accepted yet.
Now the question is, will Kabir be able to answer Suman's questions confidently, without fear, and without getting entangled in her words? After the setup was complete, Suman and Kabir sat face-to-face. Suman asked the cameraman, "Is everything fine? We're live." The cameraman gave Suman a thumbs-up.
Suman began the interview. She said, "Namaste, my name is Suman, and today we are interviewing someone whose name is taken with great respect in the fields of science and technology." Suman mentioned Kabir's name, and Kabir joined his hands as if greeting with a "Namaste."