RBR Chapter 9 First Meal

Questions, everyone had them to varying degrees, except that his hunger for knowledge was higher than most. Having lived in this world for such a short amount of time made him hunger to know everything. Eric realised he was suffering from a kind of starvation, so he asked everything he could, the woman, Lisa, patiently answering everything.

By evening, she sent him off with a bracelet to wash himself. A change of clothes had been provided, taken from Elec's collection, something which had increased the boy's aversion towards him, but he didn't care, his mind was somewhere else, pondering on the answers he had gotten while formulating new questions.

Apparently, the device he had been given was some sort of quantum computer that would allow him to browse the Kampala city internet and gain answers for himself, which he did even as he laid in the tub, comfortable in the hot water cradling his skin.

Holograms, not just one, but many were being projected from the band as he opened multiple search tabs, from videos to text, learning about the present world.

He found that it was fascinating how it had managed to progress, then regress following the dawn of intelligent cells. The age of Erosion in particular piqued his interest. Apparently, all humans on the planet had been trapped within their minds as the cells took over their own bodies, lasting for a period of 20 years.

How did they manage to regain control? That was a question every researcher had pondered over, but ultimately only came to the conclusion that the cells had allowed it...but why? No matter how he searched, he couldn't find an answer.

'There are still many things I don't know.' He shook his head as he closed all the screens. A call had come from the door, dinner had been prepared, the hours having gone by without his notice.

'Once a human awakens something called manifested will, they jump to a level higher than those unawakened. Most of the answers I seek seem to be blocked behind a wall, the door only open to those who have awakened.' He pondered. Even the seven spectrum clans weren't above this. For example, the world outside these walls. There were only scant pieces of data, few images and videos. It was as if something terrifying was lurking outside these walls, something the unawakened couldn't handle knowing.

(Scan failed; Error!)

As he stepped out of the tub, wiping the last of the water off his skin with a towel, the bracelet notified him of something.

After checking the many uses of the bracelet, he had become awed by the advancement capable of allowing such a piece of technology to exist. It could even perform an in depth scan of his body, so he had ordered it to, and with a prick on his skin, a few nanites had entered his body.

The reason he had ordered such a thing pertained to something his cells had been yapping about all those years in his mindscape, 'Mythic Class Experiment.'

That had got him thinking that maybe, there was something different about him, something that made him unique from all the others, so he hadn't held back on satiating his curiosity upon finding knowledge of the scanner.

As expected, or you could say half expected, it was a failure. He had tried his luck and now, he had failed.

(Boy, these are secrets you aren't supposed to know.)

The voice spoke directly within his mind, the cells...obviously! It just had to be his very CELLS! Rage took hold, as he furiously worked up something to yell back.

"I can just ask that man then. He must know, right?" He asked loudly. He knew he could could communicate through his thoughts, but the rage had caused him to forget that little detail for the moment.

(You can try. He doesn't know anything concrete, only speculations.)

"Oh, and I suppose you want to keep it that way! This is my body! I have a right to know about whatever's inside!"

(You aren't a normal human like them. You are just an experimental subject. If it fails, you die, and I take over the remaining parts of you. Your brain is essentially just a freeloader within this shell created by us. At any point we can choose to eliminate it, remember that!)

A threat, as expected, it was cold. He had always known, but being hit with the brutal truth righnow caused him immense sadness.

'Will! Even though most of the information is locked away, willpower must be the key to taking full control of the body back from the cells.' He locked the cells out of his head, making sure that this trail of thought didn't leak.

That man even managed to leave his mark within him, so will must be the way, a deduction that caused him some relief, alleviating his rage for the moment.

He made up his mind as he picked out a casual attire from a wardrobe probably assembled while he had been taking his sweet time within the bath. The sentience within his cells had to go. On a whim, he might die one day without even knowing how it happened.

'But how do you cultivate will?' This was the fundamental question he had no answer to. His thoughts were so deep that he didn't even look at anything else as he walked from his room to the dining room, until his gaze unintentionally gazed outside the window, where darkness and artificial light intersected, bringing night upon the world. It was the skyscraper jungle, glorifying itself within the night with a light show.

'How time flies!' He pulled out a chair and sat beside the other boy, Elec. He had managed to find out his name, causing him to conclude that the man had probably named him on the spar of the moment, taking a few letters from that of his son and adding others.

Lisa sat across from him, her eyes looking at him, the thoughts within her mind unreadable. She was one weird human alright. He had thought he would see hate or disgust, or any other negative emotion since he really didn't deserve to be here, but no, her...

"So, have you finally satiated yourself in the knowledge you were seeking?" She asked, interrupting his search for a suitable word to describe her.

'wow!' A whiff of the aroma caused saliva to start pooling within his mouth, her question took the first priority though.

"I have managed to glean what I can, but there's still too much tucked behind walls." He answered wanting to see if she would reveal something.

"You have to awaken to break those walls. Right now, you must be about the same visual age as my boy, 16. You will need to wait until you are 20."

"I know that, but isn't there a way to bring the date close, or for my specialness to be taken into account?" He asked, cutlery sounds already entering his ears from his side. Elec had started upon the meal, though, judging by the sound, he was in a bad mood, intent on murdering the food on his plate.

"No can do..." She picked up her utensils, with him mimicking her. It was the only way he would learn. No one was going to take the time to teach him, and besides, he was confident in his sharp mind.

"As you can see, even we who sit at the top in this city aren't getting any privileges."

"So, I will have to wait four years. That's a long time...mmmm!!" He was about to sigh only for the flavor to hit his tongue causing an exclamation instead, muffled, but still an exclamation. This was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted! Well...he could only come to that conclusion since it was the first thing he had eaten upon coming into this world, but still...this roasted piece of meat was superb!

"Hahahahahaha...it has been a long time since I last saw such an expression. Elec doesn't make them these days. His pallet has gotten used to my cooking." She chuckled at him. It wasn't that she was looking down on him, no! He could see the traces of gratification within those dull silver eyes of hers.

"...so, how am I going to occupy myself in these 4 years?" After swallowing the delicious piece, he asked, even as his fork moved to another dish. It contained a white malleable something lathered in brown, oval shaped beads and soup. The aroma wafting from it was as equally attractive to him as the piece of meat.

(I never knew such...tastes could exist!)

A rumble within his mind space didn't detract his hand, instead it sped up, escaping his control.

'Hey!' 

He tried to regain control but failed, instead, both hands escaped his control and shoved food into his mouth with such speed that, both the other occupants at the table had their eyes widen.

'What are you doing?' He asked within. This was bewildering the people at the table, not to mention rude!

"Wow! I never knew that even the sentient cells couldn't resist my delicacies!" The exclamation from the woman caused the arms to pause, Elec regarding her with wariness. How had she known? Did Baguma tell her? He had been there when they had met, so no. Could he have come back while he had been in the bath, a plausible trail.

"Don't be that surprised. How can such a thing manage to escape my attention?" She said with a confidence that was radiating from her entire being.

(This is a very interesting human.)

The voice tutted within his mind.