Chapitre 30: [XXX] - Rubic’s Miracle
The bright eyes of the doctor, glaring at me from behind a pair of rectangle glasses, have been showing tiredness and a need for a moment of tranquility.
But I won't let them easen. Not until I get an answer to my question. After such a long time waiting.
Why? A feeling of weird excitement surrounded my body.
He closed them, and took a deep breath, getting ready to probably repeat the story he has told people similar to me a dozen of times. But who knows if what he tells me will be true anyways.
I don't trust anyone anymore.
So, when his mouth opened, I focused entirely on listening to my answer. His gaze became clear and neutral, looking at my troubled face.
"You know, No one can keep the truth away from you anymore. But when it comes to me, taking the responsibility for teaching you everything about these powers… I'd rather not talk about them at all. " — He massaged his forehead with slim and pale fingers of his.
The topic must be really difficult for it to make him get a headache. Well, it gave me more pain than just that, that's why I won't leave until I'm satisfied…
His inconspicuous words made my stomach hurt from the stress.
"With power like this comes a big responsibility, many obstacles standing on your way, heavy chains actually weighing you down, not letting you grasp the idea of freedom fully. Those who not bear responsibilities are actually more free than those who have the power to grant them freedom."
He still wasn't giving me an exact answer.
"What do you want to tell me by that?"
"If I was entitled to choose, I would rather stay normal than turn into someone you are."
Keeping his voice hushed, whispering for me only to hear it, he stared pitifully at me and my battered body.
The astonishment of his words came slowly to my mind. I wanted to tell him that I would rather, too. Turn back time and never step a foot in the darkness of the mysterious alleyways anymore. Or maybe listen to my aunt and stay in the coolness of my hidden apartment, having each other to rely on, and we would live another day.
But all of my decisions have led me here, to a place where I don't feel safe at all, without a sure and bright future, without anyone I can depend on with relief.
I won't change anything anymore right now.
And why would want he…
…?
"The person keeping this power asleep inside of you, not only they had a surprising and wide knowledge of the repression treatment… They also knew what was the best for your safety and health. Holding the powers inside and repressing them… It was the safest option. Keeping this from your quite inquisitive personality…" — He let out a quiet laugh — „You would have gotten in some trouble much sooner than now. If anyone noticed your outbursts, the governors would have surely taken an interest in you, and…"
The ringing silence has fallen for a long second.
"…So, I hope whoever you suspect could have done that, you are not keeping any grudges for them. I would do the same."
What if I won't…
What if it all would be different if one person didn't explain it all to me.
With time I would eventually get reconciled with the fact that I was born different. And then I wouldn't risk my life so easily like I did…
"If you would, then why are you here right now treating someone like me, and not trying to stop us? You want to tell me I'm some kind of a monster?!"
His morose eyes avoided embittered mine.
"I have my own reasons, I can't tell you. And moreover, restraining the ongoing process in your body… It's like trying to stop an upcoming avalanche. There is just no chance. It's all going downwards."
I looked at my pale hands and felt nothing like that going inside of my body.
Apart from having sharper senses earlier, a sudden accumulation of strength and more complex dexterity. No special abilities at all…
"As you have seen, your awakening has brought many individuals towards you, not only us. You may not be aware. But the government… They want all the likes like you dead… You disturb the laws of society, someone like you can't be classified to any cast because you exceed the norms."
And then he turned his eyes to the ceiling, and I actually couldn't see them, as the light reflecting in his glasses made them glow white. But I bet his glare was as comfortless as they were.
He put his hands together and started telling me the story of an unimaginable thing.
"It all started when the Cube was found.
Many years ago even before the comet struck the earth, there was a genius man that accidentally developed a concentrated microstructure with unique characteristics, that despite taking a minimal amount of volume, could change its properties despite to the will of the owner…"
His cool voice tone changed from a very exhausted one to an actually admirable, emitting warmness to my ears. This thing… Is something he seems to be enjoying talking about.
I remember I heard about it from the old man previously… Not knowing all the details, I wanted to avoid filling my head with an unbelievable object like this.
But hearing the passion in his voice, I started to take his next words seriously.
"It can fit so much data no existing computers do… The rumors say it can fit more information than all the brain capacities of our whole society taken together…"
That's…
Unimaginable…
"But that's not only it… The cube is also believed to be a compact energy generator, exceeding the potentials of all known to human ways to generate energy… A small item like that could grant power for the whole metropolis and not run out of it for centuries…"
I held my breath in hearing the almost magical abilities of this item… How could something like this even exist?
"Having the power to control
the properties and work of all electrical devices connected to one source. Like the network in the metropolis, all tangled with each other, this thing could control the whole city at the reach of our palms. Accessing all the databases, this item has a potential not only to change our metropolis, but all the world that lies behind those tall and impenetrable walls…"
Now I finally understood their interest of this item.
"Exceeding the human's brain capacity. The item far more complicated than any known thing…
An object in the shape of a cube, built from 9 subunits.
The Cube.
The thing of our hopes and dreams… Something we want to receive, in the hands of the people it belongs to. Before the government lays its hands on it, first…
We can't let them do that at any cost, or everything and everyone will be doomed.
So our goal here is to retreat all of the parts scattered throughout the whole metropolis."
The doctor finished his passionate speech, which lifted his spirit up. His face built up on colors, and even a small smile could be seen. If such a thing changes this man from a shell of emotions once in his body, to a warm and cheerful person, then… Maybe all of this is actually true?
Everything this man was talking about made me open my mouth in disbelief. My eyes were opening widely, I couldn't imagine how such an advanced technology could be designed even before the metropolis was created… How can any of this be real… Explainable by physics… By any laws… There is no way such an object exists. If it does, why are its pieces scattered. How come the higher-up's don't already have it in their possession? And…
"And what is my connection to all of this…? I simply was chosen because I got stronger out of the blue?" — This question came out of my wobbling mouth.
"And then the problem of this comes…
No mere human can operate the Cube. Only those who have been granted the seed of power can.
The ones with exceeding extraordinary abilities, that can't be explained by the physics and laws, just like the Cube… Only the 9 people like you have been chosen to acquire the key to use the powers of it. And you are the last one we found. At last…" — He let out a loud sigh, as if he reached the end of his long explaining journey.
But I Still don't understand… Which makes my head dull and burn with anxiety.
"Why is it me?!"
I've made the mind of this man not rest with ease after such a long explanation. However, I still needed answers.
"I've come to a conclusion that the seeds have been planted due to spontaneous bursts of energy that happened 18 years ago. The powerful wave coming from split 9 pieces of the cube has altered the DNA of only 9 chosen ones in the entire metropolis. This making them acquire abnormal abilities and actually making them able to operate the object, apart from the creator himself, who has died a long ago."
I… There was no way…
"And you want to tell me that among the 800 million people living in this cursed place, I was the one struck by that fucking wave?! Making me some kind of a mutant human, turning my life upside down into a living hell, where every single person I cross paths with actually wants to kill me? You think I'm gonna accept that?!"
I burst into tears, screaming my lungs out of me. This felt terrible. Getting a heavy responsibility falling like a load on your weak shoulders… felt terrible.
Everything in my life that I actually cherished was torn apart because I was the unlucky one. To have been granted a cursed blessing of a thing I don't know it even exists for real.
And I can't run away from it. No matter how far away, how fast I am and where I hide, someone will always expect something from me, even if I decline. This all being fake or not…
My vision became blurred as the tears gathered in my eyes, I couldn't see it, but somehow I felt that this man wanted to comfort me somehow. Not being able to do it himself, or to say anything more to comfort me. But his previous words made me feel like he actually cared for me. Is his empathy real, or just really well made up?
He started speaking as if he wanted to break my moment of weakness.
"I've learned that throughout the lives of the chosen ones, unusual power appears once they enter the adolescence. The first signs are just rare occurrences that preview the abilities one have. Meridies could create a source of light when she was already 11. Aura has been feeling a connection to the power since 13. Ignis burnt up a whole warehouse being 14, and all of the other had the same adventures as they started to grow up.
But the actual awakening is when the energy outbursts. After growing and cumulating in your body for years, the power becomes ripe and full, wider in skill range, but harder to control and master. The human body also gains sharper senses, stronger muscles and faster reflex. All kinds of improvement happening at once, it exaggerates the overall healing abilities and retards the aging processes in your body. As you enter this stage, it may cause any injury to become fatal. The cells in your body try to harden and be more durable, so the energy doesn't rip them apart. But hardening doesn't mean better regeneration…
…The way to make your body function and heal itself like it was, is to master and use your abilities, so they don't outburst. That's why as soon as you get better, you need to start your team and individual training, and for the best…
Already go on missions. Which aren't any safe, so you also need to learn how to fight and defend yourself."
All of these difficult sounding things at once… Happening so fast…
But except of the unusual strength I've had for a while, sharper senses and quicker reflex…
…I didn't feel like having anything else burning inside of me.
"But… what's my ability?" — I asked inquisitively.
The doctor frowned his eyebrows.
"I thought you already knew… This should have shown when you first got your symptoms."
But my expression turned into a deeper astonishment, and he has noticed that I didn't understand what he was talking about at all.
"Have you ever been in a weird situation when unusual things happened, with you as the main suspect?"
As the surprised man stopped speaking, a flash of a memory pierced through my mind like a bullet.
I remember this vision as clearly as it was yesterday.
A faint beam of light piercing through the guarding body.
But… it wasn't me who could have done that… It wasn't me who has right?
I wasn't the one who could do that, yet that very moment which image I had in my head, I wondered for years if it was me creating that thing. However, this remained somehow clear to me, as I wasn't the only one there… He…
He was also there. And was considered guilty. Because it was his… distortion…
"I… haven't…" — I answered with an anxious truth.
"Then the drugs you must have taken were really strong..." — He hummed at the end.
Huh?
"What… drugs?!" — My mind couldn't take any more new information, making me gather all of it at a slow pace.
Sitting on the bed in the doctor's office, I've started to slowly become tired of all this listening, everything coming to me at once.
I've wanted all the answers, but getting to know everything in such a short amount of time…
It truly exhausted my mind and my body. I've had enough.
But he continued.
"External Integument DNA Modifica-" — He stopped suddenly, as if a burning coal landed on his tongue.
Looking to the ground with a surprised face, after a while he looked again at me.
"Ekhem… I've taken your blood to the analysis last time you were here, and today too. Comparing these two samples, I've found out that some substances were circulating through your body, and they've been the ones influencing your state and restricting this energy from showing up the effects."
I remembered the bittersweet water my auntie gave me last time we saw each other. I always ate at our place, her dishes were delicious and I never let anything on the plates. Could she have been adding something to my food and water?
The pills I found in the secret room under the flat…
Haven't I taken a bottle of them with me…?
A memory of me sticking a heavy notebook inside one of my coat's pocket came to my senses. A small bottle of capsules, a random blank paper and most importantly…
A picture of young me with people I've never seen before with my eyes.
I've instinctively reached my hands to my thighs, trying to venture through the pockets. But now, I wasn't wearing my usual coat, only a white dirtied shirt.
A hot feeling swirled in my body, as I looked straight into the doctor's face with a devastated expression.
"In my coat… There… There was a notebook I found in a hidden room inside of my flat… A bottle of pills, a random page and…"
My voice cracked at the end, when I couldn't control this weird feeling in my heart. A rage filling my entire body from the bottom to the top. Some things were just straight up logical.
I fastly stood up and grabbed the doctor by the collar of his white coat.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone