章節 5: The Most Handsome Man in the Universe
"I accept it, provided you didn't tamper with anything since the last time I checked."
"Okay."
"Deal!"
"Alright, you accept this XR15678-89. And I have fulfilled all your three wishes, so the only left is to take you to the selection," the old man announced.
XR15678-89 disintegrated into nano dust before entering my body.
[Checking the new owner..]
[Verification completed, acknowledged new owner.]
[New owner, please give the name of the planet.]
"Wonderland," I answered without a second thought.
[Please give the name of the box that connect to the Wonderland. Name before is XR15678-89.]
"Alice."
My mind drifted back to the storybook I received as a child from UN humanitarian aid, Alice in Wonderland. I had always dreamed of having one of Wonderland's holes to shield me from the world, and now I did. My dream was suddenly a reality.
[Acknowledge Jaime as the new owner. Changing the power source of Alice from god of third dimension to the new owner Jaime...]
[The power is insufficient, shutting down everything and turning Alice into hibernate mode till finding sufficient power to open the space gate to Wonderland.]
My face drained of color as the implications of those last sentences hit me. I knew that Alice required the equivalent power of ten nuclear reactors just to open the space gate. "But, Alice has its own power generator!" I protested.
Even in its 'hibernate' mode, I could still connect with Wonderland. I could tap into its main protocols as the system was connected to my brain. As I focused on Alice, a white screen materialized in front of me, visible only to me. It felt like a direct line to my brain, as if electrical signals were being fed directly into my neural pathways.
"Welcome to Alice," a voice echoed in my mind. I quickly navigated the system program, checking for the most crucial element. Then, my blood ran cold and I let out a horrified yell.
"OLD MAN!!!!! You destroyed Alice's power generator and modified Alice so it couldn't take any power from outside except from the owner, me! How can my body generate power equal to ten nuclear reactors?" My face turned an angry shade of red. "This Wonderland turned out to be rubbish since I can't ever use it!" I barked at the old man, my fists clenched by my sides in frustration.
"I didn't interfere with Wonderland as I promised you. As for Alice, it has been like that since the beginning. You were so preoccupied with checking Wonderland that you forgot to inspect Alice. You have only yourself to blame." The old man burst into laughter. He had pilfered Alice from the galaxy federation, destroyed its power generator, and supplied its energy consumption with his own power. But now, as Jaime had become the new owner, only Jaime could fuel Alice to open door to Wonderland. "I am a very busy man. If you're not dead within 24 hours, I'll take you to the selection ground. Until then, try surviving with a bullet aiming for your head."
"Wait, wait, wait," I protested, suddenly remembering the bullet precariously suspended just 5 inches from my forehead. A cold shiver ran down my spine. "You can't return me like before. You can take me to the selection ground now, or return me to the earth but away from my current place."
"Jaime, you know, I really do love you and am willing to waste a lot of my power to fulfill your 3 wishes," the old man claimed, wearing a mask of sympathy.
Yet my face burned with anger. "You gave me all the useless stuff and want to kill me. I got nothing but rubbish!" I retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
The old man chose to ignore my protest. "Listen to me, my son. This universe has its own system, which is named as karma. I can't interfere with it. I could die if I tried to save you from your impending death. Karma would exact its debts from me. So, I can't help you even if I really want to."
***
In truth, he was all too pleased to fulfill Jaime wishes because he was confident of Jaime impending doom. He had especially chosen this time to honor his promise.
***
"Then just take me to the selection ground."
"I can't. I would do it for you if I could. I am so sorry."
Overwhelmed, I broke down, tears streaming down my face. "Dear god. How about this, just grant me my final wish. Even if you send me to my death after that, I will accept it gladly. As for the 3 wishes before, I will accept them without any complaint. Think of this as my last wish before I die. If you do this, I will tell the person you made a promise with, that I've accepted the wishes gratefully."
"What is your last wish then? If I can do it, I will." The old man had already made a promise to himself that he would never do anything to save Jaime, no matter how much Jaime would beg.
My face became serene, almost saintly, "I just want to be handsome."
The old man was taken aback by my request.
"I won't ask you to save me from the bullet. I just want to be the most perfect human ever alive in the universe. You see, years of malnutrition have left me skinny and weak," I shook my head, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. "In life, I've been nothing more than a cockroach, scavenging any garbage I could find to survive. But in death, I want to be like a god. To die at my most perfect moment and freeze it for eternity. I may have been born ugly but I will definitely die handsome!"
Tears blurred my vision as I screamed my heart out. "This will be my last wish, just this once and I won't have any regrets anymore."
"Are you not afraid of death, my son?" the old man questioned, genuinely perplexed.
"I requested this last wish because I truly fear death. But if it's my time, then I want it to be at my best. If by some miracle I survive this ordeal, I could use my newfound attractiveness to seduce a wealthy old lady. I can earn money that way. At least, I won't have to starve anymore."
"Do you want to be a gigolo? Don't you have any shame?"
"What do you expect from me? My mother was a prostitute, my father the most handsome guy around. Of course, as their son, I have to inherit both of my parents' skills. What better choice is there than being a gigolo? I'm just following in my parents' footsteps, trying to make them proud. If you want to help me, you can fulfill this other wish of mine.".
"Alright, Alright, I suddenly feel I should let you go as fast as I can, or I'll end up giving away all I own. I'll grant your last wish." The old man declared, clapping his hands together.
***
Jaime felt his body start to change, his skin gaining a luster and a golden glow, his vitality boosting to the perfect condition. He felt more powerful, more comfortable. Simultaneously, his face turned masculine, his nose became sharper, and his lips grew gentler in a way that would make any virgin yearn for a kiss. His eyebrows shaped like a dragon, and his eyes exuded a charm that would captivate any girl. His black hair looked perfect. Muscles began to appear all over his body, slowly creating the figure of the most perfect and handsome man ever alive.
***
I rose to my feet, giving myself a quick spin to take in my new form, "Thanks for your hospitality. I'll remember it when I meet my end. Please send me back now."
"Alright, I'll prepare a nice burial for you later," the old man responded, clapping his hands.
I couldn't help but smile slyly. I had received all three wishes exactly as I had wanted, and even bagged an additional one. Just remember, if I survive this, I will find you and I won't stop hitting until you call me father.
Suddenly, I was blinded by a flash of light. The next thing I knew, a bullet was boring into my forehead. I felt a moment of excruciating pain before my senses went blank. I blacked out.
***
The old man chuckled to himself, "I could take you to the selection ground anytime I want, but I don't want to. I find more satisfaction in watching you meet your end. At least this way, I've been freed from my promise."
He stood and peered into the distance using his extraordinary vision, "I want to see if you're dead yet."
"…"
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" He cursed abruptly, "You truly are tougher than a cockroach! How did you survive that attack! But without help, your wounds will claim your life within two hours! I'll seal off the forest for the next 24 hours, ensuring no one comes to your aid." The old man was visibly irritated at finding me still clinging to life.
"Damn it, I wish I could just finish him off myself!" He struck the arm of his chair in frustration and the entire bright room burst into a cloud of luminous dust. "Even if you do manage to survive after 24 hours with those injuries, I will never take you to the selection ground!"
"NEVER!!!"
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