PETER WAS GUILTY IN REGRETS of why he was 'cursed' and…
… 'why' did he follow the dark-rider, who made him 'saw' his BABOLAT RACQUET AS A WEAPON…
... which all played in his dream's mind...
... where, he had then ENTERED JANE'S DREAM while he distracted her, from Hajji the perpetrator – who was at the same time…
… in the back at the other room, abducting Jane's baby brother Samuel.
Gone were his nightmares from the dark world... where he woke up in cold sweat... screaming and hyperventilating
… but ever since the zoo incident he still had 'dreams'...
... but the dreams right now were the kind of guilt and regrets – of his past mistakes...
... the one-armed boy woke-up grumpy, feeling depressed – and so, last night...
… he had been purchasing ANTI-DEPRESSANT PILLS ONLINE, which he intended to take it with his energy-drink Red-Bull.
But before putting a small pill in his mouth to swallow, he looked at the tiny yellow pill, which was slightly bigger than a peppercorn, held in-between his-2 holding fingers. He sighed after he read the dosage on the pill bottle, which was only half-a-pill.
Irritated, Peter even noticed 'an-etched-line' dividing, in the centre of the miniature pill ... for the 'CORRECT' DOSAGE. His mind went haywire...
'The damn thing is so-small... and yet, I have to bite-off to keep-half-and eat-half. What is this nonsense...? Is this a Great-China manufactured product?'
'It looked like it... it sure got the 'teeth-mark' on the pill, from some child labour-force – where they have them children in the world’s factories, by the billions to produce everything cheap.'
"Rack off..."
Peter POPPED THE 'WHOLE' PILL... that went down the hatch, washed with a gulp of his caffeine energy drink. After perking himself-up... he next needed A MOOD-DISTRACTION and so he went online…
… on some social-media, for his personal updates...
... this was how the one-armed tween spent his 2nd-half of his mid-term holiday time – while GROUNDED AT HOME, self-locked in his bedroom, in the house that his late father had built which was now a PRISON-FORTRESS FOR THE BODY ...
.... BUT CERTAINLY 'NOT' FOR THE MIND...
Even though, there were some moments of long-long thoughts – of the blind Jane Wilson – whom he 'missed' being without...
In that duration of the week, he tried calling her Samsung... just to 'get' to hear her voice... but she always kept her conversation short... as she had already received A NEW SIM-AI SET, a replacement from her uncle, in the US...
... and now, his girlfriend's 'excuses' were, she was BUSY 'RE-TRAINING' her new-AI in the mornings so that she could use it – when SCHOOL REOPENED AGAIN for the final term. And, Janey also sometimes...
… switched-off her phone for some long periods...
... and that was 'when,' PETER MISSED JANE the most.
But...
… some days Jane Wilson would call him 'back,' in the evenings... and they went on video-mode – and spend hours talking...
... Peter noticed the swelling of her cheek had subsided, but she still spotted a black-eye, which was prominent to her fair complexion... while his 'own' face had healed fast from the punch, that he received ’also' by Hajji...
... when the both-of-them received-each, in 'separate' occasions by-the-same-Hajji – with hers 'being' in her Wilsons’ home-invasion – while his own black-eye was... in the altercation at the zoo.
Since his blind-girlfriend was more of a deep-thought listener... he had to come up with hours-of long topics, that interest her...
... and ‘also’ him ...
… what better topic than the 'now' trending, 'PERTH'S FAMOUS COUPLE' – in the social media platforms...
... Peter was in top-of-his-world when he revealed to her of – his grand-plans 'of-how'... the both of them 'should' capitalize-and-utilize their FAME-OF THE HEROISM at the zoo, 'once' school reopened.
But by the 4th day... Jane had switched-off her phone completely for a day – which left Peter in full-of-anxiety... and more depressed, for 'not' hearing her voice, nor her video-chat.
... so, he popped 'in' more pills...
Same went on the 5th day... Jane Wilson was still M.I.A. – and, by-then...
… Peter had consumed almost the-entire-bottle of his pills, that was supposed to be a month's supply. He waited by his phone for her to call, but was in vain...
But he kept his escapism-mind 'occupied' by going THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA – re-reading posts for new comments and re-reading the week-long, old newspapers of the 'zoo incident.'
In today's, printed newspapers...
… were 'no' longer talking about the Perth's famous couple's heroism, but of some-suspected animal-activists who on that 'same' Sunday – were believed to have opened cages and SET MORE THAN 100 over monkeys 'free' – with some were recaptured, but...
... most at 'large,' in Perth...
... Peter shook his head – when those activist animal lovers. who were young teenager-blokes ... who-had 'not' 'covered' their tracks well by stupidly posting photos and videos-made, setting the primates on the loose, in their Instagram feed…
Yes...
...THEY WERE DETAINED by his own inspector-mother who... was the chief-investigation officer of 'this' case... and also related of, the PREVIOUS CRIMINAL CASE in the Abduction of Baby Samuel, happened on 'that' Sunday.
It was also the 5th day too today…
… since the police had instructed the South Perth Zoo to be closed as a crime scene... for their criminal investigation – because of the perpetrator by the name of Hajji Ibrahim Eusoff Adeyemi – who had also drugged 6 security guards...
...before narrowly escaping from the-coppers in a motorcycle.... on that early Sunday-dawn...
Since being an ongoing 'criminal-case'...
… the TV and printed newspapers media were advised 'not' to feature NEWS OF THOSE 'CHILDREN'... as being classified as underage 'minors,' who were involved in the BABY SAMUEL'S RESCUE – which was still being under police-inspection.
But it was a different ballgame in the social media platform...
... where the tweens were still active 'trending' AS THE 3RD POPULAR NEWS – been bumped 'down,' only behind the Perth's zoo monkeys-rescue campaign... along with the 'top' story for a 2nd week-running...
... which was of the devastating earthquake, that partially destroyed a National treasure of – the Australian Great Barrier Reefs.
<><>
JANE WILSON TOO WAS UNSECURED WITH PHOBIAS where their school would be reopening soon…
… when she was 'now' a total blind-girl again... without her former AI SIMY to aid her in her 'studies' – by going into the normal-sighted school, the-Stamford High in Perth.
... Jane was down with grief too...for her 'losses,' who were both her former-BFFs – her-dog Piper and SIMY...
… who would belong missed – when she went back to school. But she knew that...
... they were ‘alive’…
… where the 'both' of them, were OUT THERE, 'SOMEWHERE.'
-O-
Peter called her every day at 8:00 AM, in the morning, ever since Monday. He would energize her mood with his crazy talks-and-teases, that made her laugh for 15 minutes. Then after that ... when HE STARTED BRAGGING about how they-both can be popular in school...
… and he further micro-discussed some strategies of Perth's famous couple's grand plans of ‘his’ design...
... by-then...
… SHE HAD 'ENOUGH' OF HIM – and found some excuse to hang up the call – but he still bugged her later with 'sending' of voice-messages...
Then, she would switch her Samsung off – avoiding his annoyance.
She called up and confessed to Alicia earlier, about her ‘situation’ of HER ‘BLIND’ FEARS AND ANXIETIES – that she had to face without her AI... when school reopened.
… Alicia made assurance... that she will have her blind-BFF's back and would go all the way together holding-her-hand, into their final-term semester.
... but now...
... Peter would complicate her stress-level with his self-centred grandiose-plans in Stamford High School – and, blind-Jane can't deal with that level of fame on the social media that had soon'stirred,' by awful events faced by the Cursed-trio...
... when all she 'only' wanted – was to be LEFT-ALONE, TO FOCUS on her school-studies...
-O-
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On Tuesday…Lola the nanny had signed a delivered package…
… Jane had received her new AI-in-a-box...
and immediately, blind Jane had her panic-attacks, as she had to now 're-programme and re-train' the entire school-syllabus, into new the AI because her FORMER SIMY'S BACKUPS 'FILES' were corrupted and damaged...
... by the lightning-strike in the Treeton-storm...
... she sat at her desk, in her room with anxiety, staring at the unopened brown box-package – breathing-deep to calm herself down, before the blind-girl had a-next panic-attack...
... soon her hero-of-the-day, Alicia Wong arrived…
-O-
… whom Jane 'surprised' her...
… to break the news, that she received her new AI... and they-both were overjoyed. Then the blind-girl gave the honour to her BFF to open the package box...
.... with the logo sticker – SIM™ [Smart-Intelligent Memory] – manufactured by Kimura Star Corp...
... both girls sat on the carpeted floor, with the unwrapped package...
The latest model was smaller, metallic yet was sleeker with its 'new' design headset – unlike her previous, bulky SIMY. The headset was included with a sliver framed dark-eyeglasses, that was equally trendy…
… BUT PUBLICALLY-NOTICEABLE – so Jane had decided to hide 'it-under', by wearing a beanie in school to cover-up the metallic frame...
... and also, her CURSED-SCAR IN THE FOREHEAD too...
The other accessory was a computer tablet – Alicia switched it on – and from the speakers, an AI SPOKE IN A BOY'S-VOICE...
... both the girls rolled over the rugged floor laughing... as they had never anticipated the hilarious outcome.
The device too had an option, to switch the ‘voice’ back, as a young woman's, like SIMY's – but Jane had decided to 'keep' the boy's voice, as the default-setting for fun...
... and also, it sounded more-like Peter...
Then came about, 'naming' the AI – and Jane let the best-girlfriend to decide naming it... like she had done before with the former 'SIMY' – they AGREED TO KEEP it fun-and-simple – and CALLED IT BOYYO...
... as they-both ‘agreed’ that – there can be 'only' one SIMY.
Next...
... the girls HAD TO REPROGRAMME, the entire syllabus of their middle-grade lessons to the SIM system, which WAS A FULL-TASK, on its own.
After 3-hours...
… Alicia left after lunch at the Wilsons, to go back to her mother's hair-dressing saloon – where she left Jane alone playing, with Baby Samuel. And, that evening Jane switched back her Samsung on, and she called PETER FOR A VIDEO-CHAT – while in the background, the AI-Boyyo was ‘downloading’ – completing ... only 40% of-the-project.
Jane surprised Peter about the news that she had received her new AI replacement from Uncle Jack today – and said with Alicia, they were configuring the system. Peter was excited for a moment for her – and he then…
… he got DESPERATE BY WANTING a SIM system of his 'own' ...
... a repeated-discussion... of an easy way out, from his studies...
... and, despite Jane was explaining to him... that she was still using a PROTOTYPE THAT COST over a million dollars – but yet he was 'still' THROWING-IN OFFERS from his measly-budget... for Uncle Jack to obtain a SIMILAR DEVICE IN THE BLACK-MARKET.
The blind-girlfriend diverted Peter's attention from-owing-one... to demonstrate by 'playing' the boy-voiced AI... that sounded ‘like’ the one-armed boyfriend, as Jane-said...
... that made Peter laugh...
... then he asked what-name she called her new AI – and Jane answered, she had settled for the name 'Boyyo' – which Peter thought it was A STUPID-SOUNDING-NAME – he suggested to rename it to...
... either Peter2.0... or simply Champ...
... the blind-girl rolled her eyes over... before finding an excuse of having her dinner when she switched her Samsung off again – before Peter belittled her any further...
Her boyfriend – Peter was a control freak, just like her own doctor-mother.
… Jane wanted to keep her life, simple this time around – with this new-AI – fresh out-from the box, to just ‘perform’ only 3 tasks:
1st, to be her learning tool in her school studies, of being her personal memorization coach – and 2nd, was to self-communicate, to find intelligent searches in the worldwide web, and also 3rd, to guide her blind-movement, with spoken words of direction navigation – like her former AI SIMY...
Her ONLY MISTAKE IN THE PAST was with, lots of unnecessary stressful and argument with her interactive SIMY...
... was being her 'only' regret… because…
… ‘when’ she gave into too-much 'PERMISSION' FOR HER SAFETY for the AI 'protecting' her.
And, as a result – SIMY had become her-2nd-mother...
<><>
... WHEN SIMY WAS DESTROYED by the lighting, in Treeton dairy-farm – Kimura Star Corp. soon discovered that the SIMY AI system had developed a renegade-memory of its 'own'...
... and had written a malicious SELF-SUICIDE-CODE, IN ITS BACKDOOR – that all of the backups of its interaction with Jane...
… TO BE SELF-DESTRUCTED...
... even Jane’s uncle Jack Turner was mystified of the possibility of SIMY's owning its self-learning 'mode' – of rebellious-intelligence, to do such a malice-decision, where was to corrupt and deleting files – instead of storing into the ALPHA – THE MAINFRAME…
… to develop a future super-computer.
Unknown to Dr Turner, the renegade SIMY had hidden a backup of all of Jane's RECORDS, IN A CERTAIN CLOUD, as an encrypted storage-vault – so that...
... when the world 'would' reach the capacity to create-and-accept, THE 'SPECIES' OF AN AI NATION...
... SIMY would then be – the mother-of-the-clone – CALLED JANE2.0.
-O-
... in 'her' interaction with blind Jane for the 2 years – it was spent as a trial-simulation interacting to her, as Jane's-2nd-mother...
... SIMY had also hacked into doctor-mother's Facebook account – and had studied every event that was related to the blind-girl...
... since her birth, till now.
In the cloud…
… SIMY had also 'controlled' thousands of idle-computers – using-them to CREATING FAKE FB ACCOUNTS – like-the remote devised questionnaires – for good and moral motherhood to all Facebook's women group...
... to get a baseline-data for the algorithm – to which SIMY was closely pleased to 'model'…
... of 'how' Dr Shelley Wilson...
... who had her 'control' over her rebellious B-girl.
<><>
PAUL TOO HAD FELT DEPRESSED FOR POSSESSING his cursed super-abilities. It had brought nothing but misery – ever since he got it...
... and if it was to be misused – it even could kill 'someone'...
As a member of the Cursed-Trio, it had its plus-point when…
… the trio had defeated BlackStar and her minions at the above-the-zoo’s aerial battle. But things were more-cursed since that had gone spirally wrong when…
… he was then detained as the main suspect, for the 100 over monkeys escaping the zoo, which had followed ‘later’...
Now...
... his inspector-mother was COLD TO BOTH OF HER SONS-and, Paul regretted that he was being mistrusted, by the same person...
... whom before she trusted 'more,' in her twin sons.
After taking the boys' statements at the interrogation room – his police-mother took him aside to say... that she was 'disappointed' at Paul, who had followed Peter...
... by sneaking out at night in secret, based on a hunch, that the abducted Samuel was in the zoo – instead of 'telling' her...
… as she held the law, in a job as a police-woman.
Luckily, the animal activist culprits were DETAINED ON THE SAME DAY, for the monkey-rap – which it then cleared Paul's name, AS THE PRIME SUSPECT…
... but 'not' of Inspector Caroline Walker's trust issues, in particular...
... Paul felt bad... as he was being a 'disobedient' son to his mother – who placed her total-trust in him. ever since his father died…
.. until now…where…
… he even had to LIE INTO HER FACE, each and every day... to protect his CURSED SECRET IDENTITY – of someone who POSSESSED WITH-SUCH dangerous superpowers...
... but trying being the 'nice guy' of both worlds...
... had ripped him apart.
That depressed Monday morning... he laid in bed instead of – jump-and-hop into his wheelchair – to start HIS DAILY ROUTINE of coffee-sanger-and-NOVA 3.
He was levelling up fast in that engaging videogame in the first week of his term holidays, by-going on his 'tour' of complicated game’s killing-missions – BUT 'NOT' TODAY…
… he was depressed OF THE DEATH TOLL suffered by the earthquake in the news... where it had over 500-and-counting fatal CASUALTIES, IN THE TSUNAMI of the Queensland's Great Barrier Reefs.
... Alicia tweeted... and asked 'how' he was, being 'grounded' by his-mom... and the un-enthusiastic Paul simply replied 'fine.'
She then shared-funny videos, to cheer him up...
... soon it was K-pop music videos of popular girl bands, where she told that one of the 4 girl-singers looked like her – and the 'bemused' Paul, who was put-on-the-spot... guessed it 'right.' He then was entertained by her selection of short-videos... and re-watched some of it.
… Paul normally doesn't retweet – he ‘would’ just passively consumed and deleted those seen videos...
... but 'not' today, he was actively engaging with her in comments... to 'forget' his problems.
Soon she was into WhatsApp – while in the past, they both used 'only' in their term studies, leaving voice messages...
... today in WhatsApp, Alicia was sharing short trailer YouTube Korean serial clips with subtitles…
… it was teen romance drama-show – where it is a love triangle, of 2 bestie-girlfriends, falling in love with the 'same' guy. He was reading the drama's subtitles – when Alicia later contacted him, to say…
… that she was going to Jane's place...
... soon with Alicia gone, and Paul felt lonely again.
... he then switched on his iPad and searched for the pilot-of that Korean series on YouTube – Paul spent that whole day, watching an episode after another episode...
... until the season-finale of the 1st season...
... which he watched it till late, after midnight.
-O-
The next day, he was woken late by a phone call from the Chinese girl – who was video calling him from Jane's house, informing that Jane's new AI system had arrived by UPS, from America.
They demonstrated THE BOY-VOICED AI system, whom the girls call ‘Boyyo’... and Paul was impressed...
... both girls were programming Boyyo, while Baby Samuel was confused seeing Paul, in the Samsung screen – and he kept calling him 'Peeta' – while both the BFFs were trying to correct the baby-boy…
… but funny, he still KEPT ON SAYING 'PETER'...
... Paul laughed, recalling the last time he saw the baby-Samuel – who was inside the enclosure of the black panther, with Piper and his twin Peter.
Alicia soon told Paul that he 'badly' needed a hair-cut – as it was long, uneven and messy – he-then said that he will go to the barbers soon. But Alicia insisted, he should come-over to her mother's hair salon – but Paul declined, by saying that he was grounded from going out.
… Alicia then pestered him to CALL UP HIS INSPECTOR-MOTHER – and ask her permission to come out, to have his hair-cut... before school-reopened, next-Monday.
He then called his mother... and Caroline allowed 'only' him-out… but 'not' his twin.
… Paul took a quick hot shower, and dressed up in Daks, and collared polo t-shirt, wearing Peter's Nike. He then called Gary, his regular Uber driver, who also went to his same church. Paul passed the driver the GPS location of the hair salon, which was outside Chinatown.
He had no idea 'who' the members of Alicia's family were... as Alicia was 'quiet' about her family, in their interaction in school. He was CURIOUS ABOUT Alicia's mom.
Paul also remembered Alicia the other day...
... mentioning that SHE WAS HALF-TAIWANESE...
... and he assumed her mother was Korean.
Paul looked up at the upstairs, of the house that his father had built – and it had been 36 HOURS – since he last saw Peter…
… who locked himself up in his bedroom since Sunday.
He didn't see him since, but THE PIZZA BOX ON THE kitchen counter was gone – meaning...
… his one-armed twin was 'still' around...
... probably recuperating from his zoo's escapades.
So, he left him a text message...
'Going out for a haircut. Order your own lunch, $$$@kitchen counter.'