Blake was pleased with their decision; though he was a bit harsh, it was a much needed wakeup call to rouse them.
“Hey, the big guy will you not miss us, if you don’t see us throughout the year?”
Andre casually asked, normally kids hate schooling but his son was over enthusiastic much contrary to the popular belief.
“What?! I can’t be with mama and papa. But why, mama you come with me…. I want home school…… mama.. um...um…wwahh.”
After that, Quinn started to cry. He didn’t want loop-holes arousing his parent’s suspicions.
All the three of them were dumbfounded at Quinn crying. Since their kid always acted a bit mature, they never believed he would be ignorant with simple terminologies.
Blake and Helena slowly turned their head and glared at Andre.
Their eyes went ‘It’s you who started so go clean up your mess.’
Andre hung his head, cursing under his breath. Then he took a deep breath.
“Quinn, look here. See dad’s face. hehehe”
Andre tried to make funny faces by stretching his mouth but inadvertently his eyes elongated and became wavy; to make it worse he made poor imitation of cartoon hero.
“I’m Tyrom Man hahaha…”
Quinn stopped crying for a second and then he wept harder. Now Quinn really felt like crying ’Is this how you console a child prodigy.’ Had Andre not been his father Quinn would have given him a straight punch.
Helena and Blake showed white eyes at Andre. Then Helena gave Andre a slap on his shoulder and scolded.
“Idiot, don’t scare the kid.”
And she went past Andre and picked up Quinn.
“Quinn if you go to Natal Dawn School you can get many friends. Don’t worry about missing us, we will visit you once in a while. Okay.”
Helena tried to console him by patting his head. Immediately Quinn stopped crying and slowly nodded with a bit of hesitation.
Quinn stopped the moment his mother stepped in; if he dragged it any longer, then his plan might back-fire. His parents might really reconsider; then he can only cry. Moreover, he really didn’t want another course of terrible imitation from his father.
Later all of them sat around the dining table, and Helena ordered Emma.
“Okay, guys let’s celebrate this happy occasion with a grand dinner. Emma, please serve the dinner.”
She removed her apron while ordering; Emma’s their housekeeper android.
After receiving the order, Emma swiftly served the food. Andre, Helena and Quinn were given a plate full of nicely cooked delicious meat and many other dishes; everything was prepared too beautifully that even Quinn drooled over it.
But Blake was only given an empty bowl. Before Blake could ask for in portion, Emma came with a vessel filled with black and violet liquid mixture. It looked so hideous that even a starved beggar would run away.
Then Emma poured that liquid into Blake’s bowl and took large pieces of raw meat and put them into the bowl. The meat looked very ordinary, but the moment it touched the soup, a violent reaction happened.
Yellowish bubbles came from the meat, and then the meat disintegrated into small pieces and finally disappeared. After the steak vanished a very disgusting odour filled the room.
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It was so bad that even with Quinn’s willpower couldn’t withstand the vomiting sensation. Quinn was just about to cover his nose.
His father magically sent out green light from his hand which covered Quinn, Andre and Helena. After the green light was like a holy light vanquishing the evil spirit. The terrible smell immediately vanished at the sight of the green light.
Blake was about to snap his finger only to stop at Helena’s dagger stare.
“Papa, you’re getting old, this is called Longevity soup it boosts the vitality so must have it.”
Helena’s voice was lovely and cute like an adorable daughter. But her chilly smile sent shiver down one’s spine and Quinn mentally swore he to never offend his mother.
Blake pleaded many times to everyone before giving up his meaningless struggle.
He pinched his nose with one hand, and picked the bowl with other. With deep breath he downed the whole bowl in one go.
Then stood up with great difficulty and walked to the guest room, only to trip over fall first. He was like a miserable old drunkard poisoned by the very same liquor.
He kept mumbling “please save me from soup monster, please help. HELP……I will give you anything ples.. he..” then he passed out on the corridor.
The old man’s condition earned everyone’s pity. Quinn didn’t know what happened in the lawn, but Blake had certainly done something stupid. At the same time Quinn admired Blake’s courage and willpower.
It was a herculean task just withstanding that soup’s no the terrible fluid’s odour and appearance. But this old man somehow drank a whole bowl.
After the old man was cleared by Emma; they all ate a stupendous dinner forgetting the poor old man and his soup.
Then his mother reconfirmed if he was really acceptable with the arrangement of going to a boarding school. With Quinn’s consent, she started her bout of advice from the routine set of boring advises, like he should eat well, sleep well regularly chat with them etcetera.
After a lengthy advice session, Quinn finally escaped from them and returned to his room. Inside, he was literally jumping up and down in the joy.
Next day morning, the parents were packing many things he may need. Blake was in a very sorry state; his eyes were sunken as if he didn't have a wink of sleep for years; he walked soullessly like a zombie.
It was 10 am, time for breakfast. Since packing was over, Helena called everyone for breakfast. When the old man heard the word breakfast, he shivered all over.
Fortunately for Blake it was just a normal yet appetizing breakfast.
Just after the finishing breakfast; Andre pulled out a small white gun from his pocket.
Before Quinn could reacted the gun's nozzle was pressed onto his wrist, and a grey light shot from the gun. In a few seconds Quinn collapsed into Andre hand and later taken to his room.
*****
Few hours later, Quinn woke up and found a blackish-red mark on his left hand. There were no words or letters in it only the simple red pattern. When he was trying to figure out what it was, a sudden voice was heard in his brain. It was as though it originated from his brain.
[Host, it's been a while how were you faring.]
It was a very familiar voice.
[Host, it's me Elgar- the Zenith box's soul I'm now in your brain.]
Quinn’s reaction was similar any ordinary man’s panic.
"Elgar how in the hell did you enter my brain."
[Host actually I'm not inside your head instead a chip is inside your head. It's just that your dad injected a personal implant with an advanced A.I. taking this opportunity I erased the pre-programmed A.I and replaced it.]
[Host Zenith box is still in shut-down. Initially, I thought I have to wait till you start the Zenith box, but it seems like there are many new inventions after the accident.]
[Through the personal implant, I could communicate without even coming to Zenith box.]
It took a while for Quinn digest all these shocks. Quinn was pleasantly surprised to find that Elgar will accompany him from now on. He was even more surprised to discover that he got himself a Personal Implant.
"Elgar first stop calling Host this and Host that, just call me Bro or Quinn or whatever you are comfortable with."
Quinn had always wanted to change the way Elgar addressed him as he felt Elgar was similar to his subordinates in his past life. Quinn really yearns friends and brothers.
Elgar felt touched hearing what Quinn said, and then he decided to take Quinn as his boss. Though Elgar has a soul and is different from tool spirit or an A.I. he’s still essentially within their category.
[Host this will be the last time call you this. From here onwards I will only refer to you as boss are you Okay with Host.]
So long as Elgar accepted him as his friend, Quinn was fine with whatever way Elgar addressed him.
[Boss because I destroyed the pre-programmed A.I. and replaced it; so I must do all its work. The first duty of A.I. of a Personal Implant is to update. It is even more so, in my case as I was sent to void current after my birth.]
[I’ve heaps of paper work. I’ll return once the job is done; see you later boss.]
Quinn felt dumbfounded realizing that Elgar vanished again without asking his permission or discussing with him. After long consideration decided to let him do what he wanted as he didn't want to lose his first friend.