Wednesday morning, Zeraki was up at 4 a.m. practicing a stab and a slash with his kitchen knife.
‘Practicing’ was putting it kindly.
Zeraki had no idea what he was doing, but he kept at it. After nearly fifteen minutes, he finally started to perceive a faint trickle of feedback from his arms, waistline, and thighs.
He repositioned both himself and his grip on the knife, then continued to draw, stab, and slash.
After three hours and four repositions later, he felt like he had gotten better with a knife. He was far from being an expert, and the gang banger kids could most likely take him in a fight, but he felt the mass in his mind reduce as if he had learned four new languages.
At 6 a.m., he went for a run, adjusting himself to accommodate more efficiency in different parts of his body responsible for athletics: a change in breathing rhythm, a consistent pace during running, and more oxygen supply to active muscles.
He listened, then thought of ways to solve problems raised within the feedbacks. By the time he got to the shower, he felt leaner, faster, and more resilient.
He went to the bakery close to the library for breakfast and let the owner know of Tara’s presence later in the day before leaving for the library. Number 7 was going to continue his stake-out on the second floor.
—————
(Hadiza POV)
After leaving the Society of Engineering grounds, Hadiza had gone to meet up with Ola and share the good news. She was looking forward to celebrating her win with both her and the big man.
However, Ola ended up insisting that celebrations could wait; getting her ready for advancement was more important.
It had taken a couple of hours waiting for Ola to conclude a meeting meant to get the ball rolling on registering a new company, the ‘Ruler’s Nexus.’
Afterward, Ola took her to a spa in the heartlands of the Central Business District, then reassured her that the cost was peanuts—yet not once did she actually say how much the peanuts were.
During the trip, Ola excitedly rambled on about the unique architecture of the CBD, even going on a tangent and starting to talk about the philosophies she believed influenced these developments.
Hadiza listened. They were boring at first, but at some point, she was taken in by her narration and didn’t notice when they arrived at the spa.
It wasn’t long after their arrival that she stopped thinking about Ola’s conjectures and predictions of a corporate war of grand proportions.
This was the first time she’d ever been to a spa, and the longer she spent there, the more she suspected a creeping addiction forming.
Being given a bath felt strange at first, but then the warm water, sweet-smelling herbs, and calming harp music broke through her reluctance with disturbing ease.
The full-body massage that followed sealed the deal for her; she was coming in at least once every month.
By the time they went back home, Hadiza felt like years’ worth of accumulated stress had been eased. She was finally an official member of the Academy.
It felt surreal getting in after years of dreaming about it. She had never had things going this good for her. Ever since the coachwoman showed up and convinced her that she had nothing to lose going after what she considered a dream, it had been one major lucky turn after another.
Ola’s favor, joining the Society of Engineering, joining the Academy, and now becoming an Extractor. In less than a month, not only had she achieved her dream, but she’d blown it out of the water.
She wanted to hug Ola to show her gratitude, but the woman had an aversion to physical contact. This was why she wanted the big man around; she could have hugged him instead! Ola was all too happy passing her hugs off to him.
——
(Next Day)
Hadiza looked at the brown sludge in a test tube that seemed to ‘wiggle’ in all the ways she found disgusting.
“D-drink it quickly. Potions can’t last more than 12 hours,” Labaan stated.
His nervousness and Lady Theo standing far from her didn’t instill much faith in the brew.
With a deep breath, she popped the stopper and quickly downed the gross, viscous, slimy concoction. She felt goosebumps on her skin just thinking about how gross that felt.
“Blegh! That was disgusting!” How she wanted to throw up, but the stuff got lost somewhere on its way down. She then shuddered at the thought of having whatever that was, coming back up and once again staining the sanctity of her mouth.
“I’ll be having nightmares about this, won’t I?” She looked grudgingly at Labaan like it was his fault the stuff tasted the way it did.
Hadiza would wager an arm that not even sewage tasted that nasty… well, maybe wager a fingernail now that she thought about it. Who knew what sewage tasted like? The stuff was brown though… maybe that was sewage!?
Before she could punch Labaan, Lady Theo had already gotten close and placed her hand on her shoulder,
“Congratulations on your successful advancement, Extractor Hadiza. I am High Extractor Theo, and this is Extractor Labaan Afram. I’ll brief you on what you are authorized to know.”
Hadiza glared one more time at Labaan and decided to follow Lady Theo out. After this, she was getting the big man and going to the bakery for a taste bud rehabilitation session. No one must ever know she was now in the exclusive club of people that knew what shit tasted like.
“EIPO stands for Extractor Intellectual Property Organization.” Lady Theo explained as they walked, “Should you create something novel and either want to spread it or just protect it, this is where you come.
“Every innovation, scientific or mystic, as long as it’s done by an Extractor, then they are qualified to be protected.
“Sharing your research with EIPO will earn you IPO merits, but no one will coerce you if you don’t share it and just want to sell the results or the inventions for IPO credits instead.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“As an External Associate, you are allowed to use the Academy’s REM exchange, but know that it’s expensive.
“Should you prove to be outstanding, then the Academy might extend a recommendation to one of EIPO’s factions to make you an Official Associate.”
The elevator stopped on the third floor, and they walked into a room filled with mechanical contraptions and bookshelves.
“This is a workshop for Extractors within the Society of Engineering. You may rent out a spot whenever you please,” she pointed to the different closed turrets. “Now, EIPO has taboos that must never be violated. It applies to all Extractors, even rodents. Especially rodents.”
“Rodents?” Hadiza asked, dazedly looking around.
“Those unaffiliated with EIPO. Most of them make use of regulated pathways.”
Lady Theo found a place they could sit. “What’s wrong with regulated pathways?”
“The pathways aren’t the problem. There’s a different reason they are labeled as regulated, but you aren’t authorized to know why.
“The reason they are called rodents is because of the problems they cause. One successful advancement, and they think they are on their way to world domination. Most rodents don’t make it past sequence 9 because of the mortal blood on their hands.”
“Wouldn’t making it known that killing mortals is bad for their advancement solve this?”
Lady Theo shook her head in denial. “I believe that anyone whose first instinct is to cause death simply because they can deserves what comes to them.
“Anyway, EIPO doesn’t call them rodents officially. They are free to use EIPO services without discrimination. Even those on the verge of becoming Echoes.
“Think of rodents as your ill-mannered cousin. You hate their guts, but you can’t deny the fact that they are talented.
“We digress.
“EIPO taboos: One, a mortal’s soul is forbidden territory.
“Two, gene mutation must never be carried out on sentient beings. This includes sentient cats, dogs, and crows.
“This isn’t a taboo, but it’s advised to keep as few mortals in the loop about Extractors as possible to reduce the chances of them getting hurt.”
The first one stunned Hadiza—that proof of souls existed—and she didn’t even know what the second one entailed,
“What’s gene mutation?” she asked.
“You aren’t authorized to know.”
“Are all cats, dogs, and crows sentient?”
“You don’t have enough IPO credits to buy that piece of information.”
Hadiza shrugged. “So what now?”
“You study. You innovate. You create. Explore your sequence. Right now, most of your abilities are mental, but depending on how you progress it, you could create something unexpected.”
“What about advancing to the next sequence?”
“Well, you could advance anywhere you want. Or you could cough out IPO credits and EIPO will confirm if the potion has been well made.
“As an associate, the Academy subsidizes these costs and you can have EIPO confirm that you are using the right potion formula and if it’s the right one for your pathway too.”
“Sigh, everything is about credits here too,” Hadiza sounded melancholic.
“Hmm, no, not really. A lot of things can’t be bought no matter how many credits you have. I would argue that it’s about status.
“An External Associate is different from an Official Associate, and the same goes for Official Associates and Tier 10 Global citizens. So it’s better to increase your standing in the eyes of EIPO than it is earning IPO credits.”
“And how do I do that?”
“Make them take notice. Innovate. It’s in their name, ‘intellectual property.’ Sharing your research is also a good way to improve your status. They can raise your tier level as a reward instead of granting you merit points. EIPO will care if a rodent kills a Tier 10 Global citizen, but no one will look twice if a Global citizen kills a rodent. Well the local authorities might, but EIPO certainly won’t get involved.”
Hearing death being talked about so casually scared Hadiza more than she was willing to admit.
“Alright, I believe we are done. Come see me if you need to use the REM Exchange or when you have something you want patented,” Lady Theo said while rising.
“Thank you for this,” Hadiza said as she was being walked out.
“No worries. We are eager to see the value and innovation you will bring the global community.”
———————
(Zeraki’s POV)
Hadiza was back and radiating excitement. Number 7 had been a commentator, relaying what was happening and what was said, but Zeraki still asked about it since he could tell she wanted to talk about it.
She spoke at length and as animatedly as she possibly could as they headed to the bakery, explaining the high-rise buildings and the incredible gadgets that were put on display. She had no filter, practically disregarding Theo’s suggestion to keep as few mortals in the loop as possible.
Zeraki suddenly felt his cracked bracer crumble followed by a flex in his mind as the sixth point formed. As if achieving a resonance in vibration, the points pulsed in unison. Every pulse shaved the equivalent of a language learned from the madness pressing against his psyche.
A presence then seemed to rise in his mind.
[Sentience Acquired.] the presence gravely intoned.
‘Welcome back, Number 4.’ Zeraki said after a moment of silence.
[Number 4: Arigatou, Otousan.]
[Number 3: Eeee! I can move now!]
Number 3’s high-pitched squeal made Number 7 drift further from them.
[Number 7: Ugh, there are two of them now. Father, we have a pressing problem.]
‘I understand.’
Though the bracer was still on his hand, he felt the shattered metal plates within the fabric.
This was a problem, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. One bracer down, one left. They had no idea whether that meant weakened concealment or reduced radius Number 7 and 3 can be from him without shattering the remaining bracer.
[Number 7: Well, that’s new.]
Zeraki glanced behind him and saw a young man with green hair, a white t-shirt, black shorts, and black sneakers.
‘How is he able to do that?’
Number 7 rubbed his chin in thought. [Maybe Number 1 waking up has something to do with it?]
Zeraki thought about it for a moment and, after coming up empty on an alternative explanation, he threw it to the back of his mind. Along with his questions on how they were able to see or hear when light and sound went right through them. He’d seen horses without shadows already; his tolerance for bizarreness had definitely gone up multiple levels.
They made it to the bakery, now significantly renovated, and found Tara prepped for her lesson over at a secluded corner. Hadiza paused her ramblings when she noticed they were heading towards her.
Zeraki could tell by the bombardments of sentiments on her that she ached to ask so many questions. He could also feel the promise that was gladly accepted by Hadiza on her. It had something to do with invention and engineering, but he didn’t really understand the nuances it entailed.
“Have you eaten anything, Tara?” Zeraki asked in Mother’s Universal language, taking a seat next to the child and ignoring Number 3’s terrible twerk celebration on one of the empty tables.
Hadiza picked the seat across from them but said nothing, opting to observe before speaking up.
“Yes, I ate before I came here, but the baker also said I could have anything I wanted for free,” Tara said, looking chipper than he’d ever seen her.
Zeraki nodded at that. He didn’t mind the baker’s wording; he was shrewd, not dishonest.
“Okay, Big Man, pig’s chance in a butcher shop you could already have a child. Fill me in.” Hadiza finally gave up on trying to figure it out on her own.
“Tara, this is Hadiza, a good friend. Hadiza, this is Tara, also a good friend. She’s learning how to read and write from me,” Zeraki introduced while switching between Hadiza’s language and Mother’s Universal language.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Tara switched to Hadiza’s language.
Hadiza was stunned for a moment, then she smiled, and joy sentiments radiated from her.
“She speaks Kikuyu! Know what, Tara? Eat whatever you like. It’s on me.”
“…but the food is free, Miss Hadiza.”
“Oh, is it now?” She turned her head and kept her smile as she looked at Zeraki, who gave a slight nod. “Well then, shopping for clothes is on me.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Hadiza.” Tara bowed a little. Hadiza had sentiments about her that made it obvious she didn’t like it at all.
“Is there a martial arts school around here?” Zeraki interrupted them before Hadiza started giving him an earful about making the child’s life unnecessarily difficult with all the formalities.
“The Cherry Blossom Dojo is the closest one from here, Mr. Zeraki, but it’s run by the Gracie family.” Tara looked unsure if her answer pleased them.
“Relax, Tara. No one will be offended if you are informal. Plus she,” he pointed at Hadiza, “is the last person you should call ‘miss.’ She was recently crowned the—” A muffin was suddenly shoved into his mouth.
“Right! Where were we, Tara dear?” Hadiza smiled brightly while dusting her palms and sitting back down. Tara couldn’t hold back chuckling, and this earned a pat on the head from Hadiza. “That’s more like it.”
“Where did the muffin even come from?” Zeraki spat out and dropped the muffin on the table.
“Ha! You don’t want to know, Big Man. Why are you looking for a dojo anyway?”
“To protect myself from muffin-flinging ninjas, what else?”
“If you get killed by a muffin, then you didn’t deserve to live, Big Man.” Hadiza laughed.
—————————————————————