CHAPTER 4.6: K.I.D.: THE SPARK — TULQ

CHAPTER 4.6: K.I.D.: THE SPARK — TULQ

[08:00] 05.01.2090

City of Samudraas,

Country of Tefortis,

Mahabumi Continent,

10 KM to Southwest of JUSM

"A MIRACLE , A MIRACLE!!!"

"It's a boy, a healthy baby boy your highness!!!"

"Hear that my dear... "

"Huhh... huhh... yes my dear, our baby, the miracle born to this world.... THE HOPE OF OUR WORLD JUST INHALED HIS FIRST BREATH!!! "

"THE PROPHECY WAS FULLFILLED!!!"

"THE CHILD OF THE HIGH PROPHET AND THE HIGH PROPHETESS WAS JUST DELIVERED SUCCESSFULLY!!!"

"ALL HAIL THE HIGH PROPHET AND THE HIGH PROPHETESS OMNIANTE!!"

"ALL HAIL TO THE PROPHECIED CHILD, THE MIRACLE!!!"

"ALL HAIL OMNIANTE THULQ!!!" 

Outside the church walls, cheers erupted. Thousands of followers had gathered to witness the historical event.

The High Prophet and the High Prophetess stepped forward to the edge of the high stairs. As if unveiling the crowning achievement of a lifetime, they each took hold of one of the newborn’s tiny wrists. In perfect, practiced unison, they raised their arms, hoisting him high into the open air.

The infant hung suspended between them. Offering full view of the the newborn to the crowd. The parents gaze fixed firmly in the horizon infront of them. Their faces glowing with sheer, ecstatic reverence.

Below, the crowd looked up in absolute awe. A new, deafening roar erupted from the masses, a wall of sound so vast and absolute that it completely masked the baby's frantic cries. 

☆☆☆☆

< Dr. Hexdl, as we approach the final moments of this interview, i would like to ask a personal question. May I?>

<.....Yes, please ask...>

<Well then, it is widely know that you offered your brain for experimenting after your passing, but after the completion of the JUSM tower, you suddenly backed down on your offer without any explanation.... Can you give a statement regarding your decision?>

<no.... Sorry, i meant, I'm currently unable to provide further explanation regarding that matter....i would like if the questions were kept strictly regarding the JUSM tower, actually..>

< I see, well then, finally let's dive into the AI of the tower... Can you tell me about Juweri?>

<........>

<Dr. Hexdl?>

<Ah yes, Juweri. So strickly speaking Juweri is the brain of the tower. All the heat and energy storing, conversions and distributions are part of Juweri's tasks.>

< Thank you very much, lastly what can you say about the highly anticipated AI takeover? What methods did you implement to secure Juweri from going berserk?>

<It won't happen. I guarantee it with my life. >

The old tv hanged high in the corner of the restaurant, transmitted an live interview. It must've been a really important one because all the channels transmitted only that, all morning. 

A women's voice, full of unparalleled confidence and a man's voice, full of doubt echoed inside the old restaurant. The sound came from inside the tv. Unlike the new ones which produced sound directly onto the viewers head.

"Hey, wake up old fart!!!"

Omniante Tulq suddenly opened his eyes to the sound of the tv and the freezing se sensation of cold water being sprayed on him. A tail of saliva left behind on the table he had dozed off. 

"Do your fucking job and clean something for once!!" Shouted a teen while the teen next to him giggled. Tulq quietly started wiping the table with a dirty cloth which was hanging around his neck. 

Unsatisfied by the old man's reaction, the teenager grabbed him by his collar. But that too came tearing right into his hand. Yet, seeing no reaction, both teenagers left the restaurant cursing out loud. 

"The hell yer doin??" The owner came out of the back screaming, again. "Do your job for once Tulq, otherwise I'll have to replace you with robots..... you know i dont like them so dont make me fire you!!" Countinued the owner while lighting up a cigarette.

The founder and owner of Rondber, one of the first demi human restaurants in Tefortis, had always a cigarette in his mouth. Countless were the times he lit his face full of pur in fire accidently. 

His long and straight white ears, twitched as Tulq murmured something. But Cerloi couldn't hear it. Which made him even more irritated. "The fuck you whispering??!! If you have something to say, just say it!!!" He screamed again but with a lit cigarette in his mouth this time. 

"Nothing Mr. Cerloi, just wondering if maybe I could get an advance.... if possible...." Tulq Questioned while scratching his head. His eyes focused downward caught a glimpse of his own body. The ever so skeletal figure greeted his eyes once more.

"Did you really ask for money now?? How many customers do you think turned back after you failed to properly great them huh... how many just for today huh??" Asked Cerloi with the most curious face he could manage. His rabbit like eyes engulfed in rage.

Yet as seconds passed without an answer, he started again, "18 customers came but left after seeing you..." While complaining, the owner walked to the unmanned register and pulled out a stack of cash. After carefully counting 10 bills, he walked over to Tulq.

"90 years my ass. The sole member of a ruined church my ass. Look at you. Look where are you. You come here, and go back to that abandoned church. Spend all of your, well technically my money to useless stuff for the church and on your only day off you run around like a frantic trying to make people join your church..."

Cerloi started lecturing him. After he handed the money, Cerloi Countinued, "In a country filled with humans, diumans, demi-humans and some elves and Dwarves too, do you honestly think someone will ever join your religion, huh??!!"

Tulq listened the whole thing without ever letting out a noise and nodded the whole time. After many minutes of lecturing, Cerloi finally unhanded the cash. Tulq simply took the money. He didn't even try to retaliate. 

Seeing the unmoved old man infront of him, Cerloi decided to go back into the kitchen. As he turned around, Tulq saw a bright light emanating from Cerloi's front. And it grew more and more.

And soon enough a huge fireball covered his entire face. But Tulq wasn't panicking. Neither was he shocked or flustered. Tulq calmly repeated the extinguishing process he does every two to three days. 

Walked over to the nearest table and reached down. Pulled the Frisbee like flat disc from underneath and threw it towards the owner. 

The red disc reacted to the active fire. It released a white form and wrapped around the fire. In a few seconds it came off and dissolved into a water like liquid. The fire was out. The very minor commotion where only one person screamed was over. And Tulq's shift ended soon after too.

Tulq left the restaurant and started walking towards the church. Despite the scrawny body and nearing a 100 years, his physical status was top notch. No diseases. No pains and most importantly, completely sane.

As he continued walking, he heard a voice from behind. The voice kept getting louder and louder. Tulq turned around and as he expected it, that annoying butterfly fairy was there.

"What!!" Tulq exclaimed. Yet before getting an answer of any kind, he sighed and started walking again. Tulq was sick of seeing it. But the butterfly fairy wasn't. 

"Why so cold, Miracle boy? Come on..Let's talk..." The little fairy flapped its purple and black wings forward catching up to Tulq. As the fairy didn't receive an answer, it continued, "you know... we could talk about you... or me... or... the church... and how it was ruined in only a generation!!!"

Tulq froze on the spot. The neon lights of the night, the flashing guts of wind from vehicles, the never stopping sound of electric heaters, and the chit chattering of millions in the most crowded city in the world, froze. All of it froze. Just his breathing and the flapping of the butterfly fairy's wings could be heard. 

Seconds passed. No reaction came from Tulq. The fairy Countinued to roam around his head talking, yet Tulq never heard a single word. Not until a very busy looking women bumped into him. 

Even if Tulq's brain had froze, the world around him didn't. And Tefortis, or rather Samudraas was a city specially know for not being closed ever. Afterall, Tulq too was returning from the night shift. And many others too. "The city that never slept" was also a nickname given by some.

Tulq and the women fell on the cold street. After getting up, the women helped the old man get back up and apologized profoundly. However, the old man didn't want to continue the conversation and didn't seem to be willing to speak. So she left after making he's all right. Her long black hair dancing in the air behind her. However, that shock was enough. 

Tulq snapped back into his senses and started walking again. He completely cleared out from his mind the previous remark of the dark colored fairy. The fairy's blabbering didn't seem to end but as they reached the church, it gradually died down. 

Tulq climbed the broken steps. Ever so carefully. Hoping he won't destroy what was remaining of the church. The fairy followed inside silently. The dark ruins illuminated by the mix of moonlight and the first sunrays was everyday scenery for these two. The same old rocks, the same old broken statues and the same old rodents running around. 

Yet today, somehow, something was different. Tulq felt something was different. He monitored room by room and finally came to the room were dozens of broken statue lied. The room was filled with statues of gods the former church used to worship. And he finally found what was different. What was strange and out of the ordinary.

The ever so broken and dark status, somehow seemed bright. The statues were ever so slightly, glowing. Radiating a brilliance from within. But Tulq didn't get the chance to examine them. Nor to even look closely. 

Before he even could take a step forward, the ground shook. First a light shake but it was soon followed by a terror that shook everything around him. And it shook again. More dangerously.