Eyes of the Oracle (part seven)

(no...this is not yet the finale)

Ike drove the car with the shades up all the way. Somehow, he could see what was going on outside and had no trouble navigating the streets. As he drove, he told Lisa about what had happened.

"After I left you in that cave, I first went to your house to leave the number then to confront Kin. I got your address through some file searching by the way. Kin had already brought the boy to the lab in the sealed dimension. Yes, I didn't stay to destroy the lab back then because if Kin came back, it would jeopardize the safety of my men. The objective was to save you, and only to save you. That's why I left the machine and all completely intact."

"Anyway, when Kin saw me, he trapped the boy in a sealed temporal dimension, in other words, trapped him in time. Ok fine, you would see the boy could no longer move. Then, we started fighting. I must remind you that we fight by manipulating true reality, so you could expect some flying fireballs now and then. Well, the fight was very spectacular, I was actually enjoying it at first. Then, there was a lull, and I saw Kin doing some kind of pose. I was amused, so I didn't bother doing anything about it, big mistake. I had no idea that Kin had already mastered the legendary Silos Max."

"What's Silos Max?" Lisa asked.

"That's the name we agreed on. Back when we were still kids and still on relatively good terms with each other, we saw that it was possible to squeeze all ten dimensions together into a singularity. This singularity is so unstable, it will practically let out a huge burst of quantum energy. If you've read any books on quantum physics at all, you may have heard of FTL communication. You entangle two quantum particles, send one to the other side of the universe and keep one with you. You then do something with the particle that you have and instantly, i mean instantly, the other particle will feel something and change as well. The signal is sent Faster-Than-Light. This theory has been proven by the EPR paradox but I don't know the details, I only bother about what I can see. Anyway, my point is that Silos Max works on this kind of interaction. Whenever you interact with anyone in society, you are essentially 'entangling' yourself with them, like two quantum particles. This process actually occurs via the unity chakra. You heard of chakras? In yoga, exercises often focus on the energy of the 7 chakras located at various points along your spine. Anyway, the unity chakra is located on the crown of your head, the place where I touched just now. It links your energy with the divine and everyone in the world. Yes, everyone in the world, that's why it is possible to become friends with everyone in the world. When entangling occurs, the connection between you and that person is strengthened."

"When you are caught within the field of Silos Max, your unity chakra would be the first to be affected. The quantum energy rides on your strong connections and sends this destructive signal to all your friend's, family's, colleagues' unity chakra. They unity chakra then sends the signal to the other 6 chakras located along your spine. It is a complicated process, but basically, the end result is total nullification, you would cease to exist. Nothing, not even your soul, would survive. It is the most devastating and vicious move anyone could possibly master. Why Kin chose to master it I do not know, but it shows he is beyond redemption. From what we understand, there actually is a good way to harness the energy of Silos Max too, but he chose to do it the bad way..."

There was a long pause.

"That's why I had to sever all your connections, so if you're hit by Silos Max, the only person who would die is you. I cannot be killed by it, only maimed. Why i can't be killed can't be explained in words, I guess you'll just have to accept this fact. Whatever the case, now that there are two of us, Kin would be left wide open once he does it. During that time, you must shoot him, he won't have time to deflect the bullet."

The rest of the drive continued in silence. Eventually, Ike stopped the car.

"We're here," he told Lisa. "On the left, there is a large cupboard. Hide behind there and I will block it with a fake dimension so Kin can't see through it. Also, take this."

He handed her a pistol.

"I'm sorry I can't give you a sniper rifle. The killing intent for that rifle is too large, it is easily detectable by Kin. I hope your aim is good. I only put in two bullets, so, good luck."

Lisa was flustered.

"Wait! I've never fired a gun before!"

"Trust me, it's easy, click the safety switch over here and pull the trigger."

"But I can't aim!"

Ike pondered over that for a while.

"Trust your instincts, I'm sorry I've no time to train you."

He then created a small illusionary window on the dashboard. There was Kin, walking into the lab.

"He's coming! Quick!"

Lisa decided to ask Ike one last question before she got out.

"If your remote viewing is so great, why didn't you use it to see what Kin was doing way earlier? You could have stopped him from killing so many."

"Whenever I used it on him, Kin would know. I only used it after I saved you because he already knew my true intention, that I was not happily meditating in the sealed dimension. Using it earlier would just make him suspicious and give me unnecessary trouble. Ok, go! He doesn't know about you yet."

Lisa hastily got out of the car and hid behind the cupboard. Indeed they were back in Kin's lair, Ike was an amazing driver.

"Ike!" It was Kin's voice. "You created a clone of yourself, built an army all without my knowing. You think that's very hot?"

"Nope, stopping you would be very hot!" Ike said cooly.

Lisa held the pistol in her hand, trembling with fear. She could barely see what was happening, but it seemed the two had already engaged each other in battle. She peeked slowly from behind the cupboard, true, Kin showed no sign of realising she was there. They were both concentrating really hard on the battle. It was more spectacular than Ike had described. Not only were there fireballs, but energy balls of all sorts of exotic shapes. There was teleportation now and then, but all the action remained within the lab itself. Lisa then realised that Ike was trying to settle it all in the lab, so she could actually shoot Kin without too much of a hassle, but Ike never realised how messy things could get.

True enough, an accidental fireball hit the cupboard, making it explode and sending her flying across the room, the fake dimension couldn't stop anything. Her shriek was more than enough to alert Kin. Both fighters paused, then Ike tried to strike while Kin was distracted. But his attack was blocked by Kin's great reflexes.

"You moron! Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You bloody scum! Trying all ways and means to stop me! Do you not love this world at all?!"

"More than you do!" Ike yelled back.

There was a gunshot.

Lisa had thought Kin was distracted enough, so she tried to shoot him. Kin was distracted enough alright, but Lisa's aim wasn't that fantastic. She had shot Ike instead.

"No!" she cried.

Kin was furious. He slammed Ike to the ground with as much force as a meteorite hitting Earth. Then he went over to Lisa. Lisa desperately fired the second shot, however, Kin managed to deflect it with telekinesis.

"You're just in time. It turns out the boy's brain was damaged in the last battle with Ike, I still need yours."

Kin's voice was not the kindly voice Lisa had remembered from the first encounter. This time, it was a voice of anger and frustration.

"Ike!" she screamed,but Ike lay motionless on the floor. Kin grabbed her and dragged her away, while she kicked and struggled.

"So Ike severed your connections," said Kin. "Good, so when you die, no one will mourn for you. You can go in peace.

Kin dragged her into another area in the lab. In it was a control panel lined up in front of a strong glass window. Behind the window was an even larger area, a very techy sort of area, with metallic walls filled with circuits and switches. Kin threw her into a chair, which instantly sprouted hand locks and leg locks, thereby imprisoning her on it. He then went over to the control and pushed a few buttons. Almost instantly, a large hissing sound was heard, and in the larger area behind the window, a strange geometrical structure was being formed from several pieces appearing on different sides of the area. Lisa saw to her horror that in the junctions of that structure, there were human brains, frozen and looking very fresh. She nearly threw up.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Kin said. "The structure is simply made out of ordinary iron rods, arranged to form the geometrical structure within E8 which represents the site of disasters and despair. I enhanced the energy of this structure by implanting human brains with neurons and patterns displaying the structure. No moving parts, no fancy electronics or what not. I don't even know why everyone decided to call it a machine. All I need now, is your brain, to fill in the last missing junction, then using my psychic energy, I'll transmit this energy to the world. Then, the new age would begin, and I would rebuild this world into a better one. No more would people see pain and suffering, everyone would be living happily ever after."

"They'll all be dead!" Lisa retorted, after noticing the empty junction Kin was talking about.

Kin laughed.

"Only the evil and the wicked will die. Those who are true at heart and can learn the right things from disasters will survive. I will be there to guide them."

"You are not God!"

Kin walked up to her, carriying a thin knife.

"I am God's messenger, I can act in his stead."

With that, he raised the knife to her forehead. Lisa screamed as she felt the blade penetrate her skin.

BOOM! A loud explosion shook the room. Kin was startled and dropped the knife. There was a very bloody looking Ike, with blood oozing from his hands and feet. It was the original Ike! The one Kin had crucified!

"You! How did you escape?! You were supposed to be dead!" Kin was enraged.

"I had help," said Ike. To everyone's surprise, Ike's clone walked in.

"Have you forgotten, Kin?" said Ike's clone. "My matrix is complete while yours isn't. Once I removed the nails from my original body, I can heal telekinetically! Same goes for the bullet."

Kin let out a terrible cry. He had clearly not taken this into account.

"Don't think you are the perfect one, Ike! I'm the one who can do Silos Max!"

The original Ike had already healed.

"Enough talking clone, let's get him!"

Lisa noticed something wasn't right about Kin. His eyes had turned from transparent to dark and ominous. As the two Ikes rushed towards him, he raised his arm in the air.

"SILOS MAX!!!!!"

Lisa was shocked, as well as the other two Ikes. There was absolutely no charging time at all. Lisa felt massive amounts of pain rush into her head as a white light filled the room. She screamed, was she going to die?

Lisa regained consciousness and found herself in a completely white room. There was no furniture in the room, just white. After standing up, she found that she too, was wearing a white shirt and white trousers. Was she dead and in heaven? No, Silos Max was supposed to have destroyed her soul as well. Something else happened instead, but what?

There was a knock on the door, what more surprises could be in store for her this time?

To be continued...