THE QUANTUM CYPHER
By Aaron Maximus
COPYRIGHT
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at [email protected]
DISCLAIMER
This book is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
230 B.C.
The caravan slowly moved through the mountainous terrain, only two of the twelve-member team were still alive. Dressed in heavy body armour, they got off their horses and started to unload what appeared to be wooden boxes. Both men never spoke but worked in unison to drop the boxes into the steep crevice. After they had disposed of the boxes, the men cut the horses free, quietly embraced each other and parted ways
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CHAPTER 1
Present Day
"Everything ok?" asked Cara, looking at the worried face of her husband, Andrew (Andy to his friends and family).
"Nothing to worry, I'm just looking for my car keys," he replied.
"It must be at the key holder,” said Eric, an eight-year-old with the attitude of a teenager. "I checked, it is not there,” said Andy scratching his stubble, a sure sign of a holiday.
"Got it,” shouted Ava, a ten-year-old diva from the next room. "It was on the dining table.”
“Great! While I step out to get earphones for the trip, you can finish your packing. Hong Kong, here we come,” shreiked Andy in excitement.
"Don't get too excited dad, it's an eight-hour flight with a two hour layover in Kuala Lumpur. It’s going to be another marathon?" said Ava resignedly.
"I promise this time it will be different," laughed Andy.
Walking down the memory lane, he could still feel the anxiety of their last holiday to Italy. Cara had booked their return on a crazy schedule. It was 22-hour marathon starting from Marilleva, a ski resort in the Alps. First, it was a bus journey to Trento, then a train to Venice. Next it was a boat ride from Venice to the mainland, another bus ride to the airport, then took a flight to Rome, where they boarded a flight back to Dubai. They had covered all modes of transportation in a single day.
After the vacation to Italy, the kids refused to travel on a tight schedule and demanded a relaxing holiday.
"Are you carrying tickets, passport and credit cards? Hope you have exchanged the currency?" enquired Cara.
"Everything is done. I have even double checked our reservation at the hotel and have arranged for airport pickup."
"That's surprising,” added Eric.
"His productivity level peaks only during holidays, after which he will be back to himself,” Ava offered her expert analysis.
"Yes, the absent-minded professor,” laughed Cara.
Andrew had a poor working memory. Although, he had a good long term memory. During his school days in London, he found it difficult to memorise his course work. His father encouraged him to write down tasks and to-do lists. Ever since, he always carried a memo pad with him and was known among friends and family as the "Memo Man".
He held a Master's degree in History due to his interest in culture, but never pursued it. He always dreamt of travelling the world to explore new cultures and people.
During the INTERNET boom, he got onto the IT bandwagon and became a programmer. Later in his career, he moved to Dubai and currently worked as an IT Business Development Manager.
Cara, on the other hand, was a very sensible person. She holds a Master's degree in Science. She was very hardworking and disciplined. Although being poles apart, it was love at first sight when Andy met her during a college cultural festival. Three months later, he proposed to her on the steps of the university library and the rest, as they say, is history.
"The taxi is here! Time to go,” called out Andy.
"Double check all the power switches and make sure that they are off and please check the AC in every room.”
"Checked, and ok,” replied Cara.
The taxi sped towards Dubai International Airport.
Dubai is a multicultural and diverse city. It is bustling with people from all around the world and is known for its shopping arcades.
Over the years, Dubai has become one of the leading cities in the world due to its visionary leaders.
The taxi came to a halt at the Departure gate of the Dubai International Airport. The driver was kind to help them with the luggage.
"Counter number 22,” informed Cara looking at the flight departure monitor.
“Passengers for Hong Kong, this way please,” directed the customer service clerk.
After Immigration and security clearance, 20 minutes later they boarded the flight and were ready to take off.
Andy settled into his seat and closed his eyes and looked forward to a great holiday.
CHAPTER 2
As the aircraft began to descend, Andy looks at the landscape and the tall skyscrapers that seem to touch the sky.
The weather was hot and humid, 37 degrees centigrade with a clear sky. The pilot gently manoeuvres the aircraft on touchdown towards the docking gate.
Ava nudges Eric, who is fast asleep. Waking up disoriented "have we landed?" he asks rubbing his eyes. "Yes, we have," replied Andy.
The Hong Kong Airport is a located on an island, and it can be reached from the mainland by road through the Tsing Ma Bridge, a 2.2 km long connection between Hong Kong International Airport (Lantau Island) and Hong Kong Kowloon City side. It's vibrant; the densely populated urban centre is a major port and global financial hub with a skyscraper-studded skyline.
Walking out of the Hong Kong Airport, Andy looks at the hundreds of taxi and transport drivers holding the names of customers, at the end of the line he finds a board with his name on it. A short man in his late forties wearing the hotel uniform smiles and hesitantly calls out "Mr Andrew Clarke?" Andy hands him the hotel booking receipt.
"Welcome to Hong Kong. I am Yang, the Hotel driver. If you need to go anywhere in Hong Kong, you can call me directly” he says, handing over his phone number scribbled on a piece of paper. “The hotel also offers shuttle service to the airport and the nearest metro station every 30 minutes. Additionally, the bus stop is just 5 minutes from the hotel.”
"That's great! Are there any good restaurants near the hotel?” asked Cara.
Yang was eager to share his knowledge of the city. "Yes, Madam, we have a couple of fast food restaurants and a 24/7 grocery store just opposite the hotel. The hotel also offers room service. The food from the hotel restaurant is also excellent and is not very expensive.”
"Thanks for the information, we will keep that in mind," said Cara.
The taxi crawled through Hong Kong's busy streets, "Is this your first time here, Sir?” Enquired Yang, while passing by the port where large Cruise ships were anchored close to the Victoria Bay.
"Yes, " answered Andy looking out of the window.
What are the must-see tourist attractions in Hong Kong? Asked Cara. Yang quickly digs into the dashboard and hands over a tourist guide with the map of Hong Kong. "My brother runs a taxi service for visitors and one can hire his services for a day to take you anywhere in Hong Kong for only 200 Hong Kong dollars.” Thanks for that Yang. We have already p
urchased tickets for the Bus tour and Metro pass, we will let you know if we need to go to a place where the service is not available." informed Cara politely.
Vstar Hotel was a beautiful 4-star property located in Central Hong Kong. The metro and bus stop was close by, just as Yang had indicated. The staff were friendly and directed them to their two-bedroom suite.
Eric rushed into his room and immediately opened the balcony door. Stepping into a clean and chic balcony, he looked at the landscape in front of him and exclaimed, "It's beautiful!.”
"That is the Victoria Harbour," the bellboy pointed out. “In the evening, you can see many ships that dock out there. Cruise ships travelling these waters usually start from Singapore, but you can often spot ships from Japan and Australia too.”
"Look at what we have here," said Andy pointing to the kitchen.
“I'm not going anywhere close to that place,” said Cara, trying hard to keep the kids from fighting over their choice of bed.
Andy pulls out a bottle of sparkling wine from the mini bar.
"What about us?" asked Eric coyly, hinting at the cola inside the fridge.
"There is a cold bottle of water for you,” joked Andy inviting a pounce from Eric.
"You are such a baby," said Cara, running her hands through Eric's hair.
"What about me?" cribbed Ava. "He gets all the attention just because he is good in academics."
"Come on now cheer up. You are the best girl in the universe, and as I always tell everyone, you are the best thing that has happened to me," pacified Andy.
Cara rolls her eyes, pulls out a pack of Orange juice from the pantry and hands it over to the kids. The family cuddles over by the window and enjoy the sunset over the beautiful skyline of Hong Kong.
CHAPTER 3
Andy woke up and reached for his bedside clock it was 8:30 in the morning. Cara was fast asleep next to him, he stretched himself and got out of bed. Walking over to the kid's room, he found Eric looking out of the window. "Good morning," whispered Andy hugging Eric. "You're up early.”
"Yes, I was freezing and couldn't sleep. Ava had lowered the AC temperature last night. So what's for breakfast?” Eric asked. Andy hatched a plan, "Let's have a quick shower and head over to the hotel restaurant. The ladies can order room service once they wake up.”
"Good Idea" quipped Eric, and they set out to start their day.
An hour later, when Andy and Eric returned to the room after a sumptuous breakfast, they found mum and daughter still in a state of deep slumber. Eric looked at his dad and quipped "Unbelievable, we are going to waste the entire day sitting in the hotel.”
"Don't worry. I'll wake them up in a jiffy." said Andy, opening the curtains and letting the bright sunlight into the room.
"I'll get some water to splash on them," said Eric excitedly. Eric was ambushed and found a wall of water hitting his face. Completely surprised he turned around to look at Andy,
"It's not me," he said, pointing to Cara, who was sitting on the bed with a bottle of water in her hand.
"The joke’s on you, " she laughed. Eric pounced on her, and both were fake wrestling. Hearing this commotion, Ava yelled "What's happening?" from the other room. "Your dad and brother got a nasty surprise," replied Cara.
"C'mon girls. We are running late. Get dressed and let's head out to explore Hong Kong. First stop is at Victoria Peak," said Andy.
Victoria Peak is a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island.
It is a major tourist attraction that offers views over Central Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. They had a fabulous and tiring day.
Returning to the hotel room in the evening, Andy's crashed into the bed for a quick nap before heading for Dinner. They headed downtown to visit the famous Harbour Mall on Canton Road. The mall had a cruise terminal and restaurants serving international cuisine. They visited a famous Thai restaurant and savoured some of their signature dishes.
Next morning, Andy was surprised, as he was the last one to wake up. It must have been the sake, a traditional sweet, low-alcoholic Japanese drink made from fermented rice.
"Wake up lazy bones," whispered Cara pecking him on the cheek.
“Want some water treatment dad?” Yelled Eric walking over to the window.
The troop was up and about in the morning. It was a unanimous decision not to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant as they wanted to try something new. Andy was ready in 20 minutes, and they left the hotel for the day-two adventure.
Grabbing a sandwich at a cafe nearby, Andy spoke about the day's plan. "First, we visit the Temple on the southern side of Lion Rock in the north of Kowloon and then top it with a ferry ride through Victoria Harbour.
"Boring" snarled Eric. “I want to visit Disneyland and Ocean Park.
"I am with him," said Eva.
"Sorry Kiddos, it's already been booked for tomorrow and the day after," said Andy.
So, they set out as per plan to Kowloon. A 45-minute ride in a metro and a few minutes of walk through the busy markets of Kowloon brought them to the door of the Buddhist Temple.
Andy stood mesmerised by the beauty of the temple and its surroundings. The temple was nestled right in the middle of the busy business district of Hong Kong, yet a peaceful oasis. The sweet smell of incense caught his attention, and as he turned, bumped into a monk who was carrying the incense sticks.
"I'm sorry," said Andy, "Please accept my apology.”
The Monk smiled at him and said, " Nei Hou" in Chinese. Realising Andy was a visitor, he quickly turned to English. "You have come a long way from home".
"Yes,” said Andy, “We are from Dubai,” Pointing to his family.
“How do you like the temple,” Inquired the monk with an Indian accent.
"The architecture is beautiful and the sense of peace, the minute you enter the temple is amazing," said Andy.
"It was created for worship and a place of meditation. The design and architecture have been built by the monastery to enable a person to enter into a state of self-reflection," said the Monk.
"How long are you here for," he asked. "Just for a week," said Andy. “That's a pity you should take the time to discover yourself by spending time at the monastery, maybe the next time around?”
"Yes, most definitely,” said Andy, having no idea what the Monk meant. Smiling, he handed Andy an incense stick, pointing towards the place where thousands of incense sticks were already lit by other devotees. As Andy turned to leave, the Monk placed his hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You will become the sales director for your company before your next birthday, good luck and all the very best.”
CHAPTER 4
“Dad” shouted Eric, dazed and confused at what the monk had just told him, Andy turned to see Eric who was holding his leg in pain. He had locked his leg into the railings trying to get a glimpse of the fish pond. Andy ran over and slowly released Eric’s leg from the railing. Slightly bruised, he was crying in pain. The monk immediately led them to his office. It was a large room with a table in the corner. In the middle, there was a meditation mat and an old book which was spread out on the floor, mantras thought Andy. “Thank you, sir,” said Andy. “Call me Ginko,” said the monk smiling at Eric.
“You will be fine in just a moment.” Leading him over to a tap used to wash your legs and hands before entering the main hall. Ginko washed Eric's legs gently and told him there was nothing to be worried as the water had healing properties. “The bruises should be healed in no time,” he quipped.
Just when Andy thought to question him about his prophecy, Ginko’s mobile phone started ringing.
“Excuse me,” he kindly said and spoken in a foreign tongue that Andy could not recognise. “Apologising for not being able to spend more time due to more pressing matters. Enjoy your stay,” he waved and walked into the main hall.
Andy stood deep in thought when he felt someone pulling at his shirt. Whirling around, he found Eric, who was waving his hand before his face.
"W
here are you, come back to earth, " he giggled. "Look at my leg, the bruises have disappeared," he said.
Andy reached out for Erick's leg to get a closer look. He was right. There were no signs of any bruising.
"Do you feel any pain?”
“Nope, nothing at all.” Rubbing the bruised area, he whispered, “Can't even feel any pain when I press on it. That's amazing. Get a bottle dad, we need to take as much as water from the tap as we can. I want to tell mum and Ava about this.”
That’s strange, thought Andy. Me, a sales director in 2 months, October 10th being my birthday? It's impossible.
Andy worked for an IT company based in Dubai owned by the Kareem family. The unit was headed by their youngest son Omar. He had visited Dubai 20 years ago and had instantly fallen in love with the region and prospects for business. Despite a lot of opposition from his family in Morocco he left and started a trading company in Dubai. Over the years, he expanded into multiple industries and successfully build a conglomerate of companies. Andy worked for the IT solutions firm. Omar believed in being close to his employees and always had an open-door policy. He directly participated in the running of all the companies, but had employed Directors for each of the units. Tony Campbell, the current Sales and Marketing Director, was Andy’s Boss. He was a successful IT Professional from London and had worked with many of the top IT firms before joining Omar. The story goes that Tony had bumped into Omar during one of the conferences in London and after a few emails appointed him to lead the sales team in Dubai. Given his experience, it seemed impossible that he will be given the position of Director in a matter of 2 months, especially when there are no signs of trouble. Even if Tony was switching jobs, Directors had a three month notice period and from Andy’s knowledge, Tony had not resigned or was asked to put down his papers. So the whole prophecy of becoming the IT Director in 2 months seemed impossible. Andy moved on to explore the rest of the temple, as he was gazing at the Buddha statue when he felt Cara's hand holding his arm.
The Quantum Cypher Page 1
