The Quantum Cypher

by Aaron Maximus

"How did they manage to do this?”

  “I think there is a coating behind the symbol which reacts to light and the writings appear. This is the only explanation I can think of,” said Andy.

  “I guess you are right,” said Cara. “But what is the purpose of this device as it evidently holds something valuable and maybe the instructions on how to use it are on the cover. What script is it? I have never seen anything like this before.”

  “Yes. I searched on the internet but could not find anything like it, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” added Andy.

  "We have to open it and that is the only way we will know what is inside it."

  “No way! It's too dangerous," said, Cara. “I can't allow that to happen. I don't want you to open it when I am not in the house. You promised me that you would not play around with that stuff last night and here you are holding it. I don't trust you to keep your word as your excitement will cloud your reasoning. I am going to lock this thing myself and I will keep the keys."

  “Okay, so where are you going to keep it?” asked Andy slyly.

  “That’s a secret. It is only way I can make sure it remains safe.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Damn it, thought Andy. Life was just starting to get exciting and he had not felt this way since his college days. His college life was very adventurous. Thanks to his crazy bunch of friends. Every week they would ride to remote locations on their customised motorbikes. They would compete to show off their bike’s performance and design. They were also ardours of trekking and camping. They were real adrenaline junkies who would risk their life for some action. Andy attended rock climbing lessons during weekends and was always ready for any kind of adventure.

  Once, while still in school, his classmate discovered an old abandoned British bungalow. They would spend time after school exploring this place and he fell through the rotting wooden floor to the basement. It was completely dark and he was terrified. There was zero visibility and he asked his friend to get help. He was struck in the basement for close to 30 minutes before help arrived. The caretaker lived in a small house nearby and had come prepared with a wooden ladder. The caretaker told them the place was not a bungalow but a court house where people were hanged. The hole through which he has just gone down was the morgue. The property belonged to a wealthy businessman from Manchester, who wanted to build an apartment Complex. They were waiting for the government to sanction the work. The place was haunted and was advised not to play around anymore. Even though the experience was nerve-racking, the only thing that kept Andy calm during those 30 minutes was the sense of adventure. He felt the same way now and had to get the canister from Cara.

  Over the years, he had suppressed his love for mystery and adventure and inducted himself into family life. After Ava was born, he felt the need to concentrate more on his family. So, he kerbed his risk-taking behaviour to fulfil his responsibility as a father and husband. By the time Eric came along, Andy had been fully involved in the day-to-day running of the family, personal savings, work and family get-togethers had taken a priority. Andy had let himself loose during the few days of vacation and that was again a controlled environment where the safety of the kids took precedent.

  Now after so many years, a sense of intrigue and mystery beckoned him. His mind, body and soul craved like parched earth that tasted the first drop of rain. He had to find a way to explore the secrets of the cylinder without endangering the family.

  CHAPTER 26

  When Andy finally woke up from sleep, he found Ava sitting by his bedside.

  “We are waiting for you to have lunch.”

  “What time is it?” asked Andy.

  “It’s 1 P.M., dad.” answered Ava.

  Andy headed towards the toilet when he heard Eric telling Cara, “Do you know dad was snooping around the store room last night. I caught him with that cylinder in his hand,” he grinned and started to laugh when he saw Andy standing behind him.

  “Mama already knows you snitch. Ava, don't tell him any secrets, he will probably tell everyone,” said Andy.

  “Stop taunting my precious son. He is just doing the right thing,” said Cara.

  Andy made an angry face at Eric and then laughed out loud. After lunch, Andy switched on the TV and grabbed some lemonade to drink.

  “What are plans for the day? Thanks to you, we have only half the day left” Cara whined.

  “Don't worry. I will make every minute count. Let's do grocery and catch up on a movie and dinner,” offered Andy.

  “I hate grocery shopping, dad. I’ll pass,” declared Eric

  “I am with him,” said Ava. “Ok then, I will go later and pick up the grocery. Let's do the movie and dinner.”

  It was past 11 when the family returned home. The kids went into their room and Andy heard a commotion. “What happened?” he enquired heading into the room. The cupboard was glowing.

  Ah, so that's where she hid it, thought Andy.

  “What is that dad?” asked Ava.

  “Nothing to worry, Ava,” comforted Andy. It was beaming through the clothes. Evidently, Cara never thought it would be so bright.”

  “It's just a light from my old phone,” said Andy quietly concealing the artefact in a piece of cloth and headed out of the room. He placed it on the dining table and waited for Cara to return. 10 minutes later, he walked into the bedroom to find her fast asleep on the bed. It’s my lucky day, thought Andy. He can now examine the artefact without any interruption.

  CHAPTER 27

  Just as Andy picked up the artefact, he heard Cara walking out of the bedroom. There goes my chance, thought Andy. As he had expected, she saw the canister on the table and looked at him suspiciously. “It was glowing in the hiding spot you chose. I was under the impression you wanted to play it safe and you choose kid’s room of all places?” taunted Andy.

  “I agree. You are right. I must find another place. Until then let’s put it in the store room. Promise me you won't play around with it,” said Cara frustrated with the burden of safe keeping a strange object.

  “Okay if it makes you feel better, I promise not to touch this artefact."

  There is no way I am going to get my hands on it, he thought. Opening a suitcase, he placed the canister inside it. He locked the storeroom and handed over the key to Cara.

  “I trust you, darling. You can keep it in the safe.”

  Next day, Andy was woken up by the sound of the phone ringing. Hoping someone would answer and put him out of this misery, he put his head under the pillow. “Wake up! That was Jeena. She called to invite us for her daughter's 2nd birthday party.” Jenna was Cara’s assistant from work. She managed Cara’s appointments and helped her out with paperwork. Over the years, they became good friends and usually eat lunch together, also used to go out together on pay day to celebrate. “I will not have the time to get a gift once I am back at work. So let's do it today. Are you fine with it?”

  “It's fine with me. Ask the kids as they are the ones busier than me.”

  Over breakfast, the family discussed what to gift the two-year-old and it was finally decided on gold jewellery and a toy.

  The family set out to the Gold Souk in Dubai which is a traditional market (or souk). The souk is located in the heart of Dubai's commercial business district in Deira, in the locality of Al Dhagaya. The souk consists of over 300 retailers that trade almost exclusively in jewellery.

  On arrival, they started exploring various retailers and finally entered a Greek shop called a Tenor Jewellers. They specialised in Greek origin designs and hand made traditional Greek artefacts. The storekeeper was a young man in his mid-twenties and was accompanied by an elderly gentleman. They looked related, but Andy was not sure. Cara spent some time looking at the collections and asked for jewellery suitable for a two-year-old girl. The shopkeeper immediately picked up some jewellery from the kid’s section and Cara was impressed.

  “The jewellery designs are exclusive to our shop and we do not mass produce,
” said the elderly man. “The shop is owned by my family", the younger man added.

  “This is my father and my grandfather who is not here today takes care of the Jewellery making. It is a family tradition and we have been in this business for generations. All the designs you are looking at is perceived by my grandfather. We incorporated new designs to keep up with the times, but the same old methods and craftsmanship have been passed on from generations to make sure that the same quality is maintained.”

  “Do you have a factory in Dubai?” asked Andy.

  “We have a workshop for repair and assembly, but we import it from Athens. We are very famous back home and our family has stores in all the main ports.”

  He proudly took out a brochure and gave it to Andy which listed the store locations in Greece and in the major cities of Europe.

  “My entire family including six brothers and two sisters are involved in the business and we have started stores all over the world. We even got an offer from a finance house to go public but my grandfather declined as he wanted the business to remain with the family."

  “Have you found anything you like?” enquired Andy.

  “Yes!” said Cara pointing to a chain with the Disney character embossed in white gold.

  "Excellent choice", said the younger man.

  “I will take this,” said Cara moving to the cash counter.

  “Why don’t you pick up some fine jewellery from our new collection for yourself, madam?” asked the salesman trying to entice his customer. “We will give you a good discount too."

  “No, I came to get a gift. I will come back later,” said Cara.

  As Andy was preparing to move towards the door, his eyes fell upon a small cylinder crafted exquisitely and placed on a stand. “What is that?” enquired Andy.

  “That is what we call a Taweez, as it is known in these parts. You insert sacred scripts inside it and hang it around the neck using a silver or gold chain. We also have Taweez made for houses. It is the same thing but bigger. It primarily holds a piece of paper or secret substance which creates a positive energy. It is also used to protect against the effects of the evil eye, envy and bad luck.” explained the young chap.

  He continued, “We have been making these for generations. My grandfather is the one who designed this and will be in the store tomorrow. If you decide to buy, he can customise it with your name on it."

  Andy jumped at the opportunity. What if the canister had something similar, he thought.

  “I will drop by tomorrow,” said Andy to Cara’s surprise.

  CHAPTER 28

  The whole night, Andy kept thinking of Taweez. He was curious to know if the artefact was indeed similar to a Taweez. Would he be able to find a way to open it safely or find a way of knowing its contents?

  So the next day, he visited the store in the afternoon.

  At the store, he was greeted by the younger guy whom he met the previous day. After exchanging pleasantries, he went into a small room inside the store to fetch his grandfather.

  “Hello,” said the elderly man. "I am Julius. I believe you are Andy. My grandson told me that you are interested in the Taweez.”

  “Yes, that’s me,” said Andy trying to hide his excitement.

  "Please come with me," said Julius, leading Andy into the inner chamber of the shop. The room was brightly lit. In the middle of the room, was a table with precision instruments. He offered a seat and reached out for the catalogue. Opening it, Julius showed the range of designs they could produce.

  "I believe my grandson has told you about us. So I will spare you the sales talk. Would you like to buy or custom order? I make them myself. It took me many years to perfect the skill.” said Julius.

  “What do they use it for?” enquired Andy.

  Julius started to explain and share his profound knowledge on this subject. “The evil eye is believed to cause harm to a living or innanimate object. The supernatural harm may come in the form of a minor misfortune, disease, injury and in some case death.

  A person's fortune may turn sour overnight. They may face sudden finnacial difficulties, have a acne breakout before an important social gatering or may find themselves in a bad mood for no reason. Objects that are affected by the evil eye will break unexpectedly, motor vehicles breakdown and electrical appliance will fail. It is said to originate from the eye of one who feels jealous or envious towards the victim or object. The best way to protect oneself is to wear a protective amulet. The Turkish Evil Eye pendant, which is made of blue glass, mimics the eye and is said to absorb the negative energy. In India, salt is used to remove Evil Eye and in Greece garlands made of garlic are hung in the house to wade off the negative energy.” Feeling pleased with his explanation, Julius was now looking at Andy in anticipation.

  CHAPTER 29

  “So, is this supposed to help prevent bad luck?” clarified Andy.

  Julius was only happy to give more information.

  “It depends on what you want? The power of the Taweez comes from the script inside it. In the olden days, the paper was not used but the bark of a tree from the Himalayas. The material was durable and would last for ages. The ink that was used was called ashwagandha as it was made out of 8 ingredients. The local priest would recommend a script depending on the need of the person and we would be given instructions on how to use it. Sometimes the scripts had to be inscribed on the Taweez.”

  “You mean to say it’s inscribed on the metal?” asked Andy

  “Yes, said Julius. It is a skill that is not easily learnt and took me 25 years to master this art and my son who is nearly 55 is yet to master it. He has been at it for 30 years now and still cannot do it.”

  “Why not use laser?” asked Andy

  “No, it does not work. The effect of the taweez is in the script that is designed to interact with the outside environment. It is created for two reasons. Firstly, to stop negative energy from affecting you. Secondly, to manifest your desires.”

  "The first taweez is typically designed with the script locked into a cylinder and sealed so that it is waterproof. The typical metals used for this one are silver and brass as both metals have a high electromagnetic capacity. When negative energy is directed towards an individual, the Taweez encounters it first and traps the energy while the script dissolves it. I believe the paper inside basically neutralises the energy and that is why the case is sealed."

  "The second type of Taweez are the ones that are rare to find as there are only very few artisans in the world who know how to make them. It primarily generates its own energy. My grandfather was one of the best-known artisans in the whole of Greece, who used to be called upon to make this Taweez for the rich and the famous. The Taweez used to take months of work to be prepared and the materials had to be selected with care. The chosen script had to be hand etched into the metal but the difficult part was to write on the metal so that the script was the same on both sides. This meant the script should be readable from the opposite side. Once ready, this was rolled into a cylinder through which air could pass and it was worn around the neck of the person who it was made for. The script contains the name of the person so if someone else wore, it will not work as it was created only for one master.”

  Andy's mind was racing. So, could the artefact be the second type of Taweez? Was it made for someone special or does it have the magical power to manifest the desires of the person who possess it, he thought.

  CHAPTER 30

  It was almost like Julius was reading Andy’s mind when he said: “Taweez were created also to hold very important papers or documents, like a will of a king.”

  Andy was now totally tuned in and probed him further.

  “The document canisters, were they made in the same way as a Taweez?”.

  “No. The ones for documents are much more complicated and difficult to make. The canister is designed for protection and is sealed from both ends. This prevents water and other natural elements from destroying the script. It can even be exposed
to fire for a few minutes, but prolonged exposure would destroy the document. I have some documents my grandfather had shared on how to make these containers. Where did I put them?” muttered Julius to himself.

  “In fact, I browsed through them a few weeks ago, while taking stock of the inventory, there it is!” he said reaching out to a book that was made of parchment paper with drawings and instructions on how to make the document container.

  “Let me translate it for you,” he said staring at the documents for a few minutes.

  “Let's see, you first identify the material which has to be mixed with silver, brass and gold. The ratio is given here. This I believe is perfect for designing the case, as it allows to be very stable. The metal is made into a thin sheet and the outer layer is inscribed with the designs and has the royal seal of the house. Next, the sheet is rolled into a tube using heat and is then left to cool. A second sheet is then beaten to create another tube. This one has no engravings and serves as a second level of protection. The caps are sealed onto the inner metal tube with the documents inside. Since the document is flammable, they used the bark of a tree. Himalayan birch, is a birch tree native to the Himalayas, growing at elevations up to 4,500 m. There are specific uses of the different parts of the tree. The white, paper-like bark of the tree was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit scriptures and texts. It is still used as paper for the writing of sacred mantras, with the bark placed in an amulet and worn for protection.”

  “The true brilliance of this system is in sealing the container securely so the documents can remain intact for centuries. This is done by applying a small layer of glue which seals the documents on the inside by allowing air to be removed creating a vacuum, preserving the paper perfectly for centuries. Now the only way to open the container is to break the seal which will release the vacuum. Once opened, you can’t seal it back to its original state. This way, the owner of documents can know if its contents have been compromised.”