The Quantum Cypher

by Aaron Maximus

  CHAPTER 31

  Andy was getting impatient. He wanted to find out if the artefact he is holding, contains any valuable document and if yes, how to open it safely. Also, what makes it glow? He wanted answers and quickly.

  “Do you have any experience in making or opening these canisters?” He asked.

  “No, my father was the last one trained in the art of opening one. The reason is that apart from storing documents, sometimes there is an acid kept inside as an insurance. It will break and destroy the paper, if not opened properly. It was also dangerous for the person opening the canister, as it could injure or burn them. Also, if the parchment was destroyed by mistake, then the owner would avenge him. Many artisans in my village have been killed over losing the documents. So, my father was the last in line to have learnt this art. By the time I was a teenager, people has stopped using these devices for storage."

  Andy was contemplating if he must confess to the old man, that he was not here to buy a Taweez and let me in on the artefact. Andy was sure he was the right man to open the canister. But he wasn’t sure if he should even open it. The artefact did not belong to him. The person who kept it had left no instructions. As of now, there was no real threat from the group or person. However, if something untoward happened to the artefact, they may harm him and his family.

  It might be worth a fortune. What if the owner left it with him for safe keeping and land’s up any day to retrieve it. He was sure they had his contact details. They must have made a copy of his ID, passport and other documents.

  CHAPTER 32

  Andy decided to give it a good thought before telling Julius anything.

  From all the pictures and samples, he had seen at the shop he knew the canister was special. It was created with great care and the illumination of the artefact was a mystery.

  He continued to probe Julius “Tell me, do these things illuminate in the dark?” The old man was startled, “I’m sorry, what did you just say?” he asked with a surprised expression. Andy knew he should not have asked the question the minute he said it. It was too late, he had to just ride this one out and handle it smoothly.

  “I mean do these objects shine?” he asked changing his words.

  The old man suddenly relaxed. “Yes, depending on the coating, we can give it a matte or glossy finish. It’s up to you.”

  Andy casually asked, “Why did you look so startled, when I asked you if these things glow?”

  “Oh that, well” hesitated the old man but he had taken a liking to Andy and didn’t want to disappoint him. “I have heard my grandfather talk about a metal that glows. He said it was from space. There was a discussion at my house and I overheard him talk about it. I believe the metal used to glow in the dark.”

  This is interesting, thought Andy. I could have never imagined that it has been made with a substance from space. “You mean to say it had a self-illuminating property?”

  “Yes, it does. Personally, I haven’t seen it. Just as you mentioned it now, I remembered this topic being discussed at home many years ago, which caught all our fascination. “Have you come across anything like that?” asked the old man looking keenly at Andy. “Nope,” said Andy with a smile and looked away casually.

  CHAPTER 33

  “So, what type of Taweez do you want? For protection, or purpose built?” asked Julius.

  Andy felt trapped. He had to go with the flow if he didn’t want the old man to suspect him.

  “I’ll go for protection, where do you get the script from?”

  Julius quickly bent down to retrieve a book full of scripts. “I had this done by a priest and it is very powerful. I have a script for almost anything under the sun.”

  Baffled at what he saw, he asked Julius. “So, you're telling me that these scripts have the power to bring specific results, but how? It’s just a piece of paper with text on it. How do you guarantee results?”

  “Good question,” said Julius. “Have you heard of affirmations?”

  “Yes. They are verses you say to manifest a specific result.” replied Andy.

  “Correct. Now how do they work?"

  “I have no idea,” said Andy. “I have never tried it out.”

  Julius, without being annoyed at Andy for asking numerous questions, patiently started to explain.

  “The concept is that we are a drop in the ocean called life and each one of us have a path and destiny to fulfil. No matter how bad one’s life maybe he or she has a role to play in the system of life. It’s like a plant’s life cycle. The plant starts life as a seed, which germinates and grows into a plant. The mature plant produces flowers, which are fertilised and produce seeds in a fruit or seedpod. The plant eventually dies, leaving seeds which germinate to produce new plants, said Julius. Every element has a role."

  “The script is similar to this. The only difference is, it's written down and kept inside a protective container as the elements come in contact with one another, It generates the energy which will aid in the completion of the desired task.

  In the case of protection, energy is trapped. And I am not sure how it works but my guess is that the paper neutralises the electrical impulse and acts like a circuit breaker.”

  CHAPTER 34

  It was all so new to Andy and it was too much information to synthesise all at once. He looked at his watch. An hour had passed. He had to get back home.

  Andy quickly rose from his seat and thanked the old man for his time and wisdom.

  “It was nice meeting you. We will be in touch.”

  They shook hands and bid goodbye. Just as Andy turned to leave, Julius called out for Andy and asked him to come back. He quickly opened one of the cupboards and retrieved a blue and white glass evil eye pendant.

  He attached the pendant to a black string and said “This is for you. Wear this till I create the Taweez. You should not wear multiple amulets as they will interfere with each other and will not be effective.”

  Wondering what he was trying to imply, Andy simply thanked him and left.

  CHAPTER 35

  The phone rings at Andy’s residence. Ava answers it and a deep voice on the other side asks for Andy.

  “Dad, call for you,” she said handing over the receiver.

  “Who is it?”

  “No idea. Didn’t give me a name."

  “Hello, is this Andy?”

  “Yes, how can I help you?” asked Andy.

  The person on the other side spoke in a deep oriental accent.

  “Hope you are doing well. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Tsang and I am calling you from Hong Kong.”

  Andy’s heart skipped a beat. Had they found him and now what? he thought.

  He gingerly asked, “What is this about?”

  “You have come in the position of something of great value and demand.”

  “What are you talking about?” queried Andy, pretending to be ignorant.

  “Please sir, let’s not waste time. I know you have it and all I wanted to tell you is that you were chosen to have it.”

  “Have what?” persisted Andy.

  Tsang ignored him and continued, “Please make sure it does not fall into the wrong hands. Its power can be misused to create havoc.”

  “We will get in touch with you when the time is right to collect it.”

  “Collect what?” continued Andy, hoping for some detailed information from Tsang.

  “Good, I am glad you are keeping this up. It's the right thing to do for your own safety. If you manage to open it, do not reveal it to anyone. There are many, who would kill to have it!”

  Before Andy could react, the line went dead. He quietly placed the receiver back and tried the phone call history to get the last received number. It just said private number.

  Can this be traced? I guess I must contact the local phone company and they will require a valid reason. Apart from that, I think they will need a court order he thought.

  Cara questioned him from the next room, “So they know whe
re we live and have our details.”

  “Well, that was expected. But again, they are not trying to harm us."

  “How do you know it’s a group?”

  “Well, he said that I was chosen to have it. They will get in touch with me when the time is right. He told me that people would kill to have it and I must protect it and it should not let it fall into the wrong hands.” informed Andy.

  “So, what is it? A crazy psycho gave you some kind of a bio-weapon?” asked Cara, trying to figure out the object.

  “One more thing, he mentioned that if I manage to open it, I should be careful not to reveal its content to anyone. Clearly, they do not have a problem with me opening the canister. But what’s inside is something of a great value.”

  “If it was dangerous, he would have asked me not open it. On the contrary, I think he wants me to open it!” said Andy.

  “Nonsense! You are just building this story to aid your curiosity. I know you went to the jewellers shop to find out more about this artefact and now you are steering this phone call to suit your plans.”

  Andy was startled at the words of Cara and the accusations being thrown at him but knew that it was the protective nature of his wife. She has been at her wit’s end since the start of this mystery and the current situation was not helping.

  “I assure you, it is not like what you think. I am telling you the truth. I know this whole episode is taking a bad turn. But I promise you, the safety of my family is my top priority.”

  Cara felt a pang of guilt for speaking out that way but held back on the apology. She thought its better Andy is cautioned, it will deter him from being reckless with the artefact.

  CHAPTER 36

  Alone, at last, I can finally try and figure out the gravity of the situation, thought Andy. Maybe I should call dad and appraise him of the latest development.

  His father always advised him that when he found himself in a sticky situation, he should share it with a third person, who can give him a detached viewpoint.

  Andy decided it’s best to discuss the matter with his dad. He also wanted to ensure that someone other than his family is up to date with the issue, should something untoward happen to them.

  He placed the call to London. Ted answered it immediately.

  “All okay?” asked Ted in haste, without the usual pleasantries.

  “There's a new development. I received a call from the thief,” informed Andy.

  Bringing his dad up to speed on the call he waited for his inputs. “I will call you back in 10 minutes,” said Ted and the line went dead.

  Andy knew what Ted must be doing now. He would be writing down all the facts in a piece of paper, and drawing a connection chart linking all the events together and predicting the next step. Waiting in anticipation on his couch, he fell asleep.

  Thirty minutes later, the phone rang and Andy surfaced from his deep slumber to answer it.

  “Okay let's see,” sounded Ted’s confident voice through the phone.

  “A person called Tsang called you. He is aware of the artefact and advised that it should not fall into the wrong hands. You are supposed to hold on to it, till they want it back. I don’t think these guys are trying to harm you or your family.”

  Andy felt strange the way his addressed Cara, Ava and Eric as “your family” but he guessed. It was part of the process. Ted wanted to give a third person perspective and that was one of the reasons Andy reached out to him.

  “Whatever you have in your possession carries great value and the people who spoke to you have asked you to keep it safe. The substance inside the canister is neither chemical nor biological in nature because I am sure Tsang would have asked you not to open it if that was the case. On the other hand, they have given you money and have warned about the perils involving the artefact. I am sure you have met them in Hong Kong. They have monitored your activities and have meticulously collected information about you before hiding the artefact in Cara’s suitcase.” reasoned Ted.

  He continued “They are trying to protect the artefact from someone very powerful in Hong Kong. Why else would they take the risk of handing it over to a person from another country? The fact that Tsang cautioned you about divulging any information of the artefact or its contents with anyone implies that they are fine with you opening it. You were also informed they would come back for it at the right time which suggests that the substance is not time sensitive. Can you send me the photo of the artefact? Maybe I can think of a way to open it.”

  Andy informed Ted about his meeting with Julius, the Jeweller and the things he had learnt.

  “Excellent!” said Ted. “Meet him and if you are confident you can ask him for his help in opening the artefact. I think it is vital that we know what is inside.”

  Both agreed on the next steps. Once this matter was out of the way, Ted enquired about Cara and kids. He also asked him about his work, while Andy enquired about his mum, who was taking a nap. They closed the call by agreeing to stay in touch and informing each other of any further developments.

  CHAPTER 37

  It was 4 P.M., Andy was waiting for a call from Julius. Getting impatient, he decided to call him.

  “Hello, my name is Andrew Clarke. May I speak with Julius Please?"

  “He just stepped out. I can give you his mobile number if you wish,” said a voice on the other side.

  "Yes, please!” answered Andy.

  Just as Andy dialled the number, Cara walked into the room.

  “All set?” she asked.

  “For what?" replied Andy, with a puzzled look.

  “Have you forgotten? Tomorrow is your first day of work. It appears that you have enjoyed the holidays so much that you don't remember you have to be at work tomorrow.”

  “Oh no, this has got me stumped. I have a lot of things to do, where is my organiser?” Andy felt like he was going in circles. His attention was completely on the artefact and now the sudden realisation that he had to get to work disoriented him. Not knowing where to start he pulled out his organiser and quickly jotted down the things he needed to do before work. The list was long. He usually divided the tasks over a couple of days. That way he could enjoy his holidays and not feel the strain. Andy was disorganised by nature but he was forced to get organised as it was the difference between failure and success. Andy was not gifted with a great memory and that always lead to embarrassing situations. To tackle this problem, he started using a notebook to jot down the names of places and people he visited. Andy had a daily log of tasks. He integrated this list into his schedule so nothing slipped through the cracks. He quickly created a task list and took an inventory of the activities that needed to get done. The meeting with Julius had to wait till he got through the first week of work.

  CHAPTER 38

  5:30 A.M., the alarm rings by Andy’s bedside. Turning it off, he walks over to the bathroom quickly washes his face and changes into his track pants and

  T- Shirt. 20 minutes later, he starts running on to the Jumeirah Beach Cornish.

  Andy never worked out during weekends and on holidays. But on work days, he made sure he got out every morning and ran for 45 minutes around the Cornish. It kept him active and sharp at work. Soon after he reached home, he walked over to the breakfast table with the newspaper in his hand. Andy was religious about having at least two meals which are mostly breakfast and dinner with his family. He believed it kept the family together and Cara felt the same way. It allowed them to take stock of day ahead and the day that went by. After school activities, other events were shared during breakfast.

  Andrews had employed a domestic help, Jane, from the Philippines. She was on annual vacation and was not expected back until next week. They usually coordinated the travel plans of the family with Jane, but this time around, she had extended her vacation.

  Andy’s office was based in the business district, a hub for the technology companies in Dubai. The morning traffic was horrific and getting a parking spot outside the office was a cha
llenge. One had to go around constantly finding a parking spot.

  Andy arrived at work and walked over to the reception desk. He was greeted with a big smile from Lizzy, the super-efficient, multi-talented receptionist.

  He spent the next 10 minutes talking about his trip and then he placed a souvenir which was bought from Hong Kong Disney Land in a glass cabinet, a custom that was followed by employees who returned from their vacation. The cabinet was overflowing with souvenirs from all over the world. The other custom was to get chocolates and confectioneries. Opening a box of Chinese Fortune cookies, Andy placed them on the receptionist desk for others to help themselves.

  Andy walked over to his desk and found some envelopes. It was mailed from his P.O. Box. Going through the mails, he found the bills that he had expected and then stopped. There was a plain envelope with the Hong Kong stamp. Andy quickly glanced around to see if someone was watching him. Then quickly, he took out his phone and photographed the front of the envelope. Andy could tell by looking at the text that it was printed using a dot matrix printer. These printers were used by shops for printing receipts but were rarely used in homes and offices. Turning around, he stared at the same seal. There was a letter clearly folded. Opening it he found the sentence, “We Know, You Know.”