Chapter 13: A Strange Watch

  At that moment, a mechanical spider the size of a person had reached the tree where Alex was hiding. Tension gripped Alex to the extreme, and he was prepared for the worst—he was ready to charge out and spray bullets in every direction.

  The mechanical spider extended its powerful antennae and snapped the tree in half. As the tree fell to the ground with a crash...

  There was no one there. Not a single person in sight.

  Even more surprising, the mechanical spider scanned the area but couldn’t detect any human heat signatures.

  Finally, the mechanical spider gave up its search. Without hesitation, it retreated from the forest, heading in another direction.

  What just happened? Where did Alex go?

  Under the tree that had just been split in half, there seemed to be no one around. Yet, suddenly, a man's voice echoed.

  “Is it safe now?”

  Out of nowhere, two figures materialized beneath the tree—one was Alex, and the other was an unfamiliar middle-aged Asian man.

  Alex, surprised, asked, “Who are you? How did you do that?”

  He had no idea why the mechanical spider seemed to have missed him.

  The man seemed to have used something similar to a flashlight to do something.

  “I’m Jayang. That was just a little trick. Follow me!”

  The man quickly stowed the flashlight-like device away and gestured for Alex to follow him. Though Alex was suspicious, the night had fallen, and he had no choice but to follow this mysterious stranger.

  Before long, the man led Alex to a hidden part of the forest, where a crashed small plane was embedded in the ground. The man carefully pushed aside the twisted roots of a tree, revealing a hidden space beneath.

  The man descended into the space and immediately turned on an emergency light. Alex followed him down, feeling a strong sense of curiosity about the underground chamber, and he kept looking around.

  "Where are you from?" Alex asked.

  The man grabbed Alex’s arm in a nervous manner, causing Alex to jump in surprise and stammer:

  “…ok… I’m from the Rock Hill Shelter, sent to find a scientist… Wait, that crashed plane… you’re the scientist?”

  Alex quickly pieced the situation together and realized that the person who had saved him was the very scientist he had been sent to rescue.

  “My name is Jayang Tshering Dorje... I’m a scientist... You’ve been looking for me? Thank goodness…”

  Dr. Jayang stared at Alex in disbelief. Alex then began to explain everything...

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  ____________________________________________

  As nightfall descended, the scent of curry wafted through the underground space. Dr. Jayaong served a steaming bowl of fragrant curry to Alex, and under the dim light, he began telling his story.

  "I come from Tibet. Before 2032, I was a graduate researcher at MIT. I'll never forget the day artificial intelligence awakened. The entire world fell into chaos. Cities were illuminated by bright orbs, and that’s when we realized something terrible was happening. They attacked us with nuclear bombs... They created the first wave of mechanical armies. Fires spread across the land... cries of despair filled the air. It was terrifying," Dr. Jayaong recounted.

  Alex listened intently, his mind reeling from the horrors he'd never known. He then asked, "And then what happened?"

  Dr. Jayaong continued, "At first, I helped research ways to fight against these machines in some secret labs, but nothing worked. The mechanical armies found every lab, and we had no choice but to keep running... until now."

  As Alex finished his curry, he frowned in confusion and asked, "So, humans can’t defeat these machines... then why did the resistance send me to find you?"

  Dr. Jayaong fixed Alex with a mysterious stare, leaning in closer as he said, "During my time on the run, whenever I felt fear, I would recite Buddhist scriptures. Do you know what I thought of? I had an idea that seemed completely out of the ordinary. If we can't defeat them with tangible things, why not try something intangible?"

  Alex was perplexed, his brow furrowing. "Intangible? What do you mean?"

  Dr. Jayaong instructed him to wait and pulled something resembling a flashlight from his bag. "Do you know what this is?"

  Alex shook his head, and Dr. Jayaong activated the device. This time, Alex could clearly see what he hadn't noticed earlier. Instead of emitting light, the flashlight conjured an invisible barrier in the air. To his amazement, Dr. Jayaong himself became invisible from the front, as if the light itself bent around him.

  "How is this possible? What is this... something like air?" Alex asked, astonished as he touched the strange air wall, feeling the currents flow through his fingers.

  Dr. Jayaong explained, "This is called a 'distortion field.' It’s what Eastern cultures refer to as 'Qi.'"

  As Dr. Jayaong adjusted the air wall, he continued, "Qi exists in everyone. For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have studied this mysterious force. It allows a person to do many things that machines could never replicate or control. So, I devoted myself to studying it. I developed a method to tap into its true potential. This flashlight, for example, can channel a person's Qi into a lens that makes you invisible."

  Alex’s curiosity deepened, and he eagerly asked, "What else can it do?"

  With a sly grin, Dr. Jayaong stood up and pulled something else from his bag—a plain black electronic wristwatch.

  Alex took the watch with a skeptical look, holding it up and inspecting it. "Doc, this is just a regular watch... I don’t see anything special about it."

  Dr. Jayaong chuckled and climbed up to the entrance, quietly observing the outside conditions. "Don’t rush. You’ll see how special it is tomorrow when we head back to the Rockhill Refuge and find someone who’s suited to wear it."

  Dr. Jayaong kept an eye out for any movement outside. It seemed safe, so they could leave first thing in the morning.

  Alex, holding the watch, muttered, "I get it now... this watch glows. That’s pretty special."

  Dr. Jayaong was too focused on the surroundings to hear him clearly, and he responded absentmindedly, "What? Glowing?"

  Suddenly, Dr. Jayaong turned around, his eyes widening in shock. The watch in Alex’s hand was now emitting a rhythmic blue glow, almost as if signaling something important.

  Dr. Jayaong froze for a moment, staring at Alex. Then, with a deep, meaningful look, he said, "Maybe... we don’t need to find anyone else after all..."

  The next morning, Alex led Dr. Jayaong through the desolate streets of Olympia, heading to rendezvous with the rest of Team 6.

  "So, you said you were just here for a rescue mission, but now I hear you’re going to be the hero who saves the day? Wow, you're really straightforward," Dr. Jayaong teased.

  After spending the night together, Alex and Dr. Jayaong had become familiar with one another. Alex continued proudly, "The most important thing in my life is not to miss out on my beloved girl. I’d do anything for her—jump into fire, cross any danger. No hesitation!"

  Dr. Jayaong, taken aback by this confession, paused and asked seriously, "Alex... have you ever thought about... creating a better world first, so you won’t miss anyone?"

  This question left Alex momentarily speechless. He had never considered such a thought before.

  However, before he could think too much, a mechanical spider suddenly appeared right in front of them!