Fix the Gravity- Part 2
Walking through the house felt like wandering around an old museum, only more realistic. The flagstone floor led into the living room, complete with wooden antique furniture. Michael quietly followed Sir Newton up the ornate oak staircase, into the second floor of the house and to his study. The study was littered with books and papers in every nook and corner. Two to three wooden cabinets stood against each wall, all filled with rows and rows of books. A table was place in the middle of the room, with one chair against it, while two more chairs were drawn upto the open window, under the sun.
"Do you mind bringing one of those chairs, and then we can further discourse on my writings that you may help copy."
Michael's swiftly drew a chair and sat facing the father of Physics. His eyes widened when Sir Newton placed in front of him his original notes on….refraction of light.
"Here are notes from my experiments on optics, pardon the scribbles." Sir Newton stepped to the window. "If you do not mind copying them in entire sentences, I will be here working on some equations."
Michael nodded and watched Sir Newton plop himself down on the chair and continue to examine his papers. That would not do, Michael thought. He must find a way to 'Re-establish system connection to law of universal gravitation' like the tablet said in its instruction. As esoteric the objective was, it was definitely related to Sir Newton's discovery of the universal gravitation.
"Sir, I have worked little on optics," Michael requested, "Would it kindly be possible if I work on the subject of mathematics, instead?"
Sir Newton looked up from his paper, his brows furrowed. "Remarkable. Most young man have little interest in mathematics. I have this one little problem here, but it is not ready to be copied." Sir Newton stood up. "Allow me to fetch some of my pages from downstair. It will be few moments.
"That sounds perfect, Sir." Michael gave Sir Newton a bright smile.
Soon as the young Sir Newton left the study, Michael softly walked over to the paper he was working on.
'Interaction between heavenly bodies' it said.
Michael rushed over to the tablet to lower its volume, the page still in his hand.
The tablet's blue LED light was blinking. Michael's eyes darted over to the piece of paper with Sir Newton's scribblings and the equation. He touched the page to where the light was flashing on it. No response other than the same message.
Michael groaned internally. He knew theft of Newton's one of the greatest work would be a terrible idea. He searched for a slot in the tablet but there was only one, for a charger. He could already hear Sir Newton's footsteps up the stairs. As a last resort, he held the paper in front of the tablet and a suddenly a light flashed.
Yessss, Michael internally screamed. Then, quickly replacing the note on the table, he pushed the green button on his gadget.
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Master Ishu was absorbed staring at his computer screen, his face lit up from its LED. He jumped when Michael announced his presence.
"Ah, that was rather quick, Michael." Ishu turned around in his spinning chair. "I believe you fulfilled the first objective."
Michael presented the tablet with its display on. "No thanks to this! For a Systems Verse, your tablet has very low intuition. How can you teleport me to an entirely different century with that piece of…" Michael stopped himself. Having spent some time with the tablet, he found a bit odd to hurl profanities at it in its presence. It was a machine, but it did have an ability to process information, any information.
"Now, now. That tablet is still an old model. Well, it is your first assignment. I could not really give you the state-of-the-art operating systems right away, could I?"
Michael glared at him.
"How about this? You solve this quaint little problem, I will upgrade your tablet device with a state-of-the-art system?"
"And I understand fulfilling the first objective was not enough to solve the issue, and there are five more quests I will have to complete?"
Michael walked over to the machine that looked like a coffee maker and grabbed a cup from the counter, in the room.
"Well, you will decide how many, as you so elegantly put, quests you will complete. I am only here to guide you if you need me." Ishu turned back to his computer screen.
Michael pressed the button of the coffee maker but what came out was green and herbal. Michael did not care and gulped it down.
"And once I am done solving the problem of gravity, you will give me my phone back and I will be free to go back to my previous life, to my family."
Ishu studied Michael's face for a second. "But, you see, to them, you are already dead. You can go back to them, but they will not recognize you."
Michael stared at Ishu, his cup of green liquid frozen halfway to his lips.
"By bringing you back here, the system has changed. In earth 2021 system, you have passed. And for that, you have my condolences." Ishu's guilty look kept Michael from retorting. "Your role, now, is to resume your duties here. I wish I could tell you more about your old life here, but all we have is what is there in the tablet."
"And where did you find this tablet?" Michael sensed the answer that was coming.
"The company gave it to you when you first arrived here, a thousand years ago. We just upgraded the hardware a little. All its data and operating system, they are still the same."