_____ May 20, 2018 _____

This chapter is dedicated to Jithesh (JitheshShetty). Thank you for all your advice and also, for listening to everything I had to say!

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- niha -

"So, you mean.. You mean, T, Hastha and Doc has gone to.."

"HISTORY! Yes!" Rami finished whatever I started.

I sat down with a thud on the chair. All this was too much for one day. My leg didn't even hurt anymore. I actually felt more pain in my head than in my knees. Yesterday, when I was shot at the street, I thought, 'This is it! This is how I was destined to end!' But, then I woke up with everyone right around me. Basically, I got another life. I couldn't feel my body because of the pain my legs were radiating. Rami's neat band aiding work also didn't seem to make any difference. He kept giving me painkillers, but nothing worked. I guess, it was in my head, this pain that I felt on my knee. Looking at everyone, Avi, April, Nick, Jake look at me like I just delivered a baby and I'm alive while it was told I will be dead, was weird. Avi had tears in his eyes, April looked like she just wrote her final exams with super high fever, Jake looked like his long lost wish came true, and Nick, the look of a little sister being born, full smiling. All these mixed expressions when they all met me after I woke up actually gave me a little life alongside the smile. And now, after all this talks by Rami and his body reveal and the darkness this KRI actually spread around itself, destroying everyone and everything to the core, my knee pain was nothing compared to the pain my head experienced right now. I hate the letters K, R and I forever!

"But.. How? Why Infinity? I mean, why would it take them to History? What possible connections can it have?"

"That is the next stage of Kanishk's theories. I learned the language that pen plotter plots. It was one hell of thing to do! Took almost 6 months to understand and still not clear. I went to the Company that manufactured this Instrument. They had no idea about the language as it was only one machine that was manufactured and it was kept secret from the world. But, there was one person there, who was an assistant and he gave me his number secretly in a slip he slid into my hands when I was just leaving after hours of begging! I called him, and we arranged a meeting. He said, he knew the language and handed me a manuscript. It had various sets of waves, the same that the machine is writing right now. He said, it is called the Milohatic Script. It was used in the time when there were no scripts, that is, when humans didn't speak in languages. They communicated using waves and weird sounds which had patterns. So, basically, Histograph was designed using that language. But, it is very difficult to understand anything it had written in those trials they conducted while the making. And, since KRI wanted Histograph done before it officially opened, they didn't even bother to know more or dig deeper into the case. He said, I was the first one ever who came to ask about the script that the plotter wrote. He also wanted to know what was the substance that gave those readings. I told him it was just my interest. So, after learning the manuscript and Kanishk's papers, I got what I wanted, but it was incomplete. So, I had to create Infinity again for the complete story. And.." He pointed at the Machine. The paper and the plotter was still moving. Wait! Holy Shit! It had Infinity inside it, that's why it was moving. 

"So?"

"So.. I successfully created Infinity, 3 months back and got my remaining answers, I guess. And, your 3 friends who went missing proved everything I learned. Even those two reporters back then. But it is still vague, the information I have. And.. that Infinity right now in that box is what I got from KRI a week back. The sample I got after the recent missing from that same room where they dissapeared."

"And it still gives readings? Wow!"

"Yes.. That's why they went missing, don't you get it? But, still, it was a surprise for us too!"

"Why a surprise?"

"Because as any another virus, Infinity had it's side gigs too. It couldn't last for a long time in air with all this chemicals and pollution. And, to know that KRI is dirty as hell, it is practically impossible for Infinity to last in that place without showing any sign. One of it's properties was it hated Pollution. Infinity went all allergic and rough giving you nausea and shit ass itching when left in air. So, to know, I or your Dad or anyone living near the area never got any of these things even if we were right under it for these many years and it also gives readings, meaning it's alive, but, what's keeping it alive? It is a surprise, don't you think?"

"So, it is like Infinity is getting it's power from somewhere. For 6 years, it got it's power from somewhere, like, it's power to be alive?"

"Maybe. Yes. But, where? Freaking hell with these Scientists in KRI. One job they had, to know Infinity's properties, strengths, weaknesses when still a virus, and they couldn't even do that right! Freaking Assholes!" Rami went crazy.

"Hey. Maybe the answer lies in KRI. I mean, something that is in KRI is giving Infinity the strength obviously! Something, just like Infinity that didn't burnt up along with the blast, that was there before and after the downfall, something, that no one had any idea about. Don't you think?"

"Maybe. But, how do you explain the Pollution surviving?"

"Hey! You are underestimating Infinity now, don't you think Rami?" peeked in Avi. "For all I know, Infinity on those walls have been through a lot! A blast, no nurture, pollution as you say. Don't you think for something as smart as it is, it couldn't evolve? I mean, make itself survive through Pollution and bad weather and harsh living space when it has a fuel, when it has food, when it has an energy source that gives it a life, which we need to find, it would find a way to survive, don't you think?"

"Damn! You might be right there! So, what do we do now?"

"Go back and check?" I hated Jake at the moment. And guess what?

"No! No! Not again. We can't do it!" I saw everyone with a wicked smile looking upon at me like I was the one remaining to smile. They can't go back to that Devil's Paradise! Not that they're going to stop if I say!

"Guys.. Who's in?"

"But first, we should know where and how Infinity is connected to History right?" I needed a reason to stay.

"I can tell everything there. It would be better actually, to tell you the details over there." I hate Rami, too. "Hey, Little Smile. Trust me, nothing's going to happen to your friends. I made a mistake running away from this once, I won't ever again. And I promise you, you all will be safe. All I'm asking is, trust me? I know after all the Shadow Darkness I put you through, I don't deserve your trust. But please?"

"No Rami, you didn't do anything wrong, okay? And I do trust you. It's just that I can't lose any one of you, again! And with this knee, I can't even walk there with my heads up. I don't want to look weak i n front of Infinity!" I was serious, but everyone laughed and hugged me for that. Why do I feel like I'm a 10 year old among all the adults here? I hate this.

So, I was carried by two Chowta's all the way up. This time it was the Father and the younger son I was on. He offered. I couldn't refuse. Nick backed out.

I was made to sit in the wagon at the back seat, while everyone else settled in. It was 2 o' clock in the noon. Rami grabbed a set of papers and got in the driving seat with Swaroop Uncle right next to him. 

And there! We left to the Hellhole I thought I would never ever visit, ever again!

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So, unexpected, but yes.. this chapter came up.

Do vote if it deserved it.

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