The Army of Minds

Chapter 4

Jacob continued.

"To tell you the truth... I'm a researcher and a scientist. I've seen some questionable events, but this... " he paused and looked from side to side, as if he was expecting someone to be watching him. " this does not abide with the laws of this world. "

"That means wha-"

"It means something like this is not supposed to exist. It means this, 'Dorath', is the very definition of an anomaly." Jacob said hastily. Beads of sweat were forming at his forehead.

"By anomaly you mean, it doesn't belong here?" Skich tried. The realization that the Dorath was still amongst them didn't phase the two too much... It was expected.

"Exactly... " he gave a quick glance at his sides again before he continued. " at the facility back on Principè, we deal with... You could say some unbelievable things. We have answers to the impossible, solutions to the inevitable. One of the many things we've proven was that, there is a sovereign and absolute force that governs the world."

"God..." Brigh mumbled.

"Yes..."

"I assume you think He has something to do with this." said Skich.

Jacob shook his head. " We know... See, the world we live in has a limit, I mean this as in the things we do. We're bounded by physics basically, but did you know there's a way to bypass that regulation."

Skich laughed. "You mean become a superhero?!"

"No, " Jacob said shaking his head disappointed. " there's too much that plays into it that I cannot explain it to you in this short time. So let me say this, in the beginning when this world was made, God gave our species authority over the planet. We ruled over the land and some would say the water too. One of the major things we were given was a conscious and creative mind... Now with that we were given a parting gift... " He couldn't help but look around again.

"The Dorath." Brigh finished off.

Jacob nodded. It was as if he was ever so slightly shaking.

"There was only one thing it could do... " Jacob had to look around just one more time. It started to annoy the two partners. "and it stopped doing that. It was made to bring forth ideas, by this I literally mean they just appeared. I saw it with my own eyes back in 09'."

"So you're saying it was like a genie?" Brigh tried this time.

Again he shook his head. "Eerily enough, it was as if the Dorath had a mind of its own. It chooses what to grant and what to make happen. Because it's from God, it only does things that are ethical. Things that benefit our race. "

" And how do you know it's from Him?" Skich asked skeptically. There was a momentary silence, Jacob looked as if he was getting paler by the second. Clearly it could be seen that he was weighing the consequences of what he was about to tell Skich.

"It... told us." he managed.

This was one of the few things that genuinely caught Skich off-guard. Of all the things he's been told, to fathom this was difficult.

"It told you?" Brigh repeated, just as awed as Skich.

"Please just hear more... it'll all make sense by the end of this." Jacob said, while again turning his head to look around.
"Think of the greatest scientists from centuries ago, not everything they thought up was original." he continued.

"Meaning modernisation was a wish granted by this thing?" Skich pondered.

"Not entirely but... perhaps. See God didn't give this to us for the sake of doing whatever we please. Think of it like a cheat code for when we're really stuck."

"Okay... Now that, makes sense." Skich said partially satisfied.

A waitress came to the table to offer a menu and some drinks. All men denied and gave some time for her to get further away before they continued.

"Jacob... This exceeds my expectations."

Jacob looked confused. "Already... then I'm curious to see what you will think of what's about to happen next. Unfortunately I don't have much time so I'll try and tell you as much as possible before... "

"Before what?" asked Brigh.

"You'll find out soon... Anyway, the gist of what I know, you know now. Be careful who you share this with. There's a reason I was the only one who survived that night... "

"Yes! What happened that time?" Skich said.

Jacob twitched, he looked shocked. He then sighed... It was a really sad one, one of those sighs you take before accepting consequences you have no chance of changing. He looked defeated in that moment but, oddly enough he gave a half heartedly smile.

"That isn't my story to tell..." he said ever so softly.

"What do you mean..." said Skich.

"It's too late for me... But it'll tell you the rest."

"What will?"

Skich wasn't answered.

Suddenly, in a split second, Jacob went from giving the two a half hearted smile to his eyes rolling back into his head. Two white balls in his eye sockets looked back at them... The smile faded. He just sat there, his posture and everything else seemed normal... But those eyes.

Skich, never before had he felt like this. A feeling of immense dread and fear. It ate at his stomach screaming "Get out!" but he couldn't even stand up.

Move.

He thought but his legs were as heavy as concrete cylinders. As he was trying to move his legs, he came to a horrifying realization.

He couldn't move anything else.

Within seconds he broke into a cold sweat. He cursed in thought. On the other hand Brigh was also frozen. It looked as if he was a statue, no movement, not even in the slightest.

All that could be seen was the supposed 'eyes' of Jacob. How terrifying.

Can anyone else see this! Can they help. Where's Suez. Did he hear or see anything. He should be getting help right. Yeah he should. I think. I hope. What's happening to us! Are we going to die?

Skich's mind blew into a frenzy. An uncomfortable uncertainty slowly etched its way into his thoughts. Were they going to die or dissappear just like that day? Oh no, what if they were about to become victims of the Dorath aswell.

The fear kept rising and rising and rising until... The snap.

In that moment Skich's mind was falling further into a pit of dread, the weirdest thing happened. It was like a flickering light switch, all light went off and on in a nanosecond, fast enough for the people around not to notice but slow enough for Brigh and Skich to notice. Turns out they were made to move so slow, it looked like nothing was happening.

Once they came back on Skich jolted in his seat and screamed. He immediately got up and backed away from the table they were sitting at. Jacob was still there with those pearls in his head, but this time he was just looking at the two of them in pity. The frown confirmed it. Brigh sat in his seat hyperventilating, he was still frozen although he could move.

Skich kept backing away slowly until he bumped into a chair. He quickly turned to say sorry, but thats when he noticed.

This time they were the only ones moving. The cars looked parked in the middle of the road, the birds were stuck in the sky and the people eating at the restaurant all posed as if they were mannequins. He couldn't even feel the sun.

No... No... this shouldn't be happening.

Skich thought. Dread thick in his throat.

Why not?

A voice replied.