HORIZON 1.1

Part-24

"Are you going somewhere?" Bob inquired as he entered Shiva's apartment and noticed Shiva dressed up for a party.

"It's a naming ceremony," Shiva replied, closing the door behind him.

"So now people are inviting you."

"Just a friend; he needs my assistance. Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?" Shiva asked, taking a seat on the couch.

"Sir, I own the largest bar in this city. I don't drink this cheap product you're about to offer."

"I apologize; that's the best I can offer," Shiva replied.

"Don't worry, the news I bring deserves to be celebrated. That's why I brought this," Bob said, placing a bottle of expensive alcohol on the table in front of Shiva.

"This is very expensive. I can't believe a businessman like you would share this with me," Shiva said, searching for the briefcase he had left with Bob. "You must be making a lot of Jules, but I must tell you, I will not sell my bird."

"Not every celebration is about Jules, my friend. Sometimes fame is more important than wealth," Bob replied, placing the briefcase on the table. "And yes, this soul is now all yours."

"What?" Shiva brought two glasses and poured drinks for both of them. They silently enjoyed their drinks.

"What were you saying? This bird is my soul. How is this possible?" Shiva asked, finishing his glass.

"I thoroughly examined this soul in every possible way and discovered some very interesting things." Bob finished his glass and replied, holding the briefcase, ready to open it. "Are you ready?"

"Why?" Shiva shifted his attention from refilling the glass to the briefcase.

Bob opened the briefcase, and the bird materialized and leapt onto Shiva, beginning to play with him.

"She looks happy," Shiva said, caressing the bird lovingly. "What did you do with her?"

"Nothing; I just examined her."

"Did you find anything or not?" Shiva asked.

Ron, who had been silently resting in a corner, ran to the bird in excitement and started playing with her.

Bob took out a device and placed it on the table. "Take a look at this," he said, pressing a few buttons on the device, and a hologram of a bird appeared, displaying the bird's outline and small moving particles within.

"Back when I was a soul expert, before I delved into the dark web and changed my career path to open an agency and later a bar, I had the chance to manipulate many souls. You can see this here." Bob zoomed in on the hologram of the bird's brain. "Unlike us, these souls require very few particles, just enough for their body and basic functions like routine. These are the free particles in her brain that I'm referring to."

Bob pointed to some moving particles inside the bird's brain, trying to explain it to Shiva. "These souls continue to utilize these particles throughout their lives to remember, perform tasks, and acquire new skills. Moreover, over time, these particles are gradually depleted."

"I'm not really following your explanation," Shiva admitted, his attention still focused on the bird and Ron playing.

"I understand if my theory is not engaging for you," Bob said, setting the device aside.

"I think we should appreciate your theory." Shiva handed Bob his glass and raised a toast. "Please continue."

"Alright, so when someone approaches us to modify their souls, we essentially open the soul's brain and adjust the connections between these particles. This results in a change in the soul's appearance. Quite complex, isn't it?" Bob closed the device and took a sip from his glass.