न कश्चित् अस्मान् तारयति केवलं स्वतः एव न कश्चित् शक्नोति न च कश्चित् स्यात् अस्माभिः स्वयमेव मार्गः अवश्यं गन्तव्यः यत् वयं स्मः तत् सर्वं अस्माभिः यत् चिन्तितम् तस्य परिणामः एव अस्माकं विचारेषु आधारितं अस्माकं विचारैः च निर्मितम् अस्ति।.
No one saves us but ourselves, No one can and no one will. We must walk the path ourselves, What we are is everything we think we are that's the result based on our thoughts and it is made up of our thoughts.
- Gautama Buddha
"Careful mate..."
"Curiosity is how the universe sinks its claws into you."
"Uhm, let me guess rough day huh kid?"
He asks, with a soothing and charming voice exuding a gravelly purr.
Yet the boy didn't flinch, nor even turn his head. With his eyes, the color of the ambers of a burning flame remained fixed on the horizon.
"The tide will take whatever it wants..."
Redd remarks his voice a flat monotone devoid of childish innocence.
"Always does."
As he skeptically raised an eyebrow, noticing that the boy is not the usual doe-eyed street urchin. Intrigued by this young enigmatic stranger's demeanor, he charismatically banters.
"Beautiful, isn't it?..."
As he takes a few steps closer towards the strange enigmatic youngster.
"The way everything just shifts about in sin city—the city of a thousand windows, did you know they say the city never sleeps?"
But still the boy remained silent, motionlessly staring off into the turbulent sea with an unnervingly vacant facial expression.
"I see deep thoughts for a little guy, huh"
He casually teases, while leaning against a rusty bollard.
"Hey squirt, you waiting for someone?"
And then sodeinly the boy slowly turns his head around, and speaks with a rather unsettling direct gaze.
"No one ever comes for me."
His voice reminiscent of a weariness that belittled his age, something Redd had personally learned to recognize from countless broken souls he'd encountered in his own lifetime.
"Yep, they never do."
Redd leveled with the boy, a low-dry and slightly sarcastic demeanor while trying to put a read on him.
"Tell me about it mate, story of my life."
Pulling out a crumpled pack of synth-cigarettes, offering one to the child.
"Want one? Sort of builds character, or at least that's what I've been told."
The boy stared at the cigarette being handed out to him and then back at the man handing it out.
And then all of a sudden in a single glimpse something unreadable concurrently flickeres in his eyes.
"They're poison."
Then Redd blatantly laughs at the boy's statement, while completely at ease with a magnetic confidence radiating from his casual pose and charismatic demeanor.
"Look around kid, everything's poison..."
He retorted, whilst lighting his own cigarette with a plasma lighter.
"It's all just a matter of taste really."
As he unapologetically comes to his conclusion, whilst exhaling a plume of acrid smoke into the cold air.
"Ah, where are my manners. The name's Redd by the way, and you are?"
"My name is Appolyse."
"Appolyse."
Redd repeats the name as he slowly inhales the smoke of his cigarette and he exhales it out again.
"So, Appolyse, what's a smart kid like you doing out here?"
"Contemplating the existential dread of maritime currents, I presume?"
As he partially laughs to himself the boy shruggs, whilst hugging his knees tighter.
"Watching, waiting for change."
Redd took another drag at his cigarette, eyes narrowing as he looked a bit confused by the boy's statement.
"Change, huh? Sounds kinda vague and ominous.
"You mean like, oops The Yedoma Core finally went critical and turned everyone into glowing puddles kind of change?"
"Or more like, my pet rocky finally evolved into a great strange monster kind of change?"
"Neither..."
The boy indifferently concluded, as his gaze drifted back to the dark and gloomy shadowy ice peaks up in the mountains.
"The one where hope returns, the one that birthed misery."
Redd felt a cold shiver trace its way down his spine, a fleeting feeling he rarely experienced.
Hope and misery–the child wasn't just spouting nonsense, there was a rather chilling conviction in his tone that felt reminiscent of a detached understanding of cosmic horror. He had only ever heard whispered in the darkest corners of The Black Market, the unchartered dominion of The Diabolical Wretchman.
"Nah, it sounds like you've been reading way too much son"
Redd casually remarked slighty forcing a lighter tone, although his mind was still racing from the boy's previous statement.
"Or maybe just not enough. What makes you think this misery comes from hope?"
Then young Appolyse finally stands up on his feet, his small frame surprisingly firm and resolute.
"My apologies, I was just thinking outloud..."
"I'm actually supposed to be hiking high up in the mountains."
As he gestures towards the gorgeous, snow covered peaks in the heart of The Blueutah Himavat Zongdu Mountain.
Redd looked at the boy with a rather baffled and confused expression, quietly thinking to himself.
All the way from the docks to the ferry, the boy and then the mountains. A new calculus initiated to form in his cynical mind. He could tell that this wasn't just an ordinary child, but a local steeped in the unexplored history of this mysterious island and all of its secrets.
But nevertheless it felt a tad bit risky and dangerous, although the boy could be useful or perhaps a walking disaster. Either way, he was far more interesting and informative
than his RADAR.
Radio Active Detection And Ranging Device that isolates and identifies chemical substances based on their nuclei composition, ionic constitution and isotopic signature which are quantifiable by atomic nature, charge ratio and mass.
Allowing it to be able to detect within a long range of logarithmic spiral function and concentration of hydronium ions through the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Ranging from alpha, beta, gamma and plasma emission whilst also accounting for nuclear spin and vibrational frequency fluctuations.
Meaning if any toxic or radioactive elemental substances are in proximity, they can be detected by the radiation they emit and this is called Radioisotopic Labeling.
"Okay squirt look..."
Redd says, stubbing out his cigarette.
"How about we make a deal, I've gotta proposal for you"
"What if I told you I could take you to Isaac?"
And in that single moment the boy's behavior drastically changed as he instinctively became more lively and upbeat.
Appolyse turned around, to face Redd as his radiant amber eyes gladden finally holding a smidgen of hope.
"Wait a minute, You know Isaac?!"
Appolyse asked Redd with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement, as his heart skipped a few beats.
As he was beginning to become substantially intrigued by this strange man. In the few moments since he had mysteriously appeared by the docks. But now, the boy is genuinely beginning to question himself about him.
"Yeah, I think everybody knows your brother kid."
Redd casually replied with a smile that could charm secrets from a sphinx and hands that could steal them just as easily.
"Um, the weird blue alien intergalactic figure head–right?"
"Infamously known as The Prodigal Starchild or at least that's what we called him in The Galactic Federation, you know way back when we were still working together."
"Although it looks like you and I still have a lot to chat about"
"And maybe, just maybe, if you're lucky, I'll teach you how to con a desperate space merchant out of his last Galactic Credits."
"You know, everything is a negotiation kid. You just gotta pick your cards right, comprende mi amigo."
"Yes sir I understand."
Appolyse responded with a new found sense of kinship and shared understanding.
"Mr Redd sir, can you teach me?"
Redd slightly grinned, a flash of predatory charm whilst exuding a rollicking hooliganish comportment.
"Kid, it's Redd just Redd"
"And yes I can."
"I can teach a blind man to see the lies in his own reflection. But I can never take a mule to the river and force him to have a drink."
He than extended his cybernetic right hand arm with an open palm, in a gesture of good will and mutual respect.
"What do you say mate, partners?"
Appolyse looked at the outstretched robotic hand, then back at the looming silent peaks of the mountains. The wind howled a low, mournful tune through the snow covered peaks.
"Come on squirt."
Redd teases with his charming voice a brilliant catalyst of what his deceiving eyes convey in ambient silence as a slight tact of conviction.
Likewise, Appolyse mutually reached
out and they both shook hands as a means of a gentleman's agreement.
"Well well well Appolyse, looks like we have ourselves a deal."
"I'll take you to your big brother Isaac..."
"And you'll show me his Laboratory, hopefully somewhere on this God forsaken island."
Redd insistently requests, as he properly pats himself down whilst fixing his stylish clothes. Looking around and surveying the island's tropical rainforest, full of green all around them.
"Sounds pretty simple enough, right"
"What do you say are you up for this Appolyse?"
The seemingly adolescent boy simply just smiles and nods in submissive obedience.
"Sure thing."
"Alright mate, first things first"
"Rule number one of hanging around professionals"
"If it looks expensive and dangerous, don't touch it."
"Rule number two, do as I say not as I do"
"Third and final rule, just stay quite and follow me I'll do the talking."
"Yeah I think that about that sums it up"
"Now, any questions?"
Redd braggadociously asks after he breaks it down to young Appolyse.
"Um Redd, what is that?"
The boy curiously enquires.
"Oh that, that's my little peashooter."
"I use it to get by sometimes"
"Sure is pretty hard to find good help these days."
And then he slightly grins a cunning and cruel sneer, as if feeling in indifference and contempt.
"Is it dangerous?"
The boy simply asks, with a rather child like innocence and naïveté.
"Yes very"
Redd responds with a cheerful and carefree expression.
"Which is why I carry it responsibly."
The boy slightly nods with a sense of conviction and approval.
"Alright I understand"
"Good, now enough chit chat just lead the way kid."
As they came to terms with each other and reached a mutual understanding. Redd decided it's better for the boy to lead them back to the lab because he knows the path, way better than any one of them on the secluded island. Henceforth, they carried on together charting deeper and deeper towards the mainland, making their way to the hidden research facility.
A half an hour later of insipid hiking and navigating the island's tropical rainforest, they finally reached the hidden research facility deep in the heart of Orizaba Hiroshima. And as they stood just at the edge of the institution's estate, admiring the view with the coastal winds blowing on Redd's coat flamboyantly as if it was doing half the acting for him. And below them, waves endlessly crashed against the bedock in loud enthusiastic explosions.
The boy leaned forward, hands on his knees staring down. As he looked at the quantum security grid on the door pad, systematically scanning his retina.
Isaac's Laboratory was built with state of the art automated security systems, run by a powerful artificial intelligence program called PNG 3166.
"Welcome, Appolyse."
The automated voice spoke in an inanimate monotone, as the lab door's slid open. And the fluorescent led lights lit up, illuminating the panoramic view of the laboratorium.
"So, this is big brother's lab"
Appolyse remarked as he welcomed Redd, his new found friend into the secret research facility. Redd casually whistles as they begin to walk inside.
"Quite the sanctuary you've got here..."
Redd said, his words carrying a slight tone of deviousness and facetiousness.
"The Prodigal Starchild's handiwork I presume..."
"Damn, always did have a flair for the dramatic that one."
"Although, actually standing here I realise that it doesn't look at all anything like the photos."
"Eh, maybe that's because pictures lie and tell..."
"And islands don't, they just stand and wait."
The young boy Appolyse slightly tilted his head at a certain angle of degree towards Redd.
"You know, you talk weird."
"Yeah squirt, I get that a lot."
"So what!"
Then — the mischievous rogue spontaneously claps his hands together.
"About that little favor I mentioned."
Young Appolyse merely blinks, with nothing but a blank stare and a rather puzzled look on his face.
"Favor, what favor?"
"Oh come on man, the tour!"
"Okay if you say so"
Appolyse said with a slight sense of uncertainty, as he looked at Redd.
"Attaboy! We'll call it the grande tourismovita."
"Alright, you said you just wanted to take a look around the laboratory right."
"See you're a fast learner muchacho"
Redd enthusiastically responds as the boy clumsily scratched his head, flattered by Redd's statement.
"And maybe you know, touch some stuff."
"Lightly."
Redd eagerly teases with a crooked smile sluggishly widening. As they continue to perambulate inside the laboratory.
"You know, my brother says I shouldn't talk to strangers..."
"Or let anyone inside his lab."
"Oh, don't worry about it mate"
"I'm anything but a stranger."
Redd instantly counters.
"I'm actually a friend."
"Yeah really! Of who's?"
Appolyse zealously enquires.
"Your big brother Isaac"
"And maybe just maybe, I can be your's too."
Appolyse simply gleames with a beaming ecstatic joy.
"Oh! Okay."
And then the man ominously freezes for about half a second.
"Hey kid..."
Redd said carefully, with a fleeting sense of his carefree and childlike demeanor and a more serious tone.
"You can't just trust people like that."
"Huh, what–what do you mean?"
Appolyse looked genuinely confused as he stammered.
Redd dramatically sighs, whilst rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, this is exactly what I'm talking about."
As the adolescent youngster squinted like a bag of nails.
"You're not secretly a bad guy, are you?"
And then Redd dropped his hand and met the boy's eyes, face to face.
"No..."
"Of course not, I'm a great guy"
"But I'm also a criminal."
Then young Appolyse gasps, eyes wide open with a slight sense of awe instead of fear.
"Whoa! For real?"
"Like top shelf, first class?"
"What, is that your standard kid?"
Redd partially laughs, a low and genuine laughter this time.
"I've heard some of the stories, You..."
"Stories get people killed kid, just walk away"
"You don't look at all anything like it, though"
Appolyse openly expresses.
"Kudos son"
"That is the trick."
Redd wittingly retorts.
"I mean, you don't look at all anything like your brother."
"You look completely different from one another"
"Okay that's fair, I see what you mean"
Appolyse lightly chuckles.
"You know kid, you're really bad at lying. And you kinda remind me of someone."
"Someone cool?"
Appolyse politely interjects.
"Someone dangerous."
"And unstoppable, I just have to see what he's hiding."
Redd replies with a rather subitaneous serious tone.
As the wind surged between them, the air felt a little bit thicker as tention started to slowly develop.
"Honestly, his way too good for this line of work."
"We never should've...ugh"
And then he suddenly turned and started looking around the lab.
"Stick close..."
He called over his shoulder.
The boy simply stared at Redd with a
sense of shock and awe about him.
"I believe my RADAR will help me find what I'm looking for."
Redd remarked as he carried on to walk deeper inside the lab, towards the laboratorium's inventory. And the boy followed on right behind him.
"Hey!"
"Where are you rushing off to?"
Appolyse asks.
"I'm looking for something"
Redd replies.
"Can I ask you something?"
Appolyse tattletales.
"You sure have a lot of questions mate, but yeah why not go ahead"
Redd charismatically retorts.
"When this is over, are we still friends?"
The boy simply asks.
But the man doesn't look back.
"…Yeah, against my better judgment."
"I don't know"
"I guess we'll just have to see about that, but for now let's focus on the mission please."
"Yes sir"
And then Redd partially talks to himself, as they walk past Isaac's Storage Facility filled with different instruments of equipment and complex machinery.
"This is weird though..."
"What the...this must be some sort of malfunction"
"Umh Mr Redd sir, I was thinking how about we go for lunch after this"
"Lunch, kid come on..."
"Alright you know what, fine now shh"
Redd partially dismisses the boy and sidelines him while he continues to peruse the laboratorium, as if in concussive bafflement of his own perception.
As he walked even deeper—inside the lab and passes the hallway reaching The 2nd Corridor. Redd walks in circles as he looks all around the and he happens to notice a giant structure right at The 2nd Wings centrefold. What looks like a Storage Facility but slightly different and larger than the last one.
"Bingo!"
"That's gotta be it"
Redd exclaims in a cheerful and ecstatic manner with a sense of relief and excitement.
"What, what is it?
Appolyse bluntly asks.
"It appears what I am looking for maybe in there"
"Yeah really that's great"
Appolyse remarks.
"But Redd, I think that's the lab's power grid"
"So you know what a power grid is huh?
Redd rhetorically enquires.
"Not really..."
"I've once heard big brother Isaac say that The Yedoma Core transfers energy here, I think"
"Huh is that right"
"You've got good instincts though squirt"
"What do you say we crack this baby open and see what's inside?"
"No, no, no we can't do that!"
Appolyse strongly disapproves.
"Oh come on kid..."
"Haven't we been through this already?"
"My RADAR tells me that this thing that I have been sent here looking for is in this lab, inside this huge metal box."
"But apparently something keeps distorting the signal"
Redd disputedly concludes.
"Okay I see what you mean by that"
"But still we can't open The Secret Cross Vault even if we wanted too"
"Big brother Isaac is the only one who can do that."
Appolyse further notes.
"Your kidding me right, so you don't know the passcode"
Redd demorally asks.
"No"
Appolyse bluntedly responds.
"Then how did you open the first door?"
Redd erratically enquires.
"That one was different it was a retinal scan which is designed for me to be able to enter the lab but not to open The Secret Cross Vault"
"I've never even seen what's inside"
Appolyse conclusively deduces.
"Ah I see, okay that's pretty fair"
Redd exhaustively remarks and an awkward silence occurs.
"You said something about lunch?"
Redd blatantly asks.
"Yeah! We can go to the Ramen shop in the city"
"Yikes Asian food..."
"Alright you know what, fine let's go"
And in that instance both Appolyse and Redd decided to head over towards the city for lunch. As they walked out of the lab Redd slowly turned around, and looked at The Secret Cross Vault with squinted eyes and a slightly eager expression on his handsome face.
Appolyse and Redd take The Gondola back towards the capital city of Neo Edo Tokoyo, as the boy knows this to be the quickest way to get to the mainland and also the most amusing.
They soon arrive in Chinatown Ramenskoye, where there is a seemingly endless banquet of shops and restaurants that come in all different shapes and sizes.
"See, this is it..."
"This is what I was telling you about."
Appolyse enthusiastically remarks.
"Yeah kid, I see..."
"Not bad."
Redd calm and collectively responds whilst keeping his cool.
"Okay kid, you go first."
Appolyse heads over to his favorite ramenshop and he books a table, as he sits down he calls over to Redd.
Redd face palms and slightly sighs, then he charismatically chuckles before he heads over to Appolse's table.
The pair of them dine together and enjoy a meal of Chinese-Japanese style ramen soup noodles as they talk and get to know each other better.
"Where are you from Mr Redd sir?"
Appolyse genuinely asks out of curiosity and childlike innocent.
"That's not important squirt"
"I just don't like to speak about my past"
"And this is not the first time you ask so you can just drop it"
Redd subtly dismisses the boy in a self reserved and aloof demeanor.
Appolyse politely nods with a mouthful of ramen noodles, unable to utter a single words with his mouth full as he chews very loudly.
They incessantly continue their banterous exchange, and Redd constantly laughs at the boy's blunt and brash demeanor.
When they have finished their meal the waiter comes in with the bill, and she places it on the table.
Redd sharpely looks at her, as he surveys the entire room and then looks back at Appolyse.
He then pulls out some cash and pays the bill without any hesitation, and they prepare to leave the restaurant.
"Well this was fun mate, maybe we should do it again some time."
Redd charismatically retorts.
"But I've gotta dip out"
"Yeah, alright sure thing Redd!"
"That would be great."
Appolyse enthusiastically responds.
"But...I don't think I will able to make it anytime soon."
And then he drastically becomes a tad bit melancholy.
"Why, what's up kid?"
Redd interjectively enquires.
"It's just that, there's this upcoming tournament I've been preparing for..."
"And...Big brother Isaac was supposed to..."
"I know Sensei Shang Kai said...But"
"I just thought he'd be here by now that's all"
"But still I have to win The Tournament..."
"Otherwise I won't be able to get my friend, Penpal that prize money.
Young Appolyse contemporarily contemplates, with a stern expression on his face.
"Mmmh interesting..."
"Prize money you say"
"Well honestly good luck kid, I'm rooting for you."
Then Redd casually remarks as he flips and tosses a coin to the boy.
"Sayonara, see you around kid"
He casually utters as he departs.
Appolyse finishes his last meal and he soon leaves the restaurant as well, as they go their separate ways.
And then after that he returned to The Secluded Island of Orizaba Hiroshima and began a rather vigorous training regiment slightly different from his usual, determined to win The Tournament no matter what.
He vows to himself to win the prize money to support his friend, whom he recently found out is now going through some tough times.
A weekslong time passed and the day of The Tournament arrives.