The Evolution of Genius: Every Night, I Get Smarter!

I needed to make sure that my counterpart wouldn’t mess things up. So, I decided to spend the night in Ulthar’s cluster.

The following morning, I closed my eyes and focused on my other self, trying to connect with the consciousness in the alternate cluster. After about 10 seconds, I felt drained, and then everything went dark.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the third cluster, sitting in the chair.

I opened my eyes, and right in front of me stood The Lord, patiently waiting. "Welcome back. Everything seemed to have gone well. How was it?" he asked.

I replied, "It was great. I didn’t need to think that much. I already knew what I would do on the first day. But... I will need to go back there again."

The Lord nodded. "I see. It’s not a problem. However, could you tell me... what exactly are you trying to do there?"

I stood up, a smirk on my face. "It turned out that my counterpart has a family of drug dealers."

The Lord responded, "Hmm. I think that’s because even though Ulthars didn’t have the serum, the probability of your counterpart being a part of something extraordinary, just in another way, went through the roof. So... what are you planning?"

"I’m not just planning; I’ve already acted on it," I declared. "I’m going to make their family the biggest drug dealers in history. I’ve set up laboratories all over the world. And in the end, I plan to... make every single person taking the drugs murderers."

"Will that work?" The Lord asked. "Hmm... I don’t think that one planet will create a problem for the Ulthars."

"No, not that one planet," I replied confidently. "I’ve gathered intel about the transport and flights between their planets and other conglomerates. If one of those pilots gets side effects during a flight or when they are on another planet, think about it... what if it’s contagious?"

The Lord’s expression shifted to a mix of fascination and concern. "That’s quite the elaborate plan."

I said, "Alright. It’s time for me to get back. I think the Noble Ceremony is going to start soon."

The Lord interjected, "Actually, it’s 4 AM here. You didn’t account for the different flow of day and night."

I chuckled, "Oh, maybe I’m not that smart after all. But that’s alright."

As I turned to leave, The Lord mentioned, "There were a few things that happened the week you were absent. It would be good if you were aware of them. Ask your family. And also... it would be best if you go learn right now."

I nodded and then left the science tower, entering the bubble, I headed for the Nexus Tower.

Just a minute later, I found myself back in Boston.

It was still night, and my family was sound asleep when I came out of the wardrobe.

I quietly made my way to my office.

There, I reopened the Chapter of plans I had set aside for the sake of the energy-related topic, specifically the fusion-powered engine for rockets.

Contemplating the possibilities, I considered the potential integration of instant and wireless energy transfer into the structure of the rocket. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Electric propulsion from the Earth’s surface was impractical due to limited thrust.

However, once the rocket escaped Earth’s gravitational pull, the transmission of energy through String Harmony, also known as Quantum Entanglement, could power the rocket continuously.

Reevaluating the project I had previously created, I decided to introduce an addition. Alongside the first two fusion-powered engines, I envisioned a third stage.

This third engine would generate electric impulses once the rocket was deep in space.

The energy would be transferred instantly to the rocket from the Earth’s surface.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was already 7 AM.

I needed to get ready, and just as I was contemplating my plans for the day, Oliv burst into my office, exclaiming, "Max!" and launching herself into a hug.

I greeted her, "Hey... It’s only been a week."

Oliv’s response was more serious, "The Uni has been closed... the highest terrorist alert has been activated. It was a scary week, Max."

Concerned, I asked, "Wait... is the Nobel Prize Ceremony canceled then?"

Oliv replied, "We didn’t get any information about that."

A quick check of my email revealed a reminder for the ceremony, so it seemed there was no problem.

Leaving my room, I found my parents in the kitchen and asked, "I heard there is a terrorist attack. Is it only in the USA?"

My father, after greeting me, responded gravely, "Some other countries also announced different kinds of alerts. There were many incidents. Many people died. The Czech Republic even announced the highest crisis. One company there had their chemicals spread, and thousands were killed with many more in hospitals."

I sighed, realizing that nuclear engines must have been the main focus of protection, leaving vulnerabilities in other areas like companies with deadly chemicals.

"Alright, I will be going with Oliv to the ceremony," I informed my parents.

My mother voiced her concern, "Be sure to stay safe."

I reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure that people will make sure to keep me safe."

With that, I followed Oliv to our room to change into more presentable clothing.

She mentioned, "I don’t have anything new to wear, Max." I

suggested, "You have money, you should have bought something."

Oliv responded, "I don’t like shopping alone."

I said, "Alright then. Let me put on a suit, and we will buy something on the way."

She seemed happy.

After getting ready, I considered buying a ticket to Sweden, but opted for a different method.

We headed to Coelus, and with a bit of maneuvering with The Observer, we arrived at another abandoned house, this one in true ruin and full of dust.

Concerned about our safety, I remarked, "Eh. Maybe that wasn’t the greatest of ideas."

Oliv reassured me, "It’s fine. Do we get a taxi?"

"Yes. Let me just check where exactly are we."

After confirming our location, I suggested, "Let’s get to Malmo. We can get a flight to Stockholm from there."

Oliv nodded, and I called a taxi.

An hour later, we found ourselves in the center of Malmo. With two hours until the flight, we decided to visit a shopping mall to find a dress for Oliv.

In the shopping mall, Oliv tried on three different dresses. The first one portrayed her innocence, the second highlighted her attractiveness, and the third, a beautiful blue dress, displayed just the right amount of skin.

After careful consideration, we both agreed that the third dress was a perfect choice. Oliv looked stunning, and with the dress secured, we left the mall.

We made it to the airport just in time and boarded our flight to Stockholm.

Thanks to The Observer, we saved around five hours, arriving at 3 pm when the ceremony was scheduled for 9 pm.

With plenty of time to spare, Oliv and I decided to explore the beautiful city of Stockholm.

We wandered through narrow alleys, discovering quaint shops and cozy cafes.

The Royal Palace was a must-visit, standing proudly in the heart of the Old Town.

As the sun began to set, we strolled along the waterfront of Djurgården Island, enjoying the great esthetics and atmosphere.

When the city lit up in the evening, we were ready to attend the Nobel Prize Ceremony, having made the most of our time.

Of course, walking in a dress all that time would be exhausting for Oliv, so she only changed into it when we were about to head for the event.

To add a touch of elegance to our entrance at the Nobel Prize Ceremony, I decided to rent a black limousine. We patiently waited near Djurgården Island, and right on cue, the sleek vehicle arrived to pick us up.

The limousine smoothly carried us through the enchanting streets of Stockholm to the Stockholm Concert Hall.

Arriving at the Stockholm Concert Hall, it was like the Oscars. I thought that there wouldn’t be much crowd, but surprisingly a huge number of people had gathered.

Stepping out of the limousine with Oliv, we were met with cheers and chants from some excited onlookers. "Maximillian! Maximillian!" echoed through the crowd, and someone even called out Oliv’s name.

It seemed like I had become a celebrity.

As we entered the hall, we were guided to a table at the front.

The venue was almost filled at this point. A minute later, a classical band took the stage.

While classical music wasn’t my preferred genre, I had to admit they performed quite well, setting the tone for the prestigious ceremony.

As the anticipation filled the hall, an older man in a distinguished dark green suit took the stage. The hushed murmur of the crowd gradually silenced as he began his speech.

The man eloquently presented the laureates, Aleksey Yekimov and Louis E. Brus, highlighting their groundbreaking discovery and development of quantum dots.

The chemistry Nobel Prize winners were making history, securing their second consecutive Nobel Prize.

Their achievements set a new standard.