"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
Leonard's Warehouse, Washington DC
Leonard unlocked the door, pushing the door inside. The room was completely dark, save for some rays of sunlight that peeked from the windows. He quickly found the switch and the warehouse lit up. His floating platforms rearranged the warehouse in the way it was when he left. After closing the door, Leonard started to walk towards his workstation. QBot rolled up to him, beeping in binary. Leonard placed his small travelling bag near the rolling robot, which picked up the bag and rolled away.
Looking at MedBud's charging case, Leonard spoke, "MedBud, I need some assistance."
As soon as the words were said, the container opened and a hissing sound filled the room. MedBud rose from its container, standing tall, like a balloon snowman. With small steps, it approached Leonard and spoke, "Good evening Sir. How may I assist you?"
Leonard started to describe his issue, "Well, for the past week or so, I have been experiencing mood swings. I often find myself feeling irritated or angry. After my enhancement, these things should not happen. Second, is there any issue with my DNA? We have not checked it for a while. Are there any long term mutations?"
MedBud seemed to nod, before his eyes started to glow. His sensors quickly scanned Leonard's body at a Quantum level. After a minute, MedBud started to diagnose the issues.
MedBud listed, "First, your mood swings are due to hormonal imbalances and accumulation in the body. I found that while your glands are producing enough hormones, your pituitary gland suppresses their activity. This has caused a buildup of these hormones in your body."
Leonard asked, "Shouldn't my enhanced excretory system remove toxins from the body?"
MedBud replied, "Hormones are big molecules. It takes time to break them down."
Leonard thought for a second before asserting, "But my body should have maintained a healthy level of hormones."
MedBud answered, "The Pituitary gland links with the emotional state of the individual. If the individual represses their emotions using logic, or forcibly calming down, the pituitary will still give the signal to the body to enhance hormone creation."
Leonard spoke, "So, repressed emotions are the reasons for my erratic behaviour over the past weeks. I thought I was dealing with the emotions well enough."
MedBud shook his head, "Your physical state tells a different story. Before your enhancement, your body used to vent these emotions on its own, but your heightened intelligence is making you much more prone to bottling up emotions or trying to explain them. These minor imbalances are checks that indicate that your mental state, despite your intelligence, is not affected by your enhancements. You need to keep a check, make sure there is less stress and danger in your life. Stress might not kill you, but it may manifest as depression or bipolar syndrome."
Leonard pondered on that. Over the past months, despite his enhancements, he had been in a lot of stressful situations. From the formation of Chaldea, negotiating for patent licenses, facing everyone in Pasadena, deciding to train under Robert and finally, his upcoming legal battle, while not as overt as before, have significantly contributed to his stress. While his body was far more efficient than any other human being, emotions are not diseases, they are the body's response to the environment. Eliminating them is the same as becoming a robot in spirit.
Leonard wondered, "So, I should meditate more…"
MedBud supplied, "Or find an outlet for these emotions. Many people take up hobbies like music, painting or writing to kill stress. You need to find an outlet as well."
Leonard nodded. He felt like a mouse trapped in a maze worrying about everything around him in his own way. For once, he would love to release the mouse. He walked away from the workstation and climbed the stairs to his room. QBot had just finished dusting the room, and everything was in its original place. Leonard spied his harp, something he had taken up to challenge his brain. Taking a deep breath, Leonard walked to the corner and pulled the harp to the bed. Sitting comfortably at the edge, Leonard's fingers quickly tuned the harp. A single finger plucked the strings, checking the tune.
Leonard watched his cane at the side, its ruby eyes gleaming. He picked up the cane and slid it gently under the bed. Pulling the harp into position, Leonard let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and began to play.
His fingers moved of their own accord, dancing across the strings. Each note was clean and deliberate, plucked with a tenderness, as if the fingers were running through water.
The sound swelled outward, filling the space, and Leonard felt the tension in his shoulders ease. He had loved music from a young age. His parents might have signed him up for the cello, but the harp felt like a companion he had missed before. This was a time where every emotion was alive inside him, as if the music were reaching inside him, vibrating through muscle and bone alike. His mind, perpetually coiled and calculating, began to soften, as thought dissolved into sensation.
The melody rose and fell in gentle waves, and with it came a sense of release; the kind that did not demand understanding, only surrender.
Then, gradually, the music ebbed.
The strings quietened to a whisper now, their voices thinning to a hush that barely clung to the air. The tune grew fragile, intimate, as though afraid of being overheard. It carried the weight of unspoken things — half-formed regrets, buried griefs, the quiet endurance of wounds carried too long. For a time, everything that had kept Leonard coiled like a spring seemed to let go. For ten minutes, there was no Sheldon, no impending court date, no judging looks by his mother, no responsibilities of Chaldea — there was only music. Leonard's breathing slowed, matching the rhythm, and for a moment the world seemed to listen with him.
The silence between notes stretched, heavy and expectant.
When the tempo quickened again, it did so with purpose.
Leonard leaned into the harp, sweat forming along his brow as his fingers quickened, plucking the strings with urgency. The melody sharpened, pulsing with every heartbeat, every suppressed emotion clawing its way free. The music surged — no longer gentle, no longer restrained — demanding expression, demanding release. His hands burned, his chest tightened, but he did not stop.
With a final, sweeping slide of his fingers across the strings, the sound shattered into silence.
Leonard froze, breath ragged, hands trembling above the harp. The echoes lingered, faint and fading, and in their wake came stillness. Something inside him had been laid down at last.
Leonard's head raised, taking a deep breath, when he heard clapping. He looked at the side, and he found himself staring at another version.
The Author said, "That was phenomenal, you should play more often."
Leonard was surprised. He had encountered the Author before, but today, it was not a stressful situation. He was not exerting his brain at all. So, why was he here?
The Author smiled, "Surprised to see me?"
Leonard said, "It is quite unusual. You don't appear often, unless I am struggling with something. But today, I did not exert my brain."
The Author seemed to nod before he looked at the harp, "Do you know what is the biggest shackle of humanity?"
Leonard was taken aback. Without waiting for an answer, the Author continued, "It is the shackle we tie ourselves in. When you are told that something is impossible, you start believing it without testing it further. Thousands of years ago, people said that human beings could not fly like birds. People believed that tomatoes were poisonous, some believed that there was nothing west of Europe. The last time, I told you that the pill could take you far beyond humanity. Now, you are beyond humanity."
The Author looked at Leonard, his eyes hollow, like tunnels leading straight to the abyss. Suddenly, he blinked, the eyes transformed to the infinite cosmos. With another blink, the eyes were back to normal. He continued, "Your emotions are a shackle as well. Clinging to them narrows your vision, limits your thinking, even limits you."
Leonard shook his head, "I cannot get rid of emotions. If I do that, what is the difference between me and a robot?"
The Author seemed bemused and started to recite, "There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force."
Leonard looked incredulous, "Seriously! You will quote the Jedi code to make a point."
The Author laughed, "Why not? You have quoted this many times in your life. Emotion is not a weakness, but when that emotion is bottled, held on or superficially understood, it shackles the mind to possibilities. Think carefully; if you could put aside anger, irritation, pride and other emotions, you could reduce many problems. The thing is, the world is out to get you, but you can prevent that if you don't let it affect you deeply."
Leonard sighed, "I know, but it is really hard."
The Author nodded, "I never said it was easy. You have lived in an environment where you have always bottled up your emotions. But now, you are out, at least physically. You can open up, feel, channel these emotions in other ways. Your enhancement gives you enough ability, the only thing holding you back is your own thoughts."
Leonard nodded, "I will do my best. You know, I always thought, once I am away from my parent's house, I would live my life how I wanted. But I clung to the things that gave me comfort."
The Author smiled, "Every child, afraid of the monster under his bed, will have to look under it to find his shoes. That is how you grow. You can only hold onto something for so long. At some point, you will have to let go."
Leonard smiled, "So, what should I do?"
The Author laughed, "Why, you let go of course. Now, you have much to do, and a long way to go. But take out some time for yourself."
With that, the Author vanished without a trace. Leonard looked at the harp in trance, before a smile bloomed on his face. Putting his harp back, he stretched his back. His back popped in place as Leonard felt lighter than ever.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Leonard was pulled from his thoughts, as he heard Mike's voice, "Hello Leonard, I just received a notice. Since we refused out of court settlement, the court has decided to subpoena your communications and has already set a court date. It is in two days. You are being called to be present at the trial."
Leonard calmly listened to Mike's voice, carefully organising his thoughts. He asked, "Do you know who the judge is?"
Mike answered, "Yes, it is Judge Marx. He is a civil court judge who has recently been promoted to DOJ. While I don't know if he has any connections to Axelrod or Chuck Rhoades, it is a possibility. Furthermore, Judge Marx has a good reputation, so, if we want to change judges, we will need due cause."
Leonard asked, "Should we opt for a jury trial?"
Mike thought for a second, before answering, "Normally, I would suggest a jury trial, but if the judge is impartial and wise, a bench trial would benefit us more."
Leonard spoke, "In that case, get Mr. Robot on this. Let's see if our judge has any prior connections. Ask him to find any moles he could in the SEC. If the analyst who flagged our trades is a mole, we could use that leverage to turn our disadvantages into advantages. See if Chuck has pulled any strings in this case."
Mike spoke, "All right, I'll see you tomorrow. Let's discuss preparations with Louis."
Leonard hung up the phone. He went to the corner of the room, pulling out a ladder. Using the ladder, he climbed to the roof. Looking at the greenery around him and the distant hum of traffic, Leonard completely relaxed himself. He looked in distance, his mind feeling ready for the case.
Leonard whispered, "If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame"
A smile came unto his face, as the world seemed to flash blue for a second.
AN: I wish to thank all my patrons for their continued support. A warm welcome to Master Vii, EELey, Israel Junior, Evil King, NovelJunkieand many others who have recently joined me on this journey. I wish you a prosperous year ahead.
AN2: The next chapter will be a court scene. It might seem monotonous or boring to some, but I will try to make it interesting enough. Stay tuned
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