By the time David returned to his room, the clock had ticked past seven. His stomach was a hollow pit, demanding to be filled. He tucked the pristine box of the new phone safely into the depths of his bag, scrubbed the day's grime off in a quick shower, and headed for the mess hall.
Dinner was a spectacle. David didn't just eat; he consumed. He shoveled rice and curry onto his plate until it formed a mountain, devouring enough for three grown men. The clatter of cutlery around him died down as other students paused, watching in bewildered silence. He ignored their stares, focused entirely on the unnatural hunger burning in his gut.
Back in the safety of his room, the atmosphere shifted from hunger to hesitation. David unboxed the new phone, the screen gleaming under the tube light. He snapped a photo of it, sending it to his mom and younger brother with a feigned cheerfulness, followed by a quick call to confirm the "great purchase."
But as soon as the call ended, the smile dropped. He picked up his old, 'not working' phone and typed a message to the bracelet, his thumb hovering over the send button.
"I bought the phone, but there are no 4G phones in the market yet. So, I bought the latest 3G phone. What should I do next?"
The vibration on his wrist was immediate. The text scrolled across the metal band: "Place the phone on top of the bracelet."
David swallowed hard. He looked at the sleek, black device — 10,500 rupees worth of technology. A month's worth of savings.
"Here goes nothing," he whispered.
He placed the phone against his wrist.
The reaction was instant and disheartening for a penny pincher like him. The cold metal of the bracelet seemed to lose its solidity, turning into a viscous, silver liquid that surged upward like a living thing. It latched onto the phone, wrapping around the plastic casing. There was a sickening crunch — the sound of glass shattering and plastic buckling under immense pressure.
Moments later, the bracelet retracted. A pile of useless debris clattered to the floor — stripped circuit boards, twisted aluminum, and shards of plastic. The bracelet had devoured the energy source and the processing core, leaving only the husk. It had absorbed barely a quarter of the phone's mass, but it had taken the heart of it.
David fell to his knees, picking up a piece of twisted plastic.
"My 10,500 rupees!" he groaned. "If this thing doesn't turn me into Ben 10 after costing me that much, I'm going to lose my mind."
The sting of regret was sharp, but it was quickly replaced by alarm. The bracelet began to pulse with heat. It expanded, heavy on his wrist, shifting shape with a mechanical whir. The simple band widened, morphing into a complex wrist-mounted device. The face wasn't a dial, but a hollow cavity sealed by transparent glass, framed in a strange, shimmering alloy of silver and gold.
A beam of light shot up from the glass face. It condensed into a hovering, blinking white sphere — no longer a simple pixelated dot, but a three-dimensional projection floating in the air.
David instinctively tried to reach for it with his right hand, only to realize the device was fused to that very wrist.
"Great design," he muttered, awkwardly bringing his left hand over to touch the floating light.
The moment his finger brushed the hologram, a voice filled the room.
"Hi, David. My name is NEAA — Natural Energy Assimilation Assistant."
David scrambled back, hitting his legs against the cot. The voice was smooth, articulate, and terrifyingly human. "Okay... what are you?"
"I am an AI assistance device for military engineering and energy assimilation."
"What military?" David asked, his heart hammering against his ribs. "The Indian military?"
"No. The Ferness Military."
"What is the Ferness Military?"
"It is the military of the Ferness Nation."
"And where... where is the Ferness Nation?"
"Classified. Military clearance needed for location history."
David rubbed his temples. "History? Oh, right. That book. What was that history book?"
"It is the history of human origin and development on Planet Earth."
"And the animals in the last pages?"
"They are the Fage Race. Not animals."
"Okay," David breathed out, his curiosity warring with his fear. "Tell me what was written in the book."
The room felt too small suddenly. The walls were closing in on this impossible conversation. He needed air. Checking that Ajith hadn't returned, David grabbed his keys and bolted for the door, rushing up the stairs to the rooftop.
The night air was cool, the city lights below oblivious to the alien intelligence glowing on David's wrist. He leaned against the parapet, seeking the privacy of the shadows.
"Now tell me," David whispered to the glowing orb.
"Human history on Earth began one billion years ago," the AI began, its voice clear against the wind. "No one knows who the first human was. Humans developed science, and later, Exscience was developed with the assistance of other races."
David listened, mesmerized, as NEAA spun a tale of cosmic proportions. It spoke of a resource war caused by exscience and science, and of rebellion and slavery.
"It is possible that the same fate befell Earth," NEAA concluded. "The use of System Destruction-level weapons was prohibited, but the Fage race grew powerful. They began conquering. Humans and other races were forced to defend themselves. Volume 1 of the History ends here. To learn more, it is recommended that you locate History Volume 2."
David stared at the stars. "Okay, so humans have lived for one billion years? And there are other races? Then why aren't they here now? Why is there no record?"
"Insufficient information. Acquiring History Volume 2 may provide answers."
"Where is Volume 2?"
"I can activate the scan function. Once you are within 100 meters of the object, I can provide exact positioning."
"Is there another NEAA in Volume 2?"
"Insufficient information."
The white ball of light pulsed rhythmically, scanning the dark horizon.
"Who wrote History Volume 1?"
"Classified. Military clearance needed."
David looked down at the device. "You said humans existed for one billion years. Did they exist on Earth?"
"Yes. If not, I would not be here."
"That... is a good point." David paused. "Do you know where they lived on Earth during that time?"
"Yes. They lived everywhere."
The blinking white ball suddenly expanded. It shifted spectrum, turning a deep, holographic azure. It grew to the size of a tennis ball, spinning slowly — a perfect replica of the Earth. Across the holographic continents, dozens of lights flickered into existence, marking locations lost to time.
"These," NEAA said, "were the major cities on Planet Earth during the Human Era."