Saving The Future - Chapter 56

While the old men were on the city tour Aariv was talking to Kautilya about his upcoming journey.

“Baldy, I am going to leave for Himalaya in a week. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone but I am sure that you can manage the empire till then. Just strictly follow the constitution no matter what. You already know how to make catapults and longbows so just increase their number and everything will be fine.” Aariv said.

“Why are you going there, your highness?” Kautilya asked.

“Because I sensed an unknown signal coming from there one and a half years ago. I want to go and investigate it.” He replied.

Kautilya nodded and didn’t ask for more. They talked about other things for a while and waited for the old philosophers to come back.

…

After 2 hours they all came back. Black had a very exhausted look on his face. Aariv could imagine them bombarding Black with questions. When they entered the office all of them rushed to Aariv.

“Your highness, your creations are magnificent. Who could have thought that lightening like sky lightening could be harnessed and used in so many ways.” Democritus laughingly said.

“Yes, and your social structure is also amazing. The way you have created the systematic way of running the empire is just beyond common people’s way of imagining. The constitution is also a very good thing.” Euclid said.

“The people looked so happy too. The streets were clean, the big building and so many other wonders. The big carriages with no horses that could be used for transportation was a very nice idea. Your highness, please forgive me for doubting you at first.” Archimedes said and apologized.

“You have made people stop foolishly praying to gods for medical treatment and have actually used science to make medicines. This is just what I was trying to do back in Greece.” Hippocrates said with excitement in his eyes.

“Thank you for all your praises, but what you just saw was the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more you can learn here. Now, tell me, do you accept to join me in my dream of uniting the world and making people’s lives better” Aariv asked.

They all had crazy, exciting faces, but then Anaximander said something that made their moods take 90-degree fall.

“Your highness, I would gladly accept your offer but I am already so old. I probably have 10 more years to live. I don’t know how much I can help,” he said sullenly.

Hearing that, Aariv laughed and said.

“hahaha… tell me, how old do you think Acharya Kautilya is?” Aariv pointed to Kautilya.

They all looked at Kautilya, making him feel a bit uneasy.

“30?” one of them made a guess.

Aariv went to Kautilya and started patting his back as if showing them his fine creation.

“Wrong, this old man is 55 years old,” he said.

Their faces froze in a shocked expression.

“How… how is this possible?” Hippocrates asked.

“Did you forget. God has blessed me with divine powers. I can make someone’s body unlock its full potential. Although I can not increase your lifespan voluntarily, at least not yet. But by unlocking the potential of your body, you can live longer, be stronger and also smarter,” he explained.

Aariv knew that he didn’t have the power to edit someone’s genes yet. But he could unlock its potential.

Hearing Aariv, all 5 of them fell to their knees.

“Your highness, if what you said is possible then I am ready to spend every single breath left in me studying and working for humanity,” Archimedes said. Others did the same too.

“Thank you, I will heal you now and also give you the elementary knowledge about your respective fields so that you can understand the higher-level knowledge. But you will also have the responsibility to create future philosophers too. All of you will teach at the World University.” Aariv said and one by one went to each of them. He put his hands on their heads and unlocked their genes while transmitting the elementary knowledge too.

He gave the high school level knowledge of science, geography and maths. He also selectively gave them extra knowledge. For example, he gave Hippocrates extra knowledge about Biology and medicine because he was a medicine man.

They were all in a stupor for 30 minutes. Aariv didn’t send so much information in their brains in one go because that would have broken their minds and made them a living doll. After 30 minutes they started to get up one by one with a new light in their eyes.

Now they know about earth, planets, moon, rotation, revolution, evolution, maths and many other things.

“Okay, From now on you all are given an official position in the empire. You all will be the Heads teachers in the world university. Do not underestimate your job because one-day thousands of students will enroll there… Okay, now Black, will show you where you will live, and he will also show you the library. If you have family back in Greece then you can tell Acharya Kautilya. Our men will bring them here. You all have 1 month to prepare yourself. After that you will start taking classes in the University,” Aariv said.

When they all left the room, Aariv told Kautilya about the Kidnapping 2.0

“Okay, now we have people who can teach physics, chemistry, maths, biology, medicine but we still lack people who can teach economics and politics, law and ethics, music and other subjects like these.

I have 2 more people that you need to bring from Greece.

1. Aristotle. He was an Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist who is still considered one of the greatest thinkers in politics, psychology, and ethics.

2. Xenophon, he a Greek philosopher, soldier, historian, memoirist, and the author of numerous practical treatises on subjects ranging from horsemanship to taxation.

Except for these two, I want you to move the Taxila university to here. Our world university is big enough to teach thousands of students but we lack teachers. When they come, tell the 5 old men to evaluate them and assign them to departments according to their intelligence.

Lower level schools will keep on running on district and village levels.

Okay, It’s time to get back to work” Aariv stood up and was about to leave.

“Your highness, aren’t you going to wait till your father comes back?” Kautilya asked.

Chandragupta had gone to defeat the Himalayan kingdom with the army. Aariv thought a bit and decided to ask him when he will come back.

“Father, when will you come back? I will be leaving for Himalaya in a week.” Aariv asked when his call was picked up.

“Haha… I am on my way back, son. It will probably take 4 days at a minimum,” Chandragupta replied.

“Okay, then I’ll be waiting for you… by the way, how did the fight go?” he asked.

“Very easy… Archers were enough to handle them all, I also killed the King, however, I am bringing Amatya Rakshasa with me,” Chandragupta said and showed a man tied on the back of a horse.

Aariv looked at Kautilya with a questioning gaze. He knew Amatya was a very good economist but that didn’t change the fact that he was a scheming bastard who had an inferiority complex with Kautilya. He understood that Kautilya didn’t want to kill him as it would be a waste of a great mind.

After ending the call with his father he told Kautilya that he would personally brainwash Amatya Rakshasha before leaving.

…

Aariv was making an aircraft for himself as a side project. He knew that he couldn’t take Shakti the dumb horse with him to Himalaya because he doubted that the horse could climb tall mountains. He had been working on the aircraft for the past 6 months. He was nearing completion. He was making a very advanced aircraft capable of turning camouflage, he didn’t want people outside the empire to see the flying machine and start praying to it.

The new royal palace/ administration hub, now named Primal House, was nearing its completion. Only some interior work was remaining. Surupa now had his own office and had more than 200 people working from him. He was the head of infrastructure development program. Aariv had ordered an enclosed open field to be made close to the Primal house for the aircraft to land and take off.

He was working on the tires of the aircraft when he saw Aslan flying towards him. Yes, flying: In one year, Aslan had grown to the size of an a.d.u.l.t lion. His white wings also came out with time. Aariv also realized that Aslan was getting a lot smarter, he understood some of his words now.

He smilingly looked at the big furball flying towards him. Aslan had started to fly just a few months ago, however, he could only fly a few feet above the ground for now.

“Ayy, good boy… keep on practicing your flight and you’ll be able to fly in the sky just like Jojo,” Aariv said while petting Aslan, who seems to enjoy the touch.

“Haha… When I break through to Intermediate level I’ll make your genes even stronger. But, I hope you don’t turn into an ancient Egyptian sphynx. You would look ugly then.” Aariv talked to himself while squeezing Aslan’s face.

“Your highness, His majesty has returned” Black informed him on his holocom.

“Okay, let’s go back now, Aslan,” Aariv said and headed back to the royal palace with Aslan following behind.

…

“How are you, son? and where is Durdhara and Bindusara?” Chandragupta asked.

“Well, mother turned out to have a talent for managing accounts so she keeps herself busy managing the funds of the city with the help of her assistant Malini. Bindusara had tuned into a bookworm since he found science books interesting. He spends all his time in the library now.” Aariv told his father.

Chandragupta’s face turned a bit sad and hastily called his wife on holocom on speaker mode.

“Honey, where are you? your love has returned from a great battle,” he said proudly.

“I am busy, and what great battle? Acharya told me that you easily won with longbows that Aariv made. Now come to me and help me manage the accounts, my dear husband.” She said in a playful tone.

Chandragupta embarrassingly put the call into private mode.

“Honey, the call was on speaker, you said all that in front of Acharya, Aariv and Black.” He said.

“WHAT!… Why didn’t you say that earlier…”

Aariv left his father alone and went to the room where Amatya Rakshasa was held.

“How are you? did they give you food?” Aariv politely asked.

The old man was tied on a chair. He looked at Aariv with contempt.

“Now, now… Don’t show me those eyes… it’s you who brought all this upon yourself… But God has decided to give you another chance,” Aariv said and put his hand on Amatya’s bald head.

He showed him what he showed Kautilya, He showed him god, the universe and many more epic things. He also implanted the thought in his mind that if he betrayed the Mauryan empire then he would go to hell after his death and that Aariv is god’s child and serving him is as great as serving a god.

Amatya’s eyes turned red with so much mental stress. When Aariv stopped, Amatya started crying.

“What have I done, what was I doing all this time… I wasted my life on petty jealousy” he started screaming.

Aariv left him alone. He guessed that it would probably take some time for him to return to being normal. Amatya wouldn’t be given a major position though, he’d just be working as an economics teacher.

…

Days passed and finally the time arrived. He was in the empty field standing beside the hyper jet. His family had come to say bye to him. Aariv wasn’t taking anyone with him on this journey as he didn’t know what lay ahead.

“Mom, take care, don’t work too much, we have many more capable people now. you can get some more assistants.” He advised.

Bindusara had turned into a mad geek. He still had a book in his hands. Aariv just ruffled his hair and said goodbye.

He said normal goodbyes to others as they could speak whenever they wanted on holocom, so he didn’t feel the need to get emotional. He boarded the hyper jet and flew away. Leaving everyone on the ground flabbergasted.

[Image of the Aircraft on Discord]