The humid air of Bangalore, thick with the scent of Tech Hype and the hum of distant drones, hung heavy.
Varun Gupta, a man born in the city of death, Varanasi, yet forged in the crucible of a humble Mysore upbringing, found himself drawn to a promise that shimmered with both allure and dread.
His life was a tapestry of frayed edges and mounting anxieties. His parents, their faces etched with the weariness of age, relied on him.
The weight of mounting loans pressed down on him, a constant reminder of his precarious existence.
A BCA graduate with a burning passion for tech and AI, he was a man searching for a break, a chance to escape the suffocating grip of his circumstances.
Months of fruitless job searches had left him hollow-eyed and desperate. Midnight found him huddled on a cold, rain-slicked street in Bangalore's bustling IT hub, a ghost in the city's neon glow.
He had no place to stay, no money in his pockets, just the gnawing emptiness of failure.
Sitting on a bench at a roadside park, lost in a daze, he was approached by figures cloaked in shadows. "Hey there, macha, why so dull?"
Listening to this voice, Varun flinched and turned back. His eyes met with three people clad in office attire, carrying a bag full of bottles labeled 'Old Monk'.
Hearing the tone of inquiry in their voices, he didn't know what to say to these strangers, unfamiliar with his hardships.
He remained in a daze for a second. Suddenly, he heard one of them say, "Yako guru, isht raatri ill yen maadtidiya, maneg hogalva?" (What's up bro, what are you doing here this late at night, won't you go home?). He didn't reply.
Looking at his tense and sorrowful face, they were momentarily speechless. They chose not to disturb him, but sat on a bench nearby. They opened the bottles (Old Monk) and drank as if it were water.
For a while, they did nothing but drink, laugh, and chat, their conversation a drunken gibberish. Varun paid them no mind.
After a while, he stood up and was about to leave when he overheard one of them say, "Machas, the team lead told us to look for a human to undergo a test, iga yel hudukli naavu?" (Bros, the team lead told us to find a human to undergo a test, now where do we find one?).
Another one said, "And that too a self-volunteer!"
The third one added, "Even though they will be provided a hefty sum for the test, and if successful, they would be given the tech that would be implanted in them."
They spoke of enhanced cognition, of accessing information beyond human comprehension, an AI called 'Daivik'.
They spoke of a cutting-edge AI startup, a chance to be part of something revolutionary, and a hefty sum for participation.
For Varun, a man accustomed to the raw, visceral reality of his existence, it was a proposition that defied logic, yet held an irresistible allure.
Though cautious, Varun's desperation outweighed his apprehension.
He made a desperate approach, "Hey there, annas, can you tell me more about the test thing?"
Intrigued by his sudden query, the trio flinched, momentarily sobered, but quickly calmed down.
They racked their brains, considering how to answer, as this was supposed to be confidential, hidden from the public and the government.
They thought for a while and signaled to each other, reaching a conclusion. One of them told him to sit with them, while the other two scanned the surroundings (looking like drunken monkeys).
They reasoned that since the information had already been leaked to this stranger, they might as well kidnap him and fix him somewhere.
Looking at their actions, Varun grew suspicious, but the first guy didn't give him time to think, as he began to explain the experiment.
The guy talked at length, his words a blend of Silicon Valley buzzwords and veiled promises, which brightened Varun's eyes, bringing a glimmer of light to his hopeless present.
He spoke of a cutting-edge AI startup, a chance to be part of something revolutionary, and a hefty sum for participation.
Varun listened attentively. The guy explained their need for a test subject and the compensation offered.
Though confidential, they revealed everything (only the positive aspects) about the experiment.
As it had already been exposed, there was no need to hide it.
Although some details were omitted (who in their right mind would reveal the negative aspects?).
Varun, after contemplating the opportunity and considering his situation, decided to grasp this last straw of hope.
He said, "Anna nanne karkalii, naane bartini bekaadre, but experiment aadad nantarah, ondu job sigutta?" (Bros, why not just let me join you? But after the experiment, can you provide me a job?).
Confused by the current scenario, the trio, staring at him madarfa**erly, tried to process what was happening.
Author's POV: Varun, though ambitious in his childhood, had changed after experiencing life's struggles. He believed that a job would stabilize his career and alleviate his parents' worries.
Varun, seeing their troubled faces, decided to reveal his background and life struggles.
Listening to his story, the trio thought, "Damn bro, we got a sacrificial lamb!".
After contemplating for a while, the first guy decided to invite him. "Bro ninu experiment ge bekaare baa, but job bagge ninu nam boss ne kelbekagutte!" (Bro, you can come to us for the experiment, but for the job, you have to talk to our boss).
He spoke in a way that was neither forceful nor negligent, convincing Varun to join their saga.
Varun, hearing the guy's affirmative response, jumped excitedly.
"Shhh... don't publicize this matter and don't speak of it to anyone, not even your parents." Hearing the word 'parents,' Varun's mood suddenly dropped.
Seeing his hanging face, the lead guy asked, "Yeno aithu... thale kedak yeke bisi diya? Yenara problem aa nam matter nalli?" (What's up? Why are you hanging your face down? Is there any issue in our matter?).
Varun jitterily said, "No no anna, aa tarah yenilla." (No no bro, there's nothing like that). The guy asked, "Then what's the matter?"
Varun hesitated, but after making up his mind, he revealed his loans and the creditors chasing him.
The trio, understanding his struggle, offered to pay him upfront. For Varun, this was like a boon from the gods.
But maintaining his integrity, he bargained for two years' worth of salary upfront, a staggering 73 lakhs, in exchange for three years of 'overtime slavery,' as he bitterly phrased it.
He reasoned that the money was urgent, a way to relieve his parents' burden and settle his crippling debts.
They agreed, assuring him that no formal contracts were necessary, a handshake was enough.
He transferred the money immediately, a wave of relief washing over him as his parents' burdens were lifted, the loan sharks and creditors silenced.
He was left with a paltry 2,000 rupees, but his conscience was clear, his shoulders light.
Now, all that remained was the uncertain future that lay ahead.
Fast Forward To Main Scenario
Varun lay on the cold, metallic table in a hidden Bangalore lab, the hum of the quantum core within the neural link a constant drone in his ears.
He saw people clad in white suits (like fictional scientists). They assured him it was a simple procedure, a painless integration.
They made him unconscious, a silent participant in a dangerous game.
The neural link, a sleek, obsidian device, was grafted onto his brainstem. Then, a catastrophic surge occurred.
A quantum supercomputer, integrated with a symbiotic Super Intelligent AI called 'Daivik' (unbeknownst to him), pushed the boundaries of computational power and experienced an unforeseen feedback loop.
The sheer density of information being processed, coupled with the unstable nature of the nascent quantum entanglement within the chip, created a localized, uncontrolled fluctuation in the fabric of spacetime. Atoms vibrated with an intensity that warped reality, tearing a brief, unbalanced portal in the very essence of existence.
Throwing off everything here and there, the research papers, the secret devices, and a unique-looking sci-fi drone, along with Varun, got sucked into the torn space-time portal.
Leaving the test lab with nothing but a clean floor, and bewildered scientists looking at this phenomenon from outside the see-through window attached to the experiment lab, sweating buckets, cursing in their minds, "THE FUCK WAS THIS SHIT???"