[14] An Equation That Proved The Thought of God

Have you ever wondered about the potential that lies within a human? It's pretty ridiculous in itself to wonder. Among all the living creatures on earth, we stand out above others. We are the apex, the dominators of the entire food chain. That's natural because of our ability to think beyond. Our physical bodies might not be as sturdy as those of wild animals, but our minds are as complex as the wonders of the unknown recesses of outer space. The brain has experienced numerous cycles of evolution, starting from the era of our Neanderthal ancestors. Darwinism may be flawed, but that's what we have been fed, right? 

Just imagine someone introduces you, a total beginner, to a highly frustrating and difficult Souls game like Sekiro. What will you do about it? Some folks may give up or begin learning from their mistakes by strategizing. The commencement of strategizing against those challenging bosses would instill this crazed obsession of wanting to beat the game. There was something psychologically satisfying about earning those PlayStation 5 trophies after clearing the obstacles that had earlier blocked your path. 

Joe was in such a situation. The moment he decided to cover Quantum Physics, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Thermonuclear Physics, he compared them to PlayStation 5 trophies. With NZT as the key to unlocking his neural potential, the "four big bosses" were going to be devoured by him. He had a cheat, but so what? Was there a problem with anti-cheat engines(mental blockers) not doing shit on him? 

"This is the scent of knowledge. How refreshing!" Joe manically stared at the digital editions of the books he was going to read. From thereon, thus began the knowledge grind. Joe felt he had entered the "zone"; his consciousness and entire existence seemed to have been separated from the world around him. He was experiencing the ultimate immersion in the world of physics. It was a bumpy road, full of potholes, just like a classic Chaos Theory. 

As days passed, Joe forgot everything about his planned nutritional meals and personal hygiene. His desk was in upheaval, papers filled with mathematical equations and formulas scattered across its surface. Some equations struck a chord with the Theory of relativity, while some formulas used Schrondiger's theory as a framework. 

"But what about the superposition? If the fermions are entangled, the wave functions will surely collapse..." The dark circles under his eyes had become his only make-up for the past days as he tried to research about the quantum realm. Joe had already figured out the method to create his own version of the arc reactor, but currently, he was tempted by the idea of delving into the forces of the Quantum Realm. The problem with being an intellectual madman, high on a heaven-defying nootropic, was thinking that one more significant issue wasn't enough. Being in the zone forced Joe to try deducing Hank Pym's lifeworks—something which took a substantial portion of his years. 

"The formula that ultimately connected Hank Pym to the Quantum Realm is a damn challenge. Even though I wanna know how it feels to alter the atomic relative distance, now is not the time." Joe clicked his tongue in frustration as he dropped the pen down. He looked at his room, which had turned into a horse stable. The room was filled with crumbled papers containing complete and incomplete long equations, as well as rough yet meticulous drawings of his custom arc reactor. They littered the floor, the bed, the desk, and even some were taped to the wall. This state of chaos made the room look like a battlefield with its stale smell of ink and paper. 

Was he trying to come up with an equation that proved the thought of God? 

Joe's cheeks had become sunken, and his skin had turned paler than usual. He stared blankly at the empty coffee cups and dishes of instant noodles on his desk. He had been holed inside his room for six days, and those meals were his only sustenance. It was slightly unsettling that he could remember the number of days that had passed. The curse of not forgetting without the selective means to toggle it off was sometimes a pain. Joe picked up his phone and checked the time and notifications. 

"It's four in the evening. I feel bad that I lied to Gwen and missed the dinner arrangement with his father." Joe's face flashed with momentary remorse before it disappeared as he closed the phone.

"No, I don't need to feel bad for missing out on a dinner that can easily be rescheduled anytime. I wish Gwen could understand the pressure that's weighing down on me, but it's almost impossible for her. I am cursed with knowledge, and my only focus at the moment is my survival." The thought behind Joe's logic was selfish and full of self-importance, but sometimes sacrifices were a necessity. There was nothing wrong with a being seeking his own self-preservation. For a person who had once come face-to-face with death, only he knew the significance of living. 

"I don't fear failure; what I fear is that I didn't push myself enough," Joe said with emotion as he crumpled yet another paper. But he had to admit that Hank Pym and Tony Stark were different breeds of geniuses. The Pym particles were helpful, especially if Joe wanted to explore the microverse or harness quantum energy. 

"I will be courting death if I go full-on Quantumania." He weakly grinned at the thought. 

Nothing good comes from going subatomic. 

Joe instinctively touched his chin, feeling the growing stubble. He then lifted his arm and sniffed himself. 

"Ew, I smell like shit." His nose scrunched up in disgust. 

Joe rushed into the bathroom to stave off the stench. After a quick shower and thorough teeth-brushing session, Joe emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh and clean.

"But my room still's a pigsty." He shrugged it off and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a frozen pepperoni pizza. Without warming it up, Joe began feasting on it. He was damn hungry and thirsty. It was only after wolfing down a large pizza and a liter of milk that he felt satiated. 

"Compared to my room, the kitchen looks unused after six days." Joe smiled as he scanned the spotless kitchen sink and counter. 

Knock knock! 

His attention turned to the living room. It seems he was about to have a visitor. 

"But who could it be? Maybe Gwen, since the others rarely come around? Or it could be somebody else unexpected. Fuck the uncertainty principle." Joe murmured before sighing heavily. He really was going crazy after learning all that stuff. 

He carefully walked to the door and eyeballed the peephole. He didn't have a talking symbiote or spider sense to surveil his visitors, so he did it the old-fashioned way.

'Well, who would have expected it to be you out of all the people?' Joe thought in amusement as he slowly opened the door. 

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