THE REJECTED TECHNOLOGY

Ritual Night

Ever since Joe resurfaced, I haven’t been able to go to my shop anymore, nor was I conducting my usual consultation service. On the issue of fortification, I was still contemplating what to do, and Joe had told me that I might be killed, but slowly.

Four days on, I started feeling very weak. After a profound thought, I asked myself, “Could this be a sign that I am gradually dying?”. Even if I were going to die, I wouldn’t want to die a coward. I quickly stepped out of the house and walked straight under the mango tree where Joe usually relaxes, and I found him there relaxing.

Khan: I’m ready.

Joe: Ready? Ready for what, if I may ask, please?

Khan: I’m ready for the fortification, and I mean now, like right now.

Joe: Ha-ha, I knew you were going to come around. No one wants to die after all.

Khan: I am still going to die, either way, I don’t want to die a coward, so I prefer to go into the deadly forest and die there like a man than for me to die here like a chicken all because I refused to be fortified. Even a chicken can do better.

Joe: Well, you’ve made the right decision, trust me.

Khan: Not anymore, Joe, I don’t trust you again, I am only doing this because I know I am going to die, either way, so hey, let’s go, my mind is made up

Joe: By the way, who told you that you would die? Look, Mr. Khan, no one is going to kill you for as long as you work with the rules.

Khan: What rules?

Joe: That’s a discussion for another time, meanwhile. Get prepared. We are leaving tonight.

I returned inside and started to think about my entire life. “Is this how I am going to end up? After all the struggles? Oh my God!” I didn’t have a choice because both options may lead to my death. Therefore, neither of them was good for me, so I chose to die the hard way because I refused to be a coward.

It was after 6 pm, and places were getting dark gradually; the darker it got, the more I feared for my life because I had a feeling that I was getting close to dying. At about 8:19 pm, Joe shouted my name from the backyard, “Mr. Khan; it’s time” hearing this, my mind skipped, I became more scared, I stood up and walked straight to the backyard; I met Joe holding two small devices which looks like a phone. When I looked closely, I realized it was a mini router. I asked, “What are you doing with a router, Joe?” he responded, “We may be needing an internet connection in the forest.” I replied, “An internet connection? In Karisan Zuga forest? You must be kidding me. Please be serious and let’s get down to business”. Joe smiled and said to me, “The world is full of unimaginable things; sadly, this is one of them. Yes, we may need an internet connection in Karisan Zuga forest; as you have always known, the forest is not an ordinary place; make sure your mobile phone is fully charged, and you will use one of the routers. While I make use of the other, we’ll be needing our mobile phones to communicate”.

I couldn’t say anything, I collected one of the routers and connected it to my phone, but I was still curious.

Khan: I’m sorry if I am asking too many questions. I need to clarify some things; what exactly will we be using these devices for? We are going into a thick forest; there may be no network coverage in that area.

Joe: Remember you once asked me how I made it out alive when I spent over two years in Karisan Zuga forest?

Khan: Yes, I did.

Joe: I made it out alive because I didn’t talk, nor did any sound come out from my mouth. The main secret for staying alive in Karisan Zuga forest is never to speak or make any sound with our mouth, so for both of us to communicate while we are inside the forest, we need to use technology since we both cannot speak directly with one another there.

Khan: Oh my God! Do you mean we won’t be able to talk to each other once we step into the forest?

Joe: Yes, and not only that, there are still more, but I can’t tell you everything if you’re not fully fortified.

Khan: But this is risky and complicated; if I go into the forest, I need to know about the dos and don’ts to be safe. I can’t just walk into the forest without knowing the rules I have to abide by.

Joe: Don’t worry, Mr. Khan, the most important and most dangerous rule there is, DON’T TALK!

Khan: Hmm. Okay, so how do we make use of our devices to communicate?

Joe collected my phone and downloaded an app that can be used to type whatever we want to say, and the app voices it out for us.

Joe: Have it; I have downloaded the app for you; make use of it whenever you want to tell me anything or ask anything while in the forest. The app does not require an internet connection; however, the router’s purpose is to ensure you have a device that can connect you to the internet in case an urgent need arises.

Khan: Okay, everything is understood so far. Thank you.

It was 9:45 pm, Joe and I proceeded to the forest, and on getting to the entrance, Joe looked at me and said, “Remember to obey the rules, don’t talk” I nodded my head, showing a sign that I understood him. We both walked into the forest, and finally, I found myself inside the deadliest forest.

I began to see strange things I had never seen before in my entire life, and there was no sign of any living things in the forest, not even a single fly. I kept following Joe; I was behind him, and anytime I needed to ask something or say anything, I tapped his shoulder and used the app on my phone; he also does the same thing whenever he wanted to reply to me or say something. We kept on walking, and after about 50 minutes, we finally got to the place where the rituals would be carried out; Joe said to me (using the app), “Wait for me here, let me pick up something over there, I’ll be back shortly” I nodded my head. He turned and walked toward the place where he wanted to pick the item; while he was approaching, Joe didn’t realize that there was a big opening at his front, he slipped off and fell inside the big hole. I wanted to scream and shout, but I remembered the dangerous rule, so I stayed calm; I quickly rushed there to see if I could help him, but there was no sign of him there at all, at that point, I was already shivering, I couldn’t cry nor scream because the rules stated that I must not make any sound from my mouth, so I tried to be strong.

After several hours, it felt like I was the only living thing remaining in the world because I couldn’t see any sign of a living thing, not even a fly or bird. I didn’t know my way out of the forest, so I kept walking around searching to see if I could find Joe or see the nearest exit where I could escape, and there was no success. My phone battery became very low until it ultimately died; things became worse because my primary tool for communication was gone, so even if I found anyone to help, how do I communicate with the person?

Days later, there was no positive sign that Joe was coming back nor seeing any living things around; I wasn’t with any food or water, so I relied on the grasses in the forest; whenever I was hungry, I ate from the grasses and drank from the water around the forest to survive. Joe was still nowhere to be found, I haven’t conducted the rituals for fortifications, and I don’t know my way out of the deadly forest, so how do I overcome such a harmful situation?