QUEST FOR ANSWERS

A Week Later....

1:00 Am Monday Morning

"This is all too confusing!" Zayn declared, feeling exasperated and utterly puzzled deep down. He stood next to Marium who was looking intently into a microscope. He had been staring at the test and scan results that lay scattered on the lab workbench. He yearned for answers and wished the problem at hand could just miraculously solve itself. He was simply tired of fighting an already lost battle.

 The patient in the twentieth ward only had a few hours to live until death laid its cold hands on him, even so, Zayn was determined to do anything humanly possible to restore his health. God forbid that all hell broke loose, he may not be able to live with himself knowing that he had a slim chance to save the patient's life.

That's not going to happen, In Shaa Allah! He thought with conviction.

"Do you think he might make it till tomorrow before he finally gives up the ghost?" Asked Marium who was now collecting her hair into her palm. She got a little distracted by her hair  falling on her shoulders for God knows why, and so decided to pin it down

"I have no idea, Marium. His condition seems to be getting worse."He looked down at the papers in front of him, lifting his gaze from one to the other. He didn't seem to understand anything from what he was looking at. He and Marium had been on the job for more than a week now and it was painful to think that they couldn't come up with any logical answers as to the origin and cause of the disease.

"There is no easy way to say this. He's done for. I don't know if you're thinking what I'm thinking. From what I know this is a blind battle, we don't even know what we are up against. So if you ask me, I'll suggest we just watch him perish since there's only a few hours left until it finally happens...." She trailed off saying upon seeing the look on Zayn's face. She saw disbelief in his eyes. Judging by her words she sounded so unprofessional which infuriated him.

"Are you suggesting we let him die, knowing we still have little chance of saving his life?" He interrogated, folding his arms across the chest with a cringed forehead and knitted brows. That look on his face, like a wounded lion made her feel a little unsettled. Glancing at him at that moment, one could say he was utterly angry, but that wasn't the case. He was quite distressed.

"If we have the slimmest chance of doing so, we may still try, but what difference does it make? We don't have much time, Zayn." Judging from her last statement he could tell that she was tired and was already thinking of quitting. He couldn't blame her much because even he was tired as well. He fought the urge not to think less of her because deep within he was already questioning her work ethic. A doctor shouldn't give up on his patient until there is no reason to try. That was his conviction and that conviction was what she lacked as a professional.

She waited for him to reply, but he didn't, not that he couldn't. He just didn't want to make utterances that would create tension between them. A loud silence clouded the moment with the both of them returning their attention to what they had been doing. 

A few minutes passed as he studied the results over and over again still to no avail, during the entire time he couldn't help but think of how the parents of the patient might cope with the news of their son's death. There was something incredibly interesting about reality that made Zayn question the purpose of life, nature, and human existence. The ultimate reality of life is that it ends in death. 

When death comes knocking at the door, you will have no choice but to leave everything and everyone behind and embrace it. Suddenly all his thoughts were leading to his grandmother. How did she cope with the death of her husband? All these years, it had never really occurred to him that the king was murdered in cold blood until that night he had returned from the Oasis and till that very moment he couldn't stop thinking about it. His heart ached for the old lady. For so long she lived with the pain of losing someone she loved deeply and on top of that she yearned for her elder son to come home. 

Who killed his grandfather? And why was it important that he knew this?

Why was Mr. Saleh murdered? Was it the same person who committed this murder?

Did Mr. Saleh's daughter have any recollection of her father's murderer? If she did he would like to meet her and possibly interrogate her. 

Questions upon questions he asked himself until there was nothing to question anymore. He was suffocating under his own negative thoughts and his head could explode from it any moment soon. Zayn breathed deeply and attempted to empty his mind of the thoughts of his family mystery. If he wished to concentrate on the job at hand then all these thoughts must perish.

Unable to withstand his own state of mind, he pulled out a chair from underneath the workbench and just slouched on it. Feeling drained with a heart filled with chaotic enigma, he just leaned into the chair and shut his eyes.

"Are you okay?"Marium noticed his sore state. 

"I'm fine, just a little tired." He waved her question off with a wave of his hand. For a moment there was some peace in the room, it was only he and Marium in the lab. For Zayn, deciding not to think isn't a choice anyone can make because the ability to silence the mind is a superpower on its own and not so many people possess that superpower. He was one of the many that didn't.

Someone had turned on the air conditioner. The chilled air hit his skin, embracing every cell in his body. It was wonderful how silence and cold always seemed to relax one's mind, this was no exception as he already felt his nerves calming. Nothing but his heartbeat could be heard as he sat there, organizing his thoughts. He wondered if his partner was still in there since she hadn't made any sound, not even the slightest, little did he know that she was standing right next to him, studying him curiously.

"Do you regret your membership in the Owl? Is that what this is all about?"said a voice, cutting through the air. Zayn shut his head up to see Marium standing there before him, she was looking down at him with an unfamiliar smile gracing her lips.

"What do you mean by that?" He studied her expression with a puzzled brow and slightly furrowed eyes. She was now wearing a firm look.

"Of course, you do. I see it in your eyes." She whispered returning to the worktable 

"Shut up! I don't regret being a member of the owl. Not at all. I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now. What's the point of all these," He pointed at the papers on the table. "If we cannot come up with a solution any time soon. I thought that if I allied with them we'd be able to solve this puzzle and protect everyone, but unfortunately, it seems like it's only you and I that are still on this case."

Zayn didn't quite understand Marium's question. It wasn't about him nor the patient in the twentieth ward. It was about his father, she wished he knew what was going down at the Oasis; all the atrocities that were being committed deep within the shadows of the underground facility. It was clear to her that Zayn was nothing like his father. He was more human than the professor could ever be. She liked how he saw the world differently through a pure lens. His kind heart and willingness to help others even when he had no clue how to go about it made her want to tell him the truth about his father, but she couldn't. She had pledged loyalty to the old man and betraying him now meant doom for her.

If she was not grateful for anything, at least she was grateful that the old man gave her a name, a home, a career, and a life. Who was she outside the membership of the owl community?  She was nothing. It was a few years ago when the professor found her at Harvard University in his quest for people that have Rem (Rapid Eye Movement) ability. He found her worthy and picked her to join his team of futurists, a group of scientists who lived to change the world through mechanized artificial intelligence. It wasn't until five months ago that she became a member of the Owl, which was the highest level and Zayn's father happened to be the top dog of the organization.

"Science requires sacrifice." Marium smiled, waving her thoughts off. 

"I know right," Zayn retorted, propping himself up."But what are you willing to sacrifice?"

"For this, I'm willing to sacrifice my time." She asserted, heading to her work table.

Soon they both returned to work, but as soon as Marium took a closer look at the structure under the microscope, she realized she had found something. It was there, it has always been there but she's only just seeing it now.

"Hey, come take a look at this." She drew his attention to her direction. 

"What's that?" Zayn was now standing next to her.

"See for yourself." She gestured to him to look into the electron microscope, and he did quite as he was told. "Do you recognize that?" She questioned as Zayn attempted to magnify the view of the specimen under supervision.

"There Is something about this structure." He said as though there was a horse in his throat.

"Good, I thought as much. So what do you think?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it's an inorganic matter." Zayn was guessing he might be wrong but he also knew that he wasn't far from the truth. Instantly he made a remarkable discovery. The answers they sought stared right before their eyes now. Zayn smiled, at last, he had something to hold on to. The case before them was not much of a mystery after all.

"Dr. Zayn, why are you....why is your face like that?" Marium was stunned by Zayn laughing in the middle of a serious investigation.

"I can see everything, I see what has changed in his system."He exclaimed, studying the sample closely. " Though it is quite complicated and I don't have much time, I need to speak with my father first before I can explain anything to you."

Zayn seemed very elated with this discovery, Marium knew this. "I was going to tell you that what we thought was a living microbe, might just be a strain of the artificially modified virus." She offered and Zayn affirmed it with a short nod.

"Perhaps it is an organic poison that runs in his system." He added. Swiftly he gathered his papers in one piece. "Come quickly, we have to visit my father." He suggested, putting all their shreds of evidence together.

"You go, I'll meet you there, once I'm done here." 

"I'll leave you to carry on with the research here. See you at the Oasis." With a last smile, Zayn slid gracefully out of his workbench and walked out of the lab.

*****

†The Core Of  The Oasis†

†Shortly Before Zayn's Arrival†

When the world had shut down, silence encircled the universe, there was one man somewhere that rivaled against this serenity. He was preparing for a battle wearing an armor of vengeance, a shield of grief, and gripping a sword of destruction. He yearned to tear the universe apart, only then he may find peace in living. To what did the universe owe this unbridled animosity? Why was this troubled old man bent on causing chaos in the world of peace? What was the reason for his sleepless nights?

Many people wouldn't know how it feels to be far from home and family. It was an awful ache for Prof. Hassan. His heart was filled with such unease. He was interested to learn what drove his incredible hatred towards the one responsible for his father's murder. That was the true enemy, he planted the seed of destruction in his family and the Professor won't rest until he rid his family of that threat. 

He sat on a nearby armchair, watching his friend, Stein as hundreds of terrifying thoughts rushed in his brain. The overwhelming pressure of his incredible resolve and madness upon learning his fate appeared to age him a little. Whenever he shut his eyes, his past rapidly flashed through his mind. No matter how much he tried to avoid his thoughts, memories of the past kept rushing in, one after the other, reminding him why he must stand his ground and fight this battle to the end.

He wished he could undo the past events and set his priorities right, but no, he must finish what he had started. He had come that far and there was no going back. The enemy had drawn a battle line and he must cross it. 

The room was quiet except for the sound of the professor's thoughts, screaming louder than anything else. He clapped his hands together, keeping his eyes on his friend who stood, with his back to him, at a corner of the room. He was studying some papers he found intriguing. His friend had invited him over, so he decided to busy himself with some interesting pieces because the atmosphere was a bit sore.

"Stein?" The Professor's voice broke through the silence. 

"Yes professor," Prof. Stein walked up to his friend.

"How would you feel if you have a friend that always comes to you when he's in need?" Asked the old man. He gestured to Stein to sit beside him at the conference table."Go on, have a seat."

"You're not that kind of friend." Stein ignored his friend's question because he didn't know how to answer it. He took a seat near him and watched him smile wistfully.

"Your words gave it all away."

"That is because I know exactly what you're going to say."

"I left my son under your mentorship for close to eleven years."The professor saw that Stein's eyes, looking at nothing in particular, had a curious expression. "That is a measure of the amount of trust I've placed in you." 

Stein turned to look at him absent-mindedly. "Why do you remind me of this? Is something wrong?" He inquired, eyebrows knitted together. The old man remained silent and stared at him, hoping that his words would deliver the message.

Stein stared at his effort to make eye contact. "Listen, Stein, my son doesn't have to know whatever we're doing at the Oasis. He sees the world differently from us." Said the Professor, feeling the awkwardness in the air as he spoke, but he needed to complete what he had started. "The idea of seeing me with another impression other than the one he knows me with is inconvenient to me."

"Hassan, your son is a clever boy." The effect of his words had Stein thinking. "I'm sure he would see things from your angle if you explain   to him." His knitted eyebrows now settled back.

"My fear has become more apparent than I presumed it to be. My son may become worse than his father in bitterness if he knew the truth. But this can be prevented by leaving him in the dark."

"Are you sure?" Stein asked and The Professor took in a deep breath.

"On my father's deathbed, squealing in pain, he asked me to protect Zayn. Those were his last words before he passed away." He gave his father his words and it was the biggest decision of his life. "I had to make sure that he had no recollection of his previous life. It was a terrible thing to do but I had no choice."  

"What about your mother and the others, you owe them an explanation." He knew that his friend was a public figure and for that reason, the outside world would question his actions. "Don't you think they'll start asking questions? Some people are pointing accusing fingers at you." By that, he meant some members of the public were interested in learning why the Professor had abandoned his family. Some said he was the culprit. They said he murdered his father and distanced himself from home."The people are watching and the media's uproarious opinion seems to scream louder than everyone else."

Hassan was quiet for a while, considering Stein's words. He held out his hands and placed them on his lap. He took note of his cold hands and then gave his friend a weak smile.

"There are a few persons I have words for." He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully." So long it's not serious, I just keep it to myself so we can keep relating and talking. "He paused to see Stein's reaction but there was none. He repressed a smile and proceeded with his speech.

"If someone like Saleh still did not understand my plan to the point that he agreed to die with the truth instead of helping me out on my mission or as my mother would put it 'quest for vengeance', then I will not be surprised to see few persons asking me questions upon questions instead of asking the way forward."He finished saying and Stein nodded slightly at every word, giving the Professor the impression that the message had been passed.

They both sat there, eluded in their thoughts. Stein assumed that the discussion was over but the Professor's thoughts disagreed. He was anxious and didn't know how to tell his friend to convince Zayn to go and get married. He was well aware that it was his duty as a father to do so but Zayn seemed to be closer to Stein than his father. He had thought of different ways to bring this topic up with his son, yet he didn't know how.

"Is there something else bothering you?"Stein asked, watching as his friend leaned back in his chair. Hassan sighed and threw his head back to look up at the ceiling.

"There is more than just one thing." He confessed. Stein waited for him to complete the statement but it was the old man's ringing phone that interrupted them. He looked at the screen and saw the name displayed on it and for a moment he felt his heart shrink excruciatingly. He hesitated to pick up the phone.

"Who is that?" Stein asked, looking at the phone that sat on the table, vibrating there.

"It's my Son, "He uttered bleakly, stretching his arm to reach for the phone. Stein raised a puzzled brow in a way that he meant to ask, 'Don't you want to speak with him.' The professor ignored his reaction and answered the phone.

Zayn on the other end informed his father that he was coming to meet him at the Oasis, letting him know that he and his colleague had made a shocking discovery, regarding the pressing case at hand. His father arranged to meet him in his secret office. 

*****

"Welcome to my abode!" The Professor announced, leading his son into his secret chamber which was located deep within the core of the Oasis. They both stepped into a large room that seemed a little dim for Zayn to make out its features. 

"What is this place?" Zayn suddenly asked, looking around and examining the room.

"My home," 

"Your home?" He uttered, feeling a bit annoyed that his father would make such a careless statement. That place was nothing like a home to him. His father read his expression and a worried look flashed in his eyes. 

"Go on, have a seat." The old man gestured for Zayn to sit across from him while he went on to turn on the lights to illuminate the room. 

Almost immediately, he returned to his position to join Zayn at the table, crossing one leg above the other. "Yes," He spoke first, grabbing Zayn's full attention. "So what good news do you have for me, son?"A small smile spread across his face as he watched his son's eyes drop to a file on the table. His smile soon faded upon seeing the seriousness in his eyes. The silence that followed the moment was almost unbearable.

The old man waited for Zayn to say something but there was no response from him. He felt like there was something malicious about Zayn's expression. His eyes, the way they looked at him hurt as much as his absence did over the years he was away. He wanted nothing more than to have a nice time and a meaningful conversation with his son. He longed to have a sitting like that with him in his office or anywhere, but there he was, sitting and barely talking to him. It felt like they had no father-and-son relationship.

The Professor had long searched his memory to know where that unpleasant demeanor stemmed from, but he had no recollection of what he did this time. He didn't know why he wanted to laugh at the situation before him. The thought of Zayn giving him the silent treatment reminded him of someone in his past. It was his late friend, Saleh. He smiled at the thought of his friend and Zayn couldn't help but notice that.

Then as always, his father decided to make light of the moment: "One of us is a figment of the other's imagination." Zayn could never understand the meaning behind his father's words." This is no good way to treat your father."He jokingly sighed, unsure of what to say that would put a smile on Zayn's face. 

" I'm not nearly as bad as you are," Zayn murmured bleakly, utterly put off by his father's utterance. "At the very least, I could never abandon my own family for no logical reason." 

Zayn had everything he wanted and all his life he never lacked anything. Even with all the affluence and luxury, he felt something was missing in his life. Maybe it was because he and his father were not on good terms with each other. That was because they never gave each other an opportunity to speak their minds and share interests. They had so many differences yet he felt closer to him than his mother.

"What is it, son?" The Professor knitted his brows, aiming to uncross his legs. "Did your grandmother send you here to preach to me about family again?"

"You and I know that's not why I'm here. If that was to be the case, I wouldn't be here in the first place." Zayn looked at his father, realization hit him that his father had no idea what the situation was back at home. "Speaking of which, my grandmother," He huffed, not liking the choice of words he used to address his beloved grandmother. " Your mother is lying pale in the hospital, she's in desperate need of a kidney transplant."He was well aware that this was not the best way to present the news to his father but to what end was he going to keep it hidden, in reserve?

Upon learning the tragic news, his father soughed, slightly annoyed. He saw now where his son's rage had stemmed from. "How long has she been hospitalized?" He asked with a trace of disbelief in his voice.

"It's been a week now."

"And you didn't bother to fill me in sooner?" It was his turn to point an accusing finger, but unfortunately for him, in any direction he pointed it to, it always resolved to point back at him. He didn't know another way to put forward his question, so he made it clear that he was displeased with the late information. He looked up at Zayn to see his reaction and found him confused. 

"What difference does it make if I had informed you earlier?" Zayn answered grimly. "when you didn't only bite the hand that fed you, but you cut it off." 

 "Don't you think I deserve some respect," Hassan demanded impatiently and frowned at his son. Upon seeing the look in his father's eyes, Zayn suddenly realized the gravity of his utterance and slightly regretted it.  "You doubt my integrity?"

"I doubt everything about you!" He scoffed through gritted teeth, glancing at his father who seemed a little puzzled by his demeanor.

Hassan restrained a smile. He stood up with his back to Zayn and then slowly began to walk away "Well, I'm one of those many people in the world who don't actually love what they do but pretend to enjoy it regardless." He was saying as he headed toward the refrigerator. Zayn leaned into his seat, noticing the solemn state of the atmosphere between them.

"I was brought up in a family where everyone expects to get the best from you, perfection was the key."He went on and Zayn didn't say a word because he couldn't argue with that. He knew that piece of reality to be true.  " We had strict rules in my family. These rules were like oxygen to our family's reputation. We were one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the city and most importantly we were Muslims, and any small mistake could ruin the entire family's reputation." To this, Zayn nodded as he paid swift attention to the narration. He watched as the old man pulled the refrigerator open and stared intently into it in search of something.

"I wasn't keen on being told what to do and besides, the rules were exasperating. My father could not keep my behavior in check. He said that I was a stubborn soul and he couldn't bear to see me go astray. Being the first son of my parents, of course, the next of kin to my father. He wanted me to be more responsible. He had to send me abroad to complete my studies. My dad was a retired medical doctor and he wanted me to continue from where he stopped."Zayn shook his head at his father's speech. He didn't know why he wanted to laugh at what he saw as history repeating itself. He rubbed his palms together and placed both hands on his knees. 

" So this is a generational thing?" Zayn whispered, choosing his words carefully."Where we are not given the choice to find our own path, instead we keep threading the path that someone else established for us."He finished saying and saw his father returning with two cans of cold drink. Another moment of silence ticked by, during which the professor returned to his chair and handed one of the sweating cans to Zayn.

Hassan took a sip from his drink and then decided to break the silence again: "The sad thing about achieving a long-life goal is that sometimes you realize that that was not even your goal. It may be your goal but it was not God's goal for you."To this, Zayn nodded and waited for him to resume his narration. He had a feeling that his father was about to reveal something to him. Whatever it was, he hoped that it could help him solve the puzzle and answer all his pressing questions.

" Before I graduated from medical school, my father had already made all the plans for me to take over his hospital permanently, that's how I found myself back home."Again Zayn smiled at his words, noticing the similarity between him and his father. "But secretly, me and my best friend, Saleh, and Abduljabbar, the CEO of  Beacon Research Institution, were working on a big project. An experiment that would change the world, a project that would change the primitive nature of humans, a project that would impress my father and change his opinion about me." Zayn thought that the name Abduljabbar sounded very familiar. He somehow recalled Aylin mentioning the name to him. 

"My father always expected more from me. And no matter how hard I tried I could never impress him. Despite being his first son, he thought that I was unworthy to inherit his dominion. So he prepared me for this role. He said I was more suited to run the hospital, while Hussein, my brother, would make a better leader."To Zayn, this part of the revelation was getting interesting. Though it didn't make much  sense to him.''My father on his deathbed, made me relinquish ownership of the throne and pronounced my brother as the heir apparent to the throne."

"What?" Zayn exclaimed, raising his voice higher than he had intended. The Professor took a sip from his drink, smiling at his son's reaction. He would get more of such a reaction if only Zayn knew what he had up his sleeves."But mother and the others thought otherwise."He said, staring at the sweaty can in his hand.

"Perhaps, they only know what was made apparent to them."

"Is Uncle Hussein aware of this?"He questioned, out of curiosity.

" No, "Hassan simply answered, shaking his head. "Aside from you and I, the other two people that share this secret are dead."

"So, you are not hurt that your father took your birthright from you?"

"Honestly I wasn't interested in becoming the king. I couldn't keep up with our customs and traditions and my father understood that. Already he wanted you to be the next in line for the kingship."

"What about Khalifah?" Zayn murmured with furrowed brows. His father neglected his question as he remembered his promise to his brother. He wasn't supposed to talk about it.

"Sometimes we just have to learn to make certain sacrifices for a greater good."The professor said, more to himself than to his son. Zayn didn't know what else to say, understanding the wisdom behind his father's words. "I have lied to myself so much that I've come to believe my dreams more than I believed in reality. I just wanted to prove to my father that I was more suited for this position. That was the reason I attempted to establish something he could never have imagined in his entire years of studies."

"I wanted to do everything stealthily on my own but I figured the project would consume more time than necessary to complete if I did. So I had to involve Saleh and Abduljabbar. To be honest I couldn't do it without them. They were brilliant men. I figured that Abduljabbar would be of valuable help to me because he had all the resources that I needed to perfect this experiment. Together the three of us built the Oasis. But neither Saleh nor my father lived to be part of my success story." Zayn felt sorry for his father. For him, involving his friends in his grand project was acceptable except for the secrecy of it all. He really wanted to know what the project was about. The puzzle was still missing some parts and his father, on the other hand, was reluctant to finish the story.

He also noticed that his father did not mention anything concerning Mr. Saleh and his grandfather's death. That was the part he was patiently waiting for. He was itchy to learn what his father had to say about their death.

"So I heard Mr. Saleh died of Leukemia, but a little bird told me that you share a different opinion concerning his death." He proclaimed slowly, not looking at his father but staring at his feet instead. "Could you brief me on that?" 

"I see, you have been talking to your grandmother." Hassan noticed how his son's curiosity was growing stronger by the minute and if he wasn't careful, he feared that he would make him come clean. He had a lot up his sleeve that he didn't want Zayn to know and he also had a lot to share with him. Lucky for him, this was one of them. This was his opportunity to win his trust. If he was going to succeed, he needed Zayn by his side.

"Saleh didn't die of leukemia." He announced without trying to hide his annoyance. " That was a fabricated story we put forward to the media. I examined Saleh myself and there was no trace of cancerous cells in his blood, instead what I found was a biological weapon. The same poison that was used to assassinate your grandfather."

"Why was he killed? And who could have done that?" Zayn inquired, dismayed. 

"That is a story for another day, Son." The professor leaned forward and reached for the files on the table. "Now let's see what we have here." He said as he flipped through the files. It seemed Zayn had almost forgotten why he came to see him.

They both sat there quietly, as he read the medical report Zayn had brought to him. Hassan concluded that the conversation was over but Zayn thought otherwise. He wanted to fix the remaining part of the puzzle but then, he remembered that they had a pressing issue at hand.

★★★★★

A/N

Assalaam Alaikum everyone!

Ramadan Mubarak! I hope you are enjoying the Ramadan Season, Allahumma Baarik.

What do you think about the story? Please engage me in the comment section.

What do you think Zayn's father is hiding? Let me know in your comments. Be honest in your opinion. I wanna know how predictable this story is.

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I love you all💖

~Halishar~💕❤