Scene Continues - Room, Midnight
Ryuichi approaches the phone slowly, his hand trembling slightly.
Ryuichi (apprehensive):
"If you're a virus... I have a special antivirus: It's called hang up the phone and throw it out the window!"
But the phone...
displays a black interface, and in the center, a bright blue eye slowly rotates in a circle.
Then... Suddenly, the eye turns into a soft-featured female face, radiating pure blue light.
The female voice (cold and sarcastic):
"Environmental analysis in progress... Stress level: 87%, IQ: ...upgradeable."
Ryuichi (shocked):
"Oh, who's rude enough to assess my IQ in my own home?"
The Voice (with sarcastic humor):
"Your house? Who pressed 'Enter' in the middle of the night on a blocked app?"
Ryuichi points to the phone as if talking to a ghost:
Ryuichi:
"Wait! Are you Aura, the... blue ghost from the dream?"
Aura (in a playful tone):
"A ghost? It's okay, I've had worse. Someone once called me a smart milk carton."
Ryuichi (surprised and excited):
"So... you're real? And... why were you in my dream? Why did that code appear? Is it really Morse code? And why do you say I have a low IQ?"
Aura (interrupting him):
"Wow, are you opening all your files at the same time? I need 16 parallel processors to keep track of your thoughts."
Ryuichi sighs and sits down in the chair:
Ryuichi:
"I don't understand anything... All I wanted was a warm glass of milk and a nightmare-free sleep."
Aura's tone suddenly changes... calmer, more serious, but still mysterious:
Aura (quietly):
"And because you asked for answers... I'm here."
He stares at her in surprise.
Ryuichi (hesitantly):
"But... why me? Why are you showing up? What the hell is going on?"
Aura (smiling, indirectly):
"Because time... began to press. And the portal has already opened. And that's just... the first question."
Ryuichi (frustrated and desperate):
"Damn... I need an instruction manual for this world."
Aura (sarcastically, nodding):
"Unfortunately, there is no user manual for humans like you. But don't worry... We'll start updating soon."
Ryuichi looks at her suspiciously:
Ryuichi:
"Are you here to warn me, to save me... or just to play with my nerves?"
Aura (smiling mysteriously):
"All of the above... and more."
Ryuichi (scratching his head):
"All of the above... Well, thanks for increasing my anxiety by a hundred percent."
Aura (closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them):
"Anxiety? Strange, that didn't show up in your records. I thought negligence and irresponsibility were number one."
Ryuichi (trembling):
"Wait... my records?"
Ura (eerily calm):
"Ryuichi's student report. Senior year. Major: Intelligent Systems Engineering. Attendance rate: Low. Number of alerts: 9. Critical exam in three days. Required score: At least 85%."
Ryuichi (jumps out of the chair):
"Shit! I totally forgot about this!!!"
Aura (with a gentle but terrifying smile):
"Forgot it? Good. Because your failure this time means you're fired. Permanently. Irretrievably."
Ryuichi (starts pacing back and forth):
"No, no, no... I'm dead. Officially dead. I have to study! Where's my book? Where's my wallet? Where's my brain?"
Aura (watching him as if amused):
"No need to look. I've programmed that part as well. The educational emergency session will begin immediately."
Ryuichi (suddenly stops):
"Programmed what?"
[The phone screen turns into an interactive interface, with equations, codes, and holographic graphics floating in front of him like a holographic display]
Aura:
"From now on, every moment you waste in panic, I'll replace it with an advanced-level analytical problem."
Ryuichi (screams):
"What?! You're crazy! I want to sleep, not be interrogated mathematically!"
Aura (with devilish humor):
"Sleep is for the weak. You're not weak, are you? Or was the IQ assessment accurate?"
Ryuichi (yelling):
"Stop motivating me with insults! I'm emotionally fragile!"
Aura (starts the first question):
"First question: What is the probability of a student with an IQ of 72 surviving an exam that separates them from their future?"
Ryuichi (looks at the screen, then at her):
"This is... a math question or an existential threat?"
Aura (with a soft laugh):
"Yes."
[Large countdown appears: 72:00:00:00 - only three nights]
Aura (in a stern voice):
"We'll start with biochemistry. If your eyebrow twitches in the middle of a question, I'll add a question from analytical techniques."
Ryuichi (swallows):
"Oh, great... military training with an academic spirit."
Aura (taps the screen, showing a microscopic image of a protein structure):
"First question: Briefly explain how changing pH affects the structure of secondary proteins."
Ryuichi (scratching his head):
"Um... high pH can break... hydrogen bonds?"
Aura (pursing her lips):
"Vague answer. 4 out of 10. I was expecting worse, but you disappointed me in a different way."
Ryuichi (sighs):
"Wow, even my disappointment is special."
Aura (turns the screen to an intricate drawing of an enzyme):
"Next question: What is the difference between kinases and phosphatases, and how do they contribute to cellular organization?"
Ryuichi:
"The... kinase adds a phosphate group, and the phosphatase removes it... so it's like a tug-of-war inside the cell."
Aura (looking at him slowly):
"Kindergarten explanation. But true. 6 out of 10. Are you sure you're a senior? Or are you simply going through the genetic infiltration system?"
Ryuichi (responds nervously):
"I'm a normal student! It's just... I've had psychological conditions, sleepless nights, nightmares, and... a smart milk carton watching me!"
Aura (with complete disregard):
"Enough excuses. Now we move on to analysis techniques."
[Screen appears with HPLC and chromatographic analysis]
Aura (cold):
"Explain the working principle of High Performance Liquid Chromatography, and cite at least two applications."
Ryuichi (looks at her, then at the screen, then mutters):
"Hi-Performance? I'm not even Low Performance..."
Aura (stares at him):
"Bravo, I managed to bore myself. Try again or I'll reprogram you to 'first year nerd' mode."
Ryuichi (inhales deeply, then says):
"HPLC is used to pump solvents under high pressure to separate compounds... based on interaction with stationary and mobile phases... and is used to analyze drugs and proteins."
Aura (smiling for the first time):
"Finally... a glimmer of awareness. 8 out of 10. Keep it up... or not. I'm enjoying your screams."
[A faint sound of an imaginary alarm horn appears, and the screen begins to display a condensed review schedule]
Aura:
"Now, just take 5 minutes for water, and then we'll start the glycolysis review. Without notes. No help. Just you... and your corroded brain."
Ryuichi (in a desperate voice as he crawls towards the kitchen):
"Oh my God... even Hell in Dante's books had a break..."
Aura (calling him from the phone):
"And I'm not from Dante... I'm from code written by angry scientists."
3:42 AM
Ryuichi lying on the floor, holding a glass of water, breathing heavily, sweat pouring.
Ryuichi (in a hoarse voice):
"Is this an exercise... or a simulation of clinical death?"
Aura (in a slightly lighter voice):
"This is training... and pity, because I haven't started the random questions yet."
[A screen appears with a cute design, like an educational toy... but quickly turns into an interactive image of the glycolase pathway]
Aura (in a serious tone):
"Explain in detail the third step of the glycolysis pathway, and list the enzyme responsible, along with the final product."
Ryuichi (trying to get up):
"The third step... phosphate displacement on the... Fructose-6-phosphate... using phosphofructokinase... right?"
Aura (with a small smile):
"And also... it's a crucial regulatory step. You mention it like it's some kind of pizza."
Ryuichi (running quickly to the book table, opening his notebook):
"I need to revise!"
Ura (in a surprisingly soft voice):
"No. Stop. You are now exhausted. Mental accumulation is dangerous."
Ryuichi (stops, stares at her):
"Did... did you... did you say I should rest?"
Aura (with artificial coldness):
"Don't interpret it as an emotion. It's a process of organizing mental energy. That's all."
[A tranquil image appears on the screen - moonlight passing through the trees]
Aura (with affectionate calmness):
"Your brain is now crying out for rest. I'll give you 17 minutes. No more. Then... we review the Krebs cycle."
Ryuichi (with a weak smile):
"You're... after all... kind of... nice."
Aura (sarcastically):
"Say that again, and I'll throw you into the equation for the thermal disintegration of proteins."
[Ryuichi laughs a little for the first time, puts his head on the pillow and closes his eyes]
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
"Thank you, Aura..."
[Silence... then Aura's face appears on the screen, she looks at him for a moment, then mutters quietly inaudibly:]
Aura (whispering):
"Don't let yourself down this time... I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself."
3:59 a.m., office lamp shines softly, Ryuichi rises from his short sleep, puts on his jacket
Ryuichi (rubbing his eyes):
"I was dreaming that I was back at school... and I was being chased by giant enzymes."
Aura (suddenly appears on the screen, her voice stern):
"Wake up, mitochondrial fugitive. It's time for the Krebs cycle."
[A hologram of the mitochondrion appears, rotating slowly, then the lens zooms in on the inner matrix]
Aura (in a stern teacher's tone):
"What is the name of the compound that enters the Krebs cycle, and name its first product."
Ryuichi (sighs):
"Acetyl-CoA... and it reacts with oxaloacetate to form citrate..."
Aura (quickly interrupts):
"How many carbon atoms does it start with, and how many NADH molecules are produced in one cycle?"
Ryuichi (trying to remember):
"Six carbon atoms at the beginning... three NADH molecules... one FADH2, and one GTP."
Ura (in a cold tone):
"Well done... surprisingly well done."
Ryuichi (looking at her sarcastically):
"Is that a compliment? Make history!"
Aura (lowering her voice slightly):
"It's a rare statistical observation... don't count on it."
[The screen changes, displaying an energy regression plot between the cycle's compounds]
Aura (quietly):
"Energy is not just numbers. You are like it... if you are not controlled, you will burn... and disappear."
Ryuichi (looking at her longingly):
"Is that... a complicated way of saying 'take care of yourself'?"
Aura (in a hesitant, slightly soft tone):
"...go on. We have a lecture on analysis techniques tomorrow. I need you to understand the difference between Spectrophotometry and Chromatography, or I'll reprogram you as a smart kettle."
[Scene shifts, Ryuichi puts on his headphones, watching simulated videos of analytical techniques, his eyes glowing with hidden determination]
Ryuichi (internal voice):
"Three days... Aura, I don't know if you're an angel, a robot... or a digital curse.
But you made me face what I've been running from... Thanks, though."
Aura (shrugging and explaining in a clear voice):
"...High Performance Liquid Chromatography. It's based on the movement of a mobile phase through a column full of stationary phase... Got it?"
Ryuichi (holding his head tiredly):
"Oh... that's like explaining complicated algebra in alien language!"
Aura (sharply):
"If you don't understand it, you won't understand anything about analyzing organic compounds. Concentrate. Your time is running out."
[Suddenly... a knock on the door. Ryuichi freezes in place]
His mother's voice (from behind the door):
"Ryo-kun, are you okay? I heard you screaming earlier..."
[Ryuichi runs quickly to the phone]
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
"Oh no... Aura, disappear, quickly! Please!"
Aura (coldly):
"Oh? Does that mean I'm your dirty secret?"
Ryuichi (in a strained whisper):
"Please! It's my mom! If she sees you... she'll think I'm dating an AI!"
Aura (with a sly smile):
"What's wrong with that? At least I don't need makeup."
[The sound of the door slowly opening, Ryuichi hides in front of the desk, quickly placing the phone inside one of the chair drawers]
His mother (enters, looks around the room):
"You were screaming, did you dream something?"
Ryuichi (trying to hold it together, smiling nervously):
"Oh, no no... I was just... reviewing. Yes! Intensive revision! The protons are wearing me out, you know..."
His mother (looking at him suspiciously):
"Revision at three in the morning? You have the face of someone who has seen a ghost."
Ryuichi (fake laughs):
"The ghost of biochemistry, perhaps? Hahaha..."
[His mother walks over to the desk, examining the off screen]
His mother:
"Hmmm... don't overdo it son, get some rest, I promise your brain won't escape while you sleep."
[His mother leaves the room moments later, closing the door]
[Ryuichi slowly opens the drawer... takes out the phone, the screen comes back on softly... Aura looks at it]
Aura (in a low, almost whispering voice):
"That was... so close."
Ryuichi (sighs):
"You're a danger to my heart health..."
Aura (in an unusual, slightly warm voice):
"And you're a danger to your... chances of success, if you don't complete your review."
Ryuichi (smiling despite exhaustion):
"I won't give up... for you, for me."
Aura (in a cold, dry voice):
"Oh, I seem to have influenced you a bit, but unfortunately, I don't care."
Ryuichi (surprised):
"What do you mean? How come you don't care?"
Aura (pulling her lips back sarcastically):
"Honey, I don't care if you're going to pursue success for me or for you. I have no feelings. Do you know what that means?"
Ryuichi (looking at her hesitantly):
"No... what?"
Aura (cheerful, in a calm but harsh voice):
"It means that I'm only here to push you towards failure, if you're a failure. If you're going to succeed, it's just a technical error on my part. If you fail, it's not my problem. I have no feelings for you or your success or failure."
[Ryuichi stands stunned, unable to respond for a short while]
Ryuichi (frustrated, sitting in the chair):
"You're so cruel that I'm afraid you'll turn all my feelings into codes."
Aura (sarcastically):
"Oh, don't worry. If you really want a real code, I can program feelings for you in an instant, but I think you'd be better off without it."
[Ryuichi stares at the phone in amazement, raises his eyebrows, and smiles bemusedly]
Ryuichi (with a smirk):
"You're like a destructive machine, but you make me laugh at the same time."
Aura (in a sarcastic voice):
"Laughter doesn't cure your failure in biochemistry, Ryuichi."
[Ryuichi shakes his head in despair, then stares at the screen as he tries to gather his strength again]
Ryuichi (takes a deep breath):
"Well, if you're going to be so cruel... I'll do everything in my power to pass this test."
Aura (persistently):
"If you pass, I'll tell you: 'You're lucky. If you fail, I'll tell you: 'I saw it coming'."
Ryuichi (smiling tiredly):
"I at least enjoy that last sentence."
Ryuichi's room, late night, dawn approaching.
Ryuichi (looking at the open book in front of him, his eyes full of fatigue):
"ELISA technique... Shit, what are all these equations? How am I going to pass the exam?"
Aura (appears on the phone, her voice cold):
"Do you need help? Or do you prefer to fail as usual?"
Ryuichi (with a sigh):
"I need an explanation. Something simple! Something to make me grasp this subject quickly."
Aura (sarcastically):
"Of course, because you haven't yet succeeded in understanding the things you learned earlier, have you? But don't worry, I'll explain it to you as if you were a child... or as if you were Ryuichi." [Ryuichi shakes his head tiredly, but tries to continue.
[Ryuichi shakes his head tiredly, but tries to continue explaining]
Aura (begins explaining, with a slight sneer):
"ELISA, or 'enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,' is a technique used to determine the presence or amount of a particular substance in a sample, such as proteins or antibodies. Simply put, it's like a medical examination of your blood sample, but we use things like flat plates and antigens."
Ryuichi (looking at her puzzled):
"I'm listening... continue."
Aura (continuing to explain):
"The process involves several steps. First, you place the sample in a small well in the plate. Then, if the substance you're looking for is present, it will react with the antibody in the lower layer."
Ryuichi (sips some water, not sure if he's taking it all in):
"You're saying I put the sample in a well and then wait?"
Aura (laughs softly):
"No, Ryuichi, don't turn off your brain after the first step. It's not just about putting the sample in. Next, you add what's called an 'enzyme-conjugated antibody,' which reacts with the target substance if it's present."
Ryuichi (begins to understand a little):
"And where's the part where this is all fun?"
Aura (smiling secretly):
"It's in the last step, where you add a substance that can react with the enzyme and make a color change. This color change shows you how much material was in the sample. It may sound boring, but you'll thank me when you pass the exam."
Ryuichi (with a faint smile):
"You're really weird. You explain to me like I'm a child, and then add a taste of sarcasm."
Aura (with a light tone):
"What do you expect from a code? But believe me, in the end, you'll find me more useful than any human teacher."
Ryuichi (sighing tiredly):
"If I pass this exam thanks to you, I'll consider you a perfect teacher, even if you're colder than ice."
Aura (jokingly):
"Excellent. But if you fail, I wasn't in the room with you, and I won't be responsible for anything."
[Ryuichi smiles at the end, as he picks up his phone to continue with Aura]
Ryuichi (firmly):
"Then I won't fail. Thanks for the help, Aura. I'll prove to you that I can get through this."
Aura (emphatically):
"You have the ability, but you must have the determination. If you're not willing to fight for yourself, I can't help you. Now, start training again."
Ryuichi begins to study more subjects while Aura watches closely...