I woke up to the sound of insistent knocking on my door. Not the polite knocking of someone who respected a sleep schedule, but a firm, rhythmic knock that clearly wasn't going to stop until I answered.
I checked the clock on the nightstand: 6:23 in the morning.
The knocking continued. BAM. BAM. BAM. Consistent pattern, three seconds between each sequence. It was too mathematically precise to be anyone but Katharina.
"What the hell," I muttered, getting out of bed and walking to the door in my underwear and an old MIT T-shirt. My superintelligence was processing possible scenarios for this unannounced morning visit, but none of them made complete sense.
I looked through the peephole and confirmed: Katharina was in the hallway, but not alone. She was surrounded by an absurd amount of luggage. Three large suitcases, two backpacks of equipment that looked military-grade, and what looked like a scientific instrument case.
Open the door.
"Kat, it's six thirty in the morning. What—"
"Good morning, Kai," she said, pushing one of the large suitcases into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. "I need to settle in here temporarily to conduct a proper analysis of the phenomenon you demonstrated yesterday."
I stood in the doorway, still processing what was happening, as she systematically began moving all of her things into my apartment.
"Wait, what? Install here? Kat, you can't just—"
"Of course I can," she said, carrying one of the heavy backpacks as if it weighed nothing. "This discovery requires immediate and extensive documentation. I can't do that adequately from my apartment or the lab. I need direct access to the research subject."
"Research subject? Am I the research subject?"
She stopped dragging equipment long enough to look at me with that expression that said I was being obvious.
"You are currently the only known person capable of demonstrating these linguistic effects. Therefore, yes, you are the primary research subject. I need to monitor your vocal patterns, frequency analysis, brain wave measurements during command execution, high-resolution video documentation of all phenomena..."
She continued talking as she dragged the last suitcase inside, closing the door behind her as if she lived here now.
"Kat, you can't just move into my apartment without asking."
"I'm not moving," she said, opening one of the suitcases and starting to pull out equipment I didn't even know how to categorize. "This is temporary housing for research purposes. Initial estimate: two to three weeks for preliminary data collection."
"Two to three weeks?!"
She didn't even look at me, completely absorbed in organizing her equipment into categorized groups on my living room floor.
"High-fidelity audio recording equipment," she muttered to herself, placing professional microphones in one section. "Spectrum analyzer to map vocal frequencies. Oscilloscope to measure any electromagnetic activity during demonstrations. High-speed cameras to capture physical phenomena in slow motion…"
I watched in growing fascination as my living room was transformed into a science lab. Katharina had clearly planned this meticulously—every piece of equipment had a specific purpose, and she knew exactly where she wanted to position everything.
"Portable EEG for monitoring brain activity," she continued, setting up what looked like a compact version of a hospital machine. "Electromagnetic field meter to detect any energetic emissions. Precision scale to measure mass changes during manipulation of objects..."
"Kat," I tried to interrupt.
"Portable spectrometer for molecular analysis of objects before and after magical manipulation," she continued, ignoring my attempt to speak.
"Magic?" I repeated.
That made her pause. She looked at me for the first time since she started organizing equipment.
"Sorry. Molecular analysis of objects before and after manipulation through structured linguistic commands. I shouldn't use imprecise terminology."
It was typical of her to be so precise with language. Even when confronted with phenomena that defied scientific explanation, she insisted on maintaining technically correct terminology.
"Kat, sit down. We need to talk about this."
"I can't sit back. I need to set up a monitoring station before any further experimentation. We can't allow data to be lost due to inadequate preparation."
She opened the second backpack and began pulling out cables, laptops, and backup batteries that looked like they could power a small house.
"Did you bring a portable power plant?"
"Power backup system to ensure continuous operation of equipment during prolonged experiments. I cannot risk data loss due to mains power failure."
I sat down on the couch—or tried to. Half of it was taken up by equipment she had placed there.
"Kat, did you at least sleep last night?"
"Sleep would be inefficient," she said, connecting cables between different devices. "I spent the night researching necessary equipment, placing express orders, and planning experimental protocols. Sleep can be postponed until we establish an adequate scientific baseline for these phenomena."
It was clear that she was operating in total hyperfocus mode—a mental state where people on the spectrum can work for days with minimal need for rest when completely absorbed by a special interest.
And apparently, I had become her special interest.
"Where did you get all this equipment?"
"The university lab has extensive resources. I also have contacts in the physics and neuroscience departments who have loaned me specialized instruments." She paused in the setup to look at me. "I said it was for a groundbreaking research project on correlations between language and brain activity. Technically true."
"Technically," I agreed.
She had set up three separate workstations in different parts of the room: one for audio and video recording, one for biological monitoring, and one for physical analysis of manipulated objects.
"Kat, where do you plan to sleep during these two to three weeks?"
"Sofa will be suitable. I have sleeping bag."
"And eat?"
"I brought protein bars and supplements. Optimized nutrition for maximum brain function."
Of course I did. Katharina addressed basic needs like systems engineering - minimum input required for maximum desired output.
"Can I at least put on clothes before I become an experiment subject?"
She looked at me as if she finally noticed I was in my underwear.
"Sure. But wear something consistent. Changes in clothing could affect experimental variables if fabric properties influence electrical conductivity or acoustic resonance."
"Am I going to wear the same clothes every day?"
"It would be ideal for experimental consistency, yes."
I went to my room shaking my head. In less than twelve hours, Katharina had processed our conversation, concluded that she needed full access for proper research, and executed a complex logistical operation to establish a scientific laboratory in my apartment.
It was impressive and terrifying at the same time.
When I returned dressed—jeans and a black T-shirt, the clothes I would apparently wear for the next three weeks—she had finished setting up basic equipment and was calibrating instruments.
"First experiment," she announced. "Simple demonstration of levitation with full monitoring of all measurable variables."
He pointed to the chair he had positioned in the center of the room, now surrounded by cameras, microphones, and sensors.
"I want you to sit there and execute levitation commands on the pen I placed on the table. But first, I need to connect EEG electrodes to monitor brain activity."
She approached with what appeared to be a swimming cap covered in wires.
"Will this be uncomfortable?"
"Minimal discomfort. The electrodes are non-invasive. They will only measure electrical activity in your brain while executing commands."
I let her put on the EEG equipment, trying not to laugh at the scientific seriousness with which she was approaching something I knew was direct manipulation of reality through a proprietary magical interface.
"Now," she said, moving to the control station she had set up, "execute levitation command. I'll record everything in multiple modalities simultaneously."
I looked at the pen on the table, surrounded by expensive scientific equipment trying to measure the impossible.
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON."
The pen gently rose from the table and began to float.
Immediately, all of Katharina's instruments began emitting signals and displaying data. She rushed between different stations, checking readings, adjusting settings, muttering observations into voice recorders.
"Brain activity shows anomalous patterns in the frontal cortex during vocalization. Spectrum analysis indicates specific frequencies correlated with onset of levitation. No detectable electromagnetic emissions above normal background noise..."
It was surreal. I was sitting in a chair, surrounded by state-of-the-art scientific equipment, being studied like a laboratory specimen while demonstrating capabilities that literally transcended known physics.
And Katharina was absolutely in her element.
"Fascinating," she murmured, studying EEG readings. "His brain wave patterns during command execution are completely different from anything documented in the neurological literature."
"THYSS ZELAK," he said, and the pen returned to the table.
"Amazing!" she exclaimed, more excited than I had ever seen her. "The brain patterns return to baseline immediately after the command is stopped. It's as if your brain temporarily switches to a different mode of operation."
She was running between instruments like a kid in a candy store, absorbing data from every sensor and recorder.
"Kai, this is revolutionary. Not just the physical effects, but the neurological correlations. You are demonstrating brain power that redefines our understanding of human neurology."
I took off my EEG cap and stood up. "Kat, I need coffee before any more experiments."
"Sure! But can you make coffee using linguistic commands? I want to measure whether different types of manipulation produce different neurological signatures."
I looked at her, at all the scientific equipment filling my apartment, at the data she was collecting on capabilities that I knew were interfaces to a reality manipulation system that I completely controlled.
It was ironic. She was scientifically studying phenomena that I had artificially created. As if someone studied movie special effects and thought they were documenting real physics.
But his rigorous scientific approach would be exactly what I needed for the eventual introduction of my magical language to the world. Documented data, peer-reviewed analysis, scientific evidence that these effects were real and measurable.
Katharina was unwittingly helping me create scientific legitimacy for the system I had designed to control humanity.
"Coffee first," he said. "Then we can continue with experiments."
"I agree. But I document everything. This research will rewrite textbooks in linguistics, neuroscience, and physics."
As I made coffee, I watched Katharina meticulously organize all the data she had collected in the first five minutes. She had turned my apartment into a scientific laboratory, installed herself as a resident researcher, and begun systematically documenting capabilities she thought she was discovering.
It was exactly what I needed.
And she had no idea she was being used.
It was perfect manipulation disguised as scientific collaboration.
Exactly as I had planned.
I sat on the couch with my cup of coffee, watching Katharina work in her makeshift lab. It was fascinating to see a brilliant scientific mind trying to apply rigorous methodology to phenomena that I knew were completely artificial.
She was now at the audio analysis station, wearing professional headphones as she analyzed recordings of my vocal commands. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, adjusting parameters in spectral analysis software that displayed complex waveforms on the monitors.
"Interesting," she murmured, zooming in on a specific section of the waveform. "There are microtones in your vocalizations that are not perceptible to the normal human ear. Specific frequencies that seem to correlate directly with the manifestation of physical effects."
I sipped my coffee, watching her work with the focused intensity that characterized her moments of hyperfocus. It was like watching a detective analyze evidence from a crime, except the "crime" was the violation of the fundamental laws of physics.
"The frequencies are in the 40 to 60 Hz range during key syllables," she continued, speaking more to herself than to me. "This corresponds to gamma frequencies of the brain, associated with higher-order cognitive processing and altered states of consciousness."
She turned to look at me, her eyes shining with scientific excitement.
"Kai, are you aware that you are modulating your voice at specific frequencies when you execute these commands?"
"Not consciously," I replied, which was technically true. My interface with the reality system operated on levels that transcended normal consciousness.
"Fascinating. This suggests that the process is neurological at levels deeper than voluntary awareness. As if your brain has developed the ability to access vocal frequencies that are normally outside of conscious control."
She went back to the data, but continued talking as she worked.
"There is precedent for this in studies of Tibetan monks in deep meditation. They can produce vocal frequencies that alter their own neurological states. But what you're doing transcends anything documented in the literature."
It was ironic to hear her create plausible scientific explanations for capabilities that I had literally programmed into reality. Her analytical mind was constructing elaborate theories for phenomena that were simply commands executed through my proprietary interface.
"Want to try another experiment?" I asked, curious to see how far she would take her analysis.
"Yes! I want to test whether you can produce effects on objects made of different materials. Hypothesis: if this works through specific frequencies, different materials may respond differently due to their resonance properties."
She ran to one of the suitcases and pulled out a selection of objects: a metal ball, a glass cup, a piece of wood, and something that looked like ceramic.
"Can you try levitating each of these? I want to measure if there are differences in the frequencies required or in the response of the materials."
I stood up and stood in front of the objects arranged on the table, now surrounded by even more sensors that she had added while I was drinking coffee.
"VEXIS THALAR ZEPHON," he said, pointing to the metal ball.
She ascended smoothly, and immediately all of Katharina's instruments began recording data. She ran between the stations, noting readings, muttering observations.
"Metal object requires 12 percent more vocal energy than plastic pen," she said, studying the readouts. "Frequencies slightly adjusted, probably compensating for the higher density of the material."
I continued with the other objects. The glass cup floated with similar ease as the pen. The wood seemed to require a slight tonal adjustment. The ceramic responded almost identically to the glass.
"Clear correlation between material density and required vocal energy," she concluded, scribbling notes furiously. "But it's not linear. There are other factors - perhaps crystal structure, molecular composition, dielectric properties."
She paused in her writing and looked at me with an expression I couldn't fully decipher.
"Kai, do you realize that you are intuitively tuning vocal frequencies to specific physical properties of different materials? Without training, without prior knowledge of these correlations?"
"I... simply feel what's needed," I replied, which was true in a way. My interface with the system gave me automatic feedback on the parameters needed for each command.
"This implies that your brain has developed the ability to analyze material properties through some sensory mechanism that science has not yet identified. It's as if you have developed a sixth sense for molecular physics."
Katharina was now pacing back and forth, processing the implications of her discoveries.
"There are two possibilities," she said, gesturing as she spoke. "First: You have developed extreme neuroplasticity that allows you to access latent brain capabilities that all humans theoretically possess. Second: There is some actual physical mechanism at work here that our current science does not understand."
"Which do you think is most likely?" I asked, curious about which direction his scientific mind was taking.
"Based on the data? The second. The effects are too consistent, too precise, too replicable to be explained by neuroplasticity alone. There is something fundamental about the relationship between sound, consciousness and matter that we are missing."
She sat down heavily in a chair, looking at all the data she had collected.
"Kai, if this is real - and all the evidence suggests it is - then we are looking at a discovery that redefines our understanding of physics, neuroscience, and the very nature of reality."
"And if it is real," he said carefully, "what would be the next step?"
She was quiet for a long moment, clearly processing the implications.
"We need to expand the research. More subjects, if we can find others with similar abilities. Deeper analysis of linguistic structures. Collaboration with physicists to understand the underlying mechanisms."
"And publishing?"
"Eventually, yes. But it needs to be done carefully. A discovery of this magnitude... would change everything."
This was exactly the direction I wanted it to go in. Scientific caution, controlled expansion of the research, eventual publication that would introduce the concepts to the academic world in a way that would make them look like legitimate discoveries.
"There's something else I want to test," she said, rising with new energy. "If you can manipulate objects through vocal commands, I want to see if you can affect biological systems."
She took a small plant out of one of her bags - apparently she had thought of everything.
"Can you try... speeding up growth? Making leaves change color? Anything that has been shown to have an effect on living matter?"
It was an interesting question. Biological modification was certainly possible through my interface, but it required more complex commands.
"VORTH NEXUS HALAR," he said, pointing to the plant.
The leaves began to grow visibly, expanding and taking on a more vibrant color. Within seconds, the plant had doubled in size.
Katharina stood completely still, watching the transformation with an expression of pure scientific astonishment.
"My God," she whispered. "You've accelerated cellular metabolic processes. This should be impossible."
She ran to get a magnifying glass, examining the leaves closely.
"The cells are perfectly healthy. There are no signs of stress or abnormal growth. It's as if you've simply... optimized the biology of the plant."
If only she knew that I had literally rewritten the plant's genetic instructions in real time, adjusting its metabolic rate and photosynthetic efficiency through direct commands at the molecular level.
"Kai," she said, her voice laden with something close to reverential awe, "if you can affect biological systems in this way... the medical implications are unimaginable."
"Like this?"
"Curing diseases. Regenerating tissues. Reversing aging. If these capabilities can be understood and replicated..." she trailed off, clearly overwhelmed by the possibilities.
"Do you think other people could learn this?"
"I don't know. But we need to find out. If this is an inherent capacity of the human brain that can be developed, then we are looking at the next step in human evolution."
Katharina was now completely absorbed in the implications of the discovery. I could see her mind racing through research protocols, necessary collaborations, ethical issues, practical applications.
This was exactly where I wanted her to be mentally. Convinced of the reality of the phenomena, focused on the scientific possibilities, and ready to help expand the research in a controlled way.
"Kat," he said, deciding to plant another seed, "what if I told you I found evidence that this language can be taught?"
She turned to look at me with full attention.
"Evidence how?"
"In my neural data, there are patterns that suggest that these linguistic structures can be learned through specific training. As if the brain can be trained to access these frequencies."
His eyes widened.
"Are you suggesting that this could be democratized? That anyone could potentially learn these capabilities?"
"Maybe. With the right training protocol."
She was quiet for a long moment, processing the implications of this possibility.
"It would change everything," she said finally. "The entire structure of human society. Economic, political, social. If everyone could manipulate matter through vocal commands..."
"That's exactly why it needs to be done carefully," he said. "Introduced gradually, with proper controls."
"Controls?"
"Certification. Formal training. Supervision of use. Like any powerful technology, it would need regulation."
Katharina nodded slowly, her analytical mind seeing the logic in the cautious approach.
"It would take a dedicated institution," she said. "A place where people could learn safely, where researchers could study the phenomena, where ethical protocols could be developed."
"Like a gym," I suggested casually.
"Just like a gym."
I smiled inwardly. Katharina was now not only documenting my capabilities, but actively developing arguments for exactly the kind of institution I was planning to create.
It was perfect manipulation disguised as scientific collaboration.
And she was helping to design her own intellectual prison, thinking she was exploring virgin scientific territory.
I watched her return to her instruments, energized by new research possibilities, completely unaware that she was being used as scientific validation for the system I had created to control humanity's evolution.
It was exactly as I had planned.
And it was working perfectly.