" Leonard Speaking"
' Pill Leonard Thinking'
Leonard bobbed his head, nodding to music. Opening his eyes, he saw the busyness all around him. People hurried to ticket counters and terminals. Some would stop in between to buy something to eat, something to read. No matter which major city you go to, you meet all kinds of characters at the airport. Leonard drummed his fingers against his boarding pass, waiting for his flight.
His last week at Vegas had been productive. He had been in touch with Paige, which gave him many ideas and directions to work with. She had shared some of the recent advancement in the field of quantum mechanics. He had also looked into the field of quantum computing and computers in general. He also took the time to get authentic verification for his "Bio-active lenses", allowing him to carry his entire stash onto the plane. He also received an interesting call last night.
Last Night
Leonard was eating his dinner at Ocean Prime. While enjoying his cocktail shrimp, his phone rang. He quickly pulled up his phone and checked the caller. It was Howard. After a quick contemplation, he decided to receive the call.
Howard greeted, "Hey Leonard! How are you doing?"
Leonard was amused at the slight awkwardness in his voice. He replied, "Never been better. This sabbatical is certainly a great learning opportunity. So, what did you call me for?"
After a short pause, Howard announced, " I'm getting married next month. I know you must be very busy with your research work, but would it be possible for you to attend?"
Leonard became quiet for a couple of seconds before asking, "Are you sure it won't be a problem? I know Amy is invited, so Sheldon would certainly be there. Our last meeting ended at a pretty sour note. Besides, I will be quite busy at that time."
Howard wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Understanding the polite rejection, he informed Leonard of many things that happened after he left. Apparently, Amy is living with Sheldon now. It took a while but eventually Sheldon adapted. Raj is the best man for Howard, so he has taken it upon himself to make sure everything went perfectly.
Later that night, he received another call from Penny.
"How're you doing sweetie?"
Leonard smiled a little before calmly replying, "I have been doing well. Maybe time away from Sheldon was all I needed."
Penny quickly said, "That's great! When are you going to return?"
Leonard quickly guessed her intentions, "Sheldon's driving you crazy?"
Penny sighed, "Yeah, nuts! Always asking me to drive him around, bring him food. Shouldn't Amy be the one to do those things? He also kept pestering me to ask when you are coming back?"
Leonard's smile dimmed before he flatly replied, "Although I am on a sabbatical now, even if I was not, I would never live with him again. He can find someone else to boss around."
Penny stilled at that before changing the topic. The two talked for a while before Leonard disconnected. There was a time when he would be over the moon at Penny's calls. Now, he feels that there is a barrier between the two. It also allowed him to realize that Penny, for all her perfections and flaws, was not suitable for him.
Present
Leonard pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He looked at his watch. The hour hand and minute hand seemed still, the second hand seemed to crawl at an impossibly slow pace. He still had about two hours before boarding. He had to take an early taxi to the airport. He could have driven his car, if not for a slight hiccup.
Today's morning
Leonard rolled his suitcase down the street, expecting to see his car waiting. Instead, he found the Civic crumpled, bumper bent into the wheel. It was totalled.
At the police station, he filled out a report. In the next room, an officer berated three wrecks of men — one disheveled with icy blue eyes, one bearded and overweight, one skinny with broken glasses and a missing tooth.
"Not only did you steal a police cruiser in a drunken state," the officer barked, "you had the gall to drive it here after crashing it?"
Leonard smirked faintly. Different gamblers in this city. He signed his forms and walked out, untouched by their storm.
Now
Suddenly, Leonard heard the announcement, calling all passengers to board the plane. He calmly got up, carried his small luggage and headed to the plane. The boarding process took little time and Leonard was on his seat. It would take him about four hours to reach. He quickly placed a pair of headphones and decided to take a nap.
Washington DC
Leonard's first impression of DC was: restraint. The city had power wrapped in marble and concrete, but none of Vegas's neon. With presidential buildings, government offices, a thriving pharmaceutical and medical sector, and a strong atmosphere of authority, DC was the perfect capital city.
Leonard walked outside the airport, dragging his luggage with him.
'I really need a car. A permanent place to stay will also work well in my favour. I will also need a lab. One thing at a time. The car comes first.'
Leonard always had a fascination for the well-engineered European cars. Those machines made him feel like a little kid. But he decided not to buy one as his first car. His Civic was reliable, cheap and fuel efficient. He was not very wealthy at that time. Things have changed for him. Without any hesitation or second guessing, Leonard steps into the sleek Jaguar showroom. While Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz are more famous, Their iconic looks do not work in their favour when compared to a Jaguar. For his new car, while he isn't looking for flash — he wants something smart, reliable, elegant.
A salesman approaches him, with a plastic smile and over-polite attitude. His way of dressing and grooming suggested an experienced career in sales. He seemed to have read the very instruction manuals that come with the cars. He quickly gave Leonard a quick glance; his eyes picking on the various signs of middle-class. While he did not expect anyone wealthy, at least Leonard looked clean and confident.
With a polite smile, the salesman greeted, "Afternoon, sir. What kind of car are you looking for? Something practical? Perhaps, something with a business feel to it?
Leonard nodded to him and said, " Practical, yes. But refined. Something that doesn't need to scream to be heard."
They walk past rows of various Jaguar models. The salesman introduces various cars, informing him of offers, suggesting upgrades and additions. But Leonard did not seem to find any of those interesting enough. Then Leonard's eyes fell on a shimmering, champagne gold Jaguar XJ— understated, distinguishable from the other cars around them, there was something noble about its presence. He circles it slowly, running a hand along the trim.
Leonard smiled, "Well, this is something truly apart."
The salesman chuckled at Leonard's appreciative looks, "It surely is, Sir. This is imported. It just debuted in Europe this year and will remain there till next year. But our manager decided to import one. It is a style statement."
Leonard doesn't haggle, doesn't hesitate. He writes the check outright. To the salesman's surprise, Leonard asks for no extras, no flash — just the car.
As Leonard drove on the road, several people kept craning their necks to catch another glance. Leonard smiled a little but kept driving to his destination. The fountain of knowledge, the Library of Congress.
'I don't have much time to study today, too many tasks. But let's get a Readers Identification Card. It shouldn't take much time. I also have to do something about the car. I love it, but it's not exactly covert.'
It took twenty minutes to get a card, luckily the counter was not crowded. With his knowledge resource solved, he needed a lab to use this knowledge.
Washington DC is the home of many companies, think tanks and research institutes. Finding a private lab was much easier than he expected. Leonard secured the lab and it was everything he desired; sterile, spacious, and far too polished for the price. He quickly verified the equipment and took it on lease for two months.
'Now, I just need to find a place to stay. Another high end or established hotel would work well. If needed, I'll buy a house later.'
Right across the Library, he found a great hotel right across the library. He quickly booked a luxurious room for a month. Opening the door to his room, he smiled at the well arranged interior. Quickly unpacking his luggage, he went down for dinner.
The Next Day
Leonard quickly drove to his lab. He met the supervisor who handed him the keys to the lab with a warm smile. Leonard smiled as well, though his pill enhanced brain seemed to pick something off about that smile. He ignored his fears, watching the supervisor drive off before calmly entering the lab. The strange feeling he got from the lab did not exist when he came to check the lab yesterday.
Leonard closed his eyes. Quickly connecting his vision with his auditory sense, His pill-sharpened ears caught a faint hum behind the vents, rhythmic and unnatural, not airflow but circuitry. He disconnected his senses and opened his eyes. He whistled as he moved closer to the corners where he heard that rhythm. Cameras, tucked into corners where the fluorescent glare made them look like shadows. None of it obvious, but to his NZT-heightened senses, they may as well have been glowing neon.
He didn't reach for them. Didn't pry one wire loose or smash a lens. That would scream paranoia. Instead, he smiled, a cold, private smile.
'Well, this lab is a bust. Can't use it for any serious experiments. I really want to cancel the lease…but the equipment makes me pause. I could test some things here; it would certainly help me streamline the actual process. I certainly knew that scientific espionage was a thing, but this experience is something else.'
Leonard staged an experiment in the lab, hoping to throw off suspicion before leaving for his hotel.
Lying on his hotel bed, Leonard made his plan.
'As I thought. Even money doesn't solve all problems. I need a place of my own. Probably a warehouse on the outskirts. There are a lot of those near Washington. I also need help. If I want to study the effects of the Pill, I need a medical professional. If only they were reliable. Even labs on lease are untrustworthy, trusting doctors is out of the question.'
Standing up from his bed, he switched on the T.V., hoping to distract his mind. Coincidentally, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith played on the T.V. Leonard's eyes brightened as he saw three medical droids operated on Anakin Skywalker, turning him into Darth Vader.
'Yes! That's what I need, a medical droid. It needs to have great diagnostic abilities, operative capability, a large repertoire of medical techniques, and it should be able to think for itself.'
Leonard quickly took out a new laptop that he had brought a day before, opened a design file and titled "Project 1: MedBud"
It took Leonard two days to find a suitable warehouse. He decided to splurge a bit and buy one, costing him about $800K. While he wouldn't bring all the machines at the same time, he now had a private place in the city
Three Days Later
Leonard had been living at DC for about five days, but he had already established a rhythm. His life had split into three acts, a performance only the Pill could sustain:
Every morning, He became a ghost in the stacks at the Library of Congress. While he focused primarily on learning more about biology, he maintained some focus on subjects like software engineering, quantum mechanics, chemistry and material science. It was also the time where Paige Swanson was free to share ideas with Leonard. They discussed the recent advancements in quantum computing. Towers of books in physics, neuroscience, material science, obscure journals no one had touched in years lay before him everyday. He inhaled them with machine precision — not just reading, but consuming, cross-referencing, rearranging knowledge into scaffolds inside his mind.
At the lab, he hid his real experiments in the guise of false ones, slowly streamlining his own ideas and eliminating failed outcomes from a multitude of experiments. There, he wore his mask. Polymers stretched, fabrics torn, alloys bent to failure — experiments dull enough to bore any observer, yet methodical enough to look convincing. Each result carefully documented, each note left as breadcrumbs for the cameras. Noise for the watchers. Nothing more.From the moment Leonard discovered the cameras and the attempt at academic espionage, every gesture of his became theater. Stress tests on polymers, tensile trials on fabrics, the kind of bread-and-butter research nobody would ever steal. On the surface, Leonard looked like a diligent but unremarkable physicist. Beneath that surface, hidden in the folds of equations and false starts, his real work coiled tighter, faster, sharper.
The lab also gave him the chance to meditate. It allowed him to come to an epiphany a day before.
Yesterday
Leonard's mind was trying to design a computer. A computer that was so complex and so efficient, that it could serve as the brain for his MedBud project. He tried many materials, from metals and non-metals to things like diamonds. But his quantum computer was stuck between stabilizing the qubits and still utilize them for his calculations.
'Another failure. No matter what material I use, I can't seem to stabilize the qubits without burning through the material. Any current material cannot do the task. The closest I came to was diamond. I should know the answer but what is it?'
Looking outside the lab window, he saw the Capitol Hill and the Capitol Building in the distance. He marveled how such a thing could be so easily…constructed. Suddenly he had an epiphany.
'Yes! If I can't find the perfect material, how about constructing it? 3D printing is a newer technology, but it is not efficient. Maybe, I can make it better, allowing it to print material at atomic level. If I can develop that, I would simply print the designed lattice using simple materials. The problem of room temperature superconductors will shift from a material problem to a construction one. It will allow me to not only make a quantum computer that doesn't require cooling units the size of a room, it will help me in creating anything I need. A huge leap in material and quantum science, maybe even general science based on how one can use it.'
Now
Glancing briefly at the hidden cameras and sound recorders, Leonard's face went grim.
Leonard mapped it out in his mind. It was a harvest field with bright minds planted in rows, and cultivated until their ideas sprouted, then cut down and stripped for patents.
It was a machine that consumes creativity and spits out ownership.
So he built walls of silence. Layer after layer of noise and distraction, deliberate dead-ends in his notes, equations rewritten to nowhere, tangents spun like cobwebs. What little truth survived lived only in his head — a fortress of cognition fortified by NZT.
The warehouse was the only place where his mask came off. Alone under flickering lamps, Leonard became the architect of his own secret future. He soldered boards until his fingers shook. He etched circuits by hand, weaving crude graphene lattices like spider silk stretched too thin. Every night brought failure: boards frying in bursts of ozone, lattices collapsing into black dust, connections shorting with a spark and a curse. But every failure was fuel. He documented each misstep with obsessive clarity, patterns mapped, dead ends cataloged. Not wasted effort — a breadcrumb trail that pointed, step by bloody step, toward what worked.
The warehouse became his temple. A place of ruin and rebirth, where the world's eyes couldn't follow, and where, brick by brick, he was building the future.
Nights in the warehouse blurred into one another.
The first lattice collapsed in seconds, graphene sheets curling in on themselves like burnt paper. The room filled with the acrid tang of ozone. Leonard logged every detail, muttering, "Too much stress along the y-axis nodes. Needs tighter bonding at the atomic layer."
The second prototype shorted violently. A crackle, a burst of light, then silence. He stood there in the dark, fingertips tingling, ears ringing, smoke curling upward. "All signal, no stability. Like trying to play Beethoven on a broken piano."
Dozens more followed. Boards fried, wires melted, qubits decohered into static chaos. Each failure carved trenches under his eyes, but also mapped new pathways in his mind. He saw patterns in defeat, constellations in rubble.
Then, one night, it came together. The blueprint crystallized in his head not as a design, but as a rhythm—mathematical, biological, architectural. He saw the Capitol dome again, its lattice of stone and steel, and overlaid it with neural fire. "Not found, but constructed. Print the lattice itself. Build the stability, atom by atom."
From that night on, the warehouse rang with rhythm.
Two Months Later
It took him two months to develop something that would take mankind decades to even conceive. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he made connections between a rubik's cube sized cube and a circular shell with dense wires. It took him two months, but he had finally achieved something that was the first in the world. His ideas on quantum lattice structures, his mapping of his neural network using the pill, and his atomic 3D printer, allowed him to create something he called the SynthBrain. This would become the head of his MedBud, allowing for superior probability calculation, better drug research, and unmatched diagnostic and surgical ability.
Leonard quickly connected the SynthBrain to the prototype robot head. He had already added a lot of medical books and videos in a chip to allow the SynthBrain to learn.
As soon as the head and the brain were connected, the robot LED eyes showed a caring expression before announcing, "Hello, I am MedBud, your personal healthcare professional."
Leonard grinned, he placed the bewildered head on his desk. As Leonard decided to continue with the experiment, something happened. Leonard felt his vision go blurry. His vision blurred, his knees buckled. The desk slammed into his temple as he went down. Darkness swallowed him. For the first time in months, his mind was silent.
AN: Sorry for the slight delay. Had to take a break before continuing the chapter, left some editing errors.
AN2: Thank you for your love and support
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