8 Interlude: Pseudo Scientist of the mid 20th Century

      For as long as he can remember– when he was born, he was already conscious and aware of his surroundings despite being born as an infant.

" Hughes... His name is Hughes Everett. "

" You wouldn't name him after me, his Father? "

" Hughes has a certain ring on them. And you are already Hugh Everett the Second. "

He already understand that those two people who he can hear talking are his parents.

" But the tradition... "

" Tradition? What tradition? I never heard Father in law say something like that. "

" Sigh, Hughes it is... But his nickname would be Hugh, got it? "

" Definitely, dear. "

" Welcome my little child. "

" He was so little and cute, isn't he my dear? "

" Right, like a tomato monkey. "

" Ouch! Why did you whacked my head?! "

" Dear! I haven't suffered through this painful labor process for you to insult your son like that! "

" Ouch, ouch, ouch, my hand, my hand dear! Your grip is so painful despite all of this.."

" Certainly. Now, please hold Hughes for a while. "

" Wait! I don't know how to hold– "

" I'm sleeping! "

He can hear, understand the meaning of the words and grasp what was going on his surroundings.

That time, he thought that there was nothing of it and it was completely normal.

As his days pass as an infant, his parents learned that he was quite unusual. He was a quiet child. He likes to make the burden of his parents as less as possible. He thought that he doesn't want to bother them unless necessary. He would only cry loudly if he was hungry or his diaper already full of his disgusting stuffs. His parents thought it odd, but they were also thankful for his unusual behavior after they got over their concern that something was wrong with him.

For a baby, he was a little advance than normal infants. He learned to crawl, walk and say his first word earlier than them.

His parents called him an intelligent person. He wondered why they didn't describe him in that word.

When he was a child, his unusualness become more prominent. He can't get along with the other children. He would usually correct the children when they are in wrong. He would refuse to get along with their ideas and thought that his ideas were the correct one. When asked why he is certain, Hughes would say that it was because he said it. He ended up not getting along with the other children and spending his time alone in the corner. Spending his times reading books and getting a headache why did a certain word, actions or thing feels familiar.

At that time, he also never thought to tell his parents over his problem. It never entered on his mind. As if it was telling him that his parents would never understand. He learned to ignore the problem and avoid thinking about those headaches.

It have worked. Soon, he already forgot those things. And he also forgot that he was having a headache over those things.

When he started going at school, he was the top of his class. But no children or classmates of him wanted to play or approach him. He ended up as a loner and a bookworm. Watching the kids have a normal life, play and talk with their own friends and classmates–even through he tried to ignore it, and reason that they are just stupid, Hughes can't help but feel envious of them sometimes.

One day, when he was approached by one of the teachers at the school and offered an opportunity, he ended up agreeing after getting the permission of his parents. Hughes ended up moving up a few grades and he ended up more of a loner and ostracized by his new classmates because of his age. When he was 10 years old, Hughes was already at the second level of middle school. That year, his Father and Mother has also decided to have a divorce.

He never understand how it happened. His parents were close and loving too each other from what he remembered. He never realize that there was a problem at his home. How come he never realize it?

His mother ended up leaving their house after the divorce. She have never said anything to him other than hoping that he would fulfill his dreams someday. There's no I love you or I would miss you. Even a take care wasn't left in her mouth.

Hughes was confused at the situation. She left, leaving him alone with his Father and Grandfather at their home. Hughes felt lonely more than ever at that time. He was friendless at the school and now he has one less parent.

He only has his father and grandfather left. His father didn't even seem concerned if he was doing alright at his school. He was just look at his perfect grades and decide that he was doing well and alright. His grandpa was the only one who was bothered to ask questions if he was doing alright at his school. Bothered to cook food for him and prepare him a warm cup of chocolate once a week. Sometimes, his grandpa would regal him with the stories of his own childhood and his own unfulfilled dream of dabbling in space and science.

Hughes and his grandfather ended up more closer after his mother was gone. Not a month passed by when his mother left them, His Father decided to rejoin on the military.

In quite a sense, his father has also ended up leaving him. Joining the military meant that Hughes would very rarely meet his Father again. His father didn't even bothered to have prepared them for this matter. He have just said it when he was already prepared to go in the military. His grandpa and father ended up having a fight.

Inside his mind, Hughes feel betrayed by his Father. He just left and he promised that he would come home once a month.

His father have promised, but it had never been fulfilled.

---

At home, he and his grandpa spent their time together. They also ended up adopting a dog and ended up naming him nebula. But it was mostly have it's named shortened and called " Nebu. "

Hughes was secretly glad that they have adapted a dog since most of his time was spent on attending the school during the school days. He doesn't want his grandpa to ended up lonely since he spent most of his time at school learning but still remains friendless.

When Hughes was twelve, he ended up sending a letter to his most admired and favorite scientist in the world under his grandfather's encouragement. He have a question on that letter that was quite important for him.

Hughes wasn't hopeful that he would ended up getting an answer even through his father said that he should think optimistically. And he retorted that he shouldn't get his hope up since the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

But he was surprised when his most respected person have answered his letter.

" I told you, it wasn't bad to be an idealist. "

His grandfather told him when he received the letter.

It was definitely one of his most happiest day. It was after all, the most famous scientist at that time who answered his letter.

Hughes Everett graduated at High School at the age of 15. At that time, he have become quite known in the Washington because of his intellect and demeanor. He also ended up enrolling in a certain Catholic university in the Washington and have taken Chemical Engineering. He have taken it since it wasn't giving him the feeling of familiarity. Over the years, Hughes have learned to ignore the feeling of familiarity and stay away from them as possible. When he tried as hard to try to remember those things even through he haven't done them, he would always ended up having a very painful headache. He doesn't try to understand why he can understand languages that he shouldn't know since it would ended with him being confused or asked himself if he would also ended up like his mother.

When he graduated at High School, Hughes have learned that his Mother was in a mental hospital and was having her condition treated. The psychologist and psychiatrist there told him that his mother has been there for years. Hughes then spent a few times visiting his mother since he learned of her condition.

During his studies at his first University, finally for him, he ended up with a few people. Specifically numbered to three that he can certainly called his friends. He was quite glad that he have gained friends who can understand him and get along with them despite him being younger than them. Through, he can do without their playful teasing and banter regarding his genius.

He appeared to dislike their teasings, but he was quite happy at the fact that he can spend most of his times at the University with them.

He should have ended up graduating at his first University at the age of 17, but because of his friends he have prolonged his studies there until his friends graduated and he was already 18.

After graduating at the University, Hughes goal was studying at the certain prestigious university. His family wasn't rich. They can't afford if he have studied at that place. Hughes decided that he needed to find a way to be accepted at the Academy. It happened when he have been granted an award and win in a certain Science competition.

Because of it, he become more popular and sought after. At his second university, Hughes decided to take Engineering and a quite challenging subject for him. Mathematics. For as long as he can remember, different from the other subjects, Mathematics doesn't come for him as an easy subject. It was giving him a headache. But a different headache from that feeling. Math gives him a challenge. When he finished solving the problems, it always gives him a small feeling of accomplishment.

On his second university, he gained a new friends that Hughes could say that they are reliable and could understand him. Just like his friends at previous university, they welcomed him with open arms and he feels that he wasn't an outsider because of his age.

But his life wasn't all sunshine and flowers, there were those people who was envious of him. They tried to make his life as hard as possible at the University. Thankfully, there are his friends and his own determination to keep going and ignore their taunts and persevere through the difficulties.

During those days, Hughes grandfather has passed away. His grandfather who was always there for him. It wasn't really a surprise that his grandfather's time would soon end. He already knows it inside his mind since his father is already old. He knows that his time would come despite living a most healthy lifestyle. But it still hurts when it happened. It have shook him to the core and he felt broken.

He wasn't there when it happened. His grandpa was at home with Nebu while he was celebrating with his friends at having to pass their test.

With his father at the Military, there was only him and his friends attending at his Grandpa's funeral. They have no relatives– the relatives on his Mother's side refuse to attend because of what happened and his mother's condition.

His friends have consoled him. But they haven't manage to alleviate his loneliness with his grandfather's death. His grandfather has also left him just like his parents. But in a more different sense. He knows that if he was still alive, his grandfather wouldn't let him live alone by himself. He would be there to take care of him and regal him of his own stories.

It was more painful than his parents leaving him.

After the burial of his grandfather, his father sent a letter saying that it would be alright and he was also sad that grandfather have left. His father asked how is he doing. Hughes didn't bother to reply.

Two weeks after the burial, just like his previous university, there was also things that was required so they can graduate. One of them was their Research.

At that time, Hughes was still grieving for his grandfather, his friends invited him for a drink. Unlike the usual where he would refuse, he decided to accept them.

He have drink a lot that he can't remember what he done. But when he regained his consciousness together with his friends he was surprised with the writings and the notes that he found.

He doesn't understand why his drunk self decided to thread the path of this unusual and impossible topic. But he still decided to do it and proceed on them.

He have presented his Theory, his research and calculations. Together with his friends, he have successfully graduated the university. After that he also learned that his father have really left him when he ended up dying on his duty.

That time, he thought that it didn't quite hurt than he thought it will be.

Two years after after his graduation, Hughes never thought that he would ended up becoming a Scientist working for military.

It would be the start of his downfall.