The Degree
The Underground III

Ray and Indri do several exercises before pressing the button simultaneously. Although Indri complained so much because Ray was too worried, but in the end he still wanted to do it.

Less than ten minutes passed for the two to practice. They can finally adjust the time to press the button. This is not a fictional story that people will immediately manage to do.

Ray needs to pay attention to the time difference when pressing, there is a possibility of explosion is set when there is a split second difference when pressing the two buttons. Although only a guess but Ray still worried.

Both of them pressed the button at the same time and succeeded because no explosion was feared to happen.

“Gila .. there really is a secret room here,” muttered Indri, he looked surprised and a little sweaty.

Ray also watched closely as the ceiling above their heads began to open and exposed the dark passageway.

“You said basement but the door is on top. How do we get there?” ask Indri.

Ray took out his hand from the beak of the eagle and smiled to answer Indri's curiosity.

“Of course, we'll go down.”

“How?”

When Indri asked, Ray put his hand on the beak of the eagle and pressed it until the eagle seemed to cover his mouth.

As soon as the floor on which they stood began to descend down slowly, they could see nothing due to the overwhelming darkness. There is absolutely no lighting until finally Indri uses his clock. He shone a light on Ray's face as he spoke.

“It's time for you to say what's down there, Ray. I'm tired of waiting to find out for myself because this elevator is running so slow.”

Ray does not want to tell it because it is troublesome and it makes no difference if he tells now or waits for Indri to know for himself after seeing it.

But in the end he chose to give up and convey it.

“Just below is the perfect human development facility and also the place where the technology research is carried out.”

She was shocked and confused at the same time. On the one hand, he understood the purpose of technology research that has been commonly done. Technology research can be interpreted as a way to develop certain technologies and find completely new objects.

Indri knew about it, but one thing he did not really understand was about ‘Perfect’ human development referred to by Ray.

There are many institutions that try to develop people to be better in various ways such as education or crazy things like Secret did.

“The first time I heard of perfect human development. What do you mean by that?” ask Indri.

Ray was silent for quite a while before he let out a tired sigh and rubbed his neck.

“Therefore I want you to witness it for yourself,” Ray said. “In short it is stupid and crazy research to determine the best method in educating humans.”

No human being can master all the fields. Some may be experts in biology and mathematics, but they are very poor in other fields such as law and economics. Even if one mastered those four things, that person would have other weaknesses such as crummy in technology and others.

“Man perfectly aims to produce a method that will make one able to stand at the top of all the important fields to propel forward human civilization.”

“Really, that's too crazy a dream, right?!” said Indri who was stunned.

Ray nodded, he agreed on one side and opposed it as well. In fact, madness is an important part that encourages mankind to build civilization since prehistoric times until now.

It used to be that people would laugh when they heard someone dream of flying, but now humans can fly with technology. Thanks to this madness, the air was conquered

In his time flying through the sky was too impossible to do, but thanks to human madness, the sky was conquered.

Thanks to human madness, traveling long distances in a short time, communicating two or more directions over long distances, and various other comforts are achieved thanks to human madness.

Madness is not an oddity but an excellence. By being crazy about something, they will achieve something in a completely crazy way.

“It may indeed be crazy, but it is not impossible.”

In the distant future, it is possible that the development of the perfect human will actually happen and be recognized by the world.

“I have always been confident in dealing with things because I believe .. something that looks crazy and impossible will eventually be achieved only if the madness begins.”

Indri was a little silent and deepened Ray's words. Indeed, the statement that nothing is impossible in this world is true. Even today, it is not impossible for man to destroy the earth or his own race.

“Yeah, you might be right. All it takes for everyone is to start the first step. A very difficult step to take. Just like when people start walking and talking. We will start by dragging the body, crawling and standing.”

Indri began to laugh a little because he thought of a sentence that he thought was ancient. That's funny because that sentence is true.

“Do not start if no one starts it.”

“I understand that,” Indri nodded at his own words. “Although so I doubt whether this crazy experiment has paid off.”

Ray doesn't know if Indri is pretending to be stupid or if he doesn't realize it. If you have to guess, it seems to be the last one.

Indri looked at Ray in surprise. He didn't think about it, the whole place was arguably Ray's home. It should be very possible for Ray to be the subject of his experiments.

It's just that Indri did not think about it because he believed it was impossible for a father to be so willing to use his son as research material.

“You mean ..” Indri intends to say something but Ray knows what he will say.

“Yes, the room you saw earlier is one part of the perfect human curriculum.”

The room where Ray had been desperate was the toughest of all the curriculum he experienced. The place demanded for someone to kill his ego and strengthen one's mentality so as not to go crazy.

“Isn't that .. too extreme?” indri gumam. “Your father is interested in making humans evolve, arguably evolution. Maybe he'll be a close friend to Secret.”

Ray's father with Secret arguably has the same vision about this.

Ray did not deny or accept this. Now the experiment is just part of the past.

“Together with perfect human development.I was the first and the last to experience all that.” Ray won't be able to forget all those sad days.

...****************...

After some time they finally stopped moving and seemed to arrive in a fairly cold room. They still could not see anything because there was no lighting until a few seconds passed, the light slowly turned on by itself.

“It looks like this place is still fine. Electricity from the heat of the sun also works well,” Ray said as he observed the room in front of him.

A room with a roof, floor and walls has green tosca tiles, there are many glass walls in each different room.

The entire place was rectangular in shape with many different spaces. The room is diverse, there are places where human-shaped robots lie, machines and even computers that have not been used for a long time.

“This is so vast, it seems that there is also a lot of research,” muttered Indri while walking slowly in awe, he then glanced at the hanger by his side.

There's a white suit, something doctors and scientists will use. Indri was quite interested, he took one for him and another for Ray.

“Hey, use this. There aren't many occasions where we can act like genius scientists.”

Ray doesn't know what's fun about doing it, but he does because he doesn't want to waste time.

Both walked through different rooms. Ray seemed unconcerned with the other room because he had been in each room.

“Even here there is a study room, laboratory and many others. I wonder how rich your parents are, Ray,”, said Indri who was unceasingly amazed. “Really, what is a special room to shoot? There are even guns and bullets here!”

Ray ignores Indri who is like a kind of kindergarten excursion, maybe for outsiders like Indri a place with many things like that is difficult to find, in contrast to Ray who is quite fed up to see all those things.

He continued walking until they finally arrived at the end of the room. There is an automatic door that requires a pin to open it.

“What is a secret room that requires a password from its owner? If you can't open it then let me kick it till it falls!” Indri suggested something extraordinarily extreme.

Ray wonders where Indri's usual calm and calm nature goes but for now he needs to stop the barbarian woman.

“No need. I'm sure there's not a single place in this room that I can't get into.”

Ray remembers all the pins to enter any room that needs such access clearly. He visited this dungeon not once twice, but hundreds or even thousands of times.

Inserting the necessary pin, the door starts to open automatically. It is to be grateful that all operating systems in the facility are fully functional.

White smoke began to blow out, the room that was originally so dark was now beginning to be filled with lighting.

“Yes, we can use everything inside here for the purpose of completing the final task.” Ray looked at the room at the entrance silently.

While on the other hand, Indri walked in staggeredly, he was astonished at the different admiration from before. Of course, it was because behind all the previous rooms, there was another room that was quite spacious in front of him.

Regardless of the size of the room, the most interesting part is what is inside.

“Fu fu, this is really amazing.”

What was inside was unmistakable could be said to be a treasure. A truly precious treasure whether it was completing the test of Secret or not.

“I don't know if these items are collected for further development and modification or maybe the person is hobby of collecting them.”

Ray never had any deep conversations with his late father about any of those things. When Ray talks with his father only when the curriculum changes or when Ray is depressed and desperate.

Even if they were talking, the conversation was only within the scope of what Ray was doing and what he was going to do in the future.

“Well, Ray. What if we try it?” asked Indri with a little excitement.

Ray just looked at him and raised an eyebrow, it was indeed not a bad thing to do so, but Ray did not have any reason to leave now.