Chapter 9: Chapter 9

In just one day of meeting Doctor Roberts, his life changed. He had travelled places he never thought of. New Canada and Republic of Africa. His loner life as a lumberman transformed into an helpless agent of The Shining. Let alone, the so called team he was getting acquainted with. He found Marcus for example, as one not mature enough; always sensitive to Collins taunts and sarcasm. Collins and Michael on the other hand, were self-centered idiots he was certain he couldn't get along with. Then there is Lola, the beautiful lady in whom he found reasonable and mature. The only one that remained a mystery was little Ariel.

He glanced at her briefly. There she was, seated inches away from him outside listening to her headset and enjoying the evenings serenity. In all the hours she's shared with them, she had not spoken a word. Just quiet with an expression he couldn't quite depict. It was this quietness and young stature that baffled him. He decided to engage her into a conversation but Doctor Roberts sauntered towards them with a leash that held Bruno. His German Shepherd dog.

"Bruno!" He chirped with a wide smile that broke on his face. Bruno wriggled it's tail signalling Doctor Roberts for release. The dog sped towards him and they hugged. He chuckled while Bruno licked his face ceaselessly.

"I figured you'll be needing him." Doctor Roberts muttered with a smile. "He's your pet after all."

"He's not a pet, he's my friend."

Theodore remarked amidst his dog's ceaseless antics. "I'm even surprised he likes you."

Doctor Roberts laughed as he slipped his hands into his lab coat.

"Trust me, it wasn't easy flying him over here." Doctor Roberts inched closer. "To be honest, I expected you to have absconded far away from me by now."

Theodore stared into the Doctor's Hazel eyes while his wide smile relatively lessened.

"Only someone stupid would do that. You literally know everything about me and if you could implant recorders into our invitation cards, who knows if you implanted a tracker in me." Doctor Roberts grinned.

"Besides, I don't want to be appearing on the news as a wanted mutant." He added in the iciest tone his vocal cords could orchestrate.

"Thank you for staying." Doctor Roberts answered with heavy dose of sincerity.

"I'm doing this out of forced will and the point still remains." He paused his lips while he ran his fingers through Bruno's golden brown fur. "I loathe your works and honestly, this mission you refuse to tell sounds more like a scientific war to me."

Doctor Roberts arched his eyebrows upwards for a second.

"It's going to be more than a scientific war if we don't prepare against it."

Theodore sighed, thinking about his disorder,  how it could jeopardize The Shining or whatever Doctor Roberts was planning.

"I'm useless, Doctor Roberts." He declared with a burdened tone. Bruno whined while the Doctor squinted his eyes.

"Whatever you're planning for the team with me in it is only going to ruin everything. I'm an hindrance and will only slow or even make your goal unreachable."

Silence reigned amidst them for minutes before the Doctor's voice finally arose.

"Do you play Chess?" He asked sharply with a renewed smile.

Theodore responded with a dumb look. He just explained something important and troubling and all the Doctor could respond with, was chess!

"Y-yeah." He stammered, still trying to decipher where the Doctor was driving to.

Doctor Roberts nodded. "Follow me." He said and they both paced to The Shining abode.

"What of Ariel, is she going to be safe alone?" He asked as he glanced at her briefly. Who remained unmoved.

"Trust me," Doctor Roberts answered as their shoes buried into the sandy grounds. "She is more than capable of taking care of herself."

Theodore sighed, finding it hard to comprehend what the Doctor implied. Once they emerged into the flat, Doctor Roberts clapped briefly as he called,

"Service!"

Theodore watched in surprise awe as the house transformed into a technological room again. He witnessed this transformation before but watching it happening again, still amused him.

Doctor Roberts sat on a couch while Bruno relaxed to the metal floor.

"Don't you think the name, Service, is wired for an AI?" He muttered as he relaxed on the couch opposite Doctor Roberts.

"Perhaps," Doctor Roberts responded. "Service! Give us a chess board please."

The center ceilings slid opened and a perfectly modeled machine arm gradually lowered with a Chess board in it's palm. Theodore amusingly watched Service drop the board gently on the centre table.

"Shall we?" Doctor Roberts gestured his hand to the board. Theodore frowned still unable to depict the Doctor's antics. He arranged the pieces carefully on the board, opting to play with the white pieces.

Doctor Roberts hummed as if impressed by his choice. "Now Theodore before we begin,"

Theodore paused as he listened attentively. "What is the most powerful piece in Chess?" Doctor Roberts asked as he donned a smile.

"Queen, of course." He lucidly affirmed.

Doctor Roberts hummed again. "Queen it is!" The Doctor confirmed before removing his Black Queen from the board.

"What are you doing?" Theodore asked with a frown.

"Now let's play." Doctor Roberts mischievously toned. Theodore eyed him with skepticisms before making the first move.

"Checkmate." He chirped while Doctor Roberts nodded with his accustomed smile. But it baffled him, he expected someone like Doctor Roberts to be an expert and not some amateur that lasted only five minutes.

"Apart from the Queen, what piece do you think is next in line?" Doctor Roberts asked.

"Knight, I think." He answered, this time his voice hinted uncertainties.

"Interesting, shall we play again?" Doctor Roberts asked and he nodded. Both of them arranging the pieces. And this time, the Doctor removed both of his black knights and returned his Queen.

"Checkmate." Theodore voiced again after another five minutes of play.

"Again." Doctor Roberts ordered. "What's the next in line?"

"Castle." Theodore answered and the Doctor removed both of his castles and returned his knights.

"Checkmate."

"What's the next in line?" Doctor Roberts queried again.

"Bishop." Theodore responded in frustration.

"Interesting, let's play again." Doctor Roberts nodded while he removed both his Bishops and returned his Castles.

"Checkmate!" Theodore mumbled, already tired of winning over the Doctor's amateurish play.

"Of course the last in line, is the pawns. Isn't it?" Doctor Roberts beamed. He nodded. "Alright then, let's play again." The Doctor added while relieving all his pawns from the board and returned his Bishops. All that now remained on the Doctor's side were the Castles, Knights, Bishops, Queen and King.

"Checkmate!" Theodore once again avowed after another round.

Doctor Roberts giggled.

"I'm sure you must be frustrated by now."

"Yes!" He raised his voice.

"Alright let's play one last round." Doctor Roberts offered with his accustomed grin.

"Oh no no no no!" Theodore exclaimed with his head wriggling in support.

"This time, I'll play with all my pieces. Fair and square." Doctor Roberts patronized.

"One last round and you must tell me what this is all about!" He replied before arranging all his pieces back in a frustrated manner.

"Checkmate." Doctor Roberts muttered with a wide smile. Theodore gazed shockingly at the Doctor. The game only lasted for a minute and Doctor Roberts had won in a professional style.

"How did you--" Theodore stuttered, still trying to phantom how Doctor Roberts had won. That too, so easily.

"I could have won regardless of any pieces I removed but I purposely played that way."

"Why?"

"So you could get the point." Doctor Roberts affirmed.

"What point?"

"What's the main purpose of Chess?" Doctor Roberts asked.

"Two teams struggling to win over the other?"

Doctor Roberts laughed.

"Chess is like going to war. It's a game whereby you strategize with your team on how to overcome the enemy. Now do you know the interesting part?"

"Just spit it out already." Theodore sighed.

"Every pieces in the game have their flaws yet are unique. The pawns move forward only, the Bishop moves adjacently in one direction, the Knights travel in the shape of L, the Castles travel in addition symbol and the Queen, can perform every art of other pieces except the knights."

Theodore nodded.

"The truth is Theodore, every team has their flaws but when they work together they cover their flaws and conquer their opponents." The Doctor paused.

"The Shining is just like Chess Pieces, everyone of you possesses unique powers but also have flaws. To many amateur players, the pawns are just sacrificial lambs or most useless but that piece also has a role to play. And because it isn't powerful enough, doesn't mean you should chastise it out of the team."

Theodore sighed as he gradually got hints of Doctor Roberts point.

"Now Theodore, just because you have a flaw doesn't make you useless in the team." The Doctor paused with a smile as he popped his head closer. "The real question I should be asking," he paused again.

"What is your flaw?"

Theodore stared worriedly into the Doctor's eyes. Hesitating for minutes before rolling the words out in oblivion.

"I have DID. Dissociative identity disorder."