Laurent & Juliette are tasked to recover an artefact with James for their first every assignment together. An uniquely Singapore artefact.
*This title is part of ‘The Artefact‘ series.
James sat opposite the two girls who were staring at him without a word. Laurent kept looking at the dragon tattoo on his arm, a piece of art work that was her father’s last work before he passed on.
The stifling silence in the conference room was uncomfortable for everyone as they impatiently waited for Cornelius to arrive.
Cornelius arrived with a box of curry puffs in hand.
Cornelius : Good morning, i trust everyone had your breakfast…
Juliette : Is that our breakfast?
She said while pointing to the curry puffs.
Cornelius : Ermm…no…that’s my lunch.
Laurent : What is he doing here?
Cornelius : James…
He said while pointing to him with one hand and pulling out a curry puff with the other.
Cornelius : Will be helping you girls on the retrieval of artefacts from now on.
Juliette : Why?
Cornelius : Because he, has an artefact on his arm. One that can get pretty useful when the situation calls for.
Laurent : Why can’t you give us some of the toys in your vault? That way, we won’t need to baby sit someone while we work.
James : wait a minute, i was under the impression i’m the one doing the baby sitting?
Cornelius put up his hand and shushed everyone up.
Cornelius : enough…enough…i have no time for this…shit is hitting the fan and i need you guys to retrieve the candy gourd.
Cornelius said while taking a bite of his curry puff.
James : Candy god?
Cornelius : Candy gourd.
James : that’s what i said. Candy god.
Juliette : I heard candy sword
Laurent : I heard candy board.
Cornelius : Gourd! gourd!
James : God…
Cornelius : for fuck sake.
Cornelius took another bite of his curry puff before flashing something on the projector screen.
It depicted a transparent gourd, elegantly crafted with delicate swirls and intricate patterns etched into its surface. The gourd seemed to glow from within, as if infused with an ethereal light. But what caught their attention even more were the contents within.
The inside of the gourd was filled to the brim with an assortment of colorful candies, each one more vibrant and enticing than the last. They were shaped like miniature fruits, lollipops, and other whimsical objects that evoked a sense of childlike wonder.
James : That’s like skittles on steroids. Is it an AI generated image?
Cornelius : this…candy gourd…
Cornelius emphasized on the shape of the gourd by making a hand sculpting shape of that resembles a woman’s body.
The two ladies looked at Cornelius as if he just made an offensive gesture.
Cornelius : arhhh…fuck this…listen…a mischievous being…has given this gourd to someone. And the candy, are being distributed.
Juliette : What happens when you eat it?
Cornelius : You get super powers.
Laurent : really?
Laurent asked as she sat upright.
Laurent : sounds like something we need.
Cornelius : don’t get so excited. The powers are useless…
Juliette : What do you mean useless?
Cornelius : It’s hard to explain, it’s just useless. You will see when you start retrieving it.
Without giving them chance to ask more questions, Cornelius gave them a location.
Cornelius : The candy gourd is here, located at the basement of Hougang Mall, it’s at the cleaners’ store by the toilet. You will retrieve it, and then set about retrieving all the candies that have been distributed.
James : How do we find other candies?
Cronelius : It’s simple. once you get the gourd, go to the highest level of a building, look through the gourd and turn around, you will see the location of other candy.
Juliette: do we beat the candy out of the people who eat it?
Cornelius : There’s no need to beat anyone. Pressing the gourd to their chest will do the trick. It will draw the candy back and they will not remember anything related to the candy.
Laurent : Sounds simple enough.
James : I see one glaring problem with this job.
Cornelius : What is it?
James: why would anyone readily give up their super powers if they have it.
Cornelius : Well, if they are not willing to give it up, you have that dragon tattoo don’t you? Just don’t kill anyone. This is a simple job, sort of a warm up for you James.
Juliette : Just one more question, this candy gourd by the candy god…
Cornelius : I used the word ‘being’ i never said he was a god.
Juliette : Whatever…what kind of powers are we talking about? Flight? super human strength, invisibility? incredible hulk.
Cornelius : Well…don’t over think it. As i said, the powers are pretty much useless i think, and in some cases, i’m sure they will be happy to get rid of it…alright, chope chope, please leave now. And try to get this done by today.
As the trio made their way to the mall on the northeast side of Singapore, Laurent asked James about the tattoo on his arm.
Laurent : does it hurt when it move?
James looked at the fiery dragon that looked as if it was alive on his forearm. It felt as if he was permanently wearing a heat pack on his arm, the hair around his forearm stopped growing and the sides of it looked a little charred. Like he spent too much time beside a massive BBQ pit.
James : sometimes…like thousands of pin pricks, and there’s nothing to sooth the pain.
Laurent : Can i touch it…
Juliette: Ahem…We’re almost there.
Turning into the basement of the shopping mall, they made their way to the cleaner’s store and they saw a man sitting on the ground surrounded by plastic bags and five cent coins.
The candy gourd is sitting inside his locker.
James : Are you ok?
The man seemed distressed and on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Juliette : do you need help?
Bobby : I…i…i cannot explain what is happening…but…but…look at this…
Bobby reached into his left pocket and pulled out a plastic bag. Then he reached into his right pocket and pulled out a five cent coin.
Laurent : huh ?
Bobby : i…i keep doing this, and they keep appearing. i don’t know why…i don’t know what is happening!
Bobby kept pulling five cent coins and plastic bags from his pocket and the whole store is filling up fast.
James grabbed the gourd and did exactly what Cornelius instructed. Bobby gasped as the candy he ate was returned into the transparent gourd.
The five cent and plastic pulling trick stopped immediately.
James : There…done.
Bobby : What is happening? What is this? why got plastic bags all over the floor? and whose coins are these! why my store is in such a mess!
The girls flashed their police credentials and that stunt Bobby long enough for them to get out of the store and back into the car.
Juliette : this must be the easiest retrieval we’ve done.
James held up the gourd and began reading the label out loud.
James : uniquely Singapore candies. limited edition … what do you think this means?
Laurent : I know…
All eyes turned to Laurent as she reached for the gourd.
Laurent : uniquely Singapore candies, with uniquely Singapore special powers.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Juliette: the cleaner must be thinking about the plastic bag charges at supermarket when he ate it.
James : i wonder if there’s one that allows you to have sex in tight spaces…
The girls gave James a dagger stare.
James : What?
Juliette : Let’s go find the next one.
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