Dr. Aquarius was not just any chemist; he was the kind of chemist who made his colleagues roll their eyes when he insisted that science was a form of art. While others clocked out at 5 PM, Aquarius was the last to leave the lab, his white coat stained with the evidence of his obsession. On this particular evening, the lights in the Caldwell Research Facility dimmed one by one as everyone headed home, leaving only Aquarius in the lab, hunched over his workbench.
The project had been consuming him for weeks—a new formula that promised to revolutionize polymer chemistry. He was on the brink of a breakthrough, teetering between frustration and revelation. His eyes stung from staring at the computer screen too long, and his fingers were cramped from scribbling equations and notes on countless yellow pads. But Aquarius was in the zone, driven by a mix of caffeine and pure determination.
“Just a little more tweaking,” he muttered to himself, adjusting the knobs on the vapor chamber. He was testing the polymer’s response to various gases, hoping to find the perfect catalyst for his formula. He leaned closer, his nose almost touching the chamber, as he watched the swirling vapors through the glass.
A glance at his watch revealed it was well past midnight. He chuckled to himself. “Looks like it’s just you and me tonight, vapors. The rest of the world is missing out on this scintillating party.”
The lab was quiet, save for the occasional hum of the equipment. The only light came from the soft glow of his computer screen and the flickering fluorescent bulbs overhead. Aquarius yawned, rubbing his eyes. He blinked hard, trying to focus, but the numbers on the screen began to blur. His eyelids felt like lead.
“Maybe… just a quick nap,” he murmured, leaning back in his chair. “Just… a few minutes.”
As sleep overtook him, he didn’t notice the knob on the vapor chamber slip slightly, releasing a small puff of noxious gas into the air. The vapors swirled around his head, invisible and silent, creeping into his lungs with each slow, deep breath.
Aquarius awoke with a start, his head pounding as if a jackhammer was at work inside his skull. He blinked, trying to shake the fog from his mind. The lab was still dark, but the first rays of morning light were beginning to seep through the narrow windows. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Ugh, note to self: sleeping in a lab chair is a terrible idea,” he groaned. But as he glanced around the room, something felt… off. The colors were too vivid, the edges of objects too sharp, almost like they were outlined in neon. His heart raced as he realized he wasn’t in his lab anymore—or at least, not entirely.
The lab seemed to shimmer and shift, as if existing in two realities at once. The walls melted into what looked like the deck of a spaceship, complete with blinking consoles and metallic surfaces. But when he blinked again, it was just his lab, with its dull gray counters and the faint smell of chemicals. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but the hallucination persisted.
“Aquarius, old pal, you’ve finally cracked,” he whispered to himself, his voice shaking. “All those late nights, too much caffeine, and not enough fresh air… I’m losing it.”
But the visions didn’t stop. Instead, they grew stronger. One moment he was in his lab, the next he was in a dense jungle, surrounded by towering alien plants that seemed to pulse with a strange light. He stumbled back, gasping, only to find himself once again in the sterile environment of his lab.
“What the hell is happening?” he muttered, his hands trembling. “This isn’t real. It can’t be real.”
As he looked down at his hands, he noticed his skin was glowing faintly, the veins beneath pulsing with a strange, iridescent light. He gasped, stumbling back against the lab bench. His heart pounded in his chest as panic gripped him.
“No, no, no… this is all in my head,” he repeated, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s just a hallucination. Just a dream.”
But when he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his lab. Instead, he was standing in a vast desert under a sky filled with two suns. The heat was oppressive, the sand beneath his feet scorching. He turned in circles, searching for something familiar, but all he saw were endless dunes stretching into the horizon.
“Okay, Aquarius, think,” he said aloud, trying to steady his voice. “What did you do? What could have caused this?”
He retraced his steps in his mind, trying to remember the last thing he had done before falling asleep. The vapor chamber, the formula, the experiment…
“The vapors!” he exclaimed, smacking his forehead. “I must have inhaled something while I was asleep.”
As he spoke, the desert around him began to waver, the air shimmering as if it were made of liquid. The sands shifted, rising and falling like waves. And then, with a sickening lurch, he was back in his lab, gasping for breath.
Aquarius stumbled to his desk, his hands shaking as he tried to steady himself. He grabbed his notebook, flipping through the pages in a desperate search for answers. But the words seemed to dance on the paper, shifting and morphing into strange symbols he couldn’t comprehend.
“Focus, Aquarius,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “You need to figure this out.”
He grabbed a pen and began to write down everything he could remember about the vapors—what chemicals he had used, what reactions he had observed. But as he wrote, the words twisted on the page, rearranging themselves into nonsensical equations.
Frustrated, he threw the pen across the room, watching as it clattered to the floor. His mind was spinning, a chaotic whirl of thoughts and fears. He needed help, but the idea of explaining his situation to anyone else seemed impossible. Who would believe him?
As he sat there, staring at the warped words on the page, he heard a voice behind him.
“Need a hand, Doc?”
Aquarius spun around, nearly falling out of his chair. Standing in the middle of his lab was a man dressed in a full spacesuit, the visor of his helmet reflecting the fluorescent lights above. Aquarius blinked, unsure if this was another hallucination.
“Who… who are you?” Aquarius stammered.
The man chuckled, the sound muffled through his helmet. “Name’s Sagittarius. I’m your friendly neighborhood astronaut.”
Aquarius stared at him, mouth agape. “You’re not real.”
“Real or not, I’m here to help,” Sagittarius said, stepping closer. “Looks like you’ve gotten yourself into a bit of a mess, huh?”
“You think?” Aquarius snapped, his frustration boiling over. “I’m losing my mind, and now I’m talking to imaginary astronauts!”
Sagittarius shrugged. “Hey, I could be worse. I could be a talking dog. Or worse, a talking cat. Those things are sneaky.”
Despite himself, Aquarius let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Sagittarius pulled up a stool and sat down next to Aquarius. “So, what’s the deal? What’s got your brain all scrambled?”
Aquarius sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I was working late, and I must have inhaled something toxic while I slept. Now… now I’m seeing things. I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.”
Sagittarius nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds like a classic case of ‘You messed up, Doc.’ But hey, you’re a smart guy. You’ll figure it out.”
Aquarius rubbed his temples, feeling the pounding headache intensify. “I don’t know. It’s like my brain is short-circuiting. One minute I’m here, the next I’m… somewhere else.”
“Maybe you’re not supposed to fight it,” Sagittarius suggested. “Maybe you’re supposed to ride the wave, see where it takes you.”
Aquarius frowned. “Ride the wave? This isn’t some surfer movie!”
Sagittarius grinned. “Maybe it is, and you’re the star. So what do you say? Ready to catch the next big one?”
Aquarius shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m taking advice from a figment of my imagination.”
“Hey, I’m not just any figment,” Sagittarius said, pointing a gloved finger at Aquarius. “I’m the figment that’s gonna get you through this.”
Before Aquarius could respond, the lab began to fade again, the walls dissolving into a swirling vortex of colors. He felt himself being pulled into the maelstrom, Sagittarius’ voice echoing in his ears.
“Hold on tight, Doc! It’s gonna be a wild ride!”
Aquarius found himself floating in a vast, endless void, surrounded by stars and galaxies. He was weightless, his body drifting aimlessly through space. Sagittarius was nowhere to be seen, but his words lingered in Aquarius’ mind.
“Ride the wave… see where it takes you…”
Aquarius closed his eyes, letting the weightlessness wash over him. The panic that had gripped him earlier was fading, replaced by a strange sense of calm. Maybe Sagittarius was right—maybe he needed to stop fighting and just let go.
As he floated through the void, he began to see shapes forming in the distance. They were faint at first, but as he drifted closer, they took on more definition. Planets, moons, and asteroids surrounded him, each one pulsing with a strange, otherworldly light.
He drifted closer to one of the planets, its surface covered in vast oceans of liquid metal. The sight was mesmerizing, the light reflecting off the waves in a dazzling display of colors. Aquarius reached out, his hand brushing against the surface of the planet. It was warm to the touch, and as his fingers made contact, he felt a surge of energy course through his body.
Suddenly, he was no longer drifting aimlessly. The planet’s gravity pulled him in, drawing him closer to its surface. As he descended, the liquid metal parted, revealing a massive city beneath the waves. Towers of glass and steel rose from the depths, their spires piercing the sky. The city was alive with movement, its inhabitants rushing to and fro like ants in a colony.
Aquarius landed softly on the surface, the liquid metal solidifying beneath his feet. He looked around in awe, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling city. The air was filled with the hum of machinery, the buzz of conversation, and the distant roar of engines.
“Welcome to Metallica Prime,” a voice said behind him.
Aquarius turned to see Sagittarius standing there, now dressed in a sleek, futuristic uniform. “You like it? I built it myself.”
Aquarius’ jaw dropped. “You… built this?”
Sagittarius grinned. “Well, not me, technically. But this is your mind, remember? Everything you see here is a reflection of you.”
Aquarius looked around, his eyes wide with wonder. “This… this is incredible.”
Sagittarius nodded. “You’ve got a pretty wild imagination, Doc. But we’re not done yet.”
Aquarius raised an eyebrow. “Not done?”
Sagittarius smirked. “Oh, not even close. We’ve got a lot more ground to cover. Or should I say, space.”
Before Aquarius could respond, the ground beneath him began to tremble. The towers of Metallica Prime swayed as if caught in a violent earthquake. The liquid metal that had once been solid now rippled like water, sending waves crashing through the city.
“What’s happening?” Aquarius shouted, trying to keep his balance.
Sagittarius’ face was serious now. “Time’s running out, Doc. You’re losing control. If you don’t find a way back, you might get stuck here.”
Panic surged through Aquarius’ chest. “But how? How do I get back?”
Sagittarius reached out, grabbing Aquarius by the shoulders. “Remember who you are, Aquarius. You’re not just a chemist. You’re an explorer, a creator. Use your mind, your knowledge. Find the door.”
Aquarius stared at Sagittarius, his heart racing. “The door? What door?”
Sagittarius’ grip tightened. “The door that leads back to reality. It’s there, Doc. You just have to find it.”
Aquarius looked around frantically, searching for something, anything that resembled a door. But all he saw was the chaos around him—the city crumbling, the sky darkening, the liquid metal rising like a tidal wave.
“Come on, Aquarius!” Sagittarius shouted. “Focus! You can do this!”
Aquarius closed his eyes, blocking out the chaos around him. He took a deep breath, focusing on the one thing he knew better than anything else: chemistry. He imagined the elements, the compounds, the reactions. He visualized the molecular structures, the bonds, the equations. And then, in his mind’s eye, he saw it—a door, glowing faintly at the edge of his consciousness.
“There!” he shouted, opening his eyes. “I see it!”
Sagittarius grinned. “Then what are you waiting for? Go!”
With Sagittarius’ words pushing him forward, Aquarius sprinted toward the door. The world around him continued to collapse, the wave of liquid metal crashing down with a deafening roar. But Aquarius didn’t stop. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the door’s surface just as the wave hit.
Aquarius jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. He was back in his lab, his head resting on the desk, his hand still clutching the pen. The air was still, the lab quiet. He blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream.
But it wasn’t just a dream. It was something more. Something that had changed him.
He sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. The lab was exactly as he had left it—no signs of the chaos, no alien planets, no Metallica Prime. But the memories were still fresh in his mind, as vivid as if he had truly been there.
He glanced at the vapor chamber, now safely sealed. The thought of the vapors sent a shiver down his spine. Whatever he had inhaled had taken him on a journey he would never forget.
As he stood up, he noticed something on his desk—a small, metallic object. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands. It was a key, intricately designed, with a faint glow emanating from it.
“Sagittarius,” he whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You really did it, didn’t you?”
He slipped the key into his pocket, the weight of it reassuring. He knew that the hallucinations were over, that he was back in the real world. But the adventure had left its mark on him, a reminder that the line between reality and imagination was thinner than he had ever realized.
As he left the lab, the first rays of sunlight streaming through the windows, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
“Well, Aquarius,” he said aloud, “you always wanted to explore new frontiers. I guess you got your wish.”
And with that, Dr. Aquarius, the chemist who saw science as art, stepped out into the world with a new perspective—one that would forever blur the lines between real life and science fiction.
Days passed, but the memories of Aquarius’ surreal journey didn’t fade. If anything, they grew sharper, more vivid. His mind often wandered back to Metallica Prime, the city of glass and steel, and Sagittarius’ cryptic smile. He could still feel the warmth of the liquid metal beneath his fingers, hear the hum of machinery, and see the chaotic brilliance of the collapsing world.
Back in his lab, things were different now. His experiments, which once felt routine, now held an air of mystery, as if each reaction might open another door to the unknown. His colleagues noticed the change in him—his once meticulous, calculated approach to chemistry was now infused with a newfound sense of wonder. He wasn’t just mixing compounds; he was exploring possibilities, pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved.
One morning, as Aquarius was lost in thought, the key he had found after the hallucination caught his eye. It sat on his desk, glinting in the sunlight. He picked it up, running his fingers over the intricate designs etched into its surface. There was something about it, something that called to him.
Without fully understanding why, Aquarius decided to take the key with him to the university’s archives. It was a place he rarely visited—filled with dusty tomes and forgotten artifacts—but today, he felt a pull toward it, as if the key was guiding him.
The archives were a maze of shelves, each one crammed with ancient books, old manuscripts, and relics from centuries past. Aquarius wandered through the labyrinthine aisles, the key clutched tightly in his hand. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he knew he would recognize it when he found it.
After what felt like hours, Aquarius’ gaze landed on an old, weathered chest tucked away in a corner. It was made of dark wood, its surface scratched and worn with age. Intrigued, Aquarius knelt down and tried to open it, but the lid wouldn’t budge. There was no visible lock, but as he examined the chest more closely, he noticed a small, key-shaped indentation on the front.
His heart raced as he pulled the key from his pocket. Could it be?
With trembling hands, he inserted the key into the indentation. It fit perfectly. As he turned it, there was a soft click, and the lid of the chest creaked open.
Inside was a single object—a book, its cover made of smooth, polished metal. There were no markings, no title, just the same intricate designs that adorned the key. Aquarius carefully lifted the book from the chest, feeling its surprising weight.
He opened the book, and to his astonishment, the pages were filled with symbols and diagrams that he had never seen before. They were complex, otherworldly, yet somehow familiar, as if they had been plucked from the deepest recesses of his mind.
As he flipped through the pages, he began to realize that this was no ordinary book. It was a manual—a guide to something far beyond the realm of normal science. The diagrams depicted strange machines, equations that defied conventional logic, and symbols that seemed to pulse with a hidden energy.
Aquarius’ mind raced as he tried to decipher the contents. He felt as though he was on the brink of a great discovery, something that could change the world—or perhaps destroy it. But there was a problem: the text was written in a language he couldn’t understand, a script that seemed to shift and change before his eyes.
Frustrated, Aquarius closed the book and leaned back against the shelves. He had come so far, yet he was still no closer to understanding the mystery that had consumed his life. But then, a thought struck him—Sagittarius.
Sagittarius had said that everything in the hallucination was a reflection of Aquarius’ mind. If that was true, then perhaps Sagittarius could help him again. But how could he reach out to a figment of his imagination?
Aquarius looked down at the key in his hand. It had already opened one door; perhaps it could open another.
That night, Aquarius returned to his lab, the book and key in tow. He set up the vapor chamber again, this time with a different purpose in mind. He carefully adjusted the chemical mixture, trying to replicate the conditions of his previous hallucination. As the vapors began to fill the chamber, he sat down and inhaled deeply.
The familiar tingling sensation washed over him, and his vision began to blur. But this time, he didn’t resist. He closed his eyes and let the vapors take him, focusing on the key and the book in his mind.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his lab. He stood in a vast, empty space, the ground beneath him a smooth, reflective surface that stretched out to infinity. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, and the sky above was a swirling vortex of colors.
In the distance, Aquarius saw a figure standing with their back to him. It was Sagittarius.
“Sagittarius!” Aquarius called out, his voice echoing in the emptiness.
Sagittarius turned slowly, a smile on his face. “I knew you’d be back, Doc.”
Aquarius hurried over, holding out the book. “I found this. I think it’s connected to what happened before. But I can’t read it.”
Sagittarius took the book, his expression thoughtful. “This… this is something special, Aquarius. This isn’t just a book. It’s a gateway.”
“A gateway?” Aquarius echoed, his mind racing. “To what?”
Sagittarius looked up, his eyes intense. “To knowledge. To power. To places and things you can’t even begin to imagine. But it’s dangerous, Doc. This kind of knowledge—it comes with a price.”
Aquarius swallowed hard. “I have to know, Sagittarius. I have to understand.”
Sagittarius nodded slowly, handing the book back to Aquarius. “Then you’ll need a guide. Someone who can help you navigate the dangers.”
“And that’s you?” Aquarius asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sagittarius chuckled. “Not exactly. I’m just a part of your mind, remember? But there’s someone else—someone who’s been waiting for you.”
Before Aquarius could ask who, the ground beneath him began to shift. The reflective surface rippled like water, and a doorway began to form in front of him. It was a simple, unadorned door, but it pulsed with the same energy as the book and the key.
“Go through the door, Aquarius,” Sagittarius said, his voice soft. “On the other side, you’ll find the answers you’re looking for. But be careful. Once you step through, there’s no turning back.”
Aquarius hesitated, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him. But he knew that he had come too far to turn back now.
With a deep breath, he reached out and grasped the door handle. It was cool to the touch, sending a shiver down his spine. He looked back at Sagittarius one last time.
“Thank you,” Aquarius said.
Sagittarius nodded, a solemn expression on his face. “Good luck, Doc.”
And with that, Aquarius turned the handle and stepped through the door.
Aquarius emerged into a world unlike any he had ever seen. The sky was a deep, starless black, the ground beneath him a swirling sea of light and shadow. Towering structures loomed in the distance, their forms shifting and changing with each passing moment. The air was thick with energy, humming with a frequency that resonated deep within his bones.
As he took in his surroundings, Aquarius felt a presence beside him. He turned to see a figure standing there, shrouded in darkness. The figure was tall and imposing, its features obscured by the shadows that clung to it like a second skin.
“Welcome, Aquarius,” the figure said, its voice deep and resonant. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Aquarius felt a chill run down his spine. “Who are you?”
The figure stepped forward, the shadows peeling away to reveal a face that was both familiar and alien. It was his own face, but older, more weathered, with eyes that burned with an otherworldly light.
“I am you, Aquarius,” the figure said. “I am the part of you that seeks knowledge, that hungers for understanding. I am the explorer, the creator, the inventor. I am the one who will guide you on this journey.”
Aquarius’ mind reeled as he tried to process what he was seeing. “But… how? How is this possible?”
The older version of himself smiled. “This is a world of the mind, Aquarius. A place where thoughts and ideas take form, where the boundaries between reality and imagination are blurred. Here, you can become anything you wish, learn anything you desire. But you must be careful, for this world is not without its dangers.”
Aquarius took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. “I need to understand the book. I need to know what it’s trying to tell me.”
The older Aquarius nodded. “The book is a key, a map to a greater understanding of the universe. But it is written in a language that only those who have truly opened their minds can comprehend. To unlock its secrets, you must first unlock your own potential.”
“And how do I do that?” Aquarius asked, his voice trembling slightly.
The older Aquarius reached out, placing a hand on Aquarius’ shoulder. “By letting go of your fears, your doubts. By embracing the unknown, and trusting in your own abilities. The answers you seek are within you, Aquarius. You just need to find them.”
Aquarius looked down at the book in his hands, the symbols on the pages glowing faintly. He could feel the power within it, the knowledge waiting to be unlocked. But he also felt the weight of the responsibility that came with it.
“Are you ready, Aquarius?” the older version of himself asked, his voice gentle but firm.
Aquarius looked up, meeting his own gaze. “Yes,” he said, his voice steady. “I’m ready.”
The older Aquarius smiled, and with a nod, he began to dissolve into the shadows. “Remember, Aquarius,” his voice echoed as he faded away. “The mind is the greatest tool you possess. Use it wisely.”
And then, Aquarius was alone.
He took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the world around him pulsing in time with his heartbeat. He could feel the knowledge within the book calling to him, urging him to open his mind and embrace the possibilities.
With renewed determination, Aquarius opened the book once more. This time, the symbols didn’t shift and change. They stayed in place, their meaning becoming clear in his mind. As he read, the world around him began to change, the structures in the distance taking on new shapes, the shadows becoming light.
And as he delved deeper into the book’s secrets, Aquarius realized that this was just the beginning. There were infinite worlds to explore, infinite possibilities to uncover. The only limit was his own imagination.
With a smile, Aquarius took his first step into the unknown, ready to discover what lay beyond the boundaries of his own mind.
Aquarius stepped forward, the weight of the book light in his hands as he ventured deeper into the shifting world. The boundaries of his reality had dissolved, and with each step, he felt his mind expanding, grasping at the infinite threads of knowledge that stretched before him.
He knew now that he was on the cusp of something extraordinary—an odyssey through the unexplored regions of his own consciousness, where the line between the possible and the impossible no longer existed.
With a final glance at the vanishing figure of his older self, Aquarius smiled. He wasn’t just a chemist anymore. He was an explorer, a creator, and the architect of his own limitless universe.
Aquarius felt a sudden tug, as if an invisible force was pulling him backward. The world around him—the shifting landscape of light and shadow, the infinite possibilities—began to dissolve. The symbols in the book blurred, the vibrant energy that had pulsed through him started to fade, and the once-clear path before him fractured like a shattered mirror.
With a jolt, Aquarius snapped back to reality. He was in his lab, slumped over the workbench, his face resting on the cold, hard surface. The familiar scent of chemicals filled his nostrils, and the hum of the equipment around him buzzed softly in the background. The book, the doorway, Sagittarius, the otherworldly guide—it all seemed like a distant dream.
He sat up slowly, his body aching from the awkward position he’d been in. His head throbbed, and he blinked several times, trying to clear the fog from his mind. The lab was just as he had left it: sterile, orderly, with beakers and test tubes neatly arranged on the shelves. The vapor chamber sat quietly in the corner, its once-mysterious contents now reduced to harmless gas dissipating in the air.
Aquarius’ heart pounded as he looked down at his hands. They were trembling, but empty—no key, no book. Just his hands, as they had always been.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that everything he had experienced had been real. But as he scanned the room, searching for any sign, any tangible proof of the strange journey he’d just taken, he found nothing.
With a heavy sigh, Aquarius stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from hours of sitting. He walked over to the sink, splashing cold water on his face. The coolness helped clear his head, but it didn’t ease the nagging sense of loss he felt. Whatever he had discovered, whatever knowledge he had glimpsed, was slipping away, just out of reach.
Was it all just a hallucination? A byproduct of inhaling those vapors? The logical part of his mind told him yes—it was just a vivid dream, a strange side effect of the chemicals. But a deeper part of him, the part that had held the book and turned its pages, knew better.
He returned to his workbench, trying to focus on the tasks at hand. But his thoughts kept drifting back to the other world, to the lessons he had learned there. The key, the book, the infinite possibilities—were they truly lost to him, or had he simply forgotten how to access them?
As the day went on, Aquarius found himself approaching his experiments with a renewed sense of purpose. Though the tangible remnants of his journey were gone, the experience had left a mark on him. His hands moved with a newfound confidence, his mind sharper, more attuned to the subtle connections between the elements he worked with.
And though he tried to push the memories of that otherworldly place aside, they lingered at the edges of his consciousness, whispering of secrets yet to be uncovered, of doors still waiting to be opened.
Aquarius knew he couldn’t speak of this to anyone. How could he explain something that defied all logic, all reason? But he also knew that this wasn’t the end of his journey. The line between reality and imagination had been blurred, and there was no going back. He would continue his work, continue to explore, and perhaps one day, he would find his way back to that strange, limitless world.
For now, he was back in his lab, back to reality. But the knowledge that he had seen, the potential he had unlocked, remained with him, a quiet spark of inspiration that would guide him forward.
As he turned back to his work, Aquarius smiled to himself. The journey had only just begun.