Chapter 3: The Strongest Brain
In a sense, Jake had just taken an incredible journey into a movie world. If it weren't for the logistical challenges of having no legal identity or local connections, he might have even decided to stay in the Limitless world for a few days to explore more possibilities.
As the subway rumbled along its tracks, Jake found himself chatting easily with Emily, his enhanced mind making conversation effortless.
They talked about everything—film theory, her classes at NYU, the best pizza places in the Village, even some surprisingly deep discussions about cinematography techniques.
By the end of the ride, Jake even knew Emily was from a small town in upstate New York and had moved to the city for school. She was earnest, passionate about movies, and refreshingly genuine.
If circumstances were different, Jake might have asked for her number.
"I actually live with my boyfriend now," Emily mentioned casually. "He's pre-med at Columbia."
Well, that settled that. Through Emily's phone—which she'd pulled out to show him some film clips—Jake caught a glimpse of her lock screen: a photo of her and a nerdy-looking guy in matching university hoodies.
"You two look great together," Jake said sincerely.
"Thanks! That's what everyone says," she replied with a shy smile.
Jake found that even with his supercharged brain, he was struggling to extract himself from this conversation with someone so genuinely talkative and kind.
At the next stop, Vernon got off, and Jake quickly said goodbye to Emily before following suit.
"Thanks again for the help! You really saved me!"
"No problem! Stay safe!" she called after him.
Since they were from different worlds—literally—this goodbye would probably be their last.
Jake kept his distance as he followed Vernon through the residential neighborhood. After watching Vernon enter a rundown apartment building and noting which unit he went into, Jake retreated to a safe distance.
According to the movie's plot, someone would break into Vernon's place to rob him for the NZT-48, even killing him—but they wouldn't find the stash.
Knowing what was coming, Jake certainly wasn't going to stick around and risk getting caught in the crossfire.
After a brief moment of disorientation, he reappeared back in his apartment, the dizziness gradually subsiding. He pulled out his phone and opened the Movie World app. Sure enough, two small movie icons—"The Truman Show" and "Limitless"—were displaying their ongoing timelines in real-time, like security camera feeds.
Below the movie library folder, there was a data indicator: 11%
What did that mean? He couldn't figure it out yet, but it clearly had some significance. Jake was learning not to underestimate anything about this mysterious app.
The event Jake was waiting for—Vernon's murder and the chance to grab the full stash of NZT—wouldn't happen until around eight o'clock the next morning. He had time.
Looking down at his wrinkled clothes, Jake decided he needed an upgrade.
He grabbed his wallet and headed to the ATM, withdrawing $1,500—a significant chunk of his savings, but this was an investment in his future.
While there weren't many movie worlds accessible to him yet, several of them offered opportunities to make serious money. However, those same opportunities came with serious risks. The last thing he wanted was to die in some movie world before he'd even had a chance to enjoy his newfound abilities.
To avoid that particular tragedy, Jake decided to treat himself right.
First stop: a upscale barbershop in downtown. He got a proper cut that actually worked with his features instead of against them. A clean, sharp appearance often opened doors—humans were visual creatures, after all.
Next, he hit up a department store and dropped several hundred on quality casual wear—dark jeans, a leather jacket, nice boots, and a couple of fitted shirts. Nothing too flashy, but definitely a step up from his usual budget-brand wardrobe.
After his makeover, he barely recognized himself in the mirror. If he'd looked decent before, now he could pass for someone who had their life together—confident, put-together, capable.
Walking down the street, he noticed he was getting way more attention than usual. A couple of women actually smiled at him as they passed.
With the remaining cash, Jake made a practical stop at an outdoor supply store. He loaded up on high-calorie energy bars, thermal base layers, and a serious winter jacket—all in preparation for a movie world he was planning to visit soon: The Day After Tomorrow. If he was going to survive a sudden ice age, he'd need proper gear.
But there was one crucial item still on his list: fake identification.
This was the tricky part. Jake knew that getting convincing fake documents in America was possible, but you had to know where to look. After some careful online searching in the sketchier corners of Reddit and some encrypted messaging apps, he found a contact.
A guy who went by "DocGuy" on an invite-only forum. After Jake explained what he needed—a convincing passport and foreign ID that could pass a casual inspection—DocGuy quoted him $500 for a two-day turnaround.
They arranged to meet at a coffee shop in a neighborhood Jake didn't usually visit. DocGuy turned out to be a surprisingly normal-looking dude in his thirties, wearing a polo shirt and driving a Honda Civic. Very suburban dad energy for someone running a document forgery operation.
The transaction was quick and professional. Jake paid cash, got his photo taken with a professional-grade camera, provided the details he wanted on the documents, and left.
He had to admit, the efficiency was impressive. The whole thing took maybe twenty minutes.
By the time Jake finished all his errands, it was already evening.
The effects of the NZT-48 had worn off around noon, and he'd felt the crash—nothing severe, just a gradual dimming of that superhuman clarity. He remembered the movie's warnings about the drug: don't drink alcohol while on it, and be careful about withdrawal.
Fortunately, the small dose hadn't hit him too hard.
After treating himself to a proper dinner—a thick ribeye steak at a place he'd never normally spend money on—Jake headed home and collapsed into bed.
Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
The next morning, Jake timed his jump perfectly. He materialized in the hallway outside Vernon's apartment just as the plan required.
He'd barely steadied himself when he heard a loud BANG from behind the door.
A gunshot.
Jake's heart hammered in his chest. Vernon was definitely dead now, shot in the head, and the killer was currently tearing the place apart looking for the NZT-48. Through the door, Jake could hear furniture being overturned, drawers being yanked open, the sounds of a desperate search.
Taking advantage of the noise, Jake quietly moved to the stairwell next to the elevator and positioned himself halfway up, out of sight but able to hear everything.
After several minutes, the killer—clearly having found nothing—emerged from the apartment. Jake heard the elevator ding and descend.
Taking slow, deep breaths to steady his nerves, Jake crept down the stairs. He watched the elevator indicator lights descend to the ground floor and stay there.
After confirming the coast was clear, Jake approached Vernon's apartment. The door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open carefully and slipped inside.
Vernon's body was slumped on the couch, a bullet hole in his forehead, eyes staring at nothing. Blood had pooled beneath him.
Jake forced himself not to look too closely. He wasn't here to investigate a murder—he was here for the NZT-48, and he needed to find it before Eddie showed up, which according to the movie timeline would be soon.
The killer had torn the place apart, but they'd missed the hiding spot. Jake, having seen the movie multiple times, knew exactly where to look.
He went straight to the kitchen and pulled open the oven. There, taped to the inside top panel where the heat wouldn't reach, was a large ziplock bag filled with hundreds of transparent pills.
Jackpot.
Jake also grabbed the stack of cash he found hidden in a coffee canister—maybe ten thousand dollars in hundreds—but left the small black notebook untouched. That notebook would become important to Eddie's storyline, and Jake didn't want to disrupt the movie's events more than necessary.
With his prizes secured, Jake didn't linger. Standing in an apartment with a fresh corpse was not where he wanted to be if someone showed up.
He pulled out his phone and hit the exit button on the Movie World app.
The world dissolved around him, and he was back in his apartment, clutching the bag of pills and the cash.
Jake sat down heavily on his bed, adrenaline still coursing through his system. He'd just robbed a dead drug dealer in a movie world. This was his life now.
Looking at the large bag in his hand—easily four or five hundred pills—Jake carefully extracted one and used a knife to cut it in half. The movie had been clear: dosage mattered, and taking too much too fast led to serious problems.
He solemnly placed the half-pill on his tongue and swallowed.
The NZT-48 problem would need to be solved eventually—the dependency, the side effects, all of it. But the Limitless world also contained the solution: the movie ended with Eddie having perfected a version without the drawbacks. That would be Jake's goal later.
For now, though, he had more immediate concerns. With his enhanced brain active, Jake needed to maximize this opportunity. He had movies to study, plans to make, skills to learn.
The possibilities were endless.
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