Entropy-the amount of possible microscopic configurations when given the specific variables. Entropy is consistent with the formula for heat and temperature, the average kinetic energy within molecules in relation to its temperature known as the Boltzmann constant. In a jar filled with a gas, the volume is known, the pressure is known, the temperature is known. The possible configurations for the gas molecules are thus predictable. In the macroscopic world, entropy is the measure of disorder.

By understanding entropy life can be interpreted from a more advanced perspective. Life is a process of negentropy, because life creates order when it grows, life creates order when it makes copies of itself. The fundamental requirements for life is that life is able to make copies of itself and reacts to stimuli.

They drove to an abandoned building. Well, the skeleton and an empty shell of what it used to be. Concrete and Iron beams basically outlined its structure. The van drove to a hidden underground parking area. That looked fancy, a modern design, with vaults for storing vehicles. There's a wide spectrum of vintage cars such as the Lada originally manufactured by AvtoVAZ, latest models of sports cars such as the 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S, and of course, military vehicles.

"I'm sorry for the confusion. Please, be my guest." The clone of Nikolai invited them into his place. It sat on the top of an abandoned hotel.

"Cheap place. Nearly got demolished. No one will find us here." He was right. The whole structure was embedded into the walls of this abandoned Soviet era building. John stepped into the large wooden living room, it was a simple decor, clean and tidy, no elements of a mansion were present. Their temporary host stepped into a door, leaving them alone in the living room. Then John saw it, glass cases filled with medals, helmets, uniforms, and old guns such as the Mosin-Nagant or the Ppsh-41 hanged on the walls, looking like it's been polished recently. Old pictures in different backgrounds were stapled onto the wooden walls. Nikolai's comrades, he fought in the War. Pieces of memory sealed off tightly, as if frozen in time. The smiles looked so realistic. For some strange reason John and Accelerator could sense the sadness. They knew that all his comrades-everybody in the pictures, died in battle.

Another clone appeared in the room, in full Red Army uniform, followed by a third clone in the uniform of the Tsarist Army under Nicholas the Second.

"You two don't look happy. Come on! Party like it's May second 1945. If you know what I mean." The clone then pointed to a poster, the famous picture of the hammer and sickle flag hanging over the Reichstag. "It's the day we removed those Nazi pigs! I mean, it's the day we won and it's okay to celebrate!"

"We had different ideologies, we opposed each other in the civil war. Now, we stand united, ready to fight against any enemies. Including the militants and the research group who aim to undermine the Russian government. Bolshevik Army, White Army, we are brothers, sons of Mother Russia." Then the two clones assembled a miniature choir, singing Farewell of Slavianka. Accelerator clapped his hands.

"Oh this reminds me of old times." He stated.

"Feel free to touch the guns. Just keep in mind that I keep them loaded for, uh…

ceremonial reasons." The clone said after he finished singing.

"Oh, and there's coffee and some dessert." He pointed to a coffee machine and a pile of donuts in a huge plate sitting on a table in the far corner of the room. John hasn't had the caffeine since their dramatic arrival. He would gladly take a hot one, and a sugary donut. A fourth clone walked into the room, in the uniform of modern Russian ground forces. Although working as special agents, John and Accelerator are not officially in the armed forces, however, the clone still saluted them and they saluted back.

"Nikolai is ready to see you."

The two were not expecting to walk into a computer room. Different devices lined up the walls, with a large screen in the center of the room. This looked just like the lab of the American scientist, except more compact and more crudely designed.

"Ah, welcome. Sorry this place is quite cramped, I mean I personally don't need much space. Even though this isn't the most comfortable place in Moscow, it certainly is one of the safest. Well, safest behind the Kremlin of course, that's a different story." A voice-the same voice of the clones-welcomed the guests. It seemed to come from everywhere in the room, leaving chilling echoes.

"Nice to meet you again." Accelerator said.

"Whoa, there's no way you are in this room." John stated.

"Well, you seem like a good kid. I can tell you more about me. Before I do that, you have to understand that life can exist in different forms." A computer lit up with the same face as the clones, this is the original. This is, Nikolai, the person they literally fought their way here to see.

"Right now we are in the form of carbon-based life. Carbon, the most important element, it forms very complex compounds. Basically, carbon would be the popular kid in school. You should thank Dmitri Mendeleyev for this one, he discovered the periodic law. Anyways, we are led to believe life has to be in the form of flesh and bones, cells splitting and reproducing. However, the answer is much more complex. Take a look at you shall we?"

John's image appeared on the screen.

"Ah, a miracle of God's creation. I can only imagine, level six Esper powers." John moved his hand, and his image responded.

"Esper powers are like an extra software application you install. Non-volatile information, ROM, is how much you can store, the capacity of the Esper brain tissue is like the storage space you need. That's how it affects your brain. As for volatile information, the RAM, is your computing capability every time you summon your powers. RAM space is the energy level you can handle. It's the operating space for your brain. As carbon-based life, the body is divided into systems of organs in order to function best. The organ systems, blood vessels, lungs, those are the hardware. There are different mechanisms that influence how the brain reacts. Your genes are like programs that tells your brain how to react. There are so many mechanisms for receiving external information, mainly nerves, but as Espers you can certainly sense AIM fields. For example, when you really want a donut, is it your brain telling you to take a bite, or is it the bacteria in your guts that craves sugar?"

John stared at the half-eaten donut in his hand.

"Interesting. I'm starting to remember middle school life when I infiltrated Academy City."

Every time you take in food, your body organize the raw materials into all kinds of structures. Your body is going through a process of negentropy as it decreases the level of disorder within matter. I've made breakthroughs in quantum mechanics, I understood how subatomic particles interact and the all possible configurations of it. That is how life can exist in quantum form. A series of programs for particle reaction. The particle reactions are like how your carbon-based body responds. This series of programs can be uploaded onto computers, which is how this form of life creates copies of itself."

"In a nutshell, my physical body is long dead. I've transformed myself into a quantum lifeform now. I can input myself onto computers hardware programs, and of course, my very own clones."

"So why does your clones have different personalities?"

"I could give them the same personalities as me, I did that with my very first clone. It got boring. So I let their brains develop independently. I've also made clones of my fellow comrades who died. By collecting their hair, I can obtain intact DNA, they have the same personality and memories because I did the same with them. They live as quantum lifeforms so they basically didn't die. When you have a deep understanding of life, all that quantum mechanics, life and death gets confusing." A moderately dressed clone walked into the room. John knows this is the clone that represents Nikolai himself, with his original personalities. As the clone appeared, the computer screen went black.

"This is fucked up yo! Your brain ain't the same after being traumatized from the war. How do you know your friends want to be alive and that you are actually doing them a favor? How do you know you want to live forever, in this loneliness? This does not sound natural." John stated his own moral interpretation. Accelerator didn't speak at all. He knew this is hard to accept in a society like this.

"I understand. That's why I have clones, I get lonely. But, I've made this choice to live-forever. I mean I can always shut myself down along with all the clones, for as long as I want, then be reborn. I've erased the boundaries between life and death for myself." Nikolai explained

"You've basically deified yourself. Self-entitled prick."

"I'm not self entitled. Chill the fuck out. I've worked hard on my studies, I deserve basic recognition. I may live as a god, but I never treat myself as a god. I'm doing this for myself, for Russia. Now there's research groups that want to get rid of me and stole my studies. I won't let them take it away from me! I certainly won't let them mess with this holy country!"

John signed.

"Whatever. If you want it to be like this. We will help you get rid of research groups because they support Academy City.

"Thank you, for helping me. Also fuck you, for reminding me that I live in hell as much as it sounds like heaven. Maybe I have to keep living like this before I'm cleansed of my sins. Maybe it's a purgatory, or some punishment for escaping to the West without sharing my researches with the Soviets. I was born in 1895 and my mortal body did not live to see this day. I've escaped death-twice, and I should be sent to gulag for this. Excuse me while I…" He was getting moody. Then he stared at something a thousand miles away, before his face went back to normal again. He rebooted himself.

"Still feeling groggy. Can I have a sip?" Nikolai took the cup of coffee John was holding.

"S…sure."