The blue miniature didn't move an inch. Kiro didn't move either from shock, he couldn't believe the padlock was really more than just a decoration. He was apprehensive from how quiet, the thing became.
"Grandpa, it's really you isn't it? Where are you? Are you okay?"
Silence echoed his voice. He couldn't understand what he needed to do in order for whatever the gimmick was made to do, do it. It was peculiar, the only unnatural thing about the miniature was how blue it was.
Everything else was as he remembered. A bearded old man, who looked strict but he wasn't. His very blue eyes matched his entire body now, he was just a projection.
Kiro found himself waving, anything that could catch his attention.
"Hello there laddie."
Kiro's eyes began to form tears. He didn't know what to make of this yet. His voice was deep but soft, it was as he remembered.
"You're probably wondering how am I doing this. Don't get your hopes up, this message is completely automated.
"I had to leave something behind, incase you were at all like me, in which case if you're listening to this. You're more me than your father.
"I want you to know that, this path isn't for the weak but of course you've probably gathered that much since you're looking for clues like this.
"You'll have to take over for me, I'm probably dead or worse..." The recording paused, he didn't want to overload his grandson with information, so he gave him time to take it all in.
Kiro was sniffing and nodding as if he could see and hear him. He couldn't find words, even if he did, the recording wouldn't answer him. Those last words made him nervous, he didn't know what was worse than death.
"Well Ki, that's all I have for you. I'm so sorry I left this up to you, I don't know how old you are now but I'm sure you're a fine young man. I love you laddie."
Just like that, the light dimmed from the padlock until it wasn't visible anymore and it returned to its original state. He looked at it for a long time and then locked it onto his necklace.
"Now then, let's begin shall we." His voice came out hoarse, clearly of someone who has been sobbing.
He took the piece of paper he had written the instructions on and started learning code-cracking and building computers that were invisible to their society's technology.
He realised just how dangerous this was if it were to get out, so he decided then that he wouldn't tell anyone about this. Not even Hiro, it wasn't a matter of trust, but if they can be kidnapped for information the less people knew the better.
"I wonder where grandpa learned all this." He muttered to himself.
Learning things had always came easy for him, so it didn't take him long before he understood the instruction in its entirety.
It took him the entire night, something he wasn't proud of because the instructions were only a single page long but he took the win nonetheless.
Immediately after understanding everything he burnt the paper to a crisp and wet it after it was nothing but charcoal. He wanted to make sure that, this never got out by any means.
"That just happened didn't it?" Kiro's head threatened to explode.
It was only now that he understood the gravity of what just happened. He couldn't quite believe his grandfather achieved something of this magnitude.
Sleep didn't come easy that night, he laid in bed, wondering how to go about buying everything he needed for the computer. He also didn't want to sleep, in case the padlock came alive again, he didn't want to miss it.