Beyond Zenith - The Origin of Alex Matthews

Chapter 1: I Play the Hero

“NEWTON, EINSTEIN, EDISON: all amazing physicists. Anyone else you can think of, class?” asked Mr Johan, our high school science teacher.
One boy, named Brent, raised his hand, “The guy that invented the wheel?” The group burst into laughter.
“Actually, that's a good statement Brent, but I'm not necessarily sure he was a physicist.”
“The guy that made the first flame?”
“Okay, thank you Brent. Class, I'll give you about twenty minutes to look around before your back in the bus and on your way to school.”

The Smithsonian museum is like... the most amazing place ever. And twenty minutes to run around gave me plenty of time to visit my favorite section. The natural history section was just within one minute's run.

Okay, this might seem a bit cheesy and yeah, I do play on the school's primary soccer team, no, I'm not a major geek or anything and my grades do slip from time to time, I've been in detention a handful of times too, but does that mean I can't enjoy natural history? The whole thing fascinates me. All of history, actually. I was staring up at a newly constructed, giant statue of Zeus from the second floor, leaning over the railings, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“You like Greek?” asked one of the guides. His name tag read “Jake”.
“Yeah, I like everything here.”
“Cool. You know most kids your age don't appreciate their past.” He paused, “So... which god would you most like to be?”
“Hm... Zeus? I like the whole aspect of manipulating electricity.”
“So it's not cause you like leading?”
“Nope.” I smiled “How about you man?” The guy look about five years older than me so I didn't feel uncomfortable.
“Oh... in a power kind of sense... Hermes.” The guy checked his watch “Well, I've gotta go. See you around I hope. You live in DC?” he was backing up now.
“No, I”m a New Yorker.” I smiled. I marveled at the statue of Zeus and realized Jake had left his book 'The History of Man' I turned back and he was already gone. How could one person make it across so quickly? I didn't even remember hearing him run. Whatever the case, Jake was gone and he'd left an interesting looking book. I checked my watch, I had about fifteen minutes before I had to go. There was a bench nearby. I was in a good mood... so I sat down and read the book.

My watch chimed. I had less than one minute to make it all the way across the commons area to the bus. The driver had been horribly strict that we leave at twenty past three. And I'd felt the taste of being left behind before... in fourth grade. There was no doubt he'd leave me if I didn't get going pretty soon. But I was still sitting on a bench with a book in my hand instead of running.

I was on my way. The bus was in view and the kids were just starting to board. I was so close. But no, my luck I'd forgotten my bag in the Chemistry section. Just my luck. I made a dash across beautiful green grass on the way to the Pure Sciences section.

I flew up the stairs. I dashed down a hall. And pretty soon one of the large rooms, like a college lecture room, was in sight. Inside there was yet another door which I knew led into a special lab. A small group of us who had any interest were allowed to go in there for a while and I had. I knew my bag was in there. And sure enough, it was. It was black and blue and sat idly, waiting for me, on one of the stools that surrounded the counter-top with all sorts of chemicals on it.

The room was really large and had several counter-tops. It was white all around and there were several chemical cupboards. I really wasn't meant to be in there without an adult. And I really should've just left when I could have. But there was something I had to do first...

My dad was a professor here in DC. And it just so happened it was his laptop that sat on one of the counters. I had no internet access at home and I'd never actually thought of mailing it and why do so when I could just upload it? I tapped my finger on the counter-top while I waited for the upload from my USB to my dad's laptop to complete. Maybe I had something to prove? Maybe I wanted his attention, the attention he never gave me? Whatever the case, the upload dragged on slowly. It was on ninety five percent when I heard their footsteps. I shut the laptop and ducked under a counter.

There were five pairs of guards' feet. I could hear a baton being slapped into a hand. A coarse voice said, “Get the Code, that's our primary mission.” What?
“Better than the pick-pocketing we used to do, eh Maul?”
“Ya mon,” said a Jamaican voice. “I dink da boss set us up good...”

Thieves.

There was a small 'ping' as my upload completed. No! I shut my eyes and began to pray. “What's that now mon?” asked Maul.
Another voice, more American, said “It came from the laptop.” He stood three feet in front of me with only a counter-top keeping my eyes from the back of his head. He opened Dad's laptop. “Alex Matthews – The Future of Man...? What the-”
“Knuckle! Shh!” hissed yet another voice “I hear breathing.” I held my breath. Please... But no, Knuckle decided to look under the counter-top. “Who...?”

My foot was in his face in a second. He was on the floor and I scampered from my hiding place. I grabbed my USB and turned. It was worse than I thought. These guys had tazers and guns. I cursed and made for the door. I leapt over Knuckle but Maul, who was Jamaican and had a scar down his cheek, smashed into me. I was on the floor in less than five seconds with five thieves around me. I groaned. They picked me up.

“A spy eh? Well, kid, order are orders. I hope you didn't have a fight with your parents recently.” one guy said. He had this brown hair bilitary style haircut, a horribly frown, was dressed in guard's clothes and was wearing sunglasses, as I realized they all were. He laughed and grabbed me by my neck. He smashed my head into a wall. He had an iron grip. There was no use struggling. But still I kicked. I struggled until eventually they lay me on one of the tables.

They tazed me so hard, so many times. I was crying and jerking my limbs without control. One of the five poured some green liquid down my throat. It tasted like vinegar and oranges. It really screwed my insides. I wanted to keel over and puke. They were still tazing me. My windpipes were closing... I could feel it. My vision was blurry and my head was thumping, my brain rattling. I was going to die. For a second, I think I had.

But I was still shaking and sore and my teeth were rattling and my joints ached. Fire burned through my body and I felt like liquid. My vision went double. A few of the thieves were backing away now. They were really scared. Their scumbag consciences. They weren't tazing me anymore, but it still felt like it. I could still feel the energy coursing through me.

The energy built up inside of me. I needed to release it... That's when I blew up the entire Chemistry department of the Smithsonian museum...