The sky over California was pale and cloudless, the sun stretching long shadows across the sprawling complex of the Artificial Intelligence Center (AiC). Known globally for cutting-edge science, AiC had never been opened to outsiders until today.
A field trip had been granted to one of the best high schools in the country: Bronx High School of Science.
Dozens of students shuffled behind a tall woman in a white lab coat, Dr. Elise Monroe, a leading physicist at AiC, who was now doubling as their tour guide.
"Stick to the corridors, eyes open, hands to yourself. You're walking through a temple of innovation," she said, her voice echoing through the clean, futuristic halls.
The group laughed, half impressed, half bored except for Melvin Carter.
Melvin wasn't just another student. He was... curious. Intense. Sharp-minded. The kind of kid who read quantum theory for fun and rewired his own game console.
So, when they passed a hallway and Melvin spotted flickers of violet and gold light dancing from the crack of a half-open lab door, he didn't hesitate.
He slowed down.
Waited.
Then slipped away unnoticed.
The others walked on, oblivious.
Melvin crept toward the lab, the lights inside pulsing like silent fireworks. The plaque beside the door read "AIC-LAB 7C – Energy/Matter Isolation Research".
He peeked in. Panels blinked. Machines hummed. And at the heart of the lab two glass chambers swirled with energy. One dark as ink the other a glowing stream of white-gold particles. Dark Matter. Photon Emissions.
His breath caught in his throat.
He stepped in.
The door behind him hissed shut.
BEEP.
One of the machines flickered.
Melvin spun but not fast enough. The containment shield surged then failed. The field collapsed in a burst of light and gravity.
BOOM!
He screamed.
Dark matter and photon energy surged into the room, swirling together like a cosmic storm. His body arched. Eyes wide. Then blackness.
9 Hours Later
The soft hiss of medical equipment was the first thing he heard.
Melvin blinked.
The ceiling above him was unfamiliar, sterile. He lay on a bed, dressed in a clean white patient robe. The beeping beside him matched the pounding of his heart.
A voice broke the silence.
"You're lucky."
He turned his head.
A man stood by the door tall, calm, sharp-eyed, dressed in sleek dark-blue lab gear. His presence was magnetic.
"I'm Professor Sting," the man said, his voice even, unreadable. "You scared a lot of people, Melvin."
Melvin sat up, dizzy. "What… what happened?"
"You were exposed to an unstable convergence of dark matter and photon energy," Sting replied, folding his arms. "You've been unconscious for nearly nine hours."
Melvin's eyes widened. "Wait ...what?"
"You're stable now. No signs of radiation damage. But we'll need to run more tests."
"No," Melvin interrupted, holding his head. "I just… I need to go home."
Professor Sting studied him silently, then nodded.
"Alright. One thing before you go." He reached into a drawer, pulled out a small red-wrapped candy, and tossed it to him. "Eat this. You'll need the energy. But no more sneaking off."
Melvin chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Won't happen again."
He popped the candy into his mouth.
Sting's gaze never wavered.
Later That Evening
Back home in the Bronx, Melvin sat in his room, headphones off, staring at nothing.
The world felt… slower.
His fingers tapped so fast they blurred.
Something was off.
His eyes darted toward the window.
A sound screeching tires.
His eyes widened.
A little boy was crossing the street, chasing a rolling soccer ball. A car turned the corner fast, way too fast.
Without thinking, Melvin moved.
And the world around him broke.
Time cracked.
Wind howled.
He dashed out the front door and everything became a blur.
One second.
Two.
Three.
He was there.
He grabbed the boy, leapt forward, and landed on the sidewalk just before the car zoomed past.
The boy looked up at him, confused, scared.
"You okay?" Melvin asked, panting, adrenaline flooding his veins.
The boy nodded.
Melvin looked down.
His shoes were scorched. The pavement beneath his feet had cracks from the force of his landing.
His hands trembled. The world returned to normal speed.
And somewhere, miles away
Inside AiC – Sublevel Chamber 09
Alarms flashed across the walls of a dark control room. Dozens of screens lit up, forming a single alert:
CRYOKINETIC SIGNATURE DETECTED
ID MATCH: MELVIN CARTER
ACTIVATION TIMESTAMP: 19:43 EST
SOURCE: NANOBYTE UNIT 13X
Professor Sting stood there, watching the data stream, his arms folded. A small smirk touched his lips.
Behind him, Dr. Elise Monroe walked in, confused.
"What's going on?"
Sting turned to her. "He saved a kid."
"What? Who?"
"Melvin," Sting said.
Elise blinked. "Wait... how did you know he'd develop abilities? We didn't even detect mutations in the bloodwork."
Sting turned back to the screen.
"I didn't need bloodwork. The energy signature from Lab 7C was predictable. Based on the charge rate and radiation curve, the probability of dark-photon fusion affecting his nervous system was over 93%. I made sure he left with a nanobyte tracker. Embedded it in that candy."
Elise stared. "You planned this?"
"I prepared for it," Sting corrected. "The second his cryokinetic signature matured, the nanobytes alerted me."
Elise shook her head slowly. "You're unbelievable."
Sting tapped the glass.
"Activate blackout protocol. Bring him in."
The room dimmed.
And the screen faded to black.
[TO BE CONTINUED....]