Prodigy (Complete)

Chapter Three

Milo reclined in a chair in his room and closed his eyes. His next lesson would take about twenty minutes to download into his brain. He was trying to cram as much data into his brain as possible so he could graduate, but after a while he had a migraine and his nose started to bleed. No matter how strong a desire a person had to accelerate the lessons, there was a limit to how much their brain could handle.

Sensing he had overdone it, Milo slowly climbed into his bed – a seven-foot long hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The increased pressure combined with infused oxygen had tremendous therapeutic capabilities. It also allowed people to get a full-night's sleep in only three hours, in effect, increasing a person's conscious lifespan. The beds were expensive and not everyone could afford them, but fortunately the Facility happened to have them. Since a lot of the inhabitants were orphans, extra funding went toward the Facility to make sure they had the best resources in an effort to ensure they didn't grow up to become criminals. Perhaps it was society's way of making restitution for enacting such a harsh law, which forced a lot of children to be separated from their families.

The oxygen-enriched air began to fill the chamber and Milo took in several deep breaths. As the gas circulated his bloodstream, he felt very relaxed. Almost instantly, he was sound asleep, allowing the chamber to work its magic.

About an hour into his sleep, an alarm went off, alerting him of an incoming call. A soft glow illuminated the interior of the chamber and the hatch slowly opened. Milo's brain was still foggy, having just woken up, but he managed to find his access pod.

"Answer," he commanded in a groggy voice. His access pod initiated the call sequence and a voice on the other end spoke.

"Hey, Milo, it's me," Alex said.

"Hi Alex."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I was wondering if you heard about the Leader coming to the Megaplex to give his State of the Union Address."

"No, I didn't know about any Union Address?"

"Oh, that actually reminds me of another Union address. I have to go down to Union and Lexington, do you want to come?"

"What's at Union and Lexington?"

"A top secret mission awaits if you choose to accept."

"Say no more, I'm in."

"Great, so what about the other Union Address."

"When and where?"

"I'm sending you the details now."

Milo rose to his feet and got dressed. He looked disheveled, but decided to embrace it. He did not bother combing his hair or shaving. He simply brushed his teeth, put on his jacket, and left.

By the time he arrived at the pyramid, chaos had already ensued. A massive crowd of people had flocked in droves to be in the Leader's presence and hear him speak.

Anytime the Leader made a public appearance, it was generally well received. Maxim Morrison defied the ancient saying that absolute power corrupts absolutely. He came from a respected family of leaders and innovators. However, despite his overwhelming support, there were still many issues of contention, which caused people to protest. Whether it was freedom to procreate, the abolishment of the accountability chips, or the capitalization limits imposed on corporations, history had shown no matter what the issue, there was always at least one person with a dissenting view.

Before the Leader's convoy arrived at the Megaplex pyramid, people had already found their spots on the large, grass field.

"Where do you guys want to sit?" Alex asked.