OPS AUTHORS - DEAN

It is time for another installment in our OPS Authors series for the 2021 - 2022 school year.  In this post we focus on an OPS Author from the sixth grade, Dean, who has been kind enough to share his story, The Breakthrough: Part 1. The story, is a potent mix of humor and science fiction, so we hope you enjoy it.  When you are done, check out our interview with the author!

The Breakthrough
Part 1

“Attention all people of New Genetics corporation! We have a new breakthrough in technology. I would like to announce Nano-tech. We have found a way to combine atoms with technology. We took dead skin, only to find a new born baby the next day. The donor was fascinated! Because of this breakthrough, we can now release this in our store outlets. We-”

“Great. I have to do yet another documentary about technology. Well can’t hurt. Right?”  
I got up off the couch. Hopped into my clothes and out of the house.

“Just another day,” I thought.

I turned on the radio.

“Hey guys. I would like to announce the best journalist of the month. His name. Jim Granderson!”
 
“Gah!? Me? Why me? Haven’t I already gotten enough attention,” I wanted my son to get the report of the month. It’s always me.” My son. Right. If he already messed up, he’d be out of his job. In fact, he wouldn’t even know how to handle the role. I raised him when he was younger to be as wise as me.

I give up. I hate it. I hate it all. And I hate this place the most. The same stuff happens every decade or so. Thanks to global warming, I have to deal with smog every couple of days and earthquakes. Just the thought of them.

Well, may as well fall back into the present.

“Here we are. Los Angeles!” I start, “One of the biggest cities on earth.”

“Sir! You there,” I spoke in an unheard tone.

“What do you think about this… Nano-tech?”

“Well, for starters, I don’t mind it. The world is technology now. Elon Musk just announced the Tesla bot. So you know. We're doomed,” he said. 

I asked another individual.

“What do you think about-” he cut me off.

“I think it’s amazing! I was allowed to modify my bike and like, basically everything else in the world,” he said, sounding insane.

“Best of all, they do implants now! It’s fantastico! Anyways, bye amigo!”

“Implants? I got to get this stuff for myself,” I thought.

I ran over to the nearest outlet. It was so odd. So new. So… futuristic. I decided to pick a jar up. It contained an odd hexagon of swirls.

“Nano-tech? Why isn’t it as solid as advertised,” I thought.

I decided to walk to the counter. The clerk seemed like he regretted working in the store.

Once I reached the counter, I decided to ask a particular question.

“What is it, old man?” he said. I cringed.

“A-hm. Jim. Not old man. Anyways, one thing of Nano-tech, sir,” I mentioned.

“Oh! A mk III model? That’ll cut you four hundred dollars, and because you're the first to buy it, we take off tax,” He sounded disappointed.

“Thanks, and how about I buy one for you too?”

“What!? Oh um, that's not necessary,” he shrieked.

“I insist!” I forwarded the money.

I waddled out, looking smug and spiffy.

“Mk III, huh?” I started. “May as well test this in the mojave. It’s the most open spot for miles.”

I left the city. It was already annoying getting out, but having the Nano-tech hitting the sides of the jar was even worse.
 
I blinked, and something happened. I couldn’t tell what, but something flashed for a tenth of a second. I didn’t acknowledge it. Then it happened.

*BLAAAM* *BLAAAM*

My phone shook. It happened. Someone broke into my home. I stumbled out of my car and ran in.

I gasped. “Out of breath,” I breathed. I turned the corner. Orange swirls in the shape of a body… no. My body. Suddenly, everything turned dark. The last thing I could hear was my own laughter.

“Gasp! What h- happened!?” I exclaimed.

“Jim. You were found fatally wounded in your home. We noticed you had some spare Nano-tech in your car, so we decided to patch you up with it,” the Nurse said.

“What!? Why would you do that to me? It was the thing that almost killed me!”

“It was the only way! Your son was very concerned! Besides, it was also the only medically advanced thing able to save you last night.” the doctor countered.

I was about to attack him, but my hand was restrained. Dark hexagons formed and everybody went silent. They slowly handed me my clothes and I got out of there as fast as I could. It was odd to feel like this, but now I have to help the world become safer because of my clone. I’m going to stop it. Even if it takes my life.

The Breakthrough: Part 1 by Dean is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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