What's Fair

A boy catches wind of a talent show to help the world go green, but what trials will he have to endure to get to the top.

What’s Fair

I stand next to the stage as they announce the winner of the science fair.

“And the winner is…” The government official opens a small red envelope, “Lucas and his perpetual motion machine! Tomorrow he’ll be flown to the capital, where he will be naturalized into the government’s top research crew, to study and find ways to help the world with this invention. This is history in the making!”

The crowd cheers loudly. I just stand there looking despondently at my broken water engine.

It was a nominal thing, barely bigger than a bread box. But that's what’s so good about it, it’s tiny but it could power a sixteen wheeler if it wanted to, and it uses almost no fuel, besides water. It uses a small charge to get started and could stay going as long you wanted. It was perfect… or at least it was perfect until Lucas came along.

It was March 23, 2047, two years after my family were repatriated back to America. I was sitting in my room playing “Ghost Cod 24123 Sniper Scope Assassin 56” on my iPhone 21, when my father walked in with a flyer in hand.

“Alex, guess what I found.” He practically sings as he prances into my room, waving the flyer about (I’m only barely exaggerating).

“What is it, dad?” I ask pulling out my wireless earbuds.

“It’s a science fair, the capital is looking for a requisite invention to fix our oil crisis. They're giving away $200,000 and a spot in the government’s crew of top scientists to whoever wins. You could be just like your Uncle Conner.”

“Yeah, yeah I know, Conner found a way to completely eradicate malaria, but I don’t know if I want that type of fame.”

I know I didn’t look it on the outside, but this idea really resonated with me. I would be an international hero, I would finally outshine my uncle.

My father grabs my hand, “Come on Alex, you would go down in history as a hero.”

I turn to him, a new vigor burning in my eyes, “You know what dad, I’m gonna do it.”

He smiles, eyes welling up, “Make me proud.”

* * *

For 7 months I worked, failing and failing before finally on October 19, 2047, two weeks before the fair, I did it I completed the engine. It worked by splitting a water molecule (H2O) into two atoms of Hydrogen and one of Oxygen.  The atoms are then sorted by size and sent out of the accelerator (which uses magnetic fields to push atoms forward). The atoms are then shot out of the accelerator and collide with the opposite atom. This causes a fusion, which causes an explosion, which powers the engine and propels more water forward. The resulting Neon atom would be very unstable and split in a fraction of a second before forming back into water to repeat the cycle. It was the perfect invention nothing could get in my way. Oh, how ignorant I was.

Two weeks later it was time for the fair. I was just outside of the institute when I spotted my arch-rival, Lucas. He had prepared a half-assed perpetual motion machine. It was bigger than mine and had long pipes extending out from a large centerpiece, I assumed that it would be used to create electricity by spinning the arms around for a bit before it starts to power itself, but even so any seventh grade knows that not all friction can be turned to electricity, so there must have been another component to it.

Lucas sauntered towards me, “Hey Alex how’s it going.” He orated, slapping me on the back a bit too hard. “What’s this you’ve got here.” He grabs my engine.

“Hey, give that back!” I yell as I lunge towards him.

He steps to the side, I barrel past, “You know this does look like it's well made, maybe even better than mine.” He turns it in his hands, “In that case, it has to go.” He turns to me, looking straight into my eyes and throws my engine behind him.

“No!” I ran towards it, almost as if I was moving through molasses. I pushed passed Lucas, a smug grin plastered on his face. I tear across the parking lot, but I wasn’t ever halfway there before the engine smashed on the hard, unforgiving asphalt.

* * *

And now here I am, unaccepted and miserable, watching my nemesis get the award that I deserved, I just can’t believe I-

“Everybody stop!”

I look over to see my father standing in the crowd.

“This boy is a cheater!”

The announcer glares at him, “And on what grounds are you saying this.”

My father pushes through the crowd and holds a tape out in front of the announcer, “This is security footage from just outside the institute.”

The announcer takes it and calls for a projector. A few minutes later it comes in. My father inserts the tape to show Lucas taking and wrecking my engine. My father takes it out and pops in another. This time it was showing me and my engine. I remember taking this it wasn’t anything special just a little novice video showcasing my invention, but it was  sent the crowd reeling. They quickly split up, one side for me and one for Lucas. I backed away from the tumult, it was chaos. Though it only took the security guards 10 minutes to put everyone back in place.

The announcer turns to my father, “Ok, Lucas may be a quite pernicious boy, but his invention is truly amazing, who says Alex’s is any better.”

“Well.” My dad picks up Lucas’s machine.

“Hey, put that down!” Lucas protests

“Let him see it.” The announcer pronounced angrily.

“Thank you,” My dad smiles at him, he angles himself towards the crowd, “As the announcer has said, Lucas’s invention is perfect, A little too perfect if you ask me, so I studied his machine, and what I found was astounding. If you would just reach under here you will find something.” He pops off a small panel, revealing batteries.

This goes against all of what he said his invention could do this means that he cheated.

The announcer holds up his microphone, “Well since Lucas cheated and destroyed Alex’s machine, we will give them a two week extension period.”

I look up at him, tears in my eyes, “Thank you, sir.”

* * *

Two weeks later I brought my finish machine into the judges and I won. Before I left for the capital I talked to my father.

“Thank you for helping me dad, it’s really ennobling.”

He smiles at me, “Anything for you, just remember me, when you're famous.”

I smile, tears in my eyes, as we share our last hug.

THE END

Author's Note

please alert me of grammar mistakes or anything else of that sort.

Reviews

[Ariel Swindale]

It was an interesting premise, I have to give you that, but I think your story could have done well to being extended a bit. The ending felt like a double deus ex machina was wasn't as satisfying as it could have been.

That said what you do have is well written, and the formatting of the text is easy on the eyes. You show some real potential if you just worked on the ending.

Also everyone knows the iPhone 21 will be out long before 2047 ticks around (ha, I kid.)