Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Fourteen

It was about midafternoon when Milo first heard the news. He was in his room at the Facility when a ping on his access pod alerted him of the news story regarding Alex. He watched the pre-recorded broadcast with interest, unsure what to expect.

“It was quite the event for the citizens of Tokyo last night as they had a surprise visitor amongst them. Millions of people flocked to the streets in droves to celebrate the first annual Alexandra Gray Day. What the people probably weren’t expecting was to be partying with the one-and-only Alexandra Gray.

“The young prodigy first caught the crowd’s attention by accident as she was inadvertently captured by a camera and projected on one of the large screens in the city centre. To add to the excitement, or perhaps embarrassment for her, Ms. Gray was caught sharing a private moment with her partner.

“By the time the two realized what was happening, a frenzy grew and nearly trampled them to death. The couple managed to evade the swarm of fanatics in a nearby subway station. Countless videos and pictures have surfaced on social networks and media outlets around the world…”

The news showed several videos of the event, even the part where Alex and Aris were kissing. Milo could not believe his eyes. As the video played, the reporter commented on her new appearance, as well as speculated about the nature of the relationship between the two.

Milo didn’t know how to react. The rational part of him broke the situation down logically. He had his chance with Alex, professed his love, and even kissed her, and yet nothing ever came of it. Now after not having any physical contact or communication with her for months, it was only natural she would develop feelings for someone else. Nevertheless, there was another part of him, his emotional side, which irrationally believed one day he and Alex would be together. It tore him apart inside to see her with another man, especially when that man was Aris. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

He switched the broadcast to another station, hoping to replace the mental image of Alex and Aris kissing.

“The world has been without true Leadership for over one year now, which has caused people to question whether or not we need a Leader. Maxim Morrison remains unresponsive and has left doubt in the minds of many as to when, if ever, he plans on returning. Alexandra Gray accused her illustrious father of abandoning Earth, and having ulterior motives for his celebrated space mission. While these allegations have yet to be confirmed, the world government is set on finding a replacement as soon as possible, at least in the interim.

“No one as of yet has emerged as a frontrunner in the bid for new Leadership. Noah Augustine, the first clone to ever run for a major election, is ahead by a slight margin, while the other candidates — Fabian Andrews, Marisa Martinez, and Kenta Yamamoto are all vying for the number two spot. In last place, trailing far behind the pack is Arlon Van Buren.

“As with all elections, the people have the right to vote ‘none of the above’ if they do not feel any of the candidates are the right fit. In such an event, every candidate on the ballot must be replaced, and a new election campaign will commence. Currently the polls have ‘none of the above’, or ‘NOTA’, leading at fifty-one percent. We will keep you up to date with the latest developments as the election date nears.”

“In other news, the Amazon rainforest continues to offer new forms of medicine…”

Giving up on the news, Milo cut the feed and sat in his favourite chair, disgruntledly searching the global knowledge database for his next lesson. He tried to get comfortable and closed his eyes as the transfer downloaded to his brain.