litlinks 2022

The Birth of the Droplet

by Callum Clarke, Calwell High School

The translucent dome over the city of Volrorix pulsed irregularly, signalling that the power stores that kept the city alive were dwindling. They only lasted for a week at a time, yet the fuel needed to replenish them took months, at best, to mine. It was also incredibly dangerous as outside of the dome, there was no oxygen.

The business precinct in the centre of the city formed a ring of basic shops, giving the people of Volrorix the minimum essentials to live a most basic life. A supermarket, a clothing store, and a hairdresser were just a few of the limited shopfronts in the precinct. In the middle of the ring of shops stood a single building. It was the city’s medical hub and it belonged to the Foreblood family. Cyrus Foreblood was born in Volrorix and now had twin teenage children of his own. He came from a five-time generation of scientists, all born and bred in Volrorix, yet he had developed a passion for medicine. When the city’s only doctor passed away ten years earlier, Cyrus unofficially became the new medical professional. He enjoyed it. So many people relied on him and it gave him a newfound self-confidence which, over the last few years, also turned into a kind of self-arrogance along with an inflated ego.

Cyrus was working in his lab when the overhead lights flickered, telling him the power stores for the week were nearing their end. Sighing, he walked over to the far wall of the room and pressed the black button of the intercom.

“Orin?” he spoke into the microphone. “It’s time to reload!”

As he waited for his son to answer, the small domed red light above the exit started to flash and a computerised voice boomed, filling the room. “WARNING! WARNING! INTRUDER ALERT!”

Cyrus smashed another button on the intercom, this time a red one. “Corius! Release the PyroGuards!”

Corius was a large silver drone, Cyrus’ own invention. While his children were great assistants to him, he needed something strong and indestructible. “Yes, sir!” Corius obeyed.

Corius programmed the order within the lab’s network mainframe and three big robots with flame throwers came hovering from their charging stations and went out the exit in search of the intruder.

Still standing next to the intercom, Cyrus’ eyes darted all over the lab, checking each window and door. He saw movement through his office window so he sprinted towards it.

Pushing the door wide open, Cyrus was knocked to the ground by a cloaked figure barging out of the office. Cyrus was quick enough to grab onto the bottom hem of the cloak and yanked hard. The figure faltered on his feet but regained his composure and decided to stop where he was, now that he was exposed. Scrambling to his feet, Cyrus gasped when he realised who was standing before him.

“Walker Griffin,” Cyrus stated, his hand absentmindedly resting on the handle of the dagger he kept sheathed on his belt.

“Foreblood,” Walker acknowledged his enemy, the fingers of his hand twitching. He had to stay alert.

They both started walking in circles, facing each other.

“Why have you come back? Can’t you just leave me and my family alone?” Cyrus asked.

Walker simply laughed and reached a hand up behind his neck and gripped his bo-staff, pulling it up in one swift motion. “Do you really think I have forgotten about the Droplet?” he said, twirling his bo-staff in the air. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The two enemies stopped in their tracks. “You chose to leave! My family did everything for you!” Cyrus yelled.

“You really think you’re the good guy here? Using your family to hide behind? I didn’t come here to fight but that doesn’t mean I won’t. I’ll find the Droplet, with or without you!” Walker ran towards the exit of the lab. Cyrus pulled out his dagger and followed, determined not to let him get away.

“You won’t find it ‘cause it doesn’t exist. It’s not built yet!” Cyrus yelled.

Walker stopped and turned to face Cyrus. “The idea was mine and you stole it. I don’t know how you did it but you turned the whole city against me. I’ve been shunned and lost everything. I have more ideas. Let’s work together.”

Cyrus sheathed his dagger and reached into his pocket. “Here.” He tossed a small, metallic device to Walker.

Almost dropping the object, Walker steadied it in his hand, quickly rubbing his thumb over the smooth, cold finish. He pressed the tiny button on one end of the device and a bright blue light shot out upward and then fanned out as a hologram appeared. Walker realised what he was now looking at. “These are the blueprints of the Droplet!”

Cyrus nodded.

Walker paused for a beat and his gaze shifted to his former friend. Something wasn’t right. Gripping his bo-staff tightly, readying himself, Walker voiced his suspicions. “Why are you giving me this now? You’ve never let me see these. Ever.”

Suddenly, Cyrus came running at him, dagger back in hand, and stabbed Walker right through the heart. Cyrus held his dagger for a moment, now joined with Walker’s body weighing down the blade. “You were always smart, Walker. You’re right. I would never let you have the blueprints of the Droplet. You only want the Droplet so you can be the hero.” Cyrus whispered bitterly into Walker’s ear. “I won’t let that happen.”

Walker’s body slumped to the ground and Cyrus checked if he was still alive. “Corius!” Cyrus bellowed. “Take this corpse to the basement. I’ll follow and put it in the cryogenic tank.” The silver drone swifty flew from its position on the east side of the lab and took Walker’s body downstairs.

As Cyrus watched Corius leave with Walker’s body, he didn’t realise that his son Orin had entered the lab.

“Dad! Was that what I think it was?” Orin asked, a sly smile on his face.

Cyrus turned to his son and placed his hands on Orin’s shoulders. “It was. It’s time to test out that project you’ve been working on.”

Cyrus and Orin walked to the basement and put a breathing mask on Walker’s face. They then put Walker’s body in a large tube-like tank and filled it with an icy cold light blue liquid. Cyrus flicked a switch on the side of the tank and Walker’s eyes flung open. “So far, so good,” Cyrus said to Orin. “Before we test out the CryoGene, go and tell your sister that it’s time to use the Droplet.”

Orin nodded and climbed the stairs leading out of the basement.

A computerised voice crackled from the small speaker on the side of the tank. “Why have you done this to me?”

Cyrus grinned to himself. Everything was working as it should so far. The binary code translator he and Orin had designed was perfect. It was able to translate the thoughts of a body in a cryogenic state. “Welcome to the future, Walker.” Cyrus said, looking into Walker’s panicked eyes. “You know why I did this to you. The Droplet needs an energy source, and where can I get that energy from? You.”

Orin returned to the basement, this time with his sister. They stood with their father watching Walker suspended in the liquid.

“Scarleth,” Cyrus turned to his daughter. “Is the Droplet ready?”

Scarleth pushed her glasses up her nose and nodded. “I just hope the CryoGene works, otherwise we’re back to square one.”

“Let’s find out,” Orin said as he walked over to a computer a few feet away from the cryogenic tank. He punched in some commands and waited.

Suddenly, Walker screamed in pain as electric shocks hit his nervous system.

The basement was illuminated with a cool, blue light. An enormous orb was floating in the air and inside it were tiny little blue droplets slowly sinking down to the bottom.

“It’s working!” Cyrus exclaimed. “Look, all the lights in the building have come on and I can feel the dome over the city is stronger! We did it! We’ve created a new power source!”

Orin and Scarleth celebrated with their father, congratulating each other on a job well done.

“Why am I your sacrifice?” Walker’s computer voice asked, interrupting the festivities.

Cyrus let go of Scarleth, whom he had embraced in a celebratory hug, and turned to Walker. “Because you’d want to share the Droplet with the entire city. I have created a new power source, one that means going outside of the dome is not needed. Your sacrifice will last a good ten years, until another sacrifice is needed to replenish power.”

Cyrus turned back to his children and smiled proudly at them. “It’s time for the Forebloods to take back this city. The power is ours.”