A/N Massive end of game spoilers...plus this fic won't make much sense unless you've finished the game.
DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringement intended. If you don't want fanfic written, don't leave stuff open to interpretation XD
Ten years old and alone in the playground. Klaus kicks at the gravel. The teachers won't let him stay inside and read anymore- they grow sick of him firing questions at them.
"If people from Poland are called Poles why aren't people from Holland called Holes?"
"What's the difference between 'sarcasm' and 'irony'?"
"Why are killer whales called 'killer whales?' They're type of dolphin."
The answers given to Klaus were not always satisfactory. His questions required detailed answers. And for every detailed answer he had five more questions. And so it went on. Even the most enthusiastic teachers found themselves exhausted.
There are some boys from his class running around playing tag. He wonders if he'd be good at tag. The other children avoid him. It somehow hurts more than name calling would. Klaus might be a genius when it comes to facts and figures, but people are a mystery. Perhaps they resent the fact he won't change himself to fit in- he won't make the effort to become one of them.
That game of tag does look like it would be fun.
He works out which kid is 'it' and deliberately gets in his way.
"Tag me," he says.
The kid blinks up at him and then looks over to the leader of the gang, a big kid called Bryce. Bryce can run the fastest out of all the Year 5 boys.
"We've finished playing now," he says quickly.
Before Klaus has time to react, the bell sounds for the end of the lunch hour and they all thunder off back to the classroom.
Klaus doesn't run after them. He walks slowly and wonders if...if perhaps the look in Bryce's eyes was one of fear.
Twelve years old and Klaus sits in the office of child psychologist, Richard Drake,PhD
"Gifted children often find it hard to fit in with others," he drones.
Klaus has heard this many times. He also knows 'gifted' is a polite way of saying 'freak'.
He isn't really is a psychologist's office though. 1% of his brain is being used to nod at the right bits. The other 99% is taking him somewhere else. It's a great green plain littered with strange rock formations. The grass is thick and soft beneath his feet, the sky a brilliant blue. The sun shines down, warming his back. Ardun roam around in their herd- Klaus approaches one of the smaller ones and pats it on its scaly head. Its mother roars indignantly, but this is Klaus's dream and she can't hurt him.
"...tell me about your art."
Klaus is promptly shocked back to reality. People don't usually mention the art- they're too busy gaping at his 100% scores in maths and science.
He looks at Dr Richard Drake blankly.
"Your drawings are really quite stunning," he continues. "Can you tell me what inspires you?"
The need to escape.
"I just like drawing," Klaus says.
Fourteen year old Klaus clicks his pen. The sound is loud in the silent room. He's already completed the eight questions required using approximately 1% of his brain power. Simultaneous equations are ridiculously easy for someone like him. The other 99% of his brain is inking a horse like creature, carefully shaded with blue biro. The lines are smooth and practiced. Klaus has drawn this creature many times before.
The reason he's clicking his pen sits next to him- a popular boy called Michael. Michael detests the clicking of pens and his reaction is an endless source of amusement to Klaus. First he covers the closest ear with one hand as he writes. Then he hums softly. He used to tell Klaus to quit it, but now he doesn't bother because he knows Klaus will just do it all the more. This time he scribbles something on a piece of paper and tosses it onto Klaus's desk. Klaus considers discarding it to see how annoyed Michael gets, but curiosity gets the better of him.
He opens the note.
"If you give me the answers to questions four and six I will buy you a packet of crisps at lunch. P.S Stop clicking your bloody pen."
Klaus smirks. This is interesting. This hasn't happened before. It was also the ideal opportunity for a little payback- he was sure Michael had been the one to let the air out of his bike tyres last week. He turns the paper over and scribbles the 'answers'.
Lunchtime. Klaus munches his ready salted crisps, courtesy of Michael. There's an empty classroom no-one can be bothered to chuck him out of and he uses it as his base. He finishes the crisps and retrieves a pristine sketchbook from his satchel. He opens it to the last page he worked on.
Makna Forest, reads his precise handwriting.
Klaus is nineteen, in his second year of university and enjoying his studies.
"Whoa!"
"Get a look at this!"
Larry and Jamie were not bad people. They just happened to be awfully nosy. Klaus considers them his best friends as well as his university roommates. They consider Klaus an eccentric genius with a hair trigger temper and tread carefully.
It had been Larry who suggested they enter Klaus' room. They had been looking for clean dishes. Instead they found a room where every flat surface is covered in blueprints and schematics, which presumably have something to do with Klaus' physics degree. The walls however, are pinned with drawings. Larry and Jamie gaped because well...the drawings are good. They're fantasy creatures, all shapes and sizes and colours. A lot of time and effort has obviously gone into creating them.
Jamie, having spotted a plate and glass, makes a beeline for the desk. Underneath the crockery is a simple drawing of two cute little blobby creatures with smiling faces. It's titled 'Nopon'. The creature's names are written above their heads -"Larry" and "Jamie".
Neither man was sure whether to be insulted or complimented.
Twenty two years old and about to make his name with one of the most ambitious experiments ever created.
"You must meet Meyneth," says his professor. He is a kind, patient man. "I can hardly believe it, my two star pupils will meet at last!"
Klaus is unimpressed, maybe even bored.
"Oh, hooray," he says, but he has never been that good at sarcasm and it's lost on the professor.
It's worse than he thought- Meyneth is bouncy, overly cheerful and talks about complex subjects such as astrophysics at an alarming speed, so for once Klaus has to concentrate with 100% of his brain to keep up. Not being able to disappear into his own thoughts leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He nods in the right places and decides the less time he spends with Meyneth, the better.
And then comes the bombshell.
"Meyneth will be one of your assistants for the project. I'm so glad you get along so well," says his professor.
"SYSTEM ERROR" says Monado.
"Go to hell," says Klaus.
"SYSTEM ERROR" says Monado.
"Bastard computer," says Klaus.
"SYSTEM ERROR" says Monado.
"Klaus? Klaus?" calls an anxious female voice.
Klaus rolls his eyes and turns.
"What are you doing?" asks Meyneth. That woman. That irritating bloody woman.
"It's 4 o clock in the morning, Klaus," she says, but her voice sounds concerned.
"Go away."
"You're a little home sick perhaps."
Klaus ignores her and slams on the keys of the computer furiously.
"SYSTEM ERROR," says Monado.
"That's a multi billion pound computer. The keyboard says ouch. Plus, if you break it again guess who has to fix it?"
"Just go back to bed, Meyneth."
She doesn't move. The only trait the two have in common is sheer stubbornness.
"I will get this thing working," Klaus growls eventually. It sounds like a threat.
"We have plenty of time for that," says Meyneth. "And you really shouldn't touch Monado without permission."
"It's my experiment and I'll do what I like," says Klaus.
"SYSTEM ERROR," says Monado.
"Is this yours? It's very good," Meyneth says suddenly, pulling out a scrunched up piece of paper.
Klaus suddenly gets very wide eyed.
"Where did you get that?"
"Lying on the floor," Meyneth says. She tilts her head, looking inquisitive. "Wings?" she asks.
"Sometimes I wish I could fly," he says, snatching the paper from her.
Meyneth can't tell if he's making fun of her or not.
Klaus hadn't come this far to NOT push the button.
If they kept worrying about 'health and safety' regulations, the experiment would never go ahead.
Besides, he didn't care that much about the universe anyway. The thought of maybe destroying it didn't really bother him. So he pushed the button.
A/N Zanza/Klaus is so interesting. This is my current interpretation of his past- but I could have written another three fics on different theories I have. Oh and Monado=Alvis. Alvis, like every computer, enjoys trolling the poor sap trying to use them XD