Chapter I
Darrin Moss had never been a typical teenager, since his birth Darrin's life was nothing but trouble. His father Ronald Moss in High school was All-State football Quarterback with a scholarship to Notre Dame University. Coming from a family that was sports driven, every male child was expected to play sports, preferably football and apply to a well known football University, preferably Norte Dame. In his 3rd year Ronald broke his leg and was never able to play again, so he switched to sports medicine wanting to fulfill the dream of his heart; later he met his wife Moral Smith. Meral was a high school prom queen, Miss Teen Indiana, Miss Indiana and 4th runner up in the Miss USA pageant. Her Majors were marketing and Advertising, both of Darrin's parents had a high profile social life, obtaining the right house, car, family, friends, spouse, job and children.
Darrin was the younger of two boys; his older brother Riley was his best friend. Riley was the perfect child for Ronald and Meral, strong, handsome, he excelled in sports, class and socially. Darrin was the exact opposite of his brother. From birth he had nothing but medical problems. Diagnosed with Anemia when he was 1yr. old, Darrin has struggled to maintain a healthy life. At the age of two he developed Asthma and needed to receive breathing treatments when it flared up. Even though his body could not handle physical stress, and needed medical treatment to function, his mind excelled in learning. Confined to books and his imagination Darrin skipped grade after grade until he was in the same class as his older brother Riley who was 2 years older starting his sophomore year. Even though Darrin was not the child his parents wanted, his life was ok. Riley loved his brother beyond measure; he was Darrin's biggest fan and protector.
It was Riley's junior year as a Varsity player. He took his junior high team to two championship wins and set numerous records in rushing, yards, and touchdowns. The high school recruiter and Jr. Varsity coach placed him on the team as a freshman, hoping that he would be able to do the same thing. During the game Riley met and exceeded every bodies expectations and this continued through most of the football season. While Riley set football records, Darrin also set academic records for the school. Darrin was a sophomore and already had offers from M.I.T., Yale, Harvard, Oxford and Princeton. Some of his Physics calculations where so impressive, Science Weekly compared him to a young Einstein. This year for the Moss brothers seemed to have the makings of the best of their lives and it was just getting started. During the beginning of Riley's junior year Darrin started tutoring students in Physics, Calculus and Geometry and taking less credits to spend more time with Riley. Almost a mirror of their sophomore year the Moss boys seemed to dominate the whole school in one fashion or another.
On his way back from clinching the Varsity divisional playoffs and ranking to be the state champs #1 contenders, Riley called Darrin on his cell phone as he always did to tell him how the game went. Usually after every game their parent would hold a large reception for the team and their family and friends. Darrin never attend them, mostly because his dad told him not to. "These parties are to acknowledge your brothers' success; I want you to tell him you feel uncomfortable being there." Never one to argue with his dad, Darrin did always what he was told. Ronald was embarrassed to have Darrin as a son so he never encouraged him or supported him in anything, but Riley did.
On this day, their lives would change forever. While crossing a bridge after entering their home county Riley's bus was hit by a drunken truck driver head on. The bus is pushed over the guard rails of the bridge and plummets into the river below. The emergency crew and fire rescue searched the river for 5 hours before they found Riley's body. When the news of Riley's death was announced the surrounding community and his family was devastated. No one took the news harder than Darrin, his only friend, confidant, supporter and brother was gone. He was the only one who made life enjoyable and now he was gone, in his place a whole that can never be filled.
During the funeral Riley's parents especially his dad was inconsolable. During the viewing of the body his dad had an emotional breakdown. He grabbed Riley's body and pulled it from the casket weeping and yelling the whole time, saying, 'ITS NOT FAIR, NOT FAIR. WHY MY SON, TAKE ME!!!" Darrin's grandfather and uncle had to restrain his dad and escort him out to calm him down. As he pasted Darrin he looked up into his remaining son's eyes, "It should have been you." He said in a whispered voice. Not many heard only Darrin's uncle, grandfather and mother. The rest of the year was a living hell for Darrin, not only did his father abuse him verbally, but physically by hitting and punching him almost daily. What little maternal feelings his mother had for him was cut off by Ronald. He wouldn't allow her any contact with her son.
Darrin spent that year in complete isolation at home and school. Riley was loved by the faculty and students. Some students made their feelings known that it should have been Darrin not Riley who died. They also made it publicly known to others by abusing him as well. While Riley was alive Darrin never had to worry about the typical hazing that nerds where custom to. Riley could and did confront any of his brother's attackers, his reputation was well known in elementary and high school for defending his brother. Now without Riley the harsh reality of life was setting in. On the social ladder, Darrin was low class, even among his peer of nerds he was an outcast. His only recourse was to use his intellect as a weapon of escape, and so he did. Instead of returning for his senior year Darrin took an equivalence test, and then entered MIT leaving behind a year of pain and torment, he thought.
Darrin's first year at MIT was shaky. Still recovering from the death of Riley and the torture and abuse of his father; he found it hard to keep focus in class or on his projects. At times during the night he would wake up crying from nightmares of the last year.
As time passed Darrin worked through some of his issues with a campus counselor, he still wasn't fully able to let go; he lived with constant torment. In his second semester the professor of his Quantum Mechanics class inspired and encouraged Darrin to use his love of science to heal himself. He pulled Darrin into his office and spoke with him.
"We finally met Mr. Moss; I've heard great things about you." He looked at Darrin as he sat with his shoulders slumped and eyes focused on his hands, not willing to make eye contact.
"Son, I know you have had a bad year before getting here and I am not going to sit here and tell you it's in the past, because it's not." Getting up from the desk he walked over to Darrin and knelt beside him.
"You have gone through hell and back; you have emotional scars that will be with you for life. But I have to ask you Darrin?" looking up to Professor Wilson; he had soft gray eyes and a warm smile, fading short blonde hair with a strong John Wayne chin and smelled of Old Spice. "Do you want to be here?"
Darrin wasn't sure where this line of questioning was going. "You are a gifted, there's no doubt about that, but to sit in class and squander your God given abilities is a waste. Not everyone has the opportunity like you do, by being here. I know you can make your mark not just on this campus, but in the world. Use your pain and suffering to fuel your passion for what you love to do, and let life sort its self out." Prof. Wilson stood up and walked back to his seat.
"If you need a mentor, advisor or someone to set up special lab privileges for you let me know. I'm willing to help you as much as possible, but you have to help yourself first." Leaving Prof. Wilson's office Darrin felt a little better about himself since Riley's death. That night he decides to put himself into his studies again and take Prof. Wilson up on his offer for a mentor.
As he worked with Prof. Wilson his grades improved and the University gave him special privileges during his sophomore year and even had him teach a couple classes. He became senior lab assistant to several other Professors; his sophomore year was a good one.
He only had a few encounters with other student; the biggest was with Mike Tanner. Tanner was a researcher in another field of study, but he miss used his lab privileges to host some small parties with undergrads. Darrin told on him and Tanner almost got expelled from school over the incident. Instead, he was reprimand and a mark was placed on his school record. It was rumored that Tanner was going to get even with Darrin, but after Prof. Wilson had a talk with him the whole thing was dropped.
In his junior year Darrin worked with a special Government research facility out of Langley. He was the militaries top Physicist and Chemical Engineer liaison on several Altered human (Mutants, super beings, meta-human) projects and Extra Terrestrial research.
In his junior year Darrin worked with a special Government research facility out of Langley. He was the militaries top Physicist and Chemical Engineer liaison on several Altered human (Mutants, super beings, meta-human) projects and Extra Terrestrial research.
After this project he would be able to design any kind of research project he wanted, funded by grants from the Government. Up on returning back to MIT 6 months later he resumed his work that was place on hold. The next couple of weeks Darrin's life was starting to get better. One evening going out to eat late he met a woman at his favorite Italian restaurant. She was a Supervisor of Gem Co Products; a privately owned pharmaceutical company. They researched and developed for special interest groups and some Government work too. Nancy Woodard was above average intelligence, with a good sense of humor and personality. She was Brunette about 5'5' 115lbs with soulful brown eyes and she liked Darrin's mind and aptitude for science. They started meeting once a week at the restaurant to talk and enjoy each other's company. Darrin quickly fell for her and it seemed that she returned his feelings. Over the course of a few months they became a couple. Nancy was the best thing to ever happen to Darrin, besides Physics and of course Riley.
She understood him, encouraged him, stood by him and became what he hadn't had since Riley's death, a trusted companionship. He told Nancy everything about his life and childhood, many times when going over the memories and emotions he experienced Darrin cried in her arms and she comforted him. He finally spent the night with her and for the first time he gave himself utterly to another person holding nothing back. Nancy returned his affection, intimacy and love back, with the end of his junior year Darrin was going to propose to her, hoping she too wanted to settle down and start a family, and she said yes to him after a very awkward proposal. Darrin had read several books on romance and wanted to do something medieval to express his love. He was allergic to horse, afraid of heights, not strong enough to wear a suit of armor and didn't have the physical strength or coordination to choreograph a mock fight scene for her hand. He settles on pouring his heart into a soliloquy he composed, 5 pages long. He recited it in front of the lab partners, because that is they spent a lot of their time. With tears in her eyes Nancy said yes.
Darrin's senior year was what he considered to be the best of his life. He had a grant from the Government to work with a new type of energy generator, MIT offered him an office and position to teach advanced Physics, with Chemical engineering and he was engaged to a wonderful, beautiful woman, life couldn't get any better. He was at the top of the mountain, not looking back, but on the verge of creating a new world for him and his soon to be wife.
A few months later, Darrin and his wife to be where celebrating with others over some new breakthrough he made with the energy generator that would lead to a larger energy output than every thought possible. The small group in his lab, along with Nancy began heaping praise after praise on Darrin for the great work he's been doing.
Feeling really good from the champagne and a little proud of his accomplishment Darrin said a few things that he knew he shouldn't have about the school and Prof. Wilson. Nancy convinced him of the loyalty of his group that he need not worry about anything, but to feel free and express his feelings, and he did. Usually, Darrin keep his comments to himself, but on this night, with a confidence never before felt he let them all out about everyone, even some of his lab assistants, and again Nancy reassured Darrin of their loyalty and he believed her completely.
As Nancy put Darrin to bed he looked into her big brown eyes, "What have I done in my life to deserve such a woman like you." In a dreamy tone, "One day my love you will know exactly what you did to deserve me and everything will be clear to you then. Get some sleep; you have to prepare for the presentation in a few days." As Darrin drifted off to sleep, Nancy made a call at 1am then after speaking briefly with someone she left.
Two days after Darrin's little party, he was in the Chemical Engineering lab working out a formula for containing a larger mass of energy from the generator. He wasn't sure if the school would let him construct the containment field necessary for his new calculations. He decides to ask Prof. Wilson to back him up with the faculty board during his proposal.
Entering Wilson's office Darrin sat and remembered how Prof. Wilson turned him around. When Prof. Wilson came in and sat at his desk he looked at Darrin, but instead of his usual smile and pleasant demeanor he seemed upset about something and was curt when he spoke to Darrin. "What do you want Mr. Moss?" Darrin wasn't sure why he was acting the way he was. "Well, Mike, I wanted to ask if you would support me on a proposal I'm making to the faculty board in building a larger containment field for some new calculations I came up with." Prof. Wilson facial expression changed, his complexion was a bright red and there was a vein standing out on his forehead. "How dare you come into my office and presume that you are my equal." Prof. stood up, "You think I haven't heard your comment about me Darrin." Someone had delivered a tape of Darrin's celebration to Prof. Wilson's in box. Darrin looked confused and scared, "You said that I was only a slightly competent teacher, useful for helping others, not having talent enough to make my own discoveries in Physics." "You said my String Theory formula in Quantum Mechanics are a joke, but ok because I am out dated, like my theory." Prof. Wilson had walked from behind his desk and stood directly in front of Darrin, who was now visibly shaking with fear. "I gave you anything you wanted to achieve your goals in becoming a great student and teacher and this is how you repay me, by slandering me. As of now, Mr. Moss you are no longer welcomed in my office or my class, take your over inflated ego and never darken my door again, good day."
(I know this seems a bit long and there are several more chapters. But it all works into my villains' reason for his behavior and malice towards people. Oh, any comments are welcomed and appreciated)