This is my first story, so it probably won't be that good :) Tell me how i did PWEASSE! Also if you have any ideas or questions about Kowalski's Origin than you can send them to me and I'll incorporate them into my story. :D
Kowalski's Origin
Two penguins waited impatiently as they looked at the sea. The oldest scans the horizon waiting for his mate to come back. Nested between his feet sits a small penguin, barely a month old shivering in the cold. His name was Kowalski- named after his dad. Though he was still very young, his dad still tied to teach him well in the way of calculation.
Kowalski's dad: Keep an eye out son. Anything moving could be her.
Little Kowalski tries to get a better view of the sea by peeking out but draws back when he feels the stinging breeze.
Kowalski's dad: Now, help me consider the options son. If she left at sunrise, her target can be as far as Iceberg Cove, and she swims at a rate of 10 kilometers per hour than how long will it take her to get back if she has no interruptions?
Kowalski tries to count on his head. Not being able to figure out the equation completely in his head he tries using his flippers for help. Two flippers didn't take him very far though so he gives up with a sight.
Kowalski: [In his high baby penguin voice] I'm not sure dad. I don't think that I'll be able to get those numbers right using only my head.
Kowalski's dad: Now, Kowalski, when a penguin has the odds against him, sometimes the only thing that he can depend on is the answer he gets. I you can't get an answer than how will you know when and how to act in order to complete the mission?
Little Kowalski looks down dolefully. His father realizes that he's being too hard on him and makes his voice gentler.
Kowalski's dad: Here, I'll show you a trick that will help you solve difficult problems. [He searches in the bag next to him and takes out an abacus] You see, pretend that the beads are numbers and move them around depending on the equation [He demonstrates using the problem he had asked him. Kowalski stares soaking up every detail of it.] And once you're done you count the number of beads left and that's the answer.
Kowalski counts the number of beads left. If he had counted right than his mom should be back at 3:06 p.m. He checked the time by the trajectory of the sun the way his dad had taught him and told his dad the results.
Kowalski: She should be getting here I the next ten minutes, dad.
Kowalski's dad: Good job son! [Pets his head] now you know when to act, a critical statistic when in combat.
Kowalski beams at the compliment. Together he and his dad waited for his mom with refreshed spirits now that they had an approximate time. Just as they predicted within ten minutes she was there. She was a medium sized penguin with gentle looking features, the only thing that gave away her military training was the alert way in which her eyes surveyed her surroundings. They were the same shade of Topaz that Kowalski and his dad had. She walked up to them smiling. Kowalski ran out from underneath his dad despite the cold and ran to hug her.
Kowalski: momma! Did you bring fish? What was it like? Daddy showed me how to calculate your return and we were right! He showed me how to use the abacus!
Kowalski's mom smiled down at him. He was a lot like his dad and she knew from past experience that you had to wait for them to finish talking if you wanted to get anything said.
Kowalski's mom: Well, you sure must have had an exciting day! Yes I brought you fish. I'll tell you all about it after dinner. [She feeds Kowalski his fish in the typical penguin way]
Kowalski's dad: Helen, it's good to see that you're back. [He hugs her. He than turns to make sure that Kowalski wasn't listening; he was busy playing with the abacus] It's getting too dangerous for us to keep on like this. We've already left our flock and now I'm the only company that Kowalski has. He needs to be around others his age. It's also not worth you risking your life just so that you can get him food. [He stares into her eyes and she sees the panic in them]
Kowalski's dad: [Looking away] I've considered all the options and there's only one left. [He looks over at Kowalski again and lowers his voice,] We have to send him away.
Helen's eyes widen in shock.
Helen: [Voice shaking] How can you suggest that we send away our only son? If we're here it's so that we don't have to be away from him. If I have to risk my life every time that we need food than so be it, but I will not leave him. No one knows that we're here and they have no way of tracking us down. We will stay here with him.
Kowalski's dad: We have a mission to complete Helen! We've already delayed it and now our enemy knows our one vulnerability, our son. If they get their fins on him than we'll have no choice but to hand over the blueprints. We're jeopardizing our son and the lives of all the others under the clutches of Blowhole!
Helen: [Puts her flipper to her lips] Shhhh! [She looks pointedly at Kowalski who was now staring at them wide-eyed, the abacus forgotten]
Kowalski: Momma, are you and Daddy fighting because of me? Did I do something wrong?
Helen: No sweetie, Daddy and I are just…[Thinks quickly] debating whether to teach you to read yet.
Kowalski's attention is instantly sidetracked.
Kowalski: Reading! Really? [He looks at his dad with hopeful eyes]
Kowalski's dad: [Pretends to smile] Sure, son! After all reading is an essential part of a good cadet. Come on, let's get to it. Get my clipboard and pencil from the bag and I'll show you.
Kowalski runs enthusiastically to follow his dad's orders. He searches trough the small amount of items inside the bag and easily finds the clipboard. He slides back to his dad who sits next to him and begins to write down the alphabet. Helen watches them apprehensively. She knew that Kowalski was right and that it was too dangerous for little Kowalski to be with them, but she couldn't bear the thought of sending him away. She knew that the only place safe enough for him would be in the military training base for young penguins, which was in the opposite direction of where they were going. She doubted whether he'd be able to make it through that. Kowalski's intelligence exceeded that of most penguins his age but his fighting skills hadn't been developed yet. Kowalski's dad was in charge of him and, being an expert at anything intellectual Kowalski had been taught well, but not being much around his mother because of her long fishing trips Kowalski lacked the fighting skills. Between Kowalski's dad and her Helen was the best fighter so it had been agreed that she would be the one to teach him the fighting arts. They hadn't considered at the time that they would have to go into hiding though. Without combat training she knew that Kowalski would have a rough time, but she would never send him there…would she?
Momma!
Little Kowalski's call brought Helen's thoughts back to the present.
Kowalski: Momma! I know the alphabet! Daddy showed me the A sound!
Helen smiled though she was still preoccupied. She didn't want her little Kowalski to know how worried she was.
Helen: That's great Kiwi! Keep it up.
Little Kowalski laughs at his mom's use of his name.
Kowalski: Silly Momma! It's Kowalski, not Kiwi.
Helen: But you are a Kiwi [laughs] you're soft, small, and fuzzy.
Kowalski: [Looks down at his feathers] Kiwi's have feathers?
Kowalski's dad: No. A kiwi is a fruit from the tropical forest of South America. It is a small, oval-shaped, and covered in tiny hairs used to protect itself from animals by ticking them when eaten.
Kowalski: [Giggles] So kiwis defend themselves by ticking?
Helen: Yes. However, tickling won't save this kiwi from taking his nap.
Kowalski: Aww, do I have to? Daddy didn't finish showing me the alphabet yet.
Helen: He can show you later, now off to sleep.
Kowalski nested down underneath his dad's feathers and soon fell asleep. While he slept Helen went over to look through his dad's clipboard. She saw the alphabet written across the first page.
Kowalski's dad: It's the second to last page.
Helen looks at little Kowalski sleeping soundly and than at older Kowalski. He was tall and trim with a smart and composed air about him. He always seemed to hold an erect posture of confidence, yet right now his shoulders were hunched and he was avoiding her gaze. Helen turns to the page that he told her. She read the title across the top. "Options to protect Kowalski". Underneath there were many options written down yet only one of them wasn't crossed out. She made out the words underneath the deep pencil lines going across them.
Throw mission (Hand over blueprints)
Relocate (Back to tropical homeland?)
Take Kowalski along with us on mission
Disguise selves and Kowalski as typical penguins and find flock to live with pretending to be normal (Destroy blueprints)
Her eyes skipped over the one not crossed out
Finish mission by myself while Helen cares for Kowalski
Hand mission over to another cadet (Most are unsuitable)
Finally she goes back up to the only option left intact.
Send Kowalski away while we complete mission (MTB)
Her eyes watered as she realized that it really was the only alternative.
Kowalski's dad was a practiced inventor and had made blueprints for a perpetual energy machine, a machine that generated its own energy. With it, doors would open for all kinds of gadgets that would never run out of steam when you most needed it; it was perfect for military use. Unfortunately it was also fit for use in destructive weapons. Dr. Blowhole had been informed of this versatile little machine and now had most of his man working to get Kowalski's invention. Even more unfortunate was Blowhole's discovery of Kowalski's son. It was obvious to anyone that a child would complicate things for any undercover agent but to Blowhole it meant much more than that. If he got hold of Kowalski's son than he could hold him captive until Kowalski handed over the plans. This observation had made little Kowalski Blowhole's main target. Kowalski and Helen had gone into hiding to keep him safe but there were already too many that knew them and too few those that they could trust. They had get those blueprints to the military's headquarter so that Kowalski could present them as a new technology but the trip was too dangerous for a young penguin to come along. They would first have to leave him at the training base and than go to the HQ, it was their only hope of keeping him alive.
Kowalski woke up later that day. He looked around and realized that they were now inside a cave, there was some sunlight filtering through the entrance, form the angle of its beam he estimated it to be around 5:00 in the afternoon. He heard some rustling on a corner of the cave and realized that his mom was still there. She was packing things into their bag, but something felt wrong. He concentrated more on her behavior and realized what it was. Her movements were stiff and slow as if she had to fore herself to do it bit by bit. Kowalski was confused. What was going on? He looked up at his dad in hope that he would enlighten him but his dad didn't even acknowledge his presence. He was looking at his mom his flippers extended out towards trying to reach her but his body was rigid, keeping him in place. His eyes showed just how torn he was. Kowalski was now not only confused, but also alarmed. He had never seen his dad look so distressed.
Kowalski: Dad?
Kowalski's dad seems surprised to hear him as if he had forgotten that he was even there.
Kowalski's dad: Kowalski you're awake. [Sights] Son, we have something important to tell you.
Helen finishes packing and turns to look at them. Her face was composed and Kowalski couldn't tell what she was thinking, for some reason this sent shivers down his spine. He ran out to her and hugged her leg. She bends down and stares at him evenly.
Kowalski: Momma?
Helen: Kowalski, you want to grow up to be a good soldier right? [Kowalski nods his head] Well, sometimes when you're a soldier you have to be away from your family so that you can be trained properly. [She takes a deep breath] Kowalski we're sending you away.
Kowalski keeps looking at his mom with blank eyes. This couldn't be right. He tried examining the possibilities on his head like his dad told him to do. Was this a dream? April Fool's day? Maybe his parents were simply testing him…
Kowalski: I don't understand Momma.
Helen takes the bag and hands it to Kowalski.
Helen: You're going to the military training base. We won't be you instructors anymore. They'll train you better Kiwi; you want to have the best training don't you?
Kowalski's eyes fill with tears. So none of the possibilities were right. His parents were serious about sending him away.
Kowalski: But Daddy's showing me the alphabet, and I already know one letter. Why can't he teach me? Is it because I haven't gotten calculus yet? I promise that I'll try harder.
Helen: [Unruffled] Listen Kowalski…[Kowalski whimpers and she can't put up the façade anymore] All right, I'll tell you the truth. Kowalski, We have been here because we're hiding. There are bad people who are after us and now they're after you. We have to keep you safe so you'll have to go, but we'll come back for you, I promise. Now come on [She takes his flipper] your ship is about to leave.
Kowalski not knowing what to do allows himself to be led away. Kowalski's dad takes his other flipper and gives him a reassuring smile as they walk out of the cave.
The walk to the port seemed to Kowalski to take forever. Seldom was said and the only thing that his parents did besides walk was occasionally take out some fish to feed to him. The cold stabbed at Kowalski through his baby feathers but he barely felt it. He was still stunned and unsure of what to feel. When he finally came to the port though, all of the emotions that he had been holding back struck him so hard he though he would be crushed underneath them. Fear, confusion, sadness, and the gnawing feeling that this was his entire fault settled on the pit of his stomach and twisted it into a cold, hard knot that made it hard to swallow. He looked up at the huge ship that sat in front of him. It seemed to him to him like a never-ending beast ready to devour him. Helen bends to his level and put a flipper on each of his shoulders.
Helen: Always remember that we love you Kiwi.
Kowalski's dad: With all our hearts.
Kowalski can't hold back anymore and begins to cry. The tears trail down his beak leaving a burning trail compared to the cold. The sobs escape him and he shakes along with them. They were so hard to control he felt that he would choke on them.
Kowalski's dad: [sights] Tears; a mixture of salt and water used to relieve the body of stress in moments of immense sadness. [He wipes Kowalski's tears away while reaching for the bag next to him] Here, I want you to have- [He's cut off by Helen putting her flipper over his]
Helen: Do you hear that?
The ice suddenly explodes underneath them as a killer whale suddenly jumps out of the ice and into the air. It flips and makes a grab at the penguins with its sharp teeth. Helen grabs Kowalski and shields him protectively with her body. Kowalski's dad takes position in front of the whale. Kowalski stares wide–eyed.
Kowalski's dad: Helen go! Put Kowalski on the ship I'll keep it distracted.
Helen hands Kowalski the bag.
Helen: Kowalski, I need you to be brave right now. Your father can't do this by himself. Climb those stairs and hide under a crate as fast as you can. When you get to the base give the letter to the General. Hide the bag and don't show anyone what's in it, understand? Now go!
Helen shoves Kowalski into the dock. He runs up the stairs as fast as his little penguin feet could carry him. Once on the ship he dives quickly onto a crate that was stacked up against it. From it he peeks out to see how his mom and dad were doing. They were still fighting the whale. It slammed its tail down over his mom and his dad jumped on top of it to try to get it off of her. Kowalski cries out to them.
Kowalski: Momma! Daddy!
They don't hear him as they fight. The ship begins to pull away. Kowalski looks around frantically for a way down so that he can help his parents. He looks up at them again. They were side by side facing the whale. It jumped up and slammed down on top of them taking them both underwater. The last Kowalski sees from the three of them is the red blood spreading across the sea.
Yeah, I know, not a happy beggining, but now you know why he's so smart! How about reviewing on this?