The Greater Good
Zukone
Chapter 1: A Not So Different Future

Jimmy Neutron stood in front of the freestanding, massive structure in his lab. His eyes followed the arch all the way around and then peered into the luminescent center of the Chrono-arch. This device had opened up so many curiosities for him and given him a look into a most wonderful future. His greatest invention to date was tainted when it caused a mishap. It wasn't his device's fault, though. His own eagerness to see that glorious future in person made him careless enough to trust one of his friends with a simple task of wrapping a present. After so many mishaps of "oops," "What's this loopy thing," and utterances of "too late", why hadn't he learned not to let his friends into his lab or even rely on them for anything other than breathing?

Aside from preventing a Libby dictatorship, the day of the chrono-arch had already been eventful in his mind. Looking into the future can do that to a kid. Before showing the boys their tomorrow, he had already checked it out for himself. He would never have shown them what was in store if any of their lives had taken a serious downturn.

The first of the futures he checked was his own. His success didn't surprise him in the least. Sure he had the hypnobeam ready and programmed if his future was too horrible, but that was just a precaution. After that self indulgence the next one he checked was Sheen Estevez's being that it was the one that most concerned him. He shouldn't have been surprised that Sheen would find a way to turn his quirkiness to an "it" factor the likes of which Hollywood had never seen. Then there were his doubts of his other friend's future. That concern was also relieved when he found that Carl Wheezer would be able to realize a lifelong dream alongside extraordinary llamas. Libby Folfax, in the untainted future, would become a VJ for the ever popular "Video Musicology Dance Dance" cable station.

Looking through the arch, he discovered that not everything would be happy for everyone. Some people's future didn't turn out so great. He saw a few cases where lives were in shambles by 15 years. But even those, he knew, would eventually make it, somehow. He had hoped. The most curious thing that happened when peering into someone's future was when there was no trace of the person he was looking for. In those instances it was more like a puzzle to be solved. His device might have needed finer tweaking. Beta versions were always teeming with errors, he reasoned. Even though the evidence might have pointed to something possibly darker, he wouldn't allow himself to think the worst-not when there was even the slightest chance of another explanation. But all of this was just buying time.

After much dilly dallying, he was ready to look into the one future he was most curious to see. He had decided to peer into Cindy Vortex's life. Oh the curiosity and simultaneous nervousness that coursed through his body. His imagination had provided an elaborate scenario he hoped for. She would suffer some mediocre life. When she saw him she would paw at his feet singing the praises of his great achievements. She would admit, without biting back her tongue, that he was in fact the smartest genius alive.

His thoughts turned and he found himself dreaming up another fantasy. It would be better if she hadn't known what he was up to. Instead, this time, his childhood tormentor would be on the streets begging for money. She would recognize him and instantly be ashamed. She would apologize for every unkind word she ever spewed at him. Magnanimously would he grace her with his presence, feed an "old friend" a delicious meal and then casually tell her of his Nobel Prizes in science as if they were mere recognition certificates that even the slowest kid in elementary school could achieve. He would ask her of her achievements only after having rubbed his own in her face significantly. It was juvenile, he knew, but he was a juvenile and that's what he wanted. He chuckled indulgently when he was through. Suddenly he couldn't wait. There was no way her life would ever top his.

Then, he pressed that fateful button. Those dreams to see her floundering had been erased completely when he saw her future. Cindy Vortex would never need to bow at his feet. Ever. What was he thinking? She wasn't the type to resign herself to anything less than the best. It was ironic because that was what she was known as-the best.

It turned out that she would become a litigator who's in your face tactics soared her to popularity and controversy. More impressive, was her notoriety for winning hard cases by catching flawed logic in the opposing view. The more he saw of her, the more he wanted to see. So he scrolled through her professional life gaping at her achievements. He hoped that with all this her persona would change as well. However, the impact she had on her contemporary society did little to satiate that hope.

Various Cindyisms crept their way into pop culture. People would say that an idea was "vortexed" to say that it was stopped cold. Her name also became synonymous with the word suing that when wronged, people would say that they would Vortex someone's ss in court. Finally, there was the catch phrase that Cindy made popular. "Was that your bigheaded idea?" It even spun off a TV talk show which berated ideas that weren't well thought out.

After having heard the last thing, it was obvious to Jimmy that nothing would change between them. Incensed by these images, Jimmy had decided to look further into the future hoping to find her plunging fast from her high social status. There had to be a point in life where there was retribution-where there was fairness.

He found instead that Cindy had opened the Vortex Firm and raked in billions of dollars consulting or representing other large firms. Even Neutron Enterprises, with its own litigators, relied on the expertise of Cindy A. Vortex. Jimmy had been thoroughly disgusted at the image before him that day. His future self had to depend on Cindy Vortex of all people. He would never forget the interaction he saw 20 years into the future.

Attorney Cynthia Aurora Vortex walked in the meeting room, smug expression on her face when she put her briefcase down. His future self wore a counter-smirk. Throughout the whole exchange, the boy genius could sense the same tension behind their eyes that they had for each other in this present reality.

She gloated. "So, which one of your big-headed inventions mauled a consumer this time?"

"It wasn't big-headed." He said handing her a folder with the accident report and legal papers. "The acupuncturist machine is a self-automated-"

"Save it," she said filing through the papers before she pulled out one to look over. "I'm just glad I know better than to strap myself to one of your machines. Anyone should know it's like taking your life into your own hands. That should be a defense in and of itself. If you're stupid enough to try a Neutron gadget, then you deserve to get hurt."

"Har. har. You know very well that my innovations have saved countless lives, Ms. Vortex."

"-and have sent the same number of them screaming."

"Stop exaggerating. Why do you hate my inventions so much?"

"Because they're a hazard." She said. "Seriously, I should be representing the plaintiff here."

"No they're not, and that would be a conflict of interest." He said cross armed.

"Hmm," she said looking at the paper.

"What's the problem, Vortex."

Cindy looked up and eyed the others in the room. "Your lawyers are shaking in their boots aren't they?"

"That bad? Do we have to settle?"

"Cindy Vortex does not settle. It came with a manual right?"

"Of course 32 chapters."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Send it to me. I'll look over it."

"You'll brief me later today then."

"In your dreams, Nerdtron. I've got other things to do."

"Are you trying to tell me that you have a life? There are rumors about the amorous affairs of the well famed Vortex lawyer."

The other lawyers in the room looked intently, but from a safe distance. There was some kind of a train wreck ready to happen.

"And what rumors about my love life have you uncovered?"

"That you have none."

"Oh those rumors." Cindy laughed off. "I assure you that that's not true, but what about the rumors surrounding you? Everyone in Neutron Enterprises is abuzz with it."

"I haven't heard anything."

"Of course they wouldn't say it to your face. You're their boss. Nothing's too hard to figure out when you spend long hours in that lab of yours." She said. "So what's the deal? Are you so afraid of social contact that you've had to build yourself a lover?"

Neutron dropped the glass of water he had in his hand on the floor and stood wide eyed. Ms. Cindy Vortex all but floated out of the room, head held high, while his future self just looked like some confused pitiful creature looking after her.

The other lawyers in the room shuffled their papers nervously and pretended to work on the case.

Future Jimmy grabbed his temple and said simply, "Why didn't I see this coming?"

Little Jimmy shook his head remembering the thoughts that flew through his head the day he saw that scene unfold. Certainly his future self was thinking of a million things to say to get back at Cindy. Why hadn't any smart retort come out? Even in this state there were a few different things he could have said. In the future he was supposed to be even smarter. The fact that she had bested him tore him apart. His future self should have denied her accusation. Unless. Had he truly created some kind of girlfriend in a lab that when faced with the truth, he was too embarrassed to play it off? His life couldn't be reduced to that? Could it?

The kid genius was sure that with all his accomplishments he would never have to be that desperate. Maybe it wasn't desperation. Maybe he desired a perfect mate and simply hadn't come across one. But then there was Betty Quinlan and maybe a slue of others like her who he deemed to be perfect. He shook his head. Presently he could never fathom falling for something he created in a lab nor would it enter his mind.

Activity continued from within the chrono-arch.

Future Jimmy grabbed his jacket and went out of the office he was in.

"Are you going to the lab?" his personal assistant asked.

"Nope."

"Where are you going then?"

"Out."

"Sir."

"What?"

"It's just that you don't."

"I've got somewhat of a date."

His personal assistant scrunched his face confused.

"You think I'm making it up because Cynthia was here. I may be dedicated, but I'm not married to my work, got it."

It was at this point that Jimmy was going to flick off the chrono-arch. What more was there to see? It was obvious. He and Cindy were always going to be at each other and she was never going to feel remorseful for her cruelty. She would be a lawyer for goodness sake and it seems that after having honed her argumentative skills in law school and the courtroom, she would beat him most, if not every, time in a debate.

Still curiosity poked at him. He denied it, but then it prodded. Then it poked and prodded again and again until he found himself zapping a little further into her future. He wasn't even sure why he did it. It was especially ironic because he scrutinized her life so much more than he did his own. Really, he shouldn't have been that interested in her future.

When the screen popped with visions of Cindy's later life, he was glued. What he saw upcoming for Cindy threw him for a loop. "What?" he said looking into the screen. He took a step back while looking into the screen cockeyed. He shook his head and said it again. "What?"

"Sheen and Carl are approaching the lab." Vox said.

"Thanks Vox. I almost forgot." Jimmy turned the arch off. "I'll bet they'll be happy with their futures."

That was the untold scene that occurred right before the completely preventable megolomanium fiasco. He wondered about the future again and it mostly scared him. If one simple thing like being excited to go into the future could change the outcome, then there could be a dozen other things that could change it as well. Unfortunately, there was no way to just see it. The copbot had somehow damaged the arch's chrono-visual capabilities. The future he had the privilege of seeing might never come to pass.

Jimmy touched the purplish pink light. The chrono-transportation aspect of the arch still had limited functions: he could only travel ten years forward. There could be a million versions of a bad future.

He tugged at the side of his lips creating a pensive smile. The good future had one thing in common and he didn't need a brain blast to figure out what it was. He was going to check it out and make sure it was on the right course for all their sakes. He took one final breath and he went through the portal.

Chapter 1 End

Pashaw.. I needed a beta!