Chapter 1: The Hero.
This is a story of a person called Maria and she was born in Earth, Stockholm. She in so many ways a very normal person, yet her life unfolded in the most strangest of ways. This was because she was not really a normal person.
Maria did not develop as a normal child was supposed to. She did not learn how to talk, read and write like she was supposed to. However, this did not effect Marias grades in school. See this young girl compensated her poor intellect with bravery and endurance. And do you not know, that is the characteristics of a hero.
The thing was, even if Maria had a lack of beauty, stile and intelligens, she did not whatsoever lack in imagination. You see, she would take mechanical trash from everywhere she could find them and brought them home thinking she would build something. Her mother called it art, still it was not art that Maria was looking to create.
You see, Maria was a reader. She did not read books like other teens her age would read, she read physics, maths, and chemistry. If her teachers understood this, maybe they would have thought different of Maria. Most of the content of these books was too advanced for the teachers to know about or even ever understand.
Maria had occasionally tried to show them that she possessed this knowledge, she just did not have the skills or confidence to explain it. She had shown them her books, but they just did not seam to believe her. Most teachers believe in tests, only Maria was the worst at test could she could not stand the pressure. She didn't know what to do with this knowledge either, she just knew she had to do something, so she was building a very dangerous machine.
The huge mastiff Leo was sitting every day watching her building it. Leo was a very wise dog, from Marias perspective anyway. He always knew if she was sad, he would always comfort her. He had big, brown wise eyes. He also always knew if Maria did not like someone. If they came across someone she did not like out on a walk, he would snarl with his dark dog-voice.
So there was a lot of snarling, because Maria didn't really like anyone.
However the machine, because this story truly evolves around the machine, was very big buy now. The idea was that it was supposed to power up itself with just a little push to get started, a turning of a handle. It would show up particles newer shown before, this the fat retarded little teenage girl was sure of.
The plan was to show it to professor Nils, who would know what to do with it once it's potential was proven.
Maria did not really know that mush about Nils. Sometimes she would skip class to sneak into his lectures. She would sit in the back, so no one could see her and listen. Maybe if she could prove her skills with this masterpiece, no one could call her stupid anymore. If she won the Nobel-price, no one could ever call her that again. If people could se she had something, maybe she would be loved. Not just allowed to exist in an empty dark hole of loneliness with nothing but a dog to give her affection.
It was not that she did not appreciate Leo, she just wanted some human company as well. She would not be a disgrace to her family anymore.
So she turned the handle, hoping that nothing would catch fire this time. The house was still stinking with smoke. This time nothing seamed to happen. The three meters high pile of junk with a door on it did not move or make any sound at all. The computer did not pick anything up either.
She turned the handle again. Nothing happened. She was such a loser, how could she think that she, an less then average student could build a machine worthy of the Nobel price in her basement?
Then Leo started barking, and he never barks. The computer started to pick something up... small measures of excess energy, something odd. She looked it the window of the pile of junk. She could not believe it. Its inside was purple. She burst out laughing.
"I will call you The Purple Junk Machine, The PJM!" Maria decided.
About a minute later, the purple cloud inside was gone. Everything seamed to be normal. Maria even crawled inside of it to see if something was different on the inside, but there was nothing that she could tell. No radiation, nothing.
She was so happy, she felt like she could fly. Finally she could show up her talents!
The very next day instead of going to school she went to the university. She knew just where to find professor Nils, in his office in the end of the physics hall. She had dreamt many times of this moment. She would impress the physics professor Nils, with his gray and white curly hair, his slim body always dressed in black pants and different shirts.
He had those glasses, and every time he looked far through the classroom to answer a question he always put them down on the tip of his nose. Maria did not know why she found that so appealing.
She was so nervous, even if she wore her nicest cloths and make-up. For the very first time, she would look him in the eye. He would know her name.
She knocked on his door to quietly. She knocked again, harder so it could be heard to the other side. The door opened up, and there he was.
Maria cleared her throat. "Hello, my name is Maria."
"Oh, so that's your name. Come, step into my office," said professor Nils.
Maria stepped in, realising what sort of high technology there was in there. His computer for one was brand new. There was devices in there she knew nothing about.
"Here sit," he said and showed her a chair, and sat down on his own chair at the other side of the desk.
"You have seen me?" asked Maria.
"Well yes, you are tall, sitting in the back didn't do it." answered Nils and smiled. "I am not supposed to let non-student listen to my lectures, however, I never cared much for that rule. I love it when young people pick up an interest in science. Do you need any help?"
"Well," Maria swallowed, "I have sort of been working on a machine. You know your theory of there being other particles not existing in this universe, yet being essential for our own existence, well I made some inquiries and found... I believe I have brought those partials here. For an hour at least. In my machine. I call it The PJM. It is pretty big, I built it in my basement. Do you... do you want to see it?"
Professor stared in surprise at the young woman for a while. Then he answered: "Yes, I would very much like to se this... PJM. I don't have any lectures until this afternoon, sure I have a lot of exams to look over, but they can wait. Can I see it now? We can take my car."
Professor Nils had an old red Volvo. Maria was very uncomfortable sitting in there alone with him as they drove off. Nils tried to create a conversation.
"So, how did you build this... PJM?"
"I made it out of junk," Maria said. "It will be easier to show it to you."
"What do PJM stand for?" He continued questioning her.
"Purple Junk Machine. It glows purple inside when it is working." She said.
"Amazing." Nils shook his head. "I used to try creating those particles, prove my theory. I worked att CERN with a lot of resources, I could not prove anything. Maybe I went about things the wrong way. Maybe colliding particles can not show everything."
"Well no, I did this field thing..." said Maria nervously petting her own tie. "I don't really know what to call it. Or at least that is what I think I did. You will see when you get there."
The truth about Nils was that in many ways he was just like Maria. He never did to good in school either, until he got into the university. Then things got better, however he never really got to prove himself. Today as he hit his fifties, he was just a physics-professor teaching at the university. None of his dreams of acknowledgement ever came true, unless passing the exams count.
Within his heart was a desire for more. Maybe it would have been different if he had a family, however to have a family he would need a woman, and he just did not know how to get one. However he had grown cold over the years, only smiling on the outside. However this girl had brought a sparkel of hope to his eyes.
He would jump at any hope. Then there was this issue, even if Maria was right, it mean he had to share credit for the machine. Sure he could steal some fame, being the source of the theory, and she would need him to get the theory and proof published and acknowledged, but her age would get so much attention he would become a sidekick in the spotlight.
Maybe that would be the answer, her age. Who would believe her, once he transported the device out of there, and claimed it was his own?
Well there was the issue of her being able to explain exactly how the PJM works, probably much better then he, and if people against all odds would believe her, he was in big trouble. Was that a risk he was willing to take?
Maria never even thought about the possibility of people wanting to steal her work. She was an honest person, and thought honest thoughts, and did not have enough experience with people to think they thought any different.
Marias mother was not home of course, she was at work, so they were alone except for Leo. However, Leo did not seam to like Nils. Usually he would run over to any visitor, wagging his thick tale all over the place.
Now he sat down, just watching Nils with suspicious eyes.
Nils looked around the basement turning his head. It was a mess. Tools, junk, clothing and dust was everywhere. Lightning the room was lit up by two fluorescent lamps, and in the middle of it was a giant pile of junk. He could not believe it, most things it was made of were old car parts. There was old rims, exhaust pipes, car doors, and other things seemingly unidentifiable.
He could se why she called it junk machine.
"Well", she said,"Here it is, the PJM." I just turn the handle here, and look at the computers readings, and inside. Then tell me what you think. I will show you all the papers too."
She held the handle.
Nils nodded.
Then she turned the handle, and at first, just like the previous time, nothing happened.
"Nothing is happening," Nils pointed out.
"Well, I did not think so either before. But then I turned the handle again and it happened. I think it just needs ti..."
A purple glow interrupted them.
Nils looked down at the computer, whispering. "Damn..."
Maria smiled. "I told you so. You know what to do with it, right?"
Nils nodded, "yes, yes, this is Nobel prise – material! Really really good things you have done... Maria? Yes. Can you show me how you did it?"
For hours they sat going through all of the components, however soon Nils would have to leave to teach another class. Then he came up with the greatest idea.
"Hey, so far we have only done air in there, why not try... an apple! Just to se what happens."
"Well that is a great idea," Maria agreed.
So they put an apple inside the big PJM, and got it running. When the purple light was gone, so was the apple.
"Are you sure it's gone? Are the no radiation in there left after it?" Nils asked.
"I don't know," said Maria. "I will check."
Leo looked worried, and took his place beside Maria following her every step.
She picked up her equipment and went inside to look. "No there is nothing," she said.
"Good," sneered Nils and shot the door.
Maria rushed to it to get out, but Nils barricaded it with a chair on its end. He looked at her terrified eyes when she looked out the window from inside, but he could not hear her screams. Leo barked and howled, but there was no one to hear them.
And sure, professor Nils Andersson did feel the cold stab of guilt in his heart, but that did not stop him from turning the handle and let the purple sweep the young girl and her dog away from this world, or this side of the galaxy anyway.