Anti-force

Doctor Octavius was in full swing of the lecture, he had at some point replaced his black goggles with large framed spectacles and had fully removed his Waldo's from his back. The scientist was now delivering his theory, "I now believe, that it is possible these 'counter-forces' can be collected. Very much like the same way a magnifying glass collects sunlight and focuses it into a beam. The concept can be replicated in theory I've started to call... 'Anti-Force'.

Still speaking the doctor starts arranging equipment and plugging huge cables into a small Lucite box with a silver ball inside. "This anti-force, once harnessed, is capable of dismissing many natural forces at which it is aimed... One for instance..." The doctor pauses dramatically "Gravity!"

Liz scribbles down a note and mouths the word "Gravity" Worried she turns to Peter there was something about the smart boy, she hated how she left it with him.

Catching his eye she whispers, "I'm sorry..." with a guilty smile.

Peter shrugs in acknowledgment. He has begun to understand no one will fully accept him, almost as if he was invisible to the world. Peter doesn't have a physically fit body like Flash or a funny personality like others, but what he does have most is his intellect. He made a decision as he started his senior year to explore what he is capable of, doing putting all his focus on learning. Not really just to prove to the world that he does actually exist but also to himself as well. His Uncle and Aunt, believe he has a great future, but it's the here and now that bothers him the most.

"When patching in the cyclotron..." Ock continues to say as the lights in the room flicker and then go dim. "Pay no attention to the lights... the phenomenon steals all surrounded energy, causing anything electrical to lose power. Doctor Octavius operates some controls on the cyclotron... and then he gradually connecting the power source. "Then the power that is stolen from its surroundings... Amplifies its effect."

A whining sound begins to build in the lab... Peering through the Lucite box, Doc Ock's image becomes distorted by the energy the device is omitting. The box is a miniature version of the cyclotron's experimental chamber back in Ock's lab, and the blue-white glow projects were stronger around the base. The powerful light crackles around the silver ball creating a vivid visual effect.

Ock begins talking once more "So now we stand against the fundamental force that governs and maintains our universe's laws... Gravity... The force which holds us down to earth." The Doctor explains to the classroom.

"Imagine a world where weight doesn't matter… A building collapses!" He makes a gesture with his hands. "…and all we have to due to clean or move the debris is deny the space gravity." As he speaks many people begin to feel uncomfortable and begin to look around the room at the other students. "Rise!" Ock yells. Suddenly his voice fills the room, the lights go totally dark. Some of the more immature students react with whoops and catcalls.

"What a crock..." Harry says looking, board.

"Shhh Harry... this is very interesting," Peter complains.

Ock peers down at them through the Lucite box as the silver ball begins to rise. Ock's face was ecstatic as he looked down at his experiment. The silver ball suddenly shoots up, shattering the top of the box. It flies up to the ceiling where it shatters a light fixture. The shards rain down on Ock who reaches out and catches the falling ball and holds it in a raised fist disregarding the tinkling sounds of the falling glass.

"Now that's what I call an experiment!" Doc Ock says with a laugh. As the whining cyclotron slows down the sound starts to taper off. Ock types a few commands into the computer hitting a key and several colored projections beams shoot out of the back of the room. They pierce the smoke and a projected display appeared in front of them.

The image was of two colored spheres one, yellow, one blue but they didn't touch Behind them is a black depiction of 'space'.

"What I haven't said though is the much deeper ideas behind our little experiment. What you are looking at is a representation of two universes, ours is the blue one. Some would say the 'Real universe...' It's something we can touch, feel, see and draw conclusions about. This is us." He points to a colored portion of the screen. "The Yellow universe is... is something else. Some other dimension... something... on the other side of the spectrum is something we can only guess!" Ock hits another key on the laptop and a hole appears between the two spheres. The blue and the yellow marbleized and where the circumferences met was another color that was green. The colors swirled until both spheres are bright green.

"If it were possible to generate enough power behind it, the anti-force could wipe out not just gravity... but all our universal forces at the same time. In effect... it would blast a hole between this universe and the next. Each..." he indicates the green spheres. "Would flow into each other. No blue universe. No yellow. The end, finished, over." He explained clicking another button to bring the lights back on.

"That sounds like a scenario for the end of the world," Liz says not too quietly.

"My girl, it is! It is. It would mean wiping out everything that's known... and letting in everything that's unknown." Ock said like a proud father.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Flash asked in fear and awe.

"It is very dangerous... But don't worry yourself, true inter-dimensional penetration is still purely theoretical, but one day... Maybe very near... maybe in the next ten years..." Doc Ock stopped talking and just stared into space.

Harry smiled after the Professor stopped talking, looking at Peter he mouthed the word "Penetration" Then they both started laughing until the end of the class.

HALLWAY 3:30 PM -

Peter, Liz, Flash, and Harry all took books from their lockers after class.

Liz was whispering to Peter, "Look, it's just... I don't know... when you and Flash go after each other like that..."

Peter interrupts her with his own whisper, "He's not my type."

Liz glared at him "He doesn't have to be..."

"Well, at least we got that out of the way I was worried." Peter shot back sarcastically.

"Besides, he's not all bad. He can be really sweet sometimes." Liz says as she shut her locker door.

Peter looks at Flash who's a few lockers down he was taking a football from his locker and was spinning it on his finger with great joy and concentration.

"You don't get nicknamed Flash because you're a rocket scientist, Liz."

"Give it up, Parker. You'd die for a nickname like Flash."

"Yeah, of embarrassment."

Suddenly an auburn-haired girl comes by and leans seductively against Liz's locker she is dressed in a cheer uniform with the word 'Tigers!' on the front. Kim had a curvy body and long reddish hair, most guys had a fantasy or two about the cheerleader.

"Hey, Flash... I'm scalping a pair of the Midnight Madness Wrestling Match tickets for tomorrow night... You interested" Her voice dripping with seductive charm.

"The Slammies??? I'd kill for that!!!"

"$325 if you're interested."

"Well, uh, I... gee... if... can I tell you tomorrow?" Flash said a little awkwardly

"You snooze, you lose. Hiya Liz..." Kim said turning her charm on her, then spotting Peter she turns her attention to him.

"Kim, you know Peter and Harry? This is my new roommate... Kim Nickson.

Kim gives the two boys a nod and focuses on Peter. "Hellooo, Peter." She coos giving the brown-haired boy shivers.

Feeling a little embarrassed he waved his hand for a quick, Hi...

Liz rolls her eyes and says "We're going to the Student meeting. You coming?"

Peter looks at Kim thinking 'Wow.' Then he turns to look at Liz who's adjusting herself in a small mirror. Harry jabs him in the ribs. "Yeah, yeah!" Peter says a little painfully.

But then he remembers something and has to change his statement. "Actually I can't... I gotta go over to the Daily Bugle. I'm trying to sell some photos."

Kim turns her head towards the brown-haired boy looking interested "Soooh, a photographer...?"

Peter shakes his head "Just an amateur. Well... nice meeting you, Kim." he says quickly as he leaves.

Kim smiles and whispers "Yeah... I bet it is..."

Harry stepped forward nervously, "I can be your date for the reunion ShooShoo?"

Kim looked at the boy and felt a jolt of annoyance "No Jerk!" and leaves as quickly as Peter.

"What did I say..." Harry said confused.

Putting a hand on his shoulder Liz said in a firm voice "It's not what you said, it's how you say it, ShooShoo!"

Everybody leaves and Harry is left alone, he throws his bag down frustration written on his face. "Damnit! I don't get it!"

As Peter is on his way out he comes face to face with the large form of Doctor Octavius's assistant Weiner.

"Peter, Doc Ock wants to see you."

"About my data." Peter guessed.

"I don't know." He said gruffly.

Following behind the hulking man they go down to the lowest level.

CONTROL ROOM -

Peter enters wide-eyed behind the bulk of Octavius's lab assistant. This place is a far cry from the experiment in the lab room he always used to see. In Peter's perspective, this lab was a fantastic netherworld to which no student would ever gain entrance. No one but Peter.

Ock was sitting in a swivel chair with his back to Peter. Octavius had a look of Captain Nemo in his Nautilus. This is Ock's private space, his domain.

Since the Doc wasn't saying anything Peter ventured a greeting. "Hello, Professor Octavius. I really admire your Lab it's... really great!"

With back still to Peter

Octavius responded. "We have a lot of common interests, Peter. It has recently come to my attention you have a very interesting theory, perhaps we should put our heads together...

Peter was flattered, "That would be... great." With a smile, Ock turns towards Peter

"Now if you consider your take on the Planetary Conjunction. This Saturday night we will witness Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, the Earth, the Sun... all in a row. Never seen within the memory of man, or measured for its effect. The total gravitational force must be quite exceptional. Isn't that the subject of your paper...?" He says with a smile.

"Yes sir, I've worked out a new way to calculate the combined gravitational effect..."

"I'm a busy man, Mr. Parker." Octavius interrupts "But I think I could find the time to go over it with you. Make sure it all... checks out." He finishes steeping his fingers against his chin.

"Well... I'm sort of working with Professor Rosomorf and he suggested we kind of keep it between us. He thinks that my theory is... well, I don't know..."

Ock internally thinks 'That scoundrel...' He attempts not to show his anger on his face but firmly states. "I want to see that data, Peter!"

"But Professor... if I knew you were interested... sorry, I've already given it to... Professor Rosomorf and he is after all the head of our Physics Department... I couldn't..."  Peter starts to panic he respected Dr. Octavius he didn't want to disappoint him.

Ock realizing he might still get what he wanted. So smiled broadly he said, "Well, I'm certain something can be worked out. Run along, young man."

Peter begins to leave with a feeling of relief.

"Just a minute..." Ock stops him. "How about if I show you some of my discoveries... I never have shown it to any other student... as a matter of fact to anybody at all."

"Well I am really flattered, I mean I'd love to... but I..."

"Very well shall we say if you come here tonight..."

"But Professor I don't know if I should..."

"Make it eight sharp... I'll be waiting for you... Right here..."

Peter worriedly leaves.

Ock turns to Weiner who slouches against the wall smiling.

"The same academic world that's so keen to embrace that boy's undergraduate work, ridicules my anti-force theory as quackery. I ask you, Weiner... what is our society coming to? Ha!" The devious doctor grimaced.

"They are all a bunch of brainless assholes, that's what I say..." His assistant replies.

"Weiner! Go get me that boy's data!"

"It'll cost you..." The gruff man replied.

"Just get it. We'll negotiate your fee when you have the data, alright?"