3 Satellite

As the radar circled uneventfully on the large screen, the light haired operator sat in his chair and checked up on it as he always did. "This has to be the most boring job in the whole place," he complained. "There hasn't been any newfound elemental activity in years! Why does this department even exist?"

A door opened behind him and a man with dark, curly hair walked in. "Back at it again, Reggie? Come on, man. You've been over this a billion times already. 'No job here is useless,' and all that jazz," he said monotonously.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, Lieutenant Harold," Reggie said with extra emphasis, almost annoyance, on his name. "You get to actually do something sometimes with your job. Go outside once and a while at least during your shift. I'm stuck in here for hours, day after day. All I get for entertainment is a book and whatever I can hack into the computer." Reggie spun around in his swivel chair a few times to further show his boredom. "I'll tell you what. You switch me jobs for a day and tell me how useless—." He was cut off by a blip.

"Oh my God," said Harold, taken aback. "Hurry and find out where that was. This is the first new elemental usage in fifty years! And it looks huge! We can't let this slip through our fingers, we'll lose our jobs."

"Just give me a sec, will you?" Reggie typed away on his keyboard. "It looks like it's somewhere in Montana. Go and tell the captain. You know how mad he gets if he's not told something as soon as it's known." Harold ran out of the room as fast as he could.

• • •

Terrified, Liam waited for his parents to come home. After he called them, they both left work early. His mother would come home first because her job was closer, and this knowledge gave Liam comfort. He knew his mother would make him feel better like she always did. He could barely stand after what happened. "What did I just do? Was that like what happened in math today?" His eyes started to tear up as he sat and waited for his mother. Tears of fear.

Ten minutes had gone by when his mother came through the door. "Liam, I'm home," she called. He ran to her and gave her a big hug, tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes red from crying.

"Oh, mom! I was... I just..." he stuttered between gasps. "I touched the tree... and then my hand... and then a light!" He didn't know how to explain what happened anymore. He barely knew what happened. His hand burned, its color redder than a tomato.

"It's going to be okay, sweetheart. I'm here now and your father will be home soon enough," she told him lovingly. She felt the heat from his hand on her back. "Come on, let's go put that in some ice water," she suggested. She got a large bowl from the kitchen and filled it with ice and water and Liam his hand in it. The water steamed up and the ice started to melt. Liam gave a sigh of relief due to the ice water and relaxed a little.

A few minutes later, Mr. Hall came through the door and rushed into the kitchen to see his son. "Are you okay? What happened? Did he break anything in him, Alice?"

"Dave, honey, I think it's time we told Liam about what happened the day he was born," she said in a soft, yet sorrowful tone.

"I... ah, well, I suppose you're right, Alice. Liam, bud. Remember when you used to win every writing contest in the 5th grade? And remember how we said you've always had a golden hand? Yeah, well, that wasn't just a metaphor. You actually were born with a golden hand, or at least gold in your hand. Just not in the way we meant it back then," said Mr. Hall.

"What are you talking about dad?" Liam asked curiously. "Are—" he hesitated, "—are you saying I was born with some sort of powers?"

"Yes, son. That's exactly what I'm saying. Not just any power either." Mr. Hall hushed his voice to a whispered tone. "The light element."

"Hold on just one second. So you're telling me that I have an element that hasn't been seen in over one hundred years? One of the most powerful and unknown elements ever to be used? Inside of me?"

"Exactly," said Mrs. Hall. "Me, your father, and the doctor that delivered you are the only ones who know about this. If word of it spread you might've been taken away from us, and I wasn't letting that happen."

Liam was dumbstruck. How could he have one of the most powerful elements ever known to mankind? Beams of light so powerful they could slice through entire mountains! "I—I don't know what to say."

"It's okay, bud," said Mr. Hall empathetically. "Oh hey! Thanks for taking that old tree out for me. Really saved me some work there!" For the first time that day, the whole family laughed together.

"What do we do now dad? I don't know how long it'll be before my powers might go off again."

"Your mom and I know a guy that works at a training academy. It's just like school except they'll help you with your powers," Mr. Hall told him in an reassuring voice.

"What about all my friends here? And all of my projects I'm supposed to complete?" asked Liam.

"We'll handle all of that, don't worry. Now who wants a fast food dinner?" asked Mrs. Hall excitingly, pulling out her phone to order it.

After a night of fast food and more talking, Liam began to feel tired. Yawning consistently, he told his parents about his day, and how Mr. Rogers loved his previous essay. Liam decided to retire for the night and began his way to his bedroom.

"Wow. I really do have special powers," Liam said to himself. "Just imagine all of the fun things I'll be able to do!" He put on his pajamas and hopped into bed.

Liam began to drift into a long deep sleep, and had a strange dream. One that would alter his life... forever.