ZERO - Today's SciFi HyperShort by Anthony Lawrence (Fireball Pop)

Today brings a Superhero adventure from the mind of Fireball Pop. And as always... a twist at the end. See if you can get your "claws" into this one...

“ZERO”  by Anthony Lawrence

This is Mark Begich for Internews Flashpoint bringing you what appears to be the final report on the disastrous results of the first APT Mission for the U.S. Civilian Space Program.  As everyone around the globe must know by now, Commander James Autry and his wife, Amy, were sent to the International Space Station on a three-year mission as the first APT (Astronaut Procreation Team) whose sole purpose was to provide humankind the first child born in zero gravity.

The entire world has followed this incredible event from the moment of conception to the birth of the little boy who was aptly named “Zero.” Amy Autry’s progress had been monitored constantly as she went about her business on the ISS while getting larger day-by-day and happily giving the entire world reports of her condition and the birth of a very special child.

We all remember those tense moments as Amy, enclosed in a specially designed space birth capsule, finally gave the world that beautiful and perfect ten-pound baby boy. Every step of the way was controlled by robotic instrumentation that was carefully overseen by Astronaut OB-GYN, Dr. Kate Arlington.  Because of the zero gravity conditions, a special vacuum system kept the sealed birth capsule perfectly clean and sterile.

But it was the tiny boy, Zero, himself that made the world look up with wonder and admiration. Not only was this miracle boy soon flying around the zero gravity environment with little concern for bumps and bruises, but upon being brought back to earth, he startled not only the scientific world, but all of mankind by revealing that being born in zero gravity had affected his entire bio-system. Mutating genomes and a totally different molecular structure seemed to create an anti-gravity aura around his body that allowed him, without wings, to fly like a bird.

By age four, Zero was flying everywhere in the super-hero suit awarded him by the U.S. government, in the colors of the endangered species and national bird, the Bald Eagle, black cloak with white hood, and yellow shoes like the eagle’s talons. Millions of photos were taken of Zero as he darted through the air in beautifully executed aerial maneuvers, cape billowing out like wings.

Then, came the great tragedy when the Bald Eagle was removed from the endangered list and once again became a game species.

©2013AnthonyLawrence

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