Rise To Stardom - Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Overclock
Following up from the previous scene where Nathan realized something either extremely abnormal or really extraordinary was happening to him, was an entire montage of the young lad trying to figure it out for the rest of the week.

This was going to be the third scene of the movie’s second act.

First he wore a glove, after which he then began to scour the internet to check if anyone had ever experienced what he was experiencing, albeit with no success.

At the same time, because he found whatever the ‘thing’ was in his mother’s room, he also began to research for Horizon Tech failed experiments, hoping there might be a link between and in turn, possibly, shed light on what was going on with him.

But all he would get in return, were majorly topics that were of no relevance to him, save for one that showed that the conglomerate would be launching their very first science fair in the coming weeks.

Then it was another scene with him, removing the gloves and placing his palm atop various things in his room, showcasing that he could seemingly, copy electrical and mechanical gadgets alone.

A shot of him in a lecture hall, documenting the things he had discovered with a journal as Felicia, late as usual, arrived to take her seat behind him, her head tilting slightly as she stared at both him and his journal curiously.

There was also another clip of him using the ability in his dorm room to copy the blueprints of his mini-vacuum, the little gadget he had used to help Felicia retrieve her canned coffee from the tin tyrant.

Like that, more and more of these scenes were shown.

But in Kyle’s case, he had already filmed those scenes previously before today’s so as at the moment, he was simply waiting for the cinematographers to unmount their cameras before descending down the stairs.

The moment they were done, Kyle walked out of the room, practically glowing with energy as he slid down the staircase beam like a little kid.

He was extremely glad to be on set again after the mandated, five-day break everyone had forced upon him.

Landing just before Jeffrey and Xavier, both of whom had watched his shenanigans whilst shaking their heads in amused resignation, the young man melodiously sang;

“~I feel… good, para rara rara rara~”

“Yes. We can see that.” the Director and the old Hollywood Star jointly remarked to which a jolly Kyle, casually danced past while making his way out of the house and over to his car to drive to the next shooting location.

Watching as he kept bopping to his own melody, same as everyone on set whom were pretty much laughing at this point, Xavier and Jeff simply shook their heads once more and resumed their prior conversation.

It was about the last scene in the movie’s second act that briefly showcased the small home shelter that the George managed, one that wasn’t in the comics but Xavier had still written in to give more depth to his character.

In the scene, George, having brought a homeless mother and her son to the shelter and ensuring they had settled in properly after introducing them to other friendly faces at the home shelter, would then take to his office to relax for a bit, picking up his newspaper as he did.

And on the front page of said newspaper, was a colorful picture attached with the boldly written words; HORIZON TECH’S 1ST SCIENCE FAIR – POWERING THE FUTURE.

From this attention-grabbing front page, the camera would then pan in closer towards it slowly till it effortlessly merged and transitioned to the actual venue on that very same day.

As for the crew, it was the next site of filming for today, located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan–– Grand Central Terminal Hall.

Considering it would also be the audience’s first introduction to Malakai’s alter ego, pretty much everyone on knew the scene had to play out in as little takes as possible, especially with all the green screens and special effects involved.

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…

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Bright LED banners and interactive holographic displays.

Illuminated massive marble floors and towering archways.

Sleek, metallic booths exhibiting cutting-edge prototypes.

Self-sustaining energy cores, placed atop quietly humming workshop benches.

Next-gen, robotic AI assistants, at the ready to be shown to the general public.

And, at the center of it all, a heavily guarded glass containment pod housing a curious-looking yet tiny, red, glowing vial of sera.

Each and every one of them was made with a plethora of green and blue screen props, save for a few which were commissioned to be built, solely for the scene by Cassandra as per Xavier’s request.

Grand Central Terminal Hall too, for the sake of the scene, had been transformed into a futuristic-like science fair.

As the set hustled and bustled with cinematographers adjusting cameras, prop crews making checks, sound engineers running through blocks, extras dressed like eager students, lecturers, scientists and tourists moving about, Xavier soon spoke, garnering everyone’s attention;

“Now typically, I’m the type to let you guys do as you’d like in the very first take.”

“But as you all know, we have very limited time to use this location so, in as few takes as possible, let’s try to get the scene down.” he clapped once, earning curt, professional nods from practically every actor listening.

Kyle, Sharon and Clint were no different as they did the same, ready to get the scene down in one take, if possible.

And so, with the atmosphere turning strictly professional a few minutes later, The Director, stood next to one of the lead cinematographers’ camera and gave the order;

“Lights…”

The lighting technicians, gave one more look over, giving Xavier an A-okay sign with their fingers.

“Camera…”

The cinematographers, prop masters and sound designers, similarly gestured, all of them at the ready.

“Action!”

The clapper-loader, snapped the slate shut.

{Tech Wiz: Year One | 12th of July 2022 | Act 2 | Scene 1 | Take 1}

Scientists and tourists, had to register beforehand to be chanced to step foot into the science fair with their printed passes.

As for Horizon Tech lecturers and students, they were allowed to freely attend the science fair as long as they brought their respective ID cards along, hence why there were so many of them present.

Nathan was no exception as he briefly adjusted his bag strap, his expression full of marvel as he went from one booth to the other.

And of course, whenever he found something curious, he’d scan the prototype subtly before making his way to the next booth.

A Gravity Orb.

Repulsor Tech.

Digital Cloak.

Force Field Shields.

Data Shades.

An Energy Core.

Tiny Automated Drones.

High-Tech Multipurpose Gloves.

Nathan, as he slowly moved from booth to booth, made a conscious effort to remain inconspicuous as he kept testing the limits of what he now termed ‘tracing’.

At some point, his gaze soon locked onto what seemed to be a suit of armor from afar, his steps taking him towards it.

Then he bumped into Malakai whom was also on site.

“Ah, Nathan. I see you’ve come to check the serum too?”

In response, Nathan, albeit not particularly interested, did humor his Professor by responding in kind as he stared at the guarded centerpiece container;

“Hmmm… it is quite curious…”

“What’s the stitch?” he then inquired, a hint of intrigue in his eyes.

“Beats me.” Malakai shrugged in a reserved tone, only to give a few more details just after;

“I hear it’s really valuable though. They even have a presentation prepared for it and everything.”

“I see…” Nathan hummed with a little nod, after which he then remarked quietly;

“Looking forward to the presentation then.”

Ending their conversation on that note, a brief courteous handshake exchanged, Nathan went on his way, his gaze once again drawn to the suit of armor in the fair distance.

Yet, Malakai, seemingly having sensed something in Nathan, had his gaze linger on him for a moment before he also then moved to another attraction.

However, amidst all the increasingly lively hustle, bustle and chatter of the hall, it soon became a hurdle to move from one point to another at the science fair for not just Nathan, but everyone else.

And as a result, he soon bumped into a familiar face whom was headed in the same direction as he was, mistakenly facilitating her fall.

“Fancy meeting you here, Felicia? Are you okay?” Nathan extended an arm to the lady who thankfully received it.

“I am. And I could say the same to you, Nathan.” Felicia pulled herself upwards as she added;

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Nathan replied, as both slowly began to move towards the sleek-looking suit of armor.

Acquaintances they were.

Colleagues, definitely.

Friends… not really.

Both pretty much minded their own business outside of classes.

But that didn’t stop Felicia from questioning as they squeezed between crowds of people to reach their destination;

“Say, what was that gadget you used on the tin tyrant?”

“The mini-vacuum?” Nathan clarified questioningly.

“If that’s what you call it, then yeah, sure.” Felicia gave a light nod.

“It’s a small, harmless tool, really. Perfect for everyday annoyances. You’d be surprised by how many things get stuck in various places on a regular.” Nathan gave a casual answer.

“I’m listening?” a curious Felicia inquired in interest and Nathan continued;

“Thumbtacks in a corkboard. Gum on your shoe. Splinter in your finger. Popcorn in your tonsils.”

“Yeah that last one really sucks, trust me.” he briefly angled his gaze over to the lady who softly giggled, her tired, sleep-deprived eyes crinkling in response.

“Not putting it up at the fair?” she playfully jabbed to follow up.

“Would you invest in it?” Nathan played along, a light smile tugging on his lips.

“As a matter of fact, I would. The tin tyrant’s been getting really bold in recent memory.” the lady replied, her tone of choice casual.

“Guess I can make a spare.” the young genius remarked in response.

“I’d, appreciate it.” Felicia replied with a light smile, her gaze thankful.

And now, both arrived, standing before the suit of armor and taking in its almost futuristic appeal.

Having a curious question surface in his mind, Nathan angled his gaze in the shorter Felicia’s direction and asked;

“If I may ask– which I probably shouldn’t– why are you always so tired and late to classes?”

In response, the honey-blonde, angled a reserved smile in Nathan’s direction, her lips parting open to reply;

“I’d rather spare you the detai­–”

Suddenly, the lights flickered, gripping the duos attention, same as everyone else at the science fair.

Murmurs, filled the air… some curious, some concerned.

As for the guards protecting the serum in the containment chamber which was lauded to be today’s main attraction, they promptly gripped their high-tech rifles at the ready.

They had been informed after all that the serum was extremely valuable and that a few unwanted parties might try to steal it at the fair, hence why they were on guard duty.

Still, the lights flickered on and off, a bit more ominously this time as an eerie silence befell the science fair.

Then, without warning, the massive electronic billboards distorted, a sinister voice echoing through the hall.

“OVERCLOCK.”

A massive explosion resounded, collapsing the roofing of the Grand Central Terminal Hall as rubble fell from above!

Swiftly, Nathan, without care for his own being, lunged at Felicia, pushing her out of the way as the rubble collapsed onto the spot they were previously at, both gracelessly tumbling across the marbled surface of the hall!

Chaos erupted.

Automated drones malfunctioned.

Display screens shattered.

A once orderly science fair became a scene of panic-stricken chaos and terror!

As frightened citizens scrambled for cover while shrieking in fear and trepidation, a cyborg-looking creature, dropped from the roof with a resounding thud!

Emerging from the cover of the flickering lights, dust and smoke, he effortlessly dispatched all the guards in double quick time despite their rain of bullets!

And after he was done doing that, his glowing red vision, locked onto the containment unit.

Placing his hand atop it, red neon circuitry overriding its safety protocols, the chamber opened and the cyborg, grabbed the serum.

Yet, just before he leaped out of the building and vanished into thin air, Nathan, whom had managed to raise his gaze up during the ordeal, realized one crucial thing.

He and whomever the cyborg-looking being was, had the exact same powers.

“Tailslate and… Cut!”

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