[Rising High International School]
It has been a whole week now since Anthony returned home, and currently, the gymnasium was buzzing with noise, filled wall to wall with folding tables draped in colorful posters, tri-fold display boards, and clusters of eager children standing beside their projects. Parents milled about with cameras and phones in hand, while teachers moved between exhibits with clipboards, their voices half-drowned in the chatter and laughter.
This was the annual science and technology fair conducted at Rising High International, where the students get to showcase their ideas and inventions.
The faint whir of a fan, the squeak of sneakers on polished floors, and the occasional sputter of a failed experiment all blended into the hum of the fair.
Among the crowd of audience present, both Eva and Anthony stood near the back wall, side by side, their eyes scanning the room. Eva carried the calm smile of quiet pride, while Anthony, though trying to remain composed had a spark in his gaze that gave him away as he gazed at Nathan's table which was tucked at the far side of the gym, covered in carefully arranged tools and sleek components, the faint outline of a small drone beneath a cloth.
With a smile on his lips, Nathan calmly stood beside his table as he watched his fellow students take the stage of the gymnasium and demonstrate their projects.
"Next, we have Ella with her solar water purifier!"
Tightly holding onto the microphone as she overlooked the audience, the science teacher announced, and following her announcement, a black-haired girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail wheeled a clear container onto the stage, sunlight streaming through the gym windows to strike the small panels perched on top. She poured muddy water into the system, explaining in a nervous but proud voice how the purifier would separate impurities. A few moments later, a stream of clear water trickled into a cup. Applause filled the gymnasium.
"Impressive work, Ella! Alright, up next, Jonathan and his homemade robot dog!"
Following the announcement of the science teacher, a boy in glasses strutted forward, guiding a boxy little machine with plastic legs. It shuffled stiffly across the stage with a tinny whirr-click-whirr, barking in an electronic voice.
"Woof! Woof!"
The crowd erupted in laughter and cheers at the cute appearance of the robotic dog and the parents clapped while Jonathan waved, his face red with pride.
Several more projects followed — a volcano model that spewed pink foam, a small wind turbine that powered a blinking LED, a chemical reaction that popped a balloon with a loud bang! Each drew its share of claps and cheers, filling the fair with excitement.
Seconds slowly ticked away as the students went one after the other and after almost an hour of patiently waiting, Nathan's turn arrived.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for our last presentation of the event, I call upon the stage Nathan Clarke and his project, a custom-built autonomous drone."
Following the announcement of the science teacher, the whole gymnasium went quiet with ripples of curiosity, and through the silence, Nathan slowly made his way onto the platform, lanky and confident, though his hands trembled slightly as he pulled the cloth off his table. Beneath it rested a sleek drone, black and silver, with four rotors gleaming under the lights. Wires, sensors, and a compact processor module were mounted neatly at its core, nothing like the plastic toys the other kids had shown.
"This is the Horizon Mark I,"
In a steady voice brimming with confidence, Nathan began speaking, explaining his drone and what it is capable of doing.
"It's not just remote-controlled but a self-learning drone that uses a feedback-loop algorithm I wrote myself, allowing it not only to navigate obstacles but also to adjust its flight patterns in real-time without pre-programmed commands and also adjust its altitude automatically. It's designed for real-world applications — like search and rescue."
A murmur of surprise and doubt ran through the crowd at Nathan's words, and to prove his words true, Nathan turned his attention to his laptop and started tapping on a few keys. Almost immediately, as he finished, the drone came to life with a rising whine of rotors.
VRRRRRR!!...
The drone lifted gracefully from the table, hovering in the air. Gasps echoed as it zipped across the gym, stopping just inches from the basketball hoop before veering smoothly away.
He pressed another command, and the drone locked onto a red ball one of the teachers held up. It followed the ball in precise arcs, dipping and turning as the teacher tossed it lightly back and forth. The drone adjusted every time, nimble and responsive.
Then, with a grin, Nathan clapped his hands twice. The drone recognized the sound and returned, landing neatly back on its platform with a final whirr-click.
The crowd erupted into applause, louder than any before. Some parents even stood to cheer. The boy flushed with excitement, glancing instinctively toward his parents.
Eva clapped with a wide smile, eyes shining. Anthony, on the other hand, grinned with pride, but more than that, there was something deeper in his expression. Pride, yes. But also recognition. He wasn't just seeing his son's school project. He was seeing the beginnings of a mind that could one day walk the same dangerous, brilliant paths he had walked in science.
Looking at the crowd below, Nathan gave a small bow, cheeks glowing, as the applause rolled on.
As the applause died down with the flow of time, the science teacher returned to the stage with his microphone, his face alight with amazement.
"Thank you, Nathan. That was… remarkable. I think some of us are already expecting to see you working at NASA in a few years."
The gym rippled with chuckles and nods of agreement at the words of the teacher.
Nathan's cheeks flushed, his smile wide as he rolled his drone back to the table. His classmates crowded around, peppering him with questions.
"Did you really build that yourself?"
"Can it do flips?"
"Is it, like, a spy drone?"
With a satisfactory smile on his lips, Nathan answered as best as he could, shoulders squared, confidence blooming.
Meanwhile, the judges huddled at the corner of the stage, flipping through notes and whispering. Their pens scratched across clipboards while parents leaned forward, anticipation building like static in the air.
Finally, one of the teachers stepped onto the stage again with a microphone in hand.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Every project here has been outstanding — but as always, we have to pick a winner and after careful consideration, we have decided on our three winners."
The gym hushed, save for the faint buzz of the lights overhead.
"In third place, for her solar water purifier — Ella!"
The crowd cheered as Ella beamed, clutching her ribbon.
"In second place, Jonathan and his robot dog!"
Jonathan pumped his fist, holding his robot aloft to more laughter and applause.
"And in first place…"
The teacher paused dramatically, scanning the audience.
"For innovation, complexity, and potential real-world application — Nathaniel Clarke and his autonomous drone!"
The gym exploded with claps, whistles, and cheers. Nathan instinctively froze for half a heartbeat, then broke into a grin as he bounded onto the stage. The ribbon was placed in his hands, the words First Place gleaming in bold letters. He held it high, the gym lights glinting off the silver drone still resting proudly on its platform.
His parents clapped louder than anyone. Eva's smile was radiant, her hands pressed briefly together as if in prayer. Anthony, though, simply stood tall, his eyes fixed on his son with a mixture of awe and calculation — as if watching a door slowly creak open into a future he both anticipated and feared.
---
After the fair, as the gym emptied and families carried projects back to cars, Anthony gently placed a hand on Nathan's shoulder.
"You were incredible. Not just for your age — for anyone. Do you know that?"
Nathan's eyes sparkled, his ribbon clutched in one hand, the drone case in the other.
"Really?"
"Really, son. What you built today… It's the kind of thing that changes the world. And if you keep at it, you might be doing more than just winning school fairs. You might be solving problems people haven't even dreamed of yet."
With the first phase of his words spoken, Anthony crouched down so he was eye level with Nathan and then continued in a lowered tone as Eva came to stand beside them.
"You have a gift, son. But a gift like this… it can be a responsibility too. Science can do great good — or great harm — depending on who holds it."
Hearing his father's words, Nathan's face twisted into a frown as he comprehended the meaning behind his words, and this made him instinctively clutch the ribbon in his hand.
"You don't have to worry, Father, I will always use my gift for good. I promise you that."
For a very brief second, surprise clouded Anthony's face as he picked up on the resolve in Nathan's voice, and then he smiled as he pulled him into his embrace.
"That's good, son! That's very good."
"Alright, you two. For tonight, though, let's just celebrate. You've made us proud, sweetheart."