Adam Powerhouse Episode 1: Birth of the Double Zero
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parents had bought him to help satisfy the questions he asked that they didn’t know the answers to. He developed a system of search engines that would allow him to run multiple queries on ideas or questions he had so that he wouldn’t be limited to figuring one thing out at a time. The software he had created borrowed algorithms from “Ask Jeeves,” “Google,” “WolframAlpha,” and “Yahoo,” found the most relevant hits, then searched those, checked against governmental sites world-wide for validity, and then compiled the information into files that Adam could look through and apply to his research quickly and efficiently.
Adam got the parts for his super-computer from a nearby computer store’s trash bin at night by sneaking out his window and climbing down his mom’s rose trellis. Linking the processors from several outdated machines and building a massive hard drive from his Leap Pad, a portable CD player, and a Sony Playstation, Adam hid his computer in a Fisher-Price playhouse that he never used anyway. Adam connected his CPU to the one his parents had bought him that sat on the desk using a spare USB cable that he ran under the tracks of a train set he had received for his fourth birthday.
The computer ran very fast and very hot, so Adam used the water from his fish tank to run through cooling tubes which circulated back to the tank after being filtered and cooled to the temperature the fish needed. An old baby monitor and discarded video camera acted as a security system to alert him as to when his parents approached his bedroom door. He hid the camera behind an old, heavy mirror in the hallway so that every once in a while, he got a screen full of his dad leaning in to check and make sure his nose hairs weren’t out of control. It was a small price to pay for privacy.
He created another software program using a “Rollercoaster Builder” game that had taught him physics, and a blueprint program he borrowed from the database of an engineering firm to help him map out the dimensions of his room to build an effective lab that his parents wouldn’t find.
Using toy motors and spare parts from a nearby junkyard, Adam built several hydraulic engines that could move the furniture in his room around to form his lab. The bed lifted up into the air to reveal a set of work lights under the mattress and a flat work table with his latest projects lain out. His bookshelf swung out like a door to reveal his tools on the back and on the wall behind it. A poster of Einstein and another of Robert H. Goddard pulled back to reveal a large flat-screen T.V., which Adam rescued from a repair store trash can one night and used to monitor several news world reports, his research results, and the latest cartoons.
Physically, Adam had no trouble moving these large parts around, because the doctor had been right: Adam was extremely strong even at five years old. His parents had installed a mini-basketball goal above his bedroom door, and when they weren’t around, Adam would pretend to be a pro-basketball player and slam-dunk the ball. He would lace up his size six Converse basketball mid-top All-Stars, palm his mini-basketball with a powerful grip, and two step into a 360 degree slam dunk.
Adam still had his shock of blond hair, was a solid 50 pounds of muscle and baby-fat, and on one side of his rolling art board kept a diagnosis of plays run by the St. Louis Rams and their opponents while the other side held schematics of his latest brainstorm for an invention.
So far, he had stripped out a vacuum cleaner to create an automatic air system in his mattress that adjusted itself to his exact weight and the level of jumpiness he desired. His ceiling fan system ventilated his room from his welding on projects and blew the air out of a small vent he had installed on the outside of the house. His computer directly patched into his parents’ satellite dish where he hacked into the signal coming from the city’s transportation department cameras so he could zero in on events as they happened. He already had plans for patching into ATM cameras via the internet to compliment his bird’s eye view from traffic lights with a ground level view from the numerous banks and convenience stores around town.
His dad bought him a remote control helicopter for his fifth birthday which Adam quickly drew blueprints for converting it into a surveillance helicopter outfitted with a camera and night vision capabilities created from an old microwave, busted television, and the LCD crystals from a bunch of cheap Japanese watches. He was limited on range with the remote control that came with the copter, but he was in the process of programming his computer to take over function of the helicopter by using global positioning satellite signals. With a functional GPS, Adam would be able to complete his long-range recon craft.
On one of his trips to the library, Adam had slipped into his book selection an old volume on building laser light guns from transistor radio parts. Everything had been easy enough to obtain from Radio Shack, but Adam was deeply disappointed with the little blinky light and cheap, Erector Set housing of the gun.
However, Adam didn’t give up easily and stored the laser gun under the floorboards in his room with other unsuccessful inventions that he didn’t have the materials or know-how to improve…yet.
Preview of Episode 2: Zero to Hero
With a head-snapping burst of speed, Adam shot toward the dirt pile with his front tire in the air. Wrestling the front wheel back onto the ground, he realized he was pumping the pedals furiously adding even more speed until he was throttling toward the make-shift ramp with the velocity of a Scud missile.
At the last second, as he accelerated up the pile of dirt, Adam hit the propane again, launching himself into the air with a “whoosh!” In what seemed like slow-motion, all the while yelling “woo hoo,” Adam felt gravity leave him behind. Unbelievably, he continued to rise upward. Like a dream, the bike continued to gain altitude until Adam began to wonder if he would come down. The rush of adrenaline coupled with his war-like yells caused Adam to miss the sound of a construction foreman’s SUV come into the construction area. Adam continued to fly, letting go of the handles, spreading his arms, and throwing his head back. As he realized he was clearing one of the unfinished houses, Adam wondered if the bike would withstand the impact of landing. His next thought was if he would withstand the impact of the landing. As he came down on the far side of the roof, he realized the SUV was passing directly in front of the home.
His bike landed with a slight squeal of rubber as the back tire caught shingles and then front landed with a thud. Adam made a split decision as he dropped off the roof to hit another propane burst. The bike rocketed across the hood of the SUV, shattering the windshield and causing the foreman to veer into the front of the house, smashing a hole through the front where the door was.
Adam bounced onto the grass and jerked the bike to a halt. He watched as sheetrock dust and splinters of wood flew out from the gaping hole in the front of the unfinished house. He saw the foreman open his door and start to squeeze out of his vehicle. Adam breathed a sigh of relief and silently hoped to himself the man was alright as he kicked the bike back into high gear and headed for home.
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About the Author
Kevin T. Goddard was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1975. He grew up watching shows and movies like Transformers, G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dukes of Hazzard, A-Team, and much more action/adventure/science fiction. Kevin is currently a school administrator in Missouri. His family consists of a wife, 8 kids, and a chihuahua. Kevin earned a Doctorate of Education, Ed. D., in Educational Leadership in 2010. He started writing when he was a kid, but as he worked on his advanced degrees in the field of education, his writing turned academic.
About 9 years ago, Kevin wrote a short book entitled Adam Powerhouse: Birth of the Double Zero. After finishing it, he didn't know what to do, so Kevin saved it on his computer and forgot about it. When he reopened the file in 2010, Kevin was surprised to find that many of the things Adam invented in 2001 were now a part of reality...cell phones that connected to the internet, skateboards that work more like a snowboard, video games that allow you to be a rockstar, and more! So, he's had to update Adam's world. It continues to evolve and Kevin hopes Adam lives for a long,
long time and you enjoy every adventure Adam has.
Kevin plans on starting more characters with the help of his two oldest daughters and chronicling those characters lives through episodes as he has Adam's.
Connect with Kevin T. Goddard online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_192520634101730
Email: adampowerhouse@gmail.com