Every child aspires to be different from his parents, and A. was no different. It was clear from the beginning that he was meant for greater things. He was clever; he adapted to his environment quickly; he was that one in a million child who could not just do everything the previous generation could do, but do it better.

That made growing up where he did difficult. There was nothing wrong with the environment where A. spent his infancy per se, but he found himself surrounded by those who were exactly fitted to the place where they were born. They would live, thrive, and die there. Such was not A.’s lot. This was not a place where A. could thrive. It was too small for his big ideas. As so many greats have, he wanted out of his mediocre surroundings.

At the first opportunity, A. left home. It was a frightening prospect, going somewhere totally new. He’d never realized the comfort of familiarity. This new place was full of thrills and dangers both strange and attractive. Certainly he was met with opposition. Those small minded guardians of his new home attempted to drive him away, as they would have anything that didn’t fit their narrow view of what belonged. A. proved his cleverness once again, eluding capture until they became too confused to bother with pursuit.

He attempted to map the entirety of his new living arrangements, seeing where he might be most comfortable. Finding a soft spot that reminded him of home, A. began settling in permanently, remodeling to reflect his predilections. It brought him great happiness to force his surroundings to adapt to him, rather than attempt the opposite.

Eventually this was not enough for A., and he realized he must gain true satisfaction the way all things must: by securing his own legacy. What improvements he made meant nothing if they would not be enjoyed and further improved upon in the future. So A. had children of his own, and he was happy to see they were just like him. Their appetite for exploration was just as great, and as they spread to new frontiers, A. found that he was finally fulfilled.

 
 
 
If I had spent more time with this one, I would have worded it more carefully to make you realize gradually that this character isn’t a character at all – it’s a virus that’s spreading. But as it is, you can view it just as a story about a pretty normal dude, unless you read the title. Because I sort of threw this one together, it’s one of my least favorite stories I’ve written during this project.