Morgan - Episode 1: DIPLOMA

Morgan Valentina had finished last in her class at the Superhero Academy.  It was a wonder she had graduated at all.  The more she thought about it, the more amazed she was that she had ever been admitted to the academy to begin with.  Four years ago, the Detector had said she had tremendous latent superpowers, and the new Safety for Superpowers Law Slaw stipulated that she would have to leave high school and transfer to a school for the gifted.  

But only one of those latent abilities had never showed up.  "D-" was the highest score she had gotten in any class except for electives.  She always finished last in every single race - lost every fight - got humiliated so many times she had stopped counting.  But she tried her best. When her energy wings had manifested her sophomore year, she had been so happy - but she had soon discovered that they count only lift her 20 feet into the air, and the most she could carry and still manage to fly was 40 pounds.  Well, that was still a superpower!

Morgan had been called in to Professor Davidson - the legendary Major Victory in his crime-fighting days - and that was something she still remembered fondly.
"Miss Valentina," she remembered him saying, "You have been . . . struggling across the board ever since you arrived here.   And your efforts in my course aren't getting the job done."

"I'm sorry Professor," she had answered, hanging her head.  "I try my best.  The others -"
"Sorry won't feed the bulldog," he snapped back.  "You're failing my course.  Even if you pass the final exam, you would fail."
"I'm not a failure" she had said to herself, swallowing.

"Is there anything I can do?" she had asked.

"I don't normally give my students the option of extra credit," Professor Davidson had answered.  "Your performance is your performance.  It's normally a hard rule.  But a colleague of mind is running preliminary experiments on a mechanical prototype of his, and is asking for volunteers.  In fact, the bioengineering lab he runs is desperate.  I owe him a favor.  If you volunteer - don't mention my name if you do - it's worth ten points on your final score.  But it's known to be dangerous, miss Morgan.  It's bioengineering.  I can't guarantee your safety or your survival.  You'll have to sign forms saying you know the risks.  And there's a non-disclosure agreement - never tell anyone.  If you die, your family will be informed that you were accidentally vaporized in a live-weapon combat simulation."

Morgan had thought about it. She'd prayed about it. And she had signed the forms.  For a full minute her mind flashed back to that terrible machine - how the nurses had strapped her naked body down on a table and smothered her head with a protective lead cover and taped two dozen sensors all over her body - even on her clitoris - how the table had moved on a conveyor belt and she had felt her arms and legs and neck receiving injections of God-knows-what - and how she had felt shocking pain as electricity had coursed through her over and over - and how she had cried out in pain when the electric charges started but no one had come and she had passed out after getting shocked thirty-two times.

But she had awakened later - sitting in the waiting room, dressed in all her normal clothes, and with $500 in her purse that hadn't been there before.  And then she had gotten a text saying that the prototype test was successful and that she could leave.  So she had.

And the month after that bioengineering lab had invited her to test another prototype.  And the month after that too. She had gradually gotten use to it and her pain tolerance level had increased a lot.  She had been awarded Volunteer of the Month three times.  By her final semester she was able to endure forty-nine electric shocks before the pain overwhelmed her.

"Morgan Valentina - public name: Morgan," said the loud voice of Dr. Kanady.

Morgan proudly pulled her tassel from one side to the other, stepped forward, and received her diploma from Secretary Hansen - Captain Courage.  "Congratulations" he said without moving - she heard the voice in her head - she had had his course on telepathy in her junior year but it still felt weird.

She nodded and smiled and walked across the stage.  She had done it! 

The rest of the commencement went smoothly, except for a few disruptions when some graduates showed off their powers.  They had been told not to do that!  Morgan looked at her diploma: "Be It Known Unto All - Morgan Valentina having satisfactorily completed the required studies in responsible management of superpowers as well as in letters and arts. is hereby awarded the degree of Cadet Ranger with all the legal rights, privileges, and distinctions pertaining thereto."

A photographer shouted to her, "Morgan, show me your power!"

She took off her robe in a flash and focused.   Her energy wings lit up and hummed - she looked like a brunette electric fairy.  Then she leaped into the air and hovered in place and smiled.

The photographer got multiple pictures.   "I'll send these to your student account," he said, and moved on.

Morgan relaxed and descended to the floor.  It was the happiest day of her young life - and also her twenty-second birthday.  She might only be able to fly up 25 feet - but Morgan felt on top of the world.