Jonathon walked into the gymnasium, hiding his displeasure at being here. The room was full of people and noise. Tables were set in neat rows all around the room and various displays were on top of the tables. Above the door was a large paper banner stating: “SCIENCE FAIR TODAY”. As Jonathon walked in, a heavy-set woman rushed over, puffing slightly from the exertion. “Dr. Jace,” she bubbled, “you made it. I’m so glad to see you.” Smiling at him, she offered her hand.

Jonathon didn’t hadn’t met her before, but he knew she had to be the principal, Mrs. Sheridan. “Of course, Mrs. Sheridan. When I received the invitation from the children, I couldn’t wait to come,” the armored hero replied, smiling and shaking her hand. In reality, he had hoped desperately to find an excuse not to come, but couldn’t risk the PR disaster of not responding the impassioned plea of 107 middle-schoolers. Now he was stuck wasting a day looking at examples of the incredible mediocrity of the students of the public school system.

He joined the other judges, nodding and smiling at them while realizing none of them had written a truly inspirational paper, ever. Surrounded by idiots he vowed to make the best of it and smile for the cameras.

The next few hours were an exercise in self-control for the doctor. Jonathon worked on three projects of his own over satellite modem on his HUD while smiling and complimenting idiotic children on their ability to build a marshmallow catapult or connect a simple electric circuit. Volcanoes were in evidence, as always, ranging from a vague conical lump to one young man who actually took the effort to look up the appearance of Mount Vesuvius and did a fair job of recreating it. Of course he made amateur errors, but at least he tried.

Everything changed when he turned the last corner around the tables. He stood and stared for almost a full second, an eternity for the scientist, putting all his other work on hold. There, on a table, was an exhibit mostly ignored by the other judges. Not flashy or exciting, it was merely a series of diagrams topped by the uninspiring title of “DNA.” What caught the attention of the armored hero, however was the last diagram in the set. It discussed some changes in how DNA was understood. Changes he had recently written about and had published in a number of journals.

Most important to Jonathon, the diagram included conclusions and observations that were not in his article. This girl, sitting and looking depressed at the lack of attention her exhibit was receiving, or someone she knew, had been able to comprehend and expand on his work. Jonathon needed to find out who this brilliant person was.

He strode over to the table, passing a couple of exhibits about magnets and electricity, and stood before the disheartened looking girl at the table. She looked up at him and her mouth fell open. She blushed and stammered, obviously flustered at seeing Jonathon standing before her. “Stop that,” he snapped irritated at her fumbling. “Where did you come up with this information?” He indicated the diagram.

She flushed at his tone, then raised her chin slightly. “I read your article. It was very interesting.” She smiled shyly at him.

“I mean,” Jonathon stated, “who gave you these conclusions? Where did this part of the information come from?” He indicated the new information.

“I...I...I figured it out,” she stammered, looking nervous and afraid. “It just seemed like a logical extension of what you had written.” As her enthusiasm built, she grew less shy and more animated. “See, if what you wrote was true, then...” The girl looked past Jonathon and blushed, mumbling something incomprehensible.

“Is everything alright, Dr. Jace?” Mrs. Sheridan came up to ask.

“Everything was fine...” Jonathon started to snap, then he remembered the cameras and controlled his irritation. “Everything is just fine, Mrs. Sheridan. I’m just getting more information about the remarkable exhibit that Emily here has done. Please excuse us.”

As the principal walked away, looking confused, Jonathon turned back to the girl. “Continue,” he said. His tone was firm, a command not a request.

The next few hours went by quickly, as Jonathon quizzed Emily about her project and about her understanding of science. They debated her conclusions and he forced her to defend every aspect of her project, which she did brilliantly. Once past her initial shyness, her enthusiasm was remarkable. She had made some errors, but they were errors of understanding rather than ignorance.

Finally, Mrs. Sheridan came over, somewhat nervously. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Dr. Jace, but we need your votes for best projects.” She smiled at Emily, but obviously didn’t understand why the doctor had stayed here so long by this boring project.

Once again Jonathon fought down his irritation. “Of course, Mrs. Sheridan. I’ll give them to you in just a moment.” He turned back to Emily and bent near her. He stared directly into her eyes and spoke with a quiet intensity. “You, my dear, are a truly singular person. One in a billion. Never, ever, ever let anyone make you believe any less. If you work hard, you will change the universe.” He laid a business card on her table, including his personal phone number, then solemnly shook her hand before following the principal to the stage in front of the room.