WHO ARE YOU?
It all began on a quiet night. The waters were still and not a creature was stirring.
"Hello! Excuse me! Who are you? What are you doing in my home and what on earth are you talking about?" asked a strong, young, tough voice from behind a massive rock.

"Oh hi! Sorry for the intrusion. I am looking for something that seemed to have floated into your home. It is very important to me. My name is Cyan-o."

"I got distracted when I saw this picture, hanging on your wall, of Oxy Central back when it was new and when it just began. It was a day that changed my life forever."

"What floated into my house?"

"Something that was given to me by my dad just before that awful day. It was a very special bubble of oxygen", said Cyan-o.

"A bubble of oxygen? What is oxygen and what awful day are you talking about?" asked the mysterious voice.

"Oxygen is what used to be made by millions of people that look just like me. This was until Oxy Central found out what we were making. When they found out they took us and forced us to work for them. They forced us to make oxygen for them! It was horrible. This also happens to be the day that I discovered that there is more beyond the ocean. More than the big corporations want you to believe!

This was a day before Beyoncé was born and before the dab was cool."

"NO WAY!

YOU WERE THERE?
I thought it was all stories and lies people told us in order to stay in the water!" exclaimed the excited voice.

"In any case, sorry for wasting so much of your time already. I really must get going, if I can just find that oxygen bubble…"

"No, no, no! Wait! Please! Please! Please, begin your story again, I promise I won't interrupt you this time."

"Oh, alright, but I really must head out soon. I have a meeting with someone very important. So, where was I?" asked Cyan-o.

THE YOUNG BOY
"You were saying something about a quiet night. The waters were still and not a creature was stirring," said the voice.

"Ah yes, not a creature was stirring. Well… except for one small family living quietly in the depths of the ocean. This family was an ordinary family, living on an ordinary rock in an ordinary neighbourhood in the ocean found within the most boring colony in the ocean. Everyone lived in this colony on and around the Archean rock."

After a few years of living their boring lives, Mr and Mrs Bacteria had a little greenish blue odd baby boy, who had a round shape like his mother, but was also longish like his dad.

"As he grew up, he was very ambitious. Yet he always seemed to struggle with bullies."

"Oh no!", shouted the voice. "Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't interrupt you again. I really hate bullies!".
"Bullies are horrible and are really not cool. As I was saying, this boy had problems with bullies. This is probably why he struggled to make any friends," said Cyan-o.

"Poor boy," the voice murmured sadly.

"He also wasn't like the other children at the time. He just wanted to explore the world. He didn't want to do what everyone else did."

"What did everyone else do?"

"Everyone else would go and work for the huge company after finishing school, even the children. They would all work for Oxy Central. The manager of the firm was very tough and ruled with an iron fist," Cyan-o said, sounding slightly nervous and scared to say this.

"So, what did he do then?" asked the voice intrigued.

THE BOY'S BIG ADVENTURE
"One day, close to his last day at school, he wandered off after school. He got a bit lost, but he wasn't scared. He saw this as another adventure. He wandered off and ended up at the dreaded surface!"

"At the surface! I thought no one was allowed near that dangerous place!" the voice replied, sounding very worried.

"Yes. He ended up at the dangerous surface… BUT he didn't stop there. As I said he was adventurous. So, he went beyond the surface for the first time in the history of his existence."

"Really! What happened next? I am really getting scared"

"I really should get going now. Maybe we can continue the conversation next time I see you," Cyan-o said hurriedly, while continuing to search for the oxygen bubble.

"Oh, please don't leave yet. The story was really getting interesting. I must know what happened to the boy," the voice said in distress.

"Well, to begin, this story is not as bad as you imagined. Firstly, the boy survived. In fact, he discovered an entirely new way of life. He discovered that there is more beyond the ocean than what everyone believed."

"What was out there?"

"To this day, the boy would not say what he saw out there."
"Aww, really? Spill the beans. You know what he saw. Please just tell me."

"I'm just kidding. He never actually left the water but remained near the surface for a while. It was here that he realised the possibilities for what could happen beyond the water. As time went on, the young boy would go to the surface every day. He would go there just to ponder about what life would be like beyond the ocean."

"That sounds amazing!"

"Alright if you're not going to let me go, at least help me look for this bubble. Otherwise I really need to go."

"Yes, I will help you look, if you promise to finish the story."

"Fine, fine, I will continue. As I was saying, one day however he got a bit lost in thought and completely lost track of time. By the time he realised, it was very dark. He tried getting back to his home but lost his way in the dark."

"Uh oh, this means trouble."

"Yes indeed! He was in a lot of trouble. When he eventually found his way home. As he walked in the door, he saw his mom, dad and the owner of Oxy Central standing in their living room.

The owner was tall, with a thin body and small beady eyes. He was furious. The boy's mom was crying, and his dad was pacing up and down looking very worried. "H-Hi dad. H-H-Hello mom," said the boy very shy and ashamed.

"You have a lot of explaining to do young man!" his father said with a stern voice. "Where have you been? We have been worried sick," his mom muttered while sobbing.

"Yes, young man you have had the entire neighbourhood very concerned and looking for you. There have been stories that you had gone to the surface. Is this true?" asked the owner, sounding very frustrated.

"Well y-yes, I was near the surface" the boy stuttered and was very scared of what they were going to say.

THE BIG DISCOVERY
"YOU WERE WHERE?!" his father shouted, sounding even more concerned than ever before. "You know you are not supposed to go there all by yourself. In fact, you know that no one is allowed there at all."
"I know dad, but the light is so much brighter over there and it helps me to think better than down here," the boy tried explaining.

"I also found dad, that closer to the surface, I can burp more of this funny gas that just floats all the way to the top. It looked a lot like the product you and mom make for Oxy Central."

"What?" asked the owner, sounding very interested now. You say closer to the surface you are able to produce more oxygen."

"Yes, I sure am, if that's what you want to call it. Plus! It is completely free and costs me nothing to make. All I do is take in some of the water that is around me, stick my nose past the surface and breathe some of that air that almost smells like nothing. Then when the Protero-zoic sun light touches my skin, something funny happens inside me and I burp these other bubbles, I mean this oxy- oxygen product. It is amazing and makes me feel so much better."

"Son, we understand that you feel this, but we have no idea what that gas outside the surface can do to you. Stop going there, it is still too dangerous to do this," the father tried explaining to his son.

The next day, written on all the billboards and newspaper headlines was this:

'Young boy goes to surface and returns safely'

This article led to his mom and dad being fired from Oxy Central. The owner said that this was bad publicity for the company. With nothing else to do, his parents had to earn money and their only other option was to go and work for the Decay Daredevil.

This man was horrible. He had very smelly feet, a part of his nose was starting to fall off and he was very reckless. No one wanted to work for him as they were all afraid that if they worked for him, they might die.

THE BOY AND HIS TROUBLES
In the days that followed, the young boy tried explaining to all his class mates that the newspaper headlines were about him. No one believed this and started making fun of him. They started saying that his parents lost their job, because of his lies. The more he tried explaining to them, the more they laughed.

The boy was very sad and heartbroken.
He wanted to just run away and never return. He ran back home and started packing all his things into a bag. When he ran into his bedroom, he found his dad lying in bed very ill. He explained that he just had to get away.

The more his dad tried talking to him and asking him to just stay and take care of his mom, the more he said, he had to leave. He said that if he didn't leave, there was no future for everyone in the colony, including mom.

His dad eventually gave in and gave him a small package just before he left. This package was very precious. It was the first oxygen product that he had ever made. It was also the best oxygen bubble he ever made.

He explained that he too had tried going to the surface and that in this container was the first bubble he ever produced.

His dad said, "I managed to capture it before it was able to make it beyond the surface. I didn't know what would happen if it escaped. Please take really good care if it for me and never let it go," his dad asked him before he left.
The boy thanked his dad, with tears in his eyes and finished packing his things. Just before he left, he took his dads hand and said, "I promise to take good care of mom and that nothing will happen to her. I have to get going so that I can change the future of the colony."

THE BOY MEETS STRANGE NEW PEOPLE
Just outside his home when he stepped out, there was a strange man watching him. He watched the boy run away from home carrying so many things. He ran after the boy and called out, "wait young man I have something to tell you!"

The boy was weary to stop and talk to this stranger. He said, "I can't talk to you, my mom and dad said I should not talk to strangers."

The man replied, "Your mom and dad taught you well, so I won't take too much of your time. My name is Chrom-i, short for Chromium. I read the article in The Oxidation Times and knew it was talking about you. I live just on the other side of the stromato lights and saw all the commotion here the other night. What I'm trying to say is, I saw you come from the surface and swim home. All I want to say is if anyone is struggling to believe you, just tell them Chrom-i knows and can prove it to you."

The boy very kindly thanked Chrom-i for the help and said, "thank you for believing in me" and went on his merry way.

What the boy had also not realised, is that one of the biggest and toughest children in school had followed him home.

After walking for a short period of time, he heard a voice shout "Wait!" The boy stopped to see who was shouting at him. When he saw who it was he started to run. It was a boy everyone called Terry Fight, because everyone was terrified of him. His real name was actually Pteri Dophyte. "Please wait for me, I cannot move as fast as you," Terry pleaded with the boy.

Surprisingly Terry told him that he was there to protect him and not to fight with him. "All I ask in return, is that you help me to produce this oxygen that everyone talks about," Terry requested.
"Alright, I promise to help you, but for now, we have to go.

We must tell the others that Oxy Central has been lying to them. They must know that the company has been stealing their oxygen which they produce for free," the boy said very anxiously. The two boys then went on their little mission to save the ocean.

THAT BIG MOMENT

It all started with them marching toward Oxy Central and shouting as loud as they could, for all the workers inside to come out. Sadly though, no one even heard them.

They then remembered that everyone was still at school, so they decided to run there as fast as they could. As soon as everyone had seen that Terry was with the boy, they were afraid.

They all ran toward the boy to apologise for all the nasty things they had said to him. The boy said, "do not apologise because I have someone scary on my side, if you do not mean it, rather save your breath. If you do want to help and show that you are truly sorry, you must come with us now!

We have to head back to oxy central and tell everyone that what happened to me at the surface is true.

Slowly, one by one, the students joined forces with the boy and Terry and all started chanting 'Shut down oxy! Shut down oxy!'. The group of children quickly made their way to the big Gates of Oxy Central and continued to chant until the skinny owner came out.

He exclaimed, "What is all this commotion about? What do you children want, you should all get inside and get to work. Do this before you and all of your parents end up working for that Decay Daredevil."

But the children wanted nothing to do with him and were not listening. By now there was a large group of children and some adults had started to join. The group was getting so large that they could be seen all the way from space, far beyond the ocean. It looked like a massive patch of green and blue moving together with rhythm.

This forced the owner to say, "Alright, alright, let me hear what you have to say. Only one of you can come through the gates and explain your demands. Do this to avoid getting yourselves into more trouble than you are already in."

Everyone was so excited, but none of them was brave enough to face the scary, angry owner. None of the 'tough' bullies were prepared to face the skinny scary owner.

Until that day, the boy had had no purpose in life. Today his life would change forever. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Open the gates, let me speak to you!" Everyone was shocked to see who had been shouting to open the gates.

It was the boy. The one that they all made fun of. The one they had all bullied.

This boy was the only one amongst the entire group of children and adults that was brave enough to speak up. Everyone was shocked to see him enter the gates all alone.

He walked tall, upright and with determination in his eyes. He was there not for himself. He was there for everyone that looked like him. He was there for the right reasons and to save everyone trapped inside that dreaded building.

Before he walked in, he told Terry, "please hold onto my belongings. Especially this very special box that was given to me by my father." Terry had never been prouder to have met this tough, very brave boy.

He took the boys things and promised to guard them with his life.

While walking inside, the boy was afraid. He was scared that he might not return. He was afraid that he might be banished to the land of the Decay Daredevil. He was afraid that he might never see his mom again or that this brave attempt might not work. It was these fears that drove him and pushed him not to give up.

He did not want to let everyone outside, cheering for him, down. He was there to save everyone waiting, outside the gates as well as the workers now looking through the windows of Oxy Central building. He proudly opened the front door and walked up the many levels to get to the owner's office.

They spoke for a long, long time about the possibilities for the future. Eventually the boy and the owner were both satisfied with a possibility. They had agreed, that some of the workers in the building would have to stay and continue working for Oxy Central. They did agree, that there would be better working conditions, no-one would be forced to work forever.

It was also agreed that the Decay Daredevil would be banished and would no longer be allowed to work anywhere. Instead a new member was appointed to run the office that the Decay Daredevil had.

The work remained the same, it was simply a new way of doing things. This new member was a respected individual throughout the entire colony. She was loved and adored by everyone. She was the boys loving mother.

The last thing that they had agreed on was that there was no more limit to going to the surface. Anyone could go there if they wanted. They were free to stick only their noses out of the surface, because they would die if any other part of their bodies left the water.

The boy thanked the owner for listening to him. The owner shook the boy's hand and thanked him for his insight. He told the boy that he respected him and would always remember him.

They both then walked out of Oxy Central and moved toward the gates. There the whole crowd was waiting anxiously.

Terry shouted, "Did you get it right? Did you convince him to let the others free?" The boy ran toward the gate and asked everyone to come closer. He told them of all the plans that were agreed on. When he was finished speaking, the whole crowd shouted, "The boy has saved us!" and started singing and celebrating their freedom.

Everyone that was there, quickly rushed to the surface to try what the boy had been doing for quite some time now.

They all stuck their noses through the surface, breathed in the air with almost no smell. They then moved to a patch of the bright Protero-zoic sunlight and got the same funny, warm feeling that the boy had experienced when he did it for the first time.
They all burped, and their oxygen went straight out of the surface.

As everyone burped, they laughed and cheered and had a party to celebrate their freedom.

As oxygen became more abundant, more and more different types of people joined. These people came to this place, because the oxygen helped them and made life so much easier for them. Life was getting better.

A FUNNY TURN OF EVENTS
While everyone was celebrating, Terry picked the boy up and started carrying him home. After a while Terry asked, "What is in that mysterious box that you are always carrying around?"

"It is a very important oxygen bubble that my dad produced. It is his very first oxygen bubble. He asked me to look after it for him" the boy said.
"Wait a minute!" the voice screamed from the other side of the room. "That means you Cyan-o, are the boy in your story! Am I right?"

"Well…y-yes I am" Cyan-o replied.
"That is really an amazing story. What happened next though?" asked the mysterious voice.

"Really now, I must honestly leave. Can you please keep an eye out for my dad's precious oxygen bubble? I would not be able to live with myself if I lost it forever."

"Please Cyan-o, please just finish the story"

"Only five more minutes or I'll be late for my meeting with Mr & Mrs Meso Protero. They have a proposition for me apparently," said Cyan-o
"Alright, five more minutes, then I promise to escort you to their house. They live close-by," said the voice.

Terry then said, "I know, that's why I have this fancy thing that can take us both outside." It looked like a space ship with many different parts inside.
There was a part making power for the space ship to move. Another part that looked like it was storing fuel or some funny liquid and a big part that looked very complicated. This part is what Terry called the ships' 'Nucleus'. He explained that this was where all the information to power the ship came from. The only part missing to fly the space ship, was something that could produce the fuel. Fuel was very scarce and needed a very complicated process to generate it.
"Wow! That sounds very fancy," said the voice.

We then both got into his fancy space ship and finally went beyond the surface. I was very scared and didn't know what was going to happen or what I was going to see. What I saw was amazing and actually quite scary. There was nothing out there. It was incredibly hot, there were meteors flying through the sky and crashing into the land.
While out there, Terry also figured out that when I made oxygen by breathing the air and when I was in the Protero-zoic sun, I also made something that might be used as fuel.

After some time of exploring, Terry agreed to take me back and wait for everything to calm down before going back out there.

"What? That is really cool. So not only did you save the world, you also make petrol for futuristic space ships," the voice said sounding very excited.

"Sadly, after our trip beyond the surface, Terry and I lost contact and I never found him again" said Cyan-o with a tear in his eye.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I lost a friend once when we were walking to school. He was really small, and we never found him" Cyan-o replied, "I know how you feel."

AN EVEN STRANGER TURN OF EVENTS
"You are really so amazing, I wish I had found you earlier. Speaking of finding things…I have your dad's oxygen bubble stored under a rock in my room. I have had it the entire time. I just really wanted to hear the rest of your story," the voice said cheekily.

"I didn't catch your name. I am so sorry for being rude and getting carried away with the story and with trying to find my bubble" Cyan-o said feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That's alright, you won't believe me when I tell you this. My name is Terry. When you started telling the story I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

My dad's name is also Terry, but spelt Pteri. I just had to make sure if you were truly the real Cyan-o that my father has been telling me about.

He has been so sad and has been looking for you everywhere. He has been out of the ocean so many times to try and find you. He will not believe me when I say I have found you. In our house of all places."

Anyway, here is your dad's bubble, let me walk with you to Meso-Protero's house.

"Thank you so much. I might just come past your house after my meeting to see if your dad is here then. I have missed him so much and it will be great to go on another adventure with him," Cyan-o said joyfully while walking out of the door.

"Thank you Cyan-o for the story and the helpful lessons from it. I hope to see you soon," young Terry said while waving good-bye.

The End!