The Master of the Sky

   
  Nathan Kracklis had just stumbled upon one of the greatest scientific discoveries in the history of mankind.  He had found a method to alter the shape and movement of the molecules of gases in the atmosphere, allowing him to change local and global wind patterns at will.  Put simply, he could control the weather, and he could do it with a common laptop.  The fact that he, and he alone, had figured this knowledge out astounded him, and the question of what to do with it put even greater pressure on Nathan's mind.  After almost an hour of internal debate, he decided to present the discovery to his closest and greatest friend, Harry James.  The journey was relatively short, as Harry lived in the town of which Nathan's house and a few others formed the outskirts.  Short distances could not improve the dark mood which entered Nathan's mind as he neared the town though, for he felt a strong animosity for the majority of its population, which either ignored or taunted him for the majority of his life.  Much to his delight, few were about at that time.  He soon reached Harry's house, where he eagerly jumped out of the car, and, grabbing his laptop, rushed to present the findings.  Gratuitous to say, Harry was quite impressed.  Nathan was happy, until he discovered that his friend had made the acquaintanceship of a woman by the name of Violet Winston.  Violet was an outspoken woman, who was quick to denounce those with customs and habits she didn't find favorable, and she was near the top of the list of people Nathan hated.  Upon seeing her, he felt the usual anger grow in the back of his mind.  He successfully stifled it in the hopes of impressing the viewers with his invention.  Nathan crafted quite a show for them, making the winds blow this way and that.  While Violet was shocked at first, her interest began to wane.  "Does this machine of yours do nothing but make the wind blow?", she asked.  The inventor grew annoyed by this interrogative, and decided to perform a somewhat more impressive feat.  He mashed button after button on his laptop, commanding the winds to form clouds from a multitude of places into one, large storm cloud.  Under his command, it began to rain.  This excited reactions of awe from Harry, but Violet simply said "We get too much rain as it is, why would we want more?"  Nathan could have rebutted this with any number of arguments on the practical purposes of commanding rain, but instead he created a cascade of lightning.  Not simple bolts as one would see in nature, but bolts in varying shapes and forms, ones which formed pictures and words.  In case this was not enough, he finished with thunder in a musical chorus.  Violet was impressed.  So impressed, that she came up the idea of forming a business, an enterprise which would not go well for some.
    "Behold, the Lord of Air, the King of Storms, the Prince of Precipitation, The MASTER OF THE SKY!!" The crowd cheered uproariously.  The fantastic show of rain, lightning, thunder, wind, and hail never failed to impress.  Violet, holding a large stack of cash in her hand, knew that all too well.  While dealing business with drought-ridden farmers had brought in quite a pretty penny, the show was where the real money came from.  The awestruck adults, the children sitting in sheer amazement, the scientists desperately trying to figure out how it worked, it all operated in union to create the circus empire, "Master of the Sky", that all but monopolized the market.  She was soaking it in when Nathan appeared behind her.  "Violet-" "Who's operating the laptop?" She cut in.  "It's intermission.  I was just wondering, when am I getting my cut of the pay?  It's been more than two months." She sighed. "Nathan, get back to work.  Intermission is almost over, and you know how I like my customers to walk into a show already amazed."  He looked at her angrily.  "You don't care about the customers.  You only care about money.  If you could operate the laptop yourself you would fire me in an instant!" He looked out to where people were buying refreshments and waiting in line for the bathroom. "They would ignore me, too.  They always did before.  If I gave away the secret I'd be reduced to chapter in a history book!  I don't even know why I stay with you, you already got rid of Harry!"  Violet stammered.  She didn't expect this outburst.  He looked at her darkly.  "I'll give you a show", and walked back to his workstation.  Something about Nathan's tone of voice when he said those words unnerved Violet.  She ignored it and looked back to the stage, where the audience was returning to their seats.  The wind picked up, but there was something odd about it, something that Nathan had never done before , but which Violet found familiar.  As a distinct swirling pattern in the center of the wind grew more distinct, recollection hit her.  Recollection of an event which had plagued her throughout her childhood; the day the tornado destroyed her home and most of her family.  The audience assumed it was part of the show.  Violet was too scared to speak out. 
    "Who's this?" one of the policemen inquired about the body of a woman with a wooden beam, that probably once supported the Violet's stand, through her head.  "I think it's the boss of the whole thing.  Look at the uniform".  The first police officer lifted his head to observe the wreckage.  "You're tellin' me a person did this?"  "I've seen the show.  It wouldn't surprise me in the least."  The first one shuddered.  'Must have been some sort of sick psychopath operating the th-" Those were the man's last words before a lightning bolt hit and killed him.  "I am not a psychopath!  The rest of the world is!  They all hated me, they all scorned me, until I created this.  Why the sudden interest?  Because of pride in my accomplishment, or for love of science?  No, it was because they could use my device.  They saw that they could take advantage of me.  Now, they will all die."  Before the cop could react to the speaker, he was murdered in a similar manner to the first.  As were all the others, including one brave man who had the thought to call backup before his death.  The sound of police sirens wailing in the distance hastened Nathan's actions.  He mashed button after button on his laptop, just like before, only this time with much bigger commands in store.  He manipulated the winds near the equator, creating hurricanes that dwarfed history's famous, and produced gargantuan blizzards in the north.  The police came, and they arrested him.  Nathan wasn't worried, for none but him could work the machine, none but him could stop what he had started.  He chose not to.  That is what happened when one of the greatest powers is placed into the hands of one man.