Despite his tardiness, Calvin Koning casually strode down the empty hallway toward Mr. Taupe’s classroom. He had thought about ditching biology entirely, but he’d been warned that another unexcused absence would all but guarantee a failing grade.

Question

The door to the biology classroom was covered in a full-size illustration of the human nervous system, showing the parasympathetic nerves with a level of detail Calvin found slightly disturbing. He paused before opening the door. He needed to psych himself up to stay awake for another boring lecture on some esoteric topic, like the difference between mitosis and meiosis, that had no direct application to his life. Calvin had paid just enough attention to glean that they were both about a new cell splitting from an original cell, but he couldn’t remember which one meant the new cell was the same and which one meant there was variation.

As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t his fault he wasn’t learning much biology. Mr. Taupe was boring. He wore corduroy suit coats in neutral colors, spoke without inflection, and had the habit of keeping his eyes closed a bit longer than normal when he blinked, so that for a moment it seemed possible that he’d fallen asleep in the middle of a lecture, which Calvin had done himself more than once. He was not a good student. He hated school. He hated being made to feel like the honors students were better than him or that the teachers knew more than him just because they were older. He hated being told that getting good grades now would somehow “ensure the likelihood of future success.” And he hated that if he didn’t pass biology, he’d have to repeat senior year or flunk out.

“Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me then,” Mr. K said, his confidence undiminished. “I do believe with more time I could sway you easily, but I’m afraid we don’t have much time.” He gestured to the clock hanging on the wall. “Class will be over soon, and so too will my allotted appointment in this timeline. Standing out there, wasting time pondering the benefits of biology class didn’t help.” He pointed at the front door.

How could Mr. K have seen him standing there? Calvin pushed the question away, trying to focus on the topic at hand — a substitute teacher had just declared he was a time traveler. The most likely explanation was that this was some kind of classroom experiment, like they do on hidden camera shows, some kind of sociological research, and that any minute now the rest of his class would walk in and play along. They were likely all in on this. Still, Calvin didn’t want to be in a room alone with this man. Yet something compelled him to stay.

Calvin crossed his arms. “No offense, but your story doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “Why would future scientists care about an attitudinal adjustment or whatever of some random teenager in the past?”

“Calvin,” Mr. K replied. “While many teenagers could use an attitudinal adjustment, your need for one is rather, shall we say, unique?”

Mr. K let go of the shade and turned back to face Calvin. “The reason why it’s you is that, without intervention, you will go on to become a very powerful person. You’re not the smartest or the strongest or the most attractive, I’m afraid to say, but you’ll learn that you have a great degree of something that not everyone has or is willing to use — cunning. You'll learn to wield vulnerabilities like daggers to carve your path to success. Those who once ignored you or looked down on you will instead eagerly fall in line behind you, following you with fierce devotion, cheering your name and jabbering your praises as you stand above them and chisel the world into the new shape of your choosing. They’ll shriek with delight as the shards of the old world reign down on them.” Mr. K paused here to catch his breath. After a moment, he spoke again. “One decision you make in particular will have… consequences.”

Calvin was speechless. He tried to process what Mr. K had just foretold. This no longer felt like an experiment or prank. The grand prognostication settled in. Belief. Calvin found he liked the way it felt. Slowly, the corners of his lips inched upwards. Calvin had never had followers before. He barely had any friends.

“I’ll have power?” Calvin said.

“Yes,” Mr. K replied. “It will be intoxicating, especially at first. But this won’t last. Nothing does. You’ll want more, but that’s the thing about power, Calvin. There’s no such thing as enough. That’s why I have to show you that there’s another way. Reframe how you look at things, how you see the world.”

Mr. K reached into his pocket. Calvin stood and stepped back. Mr. K pulled out what appeared to be a smooth, obsidian orb with a single indentation on the top. He placed it gingerly in the center of the teacher’s desk. The orb pulsed with energy.

“You know how when you read a book, it’s sort of like the author is putting their words directly into your mind? Think of it like that, except it’s technologically advanced to the point where it can directly interface with the consciousness of whoever holds it. See that small groove on the top? You place your palm there, you’ll feel a small prick, and the interface begins. It doesn’t hurt. Some describe it as causing a pleasant dizzy sensation.”

“Uh, sorry to burst this bubble you got going on here,” Calvin said, “but we have e-readers now. You didn’t travel back to the Stone Age. And our e-readers don’t have to stab you to turn on.”

“I know that, Calvin. Am I Billy Pilgrim? Have the Tralfamadorians unstuck me from time and plopped me here?”

“Huh?”

“You’re being willfully obstinate, Calvin. It’s no wonder the teachers… never mind,” Mr. K said. He composed himself, then continued. “Look, this device does more than that. With normal books, a reader can sometimes stop paying attention. Readers can skim or their mind can drift. They can miss the point. That’s not possible with this device. It’s not mere reading, it’s a pure mindmeld between two consciousnesses. In other words, it generates complete empathy and understanding with the viewpoint of another. You can swap — or substitute, if you will — a more useful worldview than the one you’ve had your entire life.”

Mr. K froze. His eyes widened. Slowly, the corners of his lips inched upwards. “I knew you’d get there, bud,” he said. His wristband’s chime became a solid, incessant tone. “Go time.” Mr. K grabbed the orb off the desk and tossed it into the air in front of Calvin as he ran past him. In a split second, Calvin knew he had a decision to make: catch the orb or let it drop to the ground.

Calvin grabbed for the orb, just as Mr. K flung himself toward the supply closet.

Calvin felt a dizziness that seemed to resolve through a reorientation of his baseline, like he’d fallen while spinning circles on a balance beam only to land somewhere completely new and sturdier than before. He was still himself, but a variation of himself he hadn’t been just moments ago. He saw everything that had already happened as if it could have been another way; he saw everything that could be as if it was up to him to make it so. If a vision can be transformed into a memory with a simple shift in time, then a conversation, with a prophecy attached, can become a roadmap just as quickly.

A few moments later, Calvin realized he was lying on the ground with his eyes shut. He opened them. He looked at the clock. The final bell was about to ring. Although the orb was no longer in his hand, he thought he could still feel the pinch of where it pierced his palm.

He pushed himself up. There was a scuffling that seemed to be coming from the supply closet. He walked toward it and opened the door. Mr. Taupe was curled up in a ball, wearing his corduroy suit coat. His arms and legs were bound with electrical wire, and his mouth was covered with tape.

“Mr. Taupe,” Calvin said.

Mr. Taupe struggled to mumble something unintelligible, his eyes wide and unblinking.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to help you, but you’re going to help me first,” Calvin said. “Can we discuss my grade? I want to ensure the likelihood of my future success.”

How does Calvin's point of view about his own power change during the course of the story? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

Calvin's perspective on his own power undergoes a significant transformation throughout the story. Initially, he feels disenfranchised, marginalized in the school environment, and burdened by the expectations placed upon him. He expresses disdain for the honors students and the teachers, thinking of them as condescendin. He views himself as a failure, largely voicing his belief that he is not as capable as others in his academic environment. He states, “He was not a good student. He hated school… And he hated that if he didn’t pass biology, he’d have to repeat senior year or flunk out.”

However, when Mr. K enters the picture and reveals that Calvin has the potential to become a powerful person, Calvin's outlook begins to shift. Mr. K’s prophecy makes him feel special, as he states, “Belief. Calvin found he liked the way it felt.” This newfound belief in his capacity for power and influence awakens something dormant in him. He becomes intrigued by the idea that he could have followers, something he had never experienced before, stating, “I’ll have power?” The excitement and allure of potential greatness begin to overshadow his previous feelings of inadequacy.

As Mr. K further elaborates on the power Calvin could wield through cunning, Calvin's perception morphs from a self-doubting teenager to someone who starts to see their own agency in the world: “You’ll learn to wield vulnerabilities like daggers.” This suggests that Calvin is not only capable of having power but also using it strategically. The reference to "wielding vulnerabilities" signifies a sense of empowerment; he begins to see those who once ignored him as potential followers.

The moment of decision – whether to catch the orb or let it drop – is pivotal in his transformation. By grasping the orb, Calvin embraces the opportunity to experience a profound change in perspective. After the encounter with the orb, his inner dialogue shifts from “how could he” to an assertion of his own potential: “If a vision can be transformed into a memory with a simple shift in time…”, implying a newfound understanding of his ability to shape his future and possibly the future of others.

By the end of the story, Calvin’s mindset has shifted completely. The moment he sees Mr. Taupe bound and gags, he expresses a mix of concern and a calculated determination: “Don’t worry, I’m going to help you, but you’re going to help me first,” flipping the narrative from one of needing help to one where he is in control and can leverage situations for his benefit. He reaches out, not just as a victim of circumstance, but as someone who recognizes his own agency and seeks to negotiate for improved outcomes (“Can we discuss my grade? I want to ensure the likelihood of my future success.”).

This evolution represents a significant shift in Calvin's understanding of his power; he moves from a place of passive resentment towards a position of active engagement and leadership, clearly demonstrating that he is beginning to understand and embrace the potential for influence he has in shaping not just his own life but the lives of those around him.