Microstory 154: Claude Bonner

This is an experimental Bellevue Profile microstory. The introduction can be found in Microstory 101. More to follow.

Claude Bonner was a Generation Two; son of Shaun Rice, and older half-brother of Catriona Rice. While she inherited their father’s ability, but to a stronger degree, Claude developed only a single minimalist aspect of it. The other two were able to generate holographic images out of the surrounding light, and technically, he was able to do the same. Unfortunately, he was limited to only one hologram: darkness. Whenever he used his ability, the immediate area would be covered in darkness, giving the impression that he had sucked all the light out of the room. He practiced and concentrated with all of his strength, and was able to increase his range, but he was never able to form any other kind of images. There was a theory that his limitation was the result of some kind of natural genetic barrier that formed at birth by accident, though Bellevue was never able to pinpoint it for him. Claude grew up angry, and his feelings of inadequacy were not only because of his minor ability. He was incredibly intelligent, and regularly received perfect scores on exams. But he never completed homework, or participated in class, and he just barely passed tertiary school. He had a number of small run-ins with the law, but never committed a felony. He lived with his mother, right next door to his father and sister, and they managed to work out most of their issues over time. Though the family situation was precarious, he was extremely protective of his little sister, and took care of her like a second father. After her disappearance, along with several other children, he became obsessed with finding her. He joined Bellevue as an educator, even without certification, but continued following leads for where she might have gone. When her parents went off on a oneway trip to look for her, he stayed behind, convinced that they had gone the wrong way. A couple of years later, he was able to persuade the organization to let him look for her in the future. It took him years, but he did manage to find out what happened to her.