The World Changer: Scott Campbell, #1

By Russel Ison

Scott Campbell and his two friends, Ivan and Lizbeth, believes they have discovered a technology which would change the world of electricitity generation and the future of humanity itself. They are forced to partner with a devious multimillionaire, Marcus Nines and his cronies just to fund their company. What follows is a psychological game that would keep you on the edge of your seat to the end. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Russel Ison
• Release date: Dec 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223916093

Russel Ison

My pen name is Russel Ison. I write about novels which I think people would like but I especially like. I am semi-retired and spend most of my time researching all sorts of subjects. From Science, History, Mythology, Crime, Music, Movies, Saving Money, Romantic Comedies, my list goes on and on. I am however mainly interested in writing for people.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Breakthrough

C hildren, children , quiet, said the middle aged teacher to her child students, Mr. Scott Campbell of Genius Games would now demonstrate a wonderful learning toy that would help increase your intelligence.

On cue, Scott walked to the front center of the classroom and rested the large cardboard box he was holding in the table in the front center of the classroom. He looked at the small children who were looking at him with blank faces. It was clear to him that the children would rather be playing and goofing along rather than watch his demonstration of his company’s new child toy. This reminded him how much he hated his job of being a presenter for the company.

He looked at his companion, Ivan, who was standing near the door of the classroom.  Ivan gave him the okay sign with his thumb to cheer him up. Ivan was one of the company’s salesperson and was Scott’s usual partner whenever they make public product demonstrations for the company.

Scott opened the cardboard box and took out wooden blocks which resembled large domino blocks. He was not particularly keen on demonstrating the product because to him, they were so simple that they don’t need to be explained at all. He believes that demonstrating the blocks were a waste of his college education which was an advertising degree.

Well, Mr. Campbell. Are you ready? Politely said the teacher as she motioned with her hands to the children to calm down and listen to Scott.

Scott cleared his throat, looked at the children, and arranged the blocks into a standing row.

Want to see something fun, kids?, he smiled as he positioned his finger at the end of the row of standing blocks, What do you think would happen to the blocks if I trip the block at the beginning of the row?

The blocks would fall down, said the children, almost in unison.

Correct, smiled Scott as he realized that unlike some of the people he demonstrated to, the children were more welcoming and easier to entertain, now who wants to volunteer to trip the blocks?

Scott selected a child who tripped the block at the end of the row, causing all the other blocks in the row to fall down. He repeated the activity over and over again. Each time he repeated the activity, he lengthened the row of blocks to prove that all the blocks would continue falling no matter how long was the row of the blocks. Soon, it was clear to Scott and Ivan that there was a high probability that they would make a sale to the school and maybe from the schoolchildren also for their toy blocks. After realizing that they are likely succeeding, Scott began to bore of his demonstration, he just wished that the school and the schoolchildren would start asking how they could buy the toy blocks. Suddenly, a bespectacled child raised her hand which caught the attention of Scott.

And what can I do for you young lady?, smiled Scott as he pointed to the bespectacled child.

Could one block trip two blocks?

Of course, smiled Scott as he demonstrated that a single block falling on two blocks would cause the two blocks to also fall down.

Could two blocks trip four blocks?

Of course, smiled Scott as he demonstrated that two blocks falling on four blocks would cause the four blocks to also fall down.

So a single block can cause four blocks to fall down?

Of course, smiled Scott as he demonstrated that a single block falling on two blocks which would in turn fall on four blocks would prove that the bespectacled child was right.

Does it mean that a single block can cause a million blocks to fall down?

Yes, of course, smiled Scott as he began to be confused with what the bespectacled child was getting at, theoretically a single block can cause any number of blocks to also fall down. Is this what you wanted to do young lady?

No, mister, I’m just trying to make sure that my father isn’t lying to me.

What do you mean?

My father is a nuclear scientist, smiled the bespectacled young girl as she posed to her classmates that she was a genius, using her eyeglasses as props, he always use blocks to describe about nuclear reactions.

Well, I agree with your father, smiled Scott, collapsing rows of blocks are like nuclear reactions, especially as one block is used to collapse two blocks and etc.

Can blocks be also used to generate electricity?, asked the young girl, Cuz I want to build my own nuclear reactor using my dominos.

Well, said Scott as an idea started to form in his mind, no one is currently using blocks to generate electricity, but who knows, young lady? Maybe someday, we can use these blocks I have here to generate electricity.

Can you do it, mister?

Well, I can’t do it right now, but I’ll definitely give it a try when I go back home.

All right, all right, class, interrupted the teacher, I think it’s time to tell everyone what you’ve learned from Mr. Campbell’s toy. Who wants to tell everyone what they’ve learned?

I will, I will, said a boy as he raised his hands way up in the air for everyone to see.

Okay, what have you learned?, smiled the teacher as she pointed to the boy.

Blocks are used to generate energy, proudly proclaimed the boy.

Very good, very good, smiled the teacher as she began to select children who spoke about what they think Scott’s toy can do. But Scott was barely paying attention to what was happening in the classroom. He was imagining the blocks in a row and increasing in columns such that when a single block was tripped two blocks would fall until hundreds of thousands of blocks fell in the end because of the single block that was tripped.

He was no expert in science and don’t even hold a technical degree related to mechanics, but he was educated and smart enough to know that the bespectacled girl’s father was on to something when he compared a nuclear reaction to row of blocks falling.

He almost didn’t realize that Ivan was already making his sales pitch to the children and the teacher. It was as if a switch has been turned on in his brain.

Several heavy blocks can turn a big electric motor, he said to himself, and a single small block can trip these several heavy blocks. It’s only a matter of scale.

Scott, Scott, said Ivan as he tugged at Scott’s shoulders, help me record these sales orders. Your energy pitch is a hit with the kids and the school.

Scott’s musing about turning heavy blocks into electrical energy was forgotten as he helped Ivan write up invoices for the sale of the blocks. They sold the blocks so well that the box they had was almost empty by the time they had left the classroom. They repeated their demonstration to other children and teachers in other classrooms with mixed success.  But through it all, Scott had changed his demonstration slightly to include the similarity of nuclear reactions to falling blocks in rows with increasing columns.

After several more demonstrations to different classes of children, they wrapped up their successful sales efforts. They decided to eat at a fast food restaurant to celebrate their success. 

Who knew that small children and teenagers are interested in electricity generation, laughed Ivan as he wolfed down his meal, during my teenage years, I was only interested in girls and getting laid.

Yeah, that small girl with a nuclear scientist father gave us a good idea on how to pitch these darned blocks, smiled Scott, I never knew blocks can be turned into electricity.

What are you talking about, Scott? You know blocks can’t generate electricity. They’re just used as toys or heavy weights.

Think about this for a second, Ivan. A small block can cause a big block to fall. Then the big block can make a big electrical motor spin.

Hmmm... You’ve got a point, maybe you’re on to something, Scott. Problem is, what’s gonna make the small block fall so that it makes the big block fall?

Scott became quiet. He suddenly realized that his idea was not as simple as he had originally thought of.

Well, I guess a small power source is needed to run a small machine which would trip the small block, quickly answered Scott, but the power source would consume less electricity than what is generated by the electric motor.

Hmmm... Good point, Scott. But could you really generate such a device? The idea is so simple that if it was really possible, it could have been invented a long time ago already.

Who knows? Maybe no one has ever thought of it, said Scott as he chowed down his meal, I don’t think anyone had given it a serious thought before.

What you’re basically telling me is that you can build a device that generates more energy than the energy used to run it. I think you’re thinking about something that cannot be done, man. Hmmm... What’s it called? Ah, yes, a ‘Perpetual Motion Device’ or an ‘Overunity Device’. Well, man, I’m sorry to tell you, but creating such a device is impossible. Many people have tried inventing such a device for ages already. Many of them, very intelligent people too. But they all failed. What makes you think you can do it, man? Forget it. You’re just wasting your time. Just concentrate on your job. Maybe we’ll make more money soon.

But what if it was possible?

I see what’s happening to you, Scott, said Ivan seriously, you think that you’ve stumbled into an idea that would make you millions, even billions. What you’re experiencing now have been experienced by many people since the beginning of time. Hell, I’ve even experienced it several times in my life. Now, not all ideas are stupid. In fact, there have been a lot of people who became very rich because of an idea. But trust me, Scott. This idea of yours would not work. This is because no one has ever invented a device that produces more energy than it uses. No one has ever done it, and no one would ever will. Trust me, Scott. I’ve read and watched many documentaries about people who have the same idea as you are, and all of them have failed and would continue to fail. What you’re thinking about is a scientific impossibility that have been proven over and over again.

Okay forget it. I just had the idea that perhaps it was possible. I didn’t know that you know more about it than me. As you said, what I’m thinking is a scientific impossibility.

Good, at last I’ve put some sense in you, laughed Ivan, I know you’re highly ambitious. But don’t let your imagination run so wild. Think of practical and real things, like our jobs where we can get promoted and earn more money. Don’t think about becoming an instant millionaire. It only usually happens in the movies.

The two finished their meal. Afterwards, they went back to their company’s offices and reported their sales for the day. Afterwards, Ivan drove Scott home. While they were traveling, Ivan noticed that Scott was unusually silent.

You still thinking about your idea to turn blocks into electricity?, said Ivan without looking at Scott but at the road ahead, You’re pretty infatuated with your idea, I see.

I don’t know, Ivan. It’s just that what if what I’m thinking is possible and no one else have thought of it?

Well, my friend, sighed Ivan, I can’t stop you from pursuing your dreams, but you know right, when it’s time to be realistic? Sure, go ahead, give your idea a try. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t. But one thing you mustn’t do, Scott, is to be obsessed with your idea, because it could drive you crazy and drive you broke as well.

Scott became silent. He realizes that Ivan was actually being a kind friend by cheering him on to try his idea, but at the same time warning him against becoming too obsessed with his idea.

After Scott has been dropped off by Ivan to his house, Scott had an uneventful night. He had a light meal with his parents and watched television until he became sleepy. After a few hours, he was already soundly sleeping in his bedroom. But he was actually having a very long dream where giant heavy blocks of his invention, where used to power entire cities like in some kind of victorian age science fiction movie. He then dreams of becoming the most famous and richest man in the world, with many people and especially women as well as entire governments of many countries desperately seeking his attention.

He woke up with a big smile in face. He was fully awake now because of his wonderful dream. He went to the kitchen and drank a glass of cold water to relax himself. But his mind was racing now. He was like a man possessed by an idea that was driving him crazy and the only solution for him was to successfully make the idea a reality. He looked all around his parent’s home, trying to find materials he can use to test out his idea.

What are you doing this early in the morning?, asked his father who was awakened up by the noise he was making as he searched almost everywhere in the house, looking for materials for his upcoming experiments.

Sorry, dad, just looking for some things for my idea...

What kind of idea? And why are you doing it so early in the morning? You’re waking everybody in the house with your noises.

Sorry, dad, I’ll explain later. I promise, I won’t make a noise.

Well, if it’s not a matter of life or death, I suggest that you do whatever you’re doing in the morning, when everyone in the house is awake. What’s this issue by the way that it can’t wait till morning?

Well, it’s a science experiment. I want to prove something.

What do you need? Maybe I can get it for you.

I need toy blocks and a small electrical powered motor toy.

Well, all of your toys have been stored in the basement. But no one has ever been down there for years. See if you can find what you’re looking for there. But don’t make a noise for the love of god.

I won’t. I promise, said Scott as he made his way to the basement.

Moments later, he was at the basement and was quietly rifling at all the items the family have in storage. Then, he found his box of old toys. Within minutes, he was back in his bedroom carrying with him a plastic bag of small wooden blocks which resembled domino blocks and a broken battery powered toy car.

He laid both items he found in the basement in his bedroom desk. He also took his smartphone and laid it in his bedroom desk. His smartphone informed him that it was just past two in the morning, but he didn’t care. He went to the kitchen and when he returned, he laid down a hot cup of coffee in his bedroom desk.

The first thing he did was to carefully disassemble the broken toy car. After a few minutes of tinkering, he was finally able to remove it’s small electric DC motor which enabled the toy car’s wheels to spin, enabling the toy car to travel with the help of small DC batteries. He glued a block to the shaft of the DC motor and pressed it using his finger to see if the DC motor’s shaft would turn if a finger was pressed in it’s glued block. He smiled when he saw that the shaft of the DC motor turned. His confidence shot up and he became even more eager to test out his idea.

He then arranged the blocks in a row with increasing columns of blocks which were taped together. The taped blocks were more heavier than the previous taped blocks that came before them, with the last taped blocks being the heaviest. Satisfied that he had already made a heavy group of taped blocks, he tried out his idea.

He then tripped the first block in the row which also tripped the succeeding rows of blocks in increasing columns, and this is repeated until the last column of blocks was reached which fell down on the block which was taped to the shaft of the small DC motor.

But to his dismay, the shaft of the DC motor didn’t turn. This was when he realized that the weight of the last column of taped blocks simply wasn’t enough to turn the shaft of the DC motor.

Failure, his first attempt at proving his idea was a failure. This was when he started to realize that he was underestimating the strength of the human finger and human muscles themselves. He put his blocks and now dissembled toy car aside and turned on his laptop. Within minutes, he had a reality check on how much strength a human finger possesses. A quick calculation made him realize that he would need thousands of wooden blocks just to make his small DC motor turn. But there was one thing clear to him: His idea that heavy blocks can turn an electric motor to generate electricity, even just a small amount of electricity was possible, it was just not practical at least for the moment.

He then decided to do online research on ‘perpetual motion machines’ and ‘overunity devices’. He realized that there have been many attempts since the dawn of civilization to create such machines and devices, but all of them have so far failed. He researched the scientific explanation why such machines and devices failed, it was simple: you simply cannot produce more energy than the energy you are using.

But rather than being deterred, Scott firmly believed that his idea was correct. To him, it was simply a matter of tripping a very large number of blocks whose output force was more than the output force of a human finger. He was determined to generate a very large amount of electricity based only from the twitch of a human finger and a very huge number of blocks.

He suddenly remembered that he has prepared himself a cup of hot coffee before. It was now lukewarm. He went to the kitchen carrying his now cold cup of coffee. When he returned, he placed the now hot cup of coffee which he heated before in a microwave.

But by now he was feeling sleepy already and knows that he had work to go to after a few hour’s time. He  turned off his laptop, drank his coffee, and proceeded to sleep. Within minutes, he was sleeping soundly.

Scott began spending almost all his free hours trying to make his idea into a reality. He had bought more and more materials for his experimentations and have even converted a corner of his bedroom into a makeshift work area. Sometimes, he would spend all his weekends on his experimentations that he would fail to attend social interactions with his family and friends like weekend movie marathon watchings and night outs with friends. Soon his family and friends noticed this from him that they began asking him about it. But his usual response to them was that he was just catching up on his studies so he can be promoted and eventually earn more money. But Scott can’t fool Ivan, who through inquiries with Scott’s parents regarding Scott’s recent behaviors and activities, found out the true situation regarding Scott. There was a dinner gathering at Scott’s house when Ivan decided to know from Scott himself, what has been going on with Scott’s life:

You really studying so you can be promoted in the company, Scott?

Yes, I am. You know that these days, one needs to have an edge just to have a chance of getting promoted.

So, what have you been studying, Scott?

Advertising, of course. What else are you thinking?

Studying online?

Yes, but mainly through YouTube and websites about advertising...

Everybody does that, Scott. You need something that could give you a diploma. As proof that you’ve really learned from advertising. Why don’t you go to school, Scott?

I could always get a diploma online, Ivan. It’s not like I’m wasting my time.

Looks to me that you’re wasting your time on something else. I know you, Scott. I’ve known you for far too long not to know if you’re bullshitting me. What are you really up to, Scott? I know you’re not studying advertising. It’s all bullshit to me.

Scott became quiet. He was at odds if he would tell or not