Chapter 93

Iris’ Past (1)
Her misfortune might have been caused by her exceptional intelligence. Most people born after her would answer that she was a rare genius who was used up too quickly because she was born too early. Many people evaluated her as such. Indeed, she achieved numerous feats. She simplified materials to halve the construction costs of the space elevator and contributed to the practical use of fusion reactors and many weapon industries. All of these were to earn research funds.

She committed a taboo. Many people condemned her, but she was no longer in that world. Many people praised her, saying she was a being that would lead humanity to greater heights. She had secretly conducted forbidden research. She deceived the world.

All to retrieve her family, who had been unjustly taken from her.

She was born into happiness. Both her parents were researchers; her father was a global authority in weapons development, and her mother was a specialist in genetics. Despite their opposing fields of research, they got along well due to their common background as orphans. They had endured similar hardships and became renowned researchers in their respective fields.

Her father was Carls Field. Despite being abandoned and growing up in the slums, rose through the academic world with his exceptional intellect. Her mother, Shizuka Field, grew up in a Japanese orphanage, with no parents or relatives by the time she was in elementary school. She moved to the US in her early twenties through sheer effort and soon became known in the academic world.

Her parents met at a forum, bonded over their similar backgrounds, and were married within a year and a half. Though they sometimes argued, Carls believed that weapons development was the key to ending wars. After World War II, the nuclear umbrella had indeed prevented wars between major powers. He conducted daily research to maintain the delicate balance of peace. Shizuka Field, her mother, researched genes and new drugs to help humanity overcome diseases.

She was born in the spring of their second year of marriage. She was named Iris Field and was raised with great care. Her parents made time for her despite their busy schedules, hiring a nanny and taking her to places where she could interact with many children to prevent loneliness. However, Iris never got along with children her age. She only showed interest in her parents, the nanny, and the newspapers her father read in ten languages.

Her parents were astonished when, at about six months old, Iris was looking at newspapers and seemed to understand them to some extent. They immediately took her to an institution that tests intelligence.

In 20XX, the trend of academic societies had intensified, and laws had been established to allow talented children to work. Skipping grades was common in both the US and Japan. Some children worked as programmers for major companies at the age of 13.

The initial test results showed she was an ordinary child. However, her parents, doubting this, retested her with the same questions. The results were higher than before. Iris had been learning. After extensive observation, it was determined she might possess intelligence on par with adults, and further IQ tests were deemed meaningless.

Initially, her responses were age-appropriate, but once she understood the concept, the results were immeasurable.

Her parents were thrilled with their daughter's talent. As scholars, they could not foresee what their high expectations would mean for Iris.

"Iris~ let's watch TV."

"Uu!!"

They decided to start by showing her educational programs. In this era of academic society, educational programs had also advanced significantly, with several programs broadcast 24/7. They showed Iris many programs designed for infants.

Iris, showcasing her talent, learned to write by the age of two. Despite her underdeveloped vocal cords and thus limited speech, she usually remained expressionless and seldom spoke. She didn’t cry at night or when she wet herself, rarely expressing her needs.

One day, Shizuka, having returned home early, found Iris copying TV subtitles onto a child’s whiteboard in Arabic, a language neither parent spoke at home. The next day, she wrote in Japanese.

Her parents were again thrilled, seeing it as a sign of exceptional talent.

"Our daughter will surely grow into an extraordinary child. Let's teach her more."

"Indeed. We should hire a tutor for her."

The next day, they hired a tutor for infants. Although the nanny opposed this, saying it was too early, the parents, captivated by Iris’s talent, couldn’t think of anything else.

The tutor taught Iris a wide range of subjects, which she absorbed at an incredible speed. By the age of four, she was admitted to elementary school, skipping grades to the equivalent of fifth grade in Japan.

However, Iris’s lack of social skills became apparent. She showed no interest in her classmates, who in turn resented her for being different and bullied her.

"You're so arrogant. Just because you're a scholar's child, don't get cocky!"

"……"

"Why are you silent? Are you pretending to be high and mighty?"

Though often hit or having her notebooks torn, Iris never reported it to her parents. To her, these were trivial matters unworthy of mention. She didn't need to prepare for classes, so damaged notebooks didn’t bother her. However, one person was concerned: the nanny, Lim, who noticed the bullying.

"Miss!! Why don't you say anything?"

"Is it worth mentioning?"

One day, Iris, drenched, was picked up by Lim, who rushed her home and into a bath.

"What happened? You are wounded."

"What happened? I don’t remember."

To Iris, elementary school bullying was trivial. Her world consisted only of her parents and Lim, with no room for others.

Lim, unable to understand this, immediately informed Iris’s parents, who were furious. With their substantial resources, they negotiated with the school. When the school downplayed the issue, they hired heavily armed bodyguards for Iris. This extreme measure forced the school to act, and the bullies were warned.

Iris, escorted by armed bodyguards, finished elementary school at age five.

Despite her growing fame as a child prodigy, Iris remained uninterested in others, not even remembering the names or faces of her classmates. She graduated alone in a special ceremony, an occurrence not uncommon in this era focused on rapidly developing talent.

By this time, Iris’s name had spread across America. Although she received media attention, she was mostly indifferent. Her focus was on reading academic papers, encouraged by her parents, who let her read as much as she wanted.

"They say space elevators have been feasible for a long time. Why didn’t we build one already?"

"It requires enormous funding and is vulnerable to terrorism. It also needs to be built at the equator, among other strict conditions. They say it’s centuries away from being built."

Her parents joyfully patted her whenever she asked questions. Iris wasn't interested in academics per se; she only wanted to be praised by her parents.

Iris was happy just being patted by her parents or hugged by Lim. However, people grow accustomed to things. The period when writing earned her praise was short. Iris’s motivation stemmed solely from her desire for her parents’ smiles and affection. She believed that meeting their expectations would bring praise.

Thus, Iris learned efficiently, ignoring anything unnecessary for her goals. She devoted all her resources to pleasing her parents, with no consideration for other aspects of life. She didn't understand the importance of social relationships or personal desires, focusing solely on technical books and academic papers.

The results of her skewed growth would reveal themselves in time. Iris was growing into a distorted human being.