"Hugo Langston graduates high school at 7 years old! A young, brilliant mind in the field of mathematics."

"Hugo Langston attains a master's degree in neuroscience at age 9! Sources say this may only be the first of many!"

"Hugo Langston attains his 5th master's degree at the youthful age of 12! Praised as a never-before-seen genius by the world's top professors!"

"Hugo Langston simultaneously earns two Ph.D.'s at the age of 15! Companies around the world are flocking to recruit this teen prodigy."

.........

The year is 2052, and Hugo Langston was anything but an ordinary child. Born from a moderately rich businessman and a beautiful stay-at-home mother in the city of  New York, Hugo was brought up in a household many kids could only wish for. He had two loving and supportive parents that gave him a roof over his head and plenty of food in his stomach. 

In his very early years, life was bliss for Hugo, not that he was aware of most of it. However, this changed on his 2nd birthday.

*Bonk!*

*Thud*

"Oh my god! Hugo! Shit, he's bleeding! Richard! Get the keys!"

"What happened?!"

"He hit his head on the coffee table! Hurry, get the keys! We're going to the hospital!"

A simple fall leading to a mild head injury, just as he was learning to run around. A scary situation for many parents, but it was hardly ever lethal. And sure enough, after getting four stitches and resting for a few days in the hospital, Hugo was back to normal. At least, on the outside he was. 

At first, Hugo's parents saw nothing out of the ordinary. After settling down for a few weeks, while they did find that Hugo was talking a lot more and extremely fluently, they didn't think it was anything to be shocked about. They just thought he had a good knack for language skills. Because of this, they decided it was time to put him in a preschool.

However, this was when the first signs started showing.

"Mrs. Langston, your child is a bit of a genius. Did you or your husband teach him any addition at home? He's very proficient."

"Mrs. Langston, Hugo was able to do 2 digit multiplication problems today. I think... this is something to start looking into."

"Mrs. Langston, I don't know how he does it, but Hugo was able to do 3 digit division problems, some even to the decimal! Your child is absolutely brilliant. You must get him into a proper school."

Every day the teacher would come to Hugo's mother at the end of school to deliver a report, not out of any mandatory obligation, but out of pure amazement, as if she couldn't allow her to not know about his uncanny progress. Each time it seemed as if she were exaggerating, and it was clear that she was doing experiments to test his ability. That's what many preschools and kindergartens did in hopes of finding talents. However, after showing her all the papers which clearly placed Hugo's ability at the grade level, Hugo's mother couldn't downplay it any longer.

So after excitedly determining that maybe Hugo had a bit of a gift, both parents decided to get him into a better school. The preschool principal also stepped in and used his connections to afford Hugo the chance to test into one of the best grade schools in the city.

Something like this wasn't hard as many grade schools actually owned the preschools, making the principal a type of manager in a large company. These principals would be responsible for finding hidden gems, kids that gave out hints of latent genius, kids that had unnaturally fast progression, kids that had talents for certain subjects like mathematics or art. These children would be given the chance to prosper in a place of not just higher learning, but specialized teaching. 

These specialized grade schools weren't by any means normal. They were private, created by the best minds in the business, run on a system unlike that of any other school, and even the worst students who came out of these schools were known to be elites. So when Hugo's parents heard that he would get the chance to attend one of these schools, they were especially excited and didn't hesitate to jump at the chance. 

Unfortunately the testing would be very difficult. The test would last an entire week as the school systematically sifted through batches of kids. The success rates were extremely low, and many times an entire batch would be rejected. 

However, the parent's worries were for naught as on only the 4th day of testing, Hugo qualified to pass. More than that, on the 7th and final day of the test, he was scored at the top, passing with flying colors. 

From then on, Hugo's life took a huge turn. A turn that would put him on the path of the greats.

Hugo was quickly admitted into the grade school, and he rocketed through the entire program. In fact, it seemed as if he were going too fast. The grade school Hugo was accepted into was the best in the city, and its teachings were proportionally difficult to get through. It would normally take a child at the age of 5 eight years minimum to graduate and move on to high school. But Hugo? He did it in 3.

5 years old and Hugo had already passed the hardest tests the school could give to one of their students. Something like this had never been seen before, and when the principal of the top high school in the nation heard about it, he personally went to recruit the young genius.

Fast forward a month later, and Hugo was admitted into the most prestigious high school in the United States, a place known as Bohr Institute in Texas. Here he received higher learning that only universities could match. But for Hugo, it seemed as though his mind was an insatiable black hole for information. Nothing that was thrown at him couldn't be digested, and it took the teachers accelerating years of curriculum just to keep up with him. 

And the results were as expected. Only 2 years it took for Hugo to graduate high school, making him a 7-year-old genius. But even this was only the beginning.

Hugo moved onto a university track. Since he had swept through material that was even beyond high school, certain people made sure that he wasn't bogged down by minor degrees. He was sent on a track that shot straight to the top of academics. There was one problem though. Hugo needed to decide what he wanted to learn. Up until now, Hugo had all his learning material laid out for him. He went through everything under the realm of general education. But now that he was in a university, he needed to decide on a path for himself. He needed to decide on an interest. 

The thought was a bit scary for the professors and principals. Hugo was an unseen genius, a person who came about once in a century. The path he chose would be crucial as it wouldn't be surprising should he make major advances for the field he went into. 

Luckily, Hugo already had something in mind. While he was a genius in school, the kid was just as curious about things as anyone else. People who knew him well enough would even say he's a little too curious. And with the boundless internet at his fingertips, Hugo was able to absorb all kinds of information throughout his years in school. 

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

All this searching and surfing around the internet had led him to a particular interest though. The human brain.

Hugo didn't know why, but he always found the engine behind intelligence mysterious. The sheer complexity that no system in the universe could match, the profound systems and interactions between this engine and the vessel that was the human body. It sparked a certain fire within Hugo that he couldn't quench, not that he wanted to anyway. 

So upon being given the choice as to what path he wanted to go down, he chose that which would further his studies about the ever-mysterious brain: Neuroscience.

When people heard his choice, they were a little intrigued. Hugo's decisions were taken differently than if he were to be older. Hugo didn't have the vast experience of age, so for him to be interested in something like this was considered special, unique. They went on to assume that he would advance towards his masters, push for a Ph.D., and then become a leading scientist in the field. However, they vastly underestimated Hugo's hunger for knowledge. Even the kid himself didn't have any idea as to how massive his appetite was. 

Either way, Hugo yet again blew people out of the water when only two years later, he completed his master's course. It was a speed far greater than anyone imagined such a child could go. However, nothing had gone totally out of their expectations. At least, that was until Hugo rejected the offer to enroll in the doctoral program.

Instead, Hugo decided to go down another route. Chemistry.

At first, this baffled his counselors. But after thinking about it, they weren't as shocked. There was a lot of chemistry in neuroscience. It was perfectly plausible that he wanted a greater understanding of such a huge function of the brain. Either way, they couldn't reject him, and he was quickly accepted into the program. 

Then, he completed it in one year. 

Less than a year in fact. It was only 8 months before Hugo had tested out and earned the degree. It was so quick that, upon hearing about it, many echelons came to verify the achievement. They simply couldn't believe that a 10-year-old child had moved so quickly. But after receiving his papers that were the basis for his earning the degree, they realized that he did indeed deserve it. In fact, some argued that he was already halfway towards earning a Ph.D.

At this point, articles were already being written about Hugo. Media companies were inviting him and his parents on, celebrities wanted to meet the child genius, and companies were having people keep a special eye on the child. He was already becoming a hot topic.

Then, Hugo requested to enter another master's program. Three in fact. Quantum photonics and nanomaterials, artificial intelligence, and game design. The first two choices were unexpected, but the counselors could accept them. However, the third option totally caught them off guard. Game design? They couldn't fathom how Hugo came to be interested in game design. Sure he might enjoy playing games, but they had assumed him to be a neuroscientist. 

Either way, they could only bend and let him down the course he chose. And although it wasn't normal for people to take three masters courses at once, special arrangements were made for Hugo. Like that, two years went by. And at the end of those two years, Hugo was in possession of three master's certificates, bringing the total to five. 

Once again, people were sent into an uproar. Many different checks were done on his papers to verify whether or not he was worthy to have attained so many certificates. But after each check, nobody had anything bad to say. They only came out praising the kid. Eventually, he came to earn the title of prodigy. 

However, Hugo wasn't finished. Immediately after completing those courses, he went on to enter two doctoral programs. One was for neuroscience, and one was for quantum engineering. 

When this happened, everyone held their breath. Ph.D.'s couldn't simply be gained by doing experiments or learning enough. One had to make a contribution to the field. They had to write a dissertation, defend it, and officially publish it where it would get reviewed. Only should it be approved would the person then get their Ph.D. It represented a huge step for Hugo, and considering he was doing two at a time, many people were excited to see what happened. 

And the result didn't disappoint them. Only 3 years later, Hugo had earned both Ph.D.'s at the young age of 15. 

As if this were the final straw, people started going crazy. Especially in the scientific community. Once again, people went and did checks on his papers, making sure he truly deserved the doctorate. But the results were all the same. Nobody was able to come out and say that he didn't deserve it. In fact, many people came out with intense jealousy. They were jealous of this teen's intellectual ability. 

However, this was a major turning point for Hugo. While people didn't realize it, not even his parents, Hugo had gone through a change. No, it wasn't puberty. That had already come and gone. What changed was his mental state towards his academic life.

While holding two Ph.d.'s and 5 masters were supposed to be a huge accomplishment, Hugo didn't feel all that accomplished. Up until now, he really was only stuffing his brain with more information. While he loved learning new things, going through the many classes that he did showed him that a true academic didn't just learn, but created. 

Hugo wanted to make something. He wanted to discover something. He wanted to push the frontier of human knowledge and technological ability. If he were to pursue more doctorates or masters, he would just be wasting his intellectual ability in a fancy school. He would rather sit around at home and read a bunch of textbooks online in the comfort of his bed. 

So with his new goal in mind, he set out to push himself. He wanted a challenge, something that would push his ability to create and explore new possibilities. He wanted to work at a business. 

Businesses pushed technology forward by incentivizing people with money. Hugo didn't need the money though, or that at least wasn't what he was aiming for. He wanted the infrastructure. He wanted the tools needed to work on his ideas. If that took money, then he would do what was needed to get it. Then he would use that money to buy the things or hire the people necessary to work on what he wanted. 

Luckily, Hugo had two variables going for him. His dad was fairly wealthy, and he was incredibly popular. Several businesses had already come to him with internship offers. However, he knew those internships weren't where his position lay. No, he needed to be at the top. He needed to run the business and project himself. His ideas were his, not anybody else's. 

So he decided that when the time came, he would ask his father for capital, an investment. But that time wasn't now. He was only 15, and even he knew that he needed time to think, to brainstorm, to get creative. So he did. Hugo exited the school system, turned down all job offers, and stayed at home, doing nothing. After 2 months of lazing around though, he got bored. 

Hugo had an idea by this point though. Not a business idea, but an activity idea. He wanted to move his body.

Throughout his school years, Hugo obviously wasn't very active. He didn't have the time for sports, and with his smarts, had no reliance on them. But now that he had free time, he decided to put his brain to rest and kickstart his skinny body. 

First came weightlifting. Both of Hugo's parents actually worked out, and they had an in-home gym. So since it was there for easy access, he went and used it. Weightlifting took hardly any skill, and the only requirements were to have good form, to not overwork, and not be stupid with the weights. 

This much was easy, and within a year, Hugo was already looking like an athlete. He looked good, but above all, he felt good. He didn't just feel good about himself, but his body seemed to function better. And after feeling these changes, he suddenly had an epiphany. A powerful body meant a powerful mind. 

Hugo obviously never had any mental deficiencies. He got his sleep and ate fairly well, making him a relatively healthy youth. But after working out? He found that his mind was clearer, his thinking sharper, his intellectual abilities strengthened. It was like he suddenly unfurled the wings he didn't know he had. It introduced to him a healthiness that was beyond just 'relatively healthy'. 

From then on, Hugo sought to work out more. He wasn't shooting for huge strength though. He just wanted his body to be at its peak ability, something that would come if he worked out every day. Not for any sport, not to show off. He worked out for himself and his mental state. 

He wasn't only working out though. Workouts would only occur once or twice a day. For all that time in between, he would either be eating, sleeping, or being creative.

This 'being creative' entailed several things. Sometimes he would work on an idea for a machine. Sometimes he would write some software. Sometimes he would study things on the internet. Sometimes he would just be a teenager and play videogames. He wasn't working towards any particular goal. He was just letting his mind wander, going wherever he was inspired to go. 

Like this, Hugo seemed to drop off the map. The sensation caused by the child prodigy faded, and people forgot he existed. The people that didn't forget and were watching him were shaking their heads though. All they saw was a kid wasting away at home, playing games and scrolling the internet. Many wished they could bring the child genius out to do something productive for them, but he refused any ad all requests. Eventually they stopped, but still held on to the hope that he would reach out to them, maybe ask a top company for work. 

Unfortunately, this 'wasting away' at home would last for 5 years, from the time he exited school until he was 20 years old.