Chapter 1: New Beginnings

## New Beginnings

**New Beginnings** is the 1st chapter of the 1st volume and the 1st chapter overall of The Black Box 3.

## Summary

### New Jersey

One day in Applesauce High School, Joe is being bullied because of his short height. He decides to take growth pills, but ends up getting high as a side effect. He rushes over to the school nurse, Dr. Prith, who prescribed him the pills. Prith is working on a cure for the Saisushi Disease when Joe runs in, accusing Prith of giving him drugs instead of growth pills. Prith ensures him he gave him growth pills and concludes that some unknown third party must have swapped the pills with drugs. Joe, satisfied with Prith's explanation, leaves the nurse's office.

Prith then starts to wonder if this third party had meddled with anything else in his lab. He's particularly worried about the cure he developed for the Saisushi Disease, a ravenous disease that zombifies humans. Prith reveals that Joe is The Chosen One, and if he were to fall to Saisushi, the world would collapse. Calling his beloved Naomi, Prith's skin starts to rot, and he becomes a zombie as he reveals he splashed some of the cure on himself by accident.

Overwhelmed by his transformation, Prith is calmed by the sudden appearance of Bhayna. Bhayna reminds him of how he saved Prith's life many years ago, and informs Prith of his universal role in supporting the Chosen One. He informs him that the Chosen One must assemble the Cubes of Legend, active the Roux Method, and wield the Ultimate Weapon. Otherwise, the Ultimate Weapon could fall into the wrong hands.

### Manila

Meanwhile, in Manila, under the First Jollibee Restaurant, two Ether scientists, Harry and Balderdash, are in the final stages of their experiment to create a human clone, whom they call Tai, the Ultimate Golfer. They bring in Beethoven Jr. and have him play Moonlight Sonata, 3rd Movement, hoping that the beautiful music will finally wake up Tai. As Beethoven Jr. presses the final note, Tai's eyes open.

### Sun

A massive spaceship is seen right next to the sun. "Ether" is written on the walls of the observation deck. Suddenly, an alert starts going off and a monitor reads "Cube Found!" A crew member, Jebediah, quickly informs their boss of this development. The boss, infamous space pirate captain Talpos, announces that they have found the Applebottom Cube and quickly sends a grabber bot to retrieve the Cube.

## Characters in order of appearance

1. Joe (debut)
2. Prith
3. Harry (debut)
4. Balderdash (debut)
5. Agent Tai (debut)
6. Naomi (debut)
7. Beethoven Jr. (debut)
8. Bhayna
9. Jebediah (debut)
10. Talpos (debut)

## Trivia

* **Cover Characters:** Prith, Joe
* **Chapter Title Meaning**: "New Beginnings" refers to the fact that this is the first chapter and the beginning of The Black Box 3. It can also refer to the new beginnings that many characters face in this chapter.
* The notes that appear in Agent Tai's eye when he awakens are the notes in the first measure of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement.
* Bhayna tells Prith he sent "a wizard, a witch, and a wardrobe" to save him. This is a reference to C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, which was used as inspiration for this chapter.