13: A Fairy Prize

- Tecna, you've got mail.
The voice seemed to come from very far way and the girl blinked for a moment, feeling confused.
The environment around her seemed unusually smooth, polished and incredibly bright.
Yet she was in her living room, in Zenith, the home where she grew up. What was that confusion?
- Mail?
It never happened: all the mail, usually, came online, where a complicated algorithm calculated the priority of each message. Magnethia crossed the living room, reaching the table where her daughter was sitting and handed her a rigid paper envelope.
- The seal of the Supreme Tecnowizard is on it, I think it's an official thing.
The fairy carefully opened the envelope, intrigued. Mail in Zenith was very rare and the fact that it came from the Supreme Tecnowizard was even stranger. Inside there was a white little cardboard with golden edges and the shining holographic seal.
- It says that the Epsilon technology PDA Timmy and I were working on got a big recognition and the Supreme Tecnowizard himself invited me to his laboratory to talk about it.
Her mother watched her with widened eyes.
- Your first recognition! And you're so young! Your father is going to be really proud of you! When is the invitation? Maybe we can come with you...
- It only says come as soon as possible, I don't think it's something official. Relax, if they are going to organize a public event with a big celebration you'll be the first ones to know.
- I'm so happy that your hard work is finally being rewarded!
Tecna smiled: being a Winx and living thousands of adventures with her companions was one thing but that little passion for technology and inventions was something that always remained in the background, even though it was so important to her. And that project, which she worked on with her beloved Timmy...
- Me too, mom, me too...
The Supreme Tecnowizard's laboratory was on the top of a building, in a heat-resistant glass dome that let all the light in but stopped the heat, in order to avoid the greenhouse effect.
In the elevator Tecna watched the city under her feet while going up, floor after floor. The iron and glass lucid buildings were shining in the afternoon light. She couldn't believe she was meeting such a brilliant scientist: she'd been reading his blog and listening to his podcast since she was a child but meeting him... that man was like a celebrity for her. She was almost excited and that weakness had her laughing a bit about herself.
The door of the elevator opened directly to the laboratory, a place she found huge and shiny.
- There she is! Welcome!
Standing behind a table covered in notes and calculations was the Supreme Tecnowizard who waved for her to come closer. Every inch of that space was hiding something interesting to watch and Tecna's walk was slower than she planned it to be, distracted by all the details in the laboratory.
- I can really tell you're passionate about this!
Selvin, the Supreme Tecnowizard, didn't look his age and had a happy and jovial face. He waved for her to sit down on a stool and started to root around his papers, looking for something.
- We've been very impressed by the Epsilon technology that you showed us, Tecna! All the Magical Dimension knows about the wonderful Winx but we didn't expect one of them to be such a genius! You honour Zenith with your magical and intellectual gift!
Tecna couldn't help herself but blush. It didn't happen often to her to be appreciated for her tecnomagical efforts and she'd certainly never expect Selvin to do so, one day.
- You know, we are thinking about organizing a big event and give you a prize in public. In my opinion young minds have to be showed as an example to the rest of the planet, and I'm not the only one who thinks so! We were thinking about a Tecnomagic festival and a competition for young students, at the end of which you could award the prize, and then... well, we are thinking about giving you the First Magical Atom, Tecna. You'd be the first fairy to be awarded!
- This is... so unexpected, I don't think that... it's not all my work, I should...
Tecna was speechless. The First Magical Atom was a huge prize, the kind of prize that every passionate of Tecnomagic dreams about since childhood, sure that's never going to happen, and her and Timmy...
- What about Timmy?
- Timmy? – Selvin seemed not to understand.
- Timmy, my partner. The credit for the Epsilon Technology is his own as much as mine. Why isn't he here with us?
- But Tecna, be sensitive... a fairy like you cannot share the prize with someone like...
- Are you telling me that there's not going to be a recognition for him as well?
Selvin shook his head.
- No Tecna. The prize will be yours only.