Chapter One: Up Is the Only Way

Up Is the Only Way is the first chapter of Parallax. It began October 14, 2012 and concluded on April 22, 2014. The chapter covers pages 1 to 32.

This chapter/comic was originally uploaded to comic publishing site Smcackjeeves, before being transferred to it's own site under Hiveworks publishing on December 3, 2014. While it was originally considered the prologue to the series and the cover identifies it as chapter "0", it would be labeled as "Chapter One" in the archive and the following chapter would be called Chapter Two.

Story

 * Contains mild spoilers—read at your own risk.

The comic begins with a full-page spread picturing some form of machine with a red light. The red light fades as the machinery stops running. This is revealed to represent Lomax Torchstone's handheld gaming device, which has just quit on him.

As Lomax sits in school, wondering how he'll get through the day now, another student addresses him as "new guy" and reminds him that class is about to start. This class turns out to be physics, and before class, the teacher, Dan Rogers, unintentionally frightens Lomax by calling his name. Dan had only been checking to see if Lomax was on the list, and encourages him to say hi to the class. Due to the multiplying awkwardness, Lomax is less than appreciative.

After class, Dan asks Lomax to come to his office, to which Lomax reluctantly agrees. Once there, Dan tells him that his grades are poor and that it didn't seem as if he was even trying to keep up. When Lomax claims he's not good at studying, Dan asks why he picked the science major. Lomax reveals that he didn't choose it—his parents did—and that he didn't want to change his major for fear of disappointing them. Dan drops the subject, informing him that he has a tutoring session after school to help students with math and science.

As Lomax turns to leave, Dan goes still deeper and mysterious, saying that he knows how powerless Lomax feels and how he permits others to run his life. He tells Lomax that he can help him change his direction in life. He gives Lomax a small, square box with symbols engraved on the side.

Lomax goes home and collapses into bed. Mrs. Torchstone comes to check on him, and Lomax tells her that he isn't feeling well. Mrs. Torchstone promises to save him some dinner, then leaves him alone. After mulling over his life, telling himself he had to survive only two more years before he could move away, he falls asleep.

Lomax wakes up in an eerily lit, ambiguous location, upon hearing his name. Lomax, inside a giant glass jar, recognizes his parents. After wondering what they were doing there, and if they had gotten off early from work, he asks them to let him out. His parents explain he'll have to stay in a bit longer—he knows what their jobs are like. Lomax assures them that he'll be alright, even as the jar begins filling with water. As his parents walk off, the water rises above his head and he drowns...

...only to truly wake up, screaming and coughing from the dream. Feeling even worse, and dismissing his eager-to-play kitten, he gets up to wash his face. but on his way out, he trips over the box Dan had sent home with him. Enraged, he picks it up and nearly smashes the box to the ground, but his anger gives way to curiosity and he decides to investigate it. He finds a note from Dan, instructing Lomax to call him "if anything happens".

Wondering why "that creep" would think Lomax would want to talk to him again, Lomax opens the box to find a square piece of glass or a similar substance. Now even more confused, and wondering why he ever believed Dan, he continues to look at it. Suddenly, it begins to shine, and Lomax drops it with an exclamation.

The object rises into the air, and after speaking in an unintelligible language, says to "Speak key." Lomax can only stutter out "w-what?", which the object accepts as the "key". It then sends out a massive flash of light, and attaches itself to Lomax's head. Lomax undergoes a long transformation sequence, which entirely changes his clothes and turns his hair a bright pink.

Lomax is seemingly unconscious during the transformation, but returns to consciousness as he sees his new self, ceases to levitate, and crashes to the floor with a yell. This catches the attention of his mother down the hall, as well as scaring his kitten. Lomax rushes into the bathroom, assuring Mrs. Torchstone that he's alright.

Lomax stares at himself, at first wondering if he's high, then realizing the whole episode is real. He discovers that the clothes "won't come off". He then recalls his conversation with Dan. Determined to get Dan to "undo" the process, Lomax calls him.