Writing Exercises: Imagine that (part 2)

[rowyn]

The young man dialed open the safe. The interior was the size of a small closet, about two feet deep, three and a half feet wide, and six feet high. A flourescent tube lit the interior, revealing a foot-wide tray, set at about waist height, running the length of one of the side interior walls. Above the tray was a small digital display. "You place whatever you wish to send on this tray. It has to be small enough to fit on the tray, though you can prop it upright if need be. The mass limit is, as our specifications say, 3 kilograms. The tray will weigh whatever you place on it, and give you a readout showing weight and cost of transport.

"Once you've ensured that the object is secure on the tray, simply close and lock the outer door, input the destination code into the pad here, and within five minutes, your object will be at its destination." Graham offered another bright smile to the dark-haired woman. "Any questions?"

Finch tapped her manicured nails against the cherry wood tabletop. "Why, yes, Mr. Graham. How does it work?"

The young man's smile never faltered. "I'm not a technical specialist -- "

"I've noticed that. May I speak with one?"

" -- but I can assure you that it does work. Isn't that the important part?"

"Mr. Graham, you have not even told me the theory behind your device, much less the practice of it."

"I understand it's quite complex -- "

"I am a doctor and a scientist, Mr. Graham. I am good with 'complex'. Try me."

Graham walked back to the table, hunching to rest his hands against it and regard the woman with an honest, searching gaze. "Dr. Finch, let me be frank. I can't explain to you the theory because I don't know the theory. I'm not a scientist, and much as I would love to provide you with additional information on our product, I'm afraid In An Instant, LLC, has trade secrets to protect."

"Ah, yes." The lady doctor leaned back. "Trade secrets. Which your company is so intent on protecting that it hasn't even filed a patent on this ... device."

"A patent does not protect a secret, Dr. Finch. On the contrary: it ensures that anyone who cares to will know it."

"But it protects your intellectual rights to those secrets, which amounts to the same thing."

"With respect, ma'am, it does not."

Dr. Finch frowned at him. "I don't see why I should trust my money or my property to this thing of yours if you will not even explain the most rudimentary details of its operation."

Graham sighed and sraightened. "I came prepared to show you that it works, doctor. You work in a hospital; you must be aware that our technology can save lives. How many people die waiting for transplant organs to be flown across country? How much damage is suffered by tissue in transit? In An Instant can change all that, and more. But if you are not interested in even seeing that it works .... " He reached to close the screen on his laptop.

"Mary, let's not be hasty." The slimmer of the two other men in the room finally spoke up. "He's come a long way to show his product, and at some expense. We're all here and ready. Let's at least see the rest of it."

"Snake oil," Finch said, her eyes narrow. Graham did not flinch, but the two other men did.

"I'm with David," the grey-haired gentleman said. "Let's see it, shall we?"

Finch rolled her eyes. "Very well." She sat back, her arms folded across her chest. "Go ahead."

Comments

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Bingo. ('gryn)

[rowyn]

We-ell ...

Maybe. :D

[level-head.livejournal.com]

An amusing jolt -- I had pictured a "closet-sized gunsafe" as one that would be tucked into a closet -- not one the size of a closet.

You are apparently used to bigger guns that I am. ];-)

===|==============/ Level Head

[rowyn]

Or at least bigger safes. :) One of my friends has a free-standing gunsafe larger than I am; he keeps several rifles in it. Here's one example of a closet-sized safe.

Of course, the one I describe is a monster even by standards such as those, and I think I'll tweak the interior dimensions of this one down a little. I did, after all, mean for the beast to have been wheeled in, and at that size, they'd have trouble getting it through doorways. :) Such are the perils of writing out of my head and posting whatever I come up with immediately -- sometimes it doesn't make much sense.

Though, come to think of it, some of the writings I've dwelt on in some depth and carefully re-written don't make much sense, either. :)