episode 2 – prime solutionA beacon of hope shining from the Wasteland Transformance lab must illuminate the minds within the White House.
A beacon of hope shining from the Wasteland Transformance lab must illuminate the minds within the White House.
Mouth-Watering Presentation
After whetting appetites with her elevator pitch to the Chief of Staff, Lydia is “wheels up” on her way to Washington. She wears another vibrant blouse for her personal presentation to the President of the United States. However, he sent representatives this time.
The Chief of Staff greets her. “I assure you, we will thoroughly brief him. Help us understand this wonderful discovery of yours.”
“Thank you for having me here. You can have a good pair of shoes that’s uncomfortable because of a pebble inside. Do you throw away the shoes? No, you remove the pebble.”
“I appreciate your illustrations, but these people have important things to do, so please pick up the pace.”
“The ‘pebble’ in this case is a naturally forming bacterium that alters a perfectly good formula. The byproduct of this chain reaction caused rapid growth and aggressiveness characteristic of excessive steroid consumption. I’m requesting permission to thoroughly test GenettaMeat Prime for six months.”
General McCartney insincerely smiles out of courtesy, with a mild objection. “It sounds like you’re adding chlorine to an algae-infested pool. It might make the water look better, but it doesn’t make the water drinkable.”
Lydia holds her composure. “Thank you, General, for that analogy. With all due respect, if I were dying of thirst, I’d drink the pool water. This nation is dying. We owe it to them to pursue any solution offering hope.”
The Chief of Staff chimes in. “Even if you dodge our objections, the final decision is up to the President. I can tell you any solution involving tigers is a non-starter.”
“We’re on the same page. As an endangered species, they are a limited resource. Lions, about a hundred pounds smaller, are plentiful.”
“Modified formula and different cats. Let me run these two adjustments by the President. To expedite this, excuse the General and me for just a moment to see if we can get an answer.”
They return twenty minutes and two glasses of water later with approval.
“Wow, I can’t believe we got the green light! This is huge! Ooh, I need to get back to the office and share the news!”
Lydia soars to New York on clouds of excitement. When she returns with the news, the office erupts in music and dancing.
Antoine gives her a brief, snug hug before expressing his appreciation. “From this company’s inception, we were at odds. Now, you’re an essential part of its success. I'm proud you’re my daughter, and more proud of what you’re doing for humanity.”
She responds to the recognition with radiant tears, sincere thanks, and a longer embrace. Then she claps her hands, shouting, “Okay, people! Back to work.”
A Roaring Success
Every other endeavor has run into roadblocks, repelling success. During tests on the lions, they are naturally more docile, sleeping up to 20 hours per day. This leaves little time for mischief. Yet, they still consume large quantities when they eat.
This is the ideal behavior for devouring GenettaMeat Prime. The six months breeze by without abnormal growth or aggressive behavior.
Wasteland Transformance prepares to announce the marriage between the king of the jungle and GenettaMeat Prime. Before they can send out the press release, the adult tigers in captivity get sick and die.
This sends Antoine into a fit of rage. He overturns desks and smashes computer displays before storming out.
Lydia asks Rhonda, “You’ve been testing his blood for several months now. Is there a connection with the GenettaMeat he ate?”
“I think stress plays a large role in his aggressive reactions. Yet, traces of the steroids are tenaciously lingering.”
“Ooh, that’s… troubling. But wow, if we can just figure this out, it’ll be a game-changer! Let’s hope it’s just stress. Since the lions were tested separately from the tigers, their deaths shouldn’t affect our results, aside from the bad timing.”
Rhonda suggests more oversight. “I think we should postpone the announcement and loop in the White House. Have them see how the tigers on the island are doing.”
The transponders are out of range. When the Air Force flies over, they report that the island looks like it was struck by a plague. All the tigers appear to have died on the beach, in an attempt to get off the island.
When the news gets back to Rhonda, she reasons, “They may have been trying to cool themselves from heat strokes. An autopsy would be helpful. The only other common denominator is the GenettaMeat.”
Lydia nervously asks for clarity. “I can’t update anyone with ambiguity. Are we safe or not?”
“Shortened life is a side effect of excessive steroid use,” Rhonda continues. “The cats consumed hundreds of pounds. It’s safe to say that the incident is unrelated to GenettaMeat Prime.”
They share the good news with Antoine to cheer him up, but he prefers the company of his scotch, mumbling sorrows. His mood seems to foreshadow the protests that arise when the public learns of the tiger deaths.
Lydia, reacting with displeasure and frustration over her father’s mood swings, heads to a local sandwich shop for her favorite Reuben on rye. While waiting for her ticket number, her heart skips a beat when she recognizes Kyle from the juice bar.
He seems engrossed in his sandwich, but she can’t shake the feeling that their paths are crossing too often to be a coincidence.
An exchange with the owner behind the counter gets a little too loud when he asks about Antoine. She tries to answer softly, then buries her head after grabbing her order to escape Kyle’s notice.
Within a week, the insidious rodents mute the public mourning for lost tigers. Now that all the distractions are out of the way, Lydia prepares for her big announcement.
The presidential approval results in hundreds of lions pouring into several Wasteland Transformance containment centers.
Continued…
Scope: These terms apply across the platform, not per-story. Viewing and evaluation are allowed. Express agreement required for downloading, redistribution, adaptation, or production. Use of this material for generative training or republication in any format without authorization is prohibited. Any relation to actual persons or events is coincidental.
Return twice weekly for new episodes. Login provides the most immersive experience.
