I DRIVE ALONG THE highway until I get to the exit that I want. I drive along a surface street until I get to the auditorium where the demo is to be. I park in the exhibitors’ lot. Behind me is my equipment van, which the driver parks next to me.
I’m greeted by a guard.
I have the paper work to establish me and my crew as exhibitors.
The guard summons an usher and my crew and I wheel in the equipment that we will need for our demo.
The usher guides us to a booth and we begin to set up our equipment. We find the electrical outlets that we need and we get our full equipment suite set up and cabled.
’Cardo checks the electrical set up and everything checks out. He says, “All ready for you, boss man.”
I say, “Good, but it needs to be ready for Ziji.”
Ziji walks up, checks out the console and the chair. She sits and then powers on the equipment suite, with a pretty girl lecture as the screens begin to light up. The big display then begins to show an airfield, with tiny dots in the background. The tiny dots then start to become intruder aircraft. Defender aircraft take off and an air battle takes place.
Ziji narrates the battle and it’s quite a show.
The defenders annihilate the intruders, then the defenders return to base.
Ziji then lectures and gestures, “What you have just seen was a simulation. In the real world, the system that you have just seen operate will protect an actual air base. Talk to one of our Tech Reps!”
(Hell, the other users and set up people applaud! We have a winner here.)
The Tech Reps then brandish brochures and each deliver a seamless sales pitch.
A man in a suit walks up and states, “I’m Johnson, with the State Police. I am to talk with Jason Boots. I have a State Police crew here and our assignment is to see that there is no trouble.”
I step up and tell suit boy, “I’m Jason Boots. My crew is here to do a demo for the bid fair. We just want to put on a show and get a contract or two signed. However, if there are locals who want trouble again, trouble we got.”
The one who calls himself Johnson says, “I’m with the State Police. Jason Boots, your crew doesn’t need to protect yourselves, my State Police will take care of that.”
Ziji steps forward and snarls at suit boy, “My Chinese name is Ziji, I call myself Jinny here. Brave gweilo boy is going to protect helpless little girl. I have a blackbelt and I don’t need brave gweilo boy to protect me.”
(I kind of gently move Ziji back.) “Johnson, you must excuse Ziji. During nights of the full moon, she grows fangs and she tends to be a bit aggressive.”
“I got all that, except a bit aggressive.”
“All of my people, including myself are blackbelts, save An Hing, who is only a top level brown-belt.
(An Hing, who is about six feet six inches tall and some 250 pounds, steps forward.) “Perhaps you think that I am weak. Try me.”
Johnson sighs, “All you people have to do is stack bodies. Do you realize how much paperwork I have to do, per body?”
“When I was here before, a punk physically attacked me. He had little friends at hand and I, ah, disposed of him as rapidly as I could. I then politely asked, ‘Who’s next?’ None of the little friends wanted at me, jointly or severally. Then the local police arrested me, for what I know not. I was no billed, by the Grand Jury. I then went into civil court and won a money judgment against Billy, the punk. Billy has not paid my money judgment and the local police claim that they don’t enforce civil affairs. I also won a money judgment against the local police and the town. The matter wound up in bankruptcy court and I have not yet seen a dime.”
“I’m aware of the past trouble. The past trouble is why my men and I are here.”
“When I was here before, punky boy Billy physically attacked me. I’m back, with my crew, since there’s a major government contract up for bid, after a successful demo. I offered to fight Billy, in a televised death match, to raise funds to pay my court ordered judgment. Brave Billy may have soiled his panties and he has disappeared.”
“It may surprise you to know that a death match is against the law.”
“It may surprise you to know that failure to pay a court judgment is also against the law.”
“Supposedly, Billy wrote a letter to the court, stating that Billy had no money and no job.”
“I wrote a letter to the same court, stating that I wanted to see Billy’s bank balance and his job applications. There was no reply from Billy and the court renewed the judgment. I still have not yet seen a dime.”
“Supposedly, the company that Billy worked for is depending on winning the major government contract that’s now up for bid, after a successful demo. I have seen what the company plans to offer. If it’s revenge that you’re looking for, you’ll almost certainly get your revenge.”
