Bite Size Stories

Show me the Money. B

*** *** Weekend Write-In for 8th December 2017 *** *** Belatedly written Jan 12th 2018. 

"money": In 500 words, tell what happens when money is involved

OPERATING COSTS

2072.

Alexander Sharpe threw the holo-tablet down onto the table in front of his siblings. It hovered in an intangible state above the black marble grain, auto adjusting text colour to compensate for the dark background. For one moment Alexander fervently wished for older technology - he would have liked to smash and break a physical tablet to prove the point of his anger.

Instead he slammed his fist down and shouted. 'Look at those figures!'

Peter, his brother didn't even deign to get up from his seat; instead the older of the three palm swiped the air and muttered. 'Display data.'

Accordingly the numbers on the holo tablet appeared in the air in front of the dark haired sibling, obligingly laid out on an invisible shifting nano screen that had manifested itself in the very air of the boardroom. 'Transmit.'

Peter's words ensured that his sister Catherine would also see the data, from her own position by the drinks cabinet - that at least, was reassuringly old fashioned. Not for the Sharpes, the positively plebeian convenience of matter reconstituted substances. Not when they were rich enough and had taste enough to import their drinks the old way.

And they were certainly rich beyond the average citizen's wildest imaginings - but that's the thing about money. For some people - there was never a high enough figure.

Which was the point of today's meeting.

'£200,000,0000 ... and change.'

'Get to your point Alex,' interrupted Catherine. 'I have things to do.'

'My point ... dear sister, is that in two years Grandfather's little virtual reality play world has cost this company a substantial amount of money.'

Peter leaned forward. 'Alexander, you'll temper your tone ... little brother. Now, as to the amount, I'll simply point out that Grandfather invented the World Sets and maintaining his little corner of them, set against the public access areas that we supply for an obscene amount of profit, hardly hits our bottom line. Catherine?'

Catherine looked at her nano display. '5.3% of the margin, leaving us an annual profit of 56.9% above processing power and all other running costs.'

'That's not the point,' Alexander muttered.

'Then what is the point?' his brother demanded, but in his usual soft and unagrressive, yet chilling way.

But Alexander had determined not to let himself be intimidated by his older siblings. Not this time.

'The point is that it's £100,000,000 a year less for us, but that isn't even my major concern.'

'Go on.'

'We should be in charge by now.'

'Grandfather ...'

'Grandfather lives in his virtual playground, yet still appears to us via his imaging link, like the ghost of Christmas Past ... a past that won't go away. Admit it, Peter, the old man is a ghost and he's still running the show.'

Peter coloured and Alexander, sensing blood in the water continued. 'And I haven't even shown you the costs of our cloning program!'

Silence lapsed over the boardroom as his other siblings considered the implications.

NOTE - Continued from CUTTING EDGE, this story utilizes multiple weekend challenge prompts - the next part will be marked with a C.