48,000$ a year

 she could have been making at least twice that at IBM which was also experimenting with new surveillance techniques. Flying every 3 days to  St Louis or Indianapolis, or larger airports in the same mid west time zone to do her slide or power point presentations in over decorated,underlit  banquet halls in mid priced “luxury “ hotels nearby. Bright red chairs all in a row.Yawns and coughs as the  lectures reached mid point.This was not what she signed up for when she had set out to be in on the new frontier of computer communication systems.

The projected  slide behind her was upside down.she made a gesture with her index finger and her assistant skipped to the next image. A generic photograph of a bustling airport..people in line.waiting.the next slide showed cameras. and the next a control room with close ups of various faces on monitors Parasol was an innovator  of interpretive software that read both expressions and facial cues. Parasol also made the new Scanning equipment that was easier to use and much cheaper than facial recognition. Parasol scanned and interpreted  the actual brain waves of passengers .

.It was the latest strategy for safe travel  

, BUT”don’t ever call it Mind Reading .” her bosses had said. “it just sounds bad.Call it Neural scanning. But This was easier said than done. for there was always some softhearted liberal in the crowd  with their hand held especially high…

“now about this mind reading equipment”

“we call it neural scanning she would say”

  Inevitably they would bring up things like  civil liberties. How or why such persons had jobs in surveillance was beyond her.

Sometimes she believed they just liked challenging her “Yes yes,”she would smile , of course there were ethical considerations concerning brain scans adding that they were   currently in the grey zone  of such concerns  as the innovations that Parasol Products was   making toward  safer travel and a safer world   were ahead  of current  legalities.

A  9 minute scan could adequately sum up an individuals mind set concerning intent.A nine minute reading of one’s inner monologue while intrusive insured safety in the airways.If one didn’t want to “be read” she might tell the provocateur than maybe one might best just “ take the train “.A  remark that usually put the pundit in their place and usually initiated  A satisfying burst of giggles from the would be buyers

She would than explain ,as best she could how the machine worked.

How one’s brain waves could be scanned ,it’s very much like an EGG or an MRI machine,very safe.There are also advancement using sound waves .

The part of  brain that regulates verbal speech produces very specific patterns that can be recognized and than decoded.

Although ceiling mounted systems were the preferred method of recognizance  for demonstration purposes Brenda carried a  hand held unit  that got smaller every four months.Brenda preferred the initial design of the device when it was larger and more formidable when.Now it looked like something like a sex toy.or a wand.it came in a bright blue plastic container with the words Parasol on the outside.but she kept hers in a burgundy Coach bag that seemed as if it were  specifically designed for the instrument. The instrument she waited until the 45 minute mark in her pitch to show to the merchants.

She felt like a magician at a children’s party doing magic tricks waving her hand held Premise

Can I have a volunteer?

Sometimes it would take some prodding.

But inevitably someone would step forward

After a bit of tinkering with some mechanics she would point the device at the volunteer’s head

And begin a read

There was not enough time for a typical 9 minute read

To actually establish one’s “premise”

But a 3 minute read  for demonstration purposes could clearly show a “thumbprint” of the volunteer’s mind

Often the volunteer was nervous

This nervousness could be taken for a HIDE

But the software was advanced enough to  separate apprehension from subversion.

Sentences and random words appeared on Brenda’s screen

The thoughts were usually  boring.

Unfinished
Sometimes cyclical .

 usually the thoughts were quite fitting ,fleeing or frivolous

“I have to pee. I have to pee”

“It’s hot in here.”

“I wonder what Mary;s doing right now?”

 "I wonder if  the machine knows I”m not wearing any underwear.”

"Why did I volunteer”

Beth never announced the random bits of thought she read on her screen

Nor did she mention that Parasol was working on a subtler read that  also could  render  imagery of thought.For instance seeing the volunteer  as he saw himself without underwear

Nor did she mention that Parasol was also working on a variance of the device that could emit   thoughts  and imagery to the individual.

Sort of “mind reading’ in reverse

"Did I do ok “ the volunteer would inevitably ask

“yes” she would say sharing the words on her private screen with the subject which would often make them  blush.Or appear stupefied upon see their interior thoughts on screen

The crowd seeing this blush and amazement from the volunteer would suddenly come to life.no more drifting off or yawning

replaced by  a wave of “ can I see can I see”  Referring to the screen of recorded thoughts of the volunteer.

And the volunteer,no longer embarrassed but proud to be part  of “the impossible”made possible usually said yes.Read my thoughts

At which time the large overhead screen would fill with a  transcript of recorded thinking

Only once did the volunteer say no.you may not share .virtually destroying her entire presentation.

 

“can I get another volunteer?” she asked the audience.Thinking of the rabbit .Of Jayson .Of Merge.

She looked around the room.There were always fewer hands up the second time around.She could have sworn for a second she had seen Jayson.But it was fleeting.Know what i mean jellybean?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------