DAY 27: The Map Reading

Edgar gave a sideways glance to his attorneys, looking for a tell.  He looked across the table at Dr Lamar, trying to read his inscrutable face.  The corporate lawyers had not arrived yet; why no united front?  The doctor was saying nothing.  He consulted his instincts, and he felt... something familiar, but distantly so.  He felt...

The attorneys arrived.  Haggarty and Lewis, he recognized.  They'd been involved in the CFO vetting process since his first interview.  There were three new faces, junior ones - seat fillers, he dismissed.  And the technician was preparing the conference connections; perhaps this would be the end of the journey.

Lewis nodded to Dr Lamar, and he began.  "Mr Portnow, you understand that we deny no one the opportunity to participate in our application process, regardless of their health status.  Our company assesses all candidates on their anticipated capacity to perform their expected duties.  This is the purpose of our extensive medical examination."

Haggarty spoke next.  "Mr Portnow, you previously signed the consent forms regarding this examination.  For the discussion with all parties present, do you wish to continue to grant consent?"  Edgar turned to Rosalyn, his chief attorney, and nodded.  "Our client does," she replied...

Edgar ignored the rest of the attorneys' round of kabuki, and focused his attention on the silent Dr Lamar.  He had been professional but not cordial, polite but not engaging in conversation.  When the testing had completed, Edgar was shown out by one of the Doctor's technicians; the Doctor had already begun analyzing the results.

The CFO seat was a means to an end.  But if he couldn't shepherd their corporation toward a merger with Koshugi TE internally, he knew enough players that could facilitate a more drastic assumption of power.  The wolves were at the gate...

Dr Lamar had activated the CLARITY scans for the perusal of the room.  Floating in the center of the room was a detailed holographic scan of Edgar Portnow's brain.  Dr Lamar was introducing everyone to the infinite tendrils of neural nets that crisscrossed through Edgar's lobes.  For a moment, he was proud...

"...these spots suggest early development of aneurysmic conditions.  And here at the lower occipital lobe are symptomatic of level 1 neural degredation..." Dr Lamar's words were thunderous in Edgar's brain.  'Aneurysm', like his father at 58, an age he had already passed.  'Degradation', as in his brother's mental condition on the eve of his convalescence.  Edgar had buried both of them, and set them aside to finish his work...

Haggarty was speaking now.  "Based on the doctor's assessment of three years before required intervention, the board would like to offer you a transitional CFO position - beside assumption of current operations, you can integrate your knowledge and philosophy to our long-term strategy, and help us find candidates that can realize those ideas..."

Haggarty was too calm, too prepared for this development, Edgar decided.  Were they manipulating him?  Was this some kind of trick?  Had he been found out?  He would find the lie - crush it.  He searched for the lie, in Dr Lamar's eyes.  Pity looked back at him.  Pity was all he saw.  Throughout the room, intermittent glances of pity was all he saw...

His attorneys had taken the reins of the negotiations now.  They were doing their job, regaining the momentum, enforcing Edgar's strongest position.  Presently, that was accepting the 3-year contract, with an option of first refusal on a 4th; they were negotiating bonuses based on stock performance, and a dietary regimen for Edgar.  Whenever Rosalyn needed Edgar to answer personally, she would tap his foot, and he would reflexively nod; she would ask the court reporter to acknowledge Edgar's response, and the room accepted this.
Meanwhile, Edgar wandered in his chair, and waited to leave.  They seemed to be talking forever...


inspired by Discover Magazine article, "Transparent Brain Could Clear Up Mysteries of the Mind"