Primer Page #7

but don't know how we got to that point.

-No, I can't.

-Can't what?

I can't think of any reason why I would.

Well, I can't either.

What if it was an emergency?

-So you'd do it if it was an emergency?

-No, I don't know. What, so you might then?

I don't know. What kind of emergency?

The permutations were endless.

They tried again going to the source...

but even while keeping him separated

from Abe by two rooms...

Ask him his name.

...Granger's condition

could only be described as vegetative.

What did he say?

From this they deduced

that the problem was recursive...

but beyond that, found themselves

admitting, against their own nature...

and once again,

that the answer was unknowable.

-What do you think he changed?

-Not much.

We didn't have any contact with him

in the 3 hours he could've done anything.

I know he changed this. I know we weren't

having this conversation the first time...

so you don't know what we lost.

It really could not have been much.

It doesn't matter how much.

It just matters that it's changed.

I know what you're saying.

The question should have been...

what to do with the comatose man

in the guest bedroom.

But in Abe's mind

he was already compiling the list.

Two mg of oral triazolam...

every seven hours induces a safe sleep state

and a minimal metabolic rate.

At this continued state of rest...

the human body breathes

0.3 liters of oxygen a minute...

or roughly 2,000 liters in four days.

A Class E oxygen tank holds 625 liters.

To maintain hydration...

the body cycles through a minimum

of two-and-a-half liters of water per day.

Any food would be a luxury...

but the small tank

of medical grade nitrous oxide...

would be needed on the other side.

Past the room that contained their machines

and up two levels...

he made his way to another room...

where he had stored what I will refer to

from here on as the Failsafe Machine.

There he is.

I've been calling you all morning.

Really?

Your cell and work.

I'm not there.

Really?

I don't even know what.

I'm just tired.

I hope you're not implying

that any day is unimportant at Cortex Semi.

I was going to come give you

this big speech about how we've been...

friends for a long time and built up trust,

that whole thing.

But how about this instead?

If you ditch work this afternoon and promise

to do the few small things I ask you...

I will in return show you

the most important thing...

that any living organism has ever witnessed.

At this point

there would have been some discussion.

Abe would, of course, want to know how.

Aaron would have to explain

all about the storage manifest...

and how it showed two rooms

under the name Abram Terger.

Then Abe would need to know how.

Aaron would explain

that when he went up there...

and found the Failsafe running...

he knew exactly what it was.

But Abe would ask how.

And then the bit

about the modular design of the coffins...

and how it meant he could fold one up

and take it back inside another.

They are not one-time use only.

They are recyclable, Aaron would say.

How, Abe would ask.

And Aaron would describe

how simple things become...

when you know precisely

what someone will have for breakfast...

even in a world of tamper-proof lids.

How?

And that's where

I would have entered the story.

Or exited, depending on your reference.

Because when Aaron came back

the second time, it wasn't so easy.

He wasn't expecting me to put up a fight.

And by that time,

he was too exhausted to take me.

But for reasons

that are only evident to me now...

I understood that he simply wanted it more.

That he just had more invested. So I left.

He had already performed the task,

as I had intended to...

of recording the conversations of the day

just in case.

Through that earpiece

he had a three-second lead on the world.

Aaron, you need some sleep.

Some real sleep.

I can't. I've got a schedule.

He had but to speak aloud the words

that came into his head...

and those around him would fall in line.

This is Track 3.

Abe is bringing my car around

and I am on my way to the court.

I'll see Will there.

I'll invite him to the party and make sure

he's bringing Rachel's boyfriend.

Will.

You pretentious prick.

What the hell is that?

Is that your cell phone?

-No, it's a radio, man.

-You look like Secret Service.

-You look like Secret Service.

-Ariel meeting is moved to Wednesday.

What? What the hell

am I hanging around here for?

Yeah, I know. Sorry.

Nice shot, Aaron.

Brick. That is ugly, Aaron.

We could have used that

last week against TI.

At least you've got your golf game.

I see you've been practicing.

You come out here with your $3 tie

and think you can play whiteball.

What are you doing tonight?

I was supposed to be in Raleigh.

Thanks to you I missed my flight.

-You know Robert?

-Yeah.

He's got a birthday tonight.

Why don't you come out?

-I'm just going to hang out with my cousin.

-Bring him. Rachel will be there.

-Big reunion.

-Exactly.

I don't think I'm doing this.

Why not?

Because I can think of a million

different ways that this can happen...

and nobody comes anywhere near

getting hurt.

I can call her and see

if she wants to do something else...

or betteryet,

not even talk to her about the party.

That's good fortonight. What about

tomorrow? And every other day?

-I'll take care of tomorrow, tomorrow.

-You'll watch her always.

This guy is crazy enough to walk

into a room of people waving a shotgun.

What do you think he'll do

if he everfinds her alone?

This way, we know exactly what happens.

We have complete control over it.

At the end of the night,

this guy is arrested and goes to jail.

That's the way it goes.

Your words, not mine.

Now come on, it has to be you.

She said she was there

because you told heryou would be there.

Don't tell me I came back

and did this for nothing.

He doesn't fire?

-No. He didn't fire.

-He neverfires?

-Not even when you rushed him?

-No. He didn't.

He didn't the time I was, when I rushed him.

And from what Robert tells you,

he didn't do it tonight.

He doesn't have the nerve.

We know everything.

Okay? We're prescient.

We can still be careful.

Maybe we can get to the gun

without him knowing.

We definitely can.

He leaves it in the truck

before he goes in. We don't even need to...

-but if it makes you feel better--

-What's wrong with our hands?

What do you mean?

Why can't we write like normal people?

I don't know. I can see the letters.

I know what they should look like.

ljust can't get my hand to make them easily.

Try comparing it to your left hand.

Mine looks the same.

Guess what today is.

No, no. It's yourfriend Robert's birthday.

He says he likes records,

so I got him The Best of Bread.

No, real records, like vinyl.

I can tell you with certainty

what I did that night when it was my turn.

But I think it would do little good,

because what the world remembers...

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