Shhhh! Digital Media Presents

The Butterfly Dragon: The Two Butterflies - Epsisode 14: Crime Of The Century

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Big Money

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Shhhh! Digital Media

Brian Joseph Johns

Warning: This story deals with mature content. Reader discretion is advised.

Shhhh! Digital Media Presents

The Butterfly Dragon: The Two Butterflies - Epsisode 14: Crime Of The Century

Money.

[Pink Floyd - Money]

Yep. That money, though I could honestly do without bouncing around between the 7/8 (seven beats to a bar, and every eighth note gets one beat) and then off to the 4/4 time signature (four beats in a bar and every quarter note gets a beat).

My nephews (my brothers' kids) were really into this music, but honestly it arrived just after my generation, and was brought about by another band of hopeful dreamers.

[The Beatles - Money]

Who like the pink ones aforementioned above, had a bit of cash to go around.

Then they were copied by... [The Flying Lizards - Money]

In a most stylish way that was really popular and probably made lots of money.

Its what makes the world go around.

And around. And around.

[John Barry - The End Is At Hand]

No, not big monkeys.

Big Money!

Yep. That kind of money.

[Rush - Big Money]

The money of the future.

The money of Quantum Computers.

The money of Robots and AI.

The money of Cold and Room Temperatuure Fusion!

How about an ice cold can of cold fusion?!

Or how about some other get rich quick research money gimmick?

Guaranteed to lure in those hungry, charismatic investors who double and triple their investment...

"Mr. Maxwell? You do understand that this is a life insurance commercial we're filming..." the director addressed the aging Quantum Physicist.

"Yes... I assumed so. Why don't we throw some science in there. Capitalize on the fact you have me?" Bryce suggested to the director.

"Mr. Maxwell? Our studies indicate that the public is interested in you because you make most professionals in their mid forties feel nervous about their future. The bottom line is, that when people think about you, they're thinking life insurance. Inheritance. The big exit stage left!" the director explained to Bryce.

Who the heck am I you might ask? I'm Bryce Maxwell. Professor Bryce Maxwell that is.

I'm an old guy. A dinosaur, as some have started referring to me. On the brink of extinction, my time at the front and center of Quantum Physics and popular science is quickly coming to a close.

Its time for me to cash-in. As much as I can.

Lets face it. Kids these days want to see much younger hotshots. They don't want sixty-something heroic icons of the sciences.

They want young, adventurous, scholarly, physically fit, scientists of the new era. Ageless and timeless, never growing old, instead, fearless of the onset of time, and pushing it forward one facelift at a time.

Oh... who are we fooling?

We're at the end of an era.

Who are we fooling anymore? The promise of science is not living up to its expectations!

Scientific celebrities like myself are bottoming out...

"...get ready for the cruise of a lifetime!" Bryce presents the length of the cruise ship behind him.

"Cut! We need a bit more of a spread Doctor Maxwell..." the director of the commercial addressed Bryce.

"Professor..." Bryce corrected him.

"Professor Maxwell..." the director repositioned the camera behind Bryce and prepared for the money shot once again.

"Ready?! Speed and action!" the director urged the crew.

"Not only do we have the bridge to the future... but we have the cruise of a lifetime!" Bryce presented the ship with his arms fully extended.

"That's awesome! The best shot we've had..." the director patted Bryce on the back as they finished the shot.

"Thanks Merle. So are we finished here?" asked Bryce.

"And then some. Despite being in the retirement chair Bryce, you've still got it!" the director complimented him.

"Good to know. Look, I just thought you need to know that my wife and I are leaving tomorrow for an investment rally..." Bryce faced the director, who turned to face his star actor.

"I thought you were here for the crime..." the director turned to face Bryce.

"I'm here for the role... Right Sabine?" asked Bryce of the host.

[Supertramp - The Crime Of The Century]

I can see you in the morning when you go to school

Don't forget your books, you know you've got to learn the golden rule

Your teacher tells you stop your playing, get on with your work

And be like Johnnie-Too-good, don't you know he never shirks

He's coming along

"Don't!!!... There's more to this than a 7/8 time signature!" Bryce screamed as he sat up in his bed.

After school is over, you're playing in the park

Don't be out too late, don't let it get too dark

They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about

And grow up just like them, won't you let it work it out

And you're full of doubt

"And this is how you get ahead in science! This is the future..." Doctor Briggs turned to face the audience from his desk, suddenly reaching for something clawing at his back.

Something taking his studies away from him.

Don't do this and don't do that

What are they trying to do?

(Make a good boy of you)

And do they know where it's at?

Don't criticize, they're old and wise

Do as they tell you to

Don't want the devil to

Come and put out your eyes

Zheng raised her hand up high, into the midst of the lecture.

"Zed equals Zed squared plus C!" Zheng announced, having worked out the formula for the complex plane many times before.

"C in this case not being capacity aka the speed of light, but... the complex plane! The square root of a negative number..." Sabine put her hands together as she paced the stage.

Zheng sat beside Briggs, who sat beside Wendy, Bryce's wife, who sat beside Bryce, who sat beside Sabine, who spoke confidently as she addressed the attendees.

"There was a time when this knowledge of fractals was a promise of untold worth to science. Especially for those studying information theory," Sabine looked around the lecture hall, seeing that she'd caught a few of them off guard.

"Can anyone suggest why that might be?" asked Sabine of audience.

"Data compression. Data heavy versus algorithm heavy compression..." one of the students said boldly.

"Did everyone hear Mr. Scruther's answer?" Sabine asked the audience.

"Data compression. To squeeze the duplicity out of a thing, until you are only left with the that are aspects that are strictly unique about the thing you're trying to compress..." Sabine explained to the class, who quickly began filing out of the University of Toronto Lecture Hall.

"You had them for most of the lecture..." Bryce smiled at Sabine as he stood from his chair on the stage.

"I take it that our part in the lecture should be coming around by tomorrow?" asked Doctor Briggs.

"Precisely. I got most of Bryce's shots on digital today. We won't be needing you tomorrow Bryce, but Doctor Briggs... Zheng... be here bright and early and we'll try to have this done before noon..." Sabine handed them their script for the following day.

"Thanks for the gig Sabine. I'll call you next week and let you know if we need you for the fundraiser pitch..." Bryce addressed Sabine, who filed her overhead slides into a folder and began preparing herself to leave for the day.

"We're going to have dinner with Alicia and Norler tonight. Norler said you two are welcome to swing by if you'd like?" Zheng asked Bryce.

"I think we're done for the night. We were just going to curl up on the sofa and watch a flick," Bryce responded to Zheng.

"Alright. Just thought I'd check with you first," Zheng smiled at Wendy and Bryce as they left for the parking lot.

"Don't forget about the gig next week...." Bryce said as he left the lecture hall.

"For two grand? I wouldn't miss that for the world... oh and don't forget to tell Gabe that we say hi!" Zheng smiled over the windfall of landing a paid gig delivering two lines of dialog for two thousand dollars.

"Will do! Bye for now!" Bryce waved to them as he left for the parking lot with Wendy.

Bryce woke up.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Wendy asked Bryce as he leaned forward in bed.

"It was... surreal. Like a dream or a nightmare..." Bryce sat up in bed.

"Did you make money?" asked Wendy.

"Yes, but its even drying up in my dreams..." Bryce explained to Wendy.

"What? Your gauchies?" joked Wendy.

"No. My work. Its dwindling..." Bryce explained to her.

"Zheng's. Doctor Briggs'. We're all struggling for work..." Bryce explained to Wendy, returned to the bed with a coffee in hand.

"Here. This might help," Wendy handed him his coffee.

"Always the one with the solution honey?" Bryce gave her a quick peck on the lips, which she returned with a quick bite of his lips.

To be continued...