#3

The aseptic white and chrome formed the ceiling of the cave, and off-white panels formed the walls. A stranger, he walked along the tunnels as the hunch-backed inhabitants peered out at him curiously, but quickly returned to their labor when they saw who was walking with him. The stranger, however, ignored them as if in a daze, and walked determinedly in his grey slacks and blazer toward a central chamber. His companion, in a dark blue suit, escorted him politely, but stood tall and proudly with a small smile of superiority on his face. They both walked into a closed room with a long, mahogany table in its center, the room practically buzzing with the blinding fluorescent lights.

The stranger walked and sat at one end of the table, clearly nervous, but doing his best to mask it. The navy suit sat at the table’s opposite end which was already richly populated with men in the same color of suits, with plenty of papers in front of them, stark against the mahogany of the table.

The stranger took a deep breath and took out a tiny sheaf of papers, no more than a few sheets thick. The navy suits stared incredulously. The one at the table head then spoke,

“So, Mr. Brown, let’s get straight to the point. We are, based on the information we have, willing to offer you one million dollars for everything, with exclusive rights.” Several of the navies grimaced slightly, but simply looked forward and said nothing.

The stranger held the man’s eyes for a moment, then looked down, his eyes unfocused. Slowly as the silence extended, more of the navies turned to look at him in both concern and confusion. He was clearly thinking over the decision, agonizing over what the navies assumed to be an incredible deal. Then he looked up, his mouth set.

“No thank you.”