Tethered Reality: 1 The Johari Window
A marsupialoid scientist, with features similar to a koala, working on his research against the backdrop of energy formulas and unknown variables experiments with crystals and lasers, mirrors and refined gasified plasmas, protective tinted eyewear, gloves covered in large snake scales. The machine long like a drill, framework chassis absent panels and showing components of glass over obsidian boxes and torque engine teeth covered in magnetic red silica dust. Configuring capacitors and adjusting wedges with cranks, a glow rises and stops, alterations to repair and replace and redesign in the moment, a glow again and a beam of light blasts from it, the scientist is stunned by its magnetic field, it twists his muscles, but his armored hands and forearms, slowly pulls himself from the radiance of blue against the room. His hair is cooked and his clothes steam, as he pases out.
He wakes in fear of the light, but casually sits with his heels on the floor and arms around bent knees, staring at a window with glowing white watery edge into another place or world, a meadow or prairie in the sunlight of a peaceful slope, many miles into the distance an arid mountain ridge, no trees, no flowers, the grass three shades less than green in a wavering glow from the portal’s surface.
The scientist finds then uses the rotary phone and stares into the portal.
Johari Koth: Error 9, lock us down.
The guards at the compound go into defensive readiness, vehicles are halted, gates are closed, turrets are raised. He hangs up the phone. Pours a drink and notices the machine heating up, rushes into the energized bubble and reapplies a corrective panel, and then exiting again smokey and confused, but suddenly celebrating his discovery.
An hour later he stands siping next to an open office door, his secretary on the other side curious from a safe distance to point the generals thru the door, amazed before they enter, silently facing it.
General: Now I know why you summoned us.
Koth: If something went wrong, I wanted to know what broke first.
General: Where is that? Duvan? Merisa Plain?
Koth: Don’t know. This bubble is hot, and that portal burned my broom.
General: They’re gonna name colleges after you! No! Cities for your beautiful mind!
The general laughs and squeezes him.
General: Pour me a drink!
Koth: The chrysalis matrix will deplete soon; not a new power source, but someone had to see it.
General: Did you record for the records?
Koth: I did.
General: Gentlemen, turn on the recorder, this is a new chapter in history.
The other men in military suits prep and start a cinematic film reel camera. The general lights a cigar, pours a drink, and speaks ceremoniously.
General: All of you, get in the picture. This...this is the man that today changed history, your future is possible because of this man, this machine, and that some of you are studying the breakthrough, or years from now, living in better times. Johari Koth and this Johari window to our future. Say something for the children.
Koth: ...the right words from the right leaders are nothing compared to the right knowledge…
General: ...go on...
Koth: ...science made this possible, use it wisely to help others, ...and if we don’t get the damn thing to work, don’t put my name on it. Longa Marsupia!
Koth raises his glass and drinks it empty. Just then, the machine begins to break and grinds into halt and the energy field simply dissipates quickly, but the window slowly shrinks shut leaving a pile of dust resembling plain carbon.
General: What’s the orders, Koth?
Koth: Orders?
General: Your program, unlimited funding - within reason, your next test, we’re going to do miracles, to harness every yield this machine makes.
The generals stare at him, smiling, he acts nervously.
Koth: The bubble is nothing more than a heat source and antique antipersonnel grid warped around a very expensive battery, and I can’t get to the window to see if it’s a portal or a mirror.
General: You’re never going to want for anything again.
Koth: I doubt that.
The general puts his arm around his shoulder and sobers to subtly speak.
General: Mirrors are tactical, egress is practical, you’ve discovered royal currency. The emperor insists reward you, pick anywhere in the world for your research, take a week as the newest man to change history.
>Koth reacts picturing his new self. The service-members take pictures and speak ill of historic enemies. Koth writes a note and gives it to his assistant who casually leaves quietly. He kneels to look at, and feel, the carbon in the last of the blue glow, as the general watches him. They pull him to his feet with cheers and he finally smiles.
mjbanks / johari window