Page 58 - Like No Business I Know
P. 58
Get in the POOL!
FRANCINE: Couldn’t they transfer you to some other department?
You’ve demonstrated your ability, your loyalty: you’re a good
company man, Fred.
FRED: It’s very simple: no POOL, no HRD. They were already
sealing off the windows on my floor as I left. Too much energy can
escape through glass; it cost more money to heat or cool my floor
than the rest of the building. With only Servotechs there from now
on, the inside temperature barely matters. They don’t need to provide
oxygen, either.
RALPH: “They,” “they:” come on, Fred, tell us: who is running the
show at Cheerful Robots? Men or machines?
FRED: Who knows? Efficiency is being served. I just hope that
when we are all jobless they don’t figure out it is inefficient to
provide us with food, shelter or Servotechs.
FRANCINE: Drinks, anyone?
SOUND EFFECT: (electronic horse-laugh)
(Atomic Cleanser commercial AC-297B)
ANNOUNCER: Please join us next week, when Atomic Cleanser
will give you another look Beyond Tomorrow. This is the Federal
Broadcasting System.
SOUND EFFECT: (FBS chimes)
57