To Build A Better Glass + Ask An Expert (2 Fer Tuesday)

Prompts = Flabbergasted, Steal, Composite

Story 1 — To Build A Better Glass

Photo by Jonny Caspari on Unsplash

Inside the Presidential Palace of a small island nation, its president fumed; yet another locally-produced drinking glass had shattered in his hand. And then he called for his Intelligence Chief.

‘You bellowed, sir?’

‘Another glass…’

‘Was crushed by your massive grip.’

‘How did…?’

‘With all due respect, I’m flabbergasted at your need to ask. You pay me to know these things.’

‘I want you to steal the formula for the glass composite used by the Americans.’

‘Genius, sir. Eschew the publicly available information for producing quality glass and instead acquire by stealth.’

‘Exactly!’

‘I’ll get right on it.’

‘Excellent!’

*****

Story 2 — Ask An Expert

 

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash

Buzz

‘Ms. Thompson? There’s a man on the line. He won’t give his name but is insisting he must steal a glass composite formula.’

‘I’m flabbergasted you’re bothering me with this.’

‘He sounds desperate. I thought you could help him.’

‘Fine. Set up a meeting.’

‘He says he’s calling because he wasn’t given a budget to fly here.’

‘A self-proclaimed thief who can’t be bothered to try to sneak in? Morbid curiosity is the only reason I’m taking this.

‘Emily Thompson, Chief Technical Officer.’

‘Deepest apologies, Ms. Thompson, for my call.’

‘Tell me everything. I need a good laugh.’

Links to other sites where I publish:

Blogger = https://onehundredwordsbyparz.blogspot.com
Medium = https://medium.com/100-word-or-less-stories
YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/user/parzivalsattva

And a link to where my Lovely Lady Love (who also operates the camera) posts her art: https://www.youtube.com/user/recyclinggoddess

Thieving Semantics

Photo by Dakota Roos on Unsplash

Prompts = Level, Steel, Steal

‘Look! Fucking… I don’t care what fucking thing you got in school…’

‘It was an A Level in English Literature.’

‘…but it’s fucking ridiculous for us to steal fucking steel! Right?’

Roger Caruthers got this a lot. Young, handsome, bright: at first glance he was a complete package, built for success, perhaps at a hedge fund. But here he was.

‘We’re not… We are going to misappropriate building materials, some of which we’ll sell back at a tidy profit, and the rest sold to other builders. We’re Robin Hood for the construction industry.’

‘Put that way, I’m in!’

‘How grand.’

Definition, Solitude, Steal

As a reporter at Superhero City News, there’s a responsibility to correctly identify both the perpetrators of crime and the heroes who bring criminals to justice. Getting those names right helps give definition to our readers; calling someone a cat burglar isn’t helpful - is the criminal stealthy? Do they steal cats? Or dress like one? Our readers want to know.

The same goes for heroes. A recent addition to the city’s law enforcement force is someone who goes by the name “Solitude”. No one knows much about this person and I think the name gives a clue as to why.