SFS1 - Science Fiction Short Stories by Krishna kumar Mani Page B

to here.”
I
sent
Francisco,
Francisco
surrounded me and took photos and started to
interview me.
Press: “How does it work?”
Me:
“It's much too technical
and
complicated to explain in a brief press meeting.
I'll simply say it converts an object from one
form
to
another
form
after
successful
transmission and then regenerates the original
object at the other end.”
Press: “What is required to operate this
machine, is any fuel required?’
Me: “Only electricity to power it and an
internet
connection to
transfer
the data.
It
couldn't be simpler.”
Press: ”What is the use of the internet
connection?”
Me: “It could be LAN, WAN or the Internet.
the
NY
Times
reporter
to
San
and
I
appeared
again
in
San
right
after
him.
Everybody
A connection is required to transport the data
like I said. The teleport terminal will convert
the object as digital data and transfer it over
internet to the receiving terminal.
Then the
receiving end regenerates the object. After a
successful regeneration, the digital data will be
automatically erased in both terminals as to
prevent copying.”
Press: “Then you mean, a human can be
cloned using this?”
Me: ”It could be, but that's really not the
functionality of this invention.”
Press: “is it safe?”
Me: “100% , it uses lossless conversion. If
there's
an internet
connection problem,
the
data is here so it will either resend it again or
regenerate
again
in
the
same
sending
terminal.”
Press: “How can this invention be used?“
Me:”In the future we'll have no more
airports or railways stations, only teleportation
stations. People will come to the teleportation
station and then can go where ever they want.”
Press: ”Can even go to other countries?”
Me: ”All the teleportation machines will be
linked, they can go to any terminal by entering
the terminal number. It can be in any country.
It might not even have to be on Earth.”
Press: “Space travel? Other countries? Won't
this be a security risk?”
Me: “Absolutely not. Just like at airport,
teleportation
will
be
overseen
by
the
government and everyone will still have to
follow the visa and security checks of course.”
One of the press reporters told me that this
would be the headline tomorrow and for days
to come. They started immediately publishing
the news on the internet and I thanked them
for their kind words. I sent and received back
the reporters. Now I am at New York.
The venture capitalists were eager to meet
me. In truth, they're the ones I wanted to meet
with all along.
    “Wait a just moment,” I told them. “I will
say goodbye to the San Francisco audience and
be back in a couple of minutes.”
    It took me fifteen minutes to dismiss the
meeting and
enter
into
the San
Francisco
teleportation device after which I reappeared
in San Francisco. Business people were waiting
for me in New York. Already it was a longer
delay
than
I would
have liked
I
urgently
pressed T03 and I exited in New York. No... it
was not New York. It was my lab. And my
stupid boss was standing front of me. Now I
understood.
I
wrongly
pressed
the
lab's
teleport ID T03. During my work day I tested
this machine hundreds of times. I pressed the
wrong
teleport
number
by
habit
and
accidentally
teleported
here.
My
boss
is
looking at me angrily and I cannot look him in
the eyes.
My
plan is
to
run again to
the
teleportation terminal
before my
audience
wonders where I've gone.
    “I was busy with my newest research and,
in fact, had just completed it when I saw you
on the television,” he began. “I hadn't even
noticed my missing teleport machines until I
saw the CNN live report and understood what
was going on.”
    I was silent, just waiting to get out of there.
He continued, “You don’t know anything
about how the teleportation machines work
and still you stole them.”
    I run to the teleportation machine and enter
the New York teleport ID correctly. Luckily the
device is working. I exit and open