It all started with Bob’s attempts to cross breed various members of the assassin bug family in an attempt to create a “green” alternative to chemical pest control.
A few years later, as the technologies from the Human Genome Project moved into the private sector, the world changed in strange and enduring ways. The field of transgenics guaranteed that nothing would ever be the same.
Bob and Klaus enrolled at the University of Oregon, shifting their studies to bioengineering, gene transfer techniques, molecular biology, and technical computing in molecular entomology. Using DNA mapping systems and the possibilities of genetic manipulation, they began to create transgenic assassin bugs instead of old-fashioned hybrids.
As with most entrepreneurial ventures, there were a few snags along the way, primary among which was a cash flow problem. It turned out that the lab equipment was as expensive as the science was fantastic. A quarter million dollars for a single suspension array system with performance validation tools, conversion kits, software, and the various parts and accessories to make it work. By the time they’d assembled a viable lab and hired a few qualified researchers, they’d burned through a fair chunk of their savings.
This explained why they had made inquiries with several venture capital outfits, among which was Blue Sky Capital Partners, LLC, whose president, Joshua Treadwell, was scheduled to arrive this afternoon to visit the laboratory for a demonstration of the current strains of transgenic assassin bugs.
The flesh fly landed on Bob’s arm, tickling the hair and bringing Bob back from his reverie. He made a move to catch it but wasn’t quick enough. “Damn.” The fly was across the room now, circling near the micro-injection station. As Bob studied its orbit, a new idea formed. He looked up at Klaus and said, “Hey, do you think we could make an assassin that flies?”
Klaus eyed him skeptically. “Perhaps,” he said. “But first we should…”
Bob didn’t hear the objection. “No, wait a second.” He slapped his hand on the floor. “Yes!” Bob scrambled to his feet, his mind fixed on new possibilities. “I mean one that actually catches insects in mid-air.” He snatched at the air in front of him to demonstrate.
“Bob,” Klaus said, gesturing with his fork. “You have that look on your face again.” The first time he saw it was when Bob had the idea that saved their lives and led to the ten-million-dollar con. In the years since, Klaus had seen it many times, though without the subsequent profits.
“This is fantastic,” Bob said as he began to calculate the potential millions of his latest idea. “Think about it!”
“Bob?”
“Something that kills flies and mosquitoes, indoors or out. And wasps! Be a huge seller during the summer.” Bob crossed the room to a shelf filled with textbooks. “But what do we use?” He tilted his head to the side to read the titles.
“I think we should perfect our current bugs first,” Klaus said. “What’s the expression? You must learn to walk before you can run?”
“This is fantastic,” Bob said. He ran a finger along the spines of the books, his head still cocked at an angle. “Got to be something with strong flight skills. Dragonflies? Ommigod, no.” He snatched a book from the shelf and said, “Promachus fitchii!” He tossed the book to Klaus. “The giant robber fly! I can’t believe we didn’t think of this before. We can pitch Treadwell this afternoon.”
“Bob? We don’t have time to work up another presentation.” Still, he looked up the insect in question.
Bob was shaking his head, deflecting Klaus’ negativity. “We’ve got to think big! That’s what venture capital’s all about, right? Funding big ideas. Big buggy ideas! These guys respond to that sort of thinking. That’s why he’s coming here in the first place, right? Big ideas yield big returns.” He pointed at the textbook as Klaus scrolled through the index. “Whaddya think? Sacken’s bee hunter, what is it, Laphria sackeni? No, it’s too small. What about Efferia pogonias?”
Klaus looked up the bearded robber fly. He said, “Well, it does catch prey on the wing. But the adults fly only during the summer.”
“That’s when you need them!” Bob grabbed a legal pad and began sketching ideas for a demonstration as he paced the room. “We’ll need something big, maybe a wind tunnel, where we can test them in flight. I think the biggest problem will be keeping them in a specific area. Maybe there’s a pheromone solution to that.” He was passing by the lab door when it opened abruptly and whacked him in the head. “Ow!”
“Oops, sorry.” Mary peered behind the door where Bob stood with a stunned expression. “You okay?” She was dressed for business in a navy blue mid-length jacket, matching skirt, and subdued floral patterned shirt with a bumblebee pin on her lapel.
Bob rubbed his head, still wide-eyed with enthusiasm. He said, “Honey, we just had a great idea. We’re working on a new…”
“No time,” Mary said, holding up a hand.
“What’s up?”
“He’s here.”