by Alex Schuler
“As you are all aware, the LSV has many advantages,” Vin said. “With a maximum speed of only thirty-five miles per hour, we can avoid most regulations. This will be a big advantage when it comes time for certifications and approvals. Before we get to the timeline and milestones are there any questions?” Vin noticed a hand go up in the back of the dimly lit room. “Yes, Ralph?”
“Are we calling this thing Tadpole?” Ralph asked. “Maybe Leapfrog Four?”
Ted rolled his eyes. Sam and a few others laughed.
“That’s a good point,” Vin replied. “We will need to name this little guy, won’t we? Perhaps another contest like we did last time?”
“How about we just call it Lazy Slow Vehicle?” Ted asked. He looked around the room but was greeted with nothing but sour stares. He did notice Lori smiling. “Seriously, why are we doing this? It’s just a golf cart, right? A self-driving golf cart. Is that how low we’ve fallen? Is that all we can achieve?”
“Ted, I think you’re being very unfair,” Vin said. “By downsizing and integrating this technology into an LSV, we will accomplish two things. First, we will prove full autonomy works as part of a completely integrated system. Second, we will bring it to market faster and at a lower price point compared to a full-sized vehicle.”
“Bring it to market?” Ted asked. “Where? Golf resorts?”
“The possibilities are endless,” Sam said, her tone suddenly defensive. “Universities could easily invest in a system like this. I think you’re being shortsighted. I have to agree with Vin on this one.”
“Of course you do,” Ted said dismissively. He looked down at the empty space in front of him and realized he had forgotten to grab his pen and pad. Having nothing to fiddle with, he suddenly felt even more anxious. “We should have tried other companies. Screw Detroit. There are other players out there.”
“The LSV is just the first step,” Sam said. She stood up and positioned herself beside Vin. “We need to start small and then scale up. We avoid many risks by deploying the technology on a low-speed vehicle. It makes perfect sense. It’s the next logical step in the process.”
“Step, step, step!” Ted felt his frustration rise to a full boil. He could feel every set of eyes in the room staring at him, many filled with disappointment. He didn’t care. “We spent years getting Leapfrog to work. We now have three of them up and running. But you want to go backward to a toy car? This stupid LSV will do nothing to change how transportation works. Wasn’t our goal to be a disruptor?”
“That’s still the goal,” Vin said.
“When?” Ted struggled to temper his anger. “We moved too slow on Leapfrog. I know we could have completed those ten challenges in half the time if you’d just listened to me.”
He hoped to get some sort of positive reaction or support from someone else in the room. Instead, he was met with silence. The only sound to be heard was the whirring fan from the projector hanging from the ceiling.
“Are you done?” Sam asked.
Ted looked over to Lori and Ralph to see if perhaps they might have something to say. Ralph had his head hung low, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Lori had a blank look on her face as she stared back at Ted.
“Just one more thing, boss,” Ted said. “Given the shape and speed of the vehicle, why don’t we call it Tortoise?”
“Oh!” Ralph suddenly perked up. “Maybe we can name it after one of those ninja turtles?”
Ted kept his eyes locked on Sam. He knew nobody other than her would understand why he picked that name. The last bits of his anger slipped away as he saw her face soften across the dim room. Her eyes began to shimmer as tears pooled at the edges of her eyelids.
“Excuse me,” she said.
He stood up as she quickly made her way to the exit, thrusting his arm out to stop her, but she shoved him aside and flung the door open. He followed her into the hallway and grabbed her elbow. Sam yanked herself free but he lunged forward, grasping both of her arms.
“Stop,” he said. The conference room directly across the hallway was now empty. He opened the door and pushed her inside, closing the door behind them. “I’m sorry, Sam.”
“How could you?” She burst into tears and turned away. She noticed a table in the far corner with a box of tissues. She grabbed a few and blew her nose, dabbing her eyes dry. “You are constantly angry, Ted. Just what is the problem?”
“Because, Sam, GSI’s going nowhere. Project Courier was a dud. Admit it!”
“I will not! I poured my life into that project. Years! So did you. We all did. What’s wrong with you? It’s because Vin made me lead, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”
“No.” He lowered his head, refusing to admit she was partially right. He began to wonder how the entire LSV project would play out with her dictating his plans and strategy. “You’ve always been his favorite, Sam.”
“So, you’re jealous?”
“No. It’s just that, well, I think having you as the lead will slow things down. It will slow me down. My team.”
“Ted, I’m willing to work with you on this. Don’t get bent out of shape because I’m in charge.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He exhaled slowly to calm himself down. He could see that she was still rattled and angry. Rolling a chair forward, he spun a second one around for Sam. Once they were both sitting, he took her hands into his. “This company is going in the wrong direction. Can’t you see that with the LSV we’re moving backward?”
“No.”
“Ever since Detroit snubbed us, this place has been in a downward spiral. Vin is leading us to a dead end. The LSV is not the answer. Half the team is still in shock over Detroit rejecting us. I don’t know about you, but that kickoff meeting wasn’t filled with joy.”
“Your entrance certainly brought the mood down.”
“Really? Nobody’s been happy lately. Walking the halls feels like being in a funeral parlor.”
“I’ll admit that the morale around here has been a bit low, but now that we’re moving forward with LSV, I expect things to perk up eventually.”
“You’re wrong, Sam.” He let go and leaned back in his chair. He stared deep into his wife’s green eyes, looking for any sign of a connection or understanding. “I . . . I think it’s time we start looking elsewhere. Maybe even form our own business. Perhaps a consulting company. We can look for investors.”
“What?” She stood up and backed away from him. “Have you lost your mind? I just got promoted.”
“Wait. Vin promoted you? I thought this was just a project assignment. Did you get a raise?”
“Can we talk about this outside of work?”
He closed his eyes and thought back to the long nights and weekends he’d committed to the ten challenges. After all those months, it was his wife who got the promotion. He realized Vin would never support him, or champion his work ethics and methodologies. If he was going to see his dream of self-driving cars become a reality, her promotion solidified his belief that he couldn’t do it at GSI.
“I’ve already started looking into other options.” He stayed seated and watched Sam as she nervously wandered about the room. “I have feelers into both Toyota and Mercedes. A few others. How do you feel about moving to Germany?”
“Germany!”
“I’m joking, Sam. Sort of.” He let out a soft chuckle as he felt a sudden clarity on what his future held. “Mercedes has offices in Atlanta, although it might be fun to live in another country.”
“Ted, I’m not moving to Atlanta,” she said, taking a seat next to him. “And I’m not leaving GSI. We’re making great progress here.”
“That’s all we’ve made. Our designs are nothing but ideas and prototypes. Sam, this technology should already be in production vehicles. Now we’re looking at building glorified golf carts. It’s wrong. All of it is wrong.”
“You
aren’t seriously thinking of relocating for a new job, are you?”
“I definitely need a career change, Sam. I don’t want to move, but I wouldn’t rule it out. If you want to stay at GSI, that’s fine. Not me. Would Vin let you work remotely?”
“Ted, we’ve only been married since May. Dani is still adjusting to her new school and struggling to make friends. If you are serious about changing jobs, you need to keep it local. Moving is out of the question. Even if Vin said I could work remotely, I wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“You don’t get it, do you?” She closed her eyes and rotated her chair away from him to face the hallway. Vin’s meeting had ended and the team members were filing by, each staring into the conference room as they walked by. “This is my chance to lead a ground-breaking project. There’s no way I’m giving that up.”
“But what if my only option requires me to move?”
“Move? Did you hear anything I said? There’s no way I’m moving Dani again. Not this soon. She’s too young for so much change.”
“Change is good, Sam. Maybe you should try to shield her a bit less.”
“Excuse me?”
“You and your mother have always babied her. Made it all about her.”
“Is that it? Or is it because it’s not all about you?” She shook her head and wiped her eyes dry. “I’ve always cherished our differences, Ted. But now I fear they’re going to drive us apart.”
“Don’t say that, Sam. We’ll work this out. If moving is off the table, then I’ll stick with local options. I know there are better jobs out there.” He rolled his chair forward and spun Sam to face him. He took her hands in his and kissed her wedding rings. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”
36
Rusty shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he gazed down through the watch tower window overlooking the DSU robotics workshop floor. It was Friday, twelve days before Christmas. Two students—the two Rusty was the least impressed by—were busy toiling away attempting to secure a new radar sensor to the front of a six-legged autonomous drone. The vehicle was intended to be a new proof-of-concept, showcasing the lab’s latest AI software. The floor should have been bustling with twenty or more students. Instead, it looked like a ghost town.
The lab’s exterior windows howled and rattled in their frames, battered by blustering winds. Rusty hadn’t bothered to use the DARPA or pizza challenge winnings to upgrade the building’s doors or windows, much to the chagrin of the faculty and students working in there. Instead, he had poured all of the funds into the hardware and software he felt were needed to continue to keep DSU at the forefront of the robotics and artificial intelligence edges of science. The hinges on the exit door behind him squealed as the door slowly opened. He turned around to see Nico Lee enter, cradling an empty cardboard box in his arms.
“Leaving early?” Rusty asked. He checked his Seiko and frowned. “It’s noon.”
“I still have a lot of packing to do at home.” Nico placed the box on the chair in front of his workstation. His desk was filled with several academic awards, as well as a few pictures of his wife and two infant children—twins. He began placing them in the container. “Why? Do you plan to dock my pay?”
“That’s out of my control.”
“And I’m sure that eats you up inside.”
Nico began to rifle through his desk drawers, randomly selecting items and tossing them into the box. He paused when he got to his DSU mug. After looking at it briefly, he decided against taking it with him.
“Are you sure you’re making the right move?” Rusty asked, surprised to find himself feeling slightly anxious. “You’ve been a great teacher to the students here. I had my doubts when you applied for the job, but they’ve come to respect you.”
“Have you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rusty asked angrily.
Nico placed the last of his personal belongings into the box and folded the flaps, locking them into place. He walked over to Rusty and pointed through the window toward the two students working down below.
“I remember being in their shoes,” Nico said. “Those first weeks as a student were nerve-racking. I was terrified of you. We all were. When I became a teacher here, I thought that would have changed. I thought you would have seen me as a true colleague.”
Rusty frowned and shook his head. He couldn’t understand Nico’s point of view. Rusty had delegated many responsibilities to Nico and felt he’d performed admirably. The students regularly praised “Mr. Lee” as they all called Nico. Rusty found Nico’s style to be too low-key, but he often relished the good-cop/bad-cop role they often took when dealing with the students.
A crash on the shop floor below broke Rusty’s concentration. He looked down to see the radar assembly intended for the rover now in several pieces scattered across the floor. He pounded on the glass and whipped the window open. “I’m sending that bill to the financial aid department!” He slammed the window shut and looked back at Nico. “We both know the only reason you’re leaving is for the money.”
“That’s not the only reason. Look, I’ll admit Where2 dangled a lot of cash in front of me. But you have to know the other reason I’m leaving.”
Rusty stared blankly at Nico. He was truly at a loss for words.
“It’s you, Rusty.”
“Me?”
“You still treat me like a student.”
“I do not!”
“Maybe not all of the time, but often enough. I’m your peer. I deserve better.”
“My peer?” He leaned forward and glared into Nico’s eyes. “How many robots have you built for NASA? How many trapped miners have your rovers saved? We aren’t equals, Nico. We just work together.”
“My point exactly.” Nico walked over to his desk and gave a last look around to make sure he’d collected everything he planned to take with him. “I’ve made significant contributions to this department, Rusty. I swear, I think nothing will ever be good enough for you.”
“I demand the best, Nico. Not just from my students, but from everyone.”
“You demand the impossible. You push beyond limits.”
“And do you think you’d be where you are today if I didn’t?”
“You mean leaving?”
Rusty frowned and folded his arms across his broad chest. He was disappointed Nico didn’t understand his methods. The students below were frantically trying to reassemble the radar sensor. Rusty caught his reflection in the glass panes. His beard and handlebar mustache were snow-white, the orange flecks having disappeared with age.
“Think about it, Rusty. Where2 is taking your entire undergraduate staff and me along with them.”
“Where2 is a joke of a company, Nico. You’re making a foolish decision. Those bastards had no right coming in here and taking my students!” Rusty glanced at the mess on the floor below. “They left me with shit.”
“If you’re talking about Tom and Debbie downstairs, they’re leaving, too.”
“What?” Rusty stormed across the room, his right hip sending jolts of pain down to his foot. He ignored the aching and stopped mere inches from Nico. “You can’t gut this place, Nico.”
“You’re really going to try to blame this on me?” Nico laughed as he picked up the box he’d packed and swung the door open. He glanced back over his shoulder and said, “If you want someone to pin this max exodus on, try looking in the mirror.”
Rusty glared at Nico’s back as he disappeared through the door. The hinges creaked just before the door slammed hard against the frame. He debated going after him, but realized it was pointless. He reminded himself that Nico was not always the best co-worker, often pushing back and contradicting him in front of his students. Maybe this was for the best, he told himself. Maybe it would be better in the long run.
He limped as he crossed back over to th
e watch tower’s window. He’d overslept this morning and forgotten to do his exercises. Digging his fingers deep into his right hamstring, trying to relieve the tingling pain he felt, he looked down at the shop floor, just in time to see Nico and his two students exit the building. Rusty debated if he should say or do anything when they looked up before leaving. No action was needed. Neither Nico, Tom, nor Debbie bothered to acknowledge him as they left the lab. He watched as the corner door slammed shut. The shop floor was barren. He stood alone in the watch tower, surveying the vast empty workspace below.
Turning around and walking over to Nico’s workstation, he picked up the DSU mug Nico had left behind. Rusty felt his anger spike as he looked around the room. He walked over to the window that looked down at the lab floor. The scattered remains of the broken radar assembly were piled beside the half-built rover. He launched Nico’s mug through the window and watched as it smashed against the lidar assembly bolted to the robot’s roof.
“Everything can be fixed. Everyone can be replaced.”
He ran his hand along his back and right leg, the throbbing now worse than ever. Lowering himself to the floor, he began doing the morning’s forgotten physical therapy sessions, but stopped after the first half dozen stretches and sat upright, groaning from the pain. The hum of the industrial heaters coming on was the only sound filling the empty building. He realized he’d had students leave his program in the past, but never the entire team. This was a first. He shook his head and went back to doing his stretches.
“Nico will come to realize he made a mistake. He’ll be back. They all will.”
37
Oliver Yan thrummed his fingers across the polished edge of his mahogany desk. As VP of Advanced Mobility Research, the twenty-nine-year-old Long Beach native was tasked with vaulting Where2 to the forefront of self-driving technology. He’d been in the position for less than a year, but had assembled a team of the best and brightest in the industry. A skilled and ruthless negotiator, Oliver prided himself on his ability to recruit anyone. In his mind, everyone had a price, and it was only a matter of crafting the most enticing proposal to win them over.