SFS1 - Science Fiction Short Stories Read Free Page B

dean. “But there are lots of tablets in
the
market, what would your invention do any
differently?”
“My medicine is entirely different. It doesn't
boost
memory
power.
It
erases
recent
memories.”
“Who will buy a drug that erases memories?”
the dean asked with a laugh. “What a useless
medicine! I can't believe you've been wasting
all your time and the university's resources on
this.”
The professor hadn't expected these comments
from the dean. All his life he'd worked hard
and no one had recognized it. While others
were home, he was researching. It was just like
the dean to not see the applications for such a
drug. In his life nobody ever rewarded him
also nobody was as smart or as hard working
as he was.
“No, this is not an over the counter medicine,”
knowledge of.
cure AIDS
or
John said, biting back his anger. “It would be
prescribed only by physician...”
“Are doctors mad enough to prescribe this
medicine to make the patients forget their own
memories? Then who will pay the fee?” The
dean burst into a fit of laughter.
“No,” yelled John, losing his temper.
He walked over to a shelf and took down an
old newspaper and few other papers to show
to the dean. The dean stopped laughing and
looked at the papers John had brought him.
“Every 40 seconds a person commits suicide.
Every
year
more than
one million people
commit suicide. This death rate is higher than
deaths from AIDS. And the suicide attempt
rate is far greater. It's 8 to 25 times higher than
than these statistics.”
One of the paper showed ‘In the last 45 years
suicide
rates
have
increased
by
60%
worldwide, these statistics are based on 2012
WHO report’
“How are these statistics related to your
research?” the dean asked seriously.
“My medicine will save a lot of people who
would
otherwise commit
suicide.
A large
number of people who are depressed or have
suicidal tendencies have traumatic memories
that prevent them from living their lives. This
medicine will help them to forget that trauma
and allow them to proceed with their lives. At
the present, my medicine can erase up to the
last 48 hours of memories.”
“Perhaps I was quick to judge your research
without considering its applications. This is
actually
very
excellent,
professor!
You've
performed an invaluable service to mankind
with this.”
“Thank you.”
“When you will complete this?” asked the
dean after being silent for a moment.
“Based on the amount of drug consumed, it
has the potential to erase up to the last 48
hours
of
memories.
Currently
I'm in the
process of extending the duration to the last six
months.”
“So you've tested this medicine?”
“Yes. I've tested it on rabbits and also have run
some trials on myself. No side effects so far.”
The dean’s money mind woke up immediately.
“It is a great product. We have to get a patent
before going to market.”
The professor
understood
completely
what
was
happening.
The dean was
trying to
associate himself with him to this research but
John was not in a position to deny him.
“I will take care of everything,” the dean said
with a smile. “I need the materials and
information you have so we can get a patent on
it. We'll share the profit of 50:50. What do you
think?”
“It’s my pleasure. You know as well as I do
that I'm not a businessman.
You can take it
forward, but before that, let me show you how
it works.”
“I think I've got it figured out. That red liquid
is your medicine. You feed it to the rabbit and
it forgets its recent memories.”
“What you have said is exactly correct, dean”
“But how do you test with the rabbits and
identify if it is working or not?”
“That’s very simple. Wait a minute and I will
demonstrate with a rabbit.”
“Let us have a coffee before this demo”, the
dean bought
two
coffees from the coffee
vending machine and mixed
the red liquid
medicine into the John's coffee while John was
fetching the rabbit for testing.
The