Dinosaurs

Date/Timing: 13 October 2006
Setting: Gottlieb house; Berlin, Germany
.
Hermann closes the door on the sunset—
Bunny's trainers lie in a heap against the wall.
—shakes his head, takes off his loafers, and puts them and Bunny's shoes in the closet. Off he hobbles through the house to his room, wings complaining about the pressure the rucksack full of the term's book put on them. He dumps the bag on the mattress, yanks at his layers as his wings ache. When the binder /finally falls away, he sighs deeply and streeeeeeeeetches ....
Almost comfortable. 
He exhales, fumbles into his pajama bottoms—forgoes the shirt—straddles his desk chair, and wakes his PC.
First stop, email.
Confirmation message from the registrar.
Hermann's heart flip-flops and his wings twitch.
Congratulations from Dee and Karla.
He skims the rest of the unopened messages, frowns, clicks 'Compose Message', sets his mind to 'encipher' and his fingers on the keyboard.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: Early frost
Please cease bothering me about finding my 'calling'. I have just returned from filing the paperwork to declare myself for the computer science programme. Whether I have 'found myself' has yet to be seen, but I will complete a degree in this subject at this university.
As my advisor and I figure it, I should accumulate enough credits by the end of the 2009 spring term to graduate. I do hope to shave at least one semester off by taking an overload of courses. -
Hermann sends the note, then crosses his arms on the desktop, pillows his head on them, wings waving idly in the draught from the furnace.
A quiet /chirp—tree sparrow—from the speakers. 
Hermann lifts his head, wings stilling, pokes open the response.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
About FUCKING TIME.
But COMPUTERS?
WTF?
What happened to stars? You're the biggest astronaut groupie I've ever heard of and here your about as far from that as you can get. 
How can you go from a universe possibly full of life to shoving electrons around? What broke dude? -
Hermann sighs, heart twitching against his ribs, does /not think about a night under the stars in Manchester.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Stargazing may be good for the soul, but it is not likely to gain me suitable employment. 
Besides, since my programming interest centers on artificial intelligences and self-teaching programmes, I will be much more likely to create a new 'lifeform' than any biologist. -
The response is nearly immediate.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Did you just threaten to create fucking Skynet? -
Hermann rolls his eyes and the ache evaporates from his chest.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
No, but if I /did manage to create an intelligent weapons-control platform, I would certainly include sufficient safety protocols to prevent an apocalypse. -
He barely has time to look away from the screen before the response arrives.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Life finds a way dude. -
Hermann suppresses a groan, face-palms.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
A quote from a third-rate monster movie is a piss-poor warning against hubris. Surely you can do better. -
A decisive /click of the mouse.
Hermann turns to the bed, drags his rucksack from the mattress, lets it /thump down onto the floor next to the desk.
/chirp.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Jurassic Park is a cinematic masterpiece you philistine! How DARE you slander it! 
Take it back before I fly over there and kick your ass! -
„'Philistine'? /Philistine?!“ Hermann grits his teeth. Then, deliberately flattens his hands on the desktop and takes five deep breaths through his nose.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
I stand behind my assessment of the film and scoff at your empty threat. -
He drums his fingertips against the desk as he awaits the inevitable.
/chirp.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Someday I'll be in the same zip code as you and you'll pay motherfucker. I'll tie you to a couch and MAKE you watch Jurassic Park until you like it. -
Hermann scoffs.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
I will likely die before that happens. -
He waits, contemplating a snack, hopeful Bastien left some of the dinner Mrs Becker prepared for him.
/chirp.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Yeah right Hermann. You're already like, what, half dinosaur? -
Hermann flinches, then shudders as his wings reflexively fold around his shoulders. He flicks them back into their proper place.
- Yeah right Hermann. You're already like, what, half dinosaur? You'll break in five minutes TOPS. -
With a grumble, he replies.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
I can only aspire to the resilience and survival capabilities of the dinosaurs, as they remain with us and even outnumber our species today. -
He waits, smug.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Nice try but BIRDS ARENT DINOSAURS.
They DESCEND FROM dinosaurs.
Maybe you SHOULD stick to computers. -
Hermann's fingers fly across the keys.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Then it is a good thing am I neither a dinosaur nor a bird, but myself. -
It's sent before Hermann's brain can stop his hands.
Hermann's stomach plummets.
/chirp.
Hermann cringes.
- /From: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/To: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
Whoa. Seriously cryptic there Hermann.
Your up past your bedtime aren't you?
Go to sleep so you can be a good little code monkey on Monday. -
Some of the tension bleeds from his muscles, but his fingers shake as he types.
- /From: Hermann Gottlieb (hermann.gottlieb@tu-berlin.de)
/To: Newton Geiszler (ng2505@columbia.edu)
/Subject: RE: Early frost
What I lack in eloquence I will make up for in brevity:
Fuck you, Newton. -
He powers off the PC, hauls himself to his feet, and limps to the kitchen.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Hermann has wings
Category:Newt
Category:Newt (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich (mention)
Category:Karla (mention)
Category:Conversations via email
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Pages with comments
Category:Celestial Mechanics