Episode 3

The Mutual Broadcasting System brings you the third episode of Life in Hyperion.

Today's episode: "The Beginnings of a Legacy", Part 3

Yesterday, we saw Cy and Conrad do their morning show and ran into their rivals. Afterwards, Cy told Conrad about the listless feeling he's been having lately. As we head back to the green room...

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"Good morning, guys." says a man as he enters the green room.
The man, in his mid-50s, is dressed in a beige leisure suit, with slick oiled black hair upon his head, a thick mustache on his face, along with tinted glasses and an oily demeaner. Just everything about him is oily like a Texas well. He is Mr. Gold, Terry's father, and the manager and owner of WHYP.
"Hello, Mr. Gold." says Cy, still playing his game.
"Hello to you, Scott." says Mr. Gold in his usual oily voice.
"Hello, Mr. Gold." says Phil.
"Hello, Turner." says Mr. Gold.
"So, what brings you to us, Mr. Gold?" asks Cy as he ends the game.
"I come here to bring some news." says Mr. Gold.
"You're firing Barry and Terry at last?" says Cy.
"I came in here to look at this pinball machine." says Mr. Gold.
"What for?" asks Cy.
"I'm gonna give it away." says Mr. Gold.
"About time. This machine is terrible." says Cy.
"Are you getting a new one?" asks Conrad.
"A classic one that someone's donating. A 1973 Goldman & Todd deluxe pinball
machine." says Mr. Gold.
"A 1973 Goldman & Todd deluxe pinball machine?" says Conrad.
"That's the one. One of our sponsors is donating it to the station, in exchange for
some air time. It'll be here on Monday." says Mr. Gold.
"One a deal, two a deal." says Cy.
"What?" whispers Conrad to Cy.
"It's what my mother used to say about people like Mr. Gold." whispers back Cy.
"Mr. Gold, would it be all right if I took the old machine?" says Conrad.
"Take it. I have no further use for this old clunker." says Mr. Gold, patting the
machine.
The machine then emits a spark at Mr. Gold's direction.
"Get away from that machine before it kills you." says Cy.
"All right." says Mr. Gold, who then leaves the room.
"A 1973 Goldman & Todd deluxe pinball machine." says Conrad.
"What's so important about them?" asks Cy.
"So important? These machines were built for private homes and upscale
arcades." says Conrad.
"I still don't see it." says Cy.
"There were only 200 machines of that particular type produced that year. Most
of them have long since been consigned to the junk heap, but many machines are still
around. Boy, would I love to have it." says Conrad.
"Well, I think I see it, like finding a lost work of Shakespeare." says Cy.
"That's the idea." says Conrad.
"Well, you'll be playing that machine on Monday and you'll have this old clunker
at your house." says Cy.
"I think I can fix it." says Conrad.
"Let me try." says Conrad, putting a quarter in.
Conrad then pulls back the knob and sends the pinball going. Cy then watches the
pinball move every which way, due to Conrad's handling of the flipper buttons. Just then, Phil enters the room.
"Good morning, guys." says Phil.
"Good morning, my faithful intern." says Cy, slightly depressed.
"What's wrong with you this morning, Cy?" asks Phil.
"It's boredom. It's set in for me." says Cy.
"You're really bored?" says Phil.
"It just came upon me, now I can't get out of it." says Cy.
"That's terrible." says Phil, half-heartedly, instead interested in Conrad's playing.
"I see you noticing Conrad's pinball skills. There's pretty amazing. In high
school, he was a pinball champion. Even made the national championships. Conrad
seems to posess a certain sense about pinball. Remember that song 'Pinball Wizard'?
That's what Conrad is." says Cy.
"Conrad isn't deaf, blind, and dumb." says Phil.
"I mean besides that, just a master of pinball." says Cy.
"I get it now." says Phil.
"I knew you would." says Cy.
"How long will this be?" asks Phil.
"Well, Conrad's playings of pinball have lasted six hours on one quarter." says Cy. "I'll keep it under 30 minutes." says Conrad.
"Can he do that?" asks Phil.
"He once played a quick game in a pizza parlor waiting for his order. He managed to become the high-score champ of the place in twenty minutes." says Cy.
"I wish I had any skill like that." says Phil.
"I can't be taught. You must be born with it." says Cy.
"Okay, guys. I'm not that good." says Conrad.
"There are people who make money being pinball champs." says Cy.
"And I'm not one of those people." says Conrad.
"Have it your way." says Cy.
"Excuse me, you guys." says Mr. Gold as he enters the room.
"What is it, Mr. Gold?" asks Cy.
"I came here to deliver the newest weekly ratings for WHYP." says Mr. Gold.
"How many positions from the bottom are we?" asks Cy.
"This time, you're third from the top." says Mr. Gold.
"And I assume Barry and Terry are on top?" asks Cy.
"You're right, number one again in the ratings." says Mr. Gold.
"That's interesting. Last time, we were fourth from the top." says Cy.
"You're going up." says Mr. Gold.
"But for how long?" asks Cy.
"Cut the game, Scott." says Mr. Gold.
"We know that your son's Terry and that you run the ratings service that does WHYP." says Cy.
"You, accuse me of forging ratings, when I have a third party to oversee the ratings sample. So, take your ratings with pride." says Mr. Gold, who then leaves the room.
"He actually thinks we're bottom of the barrel and Barry and Terry cream of the crop." says Cy.
"We might be, Cy. Ever thought of that?" says Conrad.
"It does bug me." says Cy.
"You can't prove that Mr. Gold rigs the ratings. Besides, he does have a third-party oversee the sample, so they can't be rigged." says Conrad.
"I'll prove it, one of these days." says Cy.

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Tomorrow, Cy heads out on the town and meets someone who will change his very life, if not for better or worse, take your pick.

Join us, won't you?
Yours truly, John Maxwell.

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