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What a nightmare. ---- The door refused to open. It said, "Five cents, please." From the drawer beside the sink Joe Chip got a stainless steel knife; with it
by isoprophlex 8y ago
What a nightmare.
----
The door refused to open. It said, "Five cents, please."
From the drawer beside the sink Joe Chip got a stainless steel knife; with it he began systematically to unscrew the bolt assembly of his apt's money-gulping door.
"I'll sue you," the door said as the first screw fell out.
Joe Chip said, "I've never been sued by a door. But I guess I can live through it."
(Philip K Dick - Ubik)
- PavlovsCat 8y agoThe Office Space printer scene, now coming to real life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2xBXm4y70 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2xBXm4y70
- kps 8y agoAw, you cut out the part describing service-based IoT: He searched his pockets. No more coins; nothing. “I’ll pay you tomorrow,” he told the door. Again he tried the knob. Again it remained locked tight. “What I pay you,” he informed it, “is in the nature of a gratuity; I don’t have to pay you.” “I think otherwise,” the door said. “Look in the purchase contract you signed when you bought this conapt.” In his desk drawer he found the contract; since signing it he had found it necessary to refer to the document many times. Sure enough; payment to his door for opening and shutting constituted a mandatory fee. Not a tip. “You discover I’m right,” the door said. It sounded smug.
- isoprophlex 8y agoI went for brevity but you are absolutely right, it's a lot better (and scarier) with that bit left in
- amelius 8y agoThis comes close to what I feel when I use SaaS software.