In real life, television sets always seemed cardboard and crepe paper. Edison Slate sat ramrod straight, the picture of calm. Inside she roiled. Again and again, Eddie went over her lines. Jorn had had her practicing her interview answers until two a.m. Her boyfriend/partner/mentor had her up again at six to mediate and self actualize.

A PA with a messy brown bun was hooking a small microphone to Edison’s lapel.

Edison’s stomach rumbled. Jorn always insisted she practice intermittent fasting before an investor speech or a big interview. Edison was the face of Light Tech, the next great software company poised to change the world. World changers don’t get gassy. The assistant backed up.

“Coffee?”

“Celery juice with lemon fresh pressed.”

Edison’s voice, smooth as velvet , sounded confident and commanding. The assistant vanished. Fresh from the makeup chair, the talent entered the set, all smiles. Eddie’s heart raced. She imagined the newscaster turning into a magnificent rapacious bird of prey. The edges of her vision dimmed. Quickly she downed the green sludge the assistant handed her.

Amanda Dean was saying something. Eddie nodded her head and made pleasant sounds. The first mobile medical units were scheduled to launch for the Christmas season. NightinGale, a handheld blood testing device, was touted to be a doctor that fits in your pocket.

Eddie had rode the techs night and day and despite all her carefully composed speeches on the future of medical testing NightingGale did not work. When the devices turned on at all the testing results were wildly inaccurate.

“Edison Slate, medical technology guru, the Wall Street Journal says you could be the next Steve Jobs. What do you say to that?” Dean said.

Eddie chuckled. Jorn has quizzed her on this question. She was supposed to answer, “I think Steve Jobs was just the beta version of me.” Instead Eddie just opened her mouth and closed it.

Amanda Dean looked nervous. "What I really want to know is if your iPod breaks you buy another but if your NightinGale malfunctions that’s life and death. How do you live with yourself if something goes wrong?”

Eddie woke up. She had the funniest dream that she had thrown up on national televison and covered American favorite tv show host in green celery goo. Eddie shot awake. Back in the green room, she was on the television studio’s sofa. The production assistant handed her a bottle of water and a chocolate chip cookie. Eddie closed her eyes and took a bite.