Car of the Future
Irving Leonard, the founder and chief executive officer of International Motors Corporation, straightened his tie in front of the full-length mirror of his hotel suite and anxiously awaited the start of his scheduled press conference. He breathed deeply several times to steady his nerves. After years of research and development, the time had finally come to unveil his company's newest and by far its most impressive car. It was to be the culmination of his life’s work. In a matter of minutes, Irving would make the announcement that would revolutionize the automotive industry.
Downstairs, in the grand ballroom of the Royal Chadwick Hotel, which had been rented especially for the gala event, were gathered hundreds of journalists representing major newspapers, magazines, television networks, cable stations and Internet bloggers. In attendance were also many concerned representatives from various consumer groups, motor vehicle safety agencies, environmental organizations and the car insurance industry. No doubt, they would all be curious to see if IMC, the new kid on the automotive block, had produced a car that was stylish, safe, economical, fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Irving looked down at the Rolex on his wrist one last time.
"This is it," he told himself.
With a final glance in the mirror, he headed for the elevator and the grand ballroom on the first floor. His wife, Sharon, met him at the door, kissed him and wished him luck.
"Not that you'll need it," she laughed. "After this press conference, everyone will agree with me that you're a genius!"
"Thank you, my dear, but your opinion is slightly biased."
Taking another deep breath, he signaled to his staff that all was ready.
The first thing the CEO noticed when he walked through the double doors into the hotel's ballroom was the IMC logo. It was hard to miss. It was over ten feet tall and lit up with miniature lights like a Christmas tree. Yards of bunting in IMC's official colors of blue and gold adorned the walls. Of more importance was the new model car itself, carefully hidden from everyone's view beneath a heavy blue and gold tarpaulin.
As Irving walked out onto the stage toward the speaker's podium, which was placed just to the right of the car, he was met with only half-hearted applause from the people in the audience. He looked for his wife in the crowd. As usual, her smiling face filled him with confidence.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the carmaker began, looking confidently out over the audience. "Each of you was invited here today to see a new car, one our company, International Motors, has promised will revolutionize the motor vehicle industry. I'm afraid, however, you've all been brought here under false pretenses."
People in the audience began to grumble and show their displeasure. A handful even rose from their seats to leave.
"You are not here to just see a car," Irving quickly explained. "Rather, I ask all of you to take a trip with me, a trip into the future—a future we at IMC call 'Genesis.'"
The guests that moments earlier were on the verge of leaving took their seats again. They would be patient a little while longer and give Mr. Leonard the benefit of the doubt.
"Most of you will surely remember that at the end of the twenty-first century, the entire auto industry was rapidly heading toward extinction. The skyrocketing price of cars had virtually put them out of the reach of low- and middle-income families. Those in the upper-middle-income brackets found it necessary to acquire fifteen- or twenty-year loans in order to finance the purchase of a new vehicle, only to find that the monthly payments usually outlasted the life of those cars."
Many people in the audience nodded their heads in agreement.
"Furthermore, if you were one of the lucky ones who could afford your own automobile, the cost of routine maintenance, gasoline, oil, tires, and batteries, not to mention the overwhelming expense of parts and labor when that car of yours needed repairs put you at the constant risk of having to declare personal bankruptcy. Many people even lost their homes in order to keep their cars. There were cases where entire families were actually living in their vehicles."
Irving Leonard could tell from the sympathetic look on several people's faces that he was beginning to win them over. Again, he looked for Sharon's face in the audience, always seeking her approval and always finding it.
"As you are all aware, the exorbitant cost of purchasing and maintaining a motor vehicle was not the only problem our industry had to overcome. There were also serious environmental and political issues to be considered. The world supplies of fossil fuels were rapidly dwindling, and the oil-producing countries in the Middle East became social, religious and political powder kegs.
"Along with the growing shortage of crude oil, there was the problem of car emissions polluting the earth's air supply, which, in turn, led to the depletion of the ozone layer, increased health risks and global warming. Yet no matter how hard the auto industry tried, they could not make a truly fuel-efficient car. Cars designed to run on electric or solar power, though posing less danger to the environment, just couldn't perform as well as those that ran on gasoline.
"But, in my opinion, the most crucial problem facing automobile manufacturers was that of human safety. The number of deaths and injuries caused each year by car accidents was staggering. And despite the invention of numerous safety features such as seat belts, shoulder harnesses and airbags, as the number of cars on our nation's highways grew, so, too, did the death toll."
Irving Leonard paused a moment, took a drink of water and continued.
"Then seventeen years ago a group of talented automotive designers and engineers from around the world—and I have the honor of being one of them—was given not just a job but a sacred mission. False modesty aside, what my colleagues and I have managed to accomplish during that time is astounding. We have combined the best of German engineering, Japanese manufacturing techniques and American styling to make the first truly international automobile: the IMC Genesis."
Behind the CEO the twinkling lights on the ten-foot-high IMC logo changed color to spell out the name Genesis.
"During the first year of production, there will be three models to choose from: the two-door, two-passenger sports coupe; the four-door, five-passenger family sedan; and the five-door, eight-passenger minivan. All three models will have the usual features we, as modern drivers, have come to expect in our cars: multi-zoned climate control, a state-of-the-art audio and video entertainment system, a refrigerator compartment, an automotive-sized microwave oven, a spring water dispenser, a multi-functional cellular phone network and an on-board personal computer with Wi-Fi GPS and Internet access."
Several members of the audience were beginning to show signs of boredom. So far, they hadn't heard anything that interested them.
Sharon gave an encouraging nod of her head to bolster the CEO's flagging confidence.
"I know none of these features is new to the automotive market," Leonard said in an apologetic tone, "but I just wanted you all to know that you will not be sacrificing any necessities for the sake of economy. You'll get the same great features you had in your Fords, Hondas, Chevys, Volkswagens and Volvos. Plus ...."
Here Irving Leonard paused for dramatic emphasis.
"... the IMC Genesis will come equipped with the world's first practical and economical engine that runs on recycled municipal waste. Not only will drivers no longer be dependent on a diminishing supply of fossil fuel and cease polluting the air we breathe with toxic emissions, but they'll also drastically reduce the need for landfills, ocean dumping and incineration of the ever-growing amount of non-recyclable refuse our country generates."
That claim was met with a hearty round of applause from members of the various environmental groups present.
"Another important goal of our little group was to make a less expensive car. After all, what good is a great car if no one can afford to buy it?"
There was a sprinkling of laughter in the room, which further put Irving at ease.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to announce that the sticker price of a new Genesis represents an eighty-five percent decrease over the average price of all new cars, foreign or domestic, manufactured last year."
Everyone in the room gave a standing ovation when they heard that welcome piece of news.
"Furthermore, the body of the Genesis, like the classic antique car the DeLorean, is made of stainless steel, so you don't have to worry about rust. Plus, the drivetrain, transmission, exhaust and suspension systems are fully guaranteed for fifty years. As we say in our slogan, 'We built the Genesis to last!'"
Again, the crowd was on its feet, this time for a full five minutes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we remove that tarp and reveal the Genesis, I want to tell you of our greatest achievement. Since the days of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the auto industry has somewhat reluctantly had to comply with government safety regulations. Over the years, carmakers have installed safety glass, seat belts, shoulder harnesses, anti-lock brakes, airbags, infant and child restraint seats and childproof locks and windows. And still, the world was faced with an alarming number of vehicular casualties each year. Thankfully, all that is about to change."
On cue, music began to play out of the ballroom's public address system, and Athena Brent, one of Hollywood's most beloved celebrities, tugged at the corner of the tarpaulin to reveal the automobile beneath it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, here, at last, is the International Motors Genesis."
An electric blue, two-passenger sports coupe model of the Genesis stood atop a large carrousel that rose from the stage and slowly revolved so that the audience could see the car from all sides. There was no doubt that the style of the vehicle was as beautiful as it was unique.
As the car turned so that the front of the vehicle faced the audience, people's mouths literally dropped open as they stared at what many had assumed was a large hood scoop but what was, in fact, a protective covering for the Genesis's greatest innovation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I want you all to meet Billy, affectionately named after one of the early pioneers of the computer revolution, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft."
The electronic face, which looked out from beneath its protective hood, opened its eyes, turned to the audience and smiled.
"Billy is the Genesis's revolutionary onboard computerized driving system. There will be a Billy in every model we manufacture. Each one will be programmed with all multi-jurisdictional driving laws and a worldwide atlas of road maps and online search directories—all of which will be updated when necessary. Billy will know where every town, every street, every house, every business and every roadside rest area is located. When you get into the IMC Genesis, just tell Billy where you want to go, and then sit back and enjoy the ride in comfort and complete safety."
Despite the cheer of approval from the audience, there was a tear in Irving's eye. He quickly looked at his wife before brushing it away and continuing his speech.
"Unlike human drivers, the Billy is incapable of making a mistake. It will never take a wrong turn and get lost. It's incapable of speeding, running a red light, tailgating or weaving through traffic. You'll never see Billy going the wrong way on a one-way street, making an illegal U-turn, backing up on a highway, passing in a no-passing zone or driving on the shoulder of the road. Furthermore, Billy will never get tired and fall asleep at the wheel or drive under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
"We at International Motors promise you this: once Billies—and not careless human beings—are driving the world's cars, there will be no more traffic jams, no more accidents and, most importantly, no more injuries or fatalities. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the future I spoke of, the greatest safety device in automotive history: the IMC Billy, the world's first and only safe driver."
Amidst the din of applause and cheering, Irving Leonard turned to face the prototype of his revolutionary car. From beneath its electric blue hood scoop, the smiling Billy looked at its inventor and winked its eye.
* * *
After the press conference was concluded, Irving Leonard left the ballroom and took the elevator back up to his suite. Although a hot and cold buffet and open bar were provided by IMC, the CEO was neither hungry nor thirsty.
Upstairs, in the privacy of the room, he congratulated himself on the day's success.
You would have been proud of me, he thought.
As he stared at Sharon's beautiful face, his eyes filled with tears.
Too bad you didn't live to see the dream become a reality.
However, had his beloved wife not been killed in a head-on collision seventeen years earlier, Irving Leonard would not have been so determined to create the Genesis.
When the CEO of IMC loosened his tie and removed the jacket of his tuxedo, he noticed that his right arm was stiff. In the morning he would have to call his "mechanic"—the nickname he'd given to the scientist who had created his humanoid body when his human one had been all but destroyed in the same car collision that had taken Sharon Leonard's life.
It's time for a grease job, the carmaker thought with a bittersweet smile as he lay down on the bed next to his robotic wife to rest his brain, one of the few human parts of him that remained.
Since I wrote this story (around the year 2000), Hyundai has come out with a car named the Genesis (2009). This story is not about the Hyundai Genesis.
My idea of the cat of the future: fully remote controlled.
