1. Number Board Check
It was a dark and poor night. John Galt, standing on the balcony, looked down at his creation and sneered. The beauteous leather wrinkles and smooth curves evoked the ideals of Galt's forebearers, ideals of self-determination, self exemplarism and self bettering-ism. Ironic then that this wondrous device of his own making, his own engineering, design and craftsmanship would simultaneously be the salvation of mortal man, yet the death of these transcendent philosophies.
The bootstrap-inator was finally complete after years and years of work. He longed to flip the activation switch. But he could not. He thought to himself: "once the poors have free energy will they demand more luxurious scraps? Now it's sounding like a slippery slope to the loss of all coercive for – I mean incentives for commoners to work!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Behind it, John heard a voice- "Ay ay ay, hola señor Galt! It's me, Francisco d'Anconia! The climax of the d'Anconia family!" Galt gulped.
"I've just settled out of court," said Francisco. "Had to erase some family debt because their children got nasty cases of black lung. I feel so cheated. My investigators couldn't spoof the cause as their parents having them clean out the stove too often."
Galt grumbled unceasingly under his breath, "The world doth be full of saddening cruelties bethrust unto us virtuous lot!" He ejaculated with force and fury. "How might I settle this wretched conundrum which hast fallen upon my lap!"
Francisco nodded, his cowboy hat jiggling atop his head. "Si, life is indeed mucho dificil for us geniuses. How can I succeed in life with all of these idiots harassing me!" He slammed his hand against the bootstrap-inator, causing it to shake violently.
"A Hark! Strike not mine ingenious deviation! Or perhaps strike verily? I know not what should be donth with it!" Galt cried with fervour as he bent over and put his hand to his forehead at this conundrum.
"¡Lo siento mi amigo! I did not mean to harm your machine. ¡I heard rumours about it, but I didn't know it was real! So, what are you going to do with this most beautiful machine, Señor?"
"You see, dearest companion, this wondrous device is going to revolutionize the energy industry! No longer must we worry about harvesting electricity from mechanical processes. Nay, sir, I am going to secure funding for this machine, create more, and sell them to cities across the globe!" Galt squirted verbally. His pride was enormous and solid like a rod of stone, but deep within himself, there was deep mortal tugging of dread and despair, prompting a climax of emotion all over his friend, "but at what cost? For with not to want, what will be of mankind's drive to achieve and strive?"
"You don't say chooms; why would anyone risk their lives for my profits in a coal mine ever again? Unless you have a plan to cut me a sweet deal before rollout…I hate to say it, but we'll have mucho problemos, amigo. If only –"
BOOM! The building shook. John and Francisco watched in horror as the bootstrap-inator began vibrating fiercely.
"NO!" screamed John Galt, but it was too late. A man in a wheelchair, smoking a cigar, stepped out from behind the corner.
"I'm impressed, Mr. Galt," said Franklin Roosevelt. "But I'm afraid your invention will have to be...nationalized. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"