The Mind Reader

No invention had a more devastating effect on the life of its
inventor than the mind reading machine. It’s ironic that one of the
greatest inventors of all times reaped only ruin from his invention.

Jack Mente had only two passions— tinkering, and his beautiful
wife, Sue. He was torn between the two. Both passions always
competed for his time. He felt guilty when he spent the evenings
away from her in his basement laboratory, and he felt guilty when
he wasn’t working on the mind reader. He tried more than once to
explain his project to her. On occasion, she sat next to him and
watched him work on his machine, but she never stayed long.
She had passions of her own.

“Oh my God! Oh my God!”

Alarmed, Sue dropped her book, and rushed to the basement.
Before her hand reached the knob, the door at the top of the
stairs flew open and Jack burst into the hall. He was wearing a
Chicago Bears helmet.

“I did it. I did it!”

“What? It works?”

“Yes, Yes. I recorded Lucy’s mind.”

“You recorded the dog’s mind?”

“Yeah, here try it.”

He took the helmet off and placed it on her head. He adjusted the
dials. Her expression became alert. She looked up, down,
sideways.

“I feel nothing. Wait, yeah.” Her hand desperately tried to scratch
her head under her helmet. “What an itch!”

Her eyes swung to Jack with an adoring expression. “Oh, my God!
She loves you so much. Wait! She feels you are her mate. Oh no,
this is too much.” She took the helmet off, and gave it to Jack
with a troubled expression.

“Isn’t that great?” he asked.

“I don’t know, Jack! I’m scared.”

“Honey, this is the greatest invention of all times. This is going to
change the world”

“Yes, I don’t doubt it, but is it going to be for the best?”

“Yes, of course. Honey, once people know how it really feels to be
another, cruelty will be impossible.”

“I don’t know, Jack. I learned something very troublesome just now.”

“What’s that?”

She had a pained look on her face. “Our dog loves you more than I
do.”

“What?” Now the pained look was on his face.

“Her love is purer. Mine is mixed with all kinds of… You know I
love you, but….”

“But what?”

“Nothing. Smash that thing to pieces. It’s big trouble.”
“No way! I want you to read my mind. I recorded it for you. Go
ahead, put it on.”

“No, Jack, I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Oh, come on, honey. It’s only the technique of building the
machine. I want to see if you can learn it directly from me.
Think of it, we could be multi billionaires in no time.”

“Sweetheart, You have been closeted in the basement too
long, it’s 2098, an orbital condo costs a billion dollars”

“Yes, and we want one of those, don’t we? It seems the only
way to be safe from crime nowadays. Well, we’ll have trillions
then.”

“Give me that thing back. I won’t learn any ungodly secrets, will I?”
“I don’t think so. Unless…”

“Yes?”

“You might discover I love Lucy more than you.”

“Oh, Jack, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay. Love can’t be measured by mere feelings. What you
detected in Lucy was just that, feelings. Love can only be
measured by how much we are willing to sacrifice for one
another. Anyway, I’m certainly grateful for any love I get. Come
on, let’s get to work.”

He was ecstatic at the depth of her understanding. Sue was
amazed.

“I understand everything. I feel like a scientist. It’s… a new
world!” She hugged and kissed him. “Oh, sweetheart, I never really
knew how great you are. You are a genius.”

Jack spent the next few days working on the documents needed to
file a patent request, but Sue’s confession about her love for him
was a troublesome distraction. He heard her voice saying that
awful sentence again and again: “Our dog loves you more than I
do.”

How much did she love him? Did she love him at all? He had said
that it didn’t bother him, but it bothered him, a lot! It robbed him
of all the joy he felt for his success. It kept him awake for hours.
He knew he should forget it, that nothing good would come from
pressing the issue, but he was powerless to stop. He just had to
know.

“Let’s make love,” he said

“Now?”

They just had finished dinner and she was washing the dishes.

“Yeah! I’m in the mood, aren’t you?”

She put the dish down and gave him a searching look. “You had
this planned, didn’t you? Flowers, champagne, ordering out?
Okay, let’s go.”

On entering the bedroom she stopped and grabbed his arm.

“What’s that doing there?”

The Chicago’s Bear helmet was on her pillow.

“I want you to wear it.”

“While we’re doing it?”

“Yeah, I’m curious to know how sex feels to a woman. Aren’t you
curious to know a man’s feelings?”

“Yes, that’s true. You wear it then!” she said

“Alright, I’ll wear it first, but you’re next. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said

After they both took turns wearing the mind reader, they lay in
silence staring at the ceiling. She was still wearing the
helmet. “Set the dials to read. I want to be first to read.”

“No way. I was first to record and I’ll be the first to read,” said
Jack.

After he finished reading, he took the helmet off with a worried
expression and, leaning on one elbow, stared at her.

“What?” she asked, blushing.

“You didn’t come.”

“How could I, wearing this? It weighs twenty pounds, for Heaven’s
sake!” She picked up the helmet and waved it in his face.

“I did.”

” Ha! You’re used to it. You probably wear it on the toilet!” She
threw the helmet against the wall. She turned away and turned
off the lamp. Five minutes later she was asleep. He hated it; it
was as if she didn’t care. He stayed awake for hours. He
reviewed every detail, every word.

Had she ever had an orgasm with him? He had never doubted
it, but now, how could he be sure? Women were good at faking.
His first wife even tried to fake virginity. She waited till the end
of her period when her bleeding was light to have sex with him.
She put on a big show of how much it hurt, but it didn’t fool him.
Her name was America, but he wasn’t Columbus. He felt Hernan
Cortez and his conquistadors had gone up that road before him.
He let her believe she had fooled him because it was important
to her and he couldn’t care less.

Next morning neither Sue nor he mentioned the previous night’s
fiasco. Both kept sullenly silent and he left for work without
kissing her. As soon as he left she put the helmet on and read his
part of the recording.

She was astonished. It was incredible. It was as if she were he.
She could feel the pleasure her body gave him. She never
imagined sex could be like that. Her pleasure seemed shallow
and pale compared to his wild surges of ecstasies. She wondered
about her own body its power to give pleasure, its beauty as seen
through his eyes.

She could see herself naked under him. She took her nightgown
off and touched every part of her body he had touched and it
was as if she had become them both. She felt his orgasm and
hers blending in her head. It was the greatest she ever had. She
felt sure it was the greatest anyone ever had. Just to make sure
she tried it again.

Wow! She felt exhausted, but never happier. Sue decided to call
him and share her happiness, but hung up before he answered.
It would be better to tell him face to face. Or would it? He
certainly would notice that she never felt that way with him.
That knowledge would further wound his ego. He would ask
questions for which she had no answers. She’d honestly didn’t
know why her pleasure in lovemaking had always been so
shallow. She thought that was the way with everyone.
When some of her girlfriends boasted about how good it had
felt last night, she thought it was only bragging and
exaggeration.

Jack’s male ego was slow to mend. Despite her attempts to pretend
everything was normal, he remained cool and distant all week. Sue
used the machine every day, sometimes two or three times a day.

Each time, she discovered new feelings, new nuances in Jack’s
recording. Sue now viewed herself from his perspective. Her own
body became alien— an object of desire. A week passed in this way
and then, one day, when she put the helmet on nothing happened.
He had erased the recording. She was almost frantic with despair
and at the same time shocked by her addiction. What did this
mean? Was she some kind of pervert? She must ask him to wear
the helmet again.

That evening Sue went down to the basement. He was surprised
to see her and gave her an inquisitive stare.

“Let’s try it again.”

“You want to wear the helmet?” he asked

“Yeah, both of us, like we did last time,” she answered looking at
the floor.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” She asked.

“It was a mistake.”

“Please?”

“No, I’ll never wear it again for sex,” he answered.

Anger flashed in her eyes. “Fine, suit yourself. Let’s don’t make
love again, period.”

She went up the stairs and slammed the door at the top. Jack felt
guilty. Why was a smart guy like him so inept with people? He
knew next to nothing about women.

Next morning, Jack sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.
The early morning sun shone cheerfully on the floor tiles. Sue
came down from the bedroom and sat across from him.

“Good morning,” she said.

From behind the newspaper he said, “good morning.”

After a few minutes of silence, he sensed something wrong and
lowered the paper. She had not bothered to pour herself a cup of
coffee. She sat staring at the wall with a dejected look on her face.

For the first time since the mind reader’s incident, his resentment
melted and he felt great compassion for her. His feelings of love
returned like a tidal wave. He understood how unfair he had been
with her and felt remorse.

“Oh, Sue, I’m so sorry! I behaved like an ass.”

She looked at him with what Jack thought was the most pathetic,
saddest look he had ever seen. He was about to apologize again
when she blurted out, ” I want a divorce.”

“What!” He hastily placed his mug on the table.

“I want a divorce,” she repeated in a firmer tone.

“Why? Oh for Heaven’s sake! I admit I was a jerk, but…”

“I want a sex change.” Her face had a dejected look.

” Oh, please, be serious! Is there another man?” He gave her a
searching look.

“Didn’t you hear me? That’s your problem, you only hear what
you want to hear. Would I want a sex change, if it were a man?”

“You mean there’s a woman?” He looked at her open mouthed.

” No! Well, there is a man, you. I want to be you. I don’t know,
Jack. I was perfectly happy until you invented that dammed
machine. Sure, my sex life wasn’t that great, but you can’t miss
what you don’t know. Can you? Now, I know, and I can’t un-learn
what I know. I see that what you feel is a lot better than what I
feel as a woman.”

“Sue, you’re making a big mistake. All men don’t experience the
same pleasure that I do. I don’t feel the same with other women.
I don’t have that level of pleasure with you all the time, either. I
was in high spirits because of my success. I felt like a pioneer, I
felt like I was seeing you for the first time. I don’t know why but,
believe me, I don’t feel that way every time.” He looked at his
watch.

“You are not leaving for work in the middle of the most
important talk of our lives, are you?”

He gave her a guilty look. “No, of course not, it’s just a habit.”

“Yeah, right!”

“Sue, you can’t make such an important decision on the basis
of one experience. You can’t assume all men feel the way I feel.
You can’t assume all women feel the way you feel. Generally,
women feel more sexual pleasure than men. Maybe all you
need is to see a sexual dysfunction therapist.”

“Oh, don’t give me that crap. How could anyone have known
the difference before you invented the mind reader? And I don’t
need a therapist, I need a lawyer.”

Jack reddened with anger. He stood up. “We’ll talk later. I need
to think. I’m going for a walk.” He hurried to the door as if the
house was on fire. Outside, he stood on the sidewalk unable to
decide which way to go. A sense of utter doom paralyzed his will.
He was about to lose everything he cherished, not only his wife,
but his invention as well, for how could he, with a clear conscience
unleash such a machine on the world? He was about to throw
open the flood gates that protected people from the slush that
festered in the insane, the criminal and even the normal mind. If
such a simple experiment as to experience your spouse’s sexual
pleasure resulted in this debacle, what could he expect when
more dangerous behaviors were explored? He must destroy the
mind reader, but not before he used it again to save Sue.

Losing her was painful enough, but Sue getting a sex change was
too humiliating. How could he tell his parents? He could hear the
jokes and laughter of those who envied his talent. He realized he
had been walking for some time. Jack looked around disoriented.
Where was he?

Sue was still sitting at the table drinking coffee, when he walked
in. Jack looked embarrassed. He said her name twice and fell
silent. She took his hand and squeezed it.

“Sue, I think you should sleep with another man before you decide
anything. We could ask him to wear the helmet, so you could get a
better idea of how sex feels to men.”

She let go of his hand. “And how do you propose I find that man?
Shall I walk into a tavern and ask a stranger? Hey, you want to
wear this while we… you know… do it?”

“No Sue, I’ll ask Greg.”

“You’ll ask your best friend to screw me?”

“Well, he isn’t my best friend any longer. I haven’t seen him for
a while. He confessed to me he had a crush on you.”

“Greg? On me, really?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s funny!”

“Why?”

“Well, he’s so shy. Does he have a girlfriend?”

“No, not that I know of, but that’s my point, you will see all men
don’t feel alike. You, as a man, will still be you, and your feelings
won’t be any deeper. It’s your mind, not your body that needs to
change. Will you give it a try, please?”

“I don’t know. Oh, God, I’m so confused!”

“Please!”

” All right! Now, leave me alone!” She said, rushing upstairs.
For Jack the next three days were among the most painful of his
life. Being the go-between for Greg and Sue, he felt sometimes
like a diplomat clearing objections and misunderstandings and
sometimes like a pimp. Now, finally, she had left for Greg’s
apartment carrying the helmet in a shopping bag. He was
sitting in his living room. The setting sun cast a reddish glow.
Only a few minutes had gone by and he was already listening
for the sound of the garage door opening. He hoped that she
would change her mind, and at the same time, that she would
go through with it.

Jack went to the bar and poured a drink. He turned on the TV. In a
few minutes, he turned it off, and then played the stereo. A few
moments later he picked up a book, just to put it down again after
reading a page. Hours passed. He began eyeing the phone. He was
getting drunk. Should he call Greg’s apartment? That would be too
humiliating, he concluded. He poured the rest of the bottle of
brandy in his glass. Half an hour later he passed out. At four
o’clock in the morning, he woke up and staggered to bed. Sue
wasn’t there. He woke up again at eleven a.m. and called the
apartment. No one answered.

An hour later, he tried again without results. He had the worst
feeling about this. Something unforeseen, terrible had happened.
Why were people so unpredictable? He hated dealing with them.
It would have been better if he had stuck to science, and remained
single, cloistered in his basement like a monk. He smiled at this
thought, but then his mind turned gloomy again. Could she be
dead?

He drove to Greg’s building. No one answered the intercom.
He stood by the outer door not knowing what to do next. Should
he call the police? What could he tell them? I arranged a date
between my wife and a friend and they are not answering the
phone?

A man pushed past him and opened the front door by placing
his eye in front of the pupil reader. Jack snuck in behind him
and took the elevator. He knocked on the door and waited.

Nothing. He placed his ear against the door not a sound. He
pounded the wood.

“Sue, Greg!” He yelled. He kept pounding.

The door of the next apartment opened. An old man stuck his
head out. “Hey, stop that! What’s going on, anyway? Last night
I couldn’t go to sleep with this woman yelling. `Oh, Greg, oh,
Greg!’ And now, you… go away. ” He slammed the door.

Jack face was burning. Humiliated and hurt he walked away.
On the third day, she called.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“Florida.”

“What are you doing in Florida?”

“I’m here with Greg. We are flying back tomorrow. I’ll be by
in the evening to bring the mind reader and pick up my
clothes.”

“What in the world is going on?”

“I’m moving in with Greg. We fell in love.” He hung up.

“Ain’t that a bitch? Try to help people and what happens?”

That evening, as soon as she gave him the helmet, he took
it to the basement and smashed it to pieces. He erased all
documents concerning the mind reader from his computer.
He would not let such diabolical a machine wreak ruin in the
world.

Sue married Greg, and a year later she filed papers to obtain a
patent for the mind reader. Jack sued her and the commercial
use of the machine was tied up in the courts for years. Five
years later when the case reached the World Supreme Court,
Jack disappeared.

His brother found a typed letter in his basement that read he
had invented a time machine and was traveling back in time
to the year 2096 to stop himself from inventing the mind
reader. The letter wasn’t signed and his brother turned it
over to the police. The police treated the disappearance as
a missing person case.

Later when scientists at MIT declared that it was impossible
to construct a traveling machine with the data gathered at
Jack’s basement, the police questioned Sue and Greg on
suspicion of murder, but no charges were ever filed. Five
years after his disappearance, Jack was declared dead. Sue
and Jack’s brothers reached a settlement.

The mind reader finally went into production ten years after its
invention. It’s not rare for a creator to have second thoughts
about his creation.