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vocab_drabblesTitle: 'Cautiously Optimistic'
Fandom: Friends
Author:but_can_i_be_trusted
Rating: G
Word Count: 527
Characters/Pairings: Ross Geller, Chandler Bing
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted towhatif_au
Summary:
"I must say, Doctor Geller, that this equipment of yours is certainly impressive," Chandler conceded, scribbling away in his scratch pad. "I'm sure my newspaper's readers will be fascinated."
Between the rapid progress that was being made in this strange new scientific discipline i>paleontology, according to the notes he'd been taking and the bizarre machinery that the university professor was showing, Chandler hardly knew whether he was coming or going. He certainly hoped that Doctor Geller was deserving of the lionization that he was the recipient of.
The large, steam driven apparatus was scraping away at layers of soil and gravel. Carefully calibrated scales and other such equipment measured the excavated matter, sifters weeding through anything that might be a possible fossil, or some other object of interest.
Chandler didn't know that he, himself, found those objects interesting. But no newspaper's staff could take the chance of sweeping under the rug anything that their subscribers might want to pay close attention to. So he was absorbing as much relevant data as the professor was willing to give.
Doctor Geller smiled, patting a more stationery piece of equipment with fondness. "Thank you, Mister Bing. I've worked for years to develop this machine. Whether it'll revolutionize paleontology, or even perhaps archaeology, I can't be sure, as yet. But I feel cautiously optimistic."
"Is there any chance, though, that this whatever you call it might damage the materials that you're working to uncover," Chandler asked. "Forgive me for my ignorance, but I was under the impression that this work that you're engaged in tends to be a little more delicate. This all seems a bit heavy handed."
"That's a fair point," Geller agreed, looking mildly dismayed as the equipment lifted a large, almost shattered bone into view. "I'm afraid that I'm still fine tuning the involved mechanisms. For the time being, we'll have to expect damage to occur. Unfortunately, progress requires a great amount of trial and error. It's my hope, however, that, in the long run, the discoveries that my machinery might assist in making will outweigh these first clumsy strides."
"Despite any setbacks, then," the newspaperman continued, "would you say that this is the realization of a great dream of yours?"
"Possibly." Doctor Geller smiled. "It might also be the birth of dozens of new dreams, for anyone who might take an interest in this particular field of study. We have so much to learn, Mister Bing. There's so much that we don't know. My dream, if you want to call it that, is to bring humanity a step or two closer to finding their true place in Nature. So many people are under the false impression that we humans are above nature. That's not true. We're as much a part of it as the birds in the sky, or the fish in the sea, or even the stars beyond our sun. Far be it from me to alienate your readers," he quickly put in.
"I'm sure that's not your intention."
"Absolutely. I'm not looking to offend any of them. But Copernicus was right. Galileo was right. And I believe that my field will prove even Darwin right."
Fandom: Friends
Author:
but_can_i_be_trustedRating: G
Word Count: 527
Characters/Pairings: Ross Geller, Chandler Bing
Warnings: None
Notes: Crossposted to
whatif_auSummary:
"I must say, Doctor Geller, that this equipment of yours is certainly impressive," Chandler conceded, scribbling away in his scratch pad. "I'm sure my newspaper's readers will be fascinated."
Between the rapid progress that was being made in this strange new scientific discipline i>paleontology, according to the notes he'd been taking and the bizarre machinery that the university professor was showing, Chandler hardly knew whether he was coming or going. He certainly hoped that Doctor Geller was deserving of the lionization that he was the recipient of.
The large, steam driven apparatus was scraping away at layers of soil and gravel. Carefully calibrated scales and other such equipment measured the excavated matter, sifters weeding through anything that might be a possible fossil, or some other object of interest.
Chandler didn't know that he, himself, found those objects interesting. But no newspaper's staff could take the chance of sweeping under the rug anything that their subscribers might want to pay close attention to. So he was absorbing as much relevant data as the professor was willing to give.
Doctor Geller smiled, patting a more stationery piece of equipment with fondness. "Thank you, Mister Bing. I've worked for years to develop this machine. Whether it'll revolutionize paleontology, or even perhaps archaeology, I can't be sure, as yet. But I feel cautiously optimistic."
"Is there any chance, though, that this whatever you call it might damage the materials that you're working to uncover," Chandler asked. "Forgive me for my ignorance, but I was under the impression that this work that you're engaged in tends to be a little more delicate. This all seems a bit heavy handed."
"That's a fair point," Geller agreed, looking mildly dismayed as the equipment lifted a large, almost shattered bone into view. "I'm afraid that I'm still fine tuning the involved mechanisms. For the time being, we'll have to expect damage to occur. Unfortunately, progress requires a great amount of trial and error. It's my hope, however, that, in the long run, the discoveries that my machinery might assist in making will outweigh these first clumsy strides."
"Despite any setbacks, then," the newspaperman continued, "would you say that this is the realization of a great dream of yours?"
"Possibly." Doctor Geller smiled. "It might also be the birth of dozens of new dreams, for anyone who might take an interest in this particular field of study. We have so much to learn, Mister Bing. There's so much that we don't know. My dream, if you want to call it that, is to bring humanity a step or two closer to finding their true place in Nature. So many people are under the false impression that we humans are above nature. That's not true. We're as much a part of it as the birds in the sky, or the fish in the sea, or even the stars beyond our sun. Far be it from me to alienate your readers," he quickly put in.
"I'm sure that's not your intention."
"Absolutely. I'm not looking to offend any of them. But Copernicus was right. Galileo was right. And I believe that my field will prove even Darwin right."
