Episode One: The Plan

    Troy Lombardi, multibillionaire and sole owner of  Lombardi Inc, leaned forward in his plush office chair and smiled broadly at the two men seated on the other side of his desk.  His office was an odd mixture of a corporate office and a wilderness cabin.  The full wall window behind him looked down on the lesser skyscrapers of New York City.  On one wall hung the head of a large moose mixed with many framed certificates.  A stuffed muskrat occupied a place next to the laptop on the desk itself.   The room expressed the disposition of its owner quite accurately.
    “Gentlemen,” he said, “thank you for making time in your busy schedules to come talk with me.  Before we get to the details of why I have asked you two men to come here, I have a few thing I would like to explain.”  Reaching into his gold striped black suit he pulled out two objects and laid them on the table.  The first was an old, worn compass.  It was a simple model, the kind that can be purchased for only a few dollars.  The second was a hand-held computer. Pointing to it he added, “Waterproof,  high powered GPS.  It contains topographical maps of the whole world.”
    Mr. Kilgore leaned forward and examined them.  He wore a deep blue suit that other than needing the help of a lint brush portrayed him as a confident able man.  He noticed the initials T.L. written in permanent marker among the scratches, nearly worn away from use.  Out of habit he pushed his spectacles higher on his nose, even though it really didn't improve his vision.  Mr. Senoma, less interested, remained sitting, unimpressed.
    “These two instruments, represent different eras of exploration,” said Mr. Lombardi.  “The compass was used by daring men who ventured into the unknown.  They were the map makers, the trailblazers.  They boldly paved the way before them, often at the peril of there own life.
    “The GPS represents the modern era.  Explores who now venture into the back country armed with knowledge.  They are not really on a journey of discovery at all.  They have a specific destination and a planned route.  As they travel they do not subdue the wilderness, but seek to harm it as little as possible. 
    “I am an adventurer at heart and I year for the old frontier.  The modern back countries of the world weary me.  Even space, the so called 'final frontier,' is more like the back country.  Robots and computers map the way before, and a single trip takes years of planning.  That is hardly a frontier at all!
    “The frontier is lost, gentlemen.  We, the human race, have overcome it.  It was a glorious achievement, but the glory did not come from a final declaration that we had mastered the world.  The glory came from the effort of each man who boldly faced the frontier and conquered his piece of the unknown.  That glory is now gone.
    “I have called you here to my office because I believe that the three of us have the means necessary to create a new frontier.  This new frontier, unlike the old one, will never run out.  It is to be an endless frontier.
    “Mr. William Kilgore, you have a doctorate in Physics and another in Computer Technology, but more importantly you have made incredible progress in computer simulations that mimic reality.  You have the potential of making the first fully comprehensive virtual reality.  Up until now you have been held back by lack of funding and equipment, in my employment you will lack neither.  You will create a program that mimics reality and expands into randomly created wilderness infinitely in all directions.
    “Mr. Dean Senoma, esteemed brain surgeon and leading researcher on the central nervous system.  I will help you will continue the work you have already begun in manipulating the central nervous system to artificially simulate the senses.  Once you have developed a system that will allow all senses to be supplied to the brain artificially and at the same time intercept all the brain's commands to the body so that they can be fed back into a computer, all this without harm to the patient,  we will connect your system to Mr. Kilgore's program and the Endless Frontier will be born.
    “The Endless Frontier will allow the adventurers of humanity to fulfill their passion and bring in a new era of exploration, combining the best of both previous eras of exploration.  Men will face an unknown and untamed wilderness that they are free to discover and subdue without having to fear for life and limb.”
    Troy Lombardi voice had slowly heightened as he spoke.  The last two sentences were spoken with a sense of triumph, as though the Endless Frontier had already been completed and the victory won.  He paused in silence, eyeing the two men in front of him. 
    William Kilgore had a far off look in his eye.  Others might have mistaken it as disinterest or lack of attention, but Mr. Lombardi had an unusual knack for reading people's faces—which had helped him build his fortune and business empire—and he knew that Mr. Kilgore's eyes were unfocused because his mind was whirring with activity, thinking of the possibilities and already working on overcoming the many problems and obstacles of such a bold project.  Mr. Lombardi knew that he had earned Mr. Kilgore support.
    Dean Senoma, on the other hand, was still skeptical.  His eyes, small and shrewd, returned Mr. Lombardi's gaze.  “Employment you said?  What are your terms?  I am a busy man with many potential employers for many projects.”  His confident pose let Mr. Lombardi know that he anticipated much and would bargain for more if given the chance.
    Very few people knew the true extent of the Lombardi estate.  One of Troy's favorite parts of being wealthy was proving it.  With a large grin on his face he reached into his desk and pulled out two black credit cards with gleaming gold lettering.  After tossing one on the desk in front of each of them, he explained, “For the duration of the time you work on the project you may use these to support yourselves, they have no limit: elegant parties, Caribbean cruises, and whatever else you want.  When you complete the project to my satisfaction I will reclaim the cards, and any properties purchased with them, and give you each one hundred million dollars.” Then placing a stack of papers and pen in front of each of them added, “Here is the long winded, fine print version of the same offer.”

    Fifteen minutes later, Troy Lombardi sat alone in his office.  Out of his desk he produced a thin paperback novel and commenced reading it for the fourth time.  As the mountain man in the story climbed up over the ridge of a mountain top and beheld the yet undiscovered frontier, Troy looked out across the overpopulated city and in his mind's eye it became a virtual wilderness, one that would never end.