A Second Chance [FICTOID]

“You’ve got to renew the contract,” the lobbyist said to the Pentagon procurement officer.

The procurement officer shook his head.  “No can do.  Your company was put on probation because of repeated failures of the Dragonfly’s turbines, resulting in a lukewarm technical review.  We need to be mindful of things like that if we want to keep our budget.”

“But buying the Dragonfly is so much more than just purchasing a weapons system,” the lobbyist said.  She was trying to flirt with the procurement officer but getting nowhere.  “It’s jobs for citizens, citizens registered to vote in states where sympathetic senators serve.

“You’re not just buying the Dragonfly, you’re putting people to work and supporting their families.”

The procurement officer didn’t give a hoot about workers or their families.  The old boy club told him that if he wasted another dime on a non-functioning weapons system, his unemployment would be far more pressing than theirs.

He shook his head again.  “Sorry.  Hard pass.  Take it over to the Navy Department.  Maybe they can use the Dragonflies as anchors.”

© Buzz Dixon