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Authors: Ridley Pearson
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his chair was empty. Only then did she hear the whispering voices behind her.
Tim stood one rung below Jess, well up the library ladder, arms around her on either side. He ran his long fingers along book spines, making a sound like a stick across a picket fence.
Watching them, Amanda missed Finn all the more.
“Got it,” Tim said softly to Jess as he removed abook from the shelf. He helped her down, keeping one hand on the small of her back all the while.
Jess handed the book to Amanda.
Tim knelt down by her chair and spoke in a whisper. “The best stuff is supposed to be in a basement storage room.”
“Best, as in?” Amanda whispered back.
“Senior theses, research papers, transcripts of nearly every lecture given at DSI. They publish lessthan ten percent of their institutional knowledge. The non-Disney-published books about
the company are dismissed as uninformed or intentionally inflammatory. For the most part, that’s true. But there are gems in nearly every one. Several mention the existence of DSI. Others
describe an Imagineering research archive in the basement of the dorm building.”
“You’re making that up,” Jess said.
“Have you ever met someone in lighting and sound who’s this creative?” Tim’s self-denigrating tone stopped the conversation. Jess sat back, miffed. Amanda filled the
awkward silence by thanking Tim, who returned to his chair.
“Didn’t look like you hated research all that much when you were on the ladder,” Amanda said, moving from the book’s index to its middle section, her eyes fixedon the
page.
“I couldn’t get the ladder to roll. Tim showed up to help. No biggie.”
“Uh-huh,” Amanda teased.
“Stop it!”
“Check this out.” Amanda read quietly aloud. “‘The concept for Carousel of Progress originated as part of the late nineteen fifties Edison Square expansion of Main Street
USA. After the expansion fell through, the idea of a show celebrating the progress oftechnology was picked up and became ‘Progressland’ at the General Electric Pavilion at the 1964 New
York World’s Fair.’”
“Interesting.”
“‘Disney Imagineers Roger E. Broggie and Bob Gurr led the project. After the World’s Fair ended, the attraction was moved to Disneyland, where it opened on July 2, 1967 under a
new name, The Carousel of Progress. The attraction had the same sets andAudio-Animatronic performers as in the World’s Fair, with only slight updates to the show’s
storyline.’”
“Huh. I still can’t figure it out. Why would Finn and Philby ask about this?” Jess said.
Amanda passed Jess her phone. “Write this stuff down as I read?”
“Do I look like your secretary?” Jess complained. But she started thumb-typing the bullet points as Amanda continued.
“‘Act One begins just before the turn of the century, with the advent of new-fangled inventions like the icebox and the “talking machine.” Thanks to a new machine, it
only takes Mother five hours to do the wash. Jane prepares to go out for a ride on an electric streetcar.
“‘By Act Two, the nineteen twenties, the house is outfitted in electric lights and indoor plumbing, making ironing easieron Mother, and helping Cousin Orville keep cool in the
bathtub.
“‘Act Three, the Roaring Forties, has Grandma wearing a hearing aid while Mother uses her electric mixer to mix paint. Jane is keeping in shape with an electric machine while she
ties up the house phone.
“‘Act Four depicts the future, with electric appliances that make the 1967 Christmas dinner a breeze. Jet travel providesa means for Grandma and Grandpa to visit, while a new color
TV offers entertainment.’
“Did you get that?” Amanda said, pausing. “TV. It’s mentioned right there.”
“Did I get it all? No. Enough? Yes. And note to Amanda: we should be doing our real homework.”
“Okay, go. And, thank you! I can do this by myself.” Amanda reached out to take back her phone.
“No, I’ll stick
Tim stood one rung below Jess, well up the library ladder, arms around her on either side. He ran his long fingers along book spines, making a sound like a stick across a picket fence.
Watching them, Amanda missed Finn all the more.
“Got it,” Tim said softly to Jess as he removed abook from the shelf. He helped her down, keeping one hand on the small of her back all the while.
Jess handed the book to Amanda.
Tim knelt down by her chair and spoke in a whisper. “The best stuff is supposed to be in a basement storage room.”
“Best, as in?” Amanda whispered back.
“Senior theses, research papers, transcripts of nearly every lecture given at DSI. They publish lessthan ten percent of their institutional knowledge. The non-Disney-published books about
the company are dismissed as uninformed or intentionally inflammatory. For the most part, that’s true. But there are gems in nearly every one. Several mention the existence of DSI. Others
describe an Imagineering research archive in the basement of the dorm building.”
“You’re making that up,” Jess said.
“Have you ever met someone in lighting and sound who’s this creative?” Tim’s self-denigrating tone stopped the conversation. Jess sat back, miffed. Amanda filled the
awkward silence by thanking Tim, who returned to his chair.
“Didn’t look like you hated research all that much when you were on the ladder,” Amanda said, moving from the book’s index to its middle section, her eyes fixedon the
page.
“I couldn’t get the ladder to roll. Tim showed up to help. No biggie.”
“Uh-huh,” Amanda teased.
“Stop it!”
“Check this out.” Amanda read quietly aloud. “‘The concept for Carousel of Progress originated as part of the late nineteen fifties Edison Square expansion of Main Street
USA. After the expansion fell through, the idea of a show celebrating the progress oftechnology was picked up and became ‘Progressland’ at the General Electric Pavilion at the 1964 New
York World’s Fair.’”
“Interesting.”
“‘Disney Imagineers Roger E. Broggie and Bob Gurr led the project. After the World’s Fair ended, the attraction was moved to Disneyland, where it opened on July 2, 1967 under a
new name, The Carousel of Progress. The attraction had the same sets andAudio-Animatronic performers as in the World’s Fair, with only slight updates to the show’s
storyline.’”
“Huh. I still can’t figure it out. Why would Finn and Philby ask about this?” Jess said.
Amanda passed Jess her phone. “Write this stuff down as I read?”
“Do I look like your secretary?” Jess complained. But she started thumb-typing the bullet points as Amanda continued.
“‘Act One begins just before the turn of the century, with the advent of new-fangled inventions like the icebox and the “talking machine.” Thanks to a new machine, it
only takes Mother five hours to do the wash. Jane prepares to go out for a ride on an electric streetcar.
“‘By Act Two, the nineteen twenties, the house is outfitted in electric lights and indoor plumbing, making ironing easieron Mother, and helping Cousin Orville keep cool in the
bathtub.
“‘Act Three, the Roaring Forties, has Grandma wearing a hearing aid while Mother uses her electric mixer to mix paint. Jane is keeping in shape with an electric machine while she
ties up the house phone.
“‘Act Four depicts the future, with electric appliances that make the 1967 Christmas dinner a breeze. Jet travel providesa means for Grandma and Grandpa to visit, while a new color
TV offers entertainment.’
“Did you get that?” Amanda said, pausing. “TV. It’s mentioned right there.”
“Did I get it all? No. Enough? Yes. And note to Amanda: we should be doing our real homework.”
“Okay, go. And, thank you! I can do this by myself.” Amanda reached out to take back her phone.
“No, I’ll stick
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