Algy,

  I can’t believe it’s here! You told me to let you know the moment it was delivered and here I am, in my driveway, emailing you on my phone as the delivery driver is loading his dolly back in the truck. I am attaching a photo of the ANX box sitting on my front porch. I’m serious, I can’t believe we did it, that it’s here, and in a few days, we’ll both have a shot at our very own projects on our very own biological tissue printer!

  I took your advice and opened a separate account with Citibank. Splitting the cost was more than a lifesaver and dumping the balance on a brand-new account gives this project the legitimacy I need it to have. My credit might suffer a little, but I don’t care. We have our own tissue printer. Top of the damn line and ready for action. And we both know that ANX is where it’s at right now. They are setting the standards. And now we are too.

  Listen, I don’t really believe in fate or destiny or anything like that but when we bumped into each other at this year’s BIO-Con, I wasn’t expecting to go halfsies with a perfect stranger on bleeding edge medical equipment. I’ve already said as much but it was a real pleasure talking shop with you and browsing the show floor. I am little better than a hobbyist, so I always feel out of place at BIO-Con. Running into you changed that. And the fact that we were both interested in the new ANX printer? That was just a layer of frosting for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have ten thousand projects lined up in the back of my mind for our new printer, but it was simply really nice making a friend. So, thanks again.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I am not really the type to do an unboxing video but I am seriously tempted. I know we agreed to wait to set it up until you could rent a workshop at the maker’s space co-op you mentioned but damn if my curiosity isn’t trying to climb right out of my skin and pop the tape on this thing. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for either of us.

  I know our schedules are pretty much polar opposites, but we really should find some time for a few beers and some biomed stories. Maybe once we have the printer up and running, we could find a pub and kill an afternoon?

  Let’s figure out a schedule for printer time once it’s installed and ready. I still need to find a line on test materials and some growth medium but that’s part of the excitement. I am looking forward to swapping all the nitty gritty details of our projects in the near future. Again, it has been really rather nice getting to know you.

  One thing, the manifest shows that the printer was rerouted through Austin. I didn’t get a notification on any changes but I am quite sure that’s why it was so late in arriving. I admit that I was more than a little worried. A week late when it comes to this kind of investment was enough to turn a little more of my hair gray.

  Thanks again, Algy. After Diane’s death, I’ve had very little to look forward to. Now I feel like I’ve got the world beneath my fingertips. Or, at the very least, a brand new tissue printer—Ha!

  Yours,

  Charley