Several months later, Tom entered the lab. The morning sun was shining through the rows of skylights in the ceiling. Paul was at a large worktable near the center of the room. He was speaking with several technicians and inspecting the device on the table in front of him. It was a steel-covered object measuring about a foot and a half wide, two and a half feet tall, and six inches thick. Tom saw several removable access plates and a few recessed controls. On the back were three sets of straps, two for over the shoulders and one for the waist. There were pads built into the back, apparently to improve comfort. As Tom looked on, Paul lifted the unit and slipped it onto his back.
“Oh, this is heavy,” Paul commented, “and stiff too.”
“I know,” explained the younger of the men at the table. “
