After years of work to attain a PhD, his experiments, along with the entire laboratory, was destroyed in a fire. Konrad became convinced that his test was sabotaged by his jealous fellow students, after he was ejected from the university.
"Mr. Antakov, it would be easier to fund your work if you were able to follow the rules of workplace health and safety" he said. All Konrad could see was the dimness in the man's eyes.
"Workplace health and safety?" said Konrad. "I am talking about changing the world! I am talking about giving man the ability to pull energy out of nothing! And, and you talk to me of safety!".
The board looked at him sternly, as though he was a child. They did not understand. They could not understand. How could they? Their minds were busy, flat out, juggling their own mundane goings on, balancing budgets, investing, paying bills and sending their children to expensive schools in posh suburbs.
The memory left a gash in his mind, a hole, along with the dozens of other lacerations caused by the hurtful memories which constantly ripped through his mind, endlessly repeating. Throughout his life, Konrad had spent so much time working towards his goals, constantly pushing his boundaries but this next challenge left him despairing at the thought of failure. A bell rang loud in the silent lab. Konrad's phone lit up, a small light in the surrounding gloom. Konrad stared at his phone, 'Shark' was calling. The phone fell silent, but soon displayed a new message, "Where's my money!?" Konrad maintained his vacant expression as he put his phone away, extinguishing the light. .
After the fire at the university, Konrad needed funding from some other source. Getting a personal loan from a bank was not easy for someone like Konrad who looked to a banker like a heroin addict who had spent the last night under a bridge somewhere. His frustration with these rigid men led him nowhere.