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Hey guys! Below is a transcript from the early BSI days. And I mean very early. My guess is around 1960? It was an old tape found in the founders' workshop. Most of the tapes from this period got lost, getting taped over with other stuff over time. But not this one, for some reason. This discovery only adds more questions to my search. Based on my research into BSI and its core players, I can probably guess who the two people you hear in the recording are. But since I don't know for sure, for now I'll refer to them as Man and Woman.
-Anthony
TRANSCRIPT of a TAPE RECORDING regarding the development of BUNNY SMILES INC., circa 1960
(Sound of a door opening.)
MAN'S VOICE, talking into tape recorder: And then I was thinking, instead of-
(He is cut off by the sound of a woman humming inside. The sound gets louder. I guess he's getting closer. The humming stops when the man speaks.)
MAN: You look as lovely as you sound.
WOMAN'S VOICE: Jack! You scared me.
(I've never heard her voice before in any of my findings. It's low, and sweet. Even when shocked, she still sounds calm.)
MAN(who we can now safely assume is JACK): Sorry, Ro. Don't-... mind me.
(Sound of keys and tape recorder being placed down, then rustling, my guess is he takes off his jacket.)
JACK: Keep doing what you were doing.
WOMAN(who I will be calling RO): Oh, not that recorder thing again.
JACK: What?
RO: Do you have to bring it home?
JACK: (He is charming.) What if I have a good idea? Or hear something I want to hear again?
RO: (She scoffs.) Is it on?
(Silence.)
RO: Turn it off, Jack.
JACK: But I don't want to lose-
RO: (She is stern, but not abrasive. She is still very calm.) I'm not going to ask again.
(Sound of clicking, a button being pressed.)
JACK: There. See?
(So I guess he pretended to turn it off, or thought he did but didn't, because the recording keeps going.)
JACK: (He chuckles.) You're not even looking. You're looking at her.
RO: (I don't know how else to describe it, but it sounds like she's smiling when she says this:) It's called being a parent, Jack.
JACK: I know. I know. (There is a pause, then he says:) Last I checked, I was one too.
RO: You are. So, come look at her.
(A quiet sound of a baby cooing. I can't say exactly how old, but my guess based on the sound of it is between 6 and 12 months. I can now add 'infant verbal development' to the list of thing's I've had to research for this project. The historian's job is to leave no stone unturned.)
JACK: Sophie.
RO: (With a small laugh) You look beat.
JACK: It was a long day.
RO: How so? I thought you just had that meeting.
JACK: Shhhh.
(It sounds like JACK hums quietly, not to any particular tune. The baby makes noises in response.)
RO: The meeting... Did it... not go well?
(JACK does not respond.)
RO: Oh, Jack.
(JACK sighs.)
RO: Well, I'm still proud of you. I know- that might not comfort you much, right now. But regardless of the outcome of that meeting, you're still a good businessman. With a good idea. You're still good. Those loan sharks can't take that away from you.
JACK: (He chuckles.) They weren't loan sharks. They were producers.
RO: (Sounding indifferent to the correction:) Hm. Well, I'm still proud of you. Not many people are brave enough to put their ideas out there. It takes a lot. And I- Oh, don't-
(Then the sound of some rustling fabric. From context, I presume he holds or embraces her.)
RO: Jack, you'll crush her.
JACK: I'm being perfectly gentle. Let me take her.
(A muffled sound. The baby coos as (I assume) she is being passed to JACK.)
JACK: Hello Sophie. I haven't seen you all day.
(The way he talks to the baby is very stern, matter of fact. No baby talk. He talks to her like he does with RO, and other people in other recordings, but I can hear a fondness in his voice that he doesn't show for anyone else. The baby responds to him with noises, almost emphatically.)
RO: Looks like she missed you too.
(Silence aside from tranquil breathing and baby sounds.)
RO: It'll happen, Jack. One day.
JACK: (He sighs, then he says:) It almost happened today.
RO: (After a pause:) Hm?
JACK: (Quietly:) Those producers. They were... interested.
RO: What? That's great. Did they put you on a waitlist? Save the project for later?
JACK: They made an offer.
RO: Jack? Jack! They really did?
JACK: Really.
RO: Then why did you-
JACK: I didn't take it.
RO: Why not?
(JACK sighs.)
RO: Jack...
JACK: Don't worry about it.
RO: (Lightly sarcastic:) If you don't tell me right now, I can take Sophie back, put her to bed, and we can have a screaming match about it downstairs.
JACK: Fine. It's- ahhh... They liked the idea. They were interested in putting money towards it.
RO: (Excited:) Jack-
JACK: Not much. We ran the numbers, and it would have only ever worked if we... made sacrifices.
RO: Like?
JACK: Putting our house and Felix's up for collateral. (A few seconds of silence.) Felix was fine with it, but... I turned them down.
RO: Why?
JACK: It wouldn't be fair. To Sophie.
(RO sighs.)
JACK: I couldn't do it. Put the company over our security. I-
RO: Oh, Jack.
JACK: You don't need to console me. I know I have a good idea. The meeting today proved it. I know that I am a good businessman. But I... I- want to be a good father more.
RO: (After a pause:) You are.
(The baby makes noises, like someone is playing with her.)
RO: Well, look. you've gotten her excited. She was almost asleep.
JACK: Sorry.
RO: No, it's good you spend time with her. Maybe, in the future, not right before her nap.
JACK: No promises.
RO: Hmph.
JACK: Here- I'll get lost so she calms down. I have work to do anyway. (Sound of a kiss.) I'll be in the workshop. Call if you need me.
RO: I will.
JACK: I love you. And you.
(Sound of a smaller kiss, which prompts baby to coo happily.)
RO: Jack...
JACK: Goodbye, Rosie.
(I've heard the name Rosie used somewhere else in these tapes. I don't want to think about the connection... The door closes. The recording continues.)
ROSIE: You and me alone again... Now can you help me help you and try to sleep? (A pause.) I know, it's exciting to see Daddy. But you can't let him rile you up otherwise you'll never sleep at night. (A pause.) That man is crazy about you, you know. Even before you were born, it was 'Sophie, Sophie, Sophie.' Hm....
(ROSIE sighs, then begins humming, then softly singing. At this point the recording gets so muffled I can't make out the words, only the tune. But I'm no musician, so that's all I got.)
Very interesting to know the course of BSI could have been drastically changed if the events of this day went differently... I wonder if I can cross reference and find the exact date. Hopefully I'll be back with more answers at a later date.
-Anthony