[quote=Crocodile]What's the difference between "in the near future" and "in a near future"?

Quote Originally Posted by http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-Developing-3D-Games-89339.shtml
Microsoft Developing 3D Games? Not in the very near future
Quote Originally Posted by "http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3766189":237xl028
"I am actually reasonably optimistic we will come to closure on this in a very near future," Gates told reporters returning on a flight from a five-day trip to Europe.
[/quote:237xl028]

"in a very near future" sounds very strange here and doesn't make much sense; I've never heard anything expressed like that. I certainly wouldn't say it's equivalent to "in the very near future." If I were going to Russia in about two weeks I could say, "I'm going to Russia in the very near future" but I wouldn't say, "I'm going to Russia in a very near future;" it just doesn't make sense. If this is not a misquote, perhaps Gates is envisioning many possible near futures and "a very near future" would be just one of them. Nevertheless it's very odd.