by Danny Dunn
Zaria 1 is excited to get home. Zaria 3 has come up with a very promising well-digging system they are going to try out in the afternoon. The villa is situated in a very hard and difficult ground for drilling wells, so it will be a good test for her invention.
Tom learns that the resellers are marking their units up to $1.2 million, and they are selling out. Tom increases its price to $1,00,000, and sales are still strong. The computers are being sold to the IT world as servers, and Tom doubles their price. The customers that bought early got a great deal, but it helped them to establish customers and get into a lot of markets. The new prices are going to slow sales down but will dramatically increase their bottom line.
Pong heads home and can’t wait to see the well digging demonstration.
She arrives, and they are all waiting for her.
The machine is much smaller than the big well-digging machines. The system is based on cutting into the ground using a very high-pressure water jet that shoots water through a special nozzle at 60,000 PSI. The head of the system shoots the water out of 3 holes and outward very slightly so that the holes it is digging end up being a little larger than the diameter of the head. The water and the dirt or rock is sucked up a power vacuum pipe which feeds through a filter that ejects the bulk of the rock but recycles a high percentage of the water by running the water through multiple filters. The casing for the hole is a long flexible plastic-hose that feeds down on a roll. The hose that has a slot cut into it that when pressed together locks like a zip lock bag. The bottom first tube to follow the head down is made of screen material that allows the water to come in through the water aquifers in the ground. Above that, the tubing also has the slit cut into it but does not have the screen material but instead is solid tubing on a roll. As the head is lowered into the ground, there is a weight above it applying downward pressure. As the head begins digging the hole, the head falls, pulling down with it the screen and then the tube casing to prevent the hole from caving in. They turn on the machine, and it goes to work. At the top where the head construction first begins, there is a clear acrylic cover to prevent debris from striking the operators and standers-by.
One of the time-consuming procedures of the multiple pipe solutions is that the operator has to stop and add another pipe every 20 feet. This solution enables the completion of the entire drilling process without ever stopping.
Zaria 3 fires up the machine, and it immediately goes to work. Their research tells them that in a rocky surface they are penetrating the current prevailing technology will take about 3 weeks to drill a 1,000 12 inch hole, and they will need to go through about 4 heads in the process which they have to pull out the entire pipe each time they need to change heads. Which is basically a drill bit for dirt and rock.
Their machine starts cutting through the rock like a hot knife through butter. They calculate that they are cutting at a rate of 40 feet per hour. There are already other water jet well diggers on the market, but none are capable of drilling non-stop and finishing a 1000-foot well in one pass. As the head drops down, the flexible outer casing passes through a zipper-like fixture that seals up the seam just like a zipper would. It is working like a champ. Zaria 3 has incorporated software that monitors the feed rate of the head and the casing. She also is monitoring water pressure as well as the engine gauges. She passes along the web address for the monitor page, and they all decide to go inside and talk about the day. Zaria 3 is watching the progress.
The water and material that is sucked up to the surface through a rough filter that catches all the rock and soil and then runs through several levels of filters until 99% of the water is completely filtered and runs through the drilling system again.
The head has made it through the rock and is now cruising through the dirt and has sped up to 120 feet per hour. They are all jazzed about her success. Zaria 2 asks what happens to the drill head. She explains that there is a switch that releases three prongs that hold it to the bottom screen/tube. When it reaches the set depth, the system flips the switch and reels the head back up. Then tomorrow, we drop down the pump on a 1,000-foot long fiber enforced hose and hook it up to power, and we are in business.
By the way, she adds, let's say you don’t know how deep you have to go. There is a sensor that detects when you reach water, so if you are hitting lots of water at 500 feet. You simply tell it how many feet below the first water you want to go down, and it will stop, reel the head back up and finish it up.
During the night, the system pings Zaria 3 and sends a summary page provided feet per hour per every 100 feet, a total time of 16 hours, and when she goes to check on it, the tube is all reeled back up, and the head is intact. Zaria 3 is ecstatic. When the others get up, they each read the screen and start laughing and shake their heads. Zaria files 13 patents on her invention and is very excited. Zaria 3 builds another 10 machines to ship to Sudan. Together they plan out how to start digging wells in Sudan and put together a team of bots to start drilling the week after the 10 machines are complete.
Zaria 1 heads to work. They have been at it for 6 months since the first shipment, and she is about to ship the last of the first orders of Zari Bots. Pong’s Pong-pound is making great progress. The very first thing they started was the runway, which is now complete. She made it long enough and wide enough for any size plane. They are calling it the Z5 runway named after her mother’s monster fleet of Z5s of Zari. Joe and David are flying Pong, the Zarias, and QZ (Queen Zenthra) to the PongPound to do some more planning and dreaming.
They are locating the company in a very large flat space surrounded by mountains. The offices are back up against a sharp cliff, and Zaria 1 is having a waterfall built for her mother, Zaria. The offices sit on a foothill so that they overlook the airport and the production area. Pong is investing a lot to make the beautify the land, she is digging a lake, several streams and is closing off the only open side of a canyon to create a lake. Pong hired the pioneer of thermal-core generators to provide their main source of power. Zaria like the guy and show him videos of the same system she made on her planet. Zaria also builds some of the vertical axis windmills she designed, which are a big hit with everyone. And they are big producers sitting upon every mountaintop. Zaria used Zaria 1’s 3D printers to make the windmill blades out of clear material, and they have such a futuristic look to them.
Six more months pass, and with Tom and Steve running the company and Zaria’s bots running production, they are going gangbusters and have 30 days of inventory on hand. Their sales are at over $44 billion, and the profits are over $28 Billion. But the robots are just catching on. Tim is promoted to robotic sales, and they are looking at government orders in the hundreds of thousands of units per each of the major countries. The military is all over them, but they just say no and move on.
Tom, Steve, Tim and some others are working next year's projections, and they scare Tom. According to the sales projections, their company is going to hit $400 billion in sales. How is that possible. Tom and Steve talk to Pong, and Tom is concerned about their ability to deliver. We will be in a new facility; we are going to eat up the world’s supply of Graphene. I would suggest that we reduce sales by increasing the price again. Pong looks at Tom and Steve. That sounds like a good idea to me, but it is your show and smiles. I kind of like this chairman stuff. Of course, if you are wrong, it’s your asses right. Lol
I am kidding, of course, whatever you guys decide is fine with me. So, we make what $300 billion in a year. That is going to buy a lot of Peace and Equality in my eyes. Poor Tim, and the other two sales heads. They are the ones who are going to catch hell. I suggest you write a memo to announce the price increases and then go on vacation for two weeks. Lol
Pong has 5,000 Zari bots working on the new facility, and they are almost done. Pong had a fence built around the entire property. They have dug 20 wells of 750 feet deep each, and they have completed their lake. Pong offers to dig wells for their neighbors, and they all accepted. All Pong wanted was f
or them to cover the materials cost of $3,000 each. The offices are done, and now the construction of the manufacturing buildings and the hangers is underway. Pong buys several helicopters and another jet for them to share.
Pong without telling anyone orders 10 tunnel digging machines and has them all start from the outside in and from the other side of mountains so that no one detects they are digging. She has the diggers create a large cavity under the largest mountain, which is where they will build their survival mall, as Zaria did on Zari 2.
Once all the transport tunnels are completed, Pong has machines go back to the cavity under the mountain and has them extend the cavity lengthwise under the mountain.
Everyone in the core group has chosen a homesite, and Pong is constructing a scaled-up version of the Zari house for them with pools, tennis courts, and a monorail to work. The homes belong to the company but are available to the core team at no charge.
The employees get the original Zari houses at no charge. They share a large pool, tennis courts and there is a nice restaurant on the main road where employees eat for free.
Pong opens a private school just inside the front gate. The school is free to residents of the area, and everyone moves their kids there due to the incredible investment Pong makes to ensure it is top-notch. She has Zari bots running the school, and the residences there love it. Security is tight, and there are 2 teachers for every class of 15. Pong’s Zaria bots come up with elaborate teaching methods to get their lessons across to the kids and make it fun for everyone. Pong basically gives them unlimited funds and places them as a very high priority. They go on field trips; they use the property to create planet-friendly ecosystems. The parent is encouraged to join them, and most of them do.
A year after buying the property, it is ready for occupancy, and David is excited. Having over $100 billion in inventory at the older place made him nervous, and he is feeling much better. They declare 1 weekend as moving time and have everything moved by Sunday night. They used several thousand bots to help in the move, which made the transition very smooth.
There is some chaos Monday morning, but all and all, things go smoothly. The Zari bots are holding many positions in the company and are fitting in very well. Pong walks into the sales department, and Tim has two assistants, and both are bots. Back you two, back, back. Tim keeps a miniature guillotine on his desk and points at it when they smart off to him. One of them says, you know we can take you right.
Except for Zaria 1, the Zarias and QZ are going to Africa to dig wells and having a great time. David is against them all going, but after they insist, David puts together a strategy for defending against rebel attacks.
David sends 1,000 bots armed with tasers, and 10,000 drones equipped with tasers, tranquilizer darts, video, and audio. It is the first time he is not sending bios but feels the Zari bots can handle it. They also send an armored vehicle for evacuating the Zarias.
Zaria goes on a safari and spends time around lions, elephants, and giraffes. They teach the team there how to run the machines. They and some bots supervise the drilling of 50 wells and leave the machines there for them to dig another 200 wells over the next two months. In addition to the wells, they provide the materials for running miles of water pipe for irrigation systems. They also provide large water tanks for storage. The Zarias don’t announce what they are doing, but the press catches wind of it, and it is becoming big news around the world.
The Zarias and QZ are on the cover of most magazines, and the articles are very positive. The articles include pictures of the villagers watering crops. Pong also pays for some tractors and lots of seeds for planting.
Zaria writes Pong and insists that she come there and see what she is doing. Pong, “I remember very vividly going to visit the survivors on Zari and what an incredible feeling it was to see what I had been doing for them. Please come now.
Pong replies that she will leave Friday night, she tells her mother she has to get clearance from David first, lol. Pong tells David, and he tells her ok and starts putting the trip together. It starts with a fresh backup of you, and Pong says, “yes sir, roger that, affirmative, and giggles.”
On Friday, Pong takes off with Joe, Alby, and Michael, 8 bots, and 8 newbies. Pong says, oh my, David is sending the “A” Team and asks if they brought the Tequila and Cigars. They laugh, and Michael says they are bringing back some lions and tigers for their kids. Pong goes up to the cockpit and sits in with Joe for a while.
They talk about how the kids are and what it is like being a single dad. Joe tells Pong that he is glad to have the chance to talk to her. Joes tells pong that he hopes she knows how much he appreciates her kindness and generosity. After his wife left them when he was in the Blue Angels, life was so tough. But now he spends plenty of time with the kids, and although they are pretty grown now, he is getting to really know them.
Pong, when you gave us that first bonus, that changed the lives of not just me but for my kids too. OK, I am done gushing, says Joe. Pong tells him he is welcome and really appreciates the work he does. Joe asks, so what are you going to do there? Honestly, Joe, I am there to be thanked and adored, and she giggles. The Zarias and QZ have drilled 50 of 250 water wells with the new water drilling machine Zaria 3 has designed. My mother wants me to come and see the happiness the project is generating for myself. My mother saved the last 55,000 survivors outside Zari-Island by airing food, water, and supplies to them. She wants me to meet those we are helping basically. Joes says he still hasn’t heard the whole story about your mother, but it sounds like an amazing story. It is so amazing it is hard to believe it is true. Imagine building an island with the main goal of surviving life-ending events and then within the first 10 years surviving a world war, a weaponized virus that mutates and kills both sides, a 6 mile wide asteroid, a 40 foot tsunami, and then a full out attack by the world’s top military force and not lose one life.
Joe, really? I had no idea. That is beyond amazing. Since I am a military guy, what did they use in the attack on the island? Pong tells him they opened up with 22 ICBMs for starters. They were sleeping when the ICBMs were launched, and her system detected them. They had 15 drones carriers each equipped with 15, 000 drones each, and 8 missiles. There were 25 bombers with 8 neutron bombs each, and 8 missiles each, and then they were surrounded by submarines with 6 missiles each carrying neutron warheads.
Woe and your mother defended against all that with no fatalities. Pong replies, “yep, and not a single weapon touched the island. It sounds impossible now that I tell the story for the first time, but yes, pretty amazing stuff. Get this, Zari had my mother connect our audio and Video to a satellite and then had her pipe the video and audio to the world for them to see and hear live. Zari warned them not to cross their waters and that they would defend themselves if they did not turn back. The 22 ICBMs were the first thing they started with and from a distance, so Zari and my mother knew that any negotiations were just silly. The attacking commander basically said hand over your island or die. That is when they turned the weapon loose and is wiped out nearly half a million targets inside of 3 minutes. It became known as the 3-minute war to the few around the planet who were still alive.
Why were they attacking Zari? Joe asks
This was 6 days before the asteroid strike, and they knew our island would be their best chance for survival. My mother bought all the components through multiple channels, and not a soul knew Zari Island had a secret weapon. So, the attackers decided what the hell, let’s just take it. They wanted to kick out our 700,000 citizens and put their rich and politicians in their place. Joe says he heard she has a bio fiancé there. Pong says yes, and they are madly in love. She misses him a great deal. Joe tells Pong good for her. It sounds like she deserves happiness. Plus, I hear aliens are great in bed, and he laughs. Yes, they are, Pong says and laughs.
Joe changes the subject and tells pong everyone is very excited about the new “digs.” Yes, so am I. it is a big step for us. At the other place, it f
elt temporary. This place already feels like home to me. It is so pretty where we are going.
End Chapter 38
Chapter 39 – But Things Were Going So Well
Joe receives a message from David. The rebels have caught wind of the well digging project and are out to take the machines and steal the land now that it has water. They can all see the video of the 10 locations, and all is quiet so far. David says that their M.O. is to attack at night. The drones have infrared, so we should be in good shape. David says that he prefers that they get the Zarias out of their now, and they decline.
Pong tells them to be sure to back up. The Zarias confirm that it was done in the morning.
Zaria asks Joe if he can put the audio on over the plane, and Joe switches it on.
The drilling teams are all out in the open field, which was one of David’s requests before the trip. It is so much easier to defend, he says. This way, they have to come to us.
There are 4 rebel teams of about 100 per team attacking four of the ten sites. The tents are all about 800 yards or more from the nearest trees, also per David’s request.
Send a few drones straight up and start looking for recon units in the grass. They send up 5 per site, and sure enough, with the infrared cameras, they can see them as plain as day laying in the grass about 50 yards from each site. There are 4 sniper/recon soldiers at each site. Two are toward the jungle, and the rest of the attackers and two are behind. The two outback is to pick off retreaters. We need to get them now so they can’t radio more intel to their commanders.