by Ricky Sides
“What they have currently available and one tenth of the alloy created in the future and we handle the transportation. That will leave us a lot of room to negotiate. We can take much less of course. However, I would insist on at least half of currently available material and five percent of the alloy created in the future. He said that they prepared several more shipments on speculation. Several usually imply three or more times the units of measurement people are describing, otherwise they use the term double. If it is only three or four times the original shipment, we could double our air force and create another one or two large class ships. We still need troop transports, and the western leaders are all keenly interested in acquiring ships that teams could use in the manner that we use the Peacekeeper,” Pol explained. “And I have a special project in mind but I am saving that for a surprise, so no need to ask for details because I won’t get into that until I know that it can be done.”
“Do we have access to the more mundane things we need, such as computers and other related electronics, laser components and that sort of thing?” Tim asked.
“We have access to a good supply. However, if we secure this deal, we will need to send out scouting parties to locate more as quickly as possible and secure them. The biggest need, once we secure this alloy deal, will be the chemicals needed. The supplies of these chemicals needed to produce the battery systems have been slow in coming. Two of the chemicals are hard to find. There are substitutions that work, but they do not store energy as efficiently thus power becomes more of an issue,” Pol said.
“I hope you suggest these substitutions to Mr. Reager,” Jim stated. “At least until we can secure the two rare chemicals in quantity.”
“I will, but I will also be telling him about the improved formula at some point. If he trades fairly with us, I think we should be fair with him. After all, one day we may be driving the vehicles that he manufactures,” stated Pol with a grin.
“That’s a good point Pol,” Tim said. “I wouldn’t want to be constantly worrying about power.”
“There’s also the moral responsibility. If the vehicle runs out of power thus stranding people, those people could be found by cannibals or other marauders,” Pol stated soberly. “I don’t want that on my conscience.”
They all agreed that Pol had a very good point and that the improved formula for the batteries should be revealed within a few months. Pol assured them all that the formula they were going to give Bob was still far superior to anything that the electric car industry ever developed. The substitution of the two rare chemicals could improve it, but it was still a great battery.
After that discussion, they organized and began to work on the prototype. Strike force team members entered the access port of the battleship and began to unload the raw materials Pol had stored aboard the ship. They soon found that Pol had anticipated building the prototype, and the aluminum channel beams were precut and numbered. As soon as they were unloaded, Pol began working with an assistant welding the frame together. Since the battleship had power to spare, he used the electrical connection in that ship to operate the energy inefficient electric welder. The battery subassembly was installed, the chemicals added and the unit was sealed. Pol knew that by the time the vehicle was ready, the chemical reactions inside the battery would have produced a full charge.
By the time the frame was ready two strike force team members had returned with a seat from a sports car they’d found a few blocks away at a salvage yard. The seat was quickly mounted.
Next Pol installed the motor assembly and its emitter, carefully measuring and consulting his detailed plans to ensure that it was in the proper position before seating it in a semi permanent fashion.
For the purpose of this demonstration, Pol was going with a simple convertible model. There were no headlights, heater, or air conditioner. It was a stripped down model, meant to prove that the technology worked.
Next, they applied the outer skin to the car using the same techniques that Pol had developed when the battleship had been manufactured. The pieces were positioned where they needed to be and then an electrical charge was sent through the assembly which caused the alloy to adhere seamlessly to the aluminum framework and any other metal that it was touching. This was accomplished with a wand that was held near the surface of the alloy. Activation of the wand and bringing the tip within four inches of the material caused electricity to jump to the surface of the alloy. Two men with wooden poles capped with a thick rubber pad on one end held the pieces in position while Pol sealed them to the frame. The bottom of the car was the hardest to cover so they did that first. The men assisting Pol were amazed at his ingenuity. He had Namid to hover over the car and tossed a rope sling over her fighter. The sling was attached to the frame of the car. When she had lifted the frame seven feet off the ground, Pol had her stop and hover while he worked with his assistants to cover the bottom of the vehicle.
Then, they added the side, front, and rear panels. Then they moved to the hood and trunk areas. As they added each area, the joints were sealed. Finally, the body was assembled, and then he turned to the control system for the car. He opted for a control system similar to that used by the drones but as he installed that system, he explained to the others that the production model should probably have a gas pedal, brake, and steering wheel. That was what most of the population had grown up using, and that would be most readily accepted. He also explained that this unit was capable of twenty feet altitude and if his math was correct approximately one hundred mile per hour speed, though he recommended much slower, and the vehicle could have further limitations imposed on it by tweaking the motor.
By the time they finished assembling the vehicle, it was one in the morning. “That is the ugliest new car I’ve ever seen,” said Patricia.
“Yes my dear, that is true, but it will never use a drop of gas, and it can go from here to California on one charge,” Pol countered.
“With no heat or air? No thanks,” Namid said
“The production models will of course have those things. And windshield wipers,” Pol said grinning and then he yawned hugely and excused himself saying he needed to sleep.
The vehicle was left parked between the other peacekeeper vessels. Guards would be rotated for the remainder of the night and the rest of the crew grabbed some much-needed sleep.
Chapter 3
Pol tested the car the next day. Namid flew air cover for him, as he took the vehicle for a test run a few miles down the highway and back. He pronounced it sufficient for the demonstration model.
Two hours later, Bob Reager contacted them and asked if they could meet with him and the negotiation team at the Brentworth Steel facility where they would inspect the alloy in storage and then meet in the conference room for the negotiations. Jim asked Bob to have his people out front to see the prototype car that Pol had built and laughed when Bob had expressed surprise that they had already constructed one. He gave his assurance to the man that the model was crude by auto industry standards and was only meant to demonstrate that the technology would work.
Pol was the first to arrive at the Brentworth facility. The other ships waited and let Pol make a grand entrance without their larger and more impressive vessels as a backdrop. When the Peacekeeper arrived, Jim found Bob walking around the vehicle staring at it in wonder.
Pol explained the operating procedure to the man and then he said, “But production models should have a gas pedal, a foot brake, and steering wheel, because that is what the consumers are accustomed to and most comfortable with when it comes to operating vehicles. All of these can be tied into the onboard computer. The overall model should be a lot cheaper than an ordinary combustion engine model and it is bullet resistant up to fifty caliber ammunition loads. The windshield and windows would be vulnerable though, but you could have sliding panels that closed at the touch of a button on all but the windshield. Even that could be partially protected leaving only a small area exposed to gunfire if you so desired. Passeng
er models would be larger of course. I did build this from scrap overnight,” he explained apologetically.
“It’s bullet proof? Well, that’s a huge plus. But where are the seams? I don’t see any seams in the body,” Bob stated in surprise.
“There is a way to make the alloy form seamless joints,” Pol explained.
“That’s another plus,” Bob said. “The surface of the alloy is a bit rough for taking paint well.”
“It shouldn’t be painted at all, sir,” Pol explained.
“You can’t sell cars that aren’t painted, Pol. The public just won’t buy them,” Bob explained.
“Painting the metal will ruin its solar collective capability, Bob. Did I mention that the alloy can collect solar energy better than the best of the solar collectors of old?” Pol asked.
“You mean you’d never have to recharge the car?” asked Bob.
“I would never say never. That depends upon the use of the vehicle. For example: running the air conditioner or heater on high, while using windshield wipers and headlights for hours, and maintaining maximum speed would cause the battery to become depleted after about ten hours. So, you’d want to include recharge capability. However, backing off the speed to about sixty and using the electrical draining accessories on lower settings would greatly improve that performance. In theory, the units should be able to travel from here to California on their initial charge. Of course from the energy reserve standpoint, the larger the body, the better,” Pol explained.
“What’s the recharge time?” Bob asked.
“Assuming the vehicle is critically low on power the recharge time would be one and a half hours,” Pol explained.
“If a customer wanted a painted unit what would the performance characteristics be for that painted unit?” Bob asked.
“Again much depends on the driving characteristics. Top speed full drain on the system by the accessories, would be a range of about four hundred miles. But, you should also know that aside from ruining the solar collective abilities of the alloy, in all probability, painting would also ruin the bullet resistance. You see that bullet resistance occurs because there is an electric current passing through the material, due to it collecting and transferring power to the battery,” Pol explained.
“Well at least the alloy does patina nicely and it’s not unattractive,” Bob said. “It’s just that all vehicles looking the same is going to create problems. Imagine a parking lot with three hundred identical vehicles.”
“That’s not impossible to overcome, Mr. Reager,” Pointed out Patricia. “Just accessorize. Run a line of accessories for the buyer to customize the base units. They can add pinstripes, bug shields, even complex art designs and still keep the majority of the benefits of the solar absorption capabilities. The customer doesn’t have an either or choice to make. In reality, they have infinite possibilities from a hood-racing stripe to a matching stripe set along hood, roof and trunk. And make the interiors plush. If the exteriors are on the drab side they’ll forget all about that once they are riding at twenty feet above the roads in the plush interiors of their new cars, trucks, or SUVs. It’s snowing outside, and you need to go to the store? ‘Honey, I’m taking the Reager,’” she said finishing with a wink.
Bob smiled and said, “Oh you’re good. The Reager, indeed.”
“Well, why not?” she asked. “It’s as plausible as the Delorean, and can be made for a fraction of the cost, if you can manufacture the alloy at the same price as normal steel.”
“Oh, we can,” Bob said, smiling. He turned to the others and said, “If you are all ready we can go inside and I’ll show you the available alloy.”
Inside the facility, Bob led them through the isles to a storage room with large bay doors. The doors stood open and several men were sweeping the floor that had accumulated years of dust. A mechanic team was working on a large model forklift truck. “The guys are still working on the fork lift, so it will be a while before we can move any of the products, but if you’ll walk this way I will show you to the supply of alloy we have available,” Bob said.
He led them to a row of heavily packaged containers. “At the very back of the row are six containers of the alloy in four by ten foot sheets. Each container holds two hundred sheets of the material. The original container we shipped that was damaged held more pieces, but we opted to cut down the quantity per container in the hopes of avoiding future damage to the product,” Bob explained and one of his assistants stepped forward and handed Bob a sheaf of papers. Bob gave each of the peacekeepers a copy. “This is a manifest. It details what we have on hand at the moment.”
There was enough of the alloy stored in the room to triple the size of their air force and still build several more large ships. “I think we need to see a sample of the material,” Pol said.
“Of course,” Bob replied and he walked to a tool rack hanging on a nearby wall. The executive got a pair of tin snips and a box cutter and then he cut the banding material from the skid of alloy with the tin snips. Bob removed the heavily waxed outer layer of paper. Below that paper, the metal was wrapped in plastic. Taking a box cutter, he slit the plastic on the edge side of the skid so as not to scratch the finish of the product and pulled back the plastic wrapper. Pol knew immediately that the material was the correct alloy. He had also recognized the wrapping paper as the same used on the damaged container of alloy that they had used to build the battleship.
“I think we are ready to begin negotiations,” Pol said smiling.
***
The negotiations took much longer than the peacekeepers anticipated. Bob and his associates, who included city councilmen since the deal involved the use of city property, were perfectly willing to let the peacekeepers have all of the available alloy since they could easily produce more. They revealed that they had been able to contact the people who operated the mines in the UP and make a tentative deal with them to obtain the two rare ores needed in the process. They assured the peacekeepers that they would be able to manufacture the alloy for years to come. However, they balked at ten percent of future production of the alloy. Indeed, they balked at any percentage arrangement, preferring instead to come to an arrangement for a set amount of the alloy.
“That arrangement severely limits our potential utilization of the alloy and is unacceptable,” Pol stated flatly. He added, “I don’t think that you gentlemen truly appreciate the potential of what we are offering here. The applications of this technology have far more potential than just the auto industry you know.”
“Such as?” asked one of the board members.
“You’ll want to get into the roofing business as well. Roof houses with this alloy in the manner of old fashioned tin roofs. Connect it to the battery system that you’ll learn how to build, and then run lighting, heating, air conditioning, and of course household appliances off the electricity generated. Don’t have enough electricity available because your roof is too small, then buy Reager’s siding and tie that into the system as well,” Pol said convincingly. “Gentlemen, this is a huge opportunity for your company. The automotive end is just the tip of the iceberg. Think Reager roofing and siding, Reager shipping, and Saginaw-Reager public transit. Reager would become the most powerful company in the world because Reager got the permission from the patent holders to use their inventions exclusively, aside from the peacekeepers of course, for the next fifty years,” Pol said reminding the men that he and Patricia held the patent rights on the alloy, engine, and battery systems.
“And when a government of some sort is restored and world trade begins again, Reager Industries won’t be able to fill all of the orders you’ll be taking. At the same time, Reager Industries will restore Saginaw and Detroit to their once dominant positions in the United States and the world. And while you’re at it you’ll be promoting environmentally friendly energy use,” Pol pointed out.
Bob Reager, his board, and the city council members sat in shocked silence. They hadn’t even considered the possibility of
other applications in the housing market.
“Mr. Bleakman, are you willing to teach our technicians how to assemble the engines and battery systems and join the alloy seamlessly?” asked one of the board members.
The peacekeepers had anticipated that question and had decided that they would stay two weeks. It would take about that long to get the alloy transferred anyway, so they might as well help the company get started on the right foot. “We can stay here two weeks. If you can assemble the team in time, then yes, of course I will instruct them, but you also need Patricia’s help to instruct your computer experts in the computer setup and software, which you will also be getting, at no additional charge. You can even have your videographers document the entire training process and use that video to train additional technicians in the future so that there is no degradation of the process,” Pol said in conclusion.
“By the way have I mentioned the possibility that you could develop a floating city with this technology? How’s that for earthquake-proof construction?” asked Pol. “You see Gentlemen, you are only limited by your imagination. In view of all of this, I think a few paltry tons of alloy is a dirt-cheap price to pay. Don’t you?”
“But capitalizing on all of these ideas is tied to the restoration of America,” one board member pointed out.
“You obviously believe this will happen or we would not be sitting here today and your company would have dissolved,” Pol said shrewdly.
“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Bleakman,” Bob said smiling. “Why don’t you folks go inventory the material and make sure that everything on the manifest is actually there. We need a few minutes to consult on this deal.”
“Please, take your time,” Pol said standing. “I love just looking at that beautiful alloy, so I will be entertained.”
The peacekeepers returned to the storage area and went through the motions of confirming that all of the alloy was present in the dimensions, quantities, and weights listed on the manifest. Jim asked Pol to do the math and estimate how many loads of the alloy were present. Pol obliged him and then he answered, “Eight loads, but that is eight light loads. If we had to do so, we could get by with six heavy loads.”