Cyberclipper

by Jason O'Neil

  The final farewell banquet was held in the Glass House restaurant, 5-star restaurant on a dedicated pier at Book Street on Franklin Wharf. INCAT reserved the entire restaurant and invited key supervisors as a thank-you party. The restaurant’s fare was primarily Japanese, Asian and, of course, New Zealand lamb.

  An HSC ice sculpture was flood-lighted in the middle of room ringed by a lavish buffet. Foster York toasted the Prince and the team. The Prince reciprocated by thanking his generous host and their “superior” watercraft. At the end of the dinner, General Manger York provided a list HSC’s for sale around the world. He also pointed out key supervisors in the audience who would be available to perform re-fit work at the Dubai Maritime Terminal. This gesture was very well-received by Prince Latif.

  The Maybach delivered the team to the aircraft at 8:30 the next morning. Handshakes and pats on the back provided a warm send-off for the Prince’s team. Within twenty minutes, the Gulfstream was climbing along the eastern coast of Australia ready for the flight to Honolulu. For most of the flight, the captains huddled around a conference table comparing notes and swapping suggestions on how to configure an HSC to best meet the Prince’s requirements. The Prince spent a lot of time on the telephone. They all knew with whom he was talking but didn’t understand a word he was saying. During refueling in Hawaii, the Prince announced that the next destination would be the tiny country of Monaco. The team members didn’t speak. They simply smiled as that rested their heads on the leather pillows. Dahlia and the captains knew that Monaco was a haven for yacht brokers, particularly for very large boats.

  3

  MONACO

  During the morning of the next day, the Prince’s jet touched down at the Nice Cote d’Azur International Airport which serves the principality of Monaco only 14 miles east on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The team was chauffeured to the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo next to the famous Monte Carlo Casino. The doorman instantly recognized the Prince and welcomed him back. In the lobby, the evaluation team was directed to consolidate their findings over the next two days and provide a report by the end of the week. Dahlia’s photos would supplement the engineering details provided by the Captains.

  After freshening up in his suite, the Prince overlooked the harbor and spotted the yacht which was his destination. In crisp white Arab men’s dress, complete with Ghutra, Igal, Bisht and Dishdasha, the Prince alone walked down hill on Avenue d’Ostende to the Quai Hirondelle pier at the Hercule Marine. After showing his credentials to harbor security, he walked confidently down the middle of the Quai to the megayacht, Dardanelle. Only moments later he stood on the bow spa area with his shadow covering a bikini-clad woman sunbathing by the pool.

  “Excuse me, Sir, but you’re blocking the sun!” she exclaimed. No sooner had she said the words, and she realized it was her friend Prince Latif.

  “Your Highness, what a pleasant surprise!” “But I didn’t expect you until this afternoon,” said Dominique Villefranche, the 36 year-old French beauty who happened to be one of the world’s foremost yacht brokers.

  “You’re absolutely right, Nikki, but my request is so unusual that I thought it best to come early to give you more time to search the planet for the items to meet my requirements,” said Prince Latif.

  “Oh, I see,” said Ms. Villefranche as she took a seat at the poolside bar.

  “You see, I’ve done my homework,” continued the Prince. “You represent the company, Yachting Partners International (YPI), the London-based largest yacht broker in the world. I know you’re one of their most successful salespeople. And I really need your help now.”

  “Well, sir, I’ve been very blessed, indeed very lucky,” responded Nikki with some humility in her voice.

  “Yes, both lucky and smart,” continued the Prince. “You’ve flourished in a world typically dominated by “good ‘ol boys,” responded the Prince.

  His Highness continued: “I think we can do some business together. Would you be kind enough to join me for lunch at the Hotel de Paris where I’ll explain my requirements?”

  “I’d be honored, Your Highness. I can be there at noon,” replied Nikki.

  “Perfect,” replied the Prince. “In this way, you’ll have the afternoon to research your client base and make some suggestions, perhaps by dinner time.”

  “Well, Your Highness, I know you as a man of action, responded Nikki with some real excitement in her voice. “I accept your gracious invitation and will do my very best to fulfill your needs.”

  The super saleswoman than stood up, held out her hand, gave a firm handshake followed by a slight bow of her head as she said,” See you at noon, Prince.”

  “I look forward to it, and please call me “Yousif” if you’re comfortable in doing so,” answered the Prince as he walked over to the gangplank to leave the boat.

  It was a beautiful, sunny day as the wealthy saleslady entered the lobby of the Hotel. The concierge immediately recognized her and said,” How nice to see you Mademoiselle Villefranche.”

  “Likewise, Francois, always a pleasure to see you in one of my most favorite places on Earth,” responded Nikki.

  “Your party awaits you at the far end of the Café, actually at the very table you usually reserve,” replied Francois.

  “Perfect, I know the way,” said Nikki as she turned toward the Café with a cute, almost sly, smile on her face.

  As she approached the table…HER table…, the Prince stood up and extended his hand in friendship.

  “Sir, I mean Yousif, how many people reject your invitation?” asked Nikki. They both laughed as she took her seat. The couple ordered Perrier water and surveyed the menu. Yousif started the conversation by saying, ”Nikki, I bet you have this menu memorized. What do you recommend?

  “Well, I usually get the escargot and the daily quiche,” replied Nikki.

  The order was placed, and the Prince pushed an envelope across the table to Nikki. The yacht broker scanned a couple sheets and exclaimed,” Wow, your timing couldn’t be better, Sir. I mean Yousif.” “I’m very familiar with the INCAT products, and there are several on the market right now. Indeed, a couple ferry companied have just filed for bankruptcy, and you can really get a bargain. And I see you’ve done your homework because your short list is quite appropriate.”

  “Nikki, that’s what my research shows. But I don’t need “A” bargain. I need three of them!” responded Yousif with uncharacteristic volume in his voice.

  “Three!” responded Nikki. “What are you going to do set up a ferry service in the UAE?”

  “No,” replied Yousif. “I need three to be re-fitted in Dubai for a very special mission.”

  “Yousif, these are huge vessels. You must have huge plans,” responded Nikki with an inquiring tone in her voice hoping the Prince would divulge something about his mission.

  The Arab was silent and only smiled slightly. It was clear to Nikki that this would be a HUGE sale, but she may never know the purpose for these megayachts. After lunch, the Prince and the broker parted at the Hotel’s front door with a promise to meet for dinner to discuss some options and terms.

  Nikki returned to the Dardanelle, logged onto the YPI database and within a couple minutes emphatically spoke out loud: “That’s it! I’ve found the perfect one!” She then called her manager in London to report the news. Minutes later she got a call with two more suggested INCAT HSC’s for her esteemed client.

  As she dressed for dinner, she said to herself, “This is going to be a really big day. Heck, I might even end up at the casino.”

  For the second time in a day, Nikki entered the lobby of the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo, this time dressed in a floor-length, silver sequined gown with a plunging neckline revealing a diamond necklace in her cleavage. Her hunch proved correct that her client was already seated at a corner table in the famous Louis XV restaurant with its guilded Baroque ambiance.

/>   The Prince was all smiles as Nikki approached the table and simply said; “You look ravishing, indeed, exquisite, Nikki. Are you sure you want to talk business?”

  As she sat down, she replied in a firm voice: “Of course. Business before pleasure, you know!”

  “Of course,” replied Yousif. “I hope your research was successful, my good broker.”

  “It sure was,” exclaimed Nikki with a genuine excitement. “We are prepared to offer three HSC’s at what the Americans call: “Bargain Basement Prices.” “I will provide all of the details to you in the morning. But’s here’s some photos of the vessels,” as she pulled a small envelope out of her black opera purse. As the Prince looked at the pictures, Nikki stated some of the terms to buy 3 HSC’s—one each from France, England and Greece.

  “You see, Yousif.” “Your timing is perfect. These ferry companies can’t even pay the insurance much less the mortgages on these craft. They have released most of the crews and are desperate to get them off their books,” exhorted the broker who continued: “Indeed, you would be getting an $80M vessel for about $20M which includes our fee. I hope you can appreciate the value I propose.”

  The Prince raised his glass and clinked Niki’s saying: “My friend, this is very exciting. We may just have a deal here. I will commission three survey teams to inspect them over the next two weeks. Indeed, I already have the Captains to lead the inspection teams. If the survey’s prove out, I would expect you to have the contracts ready to negotiate in your YPI offices in Dubai within a week. Is that acceptable?”

  “Of course,” replied Nikki. “I can make that happen.”

  “Well then let’s enjoy dinner, and perhaps you’ll join me in the baccarat room in the Casino. I think you’ll bring me good luck!” said Yousif.

  “Yousif, I’d be honored. I’d love to,” replied Nikki as she envisioned walking into the room with the Prince by her side.

  It was almost midnight when the couple walked across the plaza from the Casino to the Hotel. As Nikki got into an awaiting limousine, Yousif said: “I was right. You brought me luck tonight…in more ways than one.”

  Without showing affection in public, he shook her hand and said: “Good night, Nikki, I really look forward to your visit to Dubai.”

  The next morning as the Prince’s jet was climbing out of the Cote d’Azur, three Captains were dispatched to the HSC’s to complete the surveys on schedule. Prince Khalid was pleased with the progress report.

  4

  ALMADEN

  It was almost midnight when the Prince’s Gulfstream landed at the Ben Gurion Airport serving Tel Aviv and taxied to the civil aviation hangar. As the plane was refueled, Prince Latif met Dr. Raviv and his assistant, Amira Atara in the Sky Lounge. Ms. Atara is a cyber security specialist who graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University in New York City. She is only 34 years old but already has an international reputation on how to keep banks and financial institutions secure. Dr. Raviv introduced Ms. Atara to the Prince and Dahlia.

  An hour later the four-person party was headed west toward America. After an uneventful flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the jet landed at Dulles Airport just west of Washington, D.C. After the plane taxied to the Signature private aviation building, stopped and lowered the stairs, a young man with a small suitcase climbed into the airplane. As he entered, he was greeted by Dahlia who introduced Arne Lindquist, a distinguished computer scientist who is an expert in supercomputer operations. Once airborne, Dahlia served breakfast and the members of the party became more acquainted.

  After a four and one-half hour flight, the jet landed in San Jose, California. The plane was met by a black limousine for the 18-mile ride south to the IBM Research Center in Almaden. Nestled in the rolling hills of this 700-acre preserve are four modern buildings housing about 500 engineers and scientists responsible for many of the company’s next generation products. As the 5-person party signed in at the lobby, the display of computer disk drives held the party’s interest.

  Within minutes, the Center’s Director, Dr. Tryg Ager, was greeting his guests and escorting them into a wood-paneled conference room. Preparing for a slide show, Dr. Bruce St. John, IBM’s leading supercomputer salesman, walked over and introduced himself to the Prince and his party. Coffee was served and the lights dimmed as Dr. St. John proceeded to fill the next 2-hours with “petaflops of data” and videos about the Blue Gene Model L supercomputer at the Prince’s request. Indeed, Dr. St. John was responding to a 3-page specification sheet provided in advance by Mr. Lindquist. When asked what the application for the machine, the Prince gave a vague answer about financial modelling.

  At this point in the meeting, the Prince stated: “Let me make myself quite clear. I’m in the market for three Blue Gene’s,” as he held up three fingers to emphasize his point. “They are to be delivered to our Maritime City in Dubai within the next 5-months.”

  The room went silent as all eyes were on the IBMer.

  Dr. St. John replied, “Well, Your Highness, it’s probably possible since 2 of our clients are currently upgrading to the new model “Q”, and you could procure them used but still under our warranty.” Always the consummate salesman, the tall, striking African-American activated his tablet on the end of the conference table, pushed the F-7 key and displayed a list of installations which would be most appropriate.

  He then continued: “The closest would be at the University of Brunei where the upgrade is almost complete. Indeed, some of the “L” racks are already in crates.

  This pleased the Prince: “Excellent, and the other two?”

  “Well, Your Highness, my recommendation would be the machine at the University of Nevada where their project about artificial neural networks just finished and also the Blue Gene L machine here where we are upgrading to the “Q” to demonstrate high speed analytics and artificial intelligence to a U.S. Government customer. Both of these could very well be delivered within your timeframe, but we would have to clear it with headquarters in Armonk first.”

  At this point, Dr. Ager added: “Dr. St. John has outlined a most reasonable and timely plan. I will commit to give you proposal within 2-weeks. But, Your Highness, please remember that these machines take 1.2 megawatts to operate. You would probably have to operate them at night or have a dedicated power supply.”

  “Thank you for the reminder, Doctor,” responded Prince Latif. “I have a solution for that.”

  “And you’ll want special cooling in the floor of your data center in order to disburse the heat from the 64-racks of equipment. “continued Dr. Ager.

  “Sir,” responded the Prince, “we have a design for that as well.”

  “Oh, and shipping will cost you at least $2M from here and Nevada, but probably only $1M from Brunei,” added Dr. St. John. The rest of meeting focused on contractual details.

  On the second day in Almaden, the Prince’s team pelted the IBM engineers with questions before and after touring the Blue Gene L facility. Meanwhile, the Prince and Dahlia had excused themselves and visited friends in Portola Valley, just south of San Francisco. One of the friends was Nathan Kalish, a trusted friend of the Prince’s from his days at UCLA.

  At the end of the day, Dr. Raviv called the Prince to inform him of the team’s findings and that they were prepared to return to Israel.

  “Very well,” replied the Prince. “We’ll depart from San Jose at 9:00 PM tonight.”

  Three weeks after the Almaden visit, Dahlia had finished her review of the IBM sales contract, made some minor clause changes and suggested that the Prince wire 30% of the contract value as a down payment until the three computers arrived safely in the Maritime City’s air-conditioned warehouse, all 200 wooden crates, costing over $100M for which only a handful of people knew the application.

  5

  THE DEALS

  On a clear, sunny May morning, Nikki was enjoying breakfast after a workout in
the gym on her beloved Dardanelle yacht when she got the call that the last of the 3 HSC’s had successfully passed the survey inspections and sea trials to be eligible for insurance by Lloyds of London. By mid-afternoon she had finalized the terms of the sales to be presented to the Prince for approval and final payment in Dubai. At the same time, each of the captains and their First Mates were interviewing potential crew members. It took a month for all of the credentials and background checks to be complete and two weeks of familiarization cruises before the catamarans departed for Dubai.

  Just as the two megacraft from England and France passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, Nikki flew to Athens, Greece to board the HSC purchased from Hellenic Seaways at the port city of Piraeus. The next day the megacraft (they become megayachts when outfitted by the Prince) formed a flotilla, almost a 1,000 feet in length, headed to the Suez Canal. Two days later the three craft were skimming above the waves as they rounded the Saudi Arabian peninsula into the Persian Gulf. On the fifth day, the flotilla was safely docked at Dubai’s Maritime City. During the voyage, Nikki had walked all around the vessel, but she still couldn’t fathom what the Prince was going to do with such a cavernous cargo deck with a capacity of 600 tons.

  The next day, Prince Khalid arrived with an entourage of media personnel to welcome the HSC’s and their crews during an official dedication of the new retrofit facility. A team of thirty engineers and technicians from Tasmania were in attendance.

  As the Prince delivered his short remarks: “a very important day in the history of the UAE,” the three captains, Prince Latif, Dahlia, Nikki and two Israelis sat behind the lectern under a canvas canopy. Prince Khalid proudly announced that the hulls would be painted dark blue and that in 18 months he would re-christen the megayachts: “Blue Clipper I, II and III.” He was going to call them “Blue Genius” but was talked out of it by Prince Latif as being too revealing. The captains were interviewed by the press and gave details about the ships and their performance. No details about the use of the re-fitted craft were released. Indeed, Captain Crowley remained conspicuously quiet when asked about the Prince’s project. However, he did report: “the HSC was the most seaworthy vessel he’d had the pleasure to command during his 33 years at sea.” After the ceremony, an elaborate buffet was opened in a nearby air-conditioned tent. With only 11 feet of draft, the audience saw the massive HSC’s winched and pushed up into their re-fit shelters.