Cyberclipper

by Jason O'Neil

  With the final payment wired to a Swiss bank, the official celebration dinner at the Oberoi Hotel could commence. The Princes and their Blue Teams came down from the 26th floor suite to welcome the guests. The obligatory ice sculpture of an HSC gleamed in the middle of the ballroom, much to the pleasure of the guests from Tasmania. Nikki and her bosses from London sat at the head table. Dr. St. John was also a guest who quietly assured the Princes that the three purchases had been successfully crated and would arrive at the Maritime City in 30 days as promised. The merriment continued until late in the evening. Prince Khalid and Dahlia left for the mansion around 10:30. The Captains, splendid in their pure white uniforms, danced with their wives. The Tasmanians sponsored a Fosters Beer Suite under the watchful eye of Foster York. Prince Latif was seen escorting Nikki into the elevator around 11:00.

  As the couple left the elevator and entered the Prince’s suite, Yousif told Nikki that she had been on his mind ever since his shadow covered her bronze body on the Dardanelle. He took her hand and walked her over to the window with a perfect view of the Burj Khalifa. He embraced her and whispered in her ear that they should get into more comfortable clothing. Nikki excused herself and found red lace underwear on the bed, just her size. A warm flush came over her whole body. After a couple of sips of cognac, the couple fell into each other’s arms and kissed. The Prince put his hand on her left breast and could feel her nipple harden with excitement. Soon the couple was between the grey silk sheets mating in a most amorous fashion. Indeed, the couple made love like it was their last day on Earth. But as they feel asleep in each other’s embrace, they both knew it would not be their last time together. They were too much alike to let someone or something come between them.

  6

  MEGAYACHT

  With the three HSC’s and the three Blue Gene computers purchased, the second of four phases of the prince’s masterplan commenced. Phase two required the HSC’s to be refitted in Dubai, complete a full data center on the cargo deck housing the supercomputer. With the three HSC’s housed in the air-conditioned refit facilities, the work began modifying the massive ferryboats into classy megayachts suitable for a billionaire.

  Scores of oriental workers, in part managed by the Aussies from Tasmania, swarmed aboard and around the three vessels. Storage facilities contained fine woods, paneling, marble slabs, chandeliers, furniture, galley equipment, communications systems and the thousands of items necessary to outfit a megayacht in the $200 million class vessel. Representatives from British and Italian interior design houses were busy ordering materials and directing their installations.

  A Blue Clippper is a huge craft, 315 feet long and 88 feet wide. It would take eight months, working day and night, to transform the ferryboat. And the three decks rise above the water for 84 feet or the equivalent of an 8-story building. Below the water line, the engine room was painted white prior to the refurbishment of the three water jet engines with their new turbo thrusters. To complement this activity, new fuel cells were installed which would contain a novel hybrid fuel enabling additional thrust. The goal was to propel the huge vessel at sustained speeds of 48 knots.

  On the cargo deck the key activity was to install a data center with an 80- foot by 45-foot glass enclosure, complete with a raised floor to accommodate the cooling pipes and power cables. The center also has a Halon fire suppression system. The cargo deck also contains two giant battery enclosures capable of generating 1.2 megawatts of electricity for a period of up to fifteen minutes. The back of the deck is a large, reinforced ramp for loading vehicles, tenders and inflatable, ribbed runabout watercraft.

  A spiral staircase was installed that connected the cargo deck with the personnel deck and the bridge. Bow thrusters were installed for ease of docking.

  The Blue Clippers personnel deck contains the owner’s suite at the bow. It is sumptuous with a king-size bed, double bath, sauna and exercise room. Dark woods are complemented by white furniture and pale blue curtains. Two of the three suites were furnished with Prince Khalid’s favorite colors and one was furnished with Prince Latif’s favorite colors. Both schemes were predominantly blue and gold. This deck also contains a central hallway leading to the crew and visitor staterooms. Dahlia has her own stateroom decorated in purple and white fabrics. The three Israelis also had the pleasure of decorating their private spaces. The seventeen crew members were treated to a large salon and dining room opposite a modern, stainless steel galley. At the stern of the personnel’s middle deck is a small gym, swimming pool and movie theater.

  The upper deck contains the bridge with a 180-degree panoramic view and a leather bench for visitors to watch helm operations. Behind the bridge is the Captain’s Quarters with a small chart room and the Communications and Information Center (CIC) with its direct links to the communications systems and radars mounted on masts above. This deck also contains staterooms for the First Mate and the Chief Engineer. Two hotel suites are also available for VIP’s. A 20-foot by 12-foot swimming pool is in the center of the deck with a Jacuzzi and swim-up bar. The entire deck is ringed with teak flooring and walkways. From the stern railing, operations on the helideck can be observed.

  The hull is painted dark blue with the upper decks a bright yellow that gleams in the Middle Eastern sun and glows at sunrise and sunset. Aqua lights mounted all around the craft just below the waterline provide an aura of light blue clouds surrounding the clipper.

  With the painting complete and most of the carpentry complete, the computer room was sanitized for the installation of the Blue Gene. The assembly of the huge supercomputer with its 64 racks of equipment could begin. A cluster of technicians from IBM were required for this 2-month task. Each equipment rack was wheeled into the center, mounted in place and the electrical connections completed. The racks were connected to a main console with huge cables running under the floor. IBM engineers could be seen in the glass-enclosed conference room detailing the test regimes necessary for the machine’s sell-off prior to the sea trails.

  Exactly eighteen months to the day, Prince Khalid led a party of distinguished guests to the royal blue canopy on the pier to participate in the christening of the new megayachts. With all three vessels lined up at the Maritime City’s pier, several speeches were given about the Blue Clippers and the impact on the megayacht production potential of the Maritime City. Key guests were given tours of the personnel and bridge decks. The cargo decks were off-limits. The Australians from INCAT, including their boss, Foster York, were congratulated for their roles. IBM executives were quietly in the background still wondering why their beautiful machines were going to sea.

  As Dahlia broke a champagne bottle on the bow of Blue Clipper I, Prince Latif thanked the crowd for witnessing such an important event in the history of the UAE and said: “With Allah’s help, may the sea trials be successful.”

  7

  SEA TRIALS

  As the three Blue Clippers let the Maritime City for different test ranges agreed upon by the survey team, the megayachts churned the water of the Persian Gulf, although nobody aboard called it that. On board were independent, experienced survey teams commissioned by Lloyds of London to certify every aspect of the seaworthiness of the Prince’s flotilla.

  Twenty miles out to sea, the survey team captain informed the Skippers that all teams and systems were a “Go” for commencing the trails. Each captain then asked his crew: “Are you ready to commence the sea trails?” The crews of Blue Clipper I, II and III responded with an “Aye, Aye, Skipper!” Captain Crowley’s Clipper had a secure satellite link to Prince Latif’s suite in the Oberoi Hotel. The Prince knew what was happening at all times. Indeed, nothing was left to chance. The Prince could view the survey teams and related instruments via a closed-circuit television link. The Prince had also commissioned occasional helicopter over-flights to monitor the speed trails in the event of a controversy.

  For each Blue Clipper three days of prescribed activities would
thoroughly test all of the systems and subsystems on board except one, the supercomputer. It had its own set of test engineers to check the operation, even in high waves. The purpose was to give the Prince high confidence that the supercomputer would complete its mission at a pier or, if necessary, in a harbor. Dahlia was aboard Blue Clipper I to test lavatory and galley functions. Two hours into the first day of testing, she reported to the Prince: “Your Highness, all systems are a “Go.” “Indeed, this yacht feels like a home away from home. The Aussies, the Brits and the Italians all did their jobs exceptionally well. I think you’ll be pleased, Your Highness.” The Prince smiled as he surveyed other monitors in his suite.

  The survey teams consisted of a Lead (usually a senior sea captain known to Lloyds of London) and an expert in each of the following areas: superstructure/hull, Navigation and Electronics, Engine Room, Nautical maneuvers and safety systems. The cargo deck was off-limits except for access to the engine room. In all of the clippers, the test team noticed the stabilization effect of a huge payload in the center of the lower deck. For three days and night, sensor systems were hooked up to the:

  -Hull and superstructure including anchor systems, steering elements, bow and stern thrusters, water jets, davits and bilge pumping systems. Non-destructive tests were performed on the exhaust systems and navigation lights.

  -Navigation & Communications systems. Interference was interjected into the communications systems to verify voice and data throughput. The radars were tested for accuracy via GPS downlinks. The autopilot system was tested in accordance with the calibration data provided by the manufacturer. Tests were run on the chart plotters and all of the display screens.

  -Nautical Trails consisted of a series of speed trails in different maneuvers at different speeds including dead ship recovery. Stopping, starting and backing maneuvers were verified.

  -Engine Room verification included engine operation, temperature, noise, lubricant leak, vibration, hydraulic pressure, propeller speeds, impact of gearing and cooling.

  At 4:00 PM on the third day of the trials, the survey team informed the Captains that the trails were completed and that the megacraft could return to the Maritime city. By midnight each craft was in position at the pier as the teams unloaded their sensor equipment. In the background, the Blue Gene test team also unloaded their gear and quietly made their way to their hotel. Captain Crowley monitored the system closures from the bridge. As he walked out to the docking platform, he noticed his survey team Captain saluting the bow of Blue Clipper I. In the nautical world, this usually meant: “I salute you, and you are ready to ply the blue domain.” The Captain sleep very well that night.

  Three weeks after the trails, the official report was e-mailed to Prince Latif. It included the data and photographic archive about the systems and subsystems, the data from oil, water and fluid samples, fuel consumption, navigation accuracy readings and electrical systems with all exceeding the specifications. The report highlighted the Clipper’s seaborne maneuvers with “a speed and stability, uncommon in the realm of megayachts.” Upon reading the report, Prince Latif only made one phone call: “Hello, Dr. St. John, how did our machines do during the sea trials?

  “Your Highness, I am very pleased to report that each Blue Gene exceeded the warranty parameters, and you have three operational supercomputers for whatever your use.”

  The Prince responded: “Thank you, Sir. Please send the data directly to me, and I will promptly remit the remaining payment.”

  “I will do so, Your Highness,” replied the IBM salesman. “And may this compute power serve some worthy purpose.”

  On the other end of the line, the Prince thought to himself: “Oh, it will. Believe me; it will.”

  With the Clippers now deemed seaworthy and insured by Lloyds of London, the Prince was almost ready to commence Phase 3 of his project.

  8

  CELEBRATION

  Prince Latif was almost ready to commence Phase 3. But before he could celebrate, he wanted assurances from Captain Crowley and Dr. Raviv that both the ship and the computer were up to the task for a successful mission.

  At 8:00 AM on the day after the HSC’s arrived at the Maritime city, the Prince called “Catfish”: “Skipper, I need to talk with you and Adam at 8:30 this morning on your bridge. Please alert Adam and meet me there.”

  “Will, do, Sir,” replied the Skipper. “We’ll be there.”

  Promptly at 8:20, the Prince’s Maybach pulled up to Blue Clipper I which looked majestic in the morning sun. Within 10 minutes the Prince reached the bridge where the seaman and computer guru were waiting.

  “Guys,” began the Prince. “We’re about to celebrate the sea trail success and commence Phase 3 of our mission. I must be absolutely sure we’re ready. I hope you understand.” The captain looked at Catfish who said: “Well, Sir, I personally went over the numbers in the survey Report. This vessel meets or exceeds all the established criteria. I have full confidence in the performance of our Clippers.”

  “Fine, Sir, I respect your experience in this regard,” replied the Prince as he turned to the Israeli. “Adam, do you have the same level of confidence about the Blue Gene as the skipper has for the megayachts?”

  Dr. Raviv didn’t hesitate for a moment: “Yes, Sir, I do.” “The computer used less power than anticipated, but the throughput was the same as a land-based machine. I have full confidence the Blue Genes will be ready to perform their missions.”

  “And what about the machine’s ability to process encryption algorithms?” asked the Prince.

  “Your Highness, we’ve run simulations on encryption codes which are much more difficult than the ones we’ll face on the missions. I am confident we’ll break the codes in the time allotted or less,” stated Dr. Raviv with an air of uncommon confidence which pleased the Prince.

  “Very well then,” replied the Prince. “We’ll party tonight and depart at 7:00 AM on Friday.” The Prince shook the hand of his key employees and quickly descended the spiral staircase.

  The Oberoi Hotel was ready to meet every demand for a grand celebration prior to the departure of the Clippers. Key INCAT and IBM engineers and technicians found themselves in royal suites overlooking the Dubai city center and mall. Hourly busses took crews to and from the gold souk. VIP tours were arranged to visit the Observation Deck of the El Burj Khalifa on the 124th floor of the world’s tallest building. In the evening, a grand circular buffet ringed the obligatory ice sculpture of a Clipper. The speeches were brief as Prince Khalid thanked the teams for making the schedule and creating incredible megayachts.

  “I promise an even bigger celebration upon the completion of our missions,” said Prince Latif. The 100-person gathering enthusiastically clapped its appreciation. Large cooling fans were set up on the terrace so revelers could enjoy cigars and cognac with soft music provided by a trio in the background.

  Prince Latif shook the hand of Foster York of INCAT and Dr. St. John of IBM as he departed the fete with his friend from Monaco.

  On Friday, right on schedule, Prince Khalid and his entourage were present at the pier as Captain Crowley’s Blue Clipper I blew its horn three time to indicate the flotilla’s departure. At the same time, Prince Latif’s Gulfstream took off for Monaco to ensure that the operations for a successful mission were underway.

  Twenty miles out to sea, the three captains opened their instruction envelopes to find out that:

  -Blue Clipper I was bound for Bermuda

  -Blue Clipper II was bound for Cabo San Lucas

  -Blue Clipper III was bound for Monaco

  Eight days later, the Blue clippers were in their assigned ports, refueled and ready for their missions.

  9

  AMBULANCES

  As the Prince’s business jet touched down at the Aeroport Nice Conte d’Azur, the Prince telephoned his contact in Nice: “Jacques, are you ready to show me the vehi
cle,” he asked.

  “Yes, sir,” was the response. “We’re located at 26 Rue Marceau just one block east of the main railroad station,” came a woman’s voice over the secure telephone link.

  Ten minutes later a black van pulled up to the warehouse, and the driver was instructed to stay for one-half hour. The garage door opened, and a dashing Frenchman stretched out his hand to greet the Prince.

  “Bon jour, Your Highness,” said Jacques Malreau as he quickly motioned for the Prince to step inside as he pulled down the garage door.

  About twenty feet inside was a gleaming red and white Mercedes Benz ambulance with a variety of lights and antennas on top. The former Formula 1 race car driver opened the back doors and motioned for the Prince to step inside. He did so and sat on a bench across from several communications consoles with multiple displays and keyboards.

  “Sir, we’ve made this exactly to your specifications,’ stated the Frenchman. “It has three modes of communications: microwave, GMS cellular and SATCOM, all highspeed, wide-bandwidth and secure. And we have set up a transmitter just outside the train station.