by Bob Blanton
“So, we have two big things to deal with,” Marc said. “First, find ourselves a sales and business rep, and two, we need an industrialist to start up a car manufacturing business.”
“You’re not asking much are you,” Blake said.
“It’s what we need. Sam, do you think you can come up with some people?”
“I can,” Samantha said. “Are you expecting the industrialist to kick in capital?”
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Since you’re trying to spread the wealth, maybe what you need is someone to run the business. You can have the countries where you locate the plants kick in the capital in exchange for profit-sharing from the plants you locate there.”
“Won’t that encourage corruption?” Liz asked.
“Not if you structure it right,” Samantha said. “If you’re willing to pick up and move if they try to coerce you, and you make it a straight profit share to the treasury with public disclosure.”
“Doesn’t that set us up for looking corrupt?” Liz asked. “Remember, these countries have a long tradition of the big guys taking more than their fair share and lying to the rest about how much they’re sacrificing.”
“You’re right,” Samantha said. “Why not do it as public bonds, and base the bonds on the US dollar. The countries have to fund the plant, we pay off the bonds over ten years, and they get that revenue, plus all the taxes and jobs.”
“I like that better,” Marc said. “If we start small, we can adjust as we grow.”
“So, we start with electric cars,” Samantha said.
“What about electric scooters?” Catie said. “If we want to help the environment, getting all those scooters off the roads would be a great start.”
“Do we have a design for an electric scooter?” Marc asked.
“We kinda do,” Catie said. “It’s not finalized, but I’ve been working on it.”
“How big are they?” Liz asked.
“From the equivalent of one hundred ccs to two thousand ccs,” Catie said. “But we should start out with the small ones.”
“That would be a great way to start out the whole manufacturing partnership,” Samantha said. “Get the scooter model up and working in a couple of countries in the next few months, and expand to cars later in the year.”
“Okay, find us someone who wants to run a big business,” Marc said. “Actually, I guess, find us a couple of people.”
“Why don’t you just buy a small international company and expand it?” Kal asked.
“We’d get all the baggage with it,” Marc said.
“But you get lots of good infrastructure,” Kal countered. “You could lop off the top few levels of management and rebuild a pretty decent company in a lot less time.”
Marc looked at Samantha. “Sure, I can look at some potential companies to buy.”
“Some that are already into small engines or scooters,” Blake suggested.
“Moving on, how about our planes?” Marc asked, looking at Catie.
“Uncle Blake says he can start the shells next week. We’re going to print one and take it all the way through the process and prove it out before we start a second.”
“Why wait?” Marc asked.
“We don’t want to waste a bunch of material if we have to change something,” Catie replied.
“Can’t we recycle the material?” Marc asked.
“ADI?” Catie asked.
Samantha looked up from her tablet, “Who is Adi?”
“Our tech consultant,” Marc said. “She’s usually available on the comm, and she usually listens in on the meetings.”
“We should list her on the roll,” Samantha said.
“I’d rather not,” Marc said. “Is there a problem with that?”
“If she doesn’t vote, then it’s okay,” Samantha said a little skeptically.
“ADI says we have to build a recycler,” Catie said. “It looks easy to do.”
“I’ll put it on the list,” Blake said. “We’ll probably have other reasons to use it. I should have thought of it before.”
“Thanks. How about power?” Marc asked.
“The arrays are up and running,” Blake said. “I’ll send you the specs.” Blake’s eyes darted up in his HUD, and he blinked. The power specs for the solar array showed up in Marc’s HUD along with the specs for the small fusion reactor they had brought in from the Sakira. Blake had quietly installed it in a corner of the building. It was only a two-meter cube and was hidden behind the battery backup system and power panel for the building.
“I see we won’t be running low,” Marc said.
“I don’t think so,” Blake said. “We should be able to run a night shift.”
“Good.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Admiral Michaels.”
“Come in, Captain. An update from the Cook Islands?”
“This isn’t actually from the Cook Islands,” the captain said. “The FBI picked up some information that MacKenzie Discoveries is offering an Alzheimer’s treatment.”
“They are? Is it effective?”
“I had some checking done. McCormack’s daughter’s great grandparents on her mother’s side were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago. Apparently, they were quite advanced last year. The agent who visited them last week says they’re sharp as a tack and look and move about like they’re in their sixties instead of their eighties. There are two other cases that seem to have miraculously been cured after a trip to the Cook Islands; they’re in the file. We have indicators of several others, but we can’t get any confirmation due to the security around them.”
“Security?”
“Yes sir, it seems they are all very wealthy individuals.”
“And how much does this service cost?” Admiral Michaels asked.
“Rumor is that it cost five hundred thousand dollars.”
“Pricey.”
“The FBI says they don’t think they’ll have trouble finding clients. The CIA is interested since it seems they’re picking up a few clients from Europe, including Eastern Europe.”
“Russia?”
“Can’t tell.”
“I assume you’ve alerted our man down there.”
“Yes, I have, but I expect that the CIA will be sending someone. Do you want to keep our man in place?”
“Yes, but tell him to be extra discreet. I’d prefer the CIA didn’t notice we have an asset in place.”
“Yes sir.”
“Anything else?”
“Dr. McCormack has picked up several more scientists, all rumored to be suffering from Alzheimer’s, and all were at the top of their field. We also picked up some rumors of a new jet certification being prepared for New Zealand.”
“What’s so special about it?”
“It’s rumored to be a supersonic passenger jet.”
“I wonder whose it is,” Admiral Michaels said. “We know several companies are working toward that, but New Zealand would make one think of MacKenzie, wouldn’t it?”
“It does, sir.”
“Very well, carry on.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Hello, Aalia,” Dr. Metra said. “How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” Aalia said.
“She’s not okay,” Prisha said. “She has to use crutches!”
“Now Prisha, it’s not the doctor’s fault,” Dr. Sharmila scolded.
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that,” Dr. Metra said, giving Dr. Sharmila a nod. “I need to give you some shots, is that okay?”
Aalia nodded her head, and Prisha moved over next to her twin, grabbed her hand, and held it.
“Since we have to give you a bunch of shots, I’m going to put this in your leg, that way I only have to stick you once. Is that okay with you?”
Aalia nodded bravely as Dr. Metra showed her the peripheral venous catheter, a PVC, that she would insert into the vein.
“We’re going to put it in a vein in your leg,” D
r. Metra said. “That’s the biggest vein, so we’ll be able to put lots of medicine in. So, hop up here on the bed.”
Aalia hopped onto the bed with help from Prisha, who refused to let go of Aalia’s hand.
“Are you ready?” After Aalia nodded her head, Dr. Metra swabbed the area with an antiseptic and a numbing agent. Then she inserted the PVC into the vein. “Now that wasn’t too bad, was it?”
“No,” Aalia said. “Is that all?”
“Now we have to give you the injections,” Dr. Metra said. “But they go into the valve we put in, so they won’t hurt one bit.”
“Okay.”
“First, we’re going to get rid of all those bad genes that gave you this disease,” Dr. Metra said. She injected Aalia with a large syringe of genetically modified viruses. They would transport the replacement gene to the site of all the bad genes and replace them with the gene they had pulled from Prisha’s DNA. “See, that didn’t hurt at all, did it?”
“No, it just felt funny,” Aalia said.
“It did, well I guess that’s okay,” Dr. Metra said. “Now since Prisha doesn’t like you having to use crutches, we’re going to give you a few shots to help you build your muscles back up. Do you like that idea?”
Aalia and Prisha nodded their heads vigorously.
“This first shot is going to go find those weak muscles and give them some extra protein.” Dr. Metra gave Aalia a massive injection of nanites. These were carrying neutral muscle tissue that would be directed to her leg muscles. Dr. Metra used the scanner and the field generator that was built into the bed Aalia was lying on, to direct the nanites to the muscles she wanted to enhance. Once they were there, she dropped the suppression field, and they immediately deposited their load into the muscle tissue.
“Okay, and the last thing we need to do is let all this get inside you so it can help all your muscles start to get better fast,” Dr. Metra said. Then she hung an IV bag next to the bed that was full of pluripotent stem cells made from Prisha’s blood. They would start repairing all the damaged tissue in Aalia’s body. “You have to lie there for one hour. Can you do that?”
Aalia and Prisha both nodded their heads solemnly.
“I’ll leave you with them,” Dr. Metra said as she removed her gloves.
“How long will it take?” Dr. Sharmila asked.
“She should start regaining strength right away. I would estimate a week before she’s strong enough to go without the crutches.”
“That soon?”
Dr. Metra nodded her head. “Yes, I’d think so. If you prefer, you can remove the PVC when the drip is done. Otherwise, I’ll be back in an hour to check on you.”
Dr. Sharmila hugged Dr. Metra. She was crying but didn’t want her daughters to notice.
Chapter 26
Spies on the Beach
Blake and Kal were having drinks at the local bar, letting a little steam off after work. Blake was seeing if his luck with the local women would continue after he’d had his scars repaired. He’d been having a difficult time getting a date when he and Marc were in Hawaii. He had blamed it on the extensive scarring on the left side of his face and neck. When they had moved to the Cook Islands, Blake had discovered that the women here viewed the scars as a badge of honor. He’d been having a lot more success getting dates, but then Dr. Metra had fixed his scars.
“Are you worried you won’t appeal to the locals anymore?” Kal teased.
“No, with my good looks, I’ll be having to beat them off with a stick,” Blake shot back. “How about you? You’re not going to be able to use sympathy to pick anyone up.”
“As if I ever had to go for the sympathy date,” Kal shot back. “I’ve never had trouble finding a girl.”
“Hey, I’ve always been able to find them,” Blake said, “It’s getting them to go out with you that’s hard. I hear it’s even harder for you to get a second date.”
“You wait until we’re doing some training with Liz. I’ll show you some moves,” Kal threatened.
“Well, those are probably the only moves you can use to get a second date.”
“Put your money where your mouth is,” Kal said. “You pick the girl. If I get two dates, you owe me five grand.”
“You’re on,” Blake said. “You want to play it the other way too?”
“Sure, I’ll pick one out for you. I can use an easy ten grand.”
“We’ll see who’s laughing next week,” Blake said. “And no throwing money around to act as honey.”
“Agreed.”
Both of the guys started looking around the bar. Both were trying to find the most attractive woman there, one who would be the least likely to go out with the other.
“I see just the woman for you,” Blake said. “See that blond over there?” Blake nodded at a tall blond woman with a gorgeous figure. She was sitting at a table alone but working on her phone. He figured she was quite a bit taller than Kal.
“I see her,” Kal said. “I’m still looking for your date; ah, I see her now.” Kal discreetly indicated a Chinese woman who’d just entered the bar. She was slender, but with a shapely figure. She had a face that would stop traffic, definitely out of Blake’s league.
“Okay, we have our targets,” Blake said. “May the winner be me,” he said.
“Good luck,” Kal said. “You’re going to need it just to get a first date.”
Both men got up and moved toward their selected woman.
“Hi,” Blake said. “You look like you’re lost?”
“I’m looking for a nice restaurant to eat dinner,” the Chinese woman said. “Someone recommended this place.”
“This is a nice bar, but just an okay place to eat,” Blake said. “I prefer Flambé myself.”
“Is that French?”
“More international, but they have some nice French dishes,” Blake said.
“Could you tell me how to get there?”
“I can walk you there if you like,” Blake said. “I was just going over there to have dinner myself. My name is Blake, by the way.”
“I’m Ying Yue.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ying Yue,” Blake said. “What brings you to Rarotonga?”
“I am writing an article for my magazine,” Ying Yue said. “Rarotonga has become a vacation destination for people from China.”
Blake held the door open for her as they left the bar. He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see how Kal was doing. He saw Kal just sitting down at the table with the blond.
“Hi, my name’s Kal. You look like you might like some company.”
“I might,” the blond said in a deep sexy voice, her accent was obviously from Eastern Europe. “Why would you be someone I would want for company?”
“Well, I’ve been in Rarotonga for a little over four months, so I know the lay of the land, but with a newcomer’s perspective. I can help point out where the interesting things are.”
“And what do you think I might find interesting?”
“The nice places to eat, especially the places that cater to the locals,” Kal said. “I know a bit about where to shop; where to fish, if you’re into that; the best swimming beaches or where to go snorkeling.”
“Snorkeling, I would like to do that,” she said. “Do you know where I could find someone who could take me out to a good spot?”
“Well, I have access to a big yacht,” Kal said. “It’s my boss’s, but he lets me use it.”
“Then, sit down and tell me about this yacht and where we could go snorkeling.”
◆ ◆ ◆
It was the third week of soccer practice when Aalia came carrying her crutches.
“Hey, Aalia, no crutches today?” Catie called out as the twins made their way over to her. The twins were continuing to go home with Liz and Catie after soccer practice. There they would study and get some help from Catie once in a while. Catie had been watching Aalia getting stronger for the last week. Nobody said anything, but she assumed that Dr. Metra had star
ted treating her.
“I hate these things,” Aalia said.
“I hate them too,” Prisha said. “We want to burn them.”
“You can’t burn metal,” Liz said while stifling a laugh.
“Why not?” both twins said together. They were clearly upset at not being able to make the symbolic gesture of burning the accursed crutches.
“Well, we can ask Dr. Scheele if he can burn them for you,” Catie said.
“Yes!”
◆ ◆ ◆
While the girls were practicing, Liz checked with Dr. Sharmila to see if it was okay for the twins to go over to Dr. Sheele’s lab and destroy the crutches. Dr. Sharmila only asked that Liz take a video of the momentous event.
After practice, Liz drove them to Dr. Scheele’s lab.
“Dr. Scheele, this is Aalia and her sister Prisha,” Liz said, introducing the two girls. “I think you already know Catie.”
“I know of her, but we haven’t met,” Dr. Scheele said, giving Catie a nod. Catie was quietly pointing to the twins to let Dr. Scheele know that it was their show.
“Now, what can I do for you young ladies?” Dr. Scheele said as he sat on his heels so he would be the same height as the twins.
“We want to burn these crutches,” Aalia said.
“She doesn’t need them anymore, and we hate them,” Prisha added.
Dr. Scheele looked at Liz. She nodded to let him know it was okay to destroy the crutches.
“Let me see one,” Dr. Scheele said. Aalia handed him one of the crutches. “Hmm, aluminum. Well, we certainly can burn them,” he said.
“Oh, boy!”
“You’ll need to wear some glasses,” Dr. Scheele said. He looked around his lab until he found two pairs of welding goggles that would protect the twins’ eyes from the bright light of burning aluminum. He gave them to Liz while he took the pair of crutches and placed them in a metal box on the workbench.
Liz helped the twins put on their goggles. She and Catie adjusted their specs to provide the necessary protection, and they all lined up in front of the workbench.
“Now, I’m going to start up the plasma torch,” Dr. Scheele said. “Then you can take this handle here and steer the beam until it burns up those nasty crutches.”