2024-2120

by Russell Fine

  About thirty minutes later his cell phone rang. He was surprised to see that the call was from Emma Foster. “Good morning, Dr. Foster. I was about to call you. I have a question for you.”

  Before he could ask his question, Dr. Foster interrupted him. “I want to advise you that Flexton Chapman has withdrawn their offer. We’ve decided we’re not in a position that would enable us to take full advantage of the rights to the power modules. Unlike VM and Kingman, we don’t have a lot of experience with electric vehicles. It would probably be at least eighteen months before we could release a car that utilized a power module and we know the public won’t wait that long. What we would like from you is an agreement to supply us with prototype units we could use for our product development, and when the product is ready, we would like to be able to either buy or manufacture the power modules for use in our vehicles. Is that possible?”

  “Well, I’m surprised by your request, but I do understand your position. What I was going to say was that we’re considering offering the rights to the power module to both you and Kingman. But if you have no immediate interest, that’s okay. In my discussions with Kingman, they felt they would probably find themselves under pressure from the government to allow other companies access to the technology, so their plan was to license the technology to other companies one year after their first power module vehicle was released to the public. I’m certain we can include the requirement that Kingman supply you with power modules you can use for development purposes in our contract. We’ll do that for Vextor Motors too. Does that meet your needs?”

  “Yes, I believe it does. We’ll probably need at least one hundred units, but possibly more. I’ll ask our R&D group how many they think they’ll need. I want you to know I appreciate your consideration and I’m pleased you understand our position. Once the public knows the power modules are being made there will be panic and we really don’t want to be the object of public wrath. As I said before, Kingman and VM are in a much better position to utilize the power modules than we are. Will you keep me informed regarding the agreement with Kingman?”

  “Of course, I will. I’m certain I’ll be discussing this with Kingman today and I’m also positive they won’t have any problems with the requirement to supply you with the power modules you need.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Simpson. I’ll be waiting for your call,” and the conversation ended.

  Albert was stunned. He couldn’t believe Flexton Chapman wasn’t interested in the manufacturing rights, but based on the people who were still outside his office, he did understand their position. Now, for the first time he began to think about the impact on the automobile industry. The public knew at some time in the near future they would be able to buy cars that didn’t require any type of fuel. That meant car sales would drop like a rock and all the car companies would be hurt financially. He suspected most of the car dealers would be put out of business. But that was the price of progress: gasoline-powered cars would go the way of the horse-drawn carriage.

  An hour later he called David Becker, his contact at Kingman. After exchanging pleasantries, David asked Albert if he had any questions.

  “I do have some questions, though they aren’t specific to the proposal. I sent my attorney a copy of the documents this morning. I’m sure I’ll hear from him by the end of the day. I wanted to know if Kingman has a timetable for the availability of vehicles that will utilize the power modules.”

  “Yes, we do. We’re already working on the changes for the STZ electric car. We expect that to be available for sale about three months after we have a signed contract. Also, a year ago we started working on a high torque electric motor that was going to be used for a T3000 hybrid truck. Obviously, that vehicle won’t be a hybrid now, but we expect that to be available about three months after the STZ. We’ll probably look at using the T3000 engine in an A-Trek and possibly a Flex too. I have no idea what the time frame will be for those vehicles at this time. Why do you want to know?”

  “I want to be sure that whoever gets the rights to the power module will be able to release a vehicle fairly quickly because the public is going to get impatient. I think three months is reasonable. I’m sure you’ll be inundated with orders. Have you given any consideration to how you’re going to handle them?”

  “We have. To keep things simple there will only be one model of the STZ. There will be no options, except color. There will also be a fixed price, which will probably be around thirty-five thousand. We’ll be able to make about two hundred thousand cars per month and we expect to sell out the first years’ production in a week or two. There are going to be a lot of disappointed consumers, so we decided the fair way to do this is by some kind of lottery. If you want one you go to your local Kingman dealer, fill out a form, leave a deposit, and you’ll receive a ticket that has a number from one through one hundred. When the first cars are ready for delivery we’ll randomly select a number and those people with that number will get their cars during the first week of availability. That process will continue for a year. If at the end of the year, we still can’t meet the demand, the same process will continue. We’ll also be checking so nobody will be able to buy more than one car. We don’t want somebody to buy a bunch and re-sell them.”

  “It sounds like you’ve really thought this out. I suppose you’ll do the same thing for the electric T3000 truck?”

  “Yeah, we’ll probably begin taking orders for the T3000 at about the same time the STZ is released. I know it has only been a day since we met, but we’re somewhat anxious to know where we stand. Can you tell me?”

  “I think we’re leaning in your direction. Flexton Chapman withdrew their offer this morning because they felt it would be eighteen months before they would have a vehicle ready for release, and they were sure the public wouldn’t wait that long. VM came to our meeting unprepared so, as I said, we’re inclined to go with Kingman.”

  “That’s terrific! Please contact me immediately if you have any questions.”

  “Actually, I do have a request. Flexton Chapman asked if the company that received the rights to the power module would provide them with units they can use for development purposes. I think that’s a good idea. In fact, I think Kingman should agree to make units available to any car manufacturing company that wants them, within reason, of course. Flexton Chapman asked for one hundred units. Do you think that will be a problem?”

  “No, I’m fairly certain we can do that. I’ll have to ask the directors for approval. However, we don’t want to be making thousands of units for them, but one hundred shouldn’t a problem. Anything else?”

  “No, I think that’s it for now. I’ll probably have an answer for you regarding the contract tomorrow after I hear from my attorney, I’ll call you.”

  “Thanks, Albert, all of us at Flexton are very excited about this. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  “Your welcome, David. Goodbye.”

  Later in the day Tim came into Albert’s office and said, “I’m really confused. I mentioned to you that I was going to make some alloy rods that were the same diameter as the original ones, but half the length. They didn’t work. So far, the only rods that work are the ones that are identical to sample 179. That means any deviation from the original sample in even the slightest way probably won’t work. I don’t understand why. Why would the diameter or the length of the rod change its magnetic properties?”

  Albert was silent for a few moments while he thought about what Tim just said. Perplexed, he replied, “I have no idea. But this going to become a serious problem. Did the smaller samples exhibit any enhanced magnetic properties?”

  “Yeah, but the fields weren’t strong enough to create a sustained reaction. They were only about ten percent of the normal field strength.”

  “So, we not only stumbled onto the only correct metal alloy but also the correct size. That’s really quite incredible. The odds must be worse than winning the lottery. If we can’t use smaller rods then we can’t reduce th
e silver requirement. Kingman is going to have to deal with that. I’ll let them know.”

  “Probably, but not for many years. Perhaps somebody will find an alternative material before the problem becomes serious. In any case, it’s not our problem. Our biggest problem now is what to do with the money we’re going to get,” Tim said with a smile.

  “That’s a problem that will be fun to deal with. But before you spend your money, we have to conclude this deal with Kingman. I think that will happen quickly. Why don’t you take a few days off? I don’t think there’s anything for you to do right now. I’ll keep you informed about how things go with Kingman and if something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

  “You know I’ve wanted a new fishing boat for a long time. I think I’ll go boat shopping this afternoon.” He grinned.

  Albert grinned back. “Okay, have a good time.”

  After Tim left, Albert thought about going home. He called the security company only to learn there were still a lot of people hanging around outside his house, so he decided to go back to the hotel again. He stopped by Susan’s desk on his way out and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner with him.

  “Are you asking me out on a date?” she asked with a smile.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Are you interested?”

  “Yeah, I’m interested. Are you going back to the hotel?”

  “I am. Why don’t you join me at 5:30? Tim left to go boat shopping and you should probably go home too. Nothing is going to happen for the rest of the day.”

  Her smile widening, Susan agreed.

  On the way to the hotel, Albert received a call from his attorney who told him he didn’t see any problems with the contracts other than the blanks for the royalty amounts. Albert thanked him for his efforts and continued his drive to the hotel.

  ***

  Albert was waiting in the lobby when Susan arrived at 5:30. “Where would you like to go to dinner?” he asked her.

  “Have you ever been to Venice?”

  “You mean the city in Italy with all the canals? No, I’ve never been there. Besides, even though we have a lot of money coming, don’t you think going to Europe for dinner is a little extravagant?”

  “I didn’t mean the city, I meant the restaurant downtown.”

  “Oh, I haven’t been there either. Let’s go.”

  They went to Susan’s car and listened to some classical music during the drive. Susan found a parking space and they went inside the restaurant. There was soft background music playing and beautiful pictures of Italy and Venice adorning the walls. Albert asked the hostess for a private booth. She showed them to a small room with a table for four. They sat down and the hostess handed them menus. They looked at the menus for a few minutes, discussing some of the choices, and then the waiter appeared. They ordered a bottle of red wine. After the waiter left, Albert said, “We’ll probably have the initial ten-million-dollar payment from Kingman next week. Do you have any idea what you’re going to do with the money?”

  “I’d like to get a new car, but I’m going to wait and get one that’s powered by our power modules. I’ve never had a lot of money before and I really don’t know what to do with it.”

  “I’m sure if I ask, Kingman will give you a car. However, since we can afford to pay for them I’ll ask for them to sell us three cars as soon as they’re available. I would guess Tim would like one too. Do you want to travel or buy a house?”

  “I’d like to travel. I haven’t seen much of the world outside of the United States but I don’t want to do it alone.”

  “I can understand that. I went to Europe a few times with friends, but all we did was go to bars and restaurants looking for girls. I never got an opportunity to really see the countries we were in. One place I visited several times when I was young was an area around the Smokey Mountains. My parents loved nature. We rented a cabin on a lake and every day we went fishing, swimming, or both. We went hiking through the forest as well and we saw deer, raccoons, and lots of rabbits. It was a wonderful place, but I don’t remember exactly where it was. I’m fairly sure it was in eastern Tennessee or western North Carolina. Anyway, I want to buy a house in an area like that.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said with a new light in her eyes, “I spent most of my life in Chicago and my only real exposure to nature was the city parks. They were nice, but nothing like you described. I have an idea! How about after this deal with Kingman is completed, we go together to look for your new house?”

  “That’s a great idea. You know, I’ve often thought about asking you out. But I didn’t have much money and I simply couldn’t afford to take you someplace nice for an evening.”

  Susan reached across the table and grasped Albert’s hand. “Had you asked, I would’ve been happy going to Burger King with you. I really wouldn’t have cared where you took me or what we did.”

  Albert smiled and said, “Okay, I guess I was being stupid. But that’s in the past. Here we are, on our first date, and we’re in Venice.”

  At the moment Albert finished speaking, the waiter came back with the wine, hot bread, and two small plates with spiced olive oil. Albert and Susan ordered dinner and the waiter left them alone again.

  They talked for a while about the discovery they had made. Then Albert turned their conversation toward the future. “Susan, do you think I would make a good politician?”

  “If there’s such a thing as a good politician, then it would be you. But I don’t understand why you want to do that. What do you hope to accomplish?”

  “I know our invention is going to change the world. There will be unintended consequences and I’d like to have some say in how our government handles those things. That means I have to plunge right in at the federal level. I think when we look for a house it should be in an area where the people are somewhat conservative or I’ll never have a chance of winning an election.”

  “You could just make a huge contribution and ask for an appointment to some cabinet position.”

  “I suppose that’s also a possibility. I’ll have to think about that.”

  Albert ordered veal parmesan and Susan asked for the fettuccini alfredo. Their food came and it looked absolutely delicious. They ate mostly in silence, both thinking about the future.

  After dinner they both ordered coffee. As they slowly drank their coffee they soon found themselves holding hands across the table. Their affection for each other obviously growing.

  When dinner was over Susan drove Albert back to his hotel. They both got out of the car and near the hotel entrance they embraced for the first time. Then Albert moved his lips to hers and they kissed. He was uncertain what her reaction would be, but was pleasantly surprised when she reciprocated. As the embrace continued he felt the warmth her body against his own. He pulled away slightly as she caught her breath and said, “Wow.” Then their lips touched again. After several seconds they broke the embrace and softly said goodnight to each other. Albert went to his room, smiling broadly. Susan drove home smiling as well. Both were thinking about the future, and hoping if they would spend it together.

  APRIL 18, 2024

  The next morning Albert arrived at the office at 8:00 and was surprised to see Tim’s car there. There were only about fifteen people milling around outside the office. He thought about speaking to them but changed his mind. If things went according to plan, he would make an announcement to the media this afternoon.

  He went inside to find Tim waiting for him in his office. “I thought you were going to take some time off to go boat shopping. What are you doing here?” Albert asked.

  “I went boat shopping and I found something I really like. It’s a little pricey, so I wanted to find out how things are going with Kingman before I make a decision.”

  “I hope to conclude everything today. How much is this boat you want?”

  “It’s more like a yacht than a boat; it’s thirty-five feet long, and it’ll sleep four, or perhaps six if they’re very
friendly. It costs around four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”

  “Where are you going to use it? There are no big lakes around here.”

  “My parents live on the shore of Lake Michigan near Muskegon. They have a dock where I can keep the boat during the summer, and there are places there that will store the boat during the winter. I love that area and I’m going to look for a house there.”

  “I’m also going to look for a house,” Albert said, “but I’m not sure exactly where yet. I think it will be in eastern Tennessee or western North Carolina. Susan is going to go house hunting with me.”

  Almost on cue, Susan walked into Albert’s office, walked over to Albert, kissed him on the cheek, and said, “Good morning.”

  “That’s new,” Tim said with an amazed look on his face.

  “We went on our first date last night,” Albert said with a smile.

  “Well, it’s about time!” Tim exclaimed.

  “Better late than never, right? I guess it’s good we’re all here. I’m going to call Kingman at 9:00 and I hope to conclude our negotiations today,” Albert responded.

  For the next forty-five minutes, they talked about the boat Tim wanted to buy, about the house Albert wanted to buy, and about Albert and Susan traveling around Europe together. They all kept nervously looking at the clock on the wall, which seemed to be moving in slow motion.

  At 9:00 Albert picked up the phone and called Kingman. He asked for David Becker, and a few seconds later David answered the phone.

  Albert said, “Good morning David. How are you this morning?”

  “Good morning Albert, I’m very well so far. I hope you aren’t planning on ruining my morning.”

  “No, I think you’ll be happy with what I’m going to say. My attorney had no problem with the contract other than the blanks for the royalty payments. As far as the royalty payments are concerned, I think five percent of the retail price per unit is fair. Do you agree?”

  “Yes, I was actually expecting you to ask for more.”