by Bob Blanton
“Leo, look who’s come to visit,” Nikola said.
“More likely, come to see when I can get to work,” Dr. Zelbar said.
“Leo,” Nikola scolded.
“He’s partially correct,” Marc said. “But remember, it’s your choice. You can go back to Boston if you like.”
“We’re not in Boston?” Dr. Zelbar said with surprise.
“No, Leo,” Nikola said. “We’re in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Remember I told you that yesterday. This is where the clinic is.”
“Oh yes, I remember,” Dr. Zelbar said. “Some tropical paradise,” he scoffed as he looked around the hospital room.
“We need to stay here until you get better,” Nikola said.
“I think another ten days,” Marc said. “Then you can move to a nice hotel on the beach.”
“What do I care about a beach,” Dr. Zelbar said. “What I need is a lab.”
“The hotel will be very close to your lab,” Marc said.
“Good,” Dr. Zelbar said as he went back to reading a book. Nikola led Marc out into the second room where she was staying in order to be close to her husband.
“He is getting better,” she said. “He’s just frustrated, and honestly, he’s always been a bit cantankerous.”
“I remember,” Marc said. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay, going a little stir crazy.”
“Would you like to start on one of our projects?”
Nikola’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I would love to have some work to do.”
“This one is pretty straightforward. We have a theoretical design for a new battery, and we need to figure out if it will work. It’s a lithium-ion, ceramic mix. We actually figured out how to mix the two, but we don’t know the optimal structure.”
“Oh, that sounds very interesting,” Nikola said. “I could start on it right away.”
“I’ll send you the details we have. Blake has a small lab set up for you so you can start anytime you want. My assistant, Masina, will be able to handle almost anything you need. If she can’t, she’ll put you in touch with either Blake or me.”
“What about the non-disclosure?”
“The production process is the key here,” Marc said. “You’ll be analyzing the results and tuning the process to create the best design; I think we’ll wait on the non-disclosure until you’re both ready to consider it. If you decide to go back to Boston, we’ll take over the work. You’ve signed an employment contract already, so that takes care of everything else.”
“Oh good,” Nikola said. “So, you think another ten days?”
“Yes, but you can move to the hotel anytime you like,” Marc said.
“No, it’s best if I stay here,” Nikola said. The nurse who was passing through the room to check on Dr. Zelbar nodded her head in emphatic agreement.
Marc walked down the hall to check on Dr. Nakahara and Dr. Tanaka. Their children had decided that they should room together. The two physicists were old friends, and everyone hoped that they would help each other through the process.
“Hello, Emiko, Tomi,” Marc said as he knocked on the door to the suite.
“Hello, Dr. McCormack,” Emiko said.
Tomi jumped up and gave Marc a deep bow. “I am forever indebted to you.”
“I am happy we could help,” Marc said. “When did you arrive?”
“I arrived on Tuesday,” Tomi said.
“I hear that they’re both responding well.”
“Yes, father is like he was before,” Emiko said. “It is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Nakahara San is doing better as well.”
“Yes, he is improving,” Tomi said. He sounded a bit disappointed that the improvement wasn’t as dramatic as Dr. Tanaka’s.
“Dr. Metra told me that all her cases of early-onset Alzheimer’s responded to the first treatment dramatically, as Dr. Tanaka has done. She’s assured me that your father is doing well and should make substantial improvements after the second treatment. She says he’s shown about the same level of improvement as my daughter’s great grandparents have.”
Tomi’s face relaxed. “She told me he was doing well, but I was worried she was trying to protect my feelings.”
“I believe the next treatment is in a few days. That’s supposed to be the time when you normally see the biggest change,” Marc explained. “Are the two of them still happy to be sharing a room?”
“Oh yes,” Emiko said. “Father has taken it upon himself to quiz Dr. Nakahara, to help him improve his memory. Dr. Nakahara seems to find it quite amusing. Sometimes he pretends not to remember just to see my father become frustrated.”
“That sounds very promising. How are you two doing?” Marc asked.
“We are doing well,” Emiko said. “We are helping the nurses with the other patients. Tomi has been helping do some of the work setting up the new labs and equipment.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Marc said. “Have you thought about what you would like to do later? Will you go back home?”
“I would like to stay here,” Emiko said. “I am studying to be a doctor, and your Dr. Metra says that she can help me. I can enroll in a medical school in Auckland. Then, I would be close to father, and she says she will try to set things up so I can do my internships here.”
“We’d be happy to have another doctor on the staff,” Marc said. “We are planning to be a city soon. What about you, Tomi?”
“I have a degree in environmental science,” Tomi said. “I have talked to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development’s office about potential employment here. I’ve always been interested in low-environmental-impact manufacturing.”
“That’s interesting. You may know that we’ve agreed with the government here to have a minimal environmental footprint,” Marc said. “I’m sure we could use you.”
“I have just graduated, but I would be most honored to join your company.”
“My daughter is working on a new sewage treatment system for underdeveloped countries. We plan to install several here in the Cook Islands. Perhaps you would be willing to work on it with her?”
“I would be most honored.”
“I’ll have my assistant, Masina, contact you. She can set both of you up with the necessary computers and company phones. If you’re going to be staying with Mackenzie Discoveries, we need to get you set up. She’ll also give you the contact information for my daughter, Catie.”
“Thank you,” Tomi said.
“No, I should be thanking you,” Marc said. “We are working hard to attract talent, so this is a bonus for us.”
Chapter 4
Board Meeting – Nov 12th
“Good afternoon everybody,” Marc said as the team settled down in the lounge of the Mea Huli. The Mea Huli had arrived the week before from Portugal, and everybody was happy to have her available again.
“I think it’s time we started to apply a bit more structure to our process,” Marc said. Samantha quietly applauded, while everyone else looked at Marc like he’d grown a second head.
“I want to hold a meeting as a team at least every two weeks; we’ll call them board meetings. We’ll each give updates on the status of our work, pick up and give out new assignments, … provide suggestions, … offer help.” Marc kept slowing down as he continued to be greeted with dead silence from the room.
“Come on guys, a little support would be nice,” Samantha said. “You’re running a multibillion-dollar company here. A meeting every other week shouldn’t be too much to ask.”
“I’m okay with it,” Catie said, “although I don’t see why we can’t just use our specs.”
“Because we want everybody to hear the updates at the same time, and when they’re not being distracted by other matters. That way we’ll get the best understanding, and everyone will be able to ask questions and offer suggestions,” Marc said. He was a bit ticked off at the lack of response.
“I’m good with it,” Blake said. “We’ve had lots of me
etings before. We were all shocked by the thought of a ‘board meeting’ and a regular schedule.” Blake used air quotes to stress, board meeting. “We’ve been used to playing it fast and loose.”
“We’ll still have impromptu meetings when the situation requires,” Marc said. “And I realize that right now this may be more for my sanity than for the rest of you, but a little organization can’t hurt.”
“That’s right,” Blake said. He got up and got the bottle of Glenlivet fifteen-year-old scotch he kept on the Mea Huli. Blake poured a round for everyone. “What?” he said in response to Marc’s scolding look. “We have to toast the first board meeting.” He paused at Catie, looking to Marc for approval. Marc nodded, giving in to the inevitable, but indicated just a splash for her with his fingers.
“If that’s what it takes,” Marc shook his head and laughed, he was happy that everyone was following Blake’s lead in celebrating the new board.
Blake stood up, “To our Chairman!”
“To our Chairman!”
“Okay, now let’s get down to business. As everybody should know, we’ve started our medical clinic in a small, leased office here on Rarotonga. Most of you have met Dr. Metra when you got your physical. She’s the doctor Catie found who has developed the Alzheimer’s treatment. She is now starting to treat the patients whom I brought in last week. Dr. Metra,” Marc said, indicating she should start out.
“Good day,” Dr. Metra said. “We have five patients whom Dr. McCormack brought in to continue the clinical trials for our new Alzheimer’s treatment. They have all settled in, and each received their first treatment last week and their second treatment yesterday. They are all having an excellent response to the treatment so far. We’ll give them a third treatment next week; although, I think only one of them will actually need it. But, an extra treatment won’t hurt, and with two of them going home the following week, I don’t want to take any chances. The temporary clinic should be able to handle twenty patients at a time. We need a few more nurses to care for the patients. That is especially true if we need to offer any other treatments or emergency care. Right now, I only have the two nurses and the caregivers we have hired from the local population. But, to be able to handle more patients, we should really have twelve more nurses.”
“I’ll get on it,” Samantha said. “I think we have an attractive package to offer nurses.”
“Thank you,” Dr. Metra said.
“Hopefully Dr. Zelbar will be working on the polysteel process soon, but he will need lab space,” Marc said as he looked at Blake.
“On my list,” Blake said. “I found a warehouse here in the port that should work until we can put something on Manuae. We can just put up prefabbed walls to build offices and labs inside it. I have a big order of that stuff coming in on a freighter next week.”
“Great,” Marc said. “I’ve identified four other scientists who should be of help to us. I’ll be going out next week to make the offers,” Marc continued. “How are we coming on more permanent accommodations for them, or do we want to continue to house them in the hotel?”
“I’d suggest leaving them in the hotel,” Liz said. “We don’t want to be penny wise and pound foolish. As I recall, these scientist types aren’t the best at doing their own meals and laundry. The cost of a hotel over an apartment will be dwarfed by any loss in productivity or schedule. For those who want a bigger place, we can deal with as they request it.”
“Makes sense. Sam, facilities on Manuae?” Marc asked.
“We are still negotiating the contract, which means we can’t break ground yet. It looks promising. There hasn’t been any issue related to building a few structures on Manuae. Especially with your promise to remove them and restore the island by the end of the lease,” Samantha reported.
“We’re going to remove all the structures,” Liz said. “Where are we going to be living after that?”
“Ah, a moment of truth,” Marc said. “Blake, you’re on.”
“We’ll be living in Delphi City,” Blake said. He flicked his eyes up, using his HUD to turn on the big display at the front of the lounge.
“That looks more like a town than a city,” Kal said.
“Well, it will grow,” Blake said. “This is just the first quad, which will be eight hundred fifty meters on a side. Four quads will make a section, and each section will be sixteen hundred meters on a side. The end quads are fifty meters longer because of their overhang. We’re shooting for the first quad to be completed within the year. Section One should be finished about six months after that.”
“When the first quad is completed, we’ll be able to start adding production there and start putting in dorms for the workers and some lab space. For quad three, we’ll focus on residential and retail space.”
“If a section is going to be sixteen hundred meters, will we be able to put a landing strip for the G650?” Kal asked.
“The G650 needs seventeen hundred eighty-five meters when it’s fully loaded,” Fred said. “We can probably handle a short one like that if we lighten the fuel load.”
“I plan to add a ski jump at the end, so it’ll be able to take off in the sixteen hundred meters we have for it,” Blake said. “I’ve run the numbers with Gulfstream, and they agree.”
“Sweet,” Fred said.
“Those columns look kind of small,” Liz said. “Is that to scale?”
“They are, and it is,” Blake said. “The columns are five meters in diameter, and they have buttresses up to the crossbeams to help stabilize them. They’re made of polysteel, so they’re strong enough.”
“What’s polysteel?” Kal asked.
“It’s the new mix of carbon and steel that the Zelbars are working on,” Marc said.
“Aren’t we counting our chickens before they hatch?” Samantha asked.
“I didn’t know you were a farm girl,” Marc said. “What I don’t get a laugh?”
“It wasn’t that good, Daddy.”
“I’m surrounded by critics,” Marc said. “Moving forward. Yes, we are assuming a lot, but we have got lots of time; we’ll adjust the design if we don’t get the results we’re expecting.”
“Back to the columns,” Blake continued. “They actually don’t have that much side force on them. The platform will be constructed of polysteel and have two levels. It’s basically a ten-meter-deep basement for our entire infrastructure; sewage, electricity, power, etc. We’ll cap it with solid polysteel decking that we’ll construct all the buildings on top of.”
“And parks,” Catie said.
“Yes, and parks. Catie has informed me that we have to dedicate thirty percent of the space to greenbelts, parks, and trees. She’s asked to manage that design since it appears she doesn’t trust me.”
Catie stuck her tongue out at Blake. “I just want to make sure it gets enough attention,” Catie said. “I know how busy you are.”
“Any questions or suggestions?” Marc asked. “We’ll be reviewing the design at each meeting. We’re still a ways from being able to start production of the polysteel.”
Marc looked around the room. Nobody was asking for attention, so he moved on. “Next: Kal, how is recruiting going?”
“Using my contacts, I’ve found five guys who fit the profile we’re looking for. They’re tired of doing private security and mall guard crap. They’re smart but too antsy to go to college, more the outdoors type,” Kal said. “They’ll be here in two weeks. Liz and I will run them through some basic training and see who we want to keep.”
“Good,” Marc said. He liked the fact that Kal was going to do a secondary interview process on them with Liz. They couldn’t afford to bring in anyone who wasn’t solid. “Anything else security related?”
“Yes, I’d like to get us out of the hotel as soon as possible,” Kal said. “I’ve been looking for a private house or estate. It’s much easier to handle security when you don’t have to filter out all the other guests who should be there in order to identify the ones who
shouldn’t.”
“Good idea; I assume Blake’s been helping you look for a place,” Marc said.
“He has,” Kal replied.
“Liz, do you have time to start coordinating the work of our scientists?” Marc asked.
“Of course. Do we have any of them working yet?” Liz asked.
“Dr. Nikola Zelbar has started working on the batteries. Tomi Nakahara is going to be working with Catie on the new sewer system we agreed to design for the government here. We’ll especially need it up when we start having people on Manuae,” Marc said.
“Sewer system?” Blake asked. “I don’t remember that.”
“Catie, why don’t you explain?”
“Well, you know that one of the biggest problems low-investment areas have is how to handle all the sewage. They don’t have regular plumbing like we’re used to. It’s too big and expensive to put into the small villages and other remote places. This design will take any waste that’s plumbed to it or dumped in it and process it. I’ve been working on one for the Mea Huli, and this will be almost the same. Then people either use the public restrooms that are plumbed to it, or they can have a special private toilet similar to the one that guy designed for Bill Gates’ prize. But this one lets you throw toilet paper into it.”
“Where else would you throw the toilet paper?”
“In a trash can next to the toilet,” Catie said. “Kind of gross, isn’t it? But it’s pretty common in a lot of underdeveloped countries and regions. The toilet I’m designing will separate out the water, dehydrate the waste and package it into a bundle that you can carry and dump into the public system. That system will process it into a sterile organic mix.”
“That sounds like a lot for you,” Samantha said.
“Well I have ADI subcontracting a lot of the design,” Catie said. “I’m just coordinating it. If Tomi likes it, I’d be happy to hand it off to him.”
“Thanks, Catie. Fred, do you have anything?”
“Nope, I’m just a pilot, boat driver, and extra security guy,” Fred said. “But I’m willing to pick up whatever you need me to do.”
