Rocket! An Ell Donsaii story #4)

by Dahners, Laurence

  “Say that I represent…” the girl looked to one side as if thinking, “‘D5,’ a… new company. Check your account. I’ve just deposited 3.4 million. Of course I’ll expect to get it back if the sale doesn’t go through.”

  In astonishment Ann looked up at her HUD (Heads Up Display) and saw her AI’s confirmation of the deposit.

  “D5?”

  “Yes Ma’am.” She grinned, “for ‘Dimension Five.’ Let me know what the sellers say.” she said, and turned to walk to her car.

  ***

  Boston—Today, President Teller announced that he had brokered a deal with PGR Comm to license their “quantum entangled chip” technology to existing communications companies. This agreement has been trumpeted as a means to prevent the collapse of current cell phone, cable and other telecommunication companies due to their inability to compete with PGR Comm’s new chips. Such a meltdown of the communication industry had been forecast to result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and those predictions had already resulted in huge losses in the stock market. President Teller proclaimed the agreement to be a means to “provide an orderly transition to a new technology in this important industry…”

  Aaron Miller’s receptionist Sally looked up when the door to their waiting room opened. A slender young woman stepped in and walked over to Sally’s desk. The young lady had reddish blond hair and a pixie face. As she got closer Sally realized she was quite young. She had even features, brilliant green eyes and a flawless complexion. The young woman looked like a model, but, Sally frowned, what would a model be doing in a patent attorney’s office? Is she lost?

  The young lady said, “Hello, I’m Ell Donsaii. I have a spot on Mr. Miller’s schedule under the pseudonym ‘Blandon’?”

  Startled, Sally recognized the young lady now. “Um, yes Ma’am! I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. I’m sure Mr. Miller will see you now. He’s told me he’d see you anytime.” She tilted her head, “Why did you use a pseudonym?” Sally realized with embarrassment that she was burbling.

  “Sorry, I don’t like having my real name on calendars. There are people out there who’ve caused me a lot of trouble.”

  Sally’s AI confirmed that Mr. Miller wanted her to bring Ell back to his office. Sally said, “Right this way.” She indicated a door decorated with a Christmas wreath.

  Miller enthusiastically met Ell at the door to his office, “Hello, hello, what can I do for you Ms. Donsaii?”

  Ell shook his hand, “I’d like to submit another patent application please.”

  Miller looked over her shoulder, “Is Dr. Smythe here?”

  “Uh, no, this patent is separate from the previous one he helped me with. And…” she grinned at him, “thanks to you guys I have plenty of money to take this patent out without his help.”

  Miller shook his head briefly, reminding himself that the previous patent had actually been for Ell Donsaii’s intellectual property, not Dr. Smythe’s. It was difficult to get his head around the fact that this pretty teenage girl was a genius. Because Dr. Smythe had brought her in the first time, Miller’s subconscious somehow always managed to attribute her brilliant invention to Smythe and thought of Donsaii as Smythe’s protégé, even though, intellectually, he knew better. “Excuse me, Ms. Donsaii. Step into my conference room and tell me about this new invention.”

  Miller sat listening with more and more incredulity as the young woman described a method she’d worked out to connect one location to another through “ports” defined by pairs of entangled molecules. The PGR chips she’d invented sent data instantaneously from one location to another using a single pair of entangled molecules. This invention apparently worked on an extension of the same principles by using entangled molecules to form a connection from one location to another through her “fifth dimension.” Instead of one pair of entangled molecules, this new invention used many entangled molecules arranged in a circle to make a physical connection from one location to another. The entire concept was quite similar to the “wormholes” proposed by a number of others. The big difference was that this wasn’t a hypothesis. The girl claimed that she had actually created some of these ports. It required a highly specialized set of electronics to “energize” the “portal.” Making a very large opening would be extremely difficult and expensive because of the need to construct the opening one entangled molecule pair at a time. Before she hired people to work out techniques for making such ports more efficiently and to investigate possible methods to make the ports without such labor-intensive manipulations, she wanted the concept to be patent protected. Resisting the urge to call Dr. Smythe to confirm that this wasn’t all just a pipe dream, Miller took extensive notes and began planning out a patent application.

  ***

  Los Angles— ILX Corporation admitted to finding a “design flaw” in their Vulcan 5 launch vehicles that have blown up recently. Apparently the modified rocket nozzles that allowed ILX to engineer a greater thrust to weight ratio and undercut their competitors are at fault. It is unclear whether ILX will be able to honor its commitments to provide cheaper service to space. NASA director James Epaulding was heard to say “This is a disaster of the first water…”

  Amy and Steve entered Ell’s room at the Red Roof Inn in Chapel Hill. Amy choked back a giggle at the incongruity. Here was a woman who’d soon be receiving her second “minimum royalty” of 2.1 billion dollars, sitting cross legged on the bed in a cheap hotel instead of in a suite in the most prestigious lodgings available. However, as head of Ell’s security team, Steve liked the anonymity provided by such a modest and unlikely place. Plus, it seemed that Ell had no desire to stay in an elegant hotel. She turned to them, “OK, tomorrow I’m going to be starting to interview people out at the old QemZ facility. Steve, how are you coming in regards to providing security out there?”

  “The company that you hired to do remodeling and renovation of the building has subcontracted installation of some of the security features I wanted. They’ve already brought out a portable guard shack and placed it at the entrance until a permanent one can be built. For now I’ve hired a local security firm to provide a ‘guard presence’ at all times. They aren’t of the quality of your personal security team, but with the budget you’ve provided we should have enough of them there around the clock to do what we need.”

  “Amy, what about a more permanent place for us to live?”

  Amy looked up, “First I want to mention that the equipment from your ‘lab’ in Las Vegas was delivered to the old QemZ facility yesterday.” She frowned, “I really think we should refer to it by our new name D5, but I’d like to suggest ‘D5Research’ so it doesn’t just sound like a quadrant on a map?”

  “Great idea, we’ll ‘incorporate’ using that name. Can you get the lawyers on that?”

  Amy said, “OK.” She had her AI make a note, “Regarding your first question, I’ve found three houses for you to look at. And, Ell, I wanted to say that I truly appreciate your willingness to live in the Chapel Hill area where the public schools will be good for Mike and Janey.”

  Ell shrugged, “No problem, I’m looking forward to living there myself. Besides, it’ll make my commute to class shorter.”

  “You’re really going to go back to school?”

  Ell shrugged again, “Yeah, there are a couple of classes I want to take. I could learn this stuff by reading on line but there’s something I like about being in a class and having somebody explain things to me. Besides, it gives me a chance to hang out with kids my age.”

  Steve chuckled, “Well, you aren’t going to have complaints from the security detail about having to follow you around a college campus. I’ll have to work out something to keep them on task instead of girl-watching.”

  Ell grinned, “I don’t mind if they enjoy the ‘scenery’ as long as they’re ready to go if and when I need them.”

  She turned to Amy, “I don’t have my first interview until 11. Can we look at houses first thing in the morning?”
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br />   “I’ll call the agent, but I’m sure she’ll be willing.”

  The next morning they drove out to look at the houses Amy had picked out. Ell really liked the first one but Steve was not happy. “There’s no place for your security team to stay is there?”

  Ell said, “It’s pretty big, couldn’t they stay in one of the rooms?”

  “Either they’d have to stay in that one room, which would be uncomfortable for them, or they’ll be out wandering around your house which won’t give you any privacy. You need a house with a ‘mother in law’s’ apartment out back. Or one with another small house next door that you could buy as well. And, Amy, you should live close by as well.”

  Amy grimaced, “I wasn’t thinking about those issues. I don’t think the other two houses I picked out will be any good either. Maybe we should give it up for today and I’ll ask the agent to look around some more with me over the next few days?”

  They spoke a few minutes more and agreed to Amy’s suggested plan. Ell and Steve started driving out to the “D5Research” facility. As their cars left the neighborhood they’d been in and drove past a small farm Steve asked his AI to call Ell. “We need a place like this farm we’re passing. It has several small buildings the team could stay in and work out in. Lots of space to run and circulate guard details. You could even have your own separate small lab in that barn.”

  “Is it for sale?”

  “Well, no. But I mean we need to find a place like that.”

  “Hmmm, let’s go talk to them.” Her car slowed and started to turn.

  “What?!” Steve sounded scandalized. “It isn’t for sale.”

  “Come on Steve. Everything’s for sale.”

  A few minutes later Steve found himself standing behind Ell as she knocked on the door of the farmhouse.

  A stout, pinched looking matron came to the door wiping her hands. She grimaced and said, “Sorry, we’re Baptists. Not interested.”

  Ell grinned at her. “We’re not here to convert you or sell anything. Actually, we’d like to buy your farm. How much would you take for it?”

  “It ain’t for sale.” The lady made to close the door.

  Ell said, “Five million dollars.”

  The door, mostly closed, stopped and opened a little again. The woman stared at Ell wide eyed.

  Ell said, “Your family bought these 21.4 acres with the house, two outbuildings and the horse barn for 2.4 million dollars 19 years ago. Current appraisal value would be approximately 3.3 million dollars. I’m offering quite a bit more than that, but would want to take possession of it quickly.

  The woman turned her head and hollered, “Harald…”

  “You’ve what!” Amy said incredulously.

  “Bought the farm.” Ell said with a little giggle. “Actually, we only ‘agreed in principle’ to buy a small horse farm. Allan (Ell’s AI) has sent you the address. I’ve offered a lot more than the appraised value and they’ve agreed to move out within the week but will continue to maintain the property for at least six months. Steve likes it. It’s in the right school district. It’s an easy drive to work and to the University for me. And—I think it’s pretty.”

  “But there isn’t anything like that for sale out there!”

  “Sure there is. If you offer enough money… I’ve got to head over to D5R. Please get that real estate agent to help you work out the details of the sale.”

  As his car cruised I-40, Roger Emmerit wondered what this “D5Research” was? He’d never heard of it but it had popped up in his job search engine several days ago. He’d been running a job search for “PhD, physics, research, no experience required, North Carolina…” for a couple of months now with only weak matches until last week when this one had popped up. It matched nearly every characteristic he’d given. He was excited to see it was located nearby in the Research Triangle Park. However, he felt concerned that a new tech company might not have much staying power. Oh well, he thought, if it folds, I’ll have some “experience” to put on my next job application.

  His car turned in at a small facility and stopped at a guard shack where the guard leaned down to get a good image of him. The shack looked very temporary. After a moment the guard looked up at his HUD and said, “Dr. Emmerit?”

  Roger looked blandly back at him, “Yep.”

  “You’re expected and can go on in. The main entrance is at the right front of the building.”

  Roger frowned as he looked around, “How long has this “D5Research” company been here?”

  ”I think just since last week sir. My security company was contracted to start providing protection on Monday. Lots of construction vehicles going in and out so I assume they’ve just bought the building here and are remodeling it.”

  Roger’s heart sank, “Thanks,” he said to the guard as he had the car move on into the facility. Maybe it was just a new facility for an established company? His AI hadn’t turned anything up on “D5Research” but it wasn’t unheard of for the research wing to have a distinct name from the main company. The parking lot was about half full, but at least two thirds of the vehicles appeared to be contractor’s trucks. Roger’s car pulled up to the right end of the front of the building and he got out.

  Four men were putting up a “D5Research” sign by the door as he approached and Roger had to wait for one to scooch aside so he could enter. Inside a couple of men were tearing up the carpet. Roger had to step around them and a small Christmas tree to approach a receptionist’s window.

  The young man behind the window looked up, then down at a monitor. “Dr. Emmerit?”

  “That’s me.”

  “If you’ll step through the door over there Sir, I’ll meet you in the hall behind it.”

  Roger opened the door and the young man met him on the other side in a long hallway. Roger said, “What does this company do? I can’t find anything about it on the net.”

  “Research, Sir. I’m afraid I don’t know all that much about what the research involves. I was only hired last Friday. So far everything has been focused on hiring admin personnel and researchers like yourself. Well that, and the remodeling of course.”

  The receptionist took Roger down the hall to meet a lady in an office labeled by a sheet of paper taped to the door. It said, “Human Resources.” The young man said, “Hey Nancy,” to the dark haired woman in her thirties sitting behind the desk. “This is Dr. Roger Emmerit, one of the physicist applicants.”

  He turned back to Roger, waving a hand at the woman, “Nancy Moore.”

  “Nancy” looked away from her screen and smiled at Roger, “Thank you for coming out Doctor Emmerit.”

  Still finding it odd to be addressed as “Doctor,” Roger said, “It’s no trouble, Ma’am. Please call me Roger. I’m very interested in learning more about your company, is it new?”

  “Well then, call me Nancy. Before I can tell you much about the company Roger, I’ll need to get you to sign a ‘non disclosure agreement’ or ‘NDA.’ I’ve ported it to your AI. Can you look it over and let me know if you’d feel comfortable signing?”

  Roger’s eyebrows rose. He assumed that this was a pretty unusual request for a job interview since he’d never heard of such a request. Nonetheless he looked at up at his HUD and started reading. The NDA specified that, whether or not he took a job here, he wouldn’t speak of D5Research, or its field of study, or its founders for a period of two years.

  He looked back at Nancy who was focused on her screens again. “And I can’t learn any more about the proposed job unless I sign?”

  Nancy looked back at him, “I’m afraid not. The company is studying phenomena for which it has applied for patent protection but, even so, it doesn’t want word getting out.”

  Roger agonized for a moment. This didn’t feel right to him. However, he found that the secrecy had made him even more curious. “OK, I’ll sign.”

  Nancy said, “OK, your reading of the document and verbal agreement has been recorded as an ‘electronic signat
ure,’ you do agree?”

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  Nancy leaned back in her chair, “D5Research, or ‘D5R’ as we call it here, is a new company founded to study phenomena predicted by a paper published in Nature a year and half ago. You’ve probably heard of the paper. It’s the one that has led to the new PGR chips that are causing all the upheaval in the communication industry. D5R has been founded to investigate a different, though related, phenomenon…” She halted as Roger put his hand up in a halting motion.

  “Um, you should know that Ell Donsaii is a personal friend of mine.”

  Nancy tilted her head quizzically, “Okaay?”

  “She’s the one that wrote that paper in Nature you’re speaking of.”

  “That’s correct.”

  “I feel like I’d have to tell her that you’re working on her theory here so you might not want to tell me any more. I could have real conflicts with that NDA.”

  Nancy cocked an eyebrow, “I’d point out that you’ve already signed that agreement. But it doesn’t matter,” she grinned, “Ms. Donsaii is aware of D5R.”

  Taken aback, Roger said, “Okaay?” himself.

  “In case you decide to join our team you need to be aware that D5R plans to offer very competitive salaries and benefits. For instance we’d expect you to start at a hundred fifty thousand a year. I’ve ported you a listing of the benefits to review at your convenience. If you’re still interested, I’ll need to take you to talk to our chief science officer?”

  Roger, trying to appear blasé about the surprisingly large salary figure, shrugged. “Sure, I’d like to hear more.”

  Nancy stood, “OK, let’s go find her.” She grinned at Roger as if she had a mysterious secret. Roger followed her down the hall. She stopped at another office. The door had another paper sign, this one saying “CEO-CFO-CSO-etcetera.” Nancy grinned back at Roger, “Not here.” Nancy winked, “She hardly ever is.” She turned and led Roger back the other way and out into an industrial space with a scattering of people around it. Roger’s head swiveled every which way trying to take it all in. Large crates labeled with the names of scientific research instruments lined one wall. Men in coveralls were mounting one of the large stainless steel tables onto vibration isolation supports. A group heaved one of the large boxes up onto one of the tables that already had isolation supports, evidently preparing to open it. Nancy, just in front of Roger said, “Ms. Donsaii? I have Dr. Emmerit here.”