Chương 109: Book 4 - Chapter 4 B

I finished my pancakes and got up to go find Tim and Matt. I found them downstairs at the office. Tim turned when he saw me.

"This place is amazing!" he said.

"Yeah. Quite the gem of modernist California design. Kind of an unknown architect, but he built hundreds of places around San Diego, though most were cheap post war prefabs."

"He wants to put the TV room down here," Matt said.

"That's fine, the upper house is more entertaining and living space. That's where we sleep and go for meals. The lower house is where we keep the office. The elevator can handle the TV when it gets here."

"There's a guest house too?" Tim asked.

"There is. Security lives there. Matt, Angella and I live in the upper house," I explained. He turned to look out the windows that looked straight out over the water. The windows went all the way to the floor. It was only about twelve feet further down to where the water reached at high tide. At low tide the La Jolla Shores Beach stretched behind the house.

"Sometimes you can watch divers out the window," I told him.

"It's a local dive spot starting here and going south and out to sea. I haven't been yet, but I'm looking forward to checking it out."

"Well let me show you where I want to set it up," Tim said, heading for the empty wine cellar.

"I think we can make an amazing media room for TV, movies and music." Tim's sound system project successfully broke the ice. It took contacting three different audio shops to get everything delivered that day. He even found a stand to get the massive TV up off the ground. I gladly stood by the elevator that ran down to the lower building near the bottom of the seaside cliff and tipped each delivery person.

By Saturday he had everything connected from Dolby surround to separate amps for the main and surround channels. Six new speakers from three different manufacturers to get the best sound. The new stand next to the TV held only the highest rated components, the VCR, CD player, LaserDisc and even a turntable for records, which he insisted was necessary. I tipped Tim a $1, 000 for what he saved me in installation fees. The jet lag only lasted the weekend and on Monday I was ready for his full report.

Tim settled into his role as Mr San Diego, quickly proving his competence by organizing the GA monitoring office and setting up the new accounting protocols Jennifer required for all the new subsidiaries that we had acquired from LTV. He soon had a gaggle of assistants working under him but under the new protocol, he was my contact person if I needed information or a problem needed to be reported. I invited Tim back to the house on a cold Sunday just before Valentine's Day.

"It's incredible Tim," I told him from the massive custom built sectional sofa. Matt had opted for an overstuffed LazyBoy. The explosions shook the floor without rattling the windows. We were watching the widescreen LaserDisc version of Star Wars—a movie I loved but was now seeing with stunning clarity on the new TV.

"Yeah, you did good," Matt told him as he pulled the blanket around himself.

"Thanks, Boss," he said, having been fully corrupted by Matt. Angella passed the big bowl of popcorn and I took a handful and passed it on to Tim.

"It's going to be extra warm on the 22nd, over eighty. Plan on skipping work that day," I told Tim.

"Really? Why?" he asked puzzled. I could see the comment had Matt's attention.

"I'm taking you diving that morning. The tide will be perfect at about 1045. Afterwards we'll have lunch and go surfing." I looked over at Matt then Angella.

"Everyone is welcome to come, not just Tim. GA has the new rebreather ready in adult sizes. I also had them make an inflatable surfboard, so I'll be testing it. It counts as work," I said.

"At least for me. Don't decide now," I said when I saw Angella ready to decline.

"We've got ten days to get it figured out." I went back to eating popcorn as Tim handed the bowl back. I was waiting for the moment the Death Star blew, I knew it would be monumental. I was in my office at GA working on the last day of February. There was a knock at my door and I looked up to find Tim there, with a big smile and a packet of papers.

"Morning, Tim, what do you have for me?" I asked. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"The report from the Japanese company mining at Banaba," he said.

"Oh, good, come in and tell me about it." He took a seat in front of my desk and I pushed myself away from the drafting table, my chair rolling back to my office desk.

"Work's been started and the survey of phosphate rock is complete. They believe they can have 99% of what remains there completely mined in the next two years," he said.

"And how much is left?" I asked.

"Not much," he admitted.

"Most of the work will be bringing in topsoil to replace what was taken. It's estimated that about 10% of the original reserves remain, but that's all low grade ore.

"That's excellent news. I'm trading the ore for topsoil to be brought in. Once they are done I can begin construction. I need the help of a really good architect," I told him.

"Foster and Partners is world renowned," he said, then gestured at my drafting board.

"Is that what you're thinking of for Banaba?"

"Yeah, though I like the old name, Ocean Island better. That's a sketch of Ocean City."

"It looks big," he said.

"It will be. I've just got to get through the next two years with my finances intact. Then I'll have all the money I need to build that."

"I've heard mention of a secret project. Is it Ocean City?" I became instantly alert.

"It is not. We don't mention the secret project anywhere but the secure room. The list of people allowed in the secure room is limited as well. If you hear somebody talking about it, remind them that talking about the secret project outside the secure room will get them fired."

"I didn't realize it was so serious," he said.

"It is. What do you know about it?" I asked.

"I know there's a secret project, I have no idea what it's about. And now, I know that it's only discussed in the secure room, wherever that is, by a limited number of people."

"Good. If and when you learn more, come tell me immediately. We can't let word leak out ahead of time, or it will end badly."

"Understood, Boss," he said, making a zipper motion across his mouth.

"Loose lips sink ships."

"Right," I agreed, making the same zipping motion.

"Now what else do you have for me?"

"Dr Albright is publishing next month. My Tulsa counterpart, Charles Munroe, faxed over a preprint of the article and his research results for your review. He's making you a second author on his paper."

"That's nice of him. I didn't ask him for it, so it's a nice surprise. Leave it on my desk, I'll read it later. Is there anything new in the research results?" I asked him.

"Dr Albright has had something strange happen to one of his bio-reactors. The marrow growing in that one bio-reactor doesn't express any sort of rejection antibodies. He believes it'll be completely safe for anyone who matches it."

"It would solve the danger of hyper-acute rejection," I told him, and seeing his confusion I explained.

"That's what it is called when the transplant immediately rejects the person just as much as the person rejects the transplant. That's excellent news. If he can figure out why, and replicate it, that's a very big discovery."

"His research seems to suggest that not only would the transplant not be rejected by the body but the traditional anti-rejection drugs might prove to be unnecessary," Tim said.

"Any other news?" I asked him.

"Time Magazine got the photos from your Banaba trip and wants an interview. Phone is fine, but they would prefer to send a reporter out instead. Either way, they don't want the 'Big Boss' mad or inconvenienced," he said with a smile.

"By phone is fine. It's not a big enough story to send a reporter all the way out here."

"The reporter doing the story sounds like he thinks it's a huge story."

"You've talked to him?" I asked.

"Normally interview requests come through Matt."

"Yes, Thomas Franks gave him my number as the method to reach you."

"Wow, so he went to Thomas to get to me? He must have discovered something big. Probably the Rabi Council. Set it up, and I'll do the interview and make sure Matt knows. Next time have Matt in the loop, he handles media interviews." Tim stood, "Understood. Shall I contact Foster for you?" he asked.

"Yes please. Just tell them I've got a big project. Ask if they are willing to come to me. I can send my plane to get them in England and bring them here."

"I'll do that. I'll contact them and get the phone interview scheduled as well."

"I also need to send Dr Albright a nice gift. I'll think about it. Remind me if I forget, I'll want it delivered when the article publishes."

"The only other thing is the new Chris Craft plastics division," he said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"They are integrating to become the vertical supplier for all plastics across the GA divisions, but they are working on a new polymer resin. Something called CCP."

"Carbon Capture Plastic. One of the last things I created in my Tulsa Lab before coming to GA. If they've got the production worked out, you need to make sure Dr Dean knows immediately."

"They do. They converted the carpet backing equipment to produce the new fiber and are weaving it into mile long blankets."

"Cool, ask them to send me a sample, something around twenty five feet long," I told him.

"Got it, Boss," he said making notes.

"I'll let Rick Dean know immediately and ask for a sample. I'll see you tomorrow unless something urgent pops up."

"Thanks Tim," I said, and wheeled myself back to the draft board. With Tim gone, I pulled the page with Ocean City off and looked at the colored-pencil drawing underneath. It was of a beautiful woman sitting on a park bench laughing, practically in hysterics. Sitting next to her was Amber Petworth who was captured in the middle of an animated rendition of the story that had the woman laughing. It was done, so I jotted 3538 in the corner. I took the sheet off and put it away.

I wanted to send Amber something special and that was a great moment, but I could do better. Maybe a scene from her wedding. I started working on the next drawing.