“The technology development world is a very cutthroat business. There are other companies out there who would love to steal our secrets and plagiarize our work. For this reason we often have people working on different aspects of a project in different companies we own. Since none of these people knows how their piece fits in the puzzle, or even that the puzzle exists, it becomes much more difficult for our competitor’s spies to gain useful information.”
“We are pulling the four of you together now to move this project to the next phase. This is an exciting time in any project, but I think you will find this particular project to be exhilarating.”
“Now, before we move on. It’s that time in the speech where I offer everyone a get out of jail free card. If any of you are not comfortable with this whole concept, you can walk out now and nothing will be held against you. At this point in time, none of you has enough information by yourself to contribute damaging information to our competitors. If you stay, each of you will receive a 20% pay raise and will become a valued member of our team. It goes without saying that your absolute loyalty and absolute secrecy will be both expected and required.”
“Does anyone want out?” Nobody moved. “Well good. Then we can move on. Dan, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself and we will move around the room.”
Dan told them his real name was Daniel Williams and about his role interfacing with the other companies owned by BioTech. They proceeded around the room until everyone had introduced themselves.
Four heads were swimming by the end of the introductions. Their brains were saturated and thoughts were flowing at a dizzying rate.
After the introductions Dr. Bowles said, “Well that’s enough business talk for the moment. I’m sure everyone could use a break. I’ve arranged for lunch to be catered here in the conference room. You’ll find the restroom at the end of the hall. Feel free to move around and stretch while the caterers set up for lunch.”
Lunch turned out to be a fancy ordeal. There were two salads to choose from: chicken tarragon almond salad or grilled salmon salad. There were also two entrées to choose from: grilled chicken served with broccoli and pesto mashed potatoes and a mornay sauce or a grilled shoulder filet served with tomato risotto and a red wine sauce. Desert was a lemon tart with raspberry sauce or a chocolate ganache tart.
Everyone enjoyed lunch and the conversations started flowing between Monica, Jillian, and Jamie. Gabe pretty much just listened in. He was an outsider at the moment since these three already knew each other, but he wouldn’t be an outsider for long. He liked these three already.
After lunch Dr. Bowles briefed them on the particulars of the project they were working on. “Are you all familiar with the parasite called a tick?” he began.
Chapter 27
March, year 2.
Over the next few weeks the people of Biotech came together to form a team. They spent time getting to know each other. They spent time sharing stories about the projects they had been working on. They each put the pieces together in their mind to develop an understanding of where they were heading. The synergy was beginning to bloom.
Dr. McCoskey, for all his faults, made a great coach. He managed to put his sexual tendencies aside and focus on the business at hand. Sally was impressed at his ability to coach the team. All sports teams, regardless if they are a basketball team, football team, hockey team, or soccer team have one thing in common. They are all a collection of talented athletes. Each player on their own might even be the best the league has to offer. If they don’t work together as a team however, they will be beat by their opponents every time. They can only achieve greatness by working together. It is the job of the coach to bring them together as a team. Only because of the coach can the players come together to enhance each other. Through the guidance of the coach, each of the players builds upon the other players. Working together they improve far beyond being just a collection of talented athletes. As a whole, the team becomes better than the individual players. Synergy. Edward McCoskey was good at coaching the team. For the first time, Sally was beginning to understand why Dr. Bowles kept him around.
Gabe became friends with Jamie, Jillian, and Monica. Actually, he wished he could be more than friends with Monica. He thought she hung the moon. He loved her brunette hair and her brown eyes. Her body was perfect. She was intelligent. He loved the dedication she presented to her work. The fact that she had never dated was very attractive to him. He hoped that one day he would find a girl like her when he was ready to settle down and get married. The only problem was that she didn’t seem to think of him in the same way. She was friendly enough, but she didn’t seem to notice him in the same way he noticed her.
Jamie and Dan became racquetball buddies. They were both competitive and matched up well on the court.
Sally, Monica, and Jillian became close friends. They shared secrets and developed a bond of friendship at a level some people never achieve.
Dr. Bowles sat on the sidelines and watched his creation blossom and bloom before his eyes. He was quite satisfied with how things were developing and he had confidence in their ability to do great things together.
The technology development business was a cutthroat game full of crooks and spies. The pressure to deliver the next big breakthrough was tremendous. Other technology companies were constantly looking to steal the next great secret. Keeping a close eye on the competition was paramount in this business.
Michael Bowles had always been an upstanding person. He didn’t play the game in the same way other companies did. The money wasn’t important to him. He had made plenty over the years. The fame wasn’t important to him. He just wasn’t the kind of person who needed fame. He did it for the challenge. He did it for the fun. He did it for the enjoyment he got out of refining people and creating something special. He did not use spies. He did not steal secrets. He had far too much character and integrity to resort to these tactics.
As he sat back and watched his little company develop before his eyes, Michael was pleased with what he saw.
**********
Dan stood behind the service line with sweat dripping from the tip of chin. Jamie had given him quite a workout today. “Game point,” he said as he pulled back his racquet and served the ball hard into the wall in front of him. The ball ended up perfectly placed in the back corner of the court. Jamie was on the ball like lightning. He returned the serve off the side wall and dropped it close to the front wall. Dan got to it in time and shot it softly at a sharp angle causing the ball to fall just inches from the front wall. There was no way Jamie was going to get to this one. Jamie conceded defeat and said, “That’s all I can take. Let’s hit the showers.”
The locker room was empty at this time of day. As they dried off and dressed Jamie said to Dan, “I’m curious about something Dan. I’m surprised there are not other employees at BioTech. Before we came it was just you, Michael, Sally and the receptionist. Did all of your success come from the other companies BioTech owns?”
Dan was quiet for a minute as if considering his answer. “It wasn’t always like that,” he began. “We used to have 7 other research scientists in addition to McCoskey and Sally. We were a close-knit group and we accomplished great things together.”
“What happened,” Jamie prodded.
“There was an accident. One morning Sally came in and found the whole group lying on the floor in the lab. They had died sometime during the night. Seven brilliant minds vanished from this world in one fatal swoop. The coroner never was able to determine the cause of death. That was two years ago and to this day we don’t know what happened.”
Jamie asked the obvious, “Do you suspect foul play?”
“We really don’t know. There was no sign of forced entry, no apparent attack on their bodies, nothing was missing. It just doesn’t add up. I can’t make sense of anyth
ing. On the one hand, it hardly seems logical that all seven of them would die of natural causes at the same time. On the other hand, there is not a shred of evidence to suggest anything different. It all remains a mystery.”
“What had they been working on?”
Dan checked the rest of the locker room to ensure they were alone. “Since 9/11 they had been working on counter-terrorism methods to combat threats of a biological warfare nature. They focused on detection systems and countermeasures.”
Jamie’s eyes opened a bit wider. “That’s serious stuff,” he said. “Any idea why someone would want to kill them?”
Dan considered this for a moment as if deciding if he should answer the question. Finally he said, “If I was a terrorist and I was planning a biological attack on the United States, I would first eliminate any scientists who might be able to stop me.”
Dan continued, “As it turns out there were research scientist at other firms, mostly microbiologists, who died under very similar circumstances over a 6-month period. I think the same person or group of people used a type of unknown biological weapon on all of these scientists.”
“Holy crap!” said Jamie. “What about us? Are we safe?”
Dan reassured him, “I think we’re all safe. None of us are working on those types of projects anymore and I really don’t think we remain a threat to these people.”
By now they had finished getting dressed. They grabbed their gym bags and headed for their cars.
Chapter 28
January, year 3.
Monica punched the numbers into her phone and waited for her mom to answer. “Hey mom, it’s me.”
“Hello Monica. Do you have your bags packed and ready to go?” Her mom sounded excited.
“Almost. I’ve got a few more things to pack. Just a few more hours until my flight leaves!”
Her mom answered, “It seems so strange that you are flying at night. What time does you plane get into Albany?”
“I leave San Jose at 10:30 tonight, change planes in Atlanta tomorrow morning, and should arrive in Albany at 12:09 tomorrow afternoon. They call this the redeye flight.” Monica switched the phone to her other ear.
“Your dad and I will be there to pick you up. I can’t wait to see you! It’s hard to believe you haven’t been home for two and a half years.”
“I know,” said Monica. “This week has been dragging by so slowly. I can’t wait to see you guys. Did you know Ed’s son Mickey is attending prototype in Ballston Spa right now?”
“I didn’t know that. We should invite him over for dinner while you are here.” Her mother had always had a big heart. One year she opened her house on Thanksgiving to several of the navy men in town. They were away from their families and she just couldn’t stand to think of them being alone on the holiday halfway across the country from their families. Another time she had hosted some orphans from a children’s choir that was visiting their church. They were a group from Uganda who were travelling across the United States performing at local churches. She housed five of the children for three days while they were in town.
Monica hadn’t expected this. “I don’t know mom. I’ve never met him before. I only know about him through Ed.”
“Oh, come on,” persisted her mother. “I’m sure he would like a home cooked meal and you two might find something interesting to talk about. I’ll have your dad contact him and give him an invite. What is his name?”
Monica gave in. “Mickey, Mickey McCoskey”
Her mom said matter of factly, “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll have your dad make all the arrangements.”
**********
Her plane touched down right on time. She gathered her carry-on bag from the overhead and waited for the long line of people to clear the aisle in front of her. It always seemed to take so long to get off a plane. She wondered how everyone could possibly get off if there was ever a real emergency.
After disembarking, Monica walked toward baggage claim. As she approached the security checkpoint she saw her mom and dad waiting for her. She hurried up her pace and they all shared a big round of hugs.
“Let me see you,” said her mom standing back a few steps. “You look great! You must be taking care of yourself.”
“I do pretty well,” replied Monica. “I eat fairly healthy and even manage to exercise once in a while.” They turned and began walking toward baggage claim as they talked.
Her dad said, “You must be tired after travelling all night.”
“No, not really,” Monica assured him. “I didn’t get in to Atlanta until 6:00 this morning, so I was able to sleep most of the night on that leg of the trip. I suspect the 3-hour time difference will get me before too long though. Right now I’m too excited to be tired. I’ve missed you guys so much!” She gave them each a smile and her dad put his arm around her shoulders as they walked through the terminal toward baggage claim.
The 40 minute drive up I-87 didn’t seem like it took long at all. Monica and her mom jabbered the whole way. Her dad just listened mostly. Every now and then he got a word in.
**********
Monica’s father had indeed got in touch with Mickey and extended an invitation to him. He agreed to come to dinner, but it seemed a bit strange going to visit people he had never met before. He looked at the address on the piece of paper as he drove up the street. “There it is,” he said as he pulled up in front of the house.
He was a bit apprehensive as he rang the doorbell. That feeling didn’t last long though. Monica’s mom and dad welcomed him into the house and immediately put him at ease. He liked Monica’s parents right from the beginning. He felt comfortable in their house. Monica offered him a soft drink and they went to the back porch to talk while her mom finished up dinner.
Monica started the conversation, “Well, I guess you already know I work with your dad. He’s an important man.”
Mickey agreed with her, but his father really wasn’t his favorite subject. He changed the subject. “How did you end up in California?” he asked.
“Well, that’s an interesting story in itself. Dan Williams came to New York to see my dad on business. I just happened to be home from college that weekend and dad just happened to invite him over for dinner. During dinner he told me about a project his company was working on. It sounded fascinating! He surprised me by suggesting I send him a resume. I sent a resume, he offered me a job, and off I went. I really like it there, but I miss my mom and dad.”
Mickey was glad to be off the subject of his father. “It sounds like all the stars were aligned for you that day.” There was something about this girl that he really liked. She was a bit older than him, but he felt a strong attraction. He was glad he had accepted the offer to come to dinner. Perhaps the stars were aligned for him as well.
**********
During dinner Monica’s dad and Mickey talked about the navy. Since her dad had been a navy nuke back in the day they had a lot of common ground.
Her dad asked, “So, how was nuke school?”
“It was tough,” answered Mickey as he grabbed another biscuit. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Somehow I made it through though.”
Monica’s dad said, “Yeah, it’s easily the hardest school the navy has to offer. It’s like getting 2 years of college crammed down your throat in 6 months.”
“You’re right about that. I got to the point where I was thinking about laminar fluid flow in my sleep. Then I’d wake up thinking about macroscopic cross section for absorption, Compton scattering, heat transfer coefficient, and Bernoulli’s law. When I was finally able to fall back asleep I’d dream of nuclear instrument differentiating circuits and binding energy per nucleon theory.”
Monica’s dad took up where Mickey left off. “And let me guess, when you woke up you thought about brittle fracture, the neutron life cycle, and average logarithmic energy decrement.”
r /> They both got a good laugh out of this. Monica and her mother just looked at them as if they had three heads.
“How did you like Charleston?” asked Monica’s dad.
“It was nice. I didn’t get a lot of time to enjoy the area. I was on mando-16’s most of the time I was there.”
Monica asked, “Mando-16’s?”
Mickey answered, “That means in addition to the normal 8 hours a day I attended school I had to put in an extra 16 hours per week mandatory. They based this on the grades you made. I actually got off easy. Some guys were on mandatory 30’s.”
“That sounds tough,” said Monica. “Did you do any of your studying at the beach?”
Mickey laughed. “I only wish,” he said. “We weren’t allowed to take our books or our notes out of the building. Classified information you know. We weren’t even allowed to take them back to our barracks. This meant all of our studying had to be done at the school.”
Monica’s dad said, “I didn’t get the pleasure of Charleston. When I went to nuke school it was in Orlando, FL. They had a nice facility in Orlando. I’m not sure why they moved it to Goose Creek, SC. Am I correct in thinking this is just a stones throw away from Charleston?”
“It’s pretty close,” said Mickey. “Like I said, I didn’t get to do much. I spent all my time trying not to be one of the 30% who dropped out and didn’t make it through the program.”
Mickey’s dad said sarcastically, “And just when you thought you had it licked, you came here to prototype and are now required to study 12 hours a day on rotating shifts. Isn’t life great?”
“It’s a hard row to hoe,” answered Mickey. “But I really like it. I feel like I’m making something of my life. The hands-on experience I get in the nuclear plant here is exciting new ground. I can’t wait to get to the fleet.”