Young Again
Copyright© 2018 by Edward Douglass Patterson
Chapter 8: Mark’s Plans
Sarah saw her parents and Maria Cuervo enter. She was glad the older girl had decided to join them. She would make a good assistant for Ash. She also needed an assistant. She saw Cindy as operating almost independently; therefore, her assistant should be someone who would also be helping Cindy. She smiled at Maria. She wanted to make sure she saw they were glad she was there.
With everyone there, Mark made introductions, then started his presentation.
“The projects, which we will be discussing, are based on information or items Sarah, Ashley, and I have. Some of it is unknown to the government or things they mentioned when we were in Hawaii. I’m surprised they didn’t indicate any of it was classified, but then they were discussing it with the girls who don’t have security clearances. I expect they will be classifying a number of things we will discuss, so if you will refrain from mentioning what we talk about to anyone outside of this group, I would appreciate it.” Sarah smiled when she saw Maria had raised her hand.
“You’re not going to have us swear anything or sign a document we won’t talk about what we’ll be learning here?”
“Maria, the girls trust you not to talk about what you will hear and see. If you weren’t willing to do that, I expect you wouldn’t have come here today. An oath or a document doesn’t add anything between people who know each other. The government needs them because there are so many people involved and most don’t know each other. Contracts between people are useful when there might be a need to enforce an agreement, but it isn’t what I want here. I want people who will work together willingly. If after you hear what we have to say, you don’t want to work with us, all I ask is you not speak of it to anyone.” Mark had been speaking directly to her. Now he looked at the others gathered there. “That goes for all of you.”
Maria nodded.
Mark waited a few seconds then looked over everyone seated there.
“What we were discussing at the earlier meeting was the legal requirements for setting up a holding company which would have as its principal asset all the MSI stock. Ashley and I would transfer our interest in MSI to the holding company. We have several items which will also be transferred to the holding company. Their value hasn’t been determined but they may be worth more as a group than individually. Ashley and I will own the majority of this company. Others will be getting shares based on their positions and work in the different companies. The two we have identified at this time are Len Smith and Sarah Pierce. Len is the CEO of MSI. Sarah will be the CEO of another company which we are setting up as well as being one of the two principals in another company. Ashley will be the CEO of another of the new companies. The four of us will be the initial board members of the holding company of which I will be chairman and CEO. Now that leaves most of you wondering what these companies will be doing, especially since I have named two fifteen-year-old girls as the CEOs of them.”
“The first company is the simplest to explain. Sarah and Ashley have shown the ability to find and understand information using the internet and other means. They have a number of organizations wanting them to do work for them. Since they will still be going to school, we need a way to control access to them and ensure they maintain the balance between the different things they are doing. Essentially, this company is a consulting firm with Ashley and Sarah being the first two consultants. We hope to add more people, but we need to look into some people they have suggested.”
“Is that what the Navy wants to talk to you about?” Gloria asked.
“Yes, but we will have to turn them down on what they are asking for.” Sarah chuckled.
“That’s an example of why we need the consulting firm. The second company will handle a project that I thought about as I was in the hospital after learning about the death of my family. Luckily, Ashley survived, and she’s as interested in this project as I am. This company will investigate why no major government knew about the North Korean planning attacks on South Korea, the United States, Russia, and China. We also have reason to believe the terrorists who ordered the bombing of the plane Ashley was on knew about the North Korean plan. Their bombing was planned to coincide with it. This company will determine what needs to be changed. The company will then work towards getting the changes implemented. If there is technology, which is necessary, the company will identify it and see that it gets designed and built. This may be by MSI, but more likely by one or more other companies. The goal is to ensure we’re never again faced by this kind of surprise. It may not be a money maker, though we hope to get funded by governments and individuals, but we won’t be controlled by them.”
“Do you really expect the government will go for you doing this type of investigation?” Ruth was very skeptical.
“Aunt Ruth, what they will be asking tomorrow of Sarah and me is very similar to this. We have a number of alternate solutions we will present. We expect it will be a while until we come to an agreement. Our expectation is this company won’t be fully operational until I’m out of college.”
Mark continued. “The third new company we will be starting is also one which won’t be fully operational for years. Sarah will be out of medical school then and will be able to spend most of her working time leading the effort to find out why I’m growing younger and how we can make use of that knowledge to help others. Those who knew me before have noticed the difference. I’m surprised no one has asked about it. I don’t look my seventy years and I no longer have the handicaps my years had brought to me. I look as I did when I was in my thirties and my physical and mental abilities are even better. I’m not sure how long the changes will continue or if they will be sustained, but that’s why I’m not setting myself as the head of the individual companies. I’ll participate in each of them, especially the one where I will be the only biological sample.”
“Well, that explains why I am here.” Doctor May Flower had been skeptical when Lieutenant Commander Barnaby Stanley had said they had been invited to a meeting at MSI. He had just told her there were a number of things she would find interesting. “When did you first notice the change, and do you know what may be the cause?”
“I fell asleep out on the porch of our mountain cabin the night the North Koreans attacked. The only warhead, which reached the US, came down near where I was. It was biological, but it had been hit by a nuclear blast which destroyed the other warheads. You will have to ask Barnaby more about the government’s investigation, but I thought you would be more interested in helping to investigate the results, which I don’t plan to have the government managing.” Mark expression showed he wasn’t going to be a government test subject.
“Of course, but we may need more information about the cause.”
“But was it the cause or did it trigger something else which was the cause? How likely is it that a mutated biological warfare agent would cause something so beneficial?” Sarah was smiling at May.
“I cannot think of too many things more unlikely but what could have done it.” May seemed surprised by Sarah’s insight into the problem.