Chapter 6

Perhaps punch drunk from my previous encounters with the girl, I was relatively unworried about possible repercussions from the events in the church. After all, even though I had been inside illegally, I hadn’t damaged or stolen anything. Consequently I was able to get a relatively good night’s sleep.

The next morning, while eating my breakfast, I listened to the news on local radio. The newsreader mentioned a break-in at St Peter’s church. “Police think it was probably teenagers looking for somewhere to hang out since nothing was taken or damaged. The perpetrators fled when the alarm was set off, but a neighbourhood canvass by PCSOs failed to turn up any witnesses.” I was relieved there was no mention of the rather large cum deposit I had left seeping down the front of the stage.

When I reached the unemployment benefit office for my interview, I had a longer than usual wait before I was summoned. I was directed to a different cubicle than usual and the clerk was older and presumably more senior. He had paperwork in front of him for their retraining schemes. “It’s been several months since you started receiving unemployment benefit and you’ve had no success in finding another job in your field,” he asserted, with an annoyingly smug look on his face. “The rules say you have to sign up for a retraining course or your unemployment benefit could be forfeit. Have you chosen which type of retraining you’d like?”

“Actually I’m going to a job interview tomorrow. Amalgamated Engineering contacted me after I was recommended to them by my previous employer. They’ve just taken on a big contract and they need someone with my experience to provide supervision and mentoring.”

“Oh.” The smug smile vanished. “Well, good luck tomorrow. If you get the job, don’t forget to let us know. But if it doesn’t work out, you’ll still need to sign up for retraining. Complete the application and drop it in at reception before your next appointment.” He passed over a copy of the paperwork. Then, having no choice, he had to approve my unemployment benefit for another month.

That over with, I headed to the dry-cleaner’s and brandished my receipt. I was served by the same young woman as before. She took the receipt and vanished into the rear of the premises, returning a short time later bearing my suit in a clear plastic wrapper.

“All sorted for you, Mr Pearson,” she said, giving me a look that made it clear she knew exactly what had been sorted.

I felt my face burning and yet I was relieved at the implication that the cum stains had been removed. However I didn’t have the courage to inspect the work there and then so I settled the bill and hurried outside.

I was very careful on my way home, constantly checking for any tell-tale flashes of yellow and white but, to my relief and disappointment, I encountered no sign of the girl. Were the girl’s appearances predictable? So far they had been at least a couple of weeks apart, other than the next day after the thwarted blowjob in the shopping centre.

None of my rooms at home had a fluorescent light but, when I carefully examined my suit, there was no sign of any cum stains on the trousers. I hoped the lighting where I was to be interviewed wouldn’t reveal otherwise.

The next morning I reached the main reception of Amalgamated Engineering a few minutes ahead of my appointed time. I asked for Eliogu Kwante and was directed to wait in the seating area. My suit looked fine under the fluorescent lights: the dry cleaner had done a good job despite the embarrassment factor.

It wasn’t long before Eliogu came bounding into reception sporting a sincere smile. “Thank you for coming, Mr Pearson,” he said as we shook hands. “First I’d like to introduce you to the project manager for an overview of the product we’re contracted for, then give you a tour of the shop floor. If we seem compatible, we’ll discuss details in my office.”

The project manager, Ben Hardisty, was a little off at first. I guessed it was because I was being brought in from outside without his prior approval. But when he explained what they were developing, I understood why Consolidated Industries had recommended me to Eliogu. It was right up my street and I immediately felt at home. I was able to make some salient observations and gradually Ben warmed to me; soon we were in danger of becoming bogged down discussing technical minutiae. Eliogu interceded and I was whisked away to tour the design and shop floor facilities.

Most of the machinery on the shop floor I was immediately familiar with, and I even recognised a couple of former Consolidated Industries colleagues; we greeted each other by name and exchanged pleasantries. Then there was a quick visit to the design office. It was well-equipped with computer workstations but there were also adequate facilities for more traditional methods of design drafting.

Finally Eliogu conducted me to his office and asked me to wait while he arranged refreshments.

I was kept waiting longer than I expected, but then Eliogu arrived accompanied by a waitress pushing a tea trolley.

“I’ve just discussed your suitability with Ben,” admitted Eliogu. “He was initially reluctant to have an outsider in the role, but since meeting you he’s become a firm convert. We’d like you to work for us.”

“I liked what I saw and I think I can do a good job for you,” I replied. “What sort of terms were you thinking of?”

“We’d like you to work on a contract basis, initially three days a week but with some flexibility to adapt to demand,” said Eliogu. He then named a daily rate that meant I’d probably pocket more than Consolidated Industries had paid me for a five day week, but there would be no job security or supplementary benefits like membership of the company healthcare and pension plans, staff reward card, or complimentary membership of the local leisure centre.

“That sounds fine,” I agreed. “Is there any possibility of transitioning to permanent if the work keeps coming in?”

“That’s something we’ll bear in mind, but we were lucky to pick up this contract. The whole industry’s in the doldrums at the moment.”

Eliogu escorted me to the Human Resources Department where a woman sporting a namebadge ‘Michelle’ handed me all the paperwork for me to fill in and bring with me when I started the following Monday.

“Do you have anything I could take home to study over the weekend so I can hit the ground running?” I asked Eliogu. “I appreciate you might be reluctant to hand over any technical stuff since I haven’t started work yet, but processes and procedures manuals would be useful so I can adjust for any differences from Consolidated Industries.”

“Could we share technical specs?” Eliogu asked Michelle? “As far as I’m concerned, the sooner this guy is up to speed, the better.”

“I’ll have to check, but it should be okay if Mr Pearson signs one of our standard non-disclosure agreements,” replied Michelle. “I’ll check with Legal. It should only take a few minutes.”

“We’ll wait in my office,” said Eliogu.

Back in Eliogu’s office, he selected a couple of folders and took them outside, where I overheard him tell someone to print or duplicate another copy of each.

Michelle arrived with a non-disclosure agreement. I quickly scanned it. The terms seemed pretty standard so I signed it. When Michelle went to photocopy the non-disclosure so I could have a copy, a young man with dyed blond hair came in carrying four folders.

“John Pearson, Jason Tunnicliffe,” said Eliogu. “John will be joining us from next week, Jason is our indispensable project administration assistant. Anything you need, chances are Jason can track it down for you.”

We exchanged pleasantries then Jason handed the folders to Eliogu. “We already had spare copies of these two,” he said.

Eliogu gave me the spares and Michelle then returned with my copy of the non-disclosure agreement. Eliogu then showed me out after wishing me a good weekend.

Safely back home, I looked through the two folders. The first contained a contract overview and technical specs, the second was site processes and procedures.

Amalgamated Engineering had contracted to build a couple of full-sized, fully functional prototypes for their customer. Some components were available off the shelf, but from what I could see, the majority would need to be manufactured in the shop. If the prototypes passed stringent tests, Amalgamated Engineering would then be contracted to manufacture, or subcontract a manufacturer, for mass production. I saw immediately that the contract was high risk because of the difficulty of moving from hand-machined parts to full automation. The prototypes were being developed at cost, with all significant profits for Amalgamated Engineering accruing from production.

The site processes and procedures manual was pretty boiler-plate stuff and nothing to cause any concern. By the end of the weekend, I was confident I could more than justify my presence and was raring to go. The only fly in the ointment was if the girl turned up while I was at work: if I ended up getting fired for sexual misdemeanours, that would terminate my career in the industry, if not elsewhere too.

Monday morning Ben Hardisty was expecting me. He looked at my work gear approvingly. I was expecting to work hands-on and a suit would have been inappropriate and even dangerous. I handed over my completed paperwork, for him to forward to Human Resources. I showed him the folders I had borrowed.

“Have you read them?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“New employees normally start with three days of induction, but since you’re a contractor who knows their way around the industry and you’re read the site processes and procedures, I think it’s okay to throw you in at the deep end. But if there’s anything you don’t understand or need help with, feel free to ask. And if I’m not available, Jason should be able to help.”

I nodded.

“What did you think of the technical specs?” Ben asked.

“I think building the prototypes will be doable, despite needing so many bespoke components. But transitioning to mass production will be a challenge. At the moment I’m not even sure that everything can be automated, especially assembly.”

“You’ve got that right,” Ben chuckled ironically.

Ben took me down to the Drafting Office. “We don’t have an office for you, but we’ve set up a desk and workstation for you in here. Jason’s crammed in here too and he’ll give you your login details and show you around the system. Make sure the first thing you do is personalise your password.”

Finally Ben took me down to the shop floor. “I’ll take you around, introduce you to everyone and have them tell you what they’re working on.

I made sure to introduce myself properly to everyone working on the project, and indicated I’d like a longer chat with each of them at an appropriate time.

Everything went fine until I got to someone I hadn’t expected, Anton Tomasczyk. Had his uncle, Ladislaw Tomasczyk, told him about my misadventure in the shopping centre?

“Hi Mr Pearson,” said Anton, with a broad smile on his face. “I’m glad to see they’ve recruited you.”

I decided to assume ignorance until proven otherwise. “I’m glad to see you too,” I replied, meaning it since Anton had been hard working and a quick learner during his apprenticeship. “I’m surprised though. You had a bright future at Consolidated Industries.”

“They were letting good people go, and it went downhill after you left. I got a decent offer from Amalgamated Engineering and decided to jump ship.”

“Good. I’ll be back another time for a detailed chat about the work you’re doing, but for the moment I’m just trying to introduce myself to everyone.”

“Okay, Mr Pearson.”

We shook hands, then Anton went back to whatever he was working on.

The rest of the introductions were issue-free, then Ben accompanied me back to the Drafting Office and my desk, leaving me in the capable hands of Jason.

By the end of the day, I knew my way around the computer system and which parts I was responsible for updating and maintaining.

The next day I interviewed the shop floor employees in more depth, asking what they were working on, how things were going, did they need any help etc. I was able to sort out a few small issues on the spot, which made me feel I was making my first productive contribution. Anton Tomasczyk gave no indication that his uncle had told him about the incident in the shopping centre so I decided I could stop worrying about it.

I had noticed that some bespoke components were being completely hand-made, yet the shop floor had two unused programmable machines that could produce simple components. The following day I went to see Ben Hardisty.

“Ben, I see there are two programmable machines on the shop floor, but nobody seems to be using them. Are they in working order?”

“Yes, but they’re not sophisticated enough to produce the bespoke components we need.”

“Wouldn’t it help if we used them to automate some of the donkey work then finished things off by hand. Let me show you what I mean.” I showed Ben one of the more time-consuming bespoke components, then sketched out something by hand. “This is what the machines can be programmed to turn out. You see how little work there is left to turn it into the bespoke component?”

“That’s amazing, it would make a significant difference,” said Ben. “I’ll see if HR can rustle up a techie to do the programming.”

“I know how to program the machines. I could do show and tell sessions to teach people how to program the machines to reduce their workload.”

“Great,” said Ben. “Set it up for tomorrow.”

“There is a problem with that. I don’t have anything planned for tomorrow but I’ve already worked my three days for this week.”

“I’ll authorise it. I think the benefits to the project will vastly outweigh the cost.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

I spent the next morning powering up the programmable machines, checking they were working okay and their maintenance was up-to-date, earning curious looks from the employees.

After lunch, I called them all to gather round and showed them what the machines could do, including the basic programming instructions. Then I executed a program I had written, running off a couple of pieces. I handed them to one of the employees, Todd Bennett. “Can you see how useful these would be?”

His eyes lit up. “Yes, I’d only need to machine a couple of small changes and that would be the component I need to make.”

I handed him the pieces. “How many do you need?”

“I’d have to check but around forty, twenty for each prototype.”

“You go check, then I’ll show you how to set it up.”

“Thank you,” he said, dashing off to his usual workplace.

I turned to the rest of the employees. “These are expensive machines and only to be used with the supervision of a qualified operator. I intend to come round all of you to discuss whether the machines would help with the work you’re doing, and help you to code the necessary instructions. That will have to start next week for contractual reasons. Thank you for your time. Class dismissed.”

Todd returned. “I need forty two in total. I’ve made two completely by hand. You’ve given me another two that I can modify, so I need thirty eight more like them.”

I took Todd through the program I’d written, explaining every instruction and what it accomplished. I saw his eyes glaze over and realised it would be a while before he could write his own programs. Then I showed Todd how to add the required raw materials to the machine, set the quantity to thirty eight then started the program running. The thirty eight pieces Todd needed were ready by the end of the day.

By the end of the second week, I’d tutored over half the employees in how to use the programmable machines to help them make bespoke components, which also required my presence to supervise. But I’d interspersed that with assisting employees with their problems, most commonly not knowing the most appropriate type of weld to use. I had to do a lot of showing and telling for that too.

I was summoned to see Eliogu. “I’m really glad we hired you, John,” he admitted. “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to scare you off, but we were way behind our original project schedule. According to the latest estimates, In only two weeks you’ve helped us more than halve the deficit. And you’ve made good use of a couple of expensive machines that were looking more and more like white elephants. I countersigned Ben’s approval of your extra day last week and I want you to know that if you want to work any more extra days, that’s fine with me.”

“Thank you.”

I went home feeling a warm glow.

Saturday morning I found fresh cat excrement in my garden. That reminded me I hadn’t heard from Lamont Fisher about the pulse emitters, so I gave him a call.

“Hi Mr Pearson. My supplier has been unable to get any new stock and it’s possible the manufacturer has ceased production. I’ve tried other suppliers but they’ve also drawn a blank, although I’m still waiting to hear from a couple. But I did come across something that you might want to consider instead. It’s a discontinued de luxe range where slave pulse emitters can be controlled by the master pulse emitter both in frequency and duration of pulses. A master and three slaves would cost £150, which is probably more than you want to pay since we have no idea whether they’ll work, but that price is only a quarter of the original recommended retail price.”

I liked Lamont Fisher. He talked down the de luxe pulse emitters when he could have used a hard-sell approach. It sounded as though he’d gone to quite some trouble on my behalf when he couldn’t obtain the original pulse emitters from his supplier. And my finances were looking more robust these days, especially with the extra day’s pay, so an extra £50 wasn’t unbearable. The clinching factor was the fresh cat excrement I’d found in in my garden that morning. “I’ll take a set,” I said.

“Okay, I’ll put in the order,” said Lamont. “The cheaper emitters you just put in the ground and leave to do their own thing but these de luxe models need a bit of fiddling around, synchronisation and all that. I’ll do all that for free when I deliver them because I’ve been looking forward to a chance to play with them. They’ll make a good test for my detection equipment too. I’ll call you to arrange a date after they arrive.”

The next week work continued in similar vein, with me mostly helping and supervising work on the two programmable machines interspersed with problem solving and welding show and tell sessions. However there was one particularly complicated bespoke component that was resolutely defying any attempts to introduce automation.

Friday afternoon I had a eureka moment. The component wasn’t load bearing on a certain axis. I realised I could programme the machines to make the component as two interlocking pieces that I could then weld together, and the result should comfortably exceed the resilience specifications.

I had nearly achieved coding the program instructions by normal finishing time, so I elected to work on to complete the programs and manufacture the two pieces. I was the only person left in the shop, so I loaded one program in one machine and the other program in the second machine. I started the first machine, then went over and started the second.

Suffused with a warm glow of satisfaction, I looked up and there she was, in the familiar white and yellow sun dress and white Panama sun hat, walking towards me. She smiled knowingly at me and my blood froze in my veins. Then the first machine finished parsing the code I’d given it and started clattering noisily as it set to work. The girl’s smile turned to abject horror. She turned and sprinted away from the machine.

“Wait!” I shouted, but she disappeared through a wall.

What had just happened?