Chapter 15

My shop crew was busy designing the instrument panel and experimenting with a new concept for the car’s struts. After Jim and Frank arrived, I showed them around the shop.

When Frank talked with Jeff, he asked, “What are you working on?”

Jeff said, “The American public has had to choose between poorly designed products for many years. If possible, we want to give them a well thought out product that will last more than twenty years without a major failure. That means we need to consider improvements for all of our car’s components. A good reputation for quality and customer care will go a long way in gaining us business.”

Frank said, “I see what you mean. A car that can last for twenty or more years on the average will incur a lot of wear and tear on the interior. I know what our kids have done to the interiors of our cars in just eight years and they aren’t even teenagers yet. Will this be a problem with our car?”

“Well, Ward asked for suggestions on features that would make the car better and I think it was Chuck who said that his kids had destroyed the interior of his car, and he has only had it four years. He suggested that it would be nice if we could change interiors when needed.

“I’ve been thinking about that and I focused on what it would take to redo the interior features of a car. The interior consists primarily of carpet, ceiling liner, seats, door panels, and some plastic trim. The door panels are already snap-in-place items. The carpet and ceiling liner could be designed to be easily replaced by the car’s owner. Seats can be replaced, but they are relatively expensive, so fitted seat covers may be a better alternative.

“All we need to do is make it easy for the car’s owner to replace the interior items that are subject to high wear and tear. With the exception of new seats, the car’s owner could completely replace the entire interior trim package within a day for less than a thousand dollars. The owner would also have the option of replacing individual damaged trim items. There is also the possibility that the current trim package can be refurbished and reused.”

I had been busy and overlooked getting back with Jeff to go over the crew’s list of suggestions, so this came as a complete surprise to me. I could see that Frank and Jim liked the idea of being able to redo the car’s interior in a way similar to remodeling a house, and the price tag would be far less than most home remodels.

Frank asked Jeff, “When this prototype is complete, how close will it be to the production model?”

Jeff took a few minutes to get his thoughts in order, and said, “On a functional-mechanical level, this prototype will essentially be the production model unless our testing indicates we need to make a few changes. We didn’t incorporate everything into this prototype. We will use thin polycarbonate sheets and thermoforming techniques to create the car’s exterior surfaces. The production version will use injection molding to make the exterior panels. This prototype may not look pretty, but it will be a functional version of the production vehicle.

“We have an outside source that will build a second custom chassis for the third prototype, if we decided a third prototype is needed, Ward’s plan is to make this prototype as close to the production car as we can make it.”

I could see Frank and Jim nodding in agreement as Jeff explained what we were going to do with the prototype. Jeff seemed to be finished with his description, so I interrupted.

“Do you have any questions that we can answer at this time?”

Frank said, “No, I think you and Jeff have addressed everything that I can think of. What about you, Jim?”

“There are a few things that seem to be buzzing around in the back of my head, but I’m not sure what they are. I’ll let you know when they finally pop out.”

“Good. Frank, if you and Jim have a bit of time left, I drove the Suburban into the shop this morning. Are you interested in taking it for a spin?”

Frank’s demeanor had been that of a mature man who is in control of himself and his surroundings. When I mentioned taking the first prototype for a ride, Frank’s whole attitude changed from all business to that of a kid who had just been offered a trip to the candy store. Jim had a large smile on his face as he suppressed a laugh.

As we headed out back to where I was parked, I tossed the keys to Frank, and said, “Before we leave, I’ll give you the guided tour.”

I pointed out the Solar Cell Tray, Battery Tray and batteries, and the front motor-generators. I put Jim in the front passenger seat beside Frank, while I joined their two bodyguards, Mike Hantan and Oscar Fox, in the back seats. I went through the same explanation of the car’s controls and indicators that I had given to Jim.

“Frank, take it a little easy when you first start out, as the feel of the accelerator pedal is a little different than that of a typical car.”

“All right, Ward.”

Before activating the car, Frank said, “Ward, I looked at your test data and believe it to be accurate. However, as a researcher, I like to confirm data that is given to me by other sources. Would you have a problem if we turn this little drive into a real road test?”

I wasn’t sure if Frank had planned this or if it was just a spur of the moment idea. It was clear that Jim, Mike, and Oscar were surprised by Frank’s suggestion.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Frank. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, if you have the time, I would like to drive from here to Phoenix, head northwest to Las Vegas, and then back here. According to MapQuest, that is about nine hundred and sixty miles, so at an average of seventy miles per hour and allowing for food and bathroom stops we should be back here in time for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I didn’t have plans for a trip like that, Frank, but I’m willing as long as it won’t cause a problem for my wives. If it does, then you can drop me off at the house, and I’ll see you when you get back. Hold on while I call my wife, Sam.”

“Hello, Mary. I’m with Frank and Jim on a test drive of the Suburban. Frank wants to make it a long distance drive by doing a loop through Phoenix and Las Vegas, and we won’t be back until sometime tomorrow morning. Is that going to cause a problem?”

Mary checked with my wives, then said, “No problem, Ward. Enjoy yourselves.”

“Okay, Mary. Tell Sam and Karen I’ll see them in the morning.

“Let’s go, Frank.”

“Jim gave his and Frank’s ladies a call and let them know what we are doing and we would see them tomorrow morning.”

While Jim was on the phone to his and Frank’s wives, Mike and Oscar made their own phone calls. From what I could hear of the comments made by the parties on the other end of their conversations, their wives, or perhaps girlfriends, were not as accepting of the situation as my wives were.

Frank said, “Jim, you are our navigator for now so program the GPS unit for our destinations. I’m planning to take Highway10 East to Highway 60 and then head east until Highway 60 merges back into Highway 10. Highway 10 will take us the rest of the way to Phoenix. We can then take 90 through Kingston to Las Vegas, and then 15 back here.”

As Jim finished with the GPS, Frank said, “Get my laptop out of my briefcase, Oscar, and give it to Jim. Jim, I want you to set up a spreadsheet so we can record the instrument readings at periodic intervals, so I can compare it to the prior test data.”

As Oscar moved to retrieve Frank’s briefcase from the rear, I said, “That isn’t necessary, Frank. We have an onboard recording system that records the readings at five-minute intervals. When we get back, Jeff can download the data and I will have him make a copy for your use.

“All right, Ward. Oscar forget the laptop, Ward has it covered.”

After a quick pit stop to drain our bladders, Frank put the car in reverse and slowly backed out of the parking slot. He shifted to forward and pulled out of our parking lot onto the road.

“Ah, Frank, I’m curious about the future. Do you think about things like this in advance or are you just the compulsive type?”

“A little of both, Jim ... a little of both ... and this time it was a mix of both. I had given the idea of a long test drive some thought since our meeting the other day. I checked Map Quest and planned out the route I would want to take.

“When you offered me the opportunity to go for a test drive, it just sort of popped out. I like to plan things in advance, but I will also take advantage of an unexpected opportunity.”

It was close to quitting time and the commute traffic had started building up. Eastbound Highway 10 and Highway 60 were slow, so Frank got us out of the metropolitan area. When we reached Beaumont, he turned the driving over to Jim after another pit stop. Jim got us to Blythe.

Exiting onto North Lovekin Boulevard, Jim went into town to find a diner. It was past dinnertime and we all were looking forward to eating and visiting the bathroom.

While we were out of the car, Frank asked me if there would be a problem with Mike and Oscar knowing about the car’s performance parameters. I hadn’t thought about it when Jim and I were on his test drive, but I had already spilled the beans in front of Mike.

They hadn’t signed non-disclosure agreements, but Jim and Frank vouched for them and their having been with Jim and Frank for over five years gave me a degree of confidence that the car’s secrets were reasonably safe. Just to be on the safe side, I had Cathy plant a compulsion in Mike and Oscar’s minds to not talk about the car with others or where they might be overheard.

When we got back to the Suburban, Frank and Jim joined me in the back seat so we could talk. Mike took over the driving and Oscar acted as his navigator. By the time Mike finished his stints behind the wheel, we arrived at Phoenix. After relieving our bladders, Oscar took over the driving and took Highway 93 northwest headed for Kingman.

Frank, Jim, and I were talked out about the second prototype and the production car. I was thinking about how to work the conversation around to the subject of my three Mission tasks.

In the back of my mind, I heard, “No, Ward. Let them bring up those topics. Just be ready to ease into the discussion with your opinions. Let them dominate the conversation so we can get a good read on their beliefs.”

“Did your father take you fishing often, Cathy?”

“No, my dad didn’t care for fishing. Why did you ask that?”

“Well, you certainly know how to bait a hook, and land a fish.”

We stopped at an all-night café in Kingman for pie, coffee, and a much needed bathroom break. As we pulled out of Kingman, Frank was behind the wheel again with Jim as his navigator. Mike, Oscar, and I settled down and tried to get some sleep. No engine noise is one very nice thing about an all-electric vehicle, but we still had the tire noise. Perhaps we need to add some sound deadening material under the carpet and in the doors.

The coffee was making its way through our system, again, so Frank stopped in Las Vegas for another pit stop, before he headed out of town on Highway 15 to Barstow. I could hear Frank tell Jim as we stopped in Barstow that the battery charge was down to fifty percent. As we hit the bathroom in a café and grabbed some coffee to go, my mind was running in circles. When we got back into the Suburban, I said, “Frank, fifty percent charge seems a little low to me. Did you notice or do anything unusual while driving?”

“No, not really. The motor pulled some additional current when we went through the hills as I pulled out of Kingman and headed toward Las Vegas. Part way to Las Vegas it started to get cold, so I turned on the heater.”

“I’ll have to check it out with Jeff. We haven’t done cold weather testing yet, so the cold, heater, and hills may explain the lower than expected battery level.”

“Do we need to turn off the heater, Ward?”

“No, we should be okay. We should be able to make it back to Santa Monica with the charge that we have left. Plus, the sun will be coming up soon. That will start the battery recharging.”

The charge level had dropped to forty percent by the time the sun was up enough to make a difference.

By the time Jim parked the Suburban at the shop, the charge level was back to eighty five percent, and we were all ready for breakfast and a comfortable bed. I told Jeff about the lower than expected battery charge level. As we left to head home for some sleep, Jeff was downloading the status data. Hopefully, he would have an idea about why the charge level was lower than expected when I woke up.

The next morning, I discussed the low battery level with Jeff. He had reviewed the data yesterday. His conclusion was, there were three factors that contributed to the low battery level. The heater made a significant contribution and the hills contributed some also, but the main factor seemed to be the cold. From what Jeff could tell, the cold affected the battery more than I had predicted it would.

“What do you think we should do about this, Jeff?”

“I’m concerned about this, Ward, but like you, I didn’t think the cold would have that much impact. A redesign of the Battery Tray should fix this problem.

“My idea is to turn the Battery Tray into a vented, insulated box for the batteries. The area under the hood is not sealed, so any gases vented from the Battery Tray, or perhaps we should change its name to Battery Box, will be vented into that area and out of the car, as they are now. In the final prototype, we will use baffles in the Battery Box that can be opened automatically to vent the heat and gases from the Battery Box in warm weather, and the baffles will close to slow the venting in cold weather. However, some venting in cold weather will be necessary. I will also add heater strips in the Battery Box for additional heat when the temperature drops below a specified level in cold weather conditions.”

“One more thing, Jeff. When I was trying to go to sleep on the trip, I noticed the tire noise seemed very loud. Could we add some form of sound deadening material to reduce the noise?”

“I thought about that once, Ward. I decided that the road noise would not be a problem most of the time. I also decided that almost total silence would be a bad thing on a long trip. I think the noise would help keep the driver awake on a long, boring trip.”

Jim and Frank had stopped by for a short visit to determine what Jeff had learned from the test data. Jeff explained his solution for fixing the problem. Jeff also said he intended to modify the Battery Tray before we did our cold weather testing. Then I took Jim and Frank out for coffee so we could talk about our partnership.

“Before we get back into our partnership discussions, Jim, I’m curious about how you and Frank feel in general about governments and politicians. Do the two of you believe they are doing a good job?”

“I’m not sure what you are getting at, Ward, but Frank and I do not have a high opinion of politicians, and a government is only as good as its political structure. If the politicians are crooked, so is the government. If they are incompetent, so is the government. I can continue that comparison for quite a while.

“But just off hand, I can’t think of any government that Frank and I hold in high esteem. Politicians are much the same the world over, although there are a few good ones around who try to do the job you elected them to do. Now, why are you interested?”

“It would be best if I meet with you and Frank in a very private place to answer that question. My answer is fairly simple, but to explain everything will take a couple of hours. If the two of you can come over to my house tonight, we can talk about it further.”

Jim said, “Well, answer one question for me, Ward. Are you a member of one of the militant, anti-government groups?”

“There is absolutely no way that I would ever join one of those groups, Jim. I have even less respect for those people than I do for politicians. The best I can say about them is, they see the problem and want to fix it so that it doesn’t affect them. But, their solutions are the wrong way to fix the problems.”

“Okay, then Frank and I will come by around 7:00 this evening, and listen to what you have to say. If something is going on that I don’t know about, I’ll give you a call, so we can reschedule.”

I imagine Jim and Frank will shortly have at least three different theories regarding why I asked that question.

“Cathy, do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure, Ward, what’s up?”

“I just asked Jim Schneider about what he and Frank felt about governments and politicians. His response was very close to what you predicted. I suppose I need some reassurance and assistance when I provide them with a full explanation regarding you, the Guidance Council, and my Mission.”

“Don’t worry, Ward. I have monitored them, their wives, and their feelings, and I will continue to do so. They and their wives will want to be part of your Mission when they learn about what you plan to do. Although, I don’t think they will like all of the tactics we will use in getting everything done. Jim and Frank will find the approach acceptable, even if it is unethical at times. Their wives will be upset by the idea of putting their families and children at risk of public exposure. However, they will gradually come to accept that it is necessary and that the risk of physical harm is almost nonexistent for them.”

“Well, that’s true, Cathy, for the task we will have them working on, but Task 1 has a certain degree of danger associated with it. If they are supporting me then, they could conceivably be at risk.”

“Yes, I know, Ward. I know that you feel that you must make all of those risks known to them. I agree that they need to know, but you don’t have to make the degree of risk seem more than it really is.”

“I know, Cathy. You said that you would check with the Guidance Council to see if they had any suggestions for minimizing the risks.”

“Yes, I did check with them. They said that the first government you gain control of will be the easiest. After that, it will get harder and more dangerous. The danger will come from several directions.

“First of all there will be a threat from the government you are trying to assimilate. The more violent and corrupt the government, the greater the danger. That danger will be predictable in the sense that it will begin when the government knows it is being challenged and it will continue for some time after you have gained control of the country. Your tactics can minimize the risk, but it will be there and you need to be prepared to meet their counterattacks.