Chapter 30

At the end of the auction the total for the bear family was 1,744,900 dollars. There was a lot of clapping at this figure. Sonny got to the front of the room and thanked everybody for coming. He went on to say, "I have decided to take my commission for the sale and donate it to the quest for a cure for infantile paralysis."

He was applauded too and I got up quickly and thanked everybody there for their help. I thanked Sonny, too and said he was an upstanding member of his community and I was glad to know him.

It looked like the party was going to go on for a while. I mingled but the girls stayed with me. They didn't feel as safe as they had been at the start of the night.

Sonny had over a million dollars on call. He asked, "Would you like to take that much now? I was very surprised with the amount of money spent for the nuggets, even though it was a good cause. Those large nuggets would make it into the record book and I regret not bidding on them myself."

"We have very few nuggets left I am afraid. None of them even come close to the larger group. As for the money, I think that I will trust you with that sum. Tomorrow, I would like to get half in cash and the balance can be put into an account for our project. I am afraid the testing of our vaccine will be over five million dollars itself."

"That is very trusting of you, Mr Kramer. I doubt that anyone else would have done such a thing even for a much lesser amount. I feel humbled by your actions."

"I think it is well placed in this instance." We shook hands and then so did Silva and Joseph. The girls thanked Mrs Forte and her husband for the interesting night and the help in furthering the vaccine.

On the way home Laura said, "Where did you get that gun? I was so frightened that you would get shot."

"I bought the gun through Silva. When I leave, it will stay at his house. I had to buy the gun in a way."

Laura looked at me quizzically. "The people at the auction were not all criminals but many had guns. They also had tie clasps, cufflinks, expensive watches and of course some weapons. I just dressed accordingly."

When the girls walked into the motor home, I stayed a moment to talk to Joseph. He said angrily, "You said you want to hire Forte's men. Why? We have our own security."

"Joseph, you have some guards to protect your property. You had a chemical facility before and now it is very valuable as a source of information and drugs. I have to start a security force and I would like to do it from scratch. These men that I will talk to, will be the grunts that will follow orders. Sonny will at least give me good men. I need good men from you now. I need soldiers that are smart and resourceful without too much spit and polish."

He didn't speak for a moment. "There may be a few. When do you want them?"

"Early tomorrow. They can go with me to Sonny's place to assess the troops he is going to present and we can get the money at the same time. As per our agreement, you get the donations that go into the bank for your share."

"That was much more than I thought."

"You are still going to be severely taxed to come up with the five million. If necessary, I can try to get a bank in Toronto to loan it to your company."

"I wouldn't have entered into this agreement without a way of getting the money. But thanks for the offer."

At ten the next morning, I found a dozen men in a room waiting for me. Joseph had promised them a day's pay to come and listen. They were quite confused when I came in. They probably expected Joseph.

"Hello, gentlemen. My name is Alex Kramer. I happen to own a few businesses, including a drug company here in Chicago. This facility, by the way, is leased from Joseph Cranz. He and his son are partners in this particular venture."

"The reason I wanted you here was to find a few men that would start a new company for me. Your military background would assist you in rules of conduct and a good basis for starting a security company along the lines of Pinkerton's. I am looking to fill all types of positions in this company."

The men were now quite surprised and looked at each other. Pinkerton's was a very large company that encompassed security and was actually a small, private police force.

"Before we go too far, the company will never get beyond a few thousand men and women. The main objective of this company is to protect my property."

One man asked tentatively, "What do you have to protect that needs your own police force?"

"The most important thing there is: knowledge. I have made many inventions. My laboratories are working on electronics and medicine now but will also include defence contracting. Here, at this facility, we are working on a cure for infantile paralysis. We are very close. Other laboratories are working hard to find the same vaccine. Our ideas have to remain within our group even after any possible announcement is made. I believe we are very close to having this an accomplished fact."

I went into detail about what I expected but left some important data out. This I would have to find out in personal interviews. They started right after. The men all went down to the cafeteria now, to eat what they wanted at my expense. The first man was asked the first of many questions. I asked about his former military superiors getting information if they said it was a matter of national security.

There was hemming and hawing before he answered. He didn't question the superior as to why the information on a vaccine was of national security and I crossed the man off my list.

The rest were questioned individually as well and only three of the men answered correctly. I wanted them to think of their employer first. I didn't want them to be good robot soldiers who would give confidential information to anybody in a uniform and waving their country's flag. Here is where I needed someone to follow all laws but only ones that came from a court. Too many people cloaked themselves in what they called justice and then used it for their own gain.

With only the three successful applicants I went into why they were selected and why the others weren't. There was a simple contract written in equally simple English. It stated exactly when they could give out information. It also gave penalties, including me taking any and all persons to court to get compensation. In my case the compensation would be very high.

I said of our present circumstances, "I believe we are very close to a vaccine for polio. If we are the first to make this known, there will be hundreds of people at the gate and many officials wanting admittance when this happens. A governor or a congressman has no more rights than you or me. He gets in only if he is invited. Mr Joseph Cranz will be the one handling the public relations."

"The reason for all this work is because I am so young. We may make the first vaccine but it will be for nothing if the medical community and the establishment think that I am not capable of doing this. Hard facts have a way of not being regarded, when it comes to politicians." I got a few nodded heads so they might sympathize with my cause.

A little before three, the men, named Lacroix, Newman and Fraser, drove in one of the company cars to Mr Forte's home. I introduced my new employees and in turn we were taken to the same room that the auction was held in.

The selection went much quicker this time. These men, for the most part, had been soldiers, too but didn't mind thumbing their noses at authority trying to get information.

I was able to get nine men out of fourteen. They all would show up tomorrow morning to begin orientation. Mr Forte told the men that he would be very disappointed if any of the men failed in their duties. He also made sure even the three men I brought received the same message.

After many thanks he handed me individual cheques for the amount stipulated to go into our company's account. The back of the car got two medium-sized suitcases that I didn't bother to count. If I was going to trust the man, then I was not going to insult him.

The cash and the cheques went into the safe at work. There were enough people around this vault to prevent anybody from being able to break in. I was still relying on any crooks not being aware of the location of the money.

At ten minutes after seven the next morning I had the men tour the business with some of Joseph's people. When asked for a way to break into our facility, Mr Forte's people seemed to have more ideas. All twelve men were put under the existing security till they learned enough about what they should do.

The growth of infected kidney cells had almost reached its peak. In five more days they would be ready for testing. It was also time to make some phone calls.

I was put through to Martin almost right away. After exchanging pleasantries he said, "What would you like, Alex?"

I gave him a list of names and asked, "These men all work at Connaught. Would you see what you could do to get them to Chicago as quickly as possible. We begin testing in five days and I would like them here before that. They will give another layer of security for me and they have well known names. Their findings will be respected."

"What do you want me to tell them?"

"That there is a possible vaccine that involves some of their work. If they come down, they will get credit for what they have done. They are all scientists and will be flapping their arms to get here if there is no plane. Would you offer them a few thousand each in my name? Their arms would be sore when they got here otherwise."

The next day Millie went to a private clinic and had the procedure done to shrink the fibroids. The operation took two hours because it was the first of its kind. Silva and I sat in the waiting room and read. When we were allowed in, Millie was awake and not feeling too bad. Nothing much had changed, except her fibroids would now start to shrink from the blood being cut off or reduced. The next day she came home under the care of a nursing team.

Three days after the phone call I had a six-man team at the gate. Our new security went out and picked them up at the airport. They had been given good rooms at a hotel but I doubted if they would see them much.

I soon found out that these Canadians were living up to our standards of being obstinate, aloof and class conscious. This last quality I think was a hold over from our country's English heritage. Over the decades this would be suppressed and swing the other way. The staff had to just put up with the three worse ones and the others were readily accepted.

They examined the facilities, which were similar to theirs. I had patented the agitators, though. The new batches of healthy cells were growing in another room. The cells were minutely examined. They asked many questions which I got the staff to answer so I could stay in the background. They liked the way we made documents about each flask so if there were problems we could trace it back to the origin.

They were amazed at the infected cells. They soon saw the entire solution before them. With this amount of virus a vaccine was simple to make. I was called in many times to answer questions but I tried my best to make it appear to be a team effort.

The virus was killed and the preservatives were added. A control group of monkeys were given the vaccine and we began to wait. Here, again, meticulous records were kept. The men had stood by their word and not told anything out of the ordinary about our work.

I knew what to expect in the coming week but it was still nerve wracking. The monkeys got a slight fever and then recovered. A sampling of their organs showed that the virus had not taken hold and was almost absent from the group we sampled.

I made some daytime calls now. Janice got the first call and I said, "The monkeys have just been given the vaccine a week ago. All of the ones given the vaccine have fought off the disease. One in the control group is dead and six others very sick."

She didn't know what to say. I said, "Their immune system responded to the virus and they only had a slight fever. They have lived over five days and show little effect from the virus. Our first hurdle has been passed. We will announce it very soon. Please remember that it is the company and not me doing this."

"I understand, Alex. I am so happy that you have found this."

The girls were bored even with their shopping and sightseeing. With the storm coming soon I didn't want them harassed. I gave them some cash and sent them home as the best way to deal with this. They didn't want to leave but did so, anyway. As it was, they just might miss the Labour Day madness. Three had jobs that they had to go back to.

Connaught got the second call. When I reached the head of the research department, he already knew my name and the fact that I had shanghaied some of his best people. I could hear the excitement in his voice when he spoke. I said officially, "This is Alex Kramer. My company, in conjunction with Connaught Labs, has completed the first test for our poliomyelitis vaccine. It appears that our vaccine confers protection."

"It works?"

"Yes it does. I want to make the announcement here and in Toronto at the same time."

"That is fine. Give me the details."

I talked slow and he must have been very busy writing. When I had done this part, I handed the phone to the first of the researchers who had come here. Eventually, all six had their say and they confirmed my observations.

The next morning at nine o'clock Joseph Cranz called the major wire services and the local papers. Sonny Forte had been asked to attend and now stood in the back of the room with his wife Rose. The reporters took seats and had some coffee from an urn.

Joseph came out and made his announcement. Some coffee fell and the room was deathly quiet. He repeated himself then went on to introduce the researchers from Connaught. The men gave their credentials and seemed to be inordinately proud of them. They each gave their version of the test and procedures. The day before, I had set in motion the process for thirteen separate patents associated with the process.

After these men came the team that worked here in Chicago spoke. They were just as proud, even though they didn't have the medical degrees, just the chemical.

Monkeys in cages were brought out and the reporters told of the almost lethal doses of virus that each had been given and still survived. A press package had been prepared with all the data they would need. My own name would come out soon, anyway, so it was listed among the technicians.

It was hard to get rid of the reporters until Joseph said that the same announcement was going on in Toronto. There was a mad rush for phones.

A half-hour later the newspapers had photographers at the gate clamouring to get in. Joseph was really putting on the show as he took a few through the various labs. I stayed out of the photographs while standing with the Fortes.

Rose spoke in Italian, "Why aren't you there getting your picture taken? You seem to be such a dynamic person, you must have a lot to do with this."

"You wouldn't believe shy but let's say that a boy would not be believed while a man might."

I made a few of my own calls home to tell the family what had happened. School had already started two days ago, so I called Mr Corfu and gave him my apology and said that tonight he would know why.

"What do you mean, Alex?"

"You will see it on the news here and there, coming out of Chicago."

"Ok. I hope you are not in trouble."

"No, just working on extra credits for a science project."

I now had to ride into the plant with Joseph and Silva. There were many more than a thousand people around the property. Many were parents with children in their arms or in wheelchairs looking for a cure that did not exist for them. This brought tears to my eyes but there was nothing I could do for them.

Six days after our announcement we gave samples to a dozen labs and sent some north of the border to test. The latter went with the six visiting scientists. Only one lab in Britain wanted to participate and that was because it was one of the ones I asked.

With this project working well I started to work more on the different anaesthetics. These were easy to produce but the dispensing was poor. The liquid vaporised and took heat with it. Soon the liquid got colder making the amount of vaporisation far from being a straight line on a graph. The machine did work but I worked at making it less cumbersome and more reliable.

Sixteen more patents went on this machine and then the first drug, halothane, was submitted for tests.

It had a good track record but caused some patients to suffer from liver damage. It was a very minor proportion of the people it was supposed to help. Like all drugs, some were susceptible to it. Penicillin killed many people but it was still used.

I kept close ties with home and found everybody doing fine. The newspapers listed my name many times but always as the president of the company. The vaccine was shown to be a company effort and the employees were not listed.

The Works was settling in and I was told the men were now seen taking out some of the local ladies. It would be good for them to settle down there.

The Connaught Labs were making their own vaccine now for the test. This was the best way for them to have complete control. They well knew my worry, which bordered on paranoia, about the virus being safely dead and not like what had happened in my past.

Towards the middle of September a shipment came with various kinds of products from Fish 'n' Chips. This was the latest batch of things the boys made from my instructions. It took three days to write up the eighty-three patents that covered many different facets of their manufacture. I used a local patent attorney to assist me. He was not as amendable as Tom, until I threatened to take my business elsewhere. We processed this patent in the United States and Tom got the package so he could process the patents for every place else.

By the 27th of September it looked like Silva and his father could manage on their own for a while. Millie was up and around. Her pains had diminished considerably. Some days she was completely free of discomfort.

When I was leaving, the two men shook my hands and Millie kissed me. I said in a stage whisper, "Now they will all know."

She slapped my shoulder and said with a smile, "Silva will have to learn to share, then." She held her husband close and they both smiled at me.

A cab took me to the airport and I took a flight to New York. Lots of things were happening there.

Bell Labs was very anxious to see me. They had just gone through a major sales effort to get companies interested in purchasing rights to their patent at 25,000 a pop. Since I had one of the patents I do not know how successful they were or what price they expected. George Fitzsimmons came from his office when security called to tell that I was here. He was the nominal head of the entire laboratory in Murray Hill, New Jersey.

In his opulent office he said, "Please have a seat, Mr Kramer. Would you like some refreshment?"

"No thank you, Mr Fitzsimmons."

"What can I do for you?"

"Your company wanted to see me, I believe."

"Well, yes we do. We were wondering how well your research was parallelling ours."

"In all honesty, Mr Fitzsimmons, we are far ahead of you in every feature of transistor technology."

This seemed to startle him. "Mr Shockley was quite put out when he was told that his junction transistor had been patented a few days before ours could be. And you say you have progressed since then?"

"I am afraid it is old hat now in any case. The principles are good but his device, I believe, is very inferior to ours. We are working like you do, with parallel teams and projects."

"How so Mr Kramer?"

I reached in my jacket and took out a few sheets of paper. I used what would one day be standard symbols for different features of electrical components. The first sheet had what each of the Greek or Russian characters meant.

Fitzsimmons was an engineer and could see what the symbols meant soon enough. "Mr Kramer your amplification factor and low frequencies is amazing. This transistor is able to take almost a thousand milliamps. These are certainly far beyond what ours can do.

"Here is a high voltage diode we made recently." I handed him the next sheet and his eyebrows went way up.

"This sheet here shows a switching transistor good for very high currents and good for the range of frequencies you need up to five kilohertz, or as you would say 5,000 cycles per second. This he almost ripped from my hand but apologized right after.

He looked up at the rest of the sheets and said, "What else do you have?"

"An Appleton Pair; that is two transistors on a single crystal with a combined alpha of over one hundred." He took the sheet more carefully this time and read it. I went through the other six one at a time and handed him the sheets.

When he finished those, he went back and checked other sheets to compare them. When he looked up he said, "What was your purpose in coming here today?"

"I want to make money and I think the best way is to propose a partnership of sorts with your parent company. I can farm out some of my devices to your facility here and you can develop them further with me."