Chapter 21

I waited more than a couple days, as it turned out. I had to talk to Tom about what I really wanted. Did I want to sell the engine outright, and if I did that, what could I retain as rights of it. Could I use it whenever I wanted to?

"You know, you could make whoever you sold this to, conditional. For example, you could retain the use of the engine and ownership, but relinquish your rights to it for a certain period of time. This is what you need an attorney for," Tom was telling me.

We were all gathered at his house this evening, Brenda, Debra, Tom, and Courtney, with me pacing back and forth.

"Wow, I never had a rich relative before. Can I borrow all that money from you, that I am sure I would have borrowed, if we had grown up together?" Debra asked with a grin.

"Not in your wildest dreams, big sister," I replied with a grin. "I don't think I want to give up total control. While I realize this might get me a smaller initial amount at the beginning, I think we can work a deal with either Google or Time Warner. I want to retain the copyright, but I will grant exclusive use of this product with me agreeing to not developing something similar for a set period of time," I mused.

"I know that you stand to make a lot of money, but why is this search engine so important?" Brenda asked.

"Well, the engine I have come up with --with Tom's help, of course--, is something that works a bit better and a bit faster than anyone else's so far. It also has the capability of bypassing ISPs, when it gets you on the net. It is a threat to the companies out there that are pay sites, like AOL, or Earthlink. A lot of the older companies have already folded or been bought out by the bigger guys," I tried explaining.

"That's right. With this search engine, not only does it do and provide what the main servers do, but will do it cheaper. I still think you should just charge a one time licensing fee. It would be sort of like Microsoft and its operating system, which seems to be on a hell of a lot of computers," Debra mused out loud.

"I have thought about that. The main problem with any service, though, is that you will eventually be sued. There is always some enterprising lawyer around who can figure out why this or that caused someone or something harm. Then there are others, who just do not want to work for a living. No offense, Debra," I said sourly.

"None taken. You are right about that. But our office turns away more litigations than it takes on. We at least try to weed out the obvious money grubbers," she replied with a superior look.

"Ok," said Tom. "We need to talk about something else, too. We are a group of people who are 'talented', each in their own way. Debra has control of her surrounding and can do amazing things by directly applying heat and cold.

"Brenda has similar but wider ranging capabilities, concerning the weather and its control. Scott can see the future and do telekinesis, as well as see where anyone is at a given time with just a photograph, or if he knows them.

"I firmly believe that Courtney has a talent, one that deals with controlling or manipulating people. She can talk and reason with people, in such as way as to be almost impossible to disbelieve. Of course, I have my talent of seeing the past, and traveling to past places and also going to the slit off realities. Altogether, we have a nicely diverse group.

"What we need to do now, is to give ourselves a direction. We should see if we can't identify more talents. We could bring them in, and get them trained up. If they chose not to join with us, we can at least make them understand what's out there for them," Tom said then paused, looking at each of us.

"Courtney has a talent?" Brenda asked curiously?

"I would say yes. She brokers 'deals' between people, like you would not believe. It has to be more than just 'life experience', as she's just not that old," Tom said. He grinned as Courtney playfully hit his arm.

"You there! Scott! I give you permission to kick Tom's butt," Courtney said imperiously.

"I have that on my to do list, and will let you know if it ever happens," I replied.

Everyone chuckled or laughed at this, and then we went back to our discussion.

"Ok, what we need is ideas for what we want to do with, or as, a group. How do we reach decisions? Can one person unilaterally do something that someone else would disapprove of? Does any member of this group have the right to tell another member what they can or can't do? You see? We need to iron this all out, and come to an agreement," Tom said with finality.

"Well, I am comfortable with sitting back and letting Tom direct us. He is the older and more experienced of our group, anyway," I said.

"Ahem. I am older than Tom, thank you," Debra said.

"Then maybe we should just work as a council or form a consensus? Everyone put in their two cents worth, and then either vote on it or something? I know a large group can't be controlled or run by committee, but it's not like we are a country where that won't work," Courtney was saying.

"Ok, how about this?" Tom asked. "We get together and appoint a sort of director. He or she will set the agenda for the group. If the group as a whole overrules this person, fine. But if there is no solidarity of the person or persons objecting, then the director's decision will stand, and will have two months to set a specific agenda and direction. There are only five of us, right now. Until we bring someone else in for a sixth, I see no other fair way. We could make the director's term longer, later, but two months will be good for the start.

"If the next director really objects to the direction we are going as a whole, he or she can change said direction. But he or she should only do this in the event of a direction proving worthless or to troublesome," Tom suggested.

"Sounds good! I vote for Scott as first director!" Brenda said excitedly and loyally.

I smiled and was about to say I didn't want to be director, but Courtney piped in with her vote.