The Twins Paradox by Alan Gasparutti (best contemporary novels txt) 📖

were due to stay another night on the outskirts of Sacramento, and that they required the digital car until they left. Gary noted this, and said that he would come to their motel the following morning and travel to the airport with them, before picking up the digital car. Arthur, Henry and Dermot said they were okay with this, as was Frank.
Gary then invited all parties to sign a form as a binding agreement to the project and it's contributions. They noticed that one person had already signed the document, though none of them recognised the signature. The meeting was concluded with a shaking of hands from all parties. Frank, Arthur, Henry and Dermot all left the meeting very pleased. As they were leaving the room, Gary called Frank over into a corner.
“Hey Frank, Frank, come over here a minute,” he called. “There’s a few things I need to sort out with you.”
“How can I help?” said Frank.
“Is there any particular deadline by which you need to leave for Colorado Springs tomorrow?” Gary asked.
“I don’t think there’s an absolute deadline tomorrow,” Frank told him. “Henry, Arthur and Dermot aren’t due to fly home until Wednesday.”
“So you can stay another night here?” Gary suggested.
“We could I suppose,” said Frank. “We had planned to leave tomorrow morning, as we were going to drive back.”
“Would you fancy staying another night here?” Gary queried.
“I don’t know,” said Frank. “I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t know if the others would like to do so, though come to think of it, they’ve got a flight to catch from the Springs’ so I doubt it.”
“Say, do you think they’ll be able to stump up the money for their contributions towards this scheme?” Gary queried.
“I don’t really know,” said Frank. “Shouldn’t you be asking them that?”
“I should really, but I thought you might know,” said Gary.
“I should think they’ll be able to match their proposed contributions,” Frank then told him. “It isn’t as though the contributions are absolutely massive.”
“Oh I realise they’re pretty meager to you and me, but I’m a bit afraid they won’t be able to borrow enough from the banks, what with the credit crunch at the moment,” commented Gary.
“Henry could always sell his current business,” said Frank. “I think Arthur and Dermot should be able to borrow enough cash from a European bank, which hasn’t been hit by the credit crunch as much as in banks in the US or UK.”
“There’s one other thing I’d like to ask while you’re here, ” Gary said to him.
“Oh, what’s that?” asked Frank.
“Have you thought about being part of the new company?” asked Gary. “Would you like to be part of the new company? MD maybe?”
“What me? Managing Director?” said Frank with utter surprise.
“Wouldn’t you like to be MD?” Gary asked. “You’ve done it before, or something like that, haven’t you?”
“I was Professor in Chief at NASA for several years, if that’s what you’re referring to,” Frank replied. “It’s not like managing a new company, though. I’m not really a motor-man, either.”
“You don’t have to be a motor-man,” Gary insisted to him. “You just need to direct the resources and run the business. Just like you ran the business at NASA.”
“NASA wasn’t really a business, not in the true sense, like a motor manufacturing company,” said Frank. “Anyway, wouldn’t Henry be more suitable to be MD – he’d know all about the motors – he designed them.”
“I get the impression Henry’s just too laid back to be an MD,” Gary commented. “I don’t think he’s really the man I’m looking for.”
"Well I'm most flattered to be considered," said Frank. "Do you have any idea where this position will be located?"
"Well, between you and me, there's a site west of Sacramento, where we may be considering to locate a new factory, but other than that I can't really say any more," Gary told him.
"I'll bear your offer in mind," Frank responded. "I don’t usually rush into making decisions, but I'll give this one some thought. When do you want an answer by?"
"Oh there's no rush just yet," said Gary. "We've still got to make a final decision on where to locate the factory, but I'll keep you informed of any developments."
“You’ve got my mobile number, but would you like my home telephone number and email site address, too?” Frank offered.
“Yes please, if you wouldn’t mind,” said Gary.
Frank then gave the details to Gary, before shakinh his hand once again, and leaving the room to catch up with the others. He met them waiting in reception, where they asked where he'd been. Frank said he went to the Gents', and as the others thought nothing more of it, they left State Hall and walked to the car.
Before driving off, Dermot suggested to drive to the coast, though Henry suggested to head into the hills. Frank suggested this too, though he quite liked the idea to see if there were any observatories. Arthur wasn't too fussed, either way, at which point Dermot suggested to go for a drink instead. Frank then suggested to buy a bottle of champagne instead, as a celebration, to which the others all agreed.

The One That Got Away

The following morning, Frank, Henry, Arthur and Dermot drove to Sacramento airport, where they met Gary. Gary gave them their flight tickets, so they could book-in, after which Arthur handed the keys to the digital car to Gary. He stayed for a while talking to the four of them, before they bid farewell as they left for Departures.
The four of them took the 12.25 flight to Colorado Springs, where Jeanette came to pick them up at the airport. Frank offered to put Henry, Arthur and Dermot up for the evening, to which Jeanette (eventually) agreed to, after the others treated Frank and Jeanette to a meal in town that night.
Henry, Arthur and Dermot were up early the next morning, preparing for Frank to take them to the airport. At the airport, Frank bumped into Clint, who had just returned after spending a few extra days in Houston. He mentioned that he had met Steve, who had now been discharged from hospital, and that he helped him recuperate. By this time, Henry, Arthur and Dermot had booked-in, so Frank and Clint went to sit down for a chat, as they had a lot to catch up on over the past week.
On the flight back to Gatwick, while Dermot seemed to be asleep on the plane, Arthur asked Henry when the most suitable time would be to install the solar panels in his house on Tenerife.
"Do you know when your chaps can come and fit the solar panels to my house?" Arthur asked Henry. "Would it be possible if they could connect it to the electricity?"
"That's all part of the job," Henry told him. "You know I'm going to have to charge you for the flight and labour?"
"You can send them via a low-cost airline," said Arthur.
"I don't think low-cost airlines operate to Tenerife," Henry replied. "I suppose I can try to arrange for them to catch a non-full vacational flight."
"I suppose to save money, they could drive to Tenerife in one of your new cars," Arthur suggested. "They could bring my new sports car over."
"As long as you pay for their flight back," Henry said to him. "It wouldn't be very easy to drive to Tenerife - I doubt anyone would want to drive through Israel and the Gaza strip."
"They wouldn't have to come that way," Arthur insisted. "They could drive through Spain, cross the Med’ at it's narrowest point, and through Morocco."
"Do many ships sail daily from Morocco to Tenerife?" asked Henry.
"I don't really know," said Arthur.
"Well can you find out before I make any arrangements for Gaspar and Gonchaves?" Henry instructed.
"Are you sure you have enough to put down to buy those 'shares' in the new business?" Arthur then asked him.
"I think so," said Henry. "We need to increase our car sales before I can have enough money, but I suppose I can always sell the shares in my business."
"Who would you sell them to?" Arthur queried.
"Lucas and Ramondo, probably," Henry told him. "Besides, I have a few more ideas in the pipeline."
"Oh, what might they be?" Arthur asked inquisitively.
"I think the power of the sea should be used to much greater advantage," Henry told him. "On many occasions, the seas around the UK alone are too fierce for ships to sail. The sea’s energy should be harnessed in a similar way to wind power."
"How would you harness the nautical energy?" queried Arthur.
"Imagine two windbreakers stretching out half a mile," Henry said to him. "Then imagine the energy of the sea if the windbreakers pointed inward diagonally to one point. This would leave a large wave, or indeed, series of waves."
"And the waves could drive a turbine at that point," Arthur worked out. "Brilliant!"
“I don’t know why no-one ever thought of something like that before,” said Henry.
"Thinking about it, I would say that wave power has probably greater energy than wind power," added Arthur. "The waves are always in motion, to varying degrees.”
“Exactly,” agreed Henry.
“What do you plan to do?" asked Arthur.
"I'm not too sure really," admitted Henry. "I want to pass this suggestion on to an energy company, but how much interest they'll take is anyone's guess?"
"You could consult a coastal council about this," Arthur suggested to him.
"I could, but living in the Pennines, I don't get much access to coastal council matters," said Henry. "Besides, it takes ages before anything is done in the UK."
"I know local residents are usually up in arms about any development or change to the land, but I'm sure if you informed local residents of the financial benefits, you'd get them on your side," Arthur commented.
"But that's the responsibility of the energy companies," Henry told him. "I can't do much until they're on board."
"How would you harness the nautical energy?" queried Arthur.
Though Dermot seemed to be snoozing, little did they know that he wasn’t actually asleep and could hear their discussion. Dermot was an ecologist at heart and could see two excellent ideas to make the world greener. He also had ecological friends in high places on the Kerry County Council, and a relative in an energy company in his native Ireland.
When the three of them arrived at Gatwick airport, they each went their separate ways. Dermot took the first flight to Paris while Arthur had a look at flights to Tenerife and whether any were ordinary flights rather than just holiday excursions. Henry rang Lucas on his mobile, and told him he’d be at Leeds/Bradford airport within the next couple of hours, and told him to be there by 6pm to pick him up.
When Henry told Lucas about the agreement that had been made, Lucas was pleased and a little excited.
“Congratulations,” he said to Henry as he looked around him before driving off.
“I shouldn’t get too excited just yet,” Henry then told him. “I may have to sell my current business.”
Lucas wasn’t so excited anymore.
“Don’t worry,” Henry then said to him. “If I were to sell shares in the business, it would be to you and Ramondo, and perhaps other members of my team, if they’re interested.”
“How much money do you think I’d need to buy part of the company?” asked Lucas.
“I’m not too sure at the moment,” admitted Henry. “I’ve drawn up an expenditure sheet for the business. I’ll work out the value from there.”
“How am I