Authors: Mark G Brewer
Regan's Reach
Regan’s Reach
Mark G Brewer
Published by Mark G Brewer
Copyright 2013 Mark G Brewer
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Cover Image source NASA and STScl
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional or
used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is purely
coincidental and entirely unintended by the author.
The sphere approached in shadow, its
objective obscured by trajectory until the last possible moment. Visible from
Earth the object would have drawn considerable interest. It was a large perfect
sphere, matt black, forty meters in diameter and moving without any
identifiable signature at ninety thousand kilometers per hour.
From Earth’s Southern Hemisphere, zero one
hundred hours New Zealand Standard Time, a full moon dominated the night sky.
In the moon’s glow stars struggled to compete, a night ideal for the visitors’
stealthy approach. Swinging past Luna in a wide arc trajectory that avoided
space between Earth and Moon the spheres’ passage to park in geostationary
orbit above the Pacific went unnoticed . . . for the moment. In its position,
relatively still from any earthbound viewpoint, the object presented as nothing
more than a black pinhead on a dark space background.
Twelve hours later, thirteen hundred hours
NZST, like a clean slice from an apple, one section simply slid off the sphere
and dropped away into the upper atmosphere. As it fell in a controlled descent
with resistance seemingly nonexistent the disc oriented itself face down and
curve up becoming the ubiquitous UFO, a cliché, a flying saucer.
With clear purpose and a startling five
thousand kilometers per hour turn of speed the disc shot down and southward.
Tracking by Air Traffic Control in near
regional centers commenced not long after separation, however little else could
be done to identify the object so swift was the entrance into atmosphere and
subsequent progress across the South Pacific.
Just a smidgen under one hour after
separation the disc slipped silently through valley air, unaffected by the
notorious Wellington winds. Dipping under the high tension wires that reach
down from the western hills to a valley transfer station it then continued up
river at a leisurely pace that suggested no particular hurry. Flying low,
almost skimming the water at some points, the progress was steady, patient,
considered.
A few fishermen, dog walkers and truant
teens on the river followed its passage north with open mouths, hands grasping
urgently for smart phones.
Two kilometers up river the matt black inverted
plate lifted smoothly over the mid valley bridge, its sudden presence and
shadow leading to a minor accident; car versus truck. It then soared over
western bank willows, crossed the public tennis courts and settled gently mid
domain hovering just above the surface of the brittle dry summer grass.
Only three lucky people viewed the domain
arrival so quiet was the approach. Mid day, mid week, most were at school or
work. Of the three, all soon to be celebrities, two were retired. Only one, a
young mother recorded the event. Lyn Ward sighted the approach while hanging
washing and like all tech savvy youth moved automatically to capture high
definition images that would soon circulate the planet, instant fame.
An eerie calm seemed to settle over the
park. Scorching midday sun beat down and from her vantage point a haze
shimmered off the huge dark disc surface.
Along with the visuals Lyn recorded stunned
whisperings for posterity as she looked around for cameras. "Oh. . . My .
. . God, it's a Saucer . . . it’s as big as a house . . . holy shit! Is this a
prank?"
Later, heavily censored for early evening
news her comments would nevertheless be replayed by millions. Replayed,
studied, dissected and ultimately lamented by those who sought more information
than someone of average intelligence could manage in the pressure of the
moment.
From the far side, the river side of the
craft, two figures emerged. Whether they came up from the river itself or
exited from the saucer no one watching could confirm with certainty, but Lyn
felt certain they came from the craft. Both were dressed in skin tight black
and they walked north without hesitation toward Carter St as if they knew where
they were going. One figure seemed clearly female with no hair, lean build and
a long, athletic, purposeful stride; the other, harder to tell, less
comfortable, androgynous, taller and unusually thin.
"He looks like a rubber man." Lyn
whispered, still recording.
They paused briefly, the taller one raising
and inspecting one foot, and then scraping it on the grass, the female doubled
over dissolving into laughter.
The two then continued toward a gate at the
north end of the domain and as they walked the male reached tentatively and
took the woman's hand. She paused, glancing down. For a moment it seemed as if
the woman might shake him off but then, with a look and a nod of her head she
clasped the hand tightly to her chest. They then walked without further
hesitation to the river trail and soon disappeared from view down toward the
water.
Already sirens could be heard filling the
air and the thump of helicopter blades were approaching from the distance.
Out of Lyn’s view now, only birds watched as
the two strolled silently along the riverbank, following the cycle trail. They
soon came to a small rise that would take them to the end of the next street
running parallel. A few steps to the top of the rise and they paused, tears
welling up in the woman's eyes as her gaze lingered on the huge oak there, and
the brick house beyond looking over the river.
"This is it." she whispered, to
herself more than anyone.
[Regan . . . I'm sorry, but there isn't
much time, perhaps 30 minutes?] The voice intruded on her thoughts.
[I know Ham,] she thought, [I'll get it
done.]
Regan clasped the arm of her companion
tighter. "Marin, first I want to show you something".
She led him further down the track out of
sight of the house and they soon came to a rock groin reaching out into the
river current.
"It's for flood protection." she
said, skipping confidently over the rocks, "We used to swim here and fish."
"What sort of fish?" he asked,
feigning interest, and followed her out to the water.
She paused, thinking. "Trout . . .
brown trout, and eel, good eating!"
No embellishment was necessary. Marin was
humoring her she knew and his studies probably made him more knowledgeable
about the wildlife anyway.
Marin focused on the water.
"I see something there." and he
pointed. Before she could grab him he was gone, barely a ripple as his slender
form disappeared into the pool.
Regan crouched with a deep sigh and for the
next few minutes sat in silence, deep in her own thoughts, eyes locked
unfocused on the river.
Long after concern might have been
appropriate the tall figure burst from the current looking disappointed. "It
was too fast." he said sadly, then presented her with a locket he'd found.
Someone's treasure,
she thought. He seemed delighted and brought it to her like a cat
presenting catch to its master.
"Marin, you can be such a fool
sometimes, it's not the time for treasure hunts." The warmth in her words
couldn't hide her tension.
An intrusion came again to her thoughts,
urgent, soundless.
[Regan, move now if you're going to. There
are people moving toward you. If you want to do this do it soon!]
Marin looked at her, concerned. "You're
delaying Regan . . . you'll be ok; I'm with you in this."
"I know Marin." And she smiled at
him gratefully.
[Ok Ham, I just needed to get myself
together, I've got this.]
Quickly now the two clambered back over the
rocks, onto the track and this time climbed straight up the bank onto the lawn
in front of the brick house. Distant sirens sounded continually as they walked
across the patio to sliding doors opening to the open plan living area. Marin
held back, giving Regan space as she slid open the door and entered. Through
the darkened glass he could see a figure, a woman at the stove. The woman
turned as the door slid open and for a moment he saw a face so familiar it made
him shiver. He could see the woman gasp as she spied Regan in the doorway.
Then, without sound or warning, her eyes glazed over and she slid down out of
sight behind the breakfast bar.
As Marin entered the room, both women were still
hidden behind the breakfast bar and he could hear Regan's plaintive voice.
"Mom . . . Mom! It's ok . . . it's ok.
It's me . . . it is, it's me and I'm so, so sorry."
Eight months earlier: FBC Newsroom New York
"Hello viewers and welcome to FBC's
Business Focus, I'm John McCall. This evening I have the pleasure to introduce
another of those young tech-entrepreneurs set to make us green with envy over
the sale of her young company STEIN and this after launching only 3 years ago! STEIN
specializes in accounts software, they're based all the way down in New Zealand
and already it seems they are a big enough player to attract a surprising, some
would say staggering, four hundred million dollar bid from aerospace and defense
giant USDynamics.
Regan Stein. Remember that name ladies and
gentlemen, because I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from this remarkable
twenty four year old beauty in the future."
McCall dripped sarcasm as he worked through
his intro before turning his attention away from camera and toward his guest.
"Welcome to Business Focus Regan and
congratulations. Before we begin I should declare I'm a shareholder in
USDynamics and personally have many questions about this unusual, some would
say crazy, purchase by USD. I can't help wondering what 'special' skills
helped you pull it off."
The emphasis McCall put on 'special',
accompanied by his trademark sickening leer, left his meaning transparently obvious
and it almost took Regan off guard. Few viewers, men or women, would have
missed his message . . . perhaps few cared.
"Thank you John, it is a pleasure to
be here in New York. I'm not sure what you mean when you refer to the purchase
being unusual or by my needing 'special skills', but certainly I'm excited by
this link with USDynamics. There's no doubt the world is becoming a much smaller
place when it comes to working with technology. The South Pacific is not so far
away in cyberspace after all." She smiled warmly.
Regan took a sip of the provided water and
a moment to prepare for battle.
McCall leered forward. "Come now Ms
Stein, it's no secret that USDynamics CEO Hayden Joyce has been quite taken
with you. Shareholders in the company want to know more. They've certainly been
hurting today over the fifteen percent drop in share value following this
announcement. Obviously the market has concerns. After all, accounts software
is hardly the bread and butter of a firm with clear leadership in aerospace?"
McCall's smarmy smile was enough to produce
involuntary gags. Regan kept her poise and looked straight at the camera.
"Well John, your viewers and shareholders
in USDynamics will be pleased to know that unlike you, Hayden Joyce has his eye
on the business and is an astute judge of future business opportunity. He sees
as I do that our companies working together creates synergy that will advance
shareholder interests and see huge development possibilities. These are
exciting times and . . ."
McCall interrupted, "Exciting perhaps
for those with the cash to enjoy it, but really Ms Stein, USDynamic
shareholders need something more than that. Four hundred million dollars may
not be much in the context of this company's turnover but it's the CEO's judgment
that's been called into question here. I and most other informed commentators
fail to see those supposed synergies between aerospace and accounts software.
Help me out here Regan; isn't this purchase just a four hundred million dollar
signal that Joyce has his eyes off the ball?"
For a brief moment Regan reflected on her
look and choice of dress for the interview. Tall, at one point eight seven meters,
she gave herself a tick for not wearing high heels; McCall was short. Tonight
her long auburn hair was loose; she had brown eyes and a killer athletic
figure. Dress for the interview? Not too revealing but body hugging, yes. A bit
too B&D perhaps?
Bugger it . . . you look good girl!
She smiled at the thought.
Regan kept her gaze on the camera. "Clearly
John, you and your friends need to do better research." Her look firmed as
she replied, articulating each word slowly, only turning to meet McCall's eyes
as she emphasized the last word. The action was disturbing and he shifted
uncomfortably.
She leant forward and continued. "First,
you fail to mention that Mr. Joyce doesn't operate in a vacuum. He and the
USDynamics board have impressed me and most informed commentators with the
quality of leadership and vision in that company. Without that confidence in
the USD leadership team STEIN wouldn't have even contemplated proceeding.
Second, while STEIN's core business to date
has been our Ezas accounts, auditing and fraud protection software, that
division of the STEIN Company isn't part of this agreement. USDynamics have
purchased specifically into our Arteis defense division. Arteis is leading edge
in cyber defense and USDynamics are already major clients. As such they are in
a prime position to assess value and the potential of our products. Further,
they've been able to review our research and development programs and found
them without peer. I could tell you more, but as they say, I'd have to kill
you." She deliberately put a disturbing edge to the words then laughed
disarmingly. Regan went on. "Developments in our military defense systems
are . . . shall we say, exciting in their potential. Arteis is going to
challenge the thinking that might is always right. No one will want to shoot
first when we're finished!"
She paused briefly, holding his eyes. ".
. . Oh, and John, USDynamics haven't purchased STEIN. They do now hold a
valuable ten percent share of STEIN Arteis
.
Both companies hope this
will be just the first step in a long term partnership. A mutually beneficial
relationship has been established which they, and we, are certain will pay off
big time for everyone."
"Going to break in ten." The
voice boomed in her earpiece.
McCall jumped in. "Well Ms Stein, as
you enjoy your moment in the sun with Hayden Joyce's patronage perhaps spare a
thought for all those suffering shareholders." He paused and looked at the
camera . . ."And now, a short word from our sponsor . . ."
"Off air for twenty five," the
voice came again.
McCall stood, stretched, reorganized his
jacket and turned to a livid Regan who had also taken her feet.
"Thanks for appearing Regan, nothing
personal you understand, and I can certainly appreciate the attraction you are
to Joyce, very nice indeed." As he spoke his eyes grazed her body.
"Back in ten. . . "
"Before you go . . ." McCall
leant forward,
"Six . . . five,"
He looked at her chest, ". . . Show us
your tits will you?"
". . . two . . . you're on!"
*
USDynamics Broomfield Office, Colorado
As they reviewed the McCall Stein interview
the USD board members present in Broomfield were mostly silent; however it was
clear from their reactions they were at times appalled, at others amused.
Mary paused the recording as McCall went to
the sponsor's promo.
"I do wish she hadn't highlighted
that!" A male voice said.
Everyone gathered in the Broomfield
boardroom turned back from the huge HD screen. While the group didn't include
everyone on USD's Board, the assembly certainly included the main power brokers
in the firm. Seven senior members were in attendance, including the CEO; five
men, two women, a collective three hundred years of experience in management
and directorship and all in the aerospace or related fields. They knew their
stuff.
All eyes turned to the Chairman, William J
Thomas; at seventy three a man still firing on all cylinders and someone who well
understood the influence of perception on share price. Sadly perception often had
nothing to do with reality. As a dealmaker Bill Thomas was lightning fast with
a good feel for the markets. That his share portfolio only included star
performing stocks was no surprise to anyone. That his net worth would exceed
all public estimates was also taken as a given. The Board knew him to be a man you
underestimated at your peril.
Hayden Joyce spoke first. "What points
concern you specifically Bill? She spoke well of the board and everything else
was only the truth. I thought she kept pretty much to script."
"True," Bill massaged his scalp
furiously, "but that idiot McCall hadn't picked up that it was only ten
percent and then only for Arteis. What Arteis is about is so far under the public
radar no average investor would be in any position to properly assess its
value. Hell, even we're not sure how this will play out so how can they judge
this acquisition in terms of share value at all. In the short term they're
going to slay us!" The Chairman poured another drink and dropped into his
chair.
"Well, we do know this." Said
Mary Pope, youngest on the board at a sprightly forty seven and probably the
most tech savvy member.
"Arteis has already successfully
protected us from five significant incursions in the last four months and the
projects that were targeted are critical to billions in projected business revenue
over the next ten years. That protection of our intellectual property was
priceless. Four hundred million in my book is a bargain.
In addition, their other clients already
include major corporations worldwide, all good links for us. They have the US
Government on board and other governments are going to be knocking on the door
big time to license the technology. The reality is no major business or
government will chance being without it soon."
"On that subject," Bill asked "has
anyone heard anything regarding the last Chinese cyber attack? It all seems
very quiet. What do your contacts say Mary?"
Mary gave a wry grin. "That's a
perfect example. Arteis was outstanding. It identified, intercepted and
corralled the attack then successfully returned a special packet to the
hackers." She laughed. "We haven't heard anything official but I
understand aircraft manufacture in China has been shut down for three months
now. Naturally we're not asking and they're not talking. If they did complain
they'd be effectively admitting they were the source of the attack."
She continued, "On top of that ongoing
protection this deal was a bargain if for no other reason that we, not some
other company, are now riding with Regan Stein and that's a ride I believe is
worth taking. I'm not sure what her thoughts are for the future but she clearly
wants to work with us more closely. I for one believe shareholders who stay on
board will reap the benefits."
Mary paused, "Gentleman, having said all
that, I still need to ask something. You know I'm a convert and you don't need
to resell STEIN to me, however, McCall raised this young woman's obvious
attractions and we can't deny she is very good. Are we all being charmed beyond
value here?"
Hayden spoke first. "I'll tell you
this; with Regan and STEIN you know you are talking about something special,
there is no question of that. McCall's a sleaze and I was disgusted at his
inferences. Also, I doubt he's even a shareholder as he claimed. Ok, she is
young, attractive and a charmer for sure. But it's the quality of her thinking
and ideas that's important here. She's sharp, visionary, has unusual empathy
and an ability to connect like nothing I've come across before. Her ability to
grasp the most complex customer needs quickly is disconcerting. But she doesn't
seem to focus on personal advantage from her insights. She's a problem solver
who isn't intimidated no matter how big the problem is. Problem solving seems
to be a default mechanism with her and she has the smarts and interest to find
solutions."
Mary seemed to bypass all this. "So .
. . are we being charmed?"
Hayden laughed. "Do I find her
attractive? Sure - but so does my wife; she figures that makes us all square."
They all laughed. "I'll tell you something else," he continued.
"Our trips to New Zealand doing due
diligence have been very impressive. This is no one woman band. She's
surrounded herself with some of the smartest people I've come across. All ages
and all devoted to both her and STEIN. And, they're honest. She went out of her
way to tell me upfront, before we even concluded agreement, that she was taking
a break for six months once the negotiations are over. She didn't want to finalize
anything if that was going to be a problem for us. I can tell you that it doesn't
worry me a bit, her leadership group is outstanding. I'm embarrassed to admit I
couldn't resist trying to poach her financial controller and got rebuffed
pretty quickly. They all know they're in on something big there and they don't
want to miss out."
"What are your impressions Joan?"
Bill asked. Bill could work the room like no one else, drawing on collective
experience as he came to his own conclusions. Joan Pritchard was a favorite for
him and her opinion carried weight. She had been a valued board member for 15
years following her successful career as a military pilot and later as an
airline owner. In a difficult industry the family business in the Midwest had
thrived under her leadership. With her engineering qualifications and practical
piloting experience Joan was an invaluable member of this board.
She quickly added her support. "I
agree with Hayden. Honestly we were only there a week and I wanted to stay! If
I were 20 years younger I swear I would have dropped everything in a heartbeat
and begged for a job to work in that environment. Not that age is a factor
there. A senior project manager I met in their Wairarapa facility had ten years
on me. I tell you he had the enthusiasm of a thirty year old! Bill, I'm glad
USD is taking this financial interest in Arteis. It stopped me from giving the
idea of jumping ship more thought - I'm kidding of course, but seriously, just
being there energized me." She paused, thoughtful for a moment.