Chương 58: Book 3 - Chapter 4 B

After leaving Cathy in her hotel room, I headed up to Level Fourteen.

"Hey John. What are you doing here?" Grandpa asked.

"Something wrong?"

"Everything's fine, I just wanted to borrow your phone." He gestured at his desk.

"Go ahead." I dialed a number and a familiar voice answered.

"How's my favorite reporter?" I asked. Jake Morrow answered with a laugh.

"John! You only call me when you're showing off. What this time?"

"It's not me this time. It's the new CEO of a national software company making its home in Tulsa."

"Really? What company?" he asked.

"Axis Productions. It's the new company after a three-way merger between Heartland Software of Texas and California's Sierra On-line and Brøderbund Software."

"That is interesting. What's the name of this new CEO? I'm going to hang up if it's you."

"A brilliant lady named Cathy Carlston. What do you think of coming to Tulsa to interview her. I'll comp you a night at the hotel. You can bring your girlfriend again."

"That is an intriguing offer, John. Unfortunately, she's not my girlfriend anymore."

"Then you really should meet Cathy. Call my Grandpa to book a room," I told him, and hung up.

"Giving out rooms again?" he asked.

"Marketing, Grandpa. He'll be sure to interview her in her hotel room or the rooftop bar. Don't worry, he always mentions us when he comes to Tulsa." From Grandpa's office it was only three flights of stairs. I'd spent too much time sitting the last week, so I took them up to the rooftop bar. From the bar I stepped out to the roof deck and unlocked the exterior staircase to the roof of the bar itself. Mom was there, leaning over a planter box, clipping some basil into a basket.

"Hey, Mom. How's the chef's supply looking?" She didn't look up, just smiled in the sunshine.

"Perfect. Chef says this basil is the best he's ever cooked with. I just love being up here. It's so quiet. Thank you, again." I jumped up and sat on the edge of a planter box, swinging my legs.

"It's a good place to hide from the hubbub."

"It is," she agreed, finally looking at me.

"You've been working so much this week. Are you ready to just relax?" she asked.

"I am. Just the big DC trip, then I'm taking a break."

"Good," Mom said with a proud smile.

"Now come help me weed the carrots. I don't know how weeds managed to get eighteen stories up, but they did." Cathy secured a positive write-up in the local paper from Jake Morrow. He wrote about the merger, the search for a production facility location, the promise of new jobs it would bring to the city and the brilliant and beautiful new CEO. At the end of June the whole family was excited. The upcoming DC trip was the event they couldn't stop talking about.

The two-hour trip by van to Oklahoma City for a direct flight to Washington DC was certainly worth the time saved by avoiding layovers. We arrived a few days early and settled into the hotel. We spent some time touring sites and visiting museums. I had suggested the Watergate for its iconic status, but Grandpa opted for the newly renovated Willard, a more classic choice. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. July 4th we spent celebrating my birthday.

While I didn't personally launch any fireworks, we secured amazing tickets to witness the spectacular national display. Then, on Friday, I had the distinct honor of visiting with Mr and Mrs Reagan.

"Welcome, Dr Cook," President Reagan said, offering a firm handshake.

"Thank you for the invitation," I said happily.

"I tried to get that girl you like, Samantha Smith, to come too. Unfortunately, she's in London and couldn't come for the festivities," said the First Lady.

"That's fine, I'm sure I'll get to meet our country's youngest ambassador eventually," I told her.

"Samantha did say that she thought she could meet you in August, but I'm not sure what her plans are." I smiled, and nodded.

"Thank you, I'm sure she will reach out before then."

"I understand you brought a sample of this remarkable material you invented?" I handed over the big package I brought, "This is graphene felt. This particular roll is specially developed to act as body armor."

"Bulletproof?" the President inquired, his eyes widening slightly.

"I could have used that a few years ago."

"I'm happy to provide to the Secret Service as much as you need. This is enough for them to test and determine its best application. It effectively stops a bullet's penetration, though it doesn't significantly reduce the impact trauma. I think they might want to add it to the armored vehicles, as it can provide bullet protection at a greatly reduced weight."

"Nick, go ahead and take the roll and work out the best way to use it," the President instructed the Secret Service officer in the room. The officer took the roll, and set it to the side.

"The directions on how to laser cut it are included," I told Nick.

"Otherwise, it's just a big blanket. There are also recommended backing options when using it as body armor."

"Thank you, Dr Cook," the Secret Service man said. I handed over a smaller sample to each of them.

"This is the version I'm most excited about. It's a water filter." They both examined the foot square material.

"It's very soft and light, isn't it?" the First Lady commented.

"It is," I said as I initiated the demonstration.

"I filled this water bottle with water from the Potomac," I explained.

"That's awful," the First Lady said, looking at the murky water. I took another filter from my pocket, wrapped it around the open bottle top, and poured the contents into an empty glass on the coffee table.

"Now, this cup contains nothing but clean water. No bacteria, no viruses, no pollutants," I stated, and took a drink from the cup. The First Lady made a horrified face but the President laughed.

"I like your style, Doctor!" I handed the second cloth to the Secret Service agent.

"Feel free to test that," I offered.

"I know that getting safe water isn't always easy when traveling abroad." The President looked intrigued as he held his piece of filter cloth, then looked up at me.

"This changes a lot of things, doesn't it Dr Cook?"

"It does, Mr President," I agreed.

"What has happened in Ethiopia is a tragedy. With these filters, water scarcity can be a problem of the past for Ethiopia and all nations worldwide, regardless of their proximity to the ocean. There's no reason for water pollution to sicken and kill people downstream of factories. Instead of releasing used water they can simply run it through my filter and recycle it. Either to reuse, or to safely discharge."

"Where do you think the most critical use of your water filter will be?" he asked.

"While I'd love to see tighter water pollution laws enacted here at home, my immediate goal is permission from the White House to deploy water filters to mitigate the effects of water pollution and water safety during the next international emergency.

"I think it would be great for our country to be seen rushing to help people. Poor people are the most afflicted by water quality issues, and I want our country to demonstrate its care for the little guy."

"That is an excellent idea," the President said.

"It sounds like an admirable initiative for a young person to champion. What would you need from the administration?"

"Simply clear the way," I requested.

"I can call you when I plan to deploy to an international tragedy. Then if you can have your people cut the red tape, we can expedite the process. If that happens I can get the equipment there and help as quickly as possible."

"I'll see you get a contact number. I'll also call on you directly, Dr Cook, if I hear about a tragedy before it hits the news. It's important that the country be seen as the first responder and as the guardian of, as you put it, the little guy." As I was leaving after my meeting, I was gently directed to another room.

"Thank you for the felt armor."

"You're welcome, sir," I told the tall gray haired individual.

"I'm particularly interested in your emergency water plan," he said.

"I'm currently building a specialized box to house the filter felt," I explained.

"It can be installed in place for water to pass through, or submerged for clean water to be pumped from it. I designed it to fit on a 747 cargo plane for rapid global deployment." He handed me a card.

"Call that number when you have a suitable international event, and we will cut the red tape for you."

"Thank you, sir," I told him, carefully adding the card to my inner pocket. He then handed me a sheet of paper with an international number on it.

"This is a young lady who is expecting your call." I offered him a confident grin and shook his hand.

"Thank you. This means a lot," I told him. Then, I was escorted back to where my family were still touring the building.