I don't work on bombs by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Line by line My terms

The next morning is interesting. The generals are just watching as I go line by line reviewing the contract. As per my usual, I have my red pen out and mark each thing that I want to be corrected right down to the misspelling and punctuation. I find that they are trying to slip in a clause that will require me to accept future special contracts without objection. Then there was the “extreme prejudice” clause.

The four star seems perturbed as I slide the unsigned contract back to him.

“Too many slight things in there that we did not agree with. Have this corrected and I will sign but I’ll let you keep the extreme prejudice if you put Frank only. Just as a threat to me, if you get the meaning. Frank is expendable.”

That brought a smile to the four star. The contract is back and I see that all my changes are to my satisfaction. Frank was looking over my shoulder to see if the general put his name in there under the certain clause. I look at him and just shake my head as I sign.

“Frank, I am disappointed with you. Can’t you even tell what is a joke when you hear one? Or are you dejected that it was not put in? If that is the cause of your worries, I’m sure that the powers to be would not object to an addendum to the signed contract.”

Why are all here laughing with the exception of Frank?

Now comes the meeting with the woman. Until now, there was no need for me to know her name or anything about her. She comes into the room that we are in but first, I ask for the generals to leave the room.

“I know that this room has cameras and microphones in it. You probably record also but the extra’s in here will inhibit my getting an understanding of what she is trying to do.

Right now I want just the two of us in here. This actually is one of my practices which you already know. I need to see just how dedicated to the project she is. With all of you here, it will just interfere with both of us relaxing and just talking.”

They leave but I look at Frank and tell him, “You too. You have already met her and know of the project. You do not need to be here.”

The four star takes him by the elbow and escorts him out.

“You may or may not know but my name is Raymond Burton. Please feel free to call me Ray.” I extend my hand but I find that she does not take it.

“My name is Samantha Rolland. I apologize but I don’t really like physical contact with others. Even when I get to know them. Just a phobia of mine.”

I withdraw my hand. I explain to her that I now am taking over the contract. “Mr. Swift has been proven to be, other than the profit, not physically invested in your project. That is why I now am your contact so to speak. Before we get into the meat of your project, I need to know the exact specifics as to how you let one of your subordinates steal your research?”

I am told that her research notes are in her locked laboratory.

“Is this still your practice?” she tells me that there now is a keypad on the door that she is the only one to know that entry number.”

Without even looking around, “General, have her entire lab along with everything in it transported to a building on this base. Entrance is to be guarded at all times with a retinal scan for the entrance. Samantha, how did you find out that your research had been stolen?”

“My notes and files were still there. My assistant had to have copied all of it. He was out on vacation when I found that the avenue I was taking would lead to an explosion if activated. That vacation must have been when he sold the research.”

“Frank, I know you are in there. I am going to kick your ass when I am finished here.

You never reviewed security. General, would you please kick him in the ass for me. I’m sorry Samantha but before I even hear what your project is, I need to see to your lax method of working. We are done here for now.”

I leave her just sitting there stunned and walk out. The general’s aide was there. “Take me to the general now. I do not care if it is an inconvenience for him. We need to talk now.”

Walking towards his office, I see his name on his door. General Thomas Sinclair. He is at his desk as I am announced. I do not wait but barge in and dismiss the aide. I shut the door. Now I do not care. I am angry for being kidnapped and now need to vent. I sit down in a chair and signal him to sit on this side of his desk. He does and I get up and sit in his chair. He is displaying that he does not like me sitting there.

“General Sinclair, I cannot see how you still retain those stars. How did you not see that Ms Rolland’s whole center was a disaster waiting to happen? She thought a locked room was safe to store her notes. Everything about her story is lax security at the very

least. Have you personally visited her research center? I would bet that you have not.

Mr. Swift did not either. The average street child could have stolen that research.

I need you to show me to the building that her center is going to be transferred to. If her project is going to blow up the world, she needs to be here. Not in some publicly unsafe shack. I’m not sorry if I upset you but this is the person you have hired. If you do not like the way I deal with people, give me the NDA and let me fly out of here. Tear up the contract. Otherwise, just know that I do take my role in this very seriously.”

I now get up from his chair and let him take his proper seat.

“I needed to sit in your seat General Sinclair because all that I said, you should have done before I even got involved. I go by my strict rule of getting my hands dirty. I live by the creed that a leader is someone that you are willing to follow. Not being ordered to by their position. Ask any of the companies that I invest in. They all will say that I get so deeply involved in their business that I am a big pain in the ass. That is how I succeed.

Now would you show me your security for the building she will occupy. This base is secure but external perimeters security is sometimes an excuse for lax procedures internally.”

He is still looking mad and shocked. He has never been dressed down like this. I see his continence start to change. He is now thinking that what I have said is correct. This base does have other research going on but the buildings depend on the external base security systems. They look outward to prevent someone from getting in. What he now sees is that it does not prevent things from getting out.

General Sinclair now remembers something he heard from his father before he went to the academy. His father told him a story about a man who, at the end of his shift, would walk a wheelbarrow load of dirt out the gate. This was his routine every day for several months. Finally someone stopped him and asked where he got so much dirt. It was then that someone noticed him every morning returning to work but without the wheelbarrow.

The man was actually stealing wheelbarrows.

“The security here will be reviewed but I will take you to the building she will be using.

What you recommend to secure her building and her research will be incorporated into each building on this base including the mess hall. I have never thought of escapes, only intrusions.”

We go to the building and find it almost lacking any surveillance. I ask him how secure is their monitoring system. “If the cameras and microphones stand alone or can someone hack in. Don’t answer that. I have an investment that is strictly cyber security.

You will be the only one to know but I will ask you to let them see if they can break in.”

I take out my phone and almost immediately shake my head. “General, please take out your normal phone and show it to me.” He does and sure enough his also shows what mine says. No cell coverage but a strong wifi signal. I call that company and ask them to see if they can find me and what the signal is carried on.

Much to the horror of the general, within seconds, they tell me my location and the wifi address. I thank them and tell them to erase this information and call from my phone. I show the general that without me touching my phone, data is being erased.

“If they can casually do that to my phone through your wifi, they can easily get into your security system. That is the first thing that I will need done for this building is to make your system a closed circuit system. I have my home with a secured hard wired monitoring system just because of that. I’m sure that you have heard of those baby monitors that parents have heard someone talking to the baby that was not in that house.”

He is having his aide write down all this information. I notice that he is using a tablet to record those instructions. I take the tablet from his aide and show Sinclair the connection symbol. Wifi. “No matter how secure you think that system is, unless you constantly, at least daily, change the access code, someone somewhere had that code marked on a copier that drops the wifi at a power flicker.

His aide cringes. I point then say, “This one has a printer that does it all the time. I could walk to it and find the exact code. This is in no way this one’s fault. It is the one that is in charge of this base that is to blame. Do you think a leader just needs to look impressive as he or she sucks down a coffee. I make my money by getting involved until I am satisfied that others can run that business to my standards. That ten year contract allows me to come in at any time and inspect.

There was one company that had only one shift. I have an access code for the key pad.

I went to that company at three in the morning and was able to get in. They never even questioned the access. No alarms. I demanded full repayment of my investment.

I hope that you will have this fixed before she is allowed to again start the project.. Now I will not even ask her for what she is working on until I see that her lab building is secured. If I enter that building and see that I still have the wifi connection, her project should be terminated and she be forbidden to ever work on something this serious again. She should be restricted to only civilian camping equipment. Something safe for the world.

Now I have other business to attend to. May I have your permission to fly out of here and complete that flight plan. We will contact the tower and say that we had to stop at that abandoned airstrip to survey a site that I saw from the air. I will tell them that I am

thinking on buying the surrounding area for a new development. We will use the number on the report to the FAA. I will let you smooth things out with them.”

Once again, to the relief of the pilots, we are in the air flying to the destination we should have landed a day ago. We find that no report needed to be filed. They already had the information and that I had already purchased the land. That I did not know but I need to thank general Sinclair. Later I was informed that the air strip is being upgraded to be a civilian jet strip. We will land there and a discrete vehicle will transport our people here.

My pilots were thankful for that safety net.

I caught up on the things from the office when I got a call from that tech company. It seems that they have been given security clearance and have a contract with the military requesting that they come to a base and secure that site from any cyberattack.

They would like me to review it. I have them send me a copy by courier.

It was for that base but with the proviso that, upon satisfactory completion, there would be other sites added for the appropriate price of what the tech company submitted.. I whole heartedly approved the contract.

Around two months had elapsed when I received a visitor with an invitation to go see the new security at a building I asked to visit. It was signed T. Sinclair.

It was more than a two hour ride on back roads when our white SUV arrived at the gate.

All identifications were checked before we were allowed to pass. That is a very good sign because the guards were armed and I could see by the new phone lines that the phone that the guard was using was a hard wire land line.

Good sign.

We pulled up to the command station. General Sinclair was out front along with the tech company’s owner. Another good sign. The owner was getting his hands dirty. The general was smiling. We walked into a meeting room and sat down.

General Sinclair was not surprised when I stopped him from speaking and took out my cell phone. It showed no cell service and no wifi. I smile and just say “Good sign general. I’m not going to ignore you but I want to hear Charles’ report on the progress and also what he found.”

Charles tells us that he found that the wifi was still running here due to the fact that there was no hard wire available. General Sinclair had ordered the wifi access code to be changed on a daily basis with that being related to each building via a person that would change the code without the operator in the room. The only wifi access to the outside world was with the base tech. That was to be able to relay it to the base wifi.”

Charles went on to say that, with the help of the general, the base maintenance personnel were the ones that ran the hard wire to each building . Our people installed the interior wiring. Now the only wifi connection is to the main security. They have the only connection to the hard wire system.

Charles tells us, “Hard wire is so old tech that almost no one understands how to hack it. Hard wire just does not exist anywhere. It is not in any other tech company’s programs. We are the only ones. All wires and computer cables are now underground in pipes with sealed connections. They are to my specifications and I am satisfied.” He smiles.

I could see the general smiling. “I have been working with Charles one on one. Not just sitting sucking coffee. As you have said, I am the ultimate one responsible for security on this base. I have been getting my hands dirty. I can see, by the way Charles worked, that your man here is a leader. His people follow him without hesitation. That is something that our military is finding hard to find in the new recruits.”

The new recruits can opt out if they find the training uncomfortable. It used to be that when you raised your right hand at basic, you were theirs until the enlistment time was fulfilled. The only out was medical or dishonorable discharge. Sinclair now gets it. He realized that the generals of old would lead from the front. It was only after generals got so self important that they led from safe areas. Those rear area generals just threw numbers at the enemy, not soldiers.

His people saw him on the frontline. The one thing that I heard later was the casual talk about how someone working would ask for a tool or something without looking away from the work only to find that the commanding general was the one handing that one what they requested. “He was just there with the proper wrench. What a leader.”

“General Thomas Sinclair, I now declare that you have reverted back to the days when a true general led the charge. Rallied the troupes. You are a true leader. Your people will follow you anywhere at any time.”

He now tells me that the last of the buildings have been hard wired and Charles people have been working on the inside. “Just for the record, Charles’ people now have permanent top security clearance. I watched as they entered a building. They stopped at the inside door and yelled that all documents needed to be filed securely out of their sight. All computers must be on the log in screen. They did not search out anything other than where they needed to work. A few times the site manager would order his people out of the building. Security and I would be summoned and we were informed of papers on a desk or a computer that was left on the operators main screen. They take their security task that seriously.

Just so you know, that happened only a few times. I took ultimate responsibility for those mishaps. There are reprimand letters in those peoples files and mine.”

I am just smiling. This is what always happens to the companies I invest in. Things change only when the top people take the responsibility for the actions of those who work for them. “General Sinclair, Charles, it seems like you both have learned what a leader is. Now how about you walk me through three buildings. I will point them out.

Let’s see what policy changes have done for this base.

Each building that needed to be secured we went into had a guard that would check IDs, log us in and let us in. First thing I notice is that there are no stacks of papers.

Each computer screen had the straight on view. Anywhere other than a sitting view, you saw a black screen. Papers had covers when not directly in use. I do like what I see.

Now for the moment of truth. The building that I really came to see.

As we approach the research building, I see Samantha standing in front of the building.

I know that she is angry by her crossed arm stance and the twisted look to her face.

She comes over to me and gets into my face.

“Do you know how long I have waited for you? What is the meaning of them telling me that you had to approve me going into my building. I have not been able to see if these have damaged any of my equipment.” She wants to go on but I interrupt her.

“Its nice to see you once again Ms. Rolland. The reason you cannot go in is that I have the knowledge that you refused to read and sign the security instructions that I personally wrote based on your sloppy habits that had the need for me being tricked into aiding in your flight to this safe haven. Until you read and sign, you will never enter this facility. I will have you know that I do have other companies that I am partners with that can and will take over your project if you refuse to read and sign. Yes, all your equipment and research is in this building.”

I look at the guard, “Is the General, my owner Charles and myself on your list of those who can enter.?” He looks and affirms that we are on the list as are Charles’ people.

“Samantha, we read and signed those instructions. That is how we were put on that list.”

“Give me the paper. I will sign it.”

“Nope. Until you lose that attitude, you will never enter this building. Just so you know, as we speak, your quarters are being searched. Any notes, all your family’s computers along with all your storage devices and any cell phones are now confiscated. By your determination to just get in here, I now call you suspected of collusion in the sale of your research to the enemy.

General, she and her family are to be placed under house arrest until your investigation is finished. By the way, Ms. Rolland, all of the notes, papers and computers that were in your lab are now in a vault that is in this building. Only general Sinclair has the code that opens it.”

A set of guards marches up to the stunned woman. They escort her back to her quarters. After she is out of sight I tell the general that Charles has personally investigated the matter. Charles tells him that there is no evidence that she had anything to do with the leak other than casual handling of her research.

”General Sinclair, let her cook for a few days. I like what you have done. Have the people that packed this up arrange it as it was with one exception. Charles will have her computer stripped of any research material as will all her confiscated home devices before they are returned to her. That will be placed on a government computer that he will install a program on. That program will report to the security facility. That head will monitor her computer. If she is in the building, that computer must be started and in use.

Her other computer will have the same usage program. She is not to be told about it.

You will be informed daily about usage. If she is using her personal computer for the same time that she uses the official computer, if she is not using the official computer, or if she does shut off the official computer before she shuts off her computer. She is to be barred from the building and her fate is in your hands. I said that we did not find any tie but she is the source of the leak just like you claimed responsibility when you found your few people not following the rules. If she goes back to her shoddy ways she is guilty of collusion and should be handled by military tribunal.”

He can see that I am not joking. He knows that her methods have set in motion the possibility of that other nation building that defective design within this country, placing it or them under public buildings and remotely starting them. The result would be catastrophic. It could start the final war that would reduce this world to ash.

He for one has told himself that he will be front and center instead of hiding in a bunker.

Like days of old on the high seas, he would go down with his ship. He does figure that he will have a cigar in one hand and a tall glass of scotch in the other.

I was driven back to my airport and went home. I wait, knowing that the permission to even let her in will come from me, only after Charles watches her fully read the rules and know the repercussions then sign. Only then will he let me know that she does or does not sign.

If she signs, she will be subject to that monitoring. If she does not, well her future will be decided at the tribunal.

It was no longer than a week, when I got the notice that she did sign but only after the hour that it would take for someone to read each word of the document. I was sent a copy of the signed document. She was given a copy and the original is in the general’s safe. I guess I need to fly. I now need to have her show me her work and explain clear successful criteria.

 

The project

I now see a different Samantha. Gone if that indignant woman that demanded entry under no conditions. She realizes that she actually facilitated the theft. She now knows that there are consequences for her actions. She could, right at this moment be standing before a military tribunal being tried for aiding an espionage perpetrator.

She was too casual in her attitude as well as her security measures. Once she saw and was told about the governmental computer, she asked that her personal one be removed. She was told that it would not because she may need it. She knows that it is there for temptation because any casual use would need an internet hookup and that will never be available.

All external drives have a sensor on them that will sound an alarm at the door if someone tries to remove them from the premises. All have their spot in the safe that they need to be in at the end of the day.

She does now see that the danger that is within the scope of her work requires all these measures.

When I walk to her building, she is there to greet me. “I am so sorry for my attitude at our last encounter. I have and will not present an excuse. General Sinclair sat me down and went through what could happen with my failed machine. The world destruction and his going down with the ship. I thought about my son. Never being able to grow and experience life.

I now have read and signed the security instructions. I do ask that you take my personal computer out of there so I do not return to old habits”

“That computer will stay where it is. It will be turned on at the same time the government computer is turned on. With no wifi there is very little need to use it but if we see that it is being used and the government one is sitting we will know that you have reverted to old habits. When that happens, you will be pulled from the project and will only be allowed to work on camping gear for civilians. My recommendations”

She is shocked but knows that this is a trial period that will last until completion of the project.

“Now let’s go in and discuss your project.”

The guard asks for identification from the both of us. He looks at the photo after each name. He hands us our IDs back and opens the door. She is now inside. She sees that it is arranged in the way that she had it with the one exception. There is not a scrap of paper or any external drive as backup.

I go over to the safe and open it. “This is on a timer. It opens for ten hours and closes automatically. Only general Sinclair can open it after it closes.” I show her the rack of external drives that she had. Each has a strap at the top of the holder. Each holder has a number. The drive has that same number. I tell her that the drive must be returned to the same holder before the door closes. Otherwise an alarm will sound and even if you are inside, that door will slam shut.

There is a panic button in there along with the oxygen tank. It may happen once and the general will personally come and let you out but happen a second time and he may just come in the morning to drag your dead ass out.”

Yes, I am being blunt but this is the time to be blunt. She is the one that got us all in this state. She needs to know that now she is under restrictions. This is not a case of corporate espionage where a new product for the home was stolen and released before the originators had a chance to introduce it. This is a worldwide destruction event. We are on a secret base on which she and her family are incarcerated on. I can leave, the general can leave but both her and her family are in lockdown. I need to be blunt.

“Now one of Charles’ people will be your assistant. She is very knowledgeable but she is under your supervision, your security responsibility. Know this, she will be required, I repeat, required to report on what she sees as far as security of research. She will not be reporting on progress. That is for you to do.

With that said, let’s sit down and really talk. I will make a strange request of you. I do not want to hear what your project is or what it involves right now. What I want to know is what causes the unit to violently explode?”

I sit back and just look at her. I am getting the same look that I get for all the people I talk with when there is a problem that I must step up to and try to fix. She looks like all of them. They all have their presentation that involves from God saying “Let there be light” to revelation. What I call the dog and pony show. I want to know why I am here.

Doing what is needed, I say “Boom! Now walk me back from there.”

That gives Samantha something to grab on to. “The unit went into a runaway stage that could not be stopped. The draw on the power unit was such that it had to boost itself to the point of no return. Then the unit exploded.”

The easy way out but I do not accept it. “So you are telling me that the power pack is what exploded. For the destruction it caused, it could only be nuclear. Is that what you are telling me?”

“No it was not the power pack that exploded, it was the major components that went into the runaway stage. The power pack, even if it was disconnected, would not have stopped the reaction. Once the runaway started, it could not be stopped.”

“Was there any overload protection in the powerpack?”

She looks like she never heard of that so I ask her where did she get the power pack. I am told the she was the one that made it.

“What is your expertise in power packs?”

She tells me none. “So you are still the cause of that explosion. What is the runaway points power draw?” She gives me the numbers. Now I hand her a piece of paper and have her draw a three dimensional box which she does.

“I want you to give the dimensions of the space the powerpack occupies. Length, width and height.” She does that. Now I ask her to write on the side that she puts the power in to the power pack. She does that. Then I tell her to mark the spot that she needs the powerpack to feed her unit and what that feed needs to be. Then she is told to write on the top in large print what the runaway threshold is.

When she is finished. I pick up the now drawing and roll it up. I ask the guard to have general Sinclair come here. I explain to her, while we are waiting, that she is out of her league. “You never designed a power pack but you were and still are so head strong that this was going to be your entire design. With your own explanation, you never built a power pack so you never planned for the worse event.

The reason I had you draw this paper is that I am involved with a company that only designs and builds power packs. You have given them the requirements and the space it goes in. Within that power pack they will place limits based on your runaway limit and the minimum power requirements. Plan accordingly because they will send you what they feel the shutdown point should be. I feel that they will only go twenty five percent of the difference of min to the max but that is up to them.”

Now the general is here and I show him the drawing. I have Samantha make a copy for the general to send to that company. “General Sinclair would you please send this copy and a request for a quote to this company. Have the request state that I am recommending them and the one unit that we need for now is free but the contract will state that the company will retain the patent rights and exclusive source for the power pack.

If this is a failed project, I will let that company know that I personally will cover all costs that they incur but we will be free to sell this power pack to the public sector if it suits a purpose needed.”

He is in agreement on all stipulations and will have special couriers deliver the package.

I have him stay for a bit as I tell Samantha that she is to review the project with an open mind.

“When i leave, you are not to touch any of this equipment. Take your drawings and find out one thing for me. What causes the runaway. Remember that you are only going to get your minimum but things happen. When you can explain to me why and where the runaway starts, then we will be three quarters of the way for you to start improving and preventing. General Sinclair will be very happy not having to go down with the ship. I will be happy because I am beginning to see someone that may just change the military definition of a leader.”

I get up and start to walk to the door. Samantha asks me “Why aren’t you asking for what the project is?”

“There is no need for me to know what a bomb is. I don’t work on bombs. Don’t want to work on bombs. When you take away the cause of that being a bomb, I will sit with you and watch your true presentation. Not something that is a bomb in disguise.”

The general gets up and looks at her “The man just knows how to get things done and in the right order. That is why he is where he is. I have done an extensive background on Mr. Burton. He has a one hundred percent success rate at what he takes on. Those companies he invests in all are now powerful companies with secured futures. Listen to him and you too may be a success. Know this , if he tells me that this will always be nothing but a bomb, the project will be shut down and you will be forbidden to ever work on it again. The only way would be in that enemy’s country.”

She is left in there, all alone to digest what just happened. She was prepared to do a full day of her presentation and how she was going to do it. He in a swift move just ripped her ego to shreds and laid down a new foundation on which to build a new Samantha, researcher.

She just says to the air and those mics, “How the hell did he just make the complicated so simple to see?” She goes to the government computer, starts that one and her computer then sits facing the government one. She now is delving into her portion of the assignment. She does think that if only he would stay and look at this portion, he may just see what I am missing.

“No, this is my assignment. He said he does not work on bombs. That was his way of telling me that if I cannot tell him the exact sequence of what happens in triggering the runaway, we will not move on, and I do not want to design camping gear. Hate camping. ”

Now she is getting some of what he is saying but leaving her alone. Not even that assistant is in here with her. Alone with her bomb she starts looking at her diagram of the unit.

Little does she realize that she is still blind. She, in the back of her mind knows that the power pack design is the cause. She does agree with him that she does not know anything more than the surface of a power supply. Actually, she only bought step up transformers to boost the incoming power to the power she actually needed.

“Limiter, I guess I need to start there.” She starts by looking at normal powerpacks. She gets called to the principles office when it was reported to general Sinclair that she left the building without turning off both computers.

Samantha told him that she only went to the base library to get some research material on powerpacks. She had to sit for an hour while the general took out the security instructions and read the full set of instructions back to her with special emphasis on the computers.

He made her sign a letter of reprimand that is now in her folder.

“My folder? When did I get a folder?”

 

An unsatisfied soldier

“This is just bullshit! Being kept prisoner here on base. Can’t even set foot off base without the cursory warnings about talking about anything that goes on here. They don’t pay us anymore than others. We should get double for working in this hell hole.!”

Rita is not a quiet drunk and most of the sober times she is just as loud. It is her mouth that gets her in trouble. She just downs the rest of her beer and shouts for another. She is in the base E M club. Her attitude is famous that is why she lost rank and now is back to private first class.

The club manager comes over to her and tells her she is finished for the night. “One more outburst like you just had, you will be permanently barred. Probably be busted again. With your attitude it is a distinct possibility of a dishonorable discharge.” The manager tells her. He knows that he needs to report her outburst but with the warning he gave, that is just within his duty as manager, he will be now obligated to report any further outburst.

Rita leaves and has had it. She is not caring about her walking back to the shit hole they call her barracks. She runs into a man she has seen many a time on base. He comes and goes as he pleases. Always visiting the princess at her private building. She deliberately bumps him and then yells, “Watch where you are going!”

All she hears is a word that she dislikes. She heard a sarcastic “Sorry” from him. The anger she feels is boiling over but she does know that if she does something else to him, he is always with that blowhard Sinclair, it would be a court martial then time in prison. Rita just walks away. As she walks, she sees princess being greeted by her husband and young boy.

“Oh isn’t that the cutest thing. I want to barf.” Rita knows what she needs. In the morning she put in for leave. She needs to get out of here and be a normal person. She needs to go home for a few weeks, get drunk and take advantage of some poor young horney man boy. She does and is glad when it was immediately granted.

The sergeant does tell her that she needs to come back with a totally new attitude. “I do have your court martial papers all but filled out. Maybe we need to send you to a base in Alaska. Freeze for ten months out of the year.”

Rita just takes the leave papers and is able to book a flight off the base. She makes it home. Her mother is delighted to see her but is immediately disappointed when Rita throws her bag on the floor and tells her mother that she is going to the bar. “I may not be back tonight. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in the morning. I need to straighten my head out.”

Rita does just that. She stumbles back home and most of the next day she is passed out. When she wakes and showers, she goes and sees her mother. “Mom, I’m home “

and then she hugs her. Last night was what she needed. No officers, no people dressed in fatigues, just ordinary drunks like she was. She does remember a few telling her that she probably could make a fortune with a tell all book.

She now remembers talking in general terms about the secret base. How no one can talk about what goes on but she remembers talking about the princess and the man.

She remembers saying that she seems like the most important person on the base right after the traveling man.

She holds her head and just remarks to herself that maybe she needs to dry out. But then she thinks about the princess and her family. “My career as a soldier sucks. I am going to be busted out. Maybe if I grabbed that boy and demanded ransom I could just run and assume a new identity. Start over free.”

She shakes her head knowing that her life sucks and she would fuck it up if she tried.

She smiles at her mom and tells her that the rest of the time here she will stay home.

“Mom, why don’t we just hop in the car and you take me to see all the new things that have cropped up around here. I may just resign from the military and settle down near here.”

Her mother is delighted and they do just that but mother knows that this is only the other half of her daughter. She knows that the lure of the bar will capture her once again. She knows because her husband was just the same. Drunk and then the cheerful statements. She is sad and angry because he was drunk and totaled the car into a bridge abutment. He drowned when the car plunged into the river. The report said that it looked like he passed out behind the wheel.

She knows that she will lose Rita also. One thing is that her husband was a passive drunk, Rita is an angry drunk. Mom does not even want to think about how Rita will meet her end. It will not be just passing while she is sober and sleeping.

By the time Rita had to leave to return to base, mom was worried. It seems like her daughter has come to some major decision. She had gone drinking only once more while she was on leave but the remainder of the time they spent together. They even visited her father’s grave. A warm summer day, a gentle breeze but she got a shiver when she saw Rita get an angry face as she touched his stone but saw the bronze military foot marker that gave his rank as private.”

She drove her to the airport. Mom cried when Rita just said “See you soon.”

She watched her daughter’s back as she went into the terminal and disappeared from sight. “See you soon” echoed in her mind. What Rita did not know was the fact that she

has purchased the two plots next to her husband. She has paid for both funerals and has a will with all her burial instructions. She may change that will if Rita straightens out and stays sober but the will states that she has no living immediate family.

Mother drives home.

Rita is back at base and has reported in. She has found that in her absence, she has been transferred from her normal assignment to the incinerator duty. She will ride the garbage truck and burn the trash. House hold garbage. The shredded documents, the secret items are handled by special people and done at a separate incinerator.

This is the last straw so to speak. She must ride the back of the truck and empty the cans into the back. Demeaning grunge work. She now knows just what she is going to do. She just needs the right opportunity, the right time.

Daniel Rolland, Samantha’s young son is being watched.

It is not uncommon for the base pickups to drive through the housing units. They will stop in front of each house and look for condition. This climate takes a toll on every object. Faded paint, dry rot, and other things. Constant maintenance is required.

All trucks are gray and unmarked. That is to prevent anyone, undetected on a hill, from being able to even get a hint as to what is going on at the base. Rita has frequently driven around the family housing area. She knows when the princess leaves. She has seen her husband working on the house and running errands. She sees that her son does tend to be alone even though there are some children in the area. Mostly officer’s brats.

She now has a plan. She has not noticed that she has been noticed.

Now Rita is ready. She has written her ransom note. Now or never she is going to be rich and maybe she will bring her mother with her. Princess will pay dearly.

Rita drives over to the house and snatches Daniel out of the yard. She drops her note throws Daniel into the cab of the pickup and starts to drive towards the gate. She is going to ram through the gate and disappear with the boy. A perfect plan, in her mind.

She was noticed.

Now she is being chased by base security. The way to the gate is heavily blocked. Rita knows that she may be screwed. This, if she is caught, is automatically a firing squad offence. The only thing she can do is try to ram through the fence.

The first try fails but the fence has buckled. With the truck temporarily stopped, Daniel takes the moment to bolt from the truck. Rita now knows that she is screwed. She

backs up and this time the fence leans over enough to let her drive over it. Somehow she now eludes her pursuers. They are occupied.

I was on the base and was getting an update from Samantha on her investigation on the current bomb. She had narrowed it down to a general area of the unit. The door opened and General Sinclair comes in to tell her about the kidnapping of her son.

“A base soldier had abducted your son but Daniel escaped when the soldier crashed the fence. Your boy jumped out but PFC Rita Radcliff has escaped and is at large. We will try everything to find her. We are sorry that this has happened.”

Samantha is driven to the base infirmary where her son is being checked out.

“General, I need to use your outside phone. I research and know what each of my companies do but one that Frank had is only listed as Frank. That is for a specific purpose.”. General Sinclair has given Frank the authorization to fly here.

“I know that the business that only has your name is a special unit. Now is the time for your expertise.” He is filled in on the specifics and of Rita’s disappearance. With the generals permission, Frank sends a long coded text to that unit.

“I assure you that this area is something that I know. General Sinclair, Raymond, this matter will be resolved quietly and permanently.” The way he said it was that it would not be a live prisoner. This is acceptable to Sinclair because of the nature of the base.

We did not know but he already had been given the permission to make the soldier just no longer be a threat to security.

Rita somehow gets back to her mother’s house. She had carjacked quite a few cars but was able to get home. She knew that she did not have the time to stay but felt the need to see her mother one last time. It is a necessity for her just to fade into obscurity.

Frank’s company is very efficient. They know their business. No sooner did Rita enter her mother’s home did Rita find that they were waiting. The string of carjacking led them to her. They saw the trail and knew that was where she was going.

In unmarked cars, they surrounded the house. Rita knew she was trapped but her mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure a way out of this. She had to tell her mother everything about the failed kidnapping and her escape to here.

Her mother was horrified but told Rita that the only way was to surrender. Mom went out of the house with her hands up. “I want to talk with you about my daughters surrender.”

She was allowed to walk over to the person in charge. She gets almost to him when a single shot rings out of the house. Mom turns in horror. She knows what has happened.

The man has her come over to him.

“Your daughter has just committed suicide. We will be taking her body for routine examination. We are sorry for your loss. The only way we can release her remains back to you is if you sign this NDA. Then we will return her to you when the coroner releases the body. I’m sorry but she shot herself in the head so you will not be allowed to have an open casket.”

Mother is numb at this point and signs the NDA. All leave and she goes into the home where she vomits at the sight. There in the kitchen was a window that had a perfect hole in it. On the floor and the walls was the remainder of what was her daughter’s head. Brain matter and blood covered everything. In the corner she saw what was a chunk of skin. It was Rita’s right eyebrow.

In that bloody kitchen, mother just got her medication, sat and downed two almost full bottles of pills. There she was just slumped over at the table with her will in hand with all the instructions. The neighbors had called the police but for some reason, they showed up after an hour.

The police found Rita dead, she shot herself with her service pistol and her mother with the empty pill bottles. The window was open with no sign of a bullet hole. The state coroner came and removed both bodies. Within a few days, the funeral home picked up both bodies. Both were buried on the same day. There were no calling hours and both were closed caskets per the will.

We received the word that the item had been taken care of. Official ruling was a distraught mother found her daughter had died of alcohol poisoning. There was an empty large bottle of whiskey by the daughter. The distraught mother took her own life by ingesting a large quantity of prescription medicines.

Frank really knows that business. I find that I will have him still run that one. General Sinclair was not happy about one of his doing such a thing but he was told by his superiors that the outcome was satisfactory. They recommended that it be told to the group that the heat and drinking caused her to snap.

They told him to have a stand down day to educate the soldiers about heat related matters. On keeping well hydrated but alcohol is not the proper liquid to be used. Now there are coolers all over the base that dispense cold water. Signs over each saying hydration station.

This matter is now closed. Home inspection trucks are now pure white. Any truck is prohibited from entering residential areas without a white truck escort. The base

personnel know what happened and what Rita was like but also knew not to talk or speculate about it. They all make sure that they are seen drinking that cold water.

The bar now has a strict limit on consumption of alcohol. For some strange reason, the E M cub has old posters from previous wars. They are listening with a German SS

soldier with earphones at a radio. That Navy one about loose lips. Various others.

There is a big sign stating that any talking about work related items, even the loose statements about working conditions will be reported. This is on the sign per Rita Radcliff.

Under that is the four drink limit sign.

 

When a bomb is a bomb

I am back to check up on Samantha’s research. So far, it has been a few months after the kidnap attempt. I now expect that she must have found what is the reason for the explosion. After all, I did tell her that the powerpack would function within the parameters she set. She is deeply intent on what makes the invention a bomb and feels that she is very near the cause of the runaway.

The company has delivered the powerpack. The built in limiter is, given the results of the runaway resulting explosion, the power cut off is at ten percent over the minimum requirement. If the draw exceeds that limit, total power will be shut down.

Samantha is very satisfied with the power pack.

“I have studied the components of my portion and now feel that it is safe to operate because of the powerpack that you had made. With that failsafe, the runaway will never occur. I would like to install the powerpack and do a trial run. “

Seeing how confident she is I almost feel bad for her. Looking at the powerpack on the rolling cart, I get up and push it to the door. I have the guard call the general and have a security team take it to the base security lockup. “Have the general place it in the vault with the instruction that I am the only one that can release it from that vault.”

I walk back and see the very upset woman in almost tears as an armored car pulls up and confiscates her possession. “Now that the temptation is gone, a bomb is just a bomb. You still are hung up on that old powerpack being the cause of the runaway. You figure that the failsafe will prevent it. What exactly blew up. Was it the powerpack or other components.

I once had an early 1970 import that I liked. One day towards dusk, I started it and turned on the headlights. Just as quick, every light on the car blew. That was not just the headlights, that was every light including the dashboard lights, interior lights, tail lights and turn signals. The fuse was still intact. All those lights sacrificed themselves to protect a ten cent fuse. The cause was an alternator component that shorted and the over volt occurred. Changed the alternator, replaced the bulbs and smashed that fuse after I replaced it.

Any action that does not directly address the root cause is useless. It is just a bandage.

Again I ask you what caused the explosion that had such force as to destroy a building and kill all those people? I can see that you again do not like me. I now feel that I need to sit down with the general. You may be too close. You right now are the reason that this is just a bomb. I am now going to give my final report to the general.”

She pleads with me to stop but all I say is that sometimes a bomb is just a bomb. I leave. She wants to run after me but must put the computers in the sign in mode.

Sitting down with general Sinclair, I ask him to wait for a few because Samantha will be here. Sure enough, I have only been sitting for a few minutes when she barges past his aide and enters the room. I have not said a thing when she is pleading to give her a second chance. The general looks at her strange and then to me.

He gestures to her to sit down in the other chair. He looks at me and asks “What is this about?” as he points to Samantha. “What does she mean give her a second chance?”

“She was showing me what she found as the cause of the explosion. She brought up the new powerpack, the one I had you lock up. She told me that the limiter would prevent the runaway. General, in your career I am sure you came across situations that a very expensive part will fail to protect a ten cent item. She has convinced herself that the limiter solves the problem. She wanted to test the unit. That is why I confiscated it.”

Now I turn to her. “In the few months that you have been looking at your portion, what exploded?”

She cannot answer. I know that this will come over cold and callouses but say it I must.

“General Thomas Sinclair. If in two weeks, the cause of the explosion is not found to my satisfaction, I will recommend that Ms. Rolland be removed from the project, her family be given a new identity and they be put in the safe house program for life. She should be put into the camping gear line of work. I will have the appropriate personnel brought here. Otherwise, a bomb is a bomb. Give it to your clandestine operations and disguise it as a new copier. As of now, in two weeks I will be back. If no progress has been made, I recommend that the project be shut down as a failure. Then I will walk away.

I now tell you that Ms. Rolland needs to step away from the project for five of those days. She needs to sit in the base library and study the books there on the atomic bomb research. Their trials and errors. Look at the runaway pile that the Manhattan project had. The sequence of events that led to an almost core meltdown.

She needs a clear and present danger to shock her out of those blinders. I will tell you that I could have my people look at this and I am sure that they will spot it in a few hours. You can’t see the Grand Canyon when you are only looking at a rock on the parking lot pavement.

See you in two weeks Ms. Rolland.”

I get up and leave the two astonished people alone. They both have never been confronted this way. I could see that only the general got the stone on the parking lot pavement at the Grand Canyon. I would like to be in there now but now I would be the

rock. She really needs this crunch time. She really needs to not be allowed back into her building because she was not ready to start the trials. I do not want to be caught up in an explosion that will take this entire base out in an instant. The ten cent fuse is that powerpack. Boom.

I told the both that I do not work on bombs.

Samantha does not like his pronouncement but the general insists that I am serious as a heart attack. “I have investigated him and have found that the reason people that he invests in do not always like what he says or does but they do see the light. He will shut you down in two weeks if you do not show him that you truly are searching. I do not think he will take on this at one of his companies. I think he will tell me that it is a bust and he is walking.

What did he tell you to study? The atomic bomb development. Specifically the Manhattan project. We have access to things that still have not been declassified. Do not look at their successes look for the mishaps and see what they found. Now you are officially banned from your building starting now.

You will need to enter to turn off the computers and store the hard drives. The guard will be watching. With a blank mind search for the failures. He would not have recommended your studying if he did not think you would not find your answer. Good luck.”

He dismisses her. By the time she got back to her building, the guard followed her in.

Watched her turn off computers and stow the external drives. Then he closed the safe and she heard the safe lock. The guard told her that the general has alerted the base library. They have a room for your research. The true Manhattan files are there along with Dr. Oppenheimer’s logs.

She was almost perturbed at having to read this old stuff but read it she must. Her mood was foul so she realized that night that her attitude made her lose one of the fourteen days she had left. It is the first time that she has felt that. Strange she really never had deadlines like this. Raymond knows and he will not tell me what he saw. Then she remembered that they have never had that presentation. Months of her just diddling around with the positive knowledge that the limits placed on the powerpack was the answer.

Blind as a bat. My problem is right there in front of me and I couldn’t see it. The hiding a tree in the forest axiom. That night she did not get any sleep other than short catnaps.

In the morning, she was waiting on general Sinclair.

“General, the library has signs all over the place about no beverages in the library.

Would you please ask them if I could have a pot of coffee in there. A mug with a spill

proof lid? I spent all day stewing about having to sit there and read old stuff. What kept me up most of the night is the fact that I found out just what an asshole I am. Blind and arrogant I really did not read and digest anything. I wasted a day. I now remember the Chicago experiment. I need to completely digest that today. I need my coffee. It at first seems dull but the start of the trail is there. Even Raymond specifically mentioned accidents. If I do not get the coffee, you will need to stand there all day and poke me when I nod off. I know that will put me in the direction I need.”

I am in the library room that has been assigned to me exclusively. I have my coffee and my note pad. This time I am reading every page. I get to the page for December 3, 1942. There is the report of the day before in Chicago. They were stacking blocks of crude graphite and uranium . They wanted to see the radiation buildup. At a specific number of blocks, there started a chain reaction. That chain reaction started to runaway.

No one died but some got dosed with radiation.

After the pile was dismantled, they found that their control of the pile was not adequate.

Samantha wrote that down. It strikes some vague memory. She remembers history and the various nuclear plant accidents. All caused by lack of cooling, jammed rods or other things that when absent caused a runaway, a core meltdown. Now this was the middle of the fifth day but she ran to the general. She feels that she can see the path to that ten cent fuse and it is not the power pact. It is that rock in the parking lot.

“You have to let me into the lab. I need to take apart my portion and analyze each component and see if there is a interaction. Please let me in otherwise I will wait until midnight. After midnight it will be the sixth day. Please, I cannot wait even that long.”

The general calls the guard and tells him that he is authorizing her to enter the lab. She kisses him on the cheek and runs. She is there as the guard is opening the door. She turns on the light and proceeds to dissect the unit. She has all the internal workings in their place but now they are disconnected from each other.

Samantha carefully takes a piece and if it is not an actual main component, it is set on a large paper that is kind of an exploded diagram. That part is placed where it should be with a string showing where it goes. Part by part she moves them over to the no cause side. She is ready to move another part over but stops. She sets it down and pulls up the manufactures information sheets on the part. She sees something that bothers her.

It is not what it says but what she did not do. She pulled up the component that was directly touching the first. Both similar warnings.

“Do not subject to over voltage levels. That could interact with other magnetic fields and cause a mini atomic reaction. The other component tells about over voltage levels will cause excessively strong magnetic fields

She sits and cries her eyes out. It is true, what Raymond said is true. She was so full of herself, her absolute knowledge that she did not need to read the full instructions. She only saw what each did. She now goes through the manuals on each component. Quite a few have cautions. She now knows that she needs to redesigned the placement of the components. Shielding is blatantly lacking.

Samantha has the building locked up and runs to general Sinclair. She demands that I come there because she found the source of the explosion. I have to smile when the general tells me that all she will say is that she is the cause of the explosion. With that, I do know that she really found the root cause.

There was still a few hours left in the day when I arrived at the base. Samantha was literally bouncing as she dragged me over to the building. She told the general to come also. There on her large table was the machine but it was totally apart. By each piece, including the nuts, bolts I mean everything that went into her portion. She says that each of the papers are the specifications for the component. “Those were the only thing that I looked at when I designed. I fit each in spaces where they would fit in.”

She points to two components that she says the shells were almost touching. She picks up one and has me read the cautionary portions. She points out that it warns not to expose to strong magnetic fields. The part that was almost touching states that a power overload will cause an extremely strong magnetic field. The overload caused a strong magnetic field which caused a mini atomic explosion. Either I need to get a different part or I need to move them and shield both.”

She is humble but proud. Then she said, “Because I did not read the literature fully and looked to see if there were interactions, I did cause that explosion . I did kill all those people. My negligence caused it. I really have no excuse if you decide to replace me, I will go to that camping gear factory.”

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear. You realized that you need to get dirty. I will say that these components were produced in one of the factories that I received from Frank.

By the way general, Frank said that he is going to retire. Let’s not tell him about this. I will check with them to see if they have parts that will do the same thing but without that violent cancelation. Good work. Have you learned anything?”

“Read every word and punctuation. Any doubt, don’t use it.” She is smiling.

I found that the company was alerted to the interaction fact but there were a few people who bought both never replied. I do not ask who because I know that she must have been one. They have two compatible components that will not interact with each other.

They in fact have discontinued the one that could cause an atomic explosion. The only explosion was at an overseas company. It seems that there is now no record that will show us that it was even our part.”

The rebuild and test

It now has been another months when I again received a call that the unit is finished but Samantha insists that she will not test it until I am personally there. She wants my eyes and my thoughts, my approval before a test.

Samantha is a changed person. She first has me sit with her and she goes through the reason for the explosion again. Now she reviews the new components along with the safety instructions. On and on on what she has done in the redesign of the interior to separate those two components.

“I have read and reread the safety warnings on each component that is near each other. No component that is in the unit is incompatible with any other. Touching or not. I have made the cabinet a little larger so I was able to put in shielding around the two components that were the cause. I did not care that you found a part that would not explode. I shielded it anyways. Now I want to join the powerpack and test this. Do I have your permission?”

“No you do not have permission. Did they fully assemble that first atomic bomb or in fact any of the nuclear bombs of the modern era? No they do not. The first one was assembled but the detonator was only installed at the test site.”

She says that is what she wants to do. “I haven’t installed the powerpack. The pack is in the base vault until you release it.”

“Boom” is all I say but point to this floor and then point out the outside. “Did they do the actual test where they built the main portion of the bomb?”

She is once again looking confused but a look came over her that showed she thought about what I am implying. She looks at me and says Boom. “There already was a test just like that and the result was total destruction and loss of life. This is why I wanted you here. A clear head to keep me from making more mistakes.

General Sinclair, we need a test site that is far away from here. Let’s say at least fifty miles from any civilization?”

Now we are far out in the same desert that the first atomic bomb was tested. All the precautions are in place. We even are in the same bunker that they used. It is the generals way of reminding Samantha of how far she has come. She is the one to send the signal to the remote. I told her that I need to shut off the limiter.

“If anything is to fail, here is where it needs to fail. Are you sure enough? If you are, why don’t you sound the clear the test site horn and hit the remote.”

Unlike the first time I met her, this time it is not blind faith in her work. She knows the real effort that she has put into this. The coming from arrogance to knowing that arrogance killed those who stole her work. This time, her journey has been improving herself. Understanding the lesson of a ten cent fuse. She sounds the horn, waits for all to check in and then takes the mic and does a ten second countdown.

In her mind, she feels Dr. Oppenheimer’s hand on her shoulders as she hits the remote.

Unlike what the doctor had happened, she held her breath hoping that nothing happens.

On the monitor we see that the units power lights are on and it is now working.

Once again, she holds her breath as she sends another signal. There on the pad in the middle of the cabinet, there was a sparkle and we saw a cup appear. She and the general were cheering. I on the other hand just looked smug.

Samantha looks at me and asks why am I not elated. I just sit there and cross my arms.

I let her think. Her jaw drops. She looks at the general and back to me.

“All this time, all this time, you never asked or were told what this unit was going to do.

What are you? And when did you get so smart?”

“I look at systems. For the ones I invest in, I insist that the people show me that their idea can work. I need to know what they want to produce and are they ready to get their hands dirty. You Ms. Rolland, were put on my jet for transport. I was hijacked, forced to land here. Forced to take on the task of how did this explode. I was tasked to take a brilliant scientist that made a bomb by mistake. I ask you, is this now a bomb? I did not need to know what it should do. All I needed to do is make it not a bomb.

Now we need to talk about what it now does and what the capitol investment you need to manufacture this replicator. I’m sure that the government will be the client for the initial run but now, what safeguards have you built in to keep this from replicating bombs?”

A smaller unit has been made by the company we founded. Samantha does produce the larger version for the military but I had her hire others who would make that smaller home unit. She has stepped out of the role of researcher for replicators and into the role I was to her. The reports are that she is being perceived as a stubborn dick but they know of the explosion. They are always to present the safety information first. I am told that she has an irritating habit of just saying “Boom”

Once again I am, this time, being asked by the general, to allow passengers on my flight. You see, I actually like the challenge to break down egos and built information seekers. Some walk away in the relocation service. Now it seems that camping gear is turning high tech.

General Sinclair has been asked by the pentagon to present to the head generals of each branch of the service how his base has so many military personnel that have told others that they will follow him anywhere. He tells them that it is a very simple solution to a simple problem all officers of high rank have. Then he hands each a folder that has basic tools shown and the proper name and the different alternate names.

“Study this and when you walk by someone that is calling out for a crescent wrench, look at that one as that soldier sees you handing it to that one.” The general is keeping it in simple terms, then talks about a project that he says started his trip from looking good while drinking coffee to someone that is in the front leading. Someone that saw people rather than numbers.

By the time he is done, he at least is making them think. Isn’t that what he learned.

Think.

Now every time someone wants my investment and I see that they do not have the personal investment of their time i.e. getting their hands dirty,I tell all of them, “I do not work on bombs.”

 

Authors notes:

This one started with a memory flash. When I was working as an aerospace quality engineer, I was required to fly to the many suppliers of services and parts. There was one trip to Texas. It was in the panhandle. I liked to fly into Oklahoma City. The drive down was fun. The goblin elder in me loved the speed. I have many pictures of the scenery.

Flat is a relative term. Compared with New England, Oklahoma is flat but I stray. One trip from Oklahoma to home, we had been airborne for only an hour when I looked out the window and there was a stealth fighter pacing us. I could see the pilot of the F117

Nighthawk. Everyone was abuzz about it. It flew off after a minute or so.

I did not have my camera out. I missed my chance.

I was sitting in my back room and for whatever reason, that memory popped back to the forefront of my mind and this story just came out of my hands. There were a few times I needed to drive and clear my head to think about this one and others.

As a squirrel moment here. I am working on a hobby. N scale train scenery. I have finished a few scenes. The first is Crossroads from The flock leader’s journey. I am making it as I see it in my mind. You see, when I write, I don’t see words. I see the world

and characters as I write. The same as when I read. Now I am trying to bring that world to life so to speak.

I am going to try to make enough villages and specific scenes to make a book. I do have the fire tower from The junkman is awake. The cabin from Surviving the virus is made but the scene is not made. We will see what God has instore for me as far as time. No one knows when that door will open and you will be put to bed.

Enough. Other squirrels to chase.

D.A.Sanford

 

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