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Message-ID: <37702asstr$1028610604@assm.asstr-mirror.org>
From: "Mike C" <MikeC@NoSpam.NSpace.net>
Subject: {ASSM} (new) JAMES 56 (mf+ rom)
Date: Tue,  6 Aug 2002 01:10:05 -0400
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(C) Copyright 2002. M.C.
All Rights Reserved.
All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden.

Copies of my stories can be downloaded from:
<http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/MikeC/>

Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.net
(Sorry for the delays - holidays and work have taken a definite dent in my
available time!)

   =============

James Part VIII.
Lofty Goals

James 56

Jules took Celeste back to the Marina in MiniMax, to check on our
investments and to call Kelly about Sherri's parents' decision and about
Erin's friends, Cara and Ami who had wanted to take up modeling.
   As Sherri and I finished stacking the dishes, Sara had rewound the tape
and started replaying it. Sherri sat next to her and began correlating the
information with Nicole's notes.
   We watched through it a couple of times, but had to turn off the sound to
avoid bursting into spontaneous giggling fits. "There!" Sara cried, "The
oscillations started there..." She paused the image, "What speed was that?"
   "Around 71, or 72. I have to take the time the boat reached 70 and
interpolate it with the time it reaches 75..." Sherri said apologetically.
   "That's pretty close... But we'll need a better way to correlate the tape
position and the speed."
   "Wait... The camcorder is supposed to supply a time-mark signal" I said,
"But we'll need the Firewire connection on the computer to access it."
   "What about the counter here?" Sherri pointed.
   "That SHOULD work, except that it's on the wrong side of the screen!"
Sara said.
   "I think there's a way to display it on-screen, let me look at it." I
reached for the video recorder but Sara stopped me.
   "Let's take Gyro back to the Marina. The camera battery needs recharging
already and I want to try a few things out first."
   We packed our things and turned to leave, just as the soft murmurings up
in the loft grew to moans. "We're leaving!" yelled Sherri, "You two can
scream as loud as you want now!" We ducked outside just as a pillow launched
from above landed on the spot we had just vacated.
   Sara carefully tied everything down on Gyro before turning to us, "I'm
going to test the stability at 70 and above, so let's get the PFDs out!"
Then, as we were buckling the life vests in, she said to Sherri, "You should
ask James if he can show you his special crash position!" She grinned as
Sherri look inquiringly at me.
   I led her back to the stern and settled her in my embrace. I turned her
face and kissed her.
   "Mmmm, that was good, was that in aid of something?" Sheri asked,
bright-eyed.
   "Never know if we'll need to do mouth-to-mouth." I stated.
   "I see!" She squirmed around and leaned on my arm, "Would this make it
easier?"
   We tried a number of positions, exhaustively testing each one for
accessibility and availability. Sara watched us with a patient smile as she
waited for the engine to warm up. At our urging, she came aft and leaned to
get slobbering kisses from us.
   "What's that for?" Sara asked, pointing at my hand inside Sherri's life
jacket.
   "Heart monitor." I told her.
   "And this?"
   "Hard monitor." Sherri deadpanned.

= = =

Sara took us out and slowly brought our speed up, the lake was dead still
and the heat make shimmering mirages around us. As the boat sped up we had
trouble maintaining a good grip on our respective monitors and there was
much fumbling and squirming inside our clothing.
   I was sprawled over Sherri and worming my hand inside her pants when Sara
stopped the boat.
   "Ahhh, ahhh," Moaned Sherri, as she bit my arm and shook against my leg,
"Mmmmm." She sighed, then she opened an eye at Sara, "That was very good
honey! I went straight to horny without even being scared ONCE!"
   "That was it? There was hardly any shaking!" I marveled at Sara.
   "I wouldn't say that..." Murmured Sherri.
   Sara was frowning, "Nothing... clean all the way up to 78!" She tapped
her nails on the steering wheel, "And even when I dropped the lower unit an
extra degree like you did on the test run, there were still no problems!"
   "Let's try it again," I led Sherri to the cockpit seat and hugged her to
me as Sara turned us about and applied power again. The boat jumped forward
and accelerated quickly, then, just as we reached 70, the plowing and
unstable conditions returned. Sara made some adjustments and, when the
situation did not improve, cut the motor in disgust.
   "What's wrong now!?" She mumbled.
   "Could it be the direction?" I mused, "Shouldn't..."
   We turned the boat about but obtained the same, disappointing results.
   "We have to get more gas." Sara sighed as we turned back for Max's, "It's
not the trim or the tilt... Shit, and that first run was so promising too!"
   "Maybe we should start making out in the back..." Sherri's laughter froze
as we looked at each other.
   "In the back!"
   "Could it be...?"
   I took Sherri's hand and led her astern, "Assume the position, dear. It's
for a good cause..."
   With a sigh, Sherri laid down and started loosening her pants, "What we
have to do in the name of science...!" She grinned as she pulled me down
over her.
   It seems like we had barely begun to breathe hard when the boat slowed
and Sara pulled into the test bay in the marina.
   "Well, now we are certain it's a duplicatable phenomenon!" She smiled as
she switched off after tying the boat down.
   Sherri writhed out from under me and pulled her down for a long kiss,
"Mmmm, what, that I get wet and horny?"
   "That's a phenomenon I seem to share around you!" Sara laughed softly and
caressed her face. Hugging Sherri, she looked at me, "That certainly narrows
the problem down a whole lot!" She paused and thought, "We'll need some
really precise weight measurements... Hmmm, maybe Peter can FedEx us the
blue prints for this specific configuration."
   "Don't forget Celeste's printer can do 14x17 inch prints too!"
   "Yeah! We can start with that - once he emails us the CAD files... We
should also get the displacement profiles... Center of Buoyancy.." Sara
handed Sherri to me and stood, "And the CG..., and lateral moments..." she
strode off, still muttering to herself.
   "I don't think Peter can give her all the figures she needs..." I said
slowly, "We'll also need the weight distribution when we are at the stern
and when we aren't..."
   "Seems like someone's solved that problem a long time ago!" Sherri said.
   "How do you mean?"
   Sherri thought and then looked around, "Can you ask Max or somebody to
come to give us a hand?"
   I found Max working on an engine and led him back to Gyro. "Max," Asked
Sherri, "Could you mark the bow and stern waterlines for us?"
   Max nodded and went and slid a set of low barricades across the mouth of
the water channel, explaining, "Sea gates, they keep the current out so the
boat doesn't rock." He returned with a pump sprayer on an extension arm,
"WD-40, the mechanic's best friend. Also leaves a mark on the exposed boat
hull but disappears tracelessly in 20 minutes."
   We made the measurements we needed, after which we lifted the boat up and
added chalk lines where the spray had left its mark so I could take shots on
the camcorder.
   "Did you find the cause of the problems?" Max asked.
   "Definitely weight distribution related." I said and explained our
findings.
   "Hmmm, that's certainly not normal..." Max looked under the hull, then he
looked at Sherri, "What are you trying to do with the measurements?"
   "Well, Archimedes used this method to determine how much things weighed,
because the boat will always displace an amount of water equal to its total
weight. We can also approximate the center of buoyancy when the weight is
shifted to one end - it's almost right where the waterlines intersect."
   Max looked at Sherri, sighed and muttered, "...and smart to boot!" as he
sauntered away, shaking his head.
   We caught up with the girls as they came rushing out of the wheel.
"Brenda just called! She's flying in with Chuck! In his plane!" Sara gushed
as she guided us to the parking lot.
   "Where are they landing?"
   "Right on the lake! He's got an amphib too!" Sara hugged us.
   "Does he need a guide? Brenda's never done a water landing here!"
   "Yes, but apparently they called the house first and interrupted Amanda
and Nicole." Jules laughed, "So they're doing the honors!"
   We went outside as Amanda's bright red Gymbler soared by and disappeared
into the south. Minutes later she returned, leading a larger airplane in
gleaming metal. It was massive compared to the light and nimble Gymbler,
which seemed to dance alongside.
   Amanda flew down towards the lake and touched down 10 feet from the mouth
of the bay. She veered off as the larger craft made its approach. It dropped
and finally, seemingly with a sigh of relief, sank into the water. Amanda
trailed it as it taxied into the bay.
   I waved Chuck's seaplane up to the parking spot, its 30+ ft wingspan and
huge structure dwarfing Minimax next to it. It rumbled and shook and growled
as Chuck drifted it into the tie-down spot. Its aluminum fuselage was fully
eight feet tall at the cabin and a huge engine and propeller assembly loomed
over that.
   "Welcome to Max's Marina!" I greeted Chuck and shook his hand as he
stepped down. Anna hopped down from the back and gravely shook my hand, then
she hugged me and kissed me, blushing prettily. Brenda came out from the
co-pilot seat and squeezed my hand. I stopped her and collected a kiss from
her as well.
   Chuck was being profusely welcomed by Sara as she made introductions to
Jules and Celeste. Sherri was hugging Anna and they were whispering and
giggling.
   "We saw Deanna last night..." Brenda whispered in my ear.
   "Everything OK?" I looked at her.
   "Yeah!" She smiled and hugged me, "As far as Anna is concerned. But Chuck
doesn't know of it yet... I don't think he's quite ready." She sighed.
   "Anna certainly looks no worse for wear."
   "She's had to do a lot of growing up lately... Poor kid." Brenda sighed
and leaned her head on me.
   "And you, did you have a good time?" I kissed her softly.
   "Hmmm, yeah, it was a blast. But I missed all of you." She sighed and
turned to me, "James we need to talk."
   "About?"
   "I have a lot of ideas and I need you to help me sort them out."
   "Hmmm, I think I can squeeze you in my busy schedule!" I smiled.
   "No, honey, *I* do the squeezing in." She corrected me, "You have to do
something else..."
   "Like what? I have to find an opening? Push for a slot?" I kissed her
ear, "Would my efforts get me ahead?"
   Brenda laughed, "Mmmm, yes... Keep it up and maybe you'll even get to
jump the queue!"
   "Hey, stop monopolizing her!" Sara elbowed me out of the way as she and
Jules crowded around Brenda.
   "Tomorrow?" She mouthed as Amanda roared her plane out of the water.
Quickly I nodded and we shared a smile.
   Amanda rolled up past the parked planes to her parking space. She came
out and busied herself with tying down as Nicole, elegant and sophisticated
in a long white dress greeted our visitors. Soon she and Chuck were
discussing their wine collections.
   Amanda was wearing a light pink blouse and a short blue skirt, her golden
hair in a ponytail, looking cool and professional in aviator shades.
   Amanda skipped up to Anna, "Hi Anna, I'm Amanda!" She announced and gave
her a big hug. She turned, "And you must be Chuck, I've heard so much about
you!" She went on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and fastened her
lips on his. His eyes widened in surprise but quickly accepted the greeting.
He was smiling widely as Amanda waltzed over to Brenda, who was deep in
conversation with Jules.
   "Oh Brenda!" Amanda wailed, "I'm SO glad you're back! They were so mean
to me! You'll protect me won't you?"
   Brenda smiled and looked at us helplessly as Amanda locked her in a bear
hug. "What is it they've done to cause your ire now, my love?" Brenda placed
a kiss on Amanda's brow.
   "James made me cry and... and Nicole was going to HIT me!" Came an
indignantly pouty voice.
   "Hmm, that sounds bad. I'll have to have to talk to them and find out why
they would treat you that way!"
   "You don't have to talk to them, believe me!" Amanda said, "They'll just
tell you it's all my fault!"
   "And is it?"
   "Maybe...!" Amanda giggled, "Just promise me you'll take me with you next
time you go away!"
   "Ah!" Brenda laughed, "You want to come with me to Regan Boat, is that
it?" and, as Amanda nodded energetically. "I was going to ask you anyway!"
   "Really?" Amanda brightened instantly. "Can we go on Thursday? I have to
help Celeste tomorrow and James on Wednesday."
   "Of course, darling, anything you want!" Brenda grinned.
   "Now that that's settled, let us offer our guests some refreshments..."
Celeste said, leading us back to the Wheel.
   "Chuck," Amanda asked, "Can you tell me about your plane? Its profile and
the Sea Sprites we fly are essentially the same."
   "I was about to comment on that!" He laughed. "The 'Silver Goose' here
was a prototype by one of the most prestigious aircraft designers of the
60's and 70's.
   "Before going into seaplanes, David Dunsten was already famous for
designing the Air Force's Panther and Tigercat fighters. His first
commercial success was the fabric-skinned Lake Skimmer, later developed into
the sheet metal Buccaneer, which is still one of the most successful single
engined amphibians around. Then a while back he conceived of an improved
aluminum version to replace it and he came to me to work on the hull design.
   "It was an incredibly ambitious project. He wanted a plane that could
carry 1500lbs, with a range of 1000 miles and amazingly, he wanted it to be
able to SAIL, like a boat, when flight was not practical. He envisioned the
plane servicing river and remote waterbound communities. What he could not
foresee was the vast network of highways our nation had been building which
made demand for this new plane a lot softer than he had counted on.
   "He built this one prototype and took it to the FAA for certification,
but about a year into the process, his company went bankrupt. I bought the
plane and, last heard, he was in Canada to continue development of the Sea
Spirit."
   "And our model is called the Sea Sprite!" Jules laughed, "It clearly is a
scaled down fiber and carbon version!"
   "Yeah, 1/2 the size, half the payload and instead of the huge inline six
he's gone with the lightweight 6-cylinder horizontally-opposed 4-stroke."
Sara added, "He's kept the sliding cockpit but switched to a pusher
configuration instead of the mid-ships engine placement."
   "The mid-ship pylon was expensive in weight and balance but was the only
way we could accommodate the seven foot propeller," Chuck explained, "The
inline sixes had a usable power band from 3000 to 4500 rpm, which means we
had to go with these long twin blades with adjustable pitch." He pointed
back at the power housing, "As difficult as it is to believe, that engine,
since its introduction almost forty years ago, has had only one single
improvement - fuel-injection, for a 50hp increase!" He shook his head, "Part
of the reason is that it's almost impossible to get the FAA to certify
anything in a timely fashion. A lot of very good designs, and designers like
David were lost to the industry because of the bureaucracy. Let's just hope
the popularity of the ultralights will force them to start doing the right
thing!"
   He stopped as we entered the Wheel and whistled in amazement. Celeste
happily gave him a tour and brief history of its designer. He was also quite
impressed by the row of computers inside the staff room and Celeste's
printer busy churning out the technical drawings of Gyro Sara had requested.
   The workers had installed two cloth awnings over the patio and the girls
quickly set up drinks and snacks on a large table under them.
   "This is certainly an intriguing building, how long ago did you start
construction?" Chuck asked Celeste.
   "Exactly a week ago..."
   "This kind progress is practically unheard of!"
   "That is the genius of Mueller's design. The 'Wheel' requires only one
single support point, which simplifies alignment and site preparation. Then
over 70% of the construction can be pre-finished on the ground and simply
lifted into place. And each major support can be fine-tuned for optimal
fit."
   "I have this feeling that you would've made it work even if some of the
answers were not quite in place..." Chuck smiled and continued over
Celeste's protests, "Don't forget I've seen your friends at work. Defeat is
simply not in your vocabulary!"
   "Chuck, can you stay for supper?" Asked Sara, "I would like to
reciprocate and  make dinner for you..."
   "Please do not talk about reciprocating." He took her hands, "What you
and your friends have done for Regan Boats is already beyond repaying; and
together, you have given me more work..." He stooped to kiss her hand, "And
more eagerness to begin work than I've had in a long time!" He smiled fondly
around, "However, my intention is to take off in an hour, otherwise I'll be
flying into the sun, so I must regretfully decline. I assure you, we will be
visiting you every chance we have. There is a lot more we need to talk
about!"
   "Perhaps you can help us with a bit of a problem we're having now..."
Smiled Nicole as she and Jules led him inside into one of the newly
furnished offices, "I need your advice on a company we just bought into...",
as they closed the door behind them.
   "Well, I have a building to get back to!" Smiled Celeste as she swirled
out to join her workers.
   Brenda took my hand, "What've you been doing with Gyro 2 so far?"
   Sara explained to Brenda our problems as we went down to the marina,
adding, "So it's quite clear that the dynamics of the boat with this motor
is badly set up. By compromising the aft area to fit the larger engine,
they've created the undercritical instability."
   Brenda smiled at Anna, "And the solution is...?"
   "Is to go Stepped Hull!" Anna grinned.
   "Which is somewhat late for THIS boat!" lamented Amanda.
   "Wait, let Sherri tell you what she's done first!" I urged.
   Sherri pointed out the tape marks on the side, "It occurred to me that
we'll need to know how the dynamics will affect the center of buoyancy, so
we marked the levels with us in the middle, and at the stern..."
   "While doing the old one-two!" Sara laughed and hugged Sherri.
   "Which you invented." Added Amanda as wrapped her arms around them.
   Brenda covered Anna's ears, "Don't listen to them, they're a very
undignified bunch here."


   "That's true!" Amanda pulled them into their group hug, "But it was
Brenda who taught us all those things!"
   "Hah! You were a debauched woman long before I met you!"
   "Says who?" Amanda cried indignantly, "In fact, the very day I met
Brenda, I-I had my innocence sullied!" Her lips quivered as she leaned
weakly on Brenda.
   "Oh goody!" Sherri smiled, "I haven't heard THIS version before!" She
kissed Amanda softly and said to Anna, "My sweetie here had a night
fairy-tales were made of, but she's afraid we'll get jealous, so..."
   "That's not it!" Amanda retorted, "It WAS terrible! I kept saying 'Yes!'
and he kept saying 'No!'" She looked at me and started laughing, leaning on
the girls as they held her and caressed her. She stuck her tongue out at me
and whispered, "Brute!", then she took my hand and pulled me close. "Why
didn't you defend me!"
   "You seemed to be doing a pretty good job!" I smiled and kissed her.
   "Is he... too?" Anna said, blushing.
   "He is, hon." Sherri smiled, "He's OUR bag of candies..."
   Anna turned to Sara and giggled, "And I know what you were doing with
him, last week, in the boat!"
   Brenda laughed, "I think everybody at Regan's knew!" She took Anna's
hand, "But, except for a couple of timely outbursts, our little Sara is the
quiet strength we all count on."
   "Yeah, we'd be dead of hunger if she hadn't insisted on feeding us!"
added Sherri.
   "And she's my little sweetheart!" Gushed Amanda with a hug.
   "Not to mention someone who has a REALLY soft spot for our hero here!"
Grinned Brenda.
   "Can we get back to the boat now?" Sara said weakly. "Please?"
   "Yes, let's!" Brenda smiled as she pushed Sara in my arms, "And your job
is to keep his chubby lordship from interfering." She pointed me at a chair
and I tugged Sara over my lap as Brenda turned and they started examining
the tape marks and loudly discussing the problem.
   "James..."
   "Shhh," I kissed her, "Let's see how badly they screw up before they ask
for our help." I put my hand on her thigh, "Do you have a really soft spot
for me? Can you show me where?"
   Sara bit my ear, "D-don't, Anna's here..." She squirmed closer to me and
sighed, "James... don't... hmmm, mmmm... Ahhh... ahhh... Mmmm..." For a long
time I could only feel her sweet lips on mine and our hearts pounding.
Finally she whispered, "What are they doing?"
   "Watching us..."
   Sara hooked her arms around my neck and tipped her head to look back at
the girls, "Do you need our help now?"
   "No!" "We're fine!" "Go back to whatever you two were doing!" They said
as they leaned on each other and scratched their heads.
   "Hmm, nothing for us to do..." I tilted her lips up and licked them,
"Where WERE we?"
   "I was about to suggest we go upstairs." Sara sighed against me.
   "Really?"
   "Yeah," She kissed me, "And get the printouts for them." She took my hand
and tugged me up to a chorus of whistles and cries of "Have fun!"
   We had just climbed the stairs when Nicole and Jules escorted Chuck out
of the office. He turned to us, "You people just never slow down, do you?"
he turned back and shook their hands, "I'm sure this will work out very well
indeed for all of us... See you next week!"
   Celeste joined us as we accompanied Chuck and Anna to their plane and we
went through fifteen minutes of hugs and kisses before they taxied out and
lifted off. We waited and waved until they were out of sight.
   "OK, conference!" Jules exclaimed and led us back to the staff room. We
sprawled in the sofas and chairs with drinks and snacks.
   "First, we now own 51% of Regan Boats, in exchange for 15% of
InterCoastal, the company that owns the outfit Peter works for. The plan is
for us to start taking over the day-to-day at Regan's until such time Chuck
can resign and assume a board position at InterCoastal, which is barely
possible with his 15% and the 7% we still control. Their AGM is not for six
months so we'll have to use the time to finalize the transition at Regan's
and further solidify our holdings at IC.
   "Now, how close are we to giving them the Monster Cuddy they seem to be
banking everything on?"
   "We'll be done if James and Sara weren't sitting on their hands!" Amanda
complained.
   "I think Sara was sitting on James' hands." Sherri corrected her.
"Squirming, more like." she corrected herself.
   "Sara had the answer, but she was overcome with lust by being close to
me." I explained.
   "Since when did *I* have the answer? I thought YOU had the answer!" She
laughed.
   "Well, even if I did, I'm sure yours would be better, so..."
   "Skip the crap guys," Jules said, "Do we or don't we have an answer?"
   "We will," Brenda nodded, "Today." She smiled at us, "I have faith in
them!"
   "OK," Jules continued, "We are stretched thin with this gambit. I'd hate
to see our new car get repossessed when we can't meet payments next month!"
   "What?" Celeste exclaimed, "Are we talking about MY car? I would like to
remind you that I'm the ONLY person currently working here!" She sniffed,
"And I'm starting on the town's new Community Center next week!"
   "Honey, I know you're getting top dollar for that job," Jules smiled,
"But you have to add 2 more zeroes to it to cover our short!"
   Celeste's eyes rounded, "Eeek, THAT much?"
   "You said it! I don't think even Nicole can cover that!"
   "Oh, alright then, I'll sell my fur coat! It's getting too old fashioned
anyways!"
   "The point is that we gambled for a drastic improvement on Intercoastal's
share prices to cover the money we still owe on it." Jules looked at us,
"And we'll get that if we can deliver the Cuddy." She looked thoughtful for
a minute, "Can we schedule a demonstration for Peter the end of the week?
And a press conference early next week?"
   "Yeah - we'll do it." I said, "We can already hit 70mph, which is just
below their target of 72."
   "I can maybe push it to 75." Amanda added, "Without making it look
sloppy."
   "Why don't we schedule the public demo for Brookhaven?" Sherri said,
"They've got the facilities there..."
   "Yeah! And everyone will expect the speed to be discounted some in open
ocean!" Sara added.
   "What about your idea?" I urged.
   "That may take a bit of experimentation..." Sara hummed.
   "My idea will always work." I stated and reached for Sherri, "Provided
you can sneak us on board first!" I grinned. Something very heavy hit me
from behind, "Ow!"
   "Will you get serious? Do you or don't you have a fix that doesn't
involve you and sex with any of us?"
   "Maybe... Ow!" I was hit again with the cushion. "OK! Dammit, it's
getting so a fella can't even get gratuitous sex around here any more!" I
crouched to duck under the next swing, "Alright, stop already! I've got an
answer! Even without involving sex!"
   "Really?" Sherri said, "Damn, I was kinda getting used to being used for
ballast!" She straddled my lap and whispered, "Does that mean I have to do
up my pants now?"
   "OK!" Jules laughed, "It's a go then! I'll call Peter with the news and
Sara, can you and Sherri set up Brookhaven? I suspect they will welcome a
splash like that!
   "James! Wake up!" Jules pulled a giggling Sherri off me, "When can you
get your brilliant idea into place?"
   "Two hours or so... I just have to talk with Max."
   "Oh, then I can try my idea out too then!" Sara said.
   "OK, that's one down." Jules continued, "The next item on the agenda is
Brenda."
   "Does she want gratuitous sex too?" I started but was glared into
silence.
   "Brenda, you'll have to shuttle between Regan's and here until we can get
something permanent at both ends." Jules turned to Amanda, "Make sure Brenda
gets her wings on Gymbler this weekend so it'll be easier for her to get
back and forth." She looked at Brenda, "Hon, you OK with that?"
   "Yeah, I can do it. Max is still a week from completion and let's see how
much I can get going at Regan. What's my title there?"
   "Chuck was a little more generous than us, so you're GM at Regan's."
   I whispered, "Gorgeous Model?"
   Brenda flashed me a brilliant smile, then said, "There are a few things I
need to discuss with James..." She looked around, "So can I have James
tomorrow?"
   "Hey Brenda, you promised us the gratuitous sex first!" Amanda objected.
   "Whoa! Young lady, your exams are not over yet!" Nicole said.
   "Ohhh!" Amanda grinned widely and sat on Nicole's lap, "Would I be
spanked for each wrong answer this time?"
   "After I'm finished here we'll get to you, and your lovely bottom, how's
that?" Nicole kissed her softly and, to Jules, "Do you have anything more?"
And, at her smile and shake of the head, Nicole continued, "Then I'll bring
you up to date on my trip last week.
   "The three construction companies I visited had been using one or more of
Mueller's patents and I went to arrange payment terms and, in one case, a
transfer of shares in lieu of payment.
   "Then I visited SurgInt, the manufacturer of robotic surgical devices and
I am waiting for approval to install one of their machines at the clinic. We
will know in about 3 weeks.
   "Finally there's Commercial Electrics, whose august board now boasts of a
certain Madame Petitcoeur." She blinked her lashes and preened, a vision
somewhat marred by Mandie's hands wandering over her top.
   "Its primary industry, as crazy as it sounds, was the manufacture of
traffic lights. CE was the first in the industry to use integrated circuits
to replace the timers and relays that were prevalent in the 70's, and
introduced the concept of competitive Cost of Ownership. Because, even
though their products were 3 times more expensive to purchase, lower
maintenance and close to 100% reliability made the total costs much lower.
And in 1982, they further strengthened their hold on the market when they
adopted the first commercial calculator chip, the 4004 for their use. That
chip, incidentally, went on to become the 8008 and started the company that
is now known as Intel.
   "Then in 1996, CE was again first to introduce the all solid-state
system, using arrays of Light-Emitting Diodes. Abortive costs on yellow
colored LEDS put a hold on the marketing, but now, they can produce
virtually any color, from infra-red to ultraviolet and most colors in
between, with impressive intensity as well.
   "In the early nineties, they also experimented with a special kind of
light bulb which promised to double, or even triple the life of the
originals, which was a major cost issue - by reducing the rate the tungsten
molecules gets 'boiled' off the filament. In regular bulbs, you may see that
as a dark coating on the inside of the glass bulb.
   "A Swedish chemist had shown that within certain temperatures, tungsten
molecules on the glass can be made to form tungsten halide which is a
colorless gas. When this compound circulates around the bulb, it will make
contact with the hot filament - at which point it will decompose and
re-deposit the mineral back on it.
   "This was good news, because the higher temperature needed actually
allowed a bulb to produce more brightness, but the added stress called for
expensive tempered quartz-glass and a lot more heat to dissipate. Although
it was only in use for the traffic lights for a handful of years, it did
spawn CE's consumer division with their first Halogen bulb. An industry they
are now supplanting with similar-sized bulbs made from solid state LEDs -
lower powered but with a life of over 100,000 hours.
   "I have a few brochures and annual reports here, if you want to find out
more about the company we own a fifth of."
   "Are you finished now, Madame Board Member?" Amanda murmured as she
resumed her caresses.
   "One more thing." Nicole laughed, "They gave me this, a lab curiosity..."
as she retrieved a large clear globe from a case and plugged it in. "They
were trying to strengthen the light filament by bonding the tungsten to a
nickel-titanium alloy and... watch!" As the filament inside glowed and
heated, it slowly stretched like taffy on a hot day. As it stretched, the
brightness dimmed, and, upon cooling, it returned to its original size and
brightness, at which point the cycle repeated itself.
   "You may have noticed," Nicole continued, "That the wire more or less
snapped back as it cooled. That is a phenomenon known as negative
thermoelastic martensitic phase transformation, and the material commonly
referred to as a memory metal - its basic usage is something called a muscle
wire. Heat it and it 'relaxes', then by cooling, it 'tenses' with something
like a 200,000 psi pull."
   "Like a bi-metal strip!" said Sara, "But linear."
   "Yes, and it has a 25% stretch ratio. Quite amazing..." Nicole stared at
the oddly hypnotic dancing light, "But despite the promise, it remains, in
scientific parlance, a solution looking for a problem."
   "Hmmm," Amanda squirmed against Nicole, "Does that thing make you horny
too?"
   "Quite, my love." Nicole nibbled her lips, "But not nearly as much as you
make me!" With that she lifted Amanda in her arms, and smiled at us. "We
will bid you all a fond farewell then; we have HOURS of studying ahead!"
   "...and HOURS to do, or die..." Giggled Amanda, followed by a resounding
'Crack!' on her bum.
   "For that, you will spend it learning Tennyson!" Nicole laughed as they
disappeared out the door.


   =============

(C) Copyright 2002. M.C.
All Rights Reserved.
All Reproduction for fee or profit forbidden.

Copies of my stories can be downloaded from:
<http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/MikeC/>

Send all comments and suggestions to MikeC@NSpace.net

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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