Main Thread

[Mitheral]

[SIZE= 16px]Now, just imagine arriving in evening as a storm approaches … storms, lightning.  [/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]Duncan stood in the highest tower looking out into the storm.  Mayhem was coming to the island, mayhem in the form if kids.  He grumbled at that thought.  Longmire had researched each and every one.  Each had been chosen for their special qualities.  Some qualities weren’t really so special.  But they would serve their purpose just the same.  Some would fly into the sister island.  Others would arrive by boat.  In either case, they wouldn’t be allowed to approach Longmire Island.  It was a sovereign territory ruled by Longmire himself.  The man had chosen to adopt a new citizenship.  He still carries his US citizenship and respected the US.  But he had lost respect for its government and refused to be taxed under their laws.  And he had had plans for the islands.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]A woman’s voice, that of Marcia Adams, interrupted Duncan’s thoughts.  “They are about an hour out.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]Duncan nodded.  “Thank you Marcia.  I guess it is time to go meet them.”  His expression changed to a smile.  “Should I go it alone or take someone with me?  The little darlings may have brought steamer trunks.”  He turned and waved a gloved hand at the window where the meteorological and intelligence reports vanished.  “Russians, Chinese and Americans, oh my.  Russians and Chinese want the islands.  Americans like the business they do with Longmire.  Well, it does help keep poachers away.  There is that I suppose.  Whoever inherits this place inherits the headaches that go with it.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]To be continued ….[/SIZE]

 

[Mitheral]

Location of Longmire’s Islands - The RP Island is on the left.  The island with the airport and piers is on the [SIZE= 16px]Right.  What the one in the middle is is anyone’s guess.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]Duncan loved this part - picking up the Little Darlin’s.  Most weren’t too bad for this trip.  Not so many spoiled brats.  While he loved the Sunship, the Dutchman II was about as creepy as he could have managed.  It creaked and groaned.  It had a nasty habit of vanishing into fog.  And some of the foreign ships had sworn they had seen it fly over them.  Some claimed it would vanish off radar.  Of course, they suspected Longmire had produced some new form of stealth technology.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]The ship was haunted.  Duncan grinned at that thought.  By the end of the trip it was very possible some of the kids would think so.  But he kept it all very benign and little more than ghostly hints.  A ghostly noise.  A glow passing by a porthole.  A vague image of a person disappearing around a corner out in their peripheral vision.  Of course the ship looked the part.  It was a replica of the Flying Dutchman from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies - except that the controls were modern[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]Up until now the passage had been First Class all the way all paid for by Longmire.  It had been the dream, the fairy tale.  This … this was a dramatic change from what they had spent the past days enjoying, their every need or want met.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]Duncan met the kids at the port where limos dropped them off along with their luggage.  Their luggage was simply dumped off the carts and the limos departed.  He walked down the rope bridge, limping on his bad left leg.  He wore an outfit a little like that of Captain Harlock, but all black.  And instead of a patch he wore aviator’s goggles - the left eye blacked out.  And in addition to a pistol he carried a rifle that resembled an old Barrett Light 50.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]“ALRIGHT LIL’ DARLIN’S!!  Let’s not take all evening.  Get your baggage stowed aboard so we can be underway.  Anyone still here in 10 minutes stays here and takes the next boat or plane home.  Any questions?  Well?  MOVE IT!”  He ignored complaints about his manners.  He seemed to care very little for whiners.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]To be honest, the Dutchman II didn’t even look seaworthy.  But in truth it picked up speed until the wisps of fog could be seen passing through the sails at speeds no ordinary ship could possibly have managed.  The ship had to be moving at over 100 knots.    It took about an hour to get to Longmire Island.  As they travelled Duncan explained a few rules.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]“We have RULES on Longmire island.  Noone travels outside the fenced in compound without an escort.  That means ME.  I don’t care about why you ignored my warning.  Neither do the beasties on the island.  There are some very dangerous ones out there.  Some say Longmire created … dinosaurs, even dragons.  I won’t deny those rumors.  I will tell you that many of the creatures are critically endangered.  But that isn’t the worst threat.  We get poachers now and then who think they can bag a few.  Poaching is a capital offense.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]“You are no longer on American soil, or that of any other nation.  Longmire Island and its sister islands are new land.  He claimed them and declared this sovereign territory.  He has finally been recognized by the UN even if he is not a member.[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 16px]“Parts of the mansion are off limits.  Some of you darlin’s are going to think you can ignore this fact.  Don’t.  But when you soil yer britches and need a shrink, don’t come whining to me.”  [/SIZE]



@WantYourSoul, @-Oliver, @Little gasmask, @MuffinRPs, @Rumble Fish

 

[Little gasmask]

Benjamin was looking at his min-libary. He was calm and relaxed. To top off the zen moment he was listening go Preußens Gloria. A colonial era music. He was in the libary to take some books on the long journey by boat. Benjamin much prefered history of Prussia then any of todays crap. He took a book at random: The complete history of the British empire.  He then rushed to his only other room of his small flat to grab his laptop and phone. He rushed outside and sat in his pre-ordered uber. The car was uncomfertable as it was ovious the owner did not care about his car that much. After a long and tiring journey they made it to the port/city. Now when the sun rises he will sail to the mansion. Twitcher proceded to play Total war: Empire the whole night and nearly was late for his ferry. As he made it onboard it was easy to tell that he forgot about his book as most of the journey was spent playing as sweeden in Total war:empire.

 

[MoxxyMoxx]

Beau Jackson, a 19 year old pianist and drummer, walked aboard the ship with his phone up to his ear. His two younger brothers whom were twins were annoying him. They were the Fred and George of his life. He always said he hated them but he loved them really.


"Yes!--Because I said so! Multiple times!--You two aren't coming because you have school and friends who'll miss you. I don't.--Yes. I'm a loser. I thought that was well established.--Bucky's only with me because I don't trust either of you with my dog." He sighed, "I'm sorry but I have to do this. If I inherit everything I'll move you out here once you've graduated." He was unsure if he could do this but it would make his brothers feel better, "Anyway I better go.--I love you too.--Bye."


Beau hung up the phone and whistled for his Gerberian Shepsky, Bucky, to come to his side. He was a very well trained, loyal dog. He walked to the bow and sat down on the wooden floor with his suitcase, duffle bag and Buck himself.

 

[WantYourSoul]

Eleanor DuMonte was rather sleepy. Alaska is nowhere near a hub of transport, and for a small town, everyone knew that Eleanor was leaving for some strange rich old man's inheritance. Her best friend had bawled and threw a fit at the airport, slamming his fists on the floor and crying. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she had shed a few tears as well. He had cursed her out for abandoning him, and she couldn't bring herself to argue with him. The lanky teenage boy squeezes her tightly before pushing her and her luggage away.
Her mother had been nowhere to be seen, she had accepted Longmire's payment greedily, more than likely off celebrating the cashed check by getting hammered before noon. Eleanor didn't mind. She was quite frankly relieved to be out of the house, but she would never voice those thoughts. 


Arriving at the designated meeting place, she did not smile, but she did offer her hand to Duncan to shake."Your ship is fascinating, a lovely replica. Or dare I say the original?" Her voice was careful, and she finally cracked a delicate little smile. She did not believe in ghosts, and had a rather fantastic time aboard the vessel.
She enjoyed listening to Duncan's rules, waiting until he had finished speaking to pose her first question,"Would you mind escorting me around the island so I could take samples some time? I've never been this far from Alaska and it could be quite beneficial for my studies." She offers another smile, hands folded primly in her lap. She appeared wholly unimpressed by the threats being put out for them to eagerly digest. She did find Duncan's pet names rather endearing, but that was another thought she would not be voicing.


@Mitheral

 

[Xed]

The ship looked interesting at least. Haunted and worn down perhaps but at least it wasn't suffocatingly luxurious. Geoff noted as he got out of the limo, limping ever so slightly. If a man was going to spend a fortune on a boat he might as well make it stand out and have character. Though personally there were about a dozen other things he would choose to spend the money on, in this case he acknowledged it was probably a necessity. Albeit a costly one.


The man who was to take them to the island certainly fit in with the ship. He looked and acted like someone who belonged in the haunting atmosphere. A limp, eye patch with a gun and clothes, it was a silly outfit in Geoff's opinion even if it was a perfect fit.


Geoff scoffed at the mention of dinosaurs and dragons. The rumors and those who believed in them were all kinds of ludicrous in his opinion. Perhaps there were dangers and the rumors were true but taking rumours at face value or someone's words as absolute truth without any evidence was pure idiocy. It was tempting to break the rules Duncan had mentioned just for the heck of it. Nowadays he was just itching to cause trouble and make someone else miserable. But his leg would be a problem if he slipped out and things got messy, if he broke the rule it would be on a day when his leg was healthy. He was going to the island to get a fortune not get himself killed.


For the thousandth time since he got injured, Geoff cursed his injury and how inadequate he felt because of it. He hated feeling restricted, incapable, most of all he hated failing. It brought up painful memories of when he had and the consequences of his failure.


He shook his head and focused on what Duncan was saying scoffing again when he told them not to go whining to him when they got scared after breaking the rules. Ghosts were just the result of an overactive imagination and fear. Fear of what wasn't there, what might be there. Fear planted by stories and men like Duncan who scared others into obedience with the freaky and supernatural. The nonexistent. He smirked. It would be interesting to see who the bed wetters were and who amongst those chosen had a little more courage in their bones.

 

[Mitheral]

Duncan made sure everyone was equipped with one of his life vests - and put it on.  Then he explained that if anyone fell overboard they shouldn’t worry so long as they wore their vest.  He was a stickler for safety.


When Eleanor approached Duncan recognized her immediately.  She was one of the brighter prospects.  He smiled inwardly.  She seemed to lack fear in the supernatural.  In fact, most of the kids seemed unimpressed with the theatrics - which was admittedly disappointing.  He wondered what they would think when the ship took to the sky.  “No, not the original.  This is the Dutchman II.  She’s a replica, but has a few minor upgrades.”


+++++++++++++


The ship docked in a cave that appeared to be man made and protected by a giant portcullis.  Once the portcullis had lowered behind them and the ship was secured, Duncan ordered everyone to disembark.  He opened a large set of iron bound doors big enough to drive a double decked bus through.  These opened into a large tunnel that lit up to reveal the safari transport.  It looked like a futuristic bus with armored glass,only the chassis was that of an extreme ATV.  Here and there were claw marks on the body of the vehicle.  Duncan said nothing about them though.  He waited until everyone was loaded up, then closed the bus doors and locked them.  The cave doors closed behind him, and finally the inner doors opened - and they were off.


Eleanor’s question about being escorted around the island seemed to answer itself - for the moment.  Duncan looked out the windows, then back at her, then ahead.  “Well, certainly not under these conditions.  What sort of samples?”  He glanced at his rear view to look at Geoff.  His smile faded a little.  “Mr Ricci, you seem to doubt my warnings.  I’m not surprised.  If you decide to ignore my warnings, whatever you do, do NOT carry a weapon with you.  There is automated security out there that might mistake you for a poacher.  You would be safer without the weapon, much safer.  Now if you two watch out the sides you may get a chance to see our escort.  Don’t worry, they can’t get in here.”


About three lightning flashes later they caught sight of something flanking them.  For those who had ever watched the Jurassic Park movies, there was no mistaking the species.  Velociraptor.  But it wasn’t until they drove through the gates at the Mansion Perimeter checkpoint that they caught sight of several members of the pack stopping at the gates and making noises.  Something prevented them from entering.  A spot light came on and they backed up.  Then laser sights hit the ground and they backed up further allowing the gates to close.


“But don’t worry.  Feel free to ignore them warnings and see if you get shredded by rumors,” Duncan chuckled.  “Or spout doctrine about how there are no such things; they are extinct.  Never mind the fact that several species of Pliocene mammals were resurrected by geneticists years ago.”


The inner gates opened and he exited the checkpoint holding pen and drove the last short leg to the mansion.  Once there, Duncan turned and raised his voice again.  Welcome Longmire Mansion.  Don’t forget my warnings about entering the wrong parts of the estate.  Those of you with any metal on you or in you could find it ripped out of your body.  You kids can choose any of the quarters not already in use.  Please report your choice to one of the butlers.   The rooms of the Isabelle Wing are reserved for special guests.  Do not bother asking.  And Jonathan Wing is prone to ghosts.  Stay there at your own risk.”  He gestured at the Staff waiting with carts to move luggage around like porters.  “They will see to your needs.  Marcia is in charge and delegates tasks to the rest.  Do not expect her to take orders from you either.  Any questions?  No? Good.”


Duncan opened the doors.  “All yours Marcie.  Lil’ Darlin’s were no trouble at all.  Oh, issue Mr Ricci a pass for Isabelle Wing.  Mr Longmire wanted to make an exception in his case.  Just Mr Ricci.  Oh … and both he and Ms DuMonte may have passes to Jonathan Wing.”


“Yes Duncan,” Marcia nodded.  She seemed a little like a british battle maiden in her demeanor, you know, stalwart.  Steadfast in the face of all obstacles.  And yet she softened toward Duncan.  Then she turned toward the kids.  “Okay, let’s get everyone indoors first.  You can explore for a room first, then come back for your things.”


@WantYourSoul, @Xeyran, @Elizabeth Duchamps, @Little gasmask, @MuffinRPs, @-Oliver, @Rumble Fish

 

[WantYourSoul]

Eleanor dips her head slightly, stealing a sideways glance at Geoff. Due to her short stature, she didn't catch his face until  she was looking back up. "I assumed so. Long ire never struck me as a man of idle fancies. Have you heard of the Ship of Theseus?" Her train of thought seemed rather hectic at times, however to Eleanor it seemed relevant to the topic at hand. From within the pocket of her over sized hoodie, she withdraws a small steno pad and pencil and jots down a few notes without looking away from Duncan. She is an expert multitasker. 


The he appearance of the manmade cave draws a soft word from her mouth,"fascinating." She flips to a new page and adds a few more bullet points to her notes. She had a suitcase nearly full of them. Notes she had taken over the years, documenting her findings on any subject. She smiles politely at Duncan, drawing her attention away from her notes.


"After the storm clears, I wanted to document the flora and fauna. I wouldn't mean to take you away from your work for too long, but I am," her words trail away as she catches sight of their escorts. A genuine smile breaks out on her face."Was it Longmire himself who resurrected the species? Are there more creatures like this?" She suddenly demands, a gleam in her eyes. She appeared to be vibrating through her sheer excitement of her discovery."Are these the Deinonychus, or a clever feat of genetic splicing?" She was eagerly taking notes now, taking the appearance of a mad scientist in a young woman's body. 


She did not shut up the rest of the way, spouting facts that only vaguely connected with the fact that there were real live velociraptors right outside the gate. 


By by way of greeting, Eleanor tells Marcie how many teeth a velociraptor has. Her grey eyes were wide and full of childlike wonder and her academic urges."While the Jonathan wing seems to be an excellent place to perform studies, I would like to know where the library is. I have heard of Longmire's library and would like to have a room as near as possible." She had to take a moment to compose herself, to quell her excitement at all the possibilities. She angles her gaze towards Geoff,"Where are you planning on staying?" She asks, returning her book to its place in her pocket.  


@Mitheral @Xeyran

 

[Xed]

Geoff raised an eyebrow when he saw the cave and the velociraptors but his expression betrayed nothing as he watched the dinosaurs back up at the gates. Longmire was certainly an impressive man and he could see why he was called an eccentric. Living on an island with dinosaurs wasn't something that a person without any guts could do. His stay on the island might not turn out to be as painful or boring as he initially expected. Certainly made it worth leaving that wretched city and all in it behind.


The questions of the girl, Eleanor caught his attention and he studied the girl as she took notes in her book for a few short seconds. She seemed to be the studious, book smart type. The type of student his teachers had always pushed him to be. Unfortunately for them Geoff never went down that path regardless of what they tried, not after his sister died.


His gaze dulled as he pulled his thoughts away from that topic and focused on Duncan's words, chuckling in response. If nothing else Duncan was as amusing as he looked. His comments might have infuriated Geoff or left him pink cheeked with slight embarrassment if not for the fact that he wasn't an avid reader and didn't pay much attention to what was happening around the world or the fact that he'd learned to block others out. Perhaps it was time to pay attention again. He was street smart but it would seem he needed to be more than that if he wanted to be chosen as the heir at the end of all this.


"Alright you've convinced me about the dinosaurs. Interesting little creatures you've got running about the island. Just makes me more curious to see what else you got out there. Perhaps I'll take you up on your suggestion and go out without any weapons." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke, truly curious to know what else Longmire had done. And although he hinted otherwise, he knew well to heed Duncan's warning. Picking a fight with humans was one thing but dinosaurs, he was brash and reckless but he wasn't foolish enough to put himself in that much danger. His hobby of crossing people and defying their orders wasn't about to be the cause of his death.


Geoff couldn't help but smile when he heard Duncan's last few warnings and instructions to Marcia, the lady in charge. A pass to the Isabelle Wing and Jonathan Wing? He could only imagine what Longmire had in mind, giving him access to a place reserved for special guests and another that was supposedly haunted by ghosts. It made him more curious. Was the billionaire trying to prove to him that ghosts were real in giving him a pass to the Jonathan Wing? That seemed likely to be the case. But why he was made an exception and given access to the Isabelle Wing for special guests, he couldn't really figure out at this point and it had him all the more intrigued.


So caught up was he in his thoughts that he almost didn't register the fact that miss bookworm's question had been directed to him. He cast her a blank glance and simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "Dunno. I don't see how it's any of your business where I choose to sleep anyways."


@Mitheral


@WantYourSoul

 

[Mitheral]

Duncan never did answer the question about the raptors.  He simply smiled.  His response was cryptic.  “Wrong question; wrong time.  And it is almost night time.  Everyone has had a long day.  You’ll have all the time in the world to look around later. Most of the species here are on the critically endangered list.  Others are native to the pacific islands from Midway Atoll to Hawaii.  These are new islands that only rose out of the water a little over a decade ago.  But all that stuff can wait.  Let’s get people settled.  I have the other kids to see to as well.”


Of course, Duncan didn’t really have all that much to do.  Most of the work was delegated to the butlers.  Instead Duncan took a more personal hands on approach with the pair he had singled out.  When Geoff chastised Eleanor Duncan’s eyes widened in surprise.  Maybe his eyes needed to be checked.  But he said nothing.  It wasn’t his place.  Maybe the guy simply wasn’t into girls?  Duncan couldn’t help but recall an old Ghostbusters quote and some asking if they were a god…  That particular quote struck him as very pertinent here.  The girl was curious where he was going to sleep …  No brainer response …


If only I were half my age …


Duncan started at the Jonathan Wing.  “This is the Jonathan Wing, named for Dr Jonathan Miller.  He was an engineer who worked for the US Government at Sandia Labs in Albuquerque, NM.  The wing is specifically dedicated to engineers.  Most of the other wings have no special use.  This one has a brainstorm center - holodeck display about 10 feet across consoles ringing it.  You don’t have to stay there if you don’t want to.  The Isabelle Wing is classified and still not complete.  Eleanor, I hope you don’t mind if I speak with Geoff there in private.  I think it is a matter he’d prefer I kept private…”


Later in the Isabelle Wing


Duncan was quiet once more until he and Geoff had entered the Isabelle Wing.  Entry was through an airlock system.  “I have disabled part of the security requirements for this section.  This is a nanobiological pathology lab and cryogenics quad.  It isn’t complete yet, but once it is, it will preserve those untreatable until a treatment is available.  The Wing was named after Dr Isabelle Miller.  She mentored the current head of the CDC through her residency at the University of New Mexico Medical Center.  Dr Miller worked in the Cancer Ward.  She passed away several years ago.  Her husband, Jonathan followed soon after.  They were very healthy, all things considered.  But even when they adopted me they were well past traditional ages for taking in a kid.


“They were my parents.  If I had know about your sister, I would have helped.  But at that time, I am afraid I was too busy with grief and withdrawing from the world.  Of all the video interviews I would have liked to watch, it would have been yours.  What would YOU do with a billion dollars?”


@WantYourSoul, @Xeyran

 

[WantYourSoul]

Eleanor's ears go red and she quickly ducks her head,"Sorry, it wasn't my place," she offers this apology while studying the ground in front of her threadbare black flats. She appeared thoroughly sobered, keeping her shoulders hunched and hands buried deep in her pockets. She hadn't meant to sound suggestive, merely curious as to where the others would decide to stay. It was a feeble attempt to make friends.  She kept her mouth firmly sealed most of the tour, only taking notes as they walked.


It appeared she was making a map. She has an eidetic memory, so her notes didn't have much use. The action itself was fairly comforting, however. 


Upon hearing of the contents of Jonathan Wing, Eleanor's eyes widen again. A small smile spreads across her face."That sounds like a wonderful place. You wouldn't happen to have any microprocessors? I could never afford top of the line equipment, and I've been struck by an idea. Did you know Nikola Tesla rarely wrote down blueprints to his devices? He was confident with storing them in his head, if he had written those ideas down we could be decades--centuries more advanced than we are now!" Eleanor's voice rose slightly in pitch, going completely off topic. 


She pauses momentarily as Duncan's words register with her, and she angles her gaze up, up at him."I don't mind. The boys always like to have their private conversations," she says with an awkward little laugh, as if she were trying to be funny. 


@Mitheral @Xeyran

 

[Xed]

Geoff ignored Eleanor's apology and the surprise registered on Duncan's face. Nothing personal there. He just didn't have an interest in making friends. And though Eleanor didn't look much like Frieda, most girls simply reminded him of his sister, of the future she lost out on, of the person she could have become. He closed his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. He would rather keep them at a distance or have them dislike him so that their behavior towards him would be as far removed from Frieda's as possible.


His eyes flicked open again and he walked ahead, taking in his surroundings as he tried not to limp. Unfortunately for him, lefty wasn't feeling very cooperative today. At least the others seemed occupied with taking notes and giving the tour. The more he saw of Jonathan Wing the more curious he became. A wing specifically dedicated to engineers? Now this certainly was a surprise. He wasn't sure if he'd consider himself much of an engineer. After all he was a high school dropout and certainly not as well informed about engineering as Miss Bookworm seemed to be. Not to say that he didn't know a thing or two about the basics.


Geoff raised an eyebrow when Duncan asked to speak to him in private in the Isabelle Wing. He wasn't about to argue but hearing Duncan say it was for his sake and not the older man's, Geoff could sense that he likely wouldn't enjoy it. When they stepped into the Isabelle Wing and Duncan started talking, Geoff knew his gut feeling had been right. His whole body stiffened and his eyes widened slightly, emanating tension. He felt sick to his stomach and could taste the bile in his throat, the sight of the machines reminding him of the hospital, of the days when Frieda was sick, when he was helpless, incapable of doing anything to ease her suffering. To save her life.


"Shut up!" Geoff grabbed Duncan by the collar, hands shaking with rage as the memories he had buried in the back of his mind flooded to the front. What was he trying to achieve by telling him he would have helped Frieda? It was easy to make proclamations after the incident. To say 'I would have' when all was over and done. But at the end of the day they were just meaningless words. Words that only carved deeper into old wounds. Words that reminded him of how different things could have been for his sister. Words that to Geoff sounded like nothing more than an attempt by Duncan to make himself appear to be different, to be better. "It doesn't matter what you would have or wouldn't have down if you had known. Telling me this doesn't change a damn thing!" He released Duncan from his hold and stepped back, trying to rein in his anger and sorrow, refusing to bare himself any further to this man. "It certainly ain't gonna change the fact that my sister is dead."


He walked over to the wall, taking a calming breath and leaned against. When he looked up to face Duncan he had regained some semblance of calm and control over himself though he had to fight his anger to think clearly and keep it that way and the longer this conversation dragged out, the harder it would get. His eyes were cold and empty and his face expressionless as he met Duncan's gaze. "I'll do whatever I want with that money." He started, his voice free of anger and a lightness to it that his teachers and classmates knew as his 'defiant, up to no good, mocking' voice. "If I feel generous I'll donate to charity, if I want to splurge, I'll stock brand names and luxury goods. And if someone pisses me off," he paused for effect blood boiling as he recalled that rotten old man and his filthy riches but his voice remained light, though he clenched his fist for effect. "I'll destroy them." The latter and former statements held true but frankly just the thought of splurging on luxuries made him sick, not that he would ever admit it. Even if it seemed like Duncan and Longmire might know more about him than he liked.

 

[Mitheral]

Duncan never did get around to telling Eleanor where the Library was.  He showed both of the kids to the Engineers’ Brainstorm Center.  It wasn’t really a very big room, but then it didn’t need to be.  Really it was smaller than a typical Conference Room at a major hotel, like those old fashioned ones with stages and a podium.  It was designed with about 20 engineering stations that resembled old light tables.  A wave of the hand turned on a holographic interface over the table.


“Design what you like.  Your biometrics are already entered.  But you should know that microprocessors will have to be special ordered.  Uhm, they are a little out of date.  Well,I suppose we could print some.  The current mainstay of most military and elite hardware uses carbon nanotech.  Highly classified stuff uses quantum entanglement systems.  I’m afraid you won’t be able to get your hands on those yet.  But the nanotech is no problem.  Well, you won’t be able to physically handle it.  You design and the system builds it.  Problem is, this section has no clean room.  All the same, you could design and run simulation.  The island you arrived on has the facilities.  So I can at least have the stuff made locally.  But … you really should pick yourself out a room and let the butlers know.  Get some sleep.  There is tomorrow.”  He smiled a gentle smile.  “And I am going to keep the location of the Library secret until tomorrow or I suspect we’ll find you sleeping there … andnoyoucannotmakethatyourbedroom.”  His eyes twinkled a little that that because he had feeling she had thought of it the instant he brought the subject up so soon after mentioning getting sleep.


+++++++++


Geoff and Duncan


Duncan looked down Geoff when the young man grabbed him by the collar.  There was no fear in his eyes.  Truth to tell, Duncan had seen the assault coming long before it happened.  His sensors had been analyzing Geoff’s emotional state, microexpressions, and body language.  Much as modern security methods could predict violent behavior, so could he.  And his computers were operating in the yottaflop range. While he could have reacted, he did not.  He simply let the kid vent his rage while listening to what he had to say.


Duncan had a lot of practice with that.


When Geoff had finally answered the question of what he’d do with a billion dollars, Duncan nodded thoughtfully.  “Interesting.  Why don’t we put that to the test?”  He turned to walk away, then stopped.  “Come along.  I have a job for you.  I want you to hear me out.  If you won’t, I can send you home tomorrow.  You won’t get a cent.  You don’t have a billion dollars … yet.  So far, I have seen nothing to suggest you should.  What I see is a young man still grieving.  For what it is worth, I do understand loss.  I lost my mother much the same way you lost yours.  All the money in the world couldn’t save her.  My first mother died from a bullet to the head.  Gang broke into the house and killed her on the way to try to kill me.  Twelve of them.  Six died on the scene.  Only two made it out of the hospital.  There’s more to the story, but that’s enough for now.  Anyways, let’s talk to Marcia.”


He led Geoff back to the lead butler and Estate Manager.  “Marcia!  Something we need to do.  I am giving Geoff here a job.  Set up a trust fund account for him.  Geoff, this will be MY money.  One billion dollars.  You are going to spend it, invest it, whatever.  But there are some rules.


“First, you may purchase nothing for yourself, or attempt to launder the money in anyway.  In other words, you can’t but something for someone else and buy it back from them for a dollar of your own money.  You may rent or lease.  For example you could charter a yacht and throw a massive party.


“You may donate to charity.


“You may invest the funds and use the capital gains to do all your spending.  You could even build the money up over a billion that way - but it is still MY money.


“Education.  While technically a permanent thing, it is allowed.


“You may NOT use the money for illegal pursuits.  I know you would love to seek vengeance on someone.  But I will tell you why I won’t allow it.  It is MY money.  And … when two billionaires go at it, the people that usually get hurt are the people who work for them.


“Marcia will have veto power on your spending.  If you wish to appeal her veto, come to me.


“Once the money is gone, it is gone.  You will be surprised as how quickly you can spend it.  Any questions?”


@WantYourSoul, @Xeyran

 

[WantYourSoul]

Eleanor's eyes sparkle as she takes in her surroundings."I've been limited to such primitive tools, I simply can't wait!" She claps her hands together gleefully, spinning in a slow circle to take in the whole room's splendour. She eagerly follows Duncan to the engineering station, following his movements to learn how to properly use the device. She turns her gaze back towards the groundskeeper, an impish grin on her face. "While you may not have it now, give me 14 hours and two bowls of white rice. I can't give a guarantee, but if you could allow me the reasonable doubt..?"


 Let's hope she isn't getting at what we think she's getting at. 


She was already fiddling around with the holograph, practicing how to control the interface. She caught on remarkably quick, having gotten the gist from Duncan. His offer of sleep completely passed over her head."I only need four hours of sleep to function adequately," she pauses to smile politely,"I'm a certified genius, I think I'll be able to find the library on my own. Plus, I'm too excited to get any sleep. Can you imagine the possibilities!?" She laughs excitedly, turning her back on the men as they leave. She appeared to have begun designing something already. 


@Mitheral