Written By Abdun Nur

Chapter Nineteen

Bauer

“Those who are unable to imagine a better system than capitalism, deserve the tyranny and conformity which capitalism provides them.” Albert Camus

Professor Jones drove along the country lanes heading towards Gwen’s house, it was a dark night, and the rolling clouds, as always it seemed, were threatening to unleash their fury. Jones was worried, and very nervous, he was in two minds, part of him wanting to turn around and go home, but his long harboured guilt compelled him forward.

His old car was a classic, a fully restored Jowett Jupiter, in a beautiful rich green, it was a convertible, but the cover was on, enclosing the two seats and the driver in a protective envelope. Jones loved his car, he was fortunate to have one, as only around nine hundred were ever made, his baby was built in 1953, and it was his pride and joy.

He arrived outside Gwen’s gate and turned off the engine, he just sat in the car looking at the house, staring almost in a trance for several minutes.

He got out of his car and began the slow walk down Gwen’s path, the cold night air blowing through his trousers and chilling him as he hugged himself to fight off the wind.

His reluctance to face the situation impeded his movement and actions, he stood at the door, not wanting to knock, but to his surprise the door opened and an old woman confronted him. “Mr. Jones?” The old woman asked him in a stern tone.

Gwen invited him inside and Mr. Jones stood in Gwen’s cosy living room with a cat rubbing gently around his legs, he was directed to a chair and given a hot cup of tea, which he sipped and held possessively in his hands looking around nervously.

Gwen sat across from him with a resolute expression. “Professor Jones, please tell us exactly what happened to my brother.” Gwen said.

“I liked your brother, what happened was as unexpected to me as it was to Isambard I’m sure.” Jones replied.

“And what did happen?” Gwen prodded.

“Well after your brother showed me his work I was very excited, he was a genius, his work was centuries ahead of its time.

I thought I could help…

For my part I’m so, so, sorry Gwen, I only ever intended to help Isambard.” Jone sipped his tea. He leaned over and picked up a ruck sack he’d brought with him, and took out an old tape recorder.

He set the device on the coffee table near him. “I secretly recorded the meetings with Isambard. This first recording was the meeting with the investor.

I arranged this thinking that it’d help Isambard to make his inventions available to all the world.

My only excuse is, I was young.” Jones pressed play on the tape deck and his mind drifted back as he listened to the voices.

He could still picture Isambard walking into the office, neither of them had ever seen an office as luxurious as this one, even the carpet under their feet felt expensive.

“We’ve examined your device and are prepared to offer you ten million pounds, with the conditions that you relinquish all right to the device, transferring ownership over to us, with no further development in this area conducted by you after that point.

Would this be agreeable to you?” The over weight man asked Isambard.

“That’s a very generous offer I imagine.

How long would it take to begin production?” Isambard asked.

“Production?”

You miss understand Mr. Carnock. You’re being paid to transfer all rights and ownership over to us, because it’s better to nip these things in the bud as it were, before they adversely affect our existing businesses.” The fat man replied from behind his desk.

“You want to bury my invention?

But what about the huge benefits this technology would provide humanity?” Isambard asked taken aback.

“This is business, helping humanity is not a consideration. We’ve monopolies already established, your technology would sweep those monopolies away, costing us vast amounts, so from a business point of view, paying you to take that threat away, is just good business.” He replied as he lit a large Cuban cigar and took several short puffs, waving the match around and dropping it into an ash tray that had formally been the left hand of a gorilla.

Isambard looked up, his face set with a look of emotional ill humour, he looked silently for a few seconds, his stare holding the attention of those watching.

“Virtue is Lost:

When wealth dominates with usury monopolies

When trade is levied by parasites preventing free reciprocation of labours.

When pleasure is indulged without accountability to other souls.

When Knowledge flows from authority and is accepted without reasoned examination.

When science is claimed without autonomy or verified, repeated or analysed acceptance.

When hierarchies replace Community and community consensus is replaced with politics.

Without inherent virtue Life is drained of hope, love, opportunity and the abundance of resources allowing a small group of parasites to hoard the Earth.

And when virtue is lost, all is lost; and so the soul is easily enslaved.

A slave must seek permission of their owners, beg license, offer register and are compelled to conform to the subjugation of the policy authored by their owners, the choice to refuse these things is punished, refuse to register and you may be robbed, refuse license and you may be robbed or even kidnapped and imprisoned, refuse to comply to policy and you could even be murdered. The owners decide what percentage of each slaves labours they will steal. To dare not to hand over their demanded loot will result in theft of much more than the original demand, and even kidnap and imprisonment. if you wish to leave the feudal borders of your owner you must seek a pass for the citizen ship to leave the port, which must be examined and granted, and you must gain permission from the owner of the feudal borders you pass through to stay, trade or visit.

Now if that’s not slavery, it certainly looks exactly like it.

Frederick Douglass, a man who was born into the chains of physical slavery, knowing slavery as a brutal reality, said:

‘To make a contented slave it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken the moral and mental vision and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason.’

You want to maintain the system of slavery, while I wish to end it, keep your money Mr. Bauer!” Isambard stated firmly.

“And what is that aspect of virtue is worth, even as a curt consideration, none, all things have a price, everything is capable of being bought, even you. Meaning virtue is worthless, a price can always replace it. And to people like me, money is free.

While slaves grovel in the dirt to gain pennies, I stand the owner of the vaults of heaven, commanding and dictating with the power of wealth.” He told Isambard while taking generous mouthfuls of cigar smoke intermittently.

“I think this meeting is over.” Isambard said standing with the intention of leaving.

“Consider carefully Mr. Carnock, to refuse the offer will not alter the out come, that fact should be well considered.

So sit down.” Bauer demanded.

“Is that a threat?” Isambard asked standing by his chair.

“Mr. Carnock it’s business. Ten million is a lot of money, for me the alternative is far cheaper, so take the offer, it’s a generous offer, as you rightly said.” The fat man smiled.

Isambard was conflicted, he stood silent.

“Could we have a few days to consider your offer?” Jones asked breaking the silence.

“Indeed, take a week, after that the offer ends, but the out come remains unchanged.” Bauer replied.

Jones pressed stop on the tape deck. All sat silently in the room.

“So he rejected the offer?” Gwen said.

“That’s the odd thing Gwen. No. I convinced him to take the ten million pound offer.” Jones replied.

“What was the date of the meeting?” Sill asked.

“It was about a weeks before he went missing.” Jones replied.

“So what happened next?” Sill asked.

“Isambard wanted the payment in gold, which was around four thousand four hundred kilograms of gold at the time. I was thinking about this today, before I came here, and looked up the present value of that amount of gold, which would now be two hundred and thirteen million pounds. If he did get payment, which is possible, then somewhere he’s hidden wealth beyond imagining.” Jones commented.

“So what happened next?” Gwen asked impatiently.

“There was a second meeting a week later.” Jones took out the first tape and installed a second one, pressing play on the tape recorder again.

Jones’s mind was drawn back to that meeting as he listened to the tape. “So Mr. Carnock have you made a decision?” Bauer asked.

“Yes.” Isambard replied quietly.

“And that would be?” Bauer asked with an air of indifference.

“I agree. But have a small demand. The ten million has to be delivered to me in gold, without traceability, then I’ll sign the agreement and your monopolies may continue to extort revenues.” Isambard told him.

Bauer looked at Isambard without speaking for what seemed an uncomfortable length of time. “Agreed.” He said finally.

“When would everything be ready to complete the agreement?” Isambard asked.

“Today.

We’ll need everything connected with your invention, all documentation, all prototypes and components, once the agreement is sign you’re prevented from pursuit of anything in the field of over unity energy systems.” Bauer adjusted the contract to show payment was in gold, writing on it in pen and signing the amendment, then placed the typed contract before the two men, who were seated in front of his desk.

“Sign this, your gold will be delivered at a location of your choice this evening, we’ll send a team to collect all your work.

Sign.” Bauer demanded.

Isambard studied the document, Bauer placed an expensive pen at the side of the contract. The room was in silence.

Jones pressed stop again on the tape deck. “That was the last time I ever saw Isambard, after we left the office and went our separate ways, he simply vanished. I was followed for months, with Isambard gone, I feared I was next. I began to realise just how powerful and connected the red shield corporation was, they controlled everything.” Jones explained.

“Why didn’t you tell my family what you knew at the time.” Gwen asked.

Jones pressed the tape deck again.

“I want to make things clear gentlemen, nothing that has transpired here will ‘ever’ be discuss. If it ‘is’ discuss, it will not be discuss a second time, are we crystal clear?” Bauer told them.

Both men remained silent, Isambard took the pen and signed the contract, Jones signed as witness.

Jones pressed stop on the tape and packed it back into his back pack.

“That’s everything I know. Don’t mention what I’ve told you, or that we’ve even spoken.

I’d rather not discover first hand what befell Isambard.

I’d imagine Bauer is dead now, it’s been so long, but corporation are eternal as long as they’re given perception. Those hiding in corporation still wish to hide truths and technologies, most certainly the technologies Isambard developed, I’ll still be in danger I’d imagine.” Jones told them.

“Could you give us the address of the meetings with the red shield corporation?” Sill asked.

“Yes.” Jones had written some information on a sheet of paper before arriving for the meeting and handed it to Gwen. “I’ve written the address, and a description of Bauer, the main business of the corporation is banking. But they have vast numbers of subsidiary corporations, I listed some of the larger ones for you.” Jones added.

“It seems obvious Bauer never had any intention of paying for Isambard’s invention, only wanted a signed contract before making him disappear” Sill said.

“Well, that’s it, I wish you luck in your investigation, just keep me out of it.” Jones said moving towards the door.

“Could we keep the tape recordings Mr. Jones.” Sill asked.

“OK.” Jones just handed his small back pack to sill. “Keep it.” He said.

After Jones had left, the atmosphere remained subdued. “So we still don’t know what actually happened to Isambard.” Gwen said sadly, breaking the silence.

“Not yet. But we’re closer to knowing than ever before.” Sill replied.

Click Link: Chapter Twenty