5-New beginnings… chapter five
Joe called Richard to let him know the second test run was ready. He and Walter returned to the test cell.
"Can you get it to operating temperature, start with the parameters used to attain the 7.5%, then add 1.75% oxygen to the fuel at a flow of 76GPM?" Walter asked to the room in general not knowing whom to give directions.
"Yes, sir," Lynn Morris said typing in the parameters as directed. "Presently at the 7.5% as you can see. Adding 1.75% oxygen at a flow of 76GPM as requested."
Walter, totally focused and zeroed in on watching the monitors and chart, with a smile said, "Chart line 8659 7.98%. Add 1% oxygen increase flow to 80GPM….. there, line 9630, 8% even. I would not change any parameters at this point- think the sweet spot has been achieved as far as this design iteration is capable." Walter looked around at the stares of Richard and Joe. "Sorry, did not mean to disrupt your test process. See, Richard, like I said, do not work well with others," and walked out of the lab to head for the gate.
Richard watched him go out the door then asked Lynn if the figures Walter gave were correct. She nodded, "could have gone another place, but 7.52% is as good as 7.524%. After all, he was doing the calculations in his head while monitoring numerous screens of data….. impressive. Where you find this guy?"
Richard laughed, "In a garage. Impressive, indeed." He turned to the test crew, "great work everyone, as always. Pizza is on the way for a job well done. Joe, write up a report with all the numbers and send it up."
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Walter pulled up to the front of the garage, opened the door, walked through the common area to the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge, start the coffee, then went to sit at his desk, thinking… just can't keep your mouth shut, O'Brien- why you got black eyes as a kid… and since. The people at the test lab are more circumspect so just looked at him rather than swing a fist. He continued to think of the test results. Data showed better results than his modeling by .66%, quite a difference.
He continued to sit at his desk thinking of the test run. He brought up the file again to review his data and math to see why there was such a difference. Brought up a whiteboard by the desk to review his math- easier to see the entire solution on the board, but all was correct for the data input. He backed up from the board to lean on his desk twiddling the marker against his leg thinking.
"Your math is correct," Lynn said from the couch by the door.
"I gotta' start locking that door," Walter said turning to her. "You always walk into people's homes uninvited?"
"Funny lookin' home, thought this was a business, door was open so came on in." Lynn said. "Next time I will knock on the door, but you were so focused, you probably would not have heard, anyway."
"Well, you are here- care for some coffee?" Walter asked heading to the kitchen.
"Sure, black, thank you."
Walter got two mugs out, filled both and took one to Lynn then went to sit at his desk swiveling the chair to face her, "You are here for….?"
"Oh, sorry," she opened her laptop computer case to pull a file out, got up to put it on his desk, "the test data, results, as well as the inspection of the component after test," she said. "Richard thought you might be interested." She returned to sit at the sofa. "I can see you have been questioning the difference from your model to actual."
"You see the math? Anything wrong?" Walter asked.
Lynn laughed, "you have to be joking- do you ever make mistakes in math, and should you, how could I be so lucky to be the one to catch it, you one funny man."
Walter looked at her while sipping his coffee. "You drove over here just to drop off hard copies of what could have been sent in an e-mail? Thought you were an engineer, so would be an adherent to efficiency."
"Oh my, I will have to stop and think hard before doing anything around you, I see. Monday is my usual day off- I work a split work week so chose to take Monday and Tuesday off as my 'weekend'. That way there is generally a crew to use the facilities every day- more efficient than having expensive facilities sit unused two days a week. So there is my 'efficiency'. I wanted to see the test results so put in some OT… that is over time for you who may be unfamiliar with the term… and was leaving after the test results anyway. To be honest, I ALWAYS look for an excuse to drive around so volunteered to drop these off."
"You are in your Corvair? After you left I did a bit of research on them. Not a very sought after vehicle, even for a so-called classic."
"Yeah, they have a lot of nick-names: Great American Road Oiler, poor man's Porsche, Nader-mobile, poor man's classic. Not much but somewhat better than Found On Road Dead for Ford's or Fix It Again Tony, for Fiat's. So be nice talking about my car."
"I will keep that in mind in future."
"Tell you what, since you missed the after test results pizza, have any problems being taken out for lunch by a woman?"
"Doesn't the saying go 'you fly; I buy" Walter asked. "You pick the place and drive, I will treat." Walter said rising, "you OK with that?"
"What kind of chow you like? Your whole afternoon free?"
"Whole afternoon is free, willing to try anything."
"Then come along young man, your first experience riding in fine, fine American made air-cooled transportation."
She went out, Walter followed, locked up, set security and got in the passenger side while Lynn stuffed her hair under a fedora. "Buckle up- old convertible so just a seat belt," she said and started up, put it in gear and cruised on out of town.
An hour drive from the city in the dry hills she pulled into a roadside restaurant in a small community. "Hungry? This place has great burgers…. and won't break your wallet."
They walked in to sit at a table. The waitress coming out from the kitchen grabbed a couple menus to put on the table. "Don't know why I give you a menu, Lynn- you probably know it better than me. How's it going? In the vert today, I see."
"Since you are familiar with the place, what do you suggest?" Walter asked.
"Easy, cheeseburger, potato salad, coffee, and apple pie." Lynn said.
"Make it two," Walter said handing the menu to the waitress.
"The whole hour drive you never started a conversation." Lynn said. "You said you did research on Corvair- don't tell me you were paranoid it was going to flip over- were you scared?"
Walter smiled, "No, not scared by your driving nor the car. Listening to the engine- sounds like a low RPM Porsche, or a typical flat six. Certainly does purr along and is a nice driver."
The waitress brought out their food and refilled their coffee.
"You are right- good burger." Walter said. "Pleasant drive as well. I used to take long drives- had a Datsun Z. It also was a nice driver… until it got rammed and totaled. Had one of Richard's Ferrari but planted it on the side of a cliff…. that was not a good night."
"Were you hurt badly?"
"Just a concussion, spleen punctured, nothing serious. So what got you so interested in an old, not very popular air-cooled vehicle? Most women do not get into mechanics and esoteric cars unless it is high dollar status models."
"Believe it or not, my dad had them. That is how I learned to work on them. He could disconnect and drop the drivetrain in an hour. He and a buddy could pick it up and put it on the workbench and do a whole rebuild in short order."
"Your father had 'them', not 'one'?"
"No, Corvairs are like Ruffle's potato chips," she said laughing.
"I do not get the reference."
"The old commercials…. Ruffle's potato chips- can't eat just one. That ring a bell?"
"No, you lost me."
"You don't watch TV? Was a commercial back in the day," Lynn explained. "For some reason Corvair owners, not always, but a lot of times end up with more than one. I have the convertible for fun driving in the sun and pleasant nights perfect for here in sunny SoCal. But also have the coupe for those necessary drives when the weather is crappy. Typical 'if one is good; two is better', right?"
Walter laughed, "You are just full of Americanism's that are foreign to me for all the years I have lived here."
The waitress brought out their pie, refilled their coffee and dropped the tab on the table.
"You are an import? Really? You don't have an accent. Crap, I'm sorry, no wonder you don't get all the references I've been throwing around," Lynn said. "I'm so sorry babbling all my BS thinking you know the references. Did the same thing to a poor Aussie that started working with us. Think he wanted to smack me- actually yelled at me 'I'm Australian you dumb blonde!"
"Nothing to be sorry for," Walter said with a chuckle. "I have been in the US since I was fourteen- just never watched TV or got around car collectors. Was always focused on…. other things. And even I, sorely lacking in social skills as I am, would never call you a 'dumb blonde' no matter how many strange Americanisms you came out with that I did not understand. Dare say I could spout some Irish that would leave you in a quandary."
Walter rose, "Shall we head back, want to go through that file you brought to the garage." He took the tab to the register and paid for their meal while Lynn headed out the door to the car. She was stuffing her hair under the fedora when Walter got in the car.
"Thanks for lunch, did you like it?" Lynn asked. "Kinda' hard to bugger up a burger, though. Might be the long drive to finally eat that makes it so yummy."
"No, a good burger quite worth the drive, and didn't break the wallet." Walter said. "You go a different route back or retrace?"
Lynn started the car, "how fast you want to get back to look over that file? Fastest way is to hit the freeway, junction about five miles up the road, medium way is the way we came, a longer way is the rest of the circuit around the county I usually take…. your choice."
"Finish the circuit- no rush," Walter said so Lynn put it in gear and headed back to LA the long way. Walter watched her driving- shifting for the curves and handling the car well.
"You drive well- take it you do this route often?" Walter asked.
"As a poor student, I used to go for drives for cheap entertainment- back when gas was relatively cheap, anyway. Have always enjoyed driving back roads. Again, thanks to dad as he would take back roads for getting to the fishing holes and the farms he hunted on."
"Hunting and fishing- I take it you are not a native Californian?"
"No, up-state New Yorker. Never thought I would leave that beautiful area, but Richard recruited me so here I am- he 'made me an offer I couldn't refuse'," she chuckled- "do you get that reference?"
"Yes, that is from a gangster movie, right?"
"So you see movies? Anyway, was something when I came out here. Back there you bring in a sixteen inch trout you go brag about it. After getting here I went out to the sixty mile bank on a co-workers thirty foot boat and first thing I brought up was a yard long pink fish with TEETH." Lynn laughed, "was a horrendous looking thing being pulled up from the deep- tongue sticking out, teeth, nasty. Good eating, though."
"Richard recruited you? He is trying to pull me in, too."
"Yeah, I was at MIT, he recruited me personally- I was quite flattered as you can imagine, a billionaire recruiting me himself. Richard is a great guy and well worth his fortune. Yanked three of us from my class- me an engineer, the other two mathematicians. He recruits from all over, but definitely from MIT, Pitt, and of course Stamford out here. He has not done much recruiting the past couple years, though. He is a joy to work for, I must say. Why you not interested? Already filthy rich and not need the funding?"
Walter laughed, "I was looking at being homeless just a couple months ago. Don't have that worry any longer, but I do not 'work well with others' as I said when I left the test lab."
"Yeah, now that you mention that, why did you leave like that?" Lynn asked. "Had you not given directions, Joe would have, but you being the designer he let you lead. Your leaving kinda' stunned everyone….. well, to be honest, your calculating on the fly like that was the biggest stunner."
Walter looked at her, "my just walking in and giving directions did not anger the manager or engineers? Once I get focused on a subject, everything else falls by the wayside which hurts some people's sensibilities."
"If there is one thing Richard enjoys, it is any one of his people stepping up, taking the lead, exhibiting their full abilities, especially his 'space cadets'. The space program is his ultimate dream and driving force for the entire enterprise. Everyone there knew you were the designer of the unit being tested- whole reason all of us to be there, so of course your directions would be followed."
"Well, be that as it may, as I have told Richard, he knows where the garage is and is more than welcome to stop by for anything I may be able to help him with. I told him same for his people- but not in groups. I do not handle social gatherings well."
"Back in town so will have you home shortly. You can hole up and do your math and have a pleasant unsocial evening." Lynn said with a smile. "From now on when I have reason to stop by, I will bring a hammer and beat on the door so you hear it."
"You are welcome to go over the results with me if you like- always good for a cup of coffee or two." Walter said.
"OK, on one condition- tomorrow I can drive the coupe over and you give me a hand- I am putting a new headliner in the coupe and a spare person would be a help. One of the bad things about having Monday and Tuesday off is everyone else is at work when you need an extra set of hands." Lynn said. "Deal?"
"Sounds good," Walter said with a grin as she pulled up in front of the garage. "Come on in and let's do some math."
Walter opened the garage, went to the kitchen to start the coffee then opened the laptop on his desk to check for mail to see a messages from Richard and Joe:
Walter- since the booster did so well, want to check out the entire system? Richard
Mr. O'Brien- attached is the data from today's test- all looks excellent, performance better than expected with the design modifications. Joe Berns
"By the way, this really is my home- live in the loft up-stairs, however, there is a bathroom around here, follow me, I will leave the light on should you need to use it while here. Coffee is generally available here in the kitchen as well as bottles of water in the fridge. Feel free to have anything, no need to ask." He pulled a kitchen chair by the desk and opened the test results folder she originally dropped off.
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