Travels of Jack Pynesapp
Book 2: Red and Jimmy
Chapter 8
Arthur faced Red and smiled; "Concert cancelled?"
Red smiled and shrugged; "Oh, you know. Show biz..."
"Yes, I know 'show' when I see it."
"I guess you do." Red smiled.
"I could use a cup of coffee. If you two would like to join me in the lounge? I'll buy."
Jimmy leaned over red and said; "We tried that once, remember? I think we'll pass." And he sat back in his seat.
.
Arthur smiled at Jimmy; "Okay, suit yourselves." He looked at Red; " I just thought you might like to know why your Grandparents had to rush off."
-----------------------
The Observation car was nearly empty. Four people playing cards at a table towards the rear of the car when Arthur, Red and Jimmy settled in a booth towards the front. The Waitress asked if they wanted anything and Arthur ordered a Decaf. "What would you two like? My treat."
"Just water for me." Red said.
"Decaf is fine." Jimmy said.
"So, let's cut the crap, Okay" Arthur began after the Waitress walked away.
"Good idea, " Red said, "you were going to tell us about or Grandparents."
"In a minute..." Arthur started.
"Okay, let's go." Jimmy said to Red as he started to stand up to leave. "We've been here before."
"Just wait a minute." Arthur protested. "I'll get to that soon enough. What's your hurry anyway? We have a couple hours to kill and I just want to explain a few things."
"Okay, but make it quick." Jimmy sat back down. The waitress brought their drinks and left again.
Arthur sipped his coffee and began again; "First of all, I know where you two are really from and I know that you are not musicians."
"I suppose Billy told you all about that." Red said.
"Ah, you mean William. Yes, he has been a great resource to us since he joined our company. "
"I'll bet."
"But you see, although William does know how to get here and how to get back, he is not the brightest bulb." Arthur smiled at his joke and continued; "He is content to be ignorant as to the mechanism behind what he does."
"But you think we know more than Billy?" Jimmy asked.
"Well you see, I haven't figured that out yet. It doesn't seem to be the case; by what I've seen so far, but that's why I want to talk to you."
"You expect us to tell you anything when you won't be honest with us?" Jimmy asked.
"I have been perfectly honest with you." Arthur protested.
"Hah" Jimmy sneered.
"What do you know about my Grandparents? " Red interrupted. "And why are you interested in them?"
"I'll answer the second question first. When William first came to us we had no idea
what he had done was even possible."
Jimmy interrupted; "When you say 'we', who are you talking about? Who, or what, are 'we'?"
"As I told you before, I have an engineering consulting company and one of our customers is the railroad. The railroad is our main customer, actually. So naturally they are - we are - interested in anything that involves their rail system. They have an exclusive license to the patent on the technology that moves these trains (a patent that my company holds, incidentally) so you can see why we're interested in any other possible applications."
"Like some sort of dimensional portal?" Jimmy said.
"Jimmy!" Red gave Jimmy her best 'shut up' look.
"Yes, that would certainly be interesting." Arthur smiled. "Don't worry Red. Like I said, we know where you are from."
"Well, since you already know everything, why are we sitting here talking?" Jimmy asked.
"Grandpa Jack." Red suggested.
"That's right, Red. Your Grandparents seem to have some information that we would dearly like to have."
"Why don't you ask them, then." Jimmy sneered, "Why bother with us."
"Maybe he already has." Red suggested.
"Yes," Arthur smiled. "we have talked."
"And..." Jimmy asked.
Arthur sighed; "Let's just say; they haven't been very forthright."
"You said you'd tell us where they are." Red insisted. "I think it's time for you to tell us."
"l said I'd tell you why they had to leave. Honestly, I don't know where they are now."
"Jimmy's right, we've waited long enough." Red pulled Jimmy's hand and stood up to leave.
"Your Grandparents have gotten involved with some shady characters here in LA." Arthur said. "These folks have been actively resisting the use the Gravity Drive system we use to power our trains since it's introduction 20 years ago."
"Why?" Jimmy asked.
"They maintain that it's due to fears about it's safety and they site studies that reportedly show that it has long-term adverse effects on the health of the train's passengers."
"Does it?" Jimmy asked.
"We have done extensive research of our own and found no adverse side effects to any living subject either inside the train or in the area surrounding the tracks." Arthur assured. "We have also studied their results and found them to be.." Arthur sighed; "Well, let me just say that we've found their research to be extremely 'suspect'."
"I can see their point, though." Red smiled. "Transporting people from one dimension to another is a pretty major 'side effect', wouldn't you say?"
"You could say that, yes. And we believe that's why your grandparents are working with these folks. This organization can be very convincing -- and they are very well financed. "
"And you're not?" Jimmy said sarcastically.
"No, not really." Arthur protested; "Not compared to these guys. They pretty much own all the media outlets in this country as well as most of the government. "
"But you must be pretty rich, I mean, you own this great technology that seems to power the whole transportation industry. That must bring in tons of money in licensing alone."
"We believe in keeping the price of transportation down so we barely charge anything for licensing and only charge a small rate for our support services. Which leaves next to nothing to pay for lobbying the government or media promotion."
"Assuming what you say is true -- and I'm not sure I can assume that -- what is it that you think we can do?"
"I assume you're on your way home right now. Correct?"
"By home, you mean back to our dimension." Jimmy said.
"Yes."
"Yes, we're heading home." Red agreed.
"Then all that I ask is that you take me with you." Arthur looked at Red and then at Jimmy.
Red and Jimmy looked at each other. A minute passed as the train fell through the night.
The Observation car was nearly empty. Four people playing cards at a table towards the rear of the car when Arthur, Red and Jimmy settled in a booth towards the front. The Waitress asked if they wanted anything and Arthur ordered a Decaf. "What would you two like? My treat."
"Just water for me." Red said.
"Decaf is fine." Jimmy said.
"So, let's cut the crap, Okay" Arthur began after the Waitress walked away.
"Good idea, " Red said, "you were going to tell us about or Grandparents."
"In a minute..." Arthur started.
"Okay, let's go." Jimmy said to Red as he started to stand up to leave. "We've been here before."
"Just wait a minute." Arthur protested. "I'll get to that soon enough. What's your hurry anyway? We have a couple hours to kill and I just want to explain a few things."
"Okay, but make it quick." Jimmy sat back down. The waitress brought their drinks and left again.
Arthur sipped his coffee and began again; "First of all, I know where you two are really from and I know that you are not musicians."
"I suppose Billy told you all about that." Red said.
"Ah, you mean William. Yes, he has been a great resource to us since he joined our company. "
"I'll bet."
"But you see, although William does know how to get here and how to get back, he is not the brightest bulb." Arthur smiled at his joke and continued; "He is content to be ignorant as to the mechanism behind what he does."
"But you think we know more than Billy?" Jimmy asked.
"Well you see, I haven't figured that out yet. It doesn't seem to be the case; by what I've seen so far, but that's why I want to talk to you."
"You expect us to tell you anything when you won't be honest with us?" Jimmy asked.
"I have been perfectly honest with you." Arthur protested.
"Hah" Jimmy sneered.
"What do you know about my Grandparents? " Red interrupted. "And why are you interested in them?"
"I'll answer the second question first. When William first came to us we had no idea
what he had done was even possible."
Jimmy interrupted; "When you say 'we', who are you talking about? Who, or what, are 'we'?"
"As I told you before, I have an engineering consulting company and one of our customers is the railroad. The railroad is our main customer, actually. So naturally they are - we are - interested in anything that involves their rail system. They have an exclusive license to the patent on the technology that moves these trains (a patent that my company holds, incidentally) so you can see why we're interested in any other possible applications."
"Like some sort of dimensional portal?" Jimmy said.
"Jimmy!" Red gave Jimmy her best 'shut up' look.
"Yes, that would certainly be interesting." Arthur smiled. "Don't worry Red. Like I said, we know where you are from."
"Well, since you already know everything, why are we sitting here talking?" Jimmy asked.
"Grandpa Jack." Red suggested.
"That's right, Red. Your Grandparents seem to have some information that we would dearly like to have."
"Why don't you ask them, then." Jimmy sneered, "Why bother with us."
"Maybe he already has." Red suggested.
"Yes," Arthur smiled. "we have talked."
"And..." Jimmy asked.
Arthur sighed; "Let's just say; they haven't been very forthright."
"You said you'd tell us where they are." Red insisted. "I think it's time for you to tell us."
"l said I'd tell you why they had to leave. Honestly, I don't know where they are now."
"Jimmy's right, we've waited long enough." Red pulled Jimmy's hand and stood up to leave.
"Your Grandparents have gotten involved with some shady characters here in LA." Arthur said. "These folks have been actively resisting the use the Gravity Drive system we use to power our trains since it's introduction 20 years ago."
"Why?" Jimmy asked.
"They maintain that it's due to fears about it's safety and they site studies that reportedly show that it has long-term adverse effects on the health of the train's passengers."
"Does it?" Jimmy asked.
"We have done extensive research of our own and found no adverse side effects to any living subject either inside the train or in the area surrounding the tracks." Arthur assured. "We have also studied their results and found them to be.." Arthur sighed; "Well, let me just say that we've found their research to be extremely 'suspect'."
"I can see their point, though." Red smiled. "Transporting people from one dimension to another is a pretty major 'side effect', wouldn't you say?"
"You could say that, yes. And we believe that's why your grandparents are working with these folks. This organization can be very convincing -- and they are very well financed. "
"And you're not?" Jimmy said sarcastically.
"No, not really." Arthur protested; "Not compared to these guys. They pretty much own all the media outlets in this country as well as most of the government. "
"But you must be pretty rich, I mean, you own this great technology that seems to power the whole transportation industry. That must bring in tons of money in licensing alone."
"We believe in keeping the price of transportation down so we barely charge anything for licensing and only charge a small rate for our support services. Which leaves next to nothing to pay for lobbying the government or media promotion."
"Assuming what you say is true -- and I'm not sure I can assume that -- what is it that you think we can do?"
"I assume you're on your way home right now. Correct?"
"By home, you mean back to our dimension." Jimmy said.
"Yes."
"Yes, we're heading home." Red agreed.
"Then all that I ask is that you take me with you." Arthur looked at Red and then at Jimmy.
Red and Jimmy looked at each other. A minute passed as the train fell through the night.
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