Before 24 Billion and Counting

Chapter 14 Part 2 An illusion of presence

Ward had stolen a march on me by sending the manuscript of his find into the lap-top and calling, as was his right, an extraordinary board meeting on Friday at 9 am. Even if I dropped everything now and took a BONOS to Australia and a feeder flight to Auckland I couldn't make it, since Friday 9am there, was only thirteen hours away. 

Well there was more than one way of skinning a cat. I dressed quickly and telephoned for the Office Services section of the Hotel. This was one of their main claims to fame and I soon was talking to a competent looking Asian lady who introduced herself as Shaheen, and asking if they could set me up with a hologram presence at a meeting in Auckland. 

"We can set you up in a holosuite for $EU100 per hour, and a technician in attendance for a further $EU50." she said, brightly. "Will you set up the carrier medium from this end or the other?" 

I thought about this. The less work I had to put on Kelly's plate at short notice the better. I asked, "How much is that going to cost?" 

"There are four alternatives starting at $5 a minute and ending at $20. The first is a packeted satellite connection, this has a variable delay averaging at 10 seconds. Then there is a real time connection by satellite with fixed delay of 4 seconds. Next is a packeted optical fibre link with a variable time delay of 2 seconds. Last and best is real time on the fibre and that has a delay but it's really not detectable in practice, and the data accuracy is incontestable even in law." 

At say two hours connection time it seemed fair enough. It would suit me. I was in for some $EU2800. It would work if the hotel thought my credit was good. So I said, "This end on the optical fibre real time." 

"Could I have your room card please." She examined the details revealed by insertion into her reader. "That will be alright. We will need a contact and someone technically competent to set up with our technician. I'm assuming you have a camera and projector the other end. Although we have an agency in Auckland I don't think we could equip a room at this short notice." 

"Oh yes. We have used it for the occasional presentation but not for a formal board meeting." 

"I must warn you, Mr Berisford, that in English Company Law as it stands, a holographic presence is not counted for decisions on changes of constitution or shareholdings." 

"That's very professional advice. I'm impressed. How about sacking a director?" 

"You could vote on that but it would be an immediate suspension on full pay pending a board meeting where all were actually there in person. I'm not sure if English and New Zealand law are the same so please regard this as a cautionary opinion, not as legal advice." 

"Let me phone my end now before it gets too late." I did something I hated, and rang Kelly at her home. She looked out of the screen at me puzzled, but fortunately in jeans and with a paintbrush in one hand. "I'm desperately sorry Kelly but could you go into the office early tomorrow, and grab hold of Simon from the studio - better still phone him now and get him to go direct to the office, and ring this number and ask for - will it be you Shaheen and at what time?" 

"No it will be Anita Cogan. For a nine o'clock meeting and a system we haven't connected to before I would say 7.30 a.m. if that can be organised." 

"Did you hear that Kelly?" 

"Sure boss - but what are you up to?" 

"Ward Nolan has called an extraordinary board meeting at nine o'clock on Friday morning, and there's no chance I could make it so I'll be there by hologram exchange. Presumably to be awkward he didn't tell you. I only know because he put it on my lap top after I was asleep last night."