Should students be required to take general education course Essay

Should students be required to take general education course - Essay Example specialization courses, understanding of values and cultures goes for a toss (Goessl), till the passed out students realize the pressure of working in multicultural job places. There is more. In 2013, a person trained to be a businessman and an administration manager could not fare well in the post Recession world where he had to revive his father’s business of selling medication. His haste to check the growing debts kept him under stress to the extent that he took to drinking and marijuana that only further worsened his condition. Fact is life after college is filled with challenges. Some of these challenges come up in daily life while some come up in emergencies like the Global Recession. Today’s world is more dynamic and is built on the foundation that economic growth is not possible without an all-round approach to ethical, environmental, and educational investments that society at large needs to undertake. We have ignored the balance long enough, and we are the ones to have paid the price. Children growing up in today’s world understand that unless a multi-dimensional approach to education is adopted then surviving the various pressures of post-education life is not possible. However, by the time college education reckons, the expectations of teenagers and adolescents change and in their impatience to finish studies fast, a concentrated approach is what most students prefer to adopt. Students entering the portals of college life always begin by selecting the subjects of their preference and try to stick to them. However, mid-way through their studies they realize that the subject they have chosen may not be suitable for them and that is when they opt to look for a change in subjects or elective. An irony of the Western education policy is that school life does not offer the general education that empowers students to take a right decision and make a wise choice basing on their own strong points. School curricula are mostly designed to allow the

Discussion Board 4-2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board 4-2 - Assignment Example Credit cards can be used as well. Once the Board recommends the issuance of a license, the license issuance fee of $100 or $250 should be submitted. Also, A copy of one’s driver’s license or social security card and current fingerprint clearance from the Department of Public Safety must be provided as well as one’s Social Security number on the application form. An official copy of any required examination and a self-query form acquired from the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) should be submitted in their unopened envelopes with the application packet. To meet these requirements, I would need to study hard and review well for my board exam. I would also need to ensure I do not commit any criminal acts in order to have a clean result when I get my fingerprint clearance. I should also make sure that I have enough money saved up to pay for the required fees. Most importantly, I would need to make myself emotionally, physically and psychologically ready going through these steps because this is really the start of my

Nervous Systems And Sensory Organs

Nervous Systems And Sensory Organs You take a needle and prick your finger, your response is probably to get your finger away from the needlepoint quickly and maybe yell ouch. You take the same needle and poke a protist, sponge, cnidarian, or worm with it and they will all probably exhibit a similar response, at least they will all retreat. But how can this be possible? Protists are unicellular organisms that dont have a system to communicate after coming in contact with a stimulus. Similarly, sponges just sit on a rock all day, they also dont have any nervous functions. Cnidarians on the other hand have a nerve net, but how do they coordinate responses without a brain? All of these questions, along with how body plans relate to nervous system evolution, will be answered as this paper explores the evolution of the nervous system and sense organs from protists to the vertebrates. The Protists The classification of protozoans has been changed a lot through time. Cavalier-Smith (1993) came up with what he called the simplest definition of the kingdom Protozoa. They are eukaryotes, other than those that primitively lack mitochondria and peroxisomes, which lack the shared derived characters that define the higher derived kingdoms of Animalia, Fungi, and Plantae (Cavalier-Smith, 1993). Even though protozoans are simple unicellular organisms, they can still respond to many of the same stimuli higher order organisms respond too. Take for example that science class most students have. You put paramecium under a microscope and try to touch them with a probe, or watch their response to the light from the microscope. Most of the time when the anterior membrane of Paramecium is mechanically stimulated the ciliary power stroke reorients so the cell swims backwards, or retreats (Ogura Machemer, 1980). If the posterior membrane is stimulated the cilia beat towards the rear, causing the organism to move forward (Ogura Machemer, 1980). The light from the microscope can affect both the photoreceptors and thermoreceptors of the protists. The unicellular alga Euglena shows two regions of peak sensitivity to light during photokinesis at 465 nm and then again near 630 nm and during phototaxis 490-500 nm (Leys et al., 2002). Euglena is phototactic and its system consists of locomotory flagellum, an eyespot, and a photoreceptor (Gualtieri, 2001). As the organism moves, the eyespot senses the amount of light that reaches it and therefore pushes the Euglena in the direction of more light (Gualtieri, 2001). But moving towards light also means a change in temperature, especially if the light source is close to the organism. Paramecium cells are themo-sensitive and tend to accumulate at temperatures they were cultured at (Toyoda et al., 2009). They become used to their membrane fluidity at this temperature, and small temperatures changes drastically change this fluidity (Toyoda et al., 2001). If the temperatures change too much the Paramecium will retreat away from the heat in order to survive (Hennessey, Saimi, Kung, 1983). Protists also have chemosensory responses to certain odorants and tastes. Rodgers, Markle, and Hennessey (2008) found G-protein coupled receptors in the Paramecium. They tested whether Paramecium and Tetrahymena could respond to the common higher order organisms odorants and tastants (Rodgers, Markle, Hennessey, 2008). If they are affected by the odorants or tastants they will do an avoiding reaction, which can be seen when the organism is leaving an attractant or enters a repellent (Valentine, Yano, Van Houten, 2008). The Tetrahymena was more sensitive and could detect all of the tastants sampled, while Paramecium only detected four or the ten (Rodgers, Markle, Hennessey, 2008). Since Paramecium feed on bacteria Valentine, Yano, and Van Houten (2008) showed that they are attracted to bacterial metabolites such as, folate, acetate, glutamate, cyclic AMP, Biotin, and Ammonium. So an organism without a nervous system or sense organs has the ability to respond to many of the same env ironmental factors that higher order organisms respond too. Poriferia Similar to the protozoans, sponges lack definite body symmetry and also lack nerves and cell junctions, allowing no communication between cells (Leys et al., 2002). Sponges do respond to both light and mechanical stimuli. Recently, some sponges have been found to respond to light by contracting their cilia (Leys et al., 2002). Most larvae, via their cilia, are sensitive to light near 440 nm and again at 600 nm causing them to respond by straightening and bending (Leys et al., 2002). Although sponges lack neurons they are sedimentary feeders and therefore need ways of dealing with excessive particulates in their feeding currents (Tompkins-MacDonald Leys, 2008). Cellular sponges have the ability to close the openings to their incurrent canals, constrict the size of their intake canals, and even carry out a series of slow contractions that expel unwanted material (Tompkins-MacDonald Leys, 2008). The syncytial tissues of glass sponges allow action potentials initiated at single or mult iple sites to propagate through the entire animal, stopping the feeding current (Tompkins-MacDonald Leys, 2008). When Tompkins-MacDonald and Leys (2008) tested this response they found that by probing the interal body wall, allowing light to touch the outer body wall, or by knocking on the outer body wall pumping was stopped. This shows that a sponge, although not having an nerves or cell junctions can still respond to its environment. Cnidaria and Ctenophora Cnidaria and Ctenophora are the most basally branching lineages with specialized sense organs. The Cnidaria are radially symmetrical and have a nerve net where the sensor and ganglionic neurons and their processes are interspersed among the epithelial cells of both layers (Watanabe, Fujisawa, Holstein, 2009). Sensory structures that form part of epidermis are found in all animal phyla. Cnidarian neurons do not cluster to form a central nervous system or ganglia, which is why the nerve net is considered the simplest nervous system (Sarnat Netsky, 2002). In cnidarians sensory structures consist of naked sensory neurons whose dendrite is formed by a modified cilium (Jacobs et al., 2007). Sensilla are individual sensory neurons, or small groupings of sensory neurons, that typically function in one of the following; light detection, mechanoreception, and chemoreception (Jacobs et al., 2007). Photoreception and chemoreception involve G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and membrane ion c hannels, similar to what was observed in the protists (Jacobs et al., 2007). Jacobs et al. (2007) believes that sense organs and kidneys in bilterians may have evolved from groupings of choanocytes in sponges. Cnidarian sense organs are usually associated with the free swimming form that resembles a jellyfish (Jacobs et al., 2007). Neural regionalization is most evident in the medusozoans that have rhopalia , an eye system with lenses (Watanabe, Fujisawa, Holstein, 2009). Other cnidarians contain simple eyes. A statocyst is a dense array of mechanosensory cells that serve as a touch plate (Jacob et al., 2007). In most cnidarians the rhopalia, sense organ, alternate with tentacles, appendages, similar to how vertebrates have organs associated with appendages (Jacobs et al., 2007). Photoreceptors responsible for contractions in Hydra in response to blue light at 470 nm, are consistent in spectral location and shape with a rhodopsin-based photoreceptive system (Leys et al., 2002). One of the newest findings deal with coral larvae and their exterior cilia being able to detect and respond to underwater sound fields (Vermeij et al., 2010). Vermeij et al. (2010) setup six chambers directed towards underwater speakers playing day and night reef sounds. Free-swimming coral larvae moved predominately towards the speakers independent of chamber orientation (Vermeij et al., 2010). This study was done because fish larvae used it as well. Platyhelminthes The flatworms have true bilateral symmetry (Reuter Gustafsson, 1995). Some flatworms have a nerve net like Cnidarians. Others have a central nervous system that consists of anterior ganglia, the brain, and one or several pairs of longitudinal nerve cords that are connected in a ladder-like configuration (Reuter Gustafsson, 1995). The peripheral nervous system is just a meshwork of nerves that are interconnected to the central nervous system (Reuter Gustafsson, 1995). Platyhelminthes has eyes, a light sensing organ, on the dorsal side of the body composed of two cell types: pigment cells and photoreceptor cells (Inoue et al., 2004). The pigment cells form an eye-cup while the visual neurons are located outside the eye-cup (Inoue et al., 2004). The eyes do not allow Planarians to see distinct images, but allows them to be repulsed by bright light, a condition known as negative phototrophism (Hyde, 2003). Not only does the head bear a pair of eyes, but a also a pair of ear-like lobes called auricles. Auricles have nothing to do with hearing; instead they are involved in mechanoreception, chemoreception, and pressure reception (Hyde, 2003). Nematodes Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been established as a genetic and genomic model organism (Zhang, 2008). C. elegans does not have a visual or auditory system so it depends on chemosensation to detect bacteria to feed on (Zhang, 2008). C. elegans has exactly 302 neurons, 32 of which are chemosensory because they have ciliated endings that are directly exposed to their external environment (Troemel et al., 1995). Free-living nematodes use amphids and phasmids as sensory structures to seek food and avoid harmful situations, while parasitic nematodes use amphids to actively or passively see a host (Srinivasan, Durak, Sternberg, 2008). Amphids are either enclosed in the amphid sheath or exposed to the environment (Zhang, 2008). Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides), a larger nematode, contains 298 neurons (Srinivasan, Durak, Sternberg, 2008). Each group of neurons reacts to certain stimuli. For example, some respond to salt (ASE chemosensory neurons), others respond to volatile al dehydes, ketones, and alcohols (AWC olfactory neurons), and yet others respond to chemical, mechanical, and osmotic stimuli (ASH neurons) (Srinivasan, Durak, Sternberg, 2008; Troemel et al., 1995). Mollusks, Annelids, and Arthropods There are three different nervous systems seen in mollusks alone. Bivalves tend to have no cephalization, while slowing moving mollusks have some cephalization, primary to connect senses and motor information while moving through the environment (Gregory, 2006). The cephalopods require complex sense organs and so they are highly cephalized Gregory, 2006). The cephalopods are known for their well-developed eye, that functions almost exactly like the human eye, which is why they such good eye sight (Oceanic Research Group, 2007). Annelids and Arthropods have repeating segments and an anterior brain. Each segment contains its own ganglion, which controls the muscles of that segment (Gregory, 2006). The nerve cord of both phylum runs directly through all of the segments (Gregory, 2006). These two were grouped together because they are very similar in function for being two different phyla. Vertebrates Amphioxous, part of the phylum chordata, are only capable of a few reflexive responses. They do not have the ability to recognize tactile stimuli, so all stimuli are interpreted as a threat and the organism curls away in defense (Sarnat Netsky, 2002). This reaction demonstrates how neurons that feel the stimuli on one side of the body are transmitted and affect motor neurons on the other side of the body (Sarnat Netsky, 2002). The neuron that served this function was known as the decussating interneuron (Sarnat Netsky, 2002). This is the underlying groundwork of the vertebrate nervous systems. Vertebrates have bilateral symmetry, complex sense organs and complex behaviors, requiring a very cephalized, complex nervous system. Vertebrates consist of two nervous systems, the Central and Peripheral. The central nervous system (CNS) contains the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is composed of the nerves running through the body. The CNS has been conservative in its evolution, especially when looking at the senses of the vertebrates (Hodos Butler, 1997). The receptor types are either monopolar or pseudomonopolar neurons, each consist of parallel pathways connecting the receptors to the primary central neurons, which are located inside the sense organs where the stimuli is processed (Hodos Butler, 1997). Nerves are bundles of neurons, without cells bodies (Gregory, 2006). Most nerves contain both sensory and motor abilities (Gregory, 2006). There are both cranial and spinal nerves. There are multiple cranial nerves in all vertebrates, with humans having 12, and they are responsible for both sensory and motor information (Brown, 2003). The nerves are numbered using roman numerals from 1 to 12 (Brown, 2003). Brown (2003) described all of the following cranial nerves. Cranial nerve I is the olfactory nerve and it carries the sense of smell to the olfactory bulb of the brain. Cranial nerve II is the optic nerve and it carries visual information to the brain. Cranial nerve III is the oculomotor nerve and it provides motor ability to the four-extrinisic eye muscles, muscles of the upper eyelid, and intrinsic eye muscles. Cranial nerve IV is the trochlear nerve and it gives motor ability to the superior oblique eye muscle. Cranial nerve V is the trigeminal nerve and it provides sensory info rmation from the face, forehead, nasal cavity, tongue, gums and teeth. Cranial nerve VI is the abducens nerve gives motor ability to the lateral rectus muscle of the extrinisic eye. VII is the Facial nerve that provides humans with facial expressions. VIII is the vestibulocochlear nerve and it innervates the hair cell receptors of the inner ear. IX or the glossopharyngeal nerve moves the pharynx, soft palate, and posterior region of the tongue. X is the vagus nerve, it is the longest nerve, and provides sense transports from the ear to the taste buds to the throat. Cranial nerve XI is the spinal accessory nerve and it is involved in swallowing and powering muscle movement for the upper shoulders, head, and neck. Lastly, XII is the hypoglossal nerve and it moves the muscles of the tongue (Brown, 2003). As you can see the ability for control of all of these senses and movements makes for a very complex nervous, something that was never seen in earlier organisms. The spinal nerves are connected directly to the spinal cord by two roots, the dorsal (strictly sensory) and ventral (strictly motor) (Gregory, 2006). All of the above are seen in the PNS, which is then subdivided into the Somatic and Autonomic Nervous System. The Somatic Nervous System is the voluntary system, including all of the nerves that serve the skeletal muscles and exterior sense organs (Gregory, 2006). Reflexes are also seen in this nervous system. Just like in the lower organisms, vertebrates respond to stimuli. Except vertebrates have a much more complex stimulus-reflex system. Remember how a Paramecium came in contact with a stimulus and retreated until adaptation occurred? Vertebrates have the ability to think about coming in contact with a stimulus, they dont have to come in contact with everything they see because they have the somatic nervous system (Gregory, 2006). The other subdivision is the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for actions without conscious control; examples are heart beating and smooth muscle actions (Gregory, 2006). Everything in the PNS needs a place to send its information too and that is why there is the central nervous system. In the more primitive animals the brain, or ganglia, was there to simply send out reflexes to external stimuli (Gregory, 2006). The vertebrates have evolved a very complex brain because they have the ability to respond to reflexes, hold memory, learn, and think (Gregory, 2006). The brain has three divisions, the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain. The important portion when talking about senses is the midbrain because it receives sensory information and sends it to the forebrain to be processed (Gregory, 2006). In fishes and amphibians it is geared towards reflexes associated with visual input (Gregory, 2006). The cerebrum in reptiles, birds, and mammals receives sensory information and coordinates motor responses (Gregory, 2006). There are four lobes the frontal (motor functions), parietal (sensory receptors from skin), occipital (vision), and temporal (hearing and sm elling) (Gregory, 2006). Similar to decussating interneuron in Amphixous, vertebrates have the corpus callosum that contains neurons that cross from one side of the brain to the other, allowing communication between both sides (Gregory, 2006). Conclusion Bioluminescence is when luciferase catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin to excited oxyluciferin that then relaxes to produce a visible photon (Akilesh, 2000). The most common colors for bioluminescence are blue and green, although red and violet can be seen as well (Akilesh, 2000). Bioluminescence was developed in order to protect the organism. For example dinoflagellates flash their light during night or dark cycles to distract predators and reveal their predator to higher predators (Akilesh, 2000). Another example is the cookie-cutter shark, whose belly lights up, and is covered during the day by another organ. When the shark swims up in the waters its neck does not have the bioluminescence and so it appears to be a small fish and when bigger predators get close it attacks (Akilesh, 2000). Bioluminescence is seen more in aquatic organisms, probably because it is more beneficial to them in the mercy waters. This paper talked about the different phylum from protists all the way to vertebrates. Protists being unicellular and having no nervous system still had the ability to respond to many different kinds of environmental stimuli. Sponges have no symmetry and they are also able to respond to environmental stimuli, although usually larvae respond to more. Cnidarians have radial symmetry and therefore a corresponding nerve net, which helps them respond to environmental stimuli. Platelyhelminthes are the first to have bilateral symmetry and to go along with that their nervous system extends the length of its body, with centralization in the head, or anterior end. They also have to ganglia at the end of each nerve cord and the nerve cords are connected to allow both sides of the body to move together. The mollusks have a wide range of diversity in their nervous systems, ranging from nerve nets to highly cephalized cephalopods. The segmentation of annelids and arthropods allows each segment to be controlled individually but the nerve cord still runs through each segment. The vertebrates have the most evolved nervous system. This is because they have the ability to respond to stimuli, hold memory, learn, and think. This means that we dont have to come in contact with everything in the environment to understand it. The more complex a body plan becomes the more complex the corresponding nervous system becomes as well. A simple body plan doesnt have the room to house a huge brain, and therefore simple or no nervous systems are seen. Literature Cited Akilesh, S. (2000). Bioluminescence: Natures Bright Idea. Retrieved from: dujs.dartmouth.edu/2000S/06-Biolumen.pdf Brown, W. (2003). Cranial Nerves. Retrieved from http://www.pitt.edu/~anat/Neuro/CranialNerves/CN.htm Cavalier-Smith, T. (1993). Kingdom Protozoa and Its 18 Phyla. Microbiological Reviews, 57(4), 953-994 Gregory, M. (2006) The Nervous System: Organization, Overview of Nervous System in the Animal Kingdom [PDF document] Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20102/bio%20102%20lectures/nervous%20system/nervous1.htm Gualtieri, P. (2001). Morphology of photoreceptor systems in microalgae. Micron, 411-426 Hennessey, T.M., Saimi, Y., and Kung, C. (1983). A heat-induced depolarization of Paramecium and its relationship to thermal avoidance behavior. J. Comp. Physiol., 153, 39-46 Hodos, W. and Butler, A.B. (1997). Evolution of Sensory Pathways in Vertebrates. Brain Behav Evol, 50, 189-197 Hyde, K. (2003). Chapter 6: The Flatworms. An Inside View of Animals: Zoology, 3rd ed., 121. Inoue, T., Kumanoto, H., Okamoto, K., Umesono, Y., Sakai, M., Alvarado, A.S., and Agata, K. (2004). Morphological and Functional Recovery of the Planarian Photosensing System during Head Regeneration. Zoological Science, 21, 275-283. Jacobs, D.K., Nakanishi, N., Yuan, D., Camara, A., Nichols, S.A., and Hartenstein, V. (2007). Evolution of sensory structures in basal metazoa. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 47(5), 712-723 Leys, S.P, Cronin, T.W., Degnan, B.M., and Marshall, J.N. (2002). Spectral sensitivity in a sponge larva. J Comp Physiol A, 188, 199-202 Oceanic Reasearch Group. (2007). The Wonders of the sea: The snail and its relatives. Retrieved from http://www.oceanicresearch.org/education/wonders/mollusk.html Ogura, A., and Machemer, H. (1980). Distribution of Mechanoreceptor Channels in the Paramecium surface membrane. J. Comp. Physiol., 135, 233-242 Reuter, M., and Gustafsson, M.K.S. (1995). The flatworm nervous system: Pattern and phylogeny. The Nervous System of Invertebrates: An evolutionary and comparative approach. Pg.25-59. Rodgers, L.F., Markle, K.L, and Hennessey, T.M. (2008). Responses of the Ciliates Tetrahymena and Paramecium to Vertebrate Odorants and Tastants. J. Eukaryot. Mircobiol., 55(1), 27-33. Sarnat, H.B., and Netsky, M.G. (2002). When Does a Ganglion Become a Brain? Evolutionary Origin of the Central Nervous System. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 9(4), 240-253 Srinivasan, J., Durak, O., and Strenberg, P.W. (2008). Evolution of a polymodal sensory response network. BMC Biology, 6(52), 1-15 Thompkins-MacDonald, G.J., and Leys, S.P. (2008). Glass sponges arrest pumping in response to sediment: implications for the physiology of the hexactinellid conduction system. Mar Biol,154,973-984 Toyoda, T., Hiramatsu, Y., Sasaki, T., Nakaoka, Y. (2009). Thermo-sensitive response based on the membrane fluidity adaptation in Paramecium multimicronucleatum. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 212, 2767-2772 Troemel, E.R., Chou, J.H., Dwyer, N.D., Colbert, H.A., and Bargmann, C.I. (1995). Divergent Seven transmembrane receptors are candidate chemosensory receptors in C. elegans. Cell, 83, 207-218 Valentine, M., Yano, J., and Van Houten, J.L. (2008). Chemosensory Transduction in Paramecium. Jpn. J. Protozool., 41(1) Vermeij, M.J.A., Marhaver, K.L., Huijbers, C.M., Nagelkerken, I., Simpson, S.D. (2010). Coral Larvae move towards reef sounds. PLoS One, 5(5) Watanabe, H., Fujisawa, T., and Holstein, T.W. (2009). Cnidarians and the evolutionary origin of the nervous system. Develop. Growth Differ., 51, 167-183 Zhang, Y. (2008). Neuronal mechanisms of Caenorhabditis elegans and pathogenic bacteria interactions. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 11, 257-261

Spanish Painters :: essays research papers

Spanish painter, the country's greatest baroque artist, who, with Francisco de Goya and El Greco, forms the great triumvirate of Spanish painting. Velà ¡zquez was born in Seville on June 6, 1599, the oldest of six children; both his parents were from the minor nobility. Between 1611 and 1617 the young Velà ¡zquez worked as an apprentice to Francisco Pacheco, a Sevillian Mannerist painter who became Velà ¡zquez's father-in-law. During his student years Velà ¡zquez absorbed the most popular contemporaneous styles of painting, derived, in part, from both Flemish and Italian realism. Many of his earliest paintings show a strong naturalist bias, as does The Meal, which may have been his first work as an independent master after passing the examination of the Guild of Saint Luke. This painting belongs to the first of three categories—the bodegà ³n, or kitchen piece, along with portraits and religious scenes—into which his youthful works, executed between about 1617 and 1623, may be placed. In his kitchen pieces, a few figures are combined with studied still-life objects, as in Water Seller of Seville. The masterly effects of light and shadow, as well as the direct observation of nature, make inevitable a comparison with the work of the Italian painter Caravaggio. Velà ¡zquez's religious paintings, images of simple piety, portray models drawn from the streets of Seville, as Pacheco states in his biography of Velà ¡zquez. In Adoration of the Magi, for example, the artist painted his own family in the guise of biblical figures, including a self-portra it as well. Velà ¡zquez was also well acquainted with members of the intellectual circles of Seville. Pacheco was the director of an informal humanist academy; at its meetings the young artist was introduced to such people as the great poet Luis de Gà ³ngora y Argote, whose portrait he executed in 1622. Such contact was important for Velà ¡zquez's later work on mythological and classical subjects. In 1622 Velà ¡zquez made his first trip to Madrid, to see the royal painting collections, but more likely in an unsuccessful search for a position as court painter. In 1623, however, he returned to the capital and, after executing a portrait of the king, was named official painter to Philip IV. The portrait was the first among many such sober, direct renditions of the king, the royal family, and members of the court. Indeed, throughout the later 1620s, most of his efforts were dedicated to portraiture. Mythological subjects would at times occupy his attention, as in Bacchus or The Drinkers.

Commercial Partnership Essay

The partnership en nom collectif, the partnership en commandite and the company are the three kinds of commercial partnerships which may be established under the Companies Act. Explain the main features of each. Why do you think the company is the most widely used vehicle to do business with? Introduction Commercial partnerships in Malta are regulated by The Maltese Companies Act which came into effect on the 1st January 1995 in order â€Å"to regulate†¦limited liability companies and other commercial partnerships†. In fact, when one wants to set up a commercial partnership in Malta the Act provides a number of possible legal structures. The Act stipulates that, â€Å"A commercial partnership may be of the following kinds: a partnership en nom collectif; a partnership en commandite; and a company (limited liability company)†. The purpose for which the commercial partnership may be formed is regulated by the Act which provides that a partnership en nom collectif and a partnership en commandite may be formed for the exercise of one or more acts of trade. Under the Commercial Partnerships Ordinance, this provision applied also to a limited liability company however under the provisions of the Act in force today, â€Å"a company may be formed for any lawful purpose and shall have the status of a public company; or a private company.† This means that a company may not necessarily be set up for the purposes of trading. Any lawful purpose is sufficient in order to set up a limited liability company. The Partnership En Nom Collectif Article 7 of the Companies Act defines the partnership en nom collectif as one which â€Å"†¦may be formed by two or more partners and operates under a partnership name and has its obligations guaranteed by the unlimited and joint and several liability of all the partners.† The formation of a partnership en nom collectif requires that every partner gives his contribution in money or in kind or in future personal services. The totality of the contributions constitutes the original capital of the partnership en nom collectif. In a partnership en nom collectif all the partners are unlimitedly liable. The above definition highlights the fundamental elements of a partnership en nom collectif. It may be formed by two or more partners; it must operate under a partnership name; and the partners are unlimitedly, joint and severally liable for all the obligations of the partnership. The partnership-name is the name under which the business is carried on and the obligations are entered into. It is the name by which the partnership and the legal entity created by such name are known to the public and it represents the external manifestation of the juridical distinction between the legal personality of the partnership and the members composing it. The unlimited liability of the partners for the obligations of the partnership is an essential characteristic of the partnership en nom collectif which distinguishes it from the other forms of commercial partnerships. In a partnership en nom collectif, each and every partner is liable for all the debts and obligations of the partnership with all his property present and future and not only up to the amount contributed by him to the partnership. Due to the unlimited liability of each and every partner, creditors of the partnership may enforce their claims against any of the partners and this even where such claims exceed the amount contributed or promised as contribution by the said partner. The joint and several liability of the partners for the obligations of the partnership means that the partner against whom an action is brought for the recovery of a sum due by the partnership may not plead the benefit of discussion of any of the other partners. However, one of the provisos to Article 7 states that, â€Å"no action shall lie against the individual partners unless the property of the partnership has first been discussed.† Therefore a creditor looking for a payment has to first go to the property of the partnership itself as an entity before its individual partners. Only in the absence of sufficient partnership assets can the creditor go to the individual partners. A partnership is legally valid when partners enter into an agreement called the â€Å"deed of partnership.† The deed of partnership has to be entered into, signed and sent to the registrar and thus duly registered by the Registrar of Companies. The next step would be the issued of â€Å"a certificate of registration† and this can be described as the act of birth of the partnership because it is at this point that the latter comes into being. Article 14 of the Companies Act shall state : (a) the name and residence of each of the partners; (b) the partnership-name; (c) the registered office in Malta of the partnership; (d) the objects of the partnership, that is to say, whether the objects are trade in general or a particular branch of trade, and in the latter case, the nature of the trade; (e) the contribution of each of the partners, specify the value of the respective contribution of every partner; (f) the period if any fixed for the duration of the partnership. The Partnership En Commandite In a partnership en commandite there must be at least one general partner and one limited partner. The general partner has to guarantee all the obligations of the partnership unlimitedly whereas the limited partner enjoys limited liability up till the payment of his share. Article 51 of the Act defines a partnership en commandite as one which â€Å"operates under a partnership name and has its obligations guaranteed by the unlimited and joint and several liability of one or more partners, called general partners, and by the liability, limited to the amount, if any unpaid on the contribution, of one or more partners, called limited partners.† From the definition, it is clear that this partnership shares a number of similar characteristics with the partnership en nom collectif. What has been said with regard to the partnership name when dealing with the partnership en nom collectif applies also to the characteristics of the partnership en commandite. In addition Article 53 of the Act states that â€Å"a person who holds himself out as being a general partner shall be held liable unlimitedly and jointly and severally with the general partners for all the obligations contracted by the partnership.† Therefore, if a partner makes believe that he is a general partner, then he will be treated as such. Furthermore, Article 53(2) of the Act provides that â€Å"the inclusion in the partnership name of the name of a person who is not a partner shall be taken into account by the Court in determining whether such person is holding himself out as being a partner.† Therefore the partnership name can only include the name of the general partner, otherwise if a limited person added his name, he would be deemed to be holding himself out as being a general part ner. These same provisions are applicable also to a partnership en nom collectif through Article 18 of the Companies Act. The co-existence in the partnership of one or more general and one or more limited partners distinguishes the partnership en commandite from the partnership en nom collectif and from the limited liability company. The liability of the general partners is similar to that of the partners in en nom collectif, that is unlimited and joint and several. The liability of the limited partners is defined by law as â€Å"†¦limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the contribution and in no case are limited partners bound to restore profits received in good faith’’. The Company (Limited Liability Company) A limited liability company is defined as being one, â€Å"formed by means of a capital divided into shares held by its members. The members’ liability is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares respectively held by each of them.† From the said definition the most important characteristic and benefit of a limited liability company is highlighted, that is, the limited liability of all the members composing the company. The limitation of liability of the members of a company forms the exceptional legal characteristic of this kind of partnership. The limitation of liability is a valued privilege in itself and as long as it is operated legally and within the terms of the Companies Act, the personal assets of directors or shareholders are not at risk. However, due to this privilege, there are a number of provisions, aimed at preventing possible abuses. Article 68 of the Act provides that, â€Å"A company shall not be validly constituted under this Act unless a memorandum of association is entered into and subscribed by at least two persons, and a certificate of registration is issued in respect thereof†. The memorandum will include all the information about the company deemed necessary to lessen opportunities for abuse. â€Å"When the memorandum or the articles are drawn up in a public deed or in a private writing enrolled in the records of a notary public, an authentic copy thereof shall be delivered in lieu of the original.† On receiving the above-named documents, the duty of the Registrar is to examine them and, on being satisfied that all the requirements prescribed by law have been compiled with he will issue the certificate of registration. These measures and provisions will strengthen the credit and reputation of the company. â€Å"The choice of company names is restricted and, providing a chosen name complies with the rules, no-one else can use it.† Article 4 of the Companies Act provides that â€Å"A company shall not be registered by a name which (a) is the same as a name of another commercial partnership or so nearly similar as in the opinion of the Registrar it could create confusion:† Therefore no two limited companies can exist with exactly the same name. It is essential for the company to have a share capital and that the amount of such capital is stated and divided into shares of a fixed amount which according to Article 69(f) of the Act, must be stated in the memorandum. The said article states that, â€Å"the amount of share capital with which the company proposes to be registered (hereinafter referred to as â€Å"the authorised capital†), the division thereof into shares of a fixed amount.† The law also makes it impossible for a company to issue shares with variable share capital. This is only possible in the case of a SICAV which is an investment company with a variable share capital. â€Å"†¦Where a private company is an investment company with variable share capital, the name of the company shall be followed by the words â€Å"investment company with variable share capital† or by â€Å"SICAV†, followed by the words â€Å"private limited company†, †limited† or its abbreviatio n (ltd).† A company can either be a private or public company. The company must have a name under which it can operate and enter into legal relationships with third parties. Article 70 of the Act states that â€Å"†¦. A public company may be designated by any name but such name must end with the words â€Å"public limited company† or their abbreviation â€Å"p.l.c.† A private company may be designated by any name, but such name shall end with the words â€Å"private limited company† or the words â€Å"limited† or its abbreviation â€Å"Ltd†. The memorandum of association has to state whether it is a public or a private company. The public company may be listed or non-listed on the stock-exchange. It stands to reason that this would not be possible for a private company because its shares cannot be made available to the public at large. The members of a company manifest their wishes at general meetings by voting for or against proposed resolutions and as a rule the will of the majority of the members prevails and is binding on all. An important issue to address is deciding which form of business partnership to use. In practice, the limited liability company is the most popular commercial partnership. â€Å"First and foremost, the principal benefit of trading via a limited company has always been the limited liability bestowed upon the company’s officers and shareholders.† Before the concept of limited liability many people who had a substantial amount of resources would be reluctant to form a partnership due to the fear of losing everything as a result of the company’s losses. With the introduction of limited liability that person knows that he is only liable up to the amount he has invested and therefore only that amount is at risk and not all of his property. Therefore, this low risk of limited liability encourages greater investment. Once a Company builds a good reputation, it even increases the value of its goodwill with the result of being more in demand for investment continuity. Another fact which promotes the use of a limited liability company is that the creditors who deal with companies know that they are dealing with a company whose shareholders’ liability is limited, namely from the fact that it has (Ltd) at the end of its name. The creditors thus know what they are going in for and know what the repercussions are if they enter into transactions with limited liabilities and therefore if they have doubts, they should not enter any contracts in the first place. Just like all the rest of the commercial partnerships, the Limited Liability Company is a separate person. A shareholder in the company is just a person who has just acquired shares but is a separate person from the company. The company and the share holder are not one and the same thing and therefore the latter cannot be responsible for the obligations entered into by the company. In the Commercial Partnership Ordinance under Section 4(2) it was spelt out that â€Å"a commercial partnership has a legal personality distinct from that of its members.† Nowadays, even a single member company has a separate juridical personality. Another advantage of forming a company is that once a company is formed it continues despite the death, resignation or bankruptcy of management and members. Since the limited liability company is considered a lasting legal entity â€Å"a company can only be terminated by winding up, liquidation or other order of the courts or Registrar of Companies.† Another reason why it is of an advantage to form a limited liability company is that it is easy to secure new shareholders and investors. A public company which is in need of money or wishes to invest in another business enterprise can be listed in the stock exchange and acquire the needed finance by means of trading by other shareholders or investors, hence the ownership of a company can be divided among several owners in the form of shares of stock. The issue, transfer or sales of shares is regulated by the Companies Act. With a limited liability company, the process of borrowing money from a bank is much easier. On registration with the MFSA the company is a legal person in accordance with the Companies Act and consequently the bank will open an account and â€Å"can secure its loan against certain assets of the business or against the business as a whole.† When setting up a company business partners do not pay tax on their individual income but on a corporate level on company profits which may constitute benefits and allowance. In addition companies are approved better beneficiary pension schemes which consequently are offered to the employees of the company. Since the introduction of the limited liability company a total number of 52,000 companies where registered with the Malta Financial Services Authority, while only around 1,300 partnerships were registered. These statistics prove that it is the best decision one can make to carry out a business in the form of a limited liability company. In conclusion, a legal limited liability company helps you gain from a number of advantage mentioned above while you can limit your personal liability and protect your personal assets. Bibliography Statutory Sources * Chapter 386 of the Laws of Malta, Companies Act (1995) * Commercial Partnerships Ordinance Internet Sources and websites * Coddan. Advantages And Benefits Of A Limited Company.. Available: http://www.ukincorp.co.uk/s-46-uk-company-formation-benefits.html. Last accessed 4th May, 2011 * European Commission. (02/2010). Legal Requirements. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/business/starting-business/setting-up/malta/index_en.htm. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * Focus Business Services. (1998-2011). Registration Process of a Malta Company. Available: http://www.fbsmalta.com/malta-company-law-full-text-and-formation-procedure-2 /registration-process-malta-company/. Last accessed 7th May, 2011 * QUBE Services Limited. Maltese Bodies Corporate. Available: http://www.qubeservices.com/01types.asp. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * RSM Malta. Services. Available: http://www.rsmmalta.com.mt/company-formation.aspx. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * tutor2u. advantages of a limited liability. Available: http://tutor2u.net/business/finance/legal_company_advantages.htm. Last accessed 7th May, 2011. * http://www.commonlii.org/mt/legis/consol_act/cpo307.pdf

Digital Fortress Chapter 81-84

Chapter 81 Becker stood bleary-eyed beside the telephone booth on the terminal concourse. Despite his burning face and a vague nausea, his spirits were soaring. It was over. Truly over. He was on his way home. The ring on his finger was the grail he'd been seeking. He held his hand up in the light and squinted at the gold band. He couldn't focus well enough to read, but the inscription didn't appear to be in English. The first symbol was either a Q, an O, or a zero, his eyes hurt too much to tell. Becker studied the first few characters. They made no sense. This was a matter of national security? Becker stepped into the phone booth and dialed Strathmore. Before he had finished the international prefix, he got a recording. â€Å"Todos los circuitos estan ocupados,† the voice said. â€Å"Please hang up and try your call later.† Becker frowned and hung up. He'd forgotten: Getting an international connection from Spain was like roulette, all a matter of timing and luck. He'd have to try again in a few minutes. Becker fought to ignore the waning sting of the pepper in his eyes. Megan had told him rubbing his eyes would only make them worse; he couldn't imagine. Impatient, he tried the phone again. Still no circuits. Becker couldn't wait any longer-his eyes were on fire; he had to flush them with water. Strathmore would have to wait a minute or two. Half blind, Becker made his way toward the bathrooms. The blurry image of the cleaning cart was still in front of the men's room, so Becker turned again toward the door marked damas. He thought he heard sounds inside. He knocked. â€Å"Hola?† Silence. Probably Megan, he thought. She had five hours to kill before her flight and had said she was going to scrub her arm till it was clean. â€Å"Megan?† he called. He knocked again. There was no reply. Becker pushed the door open. â€Å"Hello?† He went in. The bathroom appeared empty. He shrugged and walked to the sink. The sink was still filthy, but the water was cold. Becker felt his pores tighten as he splashed the water in his eyes. The pain began to ease, and the fog gradually lifted. Becker eyed himself in the mirror. He looked like he'd been crying for days. He dried his face on the sleeve of his jacket, and then it suddenly occurred to him. In all the excitement, he'd forgotten where he was. He was at the airport! Somewhere out thereon the tarmac, in one of the Seville airport's three private hangars, there was a Learjet 60 waiting to take him home. The pilot had stated very clearly, I have orders to stay here until you return. It was hard to believe, Becker thought, that after all this, he had ended up right back where he'd started. What am I waiting for? he laughed. I'm sure the pilot can radio a message to Strathmore! Chuckling to himself, Becker glanced in the mirror and straightened his tie. He was about to go when the reflection of something behind him caught his eye. He turned. It appeared to be one end of Megan's duffel, protruding from under a partially open stall door. â€Å"Megan?† he called. There was no reply. â€Å"Megan?† Becker walked over. He rapped loudly on the side of the stall. No answer. He gently pushed the door. It swung open. Becker fought back a cry of horror. Megan was on the toilet, her eyes rolled skyward. Dead center of her forehead, a bullet hole oozed bloody liquid down her face. â€Å"Oh, Jesus!† Becker cried in shock. â€Å"Esta muerta,† a barely human voice croaked behind him. â€Å"She's dead.† It was like a dream. Becker turned. â€Å"Senor Becker?† the eerie voice asked. Dazed, Becker studied the man stepping into the rest room. He looked oddly familiar. â€Å"Soy Hulohot,† the killer said. â€Å"I am Hulohot.† The misshapen words seemed to emerge from the depths of his stomach. Hulohot held out his hand. â€Å"El anillo. The ring.† Becker stared blankly. The man reached in his pocket and produced a gun. He raised the weapon and trained it on Becker's head. â€Å"El anillo.† In an instant of clarity, Becker felt a sensation he had never known. As if cued by some subconscious survival instinct, every muscle in his body tensed simultaneously. He flew through the air as the shot spat out. Becker crashed down on top of Megan. A bullet exploded against the wall behind him. â€Å"Mierda!† Hulohot seethed. Somehow, at the last possible instant, David Becker had dived out of the way. The assassin advanced. Becker pulled himself off the lifeless teenager. There were approaching footsteps. Breathing. The cock of a weapon. â€Å"Adios,† the man whispered as he lunged like a panther, swinging his weapon into the stall. The gun went off. There was a flash of red. But it was no tblood. It was something else. An object had materialized as if out of nowhere, sailing out of the stall and hitting the killer in the chest, causing his gun to fire a split second early. It was Megan's duffel. Becker exploded from the stall. He buried his shoulder in the man's chest and drove him back into the sink. There was a bone-crushing crash. A mirror shattered. The gun fell free. The two men collapsed to the floor. Becker tore himself away and dashed for the exit. Hulohot scrambled for his weapon, spun, and fired. The bullet ripped into the slamming bathroom door. The empty expanse of the airport concourse loomed before Becker like an uncrossable desert. His legs surged beneath him faster than he'd ever known they could move. As he skidded into the revolving door, a shot rang out behind him. The glass panel in front of him exploded in a shower of glass. Becker pushed his shoulder into the frame and the door rotated forward. A moment later he stumbled onto the pavement outside. A taxi stood waiting. â€Å"Dejame entrar!† Becker screamed, pounding on the locked door. â€Å"Let me in!† The driver refused; his fare with the wire-rim glasses had asked him to wait. Becker turned and saw Hulohot streaking across he concourse, gun in hand. Becker eyed his little Vespa on the sidewalk. I'm dead. Hulohot blasted through the revolving doors just in time to see Becker trying in vain to kick start his Vespa. Hulohot smiled and raised his weapon. The choke! Becker fumbled with the levers under the gas tank. He jumped on the starter again. It coughed and died. â€Å"El anillo. The ring.† The voice was close. Becker looked up. He saw the barrel of a gun. The chamber was rotating. He rammed his foot on the starter once again. Hulohot's shot just missed Becker's head as the little bike sprang to life and lurched forward. Becker hung on for his life as the motorcycle bounced down a grassy embankment and wobbled around the corner of the building onto the runway. Enraged, Hulohot raced toward his waiting taxi. Seconds later, the driver lay stunned on the curb watching his taxi peel out in a cloud of dust. Chapter 82 As the implications of the Commander's phone call to Security began to settle on the dazed Greg Hale, he found himself weakened by a wave of panic. Security is coming! Susan began to slip away. Hale recovered, clutching at her midsection, pulling her back. â€Å"Let me go!† she cried, her voice echoing though the dome. Hale's mind was in overdrive. The commander's call had taken him totally by surprise. Strathmore phoned Security! He's sacrificing his plans for Digital Fortress! Not in a million years had Hale imagined the commander would let Digital Fortress slip by. This back door was the chance of a lifetime. As the panic rushed in, Hale's mind seemed to play tricks on him. He saw the barrel of Strathmore's Berretta everywhere he looked. He began to spin, holding Susan close, trying to deny the commander a shot. Driven by fear, Hale dragged Susan blindly toward the stairs. In five minutes the lights would come on, the doors would open, and a SWAT team would pour in. â€Å"You're hurting me!† Susan choked. She gasped for breath as she stumbled through Hale's desperate pirouettes. Hale considered letting her go and making a mad dash for Strathmore's elevator, but it was suicide. He had no password. Besides, once outside the NSA without a hostage, Hale knew he was as good as dead. Not even his Lotus could outrun a fleet of NSA helicopters. Susan is the only thing that will keep Strathmore from blowing me off the road! â€Å"Susan,† Hale blurted, dragging her toward the stairs. â€Å"Come with me! I swear I won't hurt you!† As Susan fought him, Hale realized he had new problems. Even if he somehow managed to get Strathmore's elevator open and take Susan with him, she would undoubtedly fight him all the way out of the building. Hale knew full well that Strathmore's elevator made only one stop: â€Å"the Underground Highway,† a restricted labyrinth of underground access tunnels through which NSA powerbrokers moved in secrecy. Hale had no intention of ending up lost in the basement corridors of the NSA with a struggling hostage. It was a death trap. Even if he got out, he realized, he had no gun. How would he get Susan across the parking lot? How would he drive? It was the voice of one of Hale's marine, military-strategy professors that gave him his answer: Force a hand, the voice warned, and it will fight you. But convince a mind to think as you want it to think, and you have an ally. â€Å"Susan,† Hale heard himself saying, â€Å"Strathmore's a killer! You're in danger here!† Susan didn't seem to hear. Hale knew it was an absurd angle anyway; Strathmore would never hurt Susan, and she knew it. Hale strained his eyes into the darkness, wondering where the commander was hidden. Strathmore had fallen silent suddenly, which made Hale even more panicky. He sensed his time was up. Security would arrive at any moment. With a surge of strength, Hale wrapped his arms around Susan's waist and pulled her hard up the stairs. She hooked her heels on the first step and pulled back. It was no use, Hale overpowered her. Carefully, Hale backed up the stairs with Susan in tow. Pushing her up might have been easier, but the landing at the top was illuminated from Strathmore's computer monitors. If Susan went first, Strathmore would have a clear shot at Hale's back. Pulling Susan behind him, Hale had a human shield between himself and the Crypto floor. About a third of the way up, Hale sensed movement at the bottom of the stairs. Strathmore's making his move! â€Å"Don't try it, Commander,† he hissed. â€Å"You'll only get her killed.† Hale waited. But there was only silence. He listened closely. Nothing. The bottom of the stairs was still. Was he imagining things? It didn't matter. Strathmore would never risk a shot with Susan in the way. But as Hale backed up the stairs dragging Susan behind him, something unexpected happened. There was a faint thud on the landing behind him. Hale stopped, adrenaline surging. Had Strathmore slipped upstairs? Instinct told him Strathmore was at the bottom of the stairs. But then, suddenly, it happened again-louder this time. A distinct step on the upper landing! In terror, Hale realized his mistake. Strathmore's on the landing behind me! He has a clear shot of my back! In desperation, he spun Susan back to his uphill side and started retreating backwards down the steps. As he reached the bottom step, he stared wildly up at the landing and yelled, â€Å"Back off, Commander! Back off, or I'll break her-â€Å" The butt of a Berretta came slicing through the air at the foot of the stairs and crashed down into Hale's skull. As Susan tore free of the slumping Hale, she wheeled in confusion. Strathmore grabbed her and reeled her in, cradling her shaking body. â€Å"Shhh,† he soothed. â€Å"It's me. You're okay.† Susan was trembling. â€Å"Com†¦ mander.† She gasped, disoriented. â€Å"I thought†¦ I thought you were upstairs†¦ I heard†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Easy now,† he whispered. â€Å"You heard me toss my loafers up onto the landing.† Susan found herself laughing and crying at the same time. The commander had just saved her life. Standing there in the darkness, Susan felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It was not, however, without guilt; Security was coming. She had foolishly let Hale grab her, and he had used her against Strathmore. Susan knew the commander had paid a huge price to save her. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"What for?† â€Å"Your plans for Digital Fortress†¦ they're ruined.† Strathmore shook his head. â€Å"Not at all.† â€Å"But†¦ but what about Security? They'll be here any minute. We won't have time to-â€Å" â€Å"Security's not coming, Susan. We've got all the time in the world.† Susan was lost. Not coming? â€Å"But you phoned†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Strathmore chuckled. â€Å"Oldest trick in the book. I faked the call.† Chapter 83 Becker's Vespa was no doubt the smallest vehicle ever to tear down the Seville runway. Its top speed, a whining 50 mph, sounded more like a chainsaw than a motorcycle and was unfortunately well below the necessary power to become airborne. In his side mirror, Becker saw the taxi swing out onto the darkened runway about four hundred yards back. It immediately started gaining. Becker faced front. In the distance, the contour of the airplane hangars stood framed against the night sky about a half mile out. Becker wondered if the taxi would overtake him in that distance. He knew Susan could do the math in two seconds and calculate his odds. Becker suddenly felt fear like he had never known. He lowered his head and twisted the throttle as far as it would go. The Vespa was definitely topped out. Becker guessed the taxi behind him was doing almost ninety, twice his speed. He set his sights on the three structures looming in the distance. The middle one. That's where the Learjet is. A shot rang out. The bullet buried itself in the runway yards behind him. Becker looked back. The assassin was hanging out the window taking aim. Becker swerved and his side mirror exploded in a shower of glass. He could feel the impact of the bullet all the way up the handlebars. He lay his body flat on the bike. God help me, I'm not going to make it! The tarmac in front of Becker's Vespa was growing brighter now. The taxi was closing, the headlights throwing ghostly shadows down the runway. A shot fired. The bullet ricocheted off the hull of the bike. Becker struggled to keep from going into a swerve. I've got to make the hangar! He wondered if the Learjet pilot could see them coming. Does he have a weapon? Will he open the cabin doors in time? But as Becker approached the lit expanse of the open hangars, he realized the question was moot. The Learjet was nowhere to be seen. He squinted through blurred vision and prayed he was hallucinating. He was not. The hangar was bare. Oh my God! Where's the plane! As the two vehicles rocketed into the empty hangar, Becker desperately searched for an escape. There was none. The building's rear wall, an expansive sheet of corrugated metal, had no doors or windows. The taxi roared up beside him, and Becker looked left to see Hulohot raising his gun. Reflex took over. Becker slammed down on his brakes. He barely slowed. The hangar floor was slick with oil. The Vespa went into a headlong skid. Beside him there was a deafening squeal as the taxi's brakes locked and the balding tires hydroplaned on the slippery surface. The car spun around in a cloud of smoke and burning rubber only inches to the left of Becker's skidding Vespa. Now side by side, the two vehicles skimmed out of control on a collision course with the rear of the hangar. Becker desperately pumped his brakes, but there was no traction; it was like driving on ice. In front of him, the metal wall loomed. It was coming fast. As the taxi spiraled wildly beside him, Becker faced the wall and braced for the impact. There was an earsplitting crash of steel and corrugated metal. But there was no pain. Becker found himself suddenly in the open air, still on his Vespa, bouncing across a grassy field. It was as if the hangar's back wall had vanished before him. The taxi was still beside him, careening across the field. An enormous sheet of corrugated metal from the hangar's back wall billowed off the taxi's hood and sailed over Becker's head. Heart racing, Becker gunned the Vespa and took off into the night. Chapter 84 Jabba let out a contented sigh as he finished the last of his solder points. He switched off the iron, put down his penlight, and lay a moment in the darkness of the mainframe computer. He was beat. His neck hurt. Internal work was always cramped, especially for a man of his size. And they just keep building them smaller, he mused. As he closed his eyes for a well-deserved moment of relaxation, someone outside began pulling on his boots. â€Å"Jabba! Get out here!† a woman's voice yelled. Midge found me. He groaned. â€Å"Jabba! Get out here!† Reluctantly he slithered out. â€Å"For the love of God, Midge! I told you-† But it was not Midge. Jabba looked up, surprised. â€Å"Soshi?† Soshi Kuta was a ninety-pound live wire. She was Jabba's righthand assistant, a razor-sharp Sys-Sec techie from MIT. She often worked late with Jabba and was the one member of his staff who seemed unintimidated by him. She glared at him and demanded, â€Å"Why the hell didn't you answer your phone? Or my page?† â€Å"Your page,† Jabba repeated. â€Å"I thought it was-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind. There's something strange going on in the main databank.† Jabba checked his watch. â€Å"Strange?† Now he was growing concerned. â€Å"Can you be any more specific?† Two minutes later Jabba was dashing down the hall toward the databank.