Two weeks went by before they received a message from the Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration. The OSHA inspection team would like to come by the following week and begin their investigation. Warren sent back a response to Come ahead! Having tasted the slow pace of government, he was surprised by the comparatively quick action, but had been assured by Senator Hargrave, the subcommittee was eager for an answer.
Sure enough on the appointed day, a team of five inspectors showed up with their warrant. Dr. William Palely, the group leader apologized for the paper work, but assured the PAX CEO, a warrant was SOP. Dr. Peace made the team welcome and set them up in a corner of the large laboratory. They‟d brought their own equipment and test rats, but he furnished them with anything else they needed. Opening his files, he provided them with the PAX formulae.
They worked rapidly, poking and probing the PAX operation and testing gas from the storage tanks. Another week went by. The OSHA team proved to be interested and supportive of the PAX goals and kept pretty much to themselves. As they reached an important stage in their experiments, they sat down with Warren and Roger to give them the good news. They had found PAX to be safe for human consumption.
However, now they wanted to test it for effectiveness on humans and had arranged for their own human guinea pigs. The next day a prison bus from the Massachusetts Correctional facility showed up. The passengers included six inmates from one of the countries toughest prisons along with their guards and a couple of government psychiatrists. They were taken to a vacant room in the factory that could be easily secured. Still, concerned for the safety of his employees, Warren gave them a week off with pay and sent them home.
When queried on the use of hardened criminals, Dr. Palely responded that they were merely taking a hint from Warren‟s own experiment with Roger. Hoping their human tests would be as profoundly successful, they asked for and received use of Warren‟s special gas mask. Dr. Palely assured Warren, the prisoners were volunteers who would receive reduced sentences on completion of the tests. Under armed guard, each prisoner was given a PAX treatment. Having been promised a time reward for their cooperation, the half dozen bad boys were easy to work with and the tests were completed quickly. The results were almost instantaneous. Each was taken into a small room and using an electronic testing device similar to the one Warren used on Roger in California. They were also given complete psychological evaluations by the guest psychiatrists. The six criminals seemed to have gone through a positive mental metamorphosis. The team were amazed by the results, but to be certain, the doctors would test them again in two days at the prison.
With the tests completed, the OSHA research team, the prisoners, guards and all, went about their merry way, leaving Warren and Roger to breath a sigh of relief.
****
Though, since being PAXed, it was no longer in Rogers makeup to show anger, Warren could see his friend was upset as he rushed into the office the next day.
“Oh, boy! Warren, you‟d better read this!” he exclaimed with a growl. In his hand he held up the latest issue of The Inquisitor Magazine. On the cover was Warren‟s handsome smiling face and a headline that screamed: PEACE--TRUTH OR SCAM!
“ The lying bastard!” Roger added dropping the magazine in front of the scientist.
Warren was shocked to see his face on the cover and the scathing headline.
Almost afraid of what he might find inside, he picked up the magazine and shuffled through it until he found the article. Though he had suspected the reporter, Carl Rabbin, had something up his sleeve during the interview, he wasn‟t prepared for the gist of the story. As he read, it sank in and gave him a chill. The article started off with mentions of Warren‟s background as a Harvard Ph.D. in science. Then, within the body of the article, he made blatant use of the word Claimed. He mentioned Dr. Warren Peace claimed he had worked for years on a plan to bring peace to the world. Dr. Peace claimed he had invented a gas called PAX which, when released and inhaled by the peoples of the world, he claimed would bring peace. Then the reporter wrote: Since he‟d interviewed and investigated many corrupt personalities, he theorized most of the world was populated by similar individuals. He was indeed skeptical of the outlandish claims made by the scientist. He pointed out even the United States Government must be skeptical, since they were currently investigating the PAX project. What followed added insult to injury when Rabbin accused Warren of calling his project a nonprofit organization, funded by donations. In fact Rabbin had investigated and found the PAX
coffers were filled with millions of dollars. Was Dr Warren Peace paying taxes on this booty? Perhaps the IRS should also investigate the PAX books. Had Dr. Peace told him the truth about PAX. Could it possibly bring peace to this troubled world. If by some miracle your claims are true--Good for you, Dr. Peace. However, if PAX is just a scam to cheat the government. Shame...shame on you!
“Damn!” Warren muttered. “This is tragic! I fear, Mr. Rabbin didn‟t do our cause any good. My fault, I shouldn‟t have agreed to his interview. Those reporters scrape up dirt on nearly everyone they think is news worthy, and the public eats it up. Unfortunately, their scandal rag is just about the most popular magazine in the country.”
“Well, It‟s just a good thing I‟ve been PAXed. The old Roger Cooper would hunt him down and strangle him. And I wouldn‟t have to be sleep walking to do it.”
Warren smiled sadly and added. “We can only hope the OSHA report to the Senate is positive enough to counteract this crap. It‟s just too bad Rabbin didn‟t report the success of OSHA tests. And this business about nonprofit and tax evasion. We could probably sue The Inquisitor on that one.‟
****
Sure enough, a few days later, two gentlemen showed up from the International Revenue Service. Since he‟d half expected their arrival, Warren welcomed them to his office. The were tactful but firm. Their director had read the Inquisitor article and suggested it might be a good idea to check out PAX Industries. The inspectors had wasted no time, since tax fraud could be quickly hidden. Warren cringed at their suspicions, but took them directly to the PAX accounting office and introduced them to, Emma Jones, the PAX accountant. The two demanded all the books and computer hard and software pertaining to the operation. The accountant turned pale, but had no choice. She had to follow her boss‟s orders and cooperate. The IRS men carted off all the materials and left the building with the promise to return them in three days.Concerned for the seemingly shocked accountant‟s welfare, Warren assured her, all would be well.
As promised the tax inspectors returned at the end of the week and sat down with Warren and Roger to discuss their findings. The PAX CEO and his assistant director were a bit nervous at being faced with the IRS suspicions. However, the two inspectors were smiling and assured them they had nothing to fear from the IRS. Apparently Senator Hargrave had gotten wind of the investigation and phoned the Internal Revenue Service chief to call off his dogs--that PAX was indeed a most worthy, non profit organization, and the Senate was sure of positive results from the PAX tests. The Tax men added: Before they had been called off, they managed to inspect most of the files and found them generally in order. One small glitch, however. Their investigation revealed the PAX accountant had embezzled nearly two hundred thousand dollars.
They were sorry, but they did have the authority to arrest the woman in question.
“Oh lord!”, Warren exclaimed. “How could anyone suspect sweet old Emma Jones of criminal intentions. Since you took all her records, she didn‟t have anything to work on, and I gave her a few days of paid vacation.” He checked the cardex file on his desk and wrote down Emma‟s address. “Here‟s where she lives. Good Luck!”
The two men left in a hurry, hoping they weren‟t too late to catch the culprit.
“Emma Jones.” muttered Roger. “Who would have thought she was capable of something like this?!”
A few hours later, the IRS investigators returned to tell them Emma Jones had cleared out. Her apartment was empty and so was her her bank account. This looked like a job for the FBI. They were sorry for the loss, but not to worry. They‟d take care of it. They replaced the PAX accounting equipment and books, with a bit of advice.
Warren should check out Emma‟s replacement carefully and arrange for periodic independent audits to keep the new accountant honest. On parting they had one last comment:
“Maybe you should have given your staff the PAX treatment.”
“Unfortunately PAX does not rid the world of such crimes.” Warren muttered. “It‟s only designed to eliminate crimes of passion.”