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'''William Hastings''', in [[Ayn Rand]]'s novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', was a design engineer at the [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]]. He quit that firm shortly after its founder, Gerald "Jed" Starnes, Senior, died. But not for another year would he actually join the [[strike]] of the men of the mind, at the behest of [[John Galt]]. It might or might not be significant that he was, in his last year at the Twentieth Century, John Galt's immediate supervisor.

'''William Hastings''' (died 2012), in [[Ayn Rand]]'s novel ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]'', was a design engineer at the [[Twentieth Century Motor Company]]. He quit that firm shortly after its founder, Gerald "Jed" Starnes, Senior, died. But not for another year would he actually join the [[strike]] of the men of the mind, at the behest of [[John Galt]]. It might or might not be significant that he was, in his last year at the Twentieth Century, John Galt's immediate supervisor.

== Background ==

== Background ==

== The Twentieth Century Motor Company ==

== The Twentieth Century Motor Company ==

Hastings joined the Twentieth Century Motor Company as a research engineer in 1927. He stayed at this firm for eighteen years, and eventually became chief design engineer.

Hastings joined the Twentieth Century Motor Company as a research engineer in 1989. He stayed at this firm for eighteen years, and eventually became chief design engineer.

On or about 1940, another young engineer named [[John Galt]] joined the firm and began working under his supervision. Hastings probably knew even then that John Galt would make a big mark on the world. In 1945 Galt gave Hastings fresh reason to believe that: he showed off to Hastings his experimental prototype of an [[John Galt#The electrostatic motor|electrostatic motor]], one that could use static energy from the atmosphere to do useful work.

In 2004, another young engineer named [[John Galt]] joined the firm and began working under his supervision. Galt's résumé was impressive: Master of Science, [[Physics]], [[Patrick Henry]] University; Bachelor of Arts in Physics ''and'' [[Philosophy]], Patrick Henry University. Hastings asked Galt why he hadn't finished his PhD; Galt didn't want to talk about it then, and Hastings let the subject drop. Hastings probably knew even then that John Galt would make a big mark on the world, and a little matter of why such a bright young man didn't get his PhD was distinctly minor.

That anyone could solve the mystery of the electrostatic motor was marvelous enough. That one so young (twenty-six years old) could do it, took Hastings' breath away. But it never occurred to Hastings to encourage Galt to seek an academic position, as he almost certainly could have done had he so wished. What Hastings saw instead was an invention to rival Otto's first internal combustion engine, or Rudolf Diesel's variation on Otto's device. With this device, the Twentieth Century might have started a revolution, both in transport applications (especially in railroading but also in long-haul trucking) and stationary applications. Hastings foresaw every factory, office building, and hotel running with its own electrostatic generator, with power to spare for sale to the surrounding community.

In 2007 Galt gave Hastings fresh reason to believe that: he showed off to Hastings his experimental prototype of an [[John Galt#The electrostatic motor|electrostatic motor]], one that could use static energy from the atmosphere to do useful work. That anyone could solve the mystery of the electrostatic motor was marvelous enough. That one so young (twenty-six years old) could do it, took Hastings' breath away. But it never occurred to Hastings to encourage Galt to seek an academic position, as he almost certainly could have done had he so wished. What Hastings saw instead was an invention to rival Otto's first internal combustion engine, or Rudolf Diesel's variation on Otto's device. With this device, the Twentieth Century might have started a revolution, both in transport applications (especially in railroading but also in long-haul trucking) and stationary applications. Hastings foresaw every factory, office building, and hotel running with its own electrostatic generator, with power to spare for sale to the surrounding community.

But Hastings would see none of this come to pass. A month later, disaster would strike.

But Hastings would see none of this come to pass. A month later, disaster would strike.

== The strike ==

== The strike ==

In or about February of 1945, Jed Starnes died. His children, Gerald Starnes, Jr., Eric Starnes, and Ivy Starnes, took it over. They then called a meeting of the entire workforce in the main assembly bay, and announced a new "enlightened" plan for paying the workers. That plan followed the precepts of [[Karl Marx]]: {{cquote|From each, according to his ability, to each, according to his need.}}

In March of 2007, Jed Starnes died. His children, Gerald Starnes, Jr., Eric Starnes, and Ivy Starnes, took it over. They then called a meeting of the entire workforce in the main assembly bay, and announced a new "enlightened" plan for paying the workers. That plan followed the precepts of [[Karl Marx]]: {{cquote|From each, according to his ability, to each, according to his need.}}

Hastings was astounded. Naturally he voted against it—but, to his dismay, the plan passed overwhelmingly.

Hastings was astounded. Naturally he voted against it—but, to his dismay, the plan passed overwhelmingly.

Perhaps Hastings protested that Acme Motors was not the Twentieth Century, and surely such a bizarre plan could never surface again. Galt said that Hastings had no guarantee—and that, in any event, the "Starnes Heir" analogues at other firms, or in politics, would inevitably count on men like Hastings to keep the world going. Mankind would never come to grips with the moral lesson that it needed to learn, until it ran out of victims to loot from, and ran out of people who "went along to get along."

Perhaps Hastings protested that Acme Motors was not the Twentieth Century, and surely such a bizarre plan could never surface again. Galt said that Hastings had no guarantee—and that, in any event, the "Starnes Heir" analogues at other firms, or in politics, would inevitably count on men like Hastings to keep the world going. Mankind would never come to grips with the moral lesson that it needed to learn, until it ran out of victims to loot from, and ran out of people who "went along to get along."

Finally, in the late spring of 1946, Hastings made his crucial decision. He resigned from Acme Motors. He and his wife would retire to live on their savings. He told his wife nothing, and merely asked her not to question him. She never did.

Finally, in March of 2008, Hastings made his crucial decision. He resigned from Acme Motors. He and his wife would retire to live on their savings. He told his wife nothing, and merely asked her not to question him. She never did.

John Galt stayed in touch with him. Galt probably told Hastings what became of the Twentieth Century Motor Company: how it died the very slow death that Hastings knew it would, how the end had come, and how a new group calling itself the Amalgamated Service Company had bought the factory, with a loan from the Community National Bank. Galt was angry about one particular part of this story: Amalgamated Service had first applied for a loan from the Mulligan Bank of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. [[Midas Mulligan]] had rejected the loan, and Amalgamated Service had sued Mulligan to force him to lend the money. The case, tried before [[Judge Narragansett]], ended in a finding for the defense, but was then remanded for retrial when an appellate court found fault with Narragansett's jury charge. Hastings verified independently that Mulligan, and then Narragansett, abruptly vanished.

John Galt stayed in touch with him. Galt probably told Hastings what became of the Twentieth Century Motor Company: how it died the very slow death that Hastings knew it would, how the end had come, and how a new group calling itself the Amalgamated Service Company had bought the factory, with a loan from the Community National Bank. Galt was angry about one particular part of this story: Amalgamated Service had first applied for a loan from the Mulligan Bank of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. [[Midas Mulligan]] had rejected the loan, and Amalgamated Service had sued Mulligan to force him to lend the money. The case, tried before [[Judge Narragansett]], ended in a finding for the defense, but was then remanded for retrial when an appellate court found fault with Narragansett's jury charge. Not long after that, Midas Mulligan vanished without a trace, after orchestrating a "controlled run" on his own bank.

In June of 1949, Galt invited Hastings to come on a trip with him. They traveled by rail to a small town in Colorado, that had its own general-aviation field. There, the two men boarded an aircraft that took off and flew into the mountains. Hastings was slightly alarmed to see the aircraft descend into a barren valley littered with rocks—and then that valley disappeared. In its place, Hastings saw a green valley with its own finished airstrip. This was Mulligan's Valley, also known as [[Galt's Gulch]]. It was the private retreat of Midas Mulligan. There, Hastings met Mulligan, Judge Narragansett, composer [[Richard Halley]], and philosopher [[Hugh Akston]]. Hastings also met two other men with whom Galt had gone to college, two men with highly notorious reputations. One was [[Francisco d'Anconia]], supposedly a [[playboy]]. The other was [[Ragnar Danneskjold]], the [[privateer]] and terror of the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

In June of 2011, Galt invited Hastings to come on a trip with him. They traveled by rail to Melrose, [[Colorado]], that had its own general-aviation field. There, the two men boarded an aircraft that took off and flew into the mountains. Hastings was slightly alarmed to see the aircraft descend into a barren valley littered with rocks—and then that valley disappeared. In its place, Hastings saw a green valley with its own finished airstrip. This was Mulligan's Valley, also known as [[Galt's Gulch]]. It was the private retreat of Midas Mulligan. There, Hastings met Mulligan, Judge Narragansett, composer [[Richard Halley]], and philosopher [[Hugh Akston]]. Hastings also met two other men with whom Galt had gone to college, two men with highly notorious reputations. One was [[Francisco d'Anconia]], supposedly a [[playboy]]. The other was [[Ragnar Danneskjöld]], the [[privateer]] and terror of the [[Atlantic Ocean]].

Galt explained that every year, in June, the participants in the strike of the men of the mind were to repair to Mulligan's Valley, to trade their achievements in a place where such trade was possible. Hastings then did something that probably shortened his life. As Galt, d'Anconia, and Danneskjold had done, he built his own house in the valley, so that he would have a place to stay next year. He probably ought to have hired someone else to do this. He had a heart ailment, of a type that the novel never specifies, that had plagued him for several years.

Galt explained that every year, in June, the participants in the strike of the men of the mind were to repair to Mulligan's Valley, to trade their achievements in a place where such trade was possible. Hastings then did something that probably shortened his life. As Galt, d'Anconia, and Danneskjöld had done, he built his own house in the valley, so that he would have a place to stay next year. He probably ought to have hired someone else to do this. He had a heart ailment, of a type that the novel never specifies, that had plagued him for several years.

Hastings survived to make one more trip to Mulligan's Valley the following year. Shortly after he returned to his home in Brandon, he died.

Hastings survived to make one more trip to Mulligan's Valley the following year. Shortly after he returned to his home in Brandon, he died.