# clean up if the temp files were already there
unlink $_ or die "unlink $_: $!\n" for grep {-e $_} "/tmp/a$$", "/tmp/b$$";

system("(perl $rpla && touch /tmp/a$$) & (perl $rplb && touch /tmp/b$$)");
$rc = -e "/tmp/a$$" && -e "/tmp/b$$";

# cleanup temp files
unlink $_ or die "unlink $_: $!\n" for grep {-e $_} "/tmp/a$$", "/tmp/b$$";