The small conference room smelled of expensive cologne, and was
silent as a group of mining executives watched a live video feed from
the squat rover-like robot, that was drilling and scraping lead ore
from the walls of the mine, and loading it onto a waiting mining
cart.
"Can it be
configured to mine ores other than lead?" asked Friedrich
Albrecht, the CEO of Albrecht Nuclear systems.
"Yes, it can be
configured to detect and mine any ore, including radioactive ones
like Uranium and Thorium, and even carbon based minerals like coal,
graphite and diamond," replied Aaron.
"How quickly
can you ramp production?" asked Friedrich, the manic glint in
his eye, matching his silver cuff links as his hands shook with
excitement.
"With the right
funding, we can ramp production to 100 units a month, by the end of
the month," replied Aaron.
"I'll take ten
thousand units, Uranium configured, at four billion over ten
quarterly installments, we have a deal?" bid Friedrich.
"You get the
robots and a 5-year support contract. Throw as much money as you
want, but you're not getting a single share of equity," replied
Aaron, handing Friedrich a sales and support contract.
"Are you insane
kid? There's no way we're just cutting you a check without some kind
of oversight!" protested one of the other executives.
"I'm selling
you a product, not puppet strings." replied Aaron, as the other
executives' expressions turned sour.
"Selling your
product without selling your control. Ha! The kid's got guts, I like
it!" said Friedrich, as he signed the contract and handed it
back to Aaron, as the other executives filed out shaking their heads.
Andre watched with
growing alarm, as Friedrich gave Aaron a final handshake and almost
skipped out of the conference room like a happy child.
"Harry, do you
have the plans for the mining robot factory ready yet? No? Well, get
a move on! We've got to crank out ten thousand robots for Albrecht
Nuclear Systems!" demanded Aaron over his phone. He hung up and
turned to Andre.
"Is the
employee contract and NDA ready Andre?" he asked.
"Yes, here you
go," said Andre, handing Aaron a thick folder.
"Where is the
dress code mandate? And where are the social media and communication
policies?" asked Aaron, looking through the contract.
"If you mean
that crazy-ass draft where you dictated a female employee's
appearance down to her nail polish, and put a gag order on discussing
anything related to it or Sirius Software in general, I threw it out.
There's no way I'm putting in something that gets us sued to
oblivion," said Andre.
Aaron tossed the
folder into the trash bin.
"I refuse to
let vermin into my company, Andre. Now, either you do as you're told,
or I find a lawyer with fewer scruples," he said, giving Andre a
glare.
Andre sighed, and
reached into the bin. “Fine. I'll put those in, but don't come
running to me when it all blows up in your face,”
----
"I'm telling
you Abel, Aaron's turning into a megalomaniac or probably something
worse!" growled Andre, as he sat in the secluded booth of a bar,
nursing a drink with Father Abel beside him.
"It is indeed
troubling, but quite understandable given his previous experiences,"
said Father Abel as he examined the contract and NDA Andre had
brought with him.
"Don't tell me
you are encouraging this behavior?!" gasped Andre.
"Of course not!
However, I am intrigued by it. I'm sure Aaron will cut some slack
once he finds out nobody in their right mind would work for him under
these conditions," said Father Abel.
"And I suppose
you don't think powering a game company HQ with its own nuclear
reactors is a problem," grumbled Andre.
"Well I'm sure
they'll be quite useful during the Apocalypse," chuckled Father
Abel.
"You can laugh
about it! Harry, James and Mario seem to be completely under Aaron's
spell. They enthusiastically agreed with his design ideas. It's like
he's some kind of super-villain," grumbled Andre.
"It's the same
reason people like Lex Luthor Andre. Aaron's temperament may be like
a super-villain, but he's only 17 and nothing he's done, is outside
the law. Even the Uranium isn't being actively mined and processed
yet. He knows where the line is. I'm confident in his abilities."
said Father Abel.
"So what? We
just let him indulge in his super-villain fantasy?" asked Andre.
"For the
moment. It's not hurting anyone yet, and you could have simply
refused to draft these if you felt they were harmful." said
Father Abel gesturing to the documents.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"Well, I kind
of agree with them except for the dress code. I've seen way too many
companies implode because of stupid stuff employees say and do
online," growled Andre.
"And there you
have it. Aaron's demands are well within reason, the dress code is a
bit behind the times, but there are going to be people who would
appreciate it" said Father Abel.
----
"Oh you've got
to be kidding me!" growled Andre as he surveyed the newly built
mining robot factory.
The featureless
concrete building had a long conveyor belt, and rows of robotic arms
were assembling the mining robots with eerie precision, while a
handful of technicians monitored the assembly line from a control
room, and a few more tested and inspected the finished robots.
"Please tell me
that you didn't borrow billions just to buy all those robotic arms,"
he said wearily, looking at Aaron.
"I've got them
on a 3-year lease for now, but I intend to replace them with fully
bought ones once profits start coming in," said Aaron with a
petulant sigh.
"Even leasing
so many assembly bots would have easily cost you all of Friedrich's
$400 million installment," growled Andre, looking at the factory
with disbelief.
"How else was I
supposed to ramp production for ten thousand units?" snapped
Aaron in annoyance.
"When you told
him that you'll be able to ramp production to 100 units a month. I
assumed you'd be using assembly line workers. This robotic plant of
yours is perfectly capable of producing over ten times that number in
a month. And you're not even giving Congressman DuPont his jobs!"
shot back Andre.
"Hey Collins!
Tell this ignoramus what you're doing and how much I'm paying you!"
yelled Aaron to one of his technicians.
"Certainly,
Master Zakhrov! I'm being paid $400,000 a year just to keep my mouth
shut and to manage and maintain the drill assembly robots. Couldn't
ask for a sweeter deal!" called back Collins.
Aaron turned back to
Andre. "Now, if you're done whining about my methods, get DuPont
to get me a titanium import license, as well as an export license for
these mining robots. And tell Friedrich that he can expect the
delivery of the first 1000 robots by the end of the month," he
said.
"Fine,"
sighed Andre, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"And Andre, the
next time you openly question me, you're fired as Sirius Software's
legal counsel. Air your grievances to me in private. Not on the
factory floor," said Aaron, turning on his heel and walking out
of the factory.
---
Michael sat nervously in the small office that Aaron now practically lived in.
It was only a year since Aaron had wrested a lead mining permit and water rights from him, and he could barely recognize the abandoned mine and languishing industrial parcel he had sold to Aaron.
The perimeter was surrounded by an absurdly high and thick concrete wall, topped with barbed wire and electric fencing.
A nearly 400 meter long concrete robotic assembly plant had been built, and a steady stream of delivery trucks with shipping containers were moving in and out of a large warehouse that had been built next to the assembly plant.
A few smaller trucks loaded with lead ore were leaving the mine complex, and a couple of cement trucks were parked near a new construction site.
The truck checkpoints themselves had retracting spike strips to prevent unauthorized entry and exit, as well as multiple massive sliding gates.
Those spikes strips were in fact, another windfall for Aaron, as the military had eagerly purchased them for use at various bases and embassies around the world - until an executive order made them illegal.
"If you're here for campaign funding, I'm afraid I don't have the cash to spare. I'm reinvesting almost everything into my enterprises," said Aaron as he entered the office.
"Fortunately for you, I'm not here for that. I just came by to drop off a couple of things that you might find appealing," chuckled Michael, handing Aaron a thick folder of documents.
Excitement flashed in Aaron's eyes as he flipped through the documents.
They were an amendment to his lead mining license that granted him mineral rights to any additional ore that was found in the mine, including Uranium and other radioactive ores.
A heavy water import and production license, and a Federal nuclear reactor construction and operations license.
"These are all signed and approved by the Feds. I had to grease a few palms, but it was worth it," said Michael, looking at Aaron with a satisfied smile.
"Excellent! I will have my lawyer look over them, but why the change of heart?" said Aaron, looking at the documents with excitement.
"Let's just say that the enemy of my enemy is now my friend. Your moves have pissed off a lot of my rivals and opponents, while giving me some upwardly mobile and very happy constituents. I've got my truck stops, diners and catering businesses raking in the cash, not to mention all of those struggling concrete, steel, security, and shipping companies your operation has singlehandedly revived. So, if I can get more of the same stuff out of you, then this will be the start of a wonderful relationship," chuckled Michael wryly.
"I'm glad to hear that, Michael. I was a little apprehensive about being shut down after the military was forced to rip out the spike strips I sold them," said Aaron.
"You're welcome. I managed to keep your name out of that mess. You'll still need to hold off on building the reactors, at least until I can get enough clout to get the Feds to greenlight a reactor in my jurisdiction, but I foresee no further difficulties," said Michael.
"That's fine for now. I can focus on building the heavy water processing facilities for now," replied Aaron.
"Well you managed to blitz through the first battle, but America's ideological and cultural war is far from over. So be on your guard OK?" warned Michael, getting up to leave.
"I will, and thank you, Michael," said Aaron, shaking his hand.
----
Natasha Parker
walked briskly into Senator Monica Goldberg's office. "You
wanted to see me Senator?" she asked.
"Take a look at
this." replied Monica sliding a stack of satellite photos over
to Natasha.
Natasha surveyed the
photos. They showed a large land parcel that had a thick concrete
wall with watchtowers, a few structures either completed or under
construction, along with an access road that showed a convoy of
shipping trucks. There were large thermal signatures, indicating
either power generation or heat dissipation, yet very little
electromagnetic radiation due to a lead mine. "It looks like a
fairly normal industrial park development" she said cautiously.
"It is an
eyesore and a blight on the map of Massachusetts! I had thought that
that vile lead mine had been sealed off for good. But that idiot
Congressman DuPont sold it off, and now its new owner is building
this monstrosity on it!" replied Monica coldly.
Natasha fought down
the urge to roll her eyes at the all too familiar feeling of déjà
vu. Keeping her voice steady, she asked: "What would you like
investigated Senator?"
Monica tossed
another report onto the desk. "Despite efforts to obfuscate it
through a set of different LLCs, that industrial park belongs to a
single entity, Sirius Software, and a single individual, Aaron
Zakhrov. He's barely 18, so it's probably a poorly disguised front.
Infiltrate it and find a way to crush it." she instructed.
"Yes, Senator."
replied Natasha, struggling to keep her emotions under control. She
picked up the file, and left the office.
Monica pulled out a
small face compact and checked herself in the mirror after Natasha
had left. The cosmetic surgery procedures she had undergone had made
her barely recognizable from the pudgy girl that was Emily Clarke.
"Aaron Zakhrov. You are going to pay for what you did!" she
whispered to herself, her eyes gleaming with hate.
----
After she had
ensured that her apartment was secured, Natasha's knees gave way, and
she sank to the floor. Aaron Zakhrov was not a name she expected to
encounter again. The last time, was when he had run afoul of Sarah
Clarke's infiltration plans for St. Ignatius Academy, and had
protected Daisy Eddington from Emily Clarke's hazing. All that had
done, was got him expelled and disowned, and he had basically dropped
off the grid after those incidents.
"What the hell
has he gotten himself into this time?" she muttered to herself.
----
"Harry, James
and Andre. I'm starting to lose both trust and confidence in Mario,"
said Aaron, as he sat in his office, looking over the camera feeds
from the lead mine.
"The guy just
converted to Islam, that's all. He's still a good guy," replied
Harry, as the feed showed Mario praying in the makeshift control room
of the lead mine.
"I don't care
who or what he prays to Harry, did you check the welds on those
reactor tubes? They are beyond sloppy!" snapped Aaron, looking
at the feed with a frown.
"So what? You
think he's out to sabotage us?" demanded Harry.
"It's a
possibility that I have to consider," replied Aaron.
"Mario's also
been spending less time with us, and has been hanging out with a
couple of other guys," said James.
"What do you
suggest we do Aaron?" asked Andre.
"I suggest we
keep a closer eye on him. I'm beefing up security around the mine,
and have already put out job postings for our own security guards.
With the heavy water processing plant now finished, we can't afford
to have that stuff stolen or sabotaged," said Aaron, as he
looked at the camera feeds again.
"I'll look into
Mario's activities, and I'll personally keep a close eye on him,"
said Andre, as he got up to leave.
