87 M1: Term 2, Round: 4 (2/2)
**Morganne Barran: Are you sure you want to displease your master. She is a formidable woman.
**Daedo: That is none of your concern.
**Morganne Barran: You have been doing so well without me, but I really don't understand this antagonism. I am only offering to help.
**Daedo: and we have accepted and given you the scope.
**Morganne Barran: is Master Nader aware of this?
**Vannier: Why don't you talk to her? See where that gets you.
**Morganne Barran: I will. I am sorry if this causes you trouble.
**Barran: No you're not. If you were, you wouldn't approach Master Nader in the first place.
**Morganne Barran: Don't believe everything Brice tells you. He has been having disciplinary issues for a while now.
Barran's first name was Brice, and when his sister referred to him as a delinquent Daedo immediately saw through her ploy. He had learned through human studies that people handling was very similar to a strategy game. Manipulating a person was similar to moving a piece on a board. Morganne had speculated that Barran had turned them against her and she was trying to discredit him.
Before the Academy, Daedo was poor at reading motives and seeing manipulations, but once he was able to connect the words to moves, he was able to bring his strategic thinking skills into this new game.
**Daedo: Be careful Morganne. We can see through your manipulations.
Daedo kicked Morganne from the VR chat, her verbal maneuvering was just wasting their time. It was just the three cadets left in the VR room, so they left the room as well to meet upstairs.
”Daedo. What can I say? Thank you,” Barran said.
”Hmm?” Daedo replied. ”I was just protecting the squad's interests.”
”The way you stood up for me. No one has ever done that for me before,” Barran said moved.
”What sort of family do you have?” Vannier asked in a rhetorical fashion.
Barran gave him a genuine hug, while Daedo stood stunned and stiff as a board.
”Aww,” Vannier said, ”Should I leave?” There was a massive smile on her face.
”Don't ruin the moment,” Barran shot back. He then pushed Daedo out to arm's length and asked, ”Do we have to worry about Master Nader?”
”No,” Daedo said.
”Do you have her wrapped around your little finger now?” Barran asked intrigued and impressed.
”We have an understanding,” Daedo said choosing his words carefully.
”Man, that's impressive. If you asked me to bet on it I would have never backed you to do it,” Barran said. ”She is one scary bitch.”
”You don't know the half of it,” Vannier added then she asked, ”How did you do it?”
”I didn't do anything,” Daedo said distancing himself. ”You are giving me credit for something I haven't done. We're working towards a common goal, that's all.”
”So how do you know my sister will have no success with Master Nader?” Barran asked.
”Master Nader will allow me to make the decision and if I make the wrong one, she will turn that into a learning opportunity,” Daedo distorted the truth. ”Her learning opportunities are not fun.”
Barran accepted the explanation with a change of demeanour, he patted Daedo on the back and grinned. ”Get back to work, its only twenty minutes until the final.”
The entire crew from Daedalus gathered in the meeting room where they ate their meals. The stream of the pro league hand to hand combat final was showing on three of the walls. On one screen Vannier moved the camera to give the point of view Mister Kang had, on the central screen she kept the curated main stream, and on the third, she lifted the camera to an overhead position so the cadets could see the movements of both Mechs.
A drone brought in fruit which they unpacked and shared around.
”What a treat!” Ikaros exclaimed. ”Real fruit.” It was a luxury which normal families could not afford. Fresh fruit was sold at a premium compared to bot-kitchen meals or preserved foods that were readily available and cheap.
When the full complement of Daedalus was gathered, they were no longer a squad, with the addition of the two adults they were more akin to a crew or family.
They watched as Dead Beat narrowly lost the final, the mech was solid and powerful, but the pilot of Kick Start was superb and had done his homework. When Mister Kang improved, however, he would be extremely hard to beat given the power, speed and durability of his mech.
The Daedalus family cheered, booed and had a great time despite the loss. They would remember days like this fondly. The peace, the safety and a relatively carefree existence compared to what was to come in the years ahead.
”Didn't you pay for the ad-free stream?” Barran asked Vannier.
”Yes,” she replied before she saw the news ticker running across the bottom. ”Oh, that's just breaking news I have that enabled.”
”Holy Shit!” Kang exclaimed.
The news ticker read 'Breaking - Military Academy scandal: cadets exposed to illegal gene therapy experiments.'
Pandemonium broke loose in the dining, slash, meeting room.
”Open the link,” Axelzero asked Vannier.
The scene at the pro league dropped down to a small box, and the news item opened. Anonymous sources, recordings, and accusations of illegal gene therapy experiments on Mid-level cadets at the Fortescue Military Academy in Europe. Then a string of rumours, each more devastating than the last. Deaths of cadets, mutated children and coverups all connected back to the CEO and Chairman of Fortescue. It was a massive distortion of the facts, something often conjectured, but now the cadets learned first hand how the news media loved to embellish, exaggerate and outright lie.
”Master Nader doesn't stuff around,” Picard said in astonishment.
”It could have been anyone she sent it on to,” Daedo speculated.
”What does this mean for us?” Vannier asked.
”No matter what, we carry on,” Daedo stated.
.
.
Morganne Barran wasn't upset nor surprised. Her brother had ruined any chance she had of completing her goal and any intel gathering she was able to perform would have been a waste of her time due to his ultimate interference in any acquisition.
”My report is ready Father,” she said as she sat down next to the Barran Corp CEO, Reece Barran, her and Brice's Father. She flicked him the document as the Autocar sped off.
”I'll review that later. Summarise for me,” he requested.
”Brice has made any acquisition impossible, instead of becoming a trusted advisor Daedalus mistrust me more than an unknown from the street,” Morganne stated.
”Brice holds a twenty percent stake?” Reece Barran, CEO of Barran Corp asked.
”Yes Father,” she said dutifully.
”What's the potential?” he asked.
”Substantial. I have information that they have an excellent AI foundation which is the number one seller in its market. And there are rumours that their exo could become standard equipment for the EUDF,” Morganne said.
”Quantity?” he asked.
”One hundred thousand units at seven hundred and fifty to one kay bitcreds,” Morganne replied.
”Inform your Mother. Suggest to her to have Brice's trust fund manager to advise him to purchase more equity,” he said. ”I suggest fifty-kay, not enough to spook him, but your Mother will ultimately decide.”
”And until he reaches U1, you can take control of the equity?” Morganne asked.
”Unless he emancipates, yes. But its nothing massive. Let's keep the family together, yes?” he said.
”Father, they have done this in a short period of time, the potential is massive,” Morganne stated.
”We don't deal in maybes Morganne,” her Father instructed.
”What's going to happen to Brice?” Morganne asked.
”I'm only the CEO Morganne. Your Mother rules on these matters,” he replied.
Morganne shivered. Her father was a shrewd businessman, that's why her Mother married him. And although her mother had no official title in the company, The Lady Alvia Barran was the undisputed Matriarch of the family, it's business and other assets, including wayward sons.
She may have been angry at her little brother, and he may have brought this on himself, but still, she was worried for him. He was charming, talented but massively foolhardy.