The Brilliant Blackthorn! 01
“Charlie, Charlie, it’s only 16 million Euros -”
”Plus another one-point-one annually in salaries, Henry, not to mention operating costs -”
“Which will be drawn from the common R&D budget, like every one of our other research divisions. Come on, we’re the 40th largest company in the world. Our revenue consistently outpaces Mitsubishi’s, and we’ve made no less than six billion in annual profit for the last eight years.
“These folks have accomplished an amazing technological feat -”
“That the German, French, and Austrian armed forces ultimately rejected, mind.”
“- a feat that will revolutionize the concept of man-portable directed energy weapons. It doesn’t matter that the armies of the world don’t have a justifiable need for it; this sort of thing needs to be picked up before our friends in the east decide they want it.”
“Okay, you’ve made your argument, Henry. We should purchase Die Kraftwerk and its assets.”
“Thanks for letting me bounce my ideas off you again, Charlie.”
”Anytime. Still better than a board meeting?”
“Still better than a board meeting. See you at lunch on Saturday.”
As the call ends, Henry looks out at the surrounding skyline. Majestic buildings, both young and old, fill his vision, bringing a slight smile to his lips. The history of industry, right before his eyes.
“Glorious.”
Behind him, the door opens and the telltale click-clack of patent-leather heels that his chief technology officer likes to wear echoes through the large office. How he acquired Teri Sanderson from her position as head of new technologies at Bell Labs three years ago is the stuff of legends - a coup that, in his mind, was five percent savvy gamesmanship on his part and 95 percent pure and unadulterated luck - and Henry firmly believes half their success as a company belongs to her innovative ideas.
“What did Charlie think of the idea?” she asks as he spins in his chair to find her carrying two steaming mugs, handing one to him across the desk.
“Oh, thank you,” he responds, picking it up and taking a moment to enjoy the robust aroma of his favorite coffee blend. “Well, you know Charlie; I had to plead my case.”
“Says the man who doesn’t need anyone to approve his plans. Cheers,” she says, raising her mug up in toast. Henry responds in kind.
“That’s why it’s doubly important I have the two of you,” he adds between sips. “And especially why I only pay him consultancy fees. I learned the lesson of the prequel trilogy.”
“Always have somebody around who can tell you ‘no.’”
“Amen. Now, how about you? Got any ammunition to shoot holes through the acquisition?...”
*~*~*~*~*
THREE DAYS LATER
AUGSBURG, BAVARIA
Henry and Teri stand in a hallway of the Kongresshalle convention center in Augsburg, Germany, both looking over notes as they wait for the leadership of their new acquisition to arrive for a small “signing ceremony” of sorts. Well, to be honest, it’s a ceremonial signing, as all the real work and legal stuff was hammered out yesterday and the payment sent and received. Die Kraftwerk is already part of the Blackthorne family.
In reality, it’s an excuse to come out to tour the facility and privately engage the Kraftwerk chief engineer over his boom gun’s lack of “punch.” Henry’s sure that the problem lies somewhere in the conversion electronics, but he also wants to take a look at the new team’s emitter circuitry.
“Are they running late?” he asks aloud to no one in particular. Teri looks up from her own preparation and frowns.
“I think they’re running late. Pete?” she says, looking around.
Peter Neville, an organizer extraordinaire who would be heading up some corporation’s HR department if he didn’t have to take a significant pay cut to do so, steps out into the hall and checks his phone.
“The Kraftwerk team has another seven minutes on their original ETA. We’re okay,” he says. Henry nods, though he’s not entirely calmed. For engineers, they were downright early arrivers. Did they have to go buy new suits or something?
