“What?” He asked, as it was the only word, the only thought in his mind, apart from, “Why?”
His mind started to catch up with the conversation. Trey said it was to grant both protection, and privilege. He’d said that he felt he owed Hunter a debt. But was it really this big of a debt? Did Hunter even want this?
“As I said, there is a pragmatic element to it. In fact, there’s a few. One, the truth is that if it weren’t for the Council’s interest in you, I’d have offered this from the very start. But my position can sometimes make the most simple solutions into the most dangerous and impractical. The best move at the moment was to keep you out of sight, and out of mind. Now that you’ve proven yourself as a remarkable potential asset, the corporation would be justified in bringing you on board. And it would allow me to extend the second part of my offer, which ultimately aligns with your goal.”
Hunter was practically on the edge of his seat.
“The grand prize of the competition was the Oberon Corporations’ official sponsorship to Barnum Academy of Excellence. Corporations get a few sponsorship options each year. The more powerful the corporation, the more sponsorship spots they earn. How much do you understand about the Barnum Academy of Excellence?”
“Not a lot,” Hunter said, “I know it’s supposed to be one of the best schools in the world.”
Trey nodded in a way that indicated that Hunter was on the right track.
“It might be the best school in the world— if not in quality of education, than in sheer prestige. Most of the previous Council Seats have graduated from, or have a board stacked full of Barnum alumna. Barnum has a grading system similar to other schools, but they award degrees of Excellence for those who distinguish themselves during their studies. These degrees typically mean a mark of prestige for whichever corporation or family has sponsored the recipient. The amount of Excellence recipients a corporation has is typically an indicator of not only their current status, but their future potential— which is more than a shallow measure, I assure you.”
He paused to take another sip of coffee. Hunter followed suit— not that he needed it anymore. This whole conversation had been an emotional rollercoaster, and instead of exhaustion, he was feeling electrified.
“Every corporation, every council member since the council’s inception, has been locked in a perennial series of pissing contests. The measure of Excellence is one way of gauging how we compare to our rivals, and there is always another. An emerging market or a new twist on an old one, greater feats of engineering, establishing more outworld outposts, the list goes on. In the last few generations, Oberon Enterprises has had to change itself in order to adapt to the new world, in order to ensure that our stream lands further than all the rest.
“My father, much to my grandfather’s dismay, found the most success in the corporations’ security department. Military life suited him, and when it was his turn to inherit the position at the head of the company, he changed the company structure from one with more of a board-like governance to one where he had sole decision-making power. He believed that a board and a man can make similar decisions given the same intelligence resources. What mattered most were the people who executed those decisions,” Trey said, the topic seeming to fill him with passion.
“What matters most is a shared vision, and a willingness to not just follow, but execute orders to the best of one’s ability. To that end, the threat of consequences of breeching their contract isn’t enough to keep an employee loyal. The only way to not only survive, but thrive in this new world of exploration, of freedom, of options, was to make yourself the greatest possible alternative to both current and future employees, and to the family's’ that raised them. That meant you needed to provide security, vision, and a means to achieve that vision. They need to believe in me, and the company as an extension.”
Hunter understood.
“And filling your ranks with Excellence recipients is a mark of honor for you, but another degree of security and certainty that the company has a future,” Hunter said.
“Not just the company, but themselves as well,” Trey corrected. Hunter nodded.
“Personal security,” he said.
“Exactly,” Trey said, “so a company needs to spend their sponsorship slots wisely. That’s why we offered the winning team the opportunity to enroll at Barnum. It would mean a much brighter future for themselves, and they would each have a chance of earning Excellence for the corporation. Pending their acceptance, all of the corporations’ sponsorship slots will be fulfilled.”
He paused for a few seconds, and Hunter assumed it was purely for dramatic effect.
“However, it’s not just the corporations who are offered sponsorship slots,” he said.
“Right,” Hunter said, the implication dawning on him, “you said both corporations and family's’ are given sponsorship slots.”
Trey nodded.
“How many sponsorship slots can a family be offered?” Hunter asked, knowing where this conversation was going, and hardly believing it.
“Family’s only get one per year,” Trey said.
“Hold on,” Hunter said, “What about your daughter? Isn’t she some sort of prodigy? Why wouldn’t you offer it to her?”
Trey nodded, a proud smile on his face.
“Indeed, she is a prodigy, in a sense. Her AR has just passed the mid 40’s. She’s proven to be quite adept with martial arts, and her academic performance has been phenomenal.”
Hunter whistled.
If he was remembering correctly, she’d be around his age give or take a year. Hunter was 16 this year. Even those who are considered gifted would only approach 40 AR in mid 20’s.
“Exactly,” Trey said, amused by Hunters response, “Barnum extended her an invitation personally, so the Oberon family’s sponsorship slot is still available. We can’t give it to just anyone, they have to be a member of the Oberon family.”
“And so you want me to go,” Hunter said.
“Yes,” Trey said, “I would be honored to have you alongside my daughter under the banner of the Oberon family. Oh,” Trey said, his smile growing even wider, “and that’s not all.”
He took another sip of his coffee.
“If you perform well, I will fully fund and supply your own personal workshop and lab. You will officially be employed by the company, but will have very minor obligations to it. If you perform so well as to earn a degree of Excellence, I will ensure that you are selected for outworld-training, and given a spot on the ship or outworld destination of your choice— if you still desire it. How does that sound?”
Hunter hands shook. He had to fight himself from accepting the offer immediately-- as a hint of reasons gave space for him to consider his original intention. He was not about to be dragged into a situation where his work was taken advantage of without any benefit to himself.
“What about the results of my research, and things that I invent?” Hunter asked. Trey nodded.
“Reasonable concerns, of course. As I said, you will have some small obligation to the company. What would be the use of having such a mind as yours if we didn’t make full use of it? You will have access to any research project that you find interesting— but the results of those specific projects will be owned by the company. However, anything you develop personally outside of those obligations will of course be yours to do with as you wish. I only ask that if you ever decide to share your private work with the public, that you’ll consider the family and the company first. We would be willing to offer you a more generous deal than you’d get anywhere else, guaranteed.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Hunter nodded. He could accept that, in fact, the whole thing seemed to work in his favor. It was almost too good to be true.
In fact, despite all the reasons he’d been given to take Trey at his word, he needed to face the facts.
Yes, Trey was a business man. And he was probably counting on Hunters good will. But he was also being transparent about it.
He’d guaranteed that Hunter would have all the privacy he wanted— if he had any secrets to share, he wouldn’t be obligated to share them and had the promise of a generous deal if he ever did decide to share what he knew.
But what was to hold Trey to his end of the deal? Even as he considered the question, Hunter wondered if he was being fair to the man.
He decided to take another risk. So far, they’d been paying off in their own roundabout ways. Attaching the Oberon name to his own was to everyone’s benefit. He’d be tying his fate to Oberon Enterprises, but he was being given a tremendous amount of freedom. It was a better deal than he’d expected.
To twist Trey’s own phrase, he would be remiss in his duties to himself if he let this opportunity pass him by. It was the perfect solution to his problems, as far as he could see. And if it wasn’t perfect, it was as close as he would get.
“Deal,” hunter said, holding out his hand. With a big grin, Trey took the hand and shook it.
“Excellent! Welcome to the family,” Trey said, “You won’t regret it.”
----------------------------------------
Hunter Oberon Koar.
He’d never had a middle name before, and was grateful that he had the option of placing his new name before his old one.
He was still, and always will be, Hunter Koar. At first he thought that maybe the Koar name should come first, but keeping his first and last name the same felt more appropriate to him. Trey readily agreed, so long as he was officially carrying the Oberon name, it didn’t matter where it was placed.
The official paperwork which proved his inclusion into the family had been signed and submitted immediately. Usually, the process might take a few days for the corporate machine to process such a registration, but a council seat didn’t have to wait for approval. By the time Barry had dropped him and his new bodyguard off at the hotel, he received a call from Mrs. Verilion stating that the paperwork had officially been filed.
It was done.
He was officially attached to one of the most powerful families in the world— officially an heir to the Oberon fortune.
What an insane thought, Hunter mused. This wasn’t even close to what he’d expected when he’d first signed up for the preliminary test in Seckina. He’d wondered for a moment if this could be considered a betrayal to himself, or his father. But he reasoned that it wasn’t. This was purely business-- a mutual scratching of backs. Being an Oberon was a means to an end.
He didn’t owe them anything beyond the potential to enrich their company with his work, the price of which was enrollment in a prestigious academy, ascendance to the highest rungs of the social ladder, and a future where the sky wasn’t even the limit.
It was an incredible deal.
He’d returned to the hotel suite to gather his belongings, humming to himself. He’d been assigned a bodyguard, which was something Hunter wasn’t sure how to feel about. The constant presence felt simultaneously reassuring and constricting. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed his privacy now that he had to sacrifice it for the sake of safety.
It was still slowly dawning on him, just what becoming an Oberon meant.
He almost regretted accepting Trey’s offer, because he knew that soon he would be the center of more attention that he’d ever wanted. He’d had a certain level of visibility when he was younger, before his father died— the infamous Gideon Koar was practically a household name. So he knew what to expect.
But the difference between the kind of attention Gideon Koar and his son received, and the family of a Council Seat and domain monarch, was night and day from what Hunter could recall— from seeing all the news broadcasts about Trey and his daughter, Aera.
Hunter had a sister now. He wondered what she was like. The best case scenario was that she had inherited Trey’s more personable qualities. The worst case scenario was that she was a typical, rich brat who cared about nothing more than what you could do for her, specifically her image and personal ambitions. In which case, he would find every excuse to ignore her and get on with his life. He hoped that they’d get a long, she would be an invaluable ally at Barnum if he was right about the kind of people he’d been attending the academy with. He hoped that having the Oberon name attached to his own would go a long way in warding off the negative attention he’d grown used to from the silver-spoon-fed.
Hunter would be moving into the Oberon mansion until the term at Barnum started in a couple of weeks. He’d requested to have a workbench installed in his room, but he was swiftly informed that he didn’t need anyone’s permission. He’d been introduced to an elderly gentleman named Stewart, who was in charge of the Oberon mansion staff. Hunter could inform Stewart about anything he would need at the house, and it would be Stewarts job to ensure that Hunter received it.
So he informed Stewart that he would need the workbench, and a steady supply of etherium batteries as well as easy access to a battery charger. Hunter almost expected Stewart to wince and protest at some point, but he man simply nodded and told Hunter to give him a few days to prepare everything and have the necessary renovations made. In the meantime, Hunter would stay in a guest-room. As Hunter was packing his things back at the hotel, he realized that he’d never had a chance to visit the museum. Instead of regretting it, he decided to exercise some of his newfound freedom and informed his new bodyguard of their pending trip.
The bodyguards name was Syler, ‘but my friends’ call me Sly,’ he’d said. Although Hunter was uncertain about how to feel about having a bodyguard around, he already like Sly on a personal level. Sly was bald, and appeared to be in his late 20’s or early thirties. He was clean shaven and had grey eyes. He didn’t smile much, but Hunter gathered it wasn’t personal. Even if his job was to guard the door of Hunter's hotel suite, Sly had a focus that Hunter admired. The man was clearly sharp, and took his job seriously.
Sly only nodded when Hunter told him they were going to visit the museum, and he brought Hunter down the to car that had been assigned to them. It wasn’t anything as impressive as a Kellese, but Hunter savored the idea of having not only a personal car, but a personal driver. They could have walked, as it wasn’t too far away, but Sly told him that driving was not only faster, but far safer. Although he would have a degree of anonymity for the next few days, soon the Oberon family would announce their newest member. He wanted Hunter to get used to doing things a bit differently than normal.
Hunter had noticed an increase in the amount of law enforcement agents walking the streets, not just outside of the hotel, but by the museum as well. He’d asked Sly if he’d told anyone they were going to the museum, but Sly shook his head. Hunter noticed police cars every few blocks.
Why was he seeing so many today?
“It was the attack a few days ago,” Sly said after making a call to ‘a friend’. His voice had a raspy quality-- an undercurrent of smoke to it, as if he was forcing each word out. “Abolitionists set off a car bomb, and claimed that the Council Capitals will no longer be safe, yada yada. If they ever attacked anything but targets of opportunity in the most under-guarded territories, maybe we'd have something to worry about. The increased law enforcement is there for the public's sake, if you ask me.”
“Was anyone hurt?” Hunter asked. Sly nodded.
“A few dead, a few wounded, and most of them were the abolitionists themselves. These terrorists have shown only a mild concern for their own lives, if there is going to be another attack, the best case scenario is that the damage is contained.”
They way that Sly said damage was so casual, as if it didn’t imply that innocent lives were at ay risk. He suddenly wondered if visiting the museum was the right choice.
“Should we go back to the hotel?” Hunter asked.
“It’s your call, boss.”
Hunter considered the problem. He still wanted to visit the museum, just to see it one more time. Barnum was practically a whole continent away, it would be a while before he’d be able to come back here. He decided he’d compromise.
The abolitionists probably wouldn’t attack twice in the same day, especially after annoucning their threat. They would need time to make sure their next attack was successful, right? He figured that the museum would be safe, especially with the increased law enforcement presence.
“I think I'd still like to check the museum out. Just for a little while.”
Sly nodded. If he disapproved of Hunters choice, he didn’t show it.
Hunter felt that this visit to the museum was important. Seeing his father and Trey holding their necklaces in that photograph, it birthed a strong desire to try and see the ancient past the same way his father had seen it. He’d never really taken a strong interest in ancient history— etherium was more than interesting enough, but the way Trey had spoken about the meaning of the necklaces had intrigued Hunter.
Power, a glimpse beneath the surface. That was his relationship with etherium, wasn’t it? To see it in a way no one else did, to feel it at a level which, as he could tell, was unique to himself. They called him a genius-- but he wasn't smarter than anyone else was, he just had a way of feeling into something that others couldn't.
Why? Why him? It was a question that didn’t seem to have an answer.
Self knowledge. Truth. Hunter wondered if the Asutnahem knew something that he hadn’t. Maybe his father’s interest in the ancient people’s hadn’t just been academic.
Maybe Hunter wouldn't just find a deeper connection with his departed father, but with himself as well-- and one thought which excited him above all else was the chance of discovering a way around his deficiency.