"Mr. Aeneas Argicola, will you please share your thoughts on this development?"

The old CEO asks me with an expectant look. I don't know why he asked me this question as if I have to answer him. To be honest, this whole meeting was stupid, every board member is present, and for what? Something that could literally be explained in an email, or if they really wanted to talk a fucking phone call would do. I shake my head and reply sternly,

"You know my thoughts, Jared. I expected this outcome, a new presidency is always going to result in short-term losses, and hell the guys' cousin is our competitor. Of course, we were going to lose the damn contract. You are too concerned with it. Yes, Muskrat Solar will take a loss this year, but we need to use this time intelligently. We can increase efficiency and help lower costs so when next year comes around we will be in the green far enough to make up for this year. I sent the spreadsheet to everyone here so you should know full well my projected numbers."

The old man looks through the spreadsheet rapidly, clearly having not looked at it prior to this meeting. I then continue with venom in my voice,

"Now the real problem is SOMEONE..."

I take a hard look at one of my business partners across the table,

"Didn't sign the agreement that was on their desk for ya'know... TEN MONTHS, that would have gotten us the government contract before the election. Hey Charlie, I hope you know you cost everyone here at this table a grand total of fifty million dollars each. Do you know how many other projects I could have helped with that money, or how many of our other companies could badly use some extra cash? Oh, wait you don't! Because you can't be fucked to actually figure out how to do your job, or what the project even does! If we weren't partners here on this board I would have fired your ass if I had the authority. I know this loss cost you also because we make the same damn money. 

I hope you understand I did two hundred hours of work last year to make that deal work. During that time you took two vacations and were golfing every day when you weren't I dunno, jacking off or something. To put it simply I don't want to carry your water for you, and I no longer will. 

I have been in the process for the last six months, which you haven't noticed of course, of buying my stake in Muskrat Solar and leaving. I hope you all have a good time running this when you all don't work more than three hours a week. Except you Jared. You've done well except for your obsession with in-person meetings. I wish you the best going forward."

Charlie then exlaims,

"You can't leave just like that! We are in the red. Will you at least stay until that green spike you promised?"

I shake my head with a small laugh,

"I told you. Six months. I already have everything except the money transferred. It's an eight million loss for me, but in the long run, I think it will do me well."

Charlie deflates quickly and the other partners all mumble among themselves clearly upset their free ride is going away, some are acting offended that I would say they don't do anything, but I have physical and electronic proof they sit around doing jack shit for this company, the document not getting signed was just the straw that broke the camels back. I then anounce,

"Well, I only came to this meeting to support Jared as I only wish him the best, but I am getting hungry so I am leaving. Good luck."

One of the female business partners asks me,

"What will you do now?"

I laugh heartily,

"I have five other companies. I am the sole founder and board member for four of them. I plan to start another two this year because of the material cost crash. I do not want a single one of you to come with me. My only regret was not getting out sooner."

I stand up with a groan as my knees sound like a fourth of July fireworks show. I'm only thirty-five and I already have most of the same afflictions that sixty-year-olds have. This is bullshit. I used to be considered one of the most premier athletes in the nation. I even got an invite to the olympic training center, but life doesn't always go the way you want it to, so now I'm a middle aged man with a growing gut and a bad back. 

I leave the conference room feeling the anger and resentment of earlier go away and slowly guilt fills my mind. I feel bad for Jared as I was the one who managed to appoint him to the CEO of Muskrat Solar. He's a good guy just sometimes has his head in the clouds, and he was the only one who even did a smigeon of help when it came to the company, so its inevitable failure is going to hurt him. Either that or I'll head hunt him and hire him to one of the new companies I hope to start soon.

I make it down the long elevator ride and leave into the basement garage. I quickly find my car. Its actually a model produced by one of the companies I have full ownership of, well I gained full ownership after buying everyone else out when the company was going downhill due to an aggressive campaign by a few major car producers.The only reason the company still exists is because of superior quality and price to all competitors.

The one I drive is one of our midline models as I really don't like dricing super expensive cars. This one is our Moose model of vehicle. To put it simply it's an electric jeep, well legally it is of a distinctly different model and design, but does the same thing. Big tires, somewhat higher profile, and less areodynamic than an angus cow. It reminds me of one of my first cars back in highschool, which was a jeep.

I climb into the comfortable cabin and turn the key. There is no rumble to life because of the car being electric, but there is a satisfying spin up as the vehicle comes to life. 

What makes my vehicles competitive in the market is their simplicity and reliability. All the cars made by Zeus Automotive are pretty basic in terms of electronics, or at least they look that way. Most have the old style of radio with only basic information showing with all the dials behind the steering wheel being completely analouge. This makes matainence very easy and cheap in the event of something breaking. All frames are made of high quality steel and the bodies are also made of metal rather than plastic parts. Despite looking much older than most modern cars they are highy sophisticated in reality. All the top of the line safety systems such as crumple zones and impact detection for airbags and the like. The glass is also highly shatter resistant so there is less likely of a chance of someone getting torn to bits by a shattered windshield.

Then there is the powerplant. Rows upon rows of specially made battery cells that hold a charge for a similar time to the competitors lithium batteries, but unlike lithium the chance of a catasprophic fire is much lower, and the fire itself is easy to put out, plus all of my vehicles come with a built in fire suppression system just in case of a fire. Speaking of battery life, each of the four wheels are connected to both a generator and a motor. So all vehicles are four wheel drive if needed, but it also alows for longer charge time because some of the power lost due to moving is returned through the generators, it's not a perfect return, but it does help considerably if the driver coasts a lot. 

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

In the end, I really just started a company because I wanted a better car. I thought about what I wanted in a car, found some very skilled engineers who were out of jobs due to the 2025 market crash, and built a comany thinking I can't be the only one who wants what I want out of a car. Plus charging ten thousand less than the closest competitor for an equivalent or even better car really helps with sales. 

I drive happily through side streets avoiding the main roads becasue I really hate city traffic. Soon I get on the highway and speed toward home while blasting metal music with my windows down. It's a nice day and I am honestly looking forward to my three o clock appointment. 

After thirty minutes I make it back to the small town I call home and get a to-go bag from the local barbeque spot before getting home. I pull off the gravel road I live on and drive down the wooded path I call a driveway. Soon my fairly simple two story log cabin comes into view. 

Despite making a considerable amount of money, I prefer more simple living, or at least more simple than other people who make the same as me. I don't need some grand mansion becasue I live alone. I park under my outdoor carport and go inside. I frown as I pass the empty dog bed I still haven't moved. My dog was twelve when she passed but I still cant let go fully. I hurry passed the empty bed and eat my lunch in silence. The empty home feeling both cozy and uninviting at the same time. 

After eating I head into my office on the first floor and get to work again. Zeus Automotive is doing well per usual so I won't have to screw with it for a while, but two of my companies are in a bind. That fifty million would have made a difference, and me spending that eighty million really hurt, but because that shitshow that was Muskrat Solar is done I can focus on these two companies and get them up and running again, which I start doing. I start goign over reports and emailing people to get their opinions or a general rundown of situations from them. I am more of a buisness man, but I understand how my products work, at least on the surface level. I am no engineer so I don't understand all the fancy technical terms, but I know just enough to either spot a stupid idea or a clear defect in any product. 

I make a note to visit one of the companies production zones because a big customer complained about the quality of product recived. I will have to go and see what those chucklefucks working are doing. I then decide to ignore those two for now, becuase those meetings will come later. I decide to keep working on one of the companies I hope to create, becasue my patent just got approved. I have the first ever patent for a commerical nuclear reactor. Of course using thorium, as to avoid any legal issues incase someone makes a nuclear bomb out of my product. About the size of a large SUV the reactor can power entire factories on its lonesome for years with a singular fuel rod. Just hook it up, add coolant and its all good to go. It's a fully enclosed system similar to that of a military submarine. This means no cooling tower is needed, and no steam is being let off. The patent is incredibly safe too as the reactor itself is self regulating and has super easy to read monitors. It's a great idea to basically allow every consumer to power their own homes, plus I am the only person in the USA with permissions to sell fissable materials on a commerical market, so long as it is not weapons grade uranium or plutonium. 

All I need to do now is create the company, and create a market for the reactor. This should be simple because current prices of any fossil fuel such as gas, oil, and coal is stupidly high due to the general state of the world, especially after the limited nuclear war between Israel and Iran which devastated the entire Middle East. This plus a 50% tax put on any fossil fuel sales put into action in 2025, which completely devastated the market. This means any and all alternatives to power is a great market. 

While doing the legal paperwork I lose track of time and am suprised to see it is alrealy two. I jump up quickly and get inside my car. My appointment is in a different city about an hour away. I drive like a man possesed and make it to the huge legal building on time. I get inside while catching my breath and suddenly a massive hand grabs me by the back of the neck and the owner says,

"You're late retard."

I reply,

"Goddamn, they let a towering sack of shit like you in here?"

I turn and face my younger brother who is smiling widely at me. We hug one another as our usual greeting. His massive arms threaten to crush me as we embrace. 

My brother, Iskander Agricola, is only a year younger than me, but is considerably larger than me. He managed to go to the NFL out of college can finally retired this year and he hopes to use the money gained wisely. He is the one who shares ownership with me on my remaining companies which I ahve happily run while he played in the leauge, but now he will have to carry some of the weight. I also hope to start my new companies with him as well. His leauge money will really help things take off.

We release our embrace and head into the elevator to the top floor of the building. We both straighten ourselves as the doors open and we walk side by side into the pristine office. We pass by the accountants and lawyers working hard and make it into the meeting room.

There is only one man in the room. An old man with a shiny bald head and a short white beard. He smiles as we enter and I cant help but feel nervous. He then opens his mouth to speak,

"There ya are you big dummies."

We laugh and smile at our father. We walk across the room and each give him a big hug. We've always been close to our dad, just as we have with one another. He taught us both everything we know about managing money and running buisnesses. Neither of us ever worked for him, and I made a point not to accept any investment money from him. Not out of a dislike or anything, but out of pride. I wanted to create my own way in life without my fathers help. Today though is very important. 

We let go of the hug and we sit on either side of my father who smiles at us proudly. In front of him is a single document of paper. This document is the cumulation of a decade of work on my part, and a decade of hard hitting football on my brothers part. We together and jointly buying our fathers company. He of course is incredibly proud of us for doing this, and we made sure he won't give us a familty discount. This has been my goal since I graduated from college. Once we all sign this paper, the deal is done.

Our dad won't retire though. He refues to do that. Instead he will become CEO of his company, but will no longer be the owner. This deal is more for the principle than to make money. A matter of pride for both of us brothers to say we truly succeeded in this world. We both sign the paper as neat as we possibly can and a lawyer enters the room to sign the paper and take it away. The deal is done, my thirty-five years of living are complete, now I'll have to find a new goal.

The grand total of this deal, one billion dollars total, shared between us two brothers. I paid the lions share because I am the one with muliple companies. With the deal done, we decide to all go and get supper at around six, until then Iskander and I decide to head to a bar for some victory celebrations.

By five we have enjoyed ourselves throughougly. We both are not drunk, maybe a little buzzed, but definitely not drunk. The bar is slightly upscale, but it has a better selection of beer. After we find ourselves getting to full of drink we pay the tab and start heading to the resturant we picked with our dad. We joke and talk as we walk in the well lit city streets when we pass in front of the government building of the city. I turn to my left and see a car rushing quickly toward us. I just barely manage to tackly my brother out of the way but am clipped in the foot. I know my ankle is broken before I even look at it. 

I slowly start to get up when the driver climbs out of the car. He looks deranged and then my blood runs cold as I look at his torso. A mess of wires and strange bricks. A suicide vest. He screams incoherently as the blood rushes through my ears. I have to do something. I ignore the pain in my ankle as I manage to lunge toward the man. I miss him by and inch but grab his ankle and pull it. I was invited to the olympic training center for wrestling afterall.

He goes down hard onto the concrete. He looks back at me wild eyed and kicks me in the face. I grit my teeth in pain as I pull myself on top of him and try to get the detonator out of his hand. I punch his face a few times to loosen his grip when I feel a small click come from my hand. I had accidnetally pressed the trigger. Without thinking I wrap my body around his as the world suddenly goes white.

I don't feel it. Just pain and loud shouts, then nothing. I find myself formless, and without a body. Just existing in an endless white void. I can see in the distance a beautiful figure. It looks to be some sort of angel or goddess or something. I begin running toward the figure as she spreads her arms for an embrace. I don't know why I move toward her, I just feel that it's what I am supposed to do. 

Her face suddenly drops as a booming voice rings out,

"You shall not take this one!"

I feel myself being pulled stright down and then...

nothing....