Being the first prince of the Holy Britannian Empire was far more stressful than he had ever hoped for. From the political machination of his siblings to the twisted Darwinian of the empire, there's simply much things that can fuck up his days. Fortunately, he didn't come to this world unarmed. He had the collective knowledge of the Tau Empire to back him up!
Glitch in the Collective Conciousness [Code Geass Odysseus SI]
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Prologue
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Prologue
Secluded deep in the wilderness of America North West stood the summer retreat of the Britannian Royal Family: Elysium. Built at the foot of the Cascades and surrounded by a sea of redwood and pine, it was as far away and separated from the courtly intrigue and the jockeying for power and influence in Pendragon as possible; perfect for when the extended family needed a break or if one of them needed to be pulled away from the limelight. The latter being the case in this instance as the news of Odysseus', the First Prince of Britannia, very public mental breakdown spread throughout the kingdom.
"Of all people, who would have thought it was Odysseus that was closest to snapping," Schneizel mused sadly while he leaned against the window of the stagecoach, gazing up to the towers of the summer palace as it came into view, and reminiscing of the times before things became so complicated.
Burnout was an all too familiar occurrence among the Imperial Family. Thanks to the darwinistic views promoted by father, Charles zi Brittania, competition among siblings was rampant as each strove to outshine the other. Among such bright stars, Odysseus could be said to burn the steadiest despite appearing mediocre. Schneizel snorted, scowling at the reminder of his brother's nickname. The Mediocre Prince they called him, with some even daring to call him the Clown.
His musings were cut short as the carriage came to a stop before the entrance of the palatial estate. Yawning, he reached out for one of the energy drinks that he had kept stashed inside, only for Kanon's hands to stop him. He glanced up to his secretary, silently asking him why he would deny him his drink, but Kanon met his gaze before shaking his head.
"My prince, you've already on your 3rd can. It might not be the best idea to consume more as caffeine is no proper substitute for sleep," His lovable secretary scolded him lightly before giving him a soft smile, "You're officially on vacation, so there's no need for that, ok?"
He sighed as he relented, gazing longingly at the cold energy drink before placing it back inside the cooler, "I wish I wasn't," He grumbled, his gaze turned to the servants as they lined up to greet him.
"Just don't push yourself. You don't have to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time, else something could break," Kanon whispered to him softly, reminding him of his own limitations before he reached out and opened the door to their carriage.
The reception was warm, though without much pomp as summer had already passed and there was no need for such a large staff on hand, a refreshing change of pace from Pendragon, "My prince, it's good to see you are in great health," The old butler that had served his family for generations greeted him before he turned his attention to his companion, "And I see that you've brought Earl Kanon as well. My, I still remember when you two first met in the gardens as if it was yesterday," The man chuckled while Kanon averted his eyes as his cheeks gained a rosy tint.
"It's good to see you are as well, Jebidiah," Schneizel chuckled as he replied back. His good mood was soon dampened, however, as he noted that his brother was not there to greet him, but it was to be expected after how… explosive his episode was. He shook his head, putting that matter in the back of his head for now as he made pleasantries with the old man.
As the man guided them inside, they made pleasantries and small talk. He asked them about the castle, silently making notes to adjust the budget to their needs as well as give some a raise while replacing some of the staff. Still, as much as he wanted to just chat with the butler, he was there for a reason.
Turning around a corner, he smiled fondly as they passed by a broken bust of a barely remembered emperor that was crudely glued together sitting proudly on its own pedestal, "After all these years, you still haven't had that bust fixed? I do hope that my brother hasn't broken another important thing. God knows what Cornelia would do if one of her training frames was messed with," He said, remembering that particular incident.
"I do remember it was you, Prince Schneizel, that broke that bust, not the crown prince," The man replied, remaining stoic even as the edge of his lips twitched.
"He just took the fall for it," He admitted. His brother was just simply too nice for his own good.
"He's a good man…" His butler whispered as he frowned, shaking his head in dismay. "It's not fair for the public to tear at him after just one unfortunate incident. After all that he's done they tore at him like rabid wolves."
"It's the price we must pay as royalty. There is simply no room for mistakes," He replied as he schooled his features. It was simply human nature to tear those at the very top, "How's he doing?" He then asked.
"He's doing quite well, recovering his memories after his episode and returning to his old self somewhat. I was afraid that he had simply forgotten everything, but he now remembers," The man happily recounted, smiling as he noted, "There were times that he asked what date it was along with the current state of the world, but it's probably cabin fever, nothing more."
Schnezeil nodded before frowning as he then asked, "Has anything strange happened to my brother?" If his brother had not returned to his former self by now, he might have a crisis in hand. As it stood, Odysseus was essential in keeping peace amongst his siblings. He was the compromise as nobody outright hated him. With him out of the picture…
"Well… I'd like to apologize to the crown prince in advance. Ever since he recovered, he has developed some strange habits, which often leads him to be preoccupied," The butler started, "He's been switching from one project to another, stripping down cars, and even one of the knightmare frames, if we couldn't provide him with the parts. In fact, he has yet to come out of the Motorpool since yesterday…"
Schneizel frowned as he asked, "Projects?" That was odd, he thought to himself. He had expected his brother to become lethargic, but to engross himself in work and possibly be elbow deep inside a car engine and covered in grease? That was quite odd, "Did he tell you what he's working on? What has my brother been doing all this time?"
"After the crown prince calmed down, he went off to the motorpool and started tinkering around. At first, we thought it was merely the prince taking an interest in cars until he started dismantling one of the practice Knightmare frames and using them for parts for the gizmos and doodads he's making, your highness," The wizened old man explained as he guided them a familiar path towards that part of the castle.
Excusing himself for a moment, the old man went out and fetched a portly man wearing an orange jumpsuit and belt of tools, "Maybe it's best that the head mechanic himself explain the situation," The butler told him.
Turning to the man, he questioned him, "So, what has my brother been doing these past two months?"
"He's working miracles, your highness!" The man claimed ecstatically before he caught himself as he bowed in apology. This had Schneizel raising a brow as he gestured for the man, "Pardon for the language, but it's just it's been ages since I felt this excited. Semi Autonomous drones, advanced electronics, and even the very secrets of gravity itself; you just have to see it my lord!"
Schneizel was taken aback by the man's claims and he would have dismissed it, yet the manic and almost fervent worshipful tone the man held for his brother told him otherwise. He had expected his brother to be out in the woods, or maybe by the main balcony to gaze down upon the nearby city, but not this. Machinery and electronics were never something he was passionate about, in fact, his brother had little passion for anything. It was true that his older brother never pushed himself, having only earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Harvard before pursuing philanthropy and humanitarian missions, so to hear him taking an interest in heavy machinery was quite out of the ordinary.
"Maybe it's best that we ask the crown prince himself?" Kanon suggested.
"O-of course," The mechanic nodded fervently before he grabbed the door and pulled it open to reveal something truly miraculous. Schneizel felt his jaw drop as there, floating in the middle of the motor pool, was a car floating in the air.
"Hah! I finally got it to work, you son of a bitch! We're going to drive out of here in style!" The crown prince hooted as he peered out the driver's window. He almost didn't recognize his brother thanks to the grease stains on his face, his unruly hair, unkempt beard and a worn jumpsuit. Noticing them, Odysseus waved at them before slowly floating towards them in his hover car, passing over tools and wooden pallets without so much as making them twitch, "Yoo Kanon, Schneizel, you should have told me you two would be coming today! Like my new ride? I had to strip down one of the newer models, but I think the upgrades are well worth it, no?"
"We reminded you yesterday, your Highness," Their butler deadpanned. Truly, his brother was forgetful as ever.
"Oh, oops. My bad?" Odysseus winced before apologizing.
"You're… floating," he replied dumbly as he placed his hands on the hood of the car before pressing down. It was as if he was pressing down on a solid unmoving block.
"Well, my car is, but yeah. Isn't it great?" Odysseus asked him with a grin before he said, "But where are my manners? Gottwald, can you get us some orange juice?"
"I have to say, that was quite an impressive proof of concept," Schneziel replied as he watched several dish shaped drones with underhanging arms floating by while they served them drinks and snacks, "And these drone, this would definitely catch the eye of the military if you can mass produce them"
As he recovered from the initial shock, he could finally make his judgment on his brother. So far, his brother appeared stable, even if he was a bit odd. He was still the same lovable goofball that was before, but there was something more to him, something that he had only seen in the eyes of their more accomplished siblings. It was as if he was a whole new man.
"If you're impressed with that, just wait till I actually make my own Knightmare Frame. It'll blow your pet project out of the water!" Odysseus claimed with a confident smirk.
"Truly? Well, if you're looking for some funding, I'm sure I can squeeze out something from the budget," Schneizel chuckled as he turned to his brother, "I'm just glad that your ok,"
Odysseus's features softened as he replied, "Thank you."
They shared a few minutes of silence between, making comments and asking some questions before his brother spoke up. Rubbing back of his head, he admitted, "About that mental breakdown, yeah I was in a dark place. I thought I was doing ok, staying clean and everything but it wasn't enough. The stress was getting to me and, just a few choice comments later, I spiraled out of control. I didn't know I needed some time away from it all until I got here."
While he didn't want to admit it, Schneizel felt some relief knowing that his brother was fine. As much as he desired the throne, he wanted to earn it and not have it simply fall into his lap because his brother was indisposed. "Hey, who knew getting cooped up in my room was a great motivator to learn. Hit the books and the next thing I knew, I was cracking the secrets of gravity," His brother then joked.
"Finally found your passion, I see," He replied as he gazed back into those blue eyes and there he found the spark of ambition in them, the drive that had been lacking in him for all those years. While many would scoff in disbelief, citing that no one could simply just read and show up the best and brightest of Britannia by cracking the secret to hover flight first, they did not account that Odysseus was his brother. There was more to him than meets the eye and, now that he found his calling, he knew he would shake the world itself.
"It's definitely a journey, I'll tell you that," Odysseus answered, before he had one of his drones pour him another glass, "But yes, I'm actually looking forward to getting back out there. I'll probably step out of politics and focus more on business. I actually have the draft for a company along with a whole series of products to sell,"
"Oh?" This was unexpected from Odysseus, though him turning to business was not catastrophic and maybe even beneficial for his own plans.
"I have the name, logo, and motto for it and everything. Tau Technology; For the Greater Good. The motto's still a work in progress," His brother told him, chuckling to himself as he told him about the motto.
"I don't know, it sounds catchy," He claimed, liking how close it rang to Odysseus' own nature. He's definitely going to be busy for quite some time, and maybe he found distaste in ruling? Regardless, his newfound technological prowess would be of great use to himself. Now, how would he make use of him?
"Maybe I'll keep it then," His brother then said before he shifted in his seat. He then asked him, "So I know this might be a bit too fast, but can I ask you for a loan? I have big plans, Schneizel, and it's definitely going to change the world, but I can't do it without your help."
Schneizel couldn't help but smile as his brother turned to him once more. To think he doubted that his brother would turn to him, "All you need is to ask," He told him, all too willing to help. Things would definitely get interesting once his brother returned. He could feel it in his very bones, Odysseus was truly going to change the world and he was going to be in the front row seat when it happened. So absorbed was he in his own success that he missed the smirk that temporarily grazed his brother's lips.
A/N:
Finally gave this it's own little corner. SI just got thrown in the snake pit that is Code Geass's royal family. If not for Charles, things would actually be really bloody, but this is still a political theater. It's not a fun place to be in. Thankfully, our little SI over here has something to flip the board. Will he survives Charles's machination and Lelouch's hate boner? Well, you better strap it cause this is going to be a long ride.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Secluded deep in the wilderness of America North West stood the summer retreat of the Britannian Royal Family: Elysium. Built at the foot of the Cascades and surrounded by a sea of redwood and pine, it was as far away and separated from the courtly intrigue and the jockeying for power and influence in Pendragon as possible; perfect for when the extended family needed a break or if one of them needed to be pulled away from the limelight. The latter being the case in this instance as the news of Odysseus', the First Prince of Britannia, very public mental breakdown spread throughout the kingdom.
"Of all people, who would have thought it was Odysseus that was closest to snapping," Schneizel mused sadly while he leaned against the window of the stagecoach, gazing up to the towers of the summer palace as it came into view, and reminiscing of the times before things became so complicated.
Burnout was an all too familiar occurrence among the Imperial Family. Thanks to the darwinistic views promoted by father, Charles zi Brittania, competition among siblings was rampant as each strove to outshine the other. Among such bright stars, Odysseus could be said to burn the steadiest despite appearing mediocre. Schneizel snorted, scowling at the reminder of his brother's nickname. The Mediocre Prince they called him, with some even daring to call him the Clown.
His musings were cut short as the carriage came to a stop before the entrance of the palatial estate. Yawning, he reached out for one of the energy drinks that he had kept stashed inside, only for Kanon's hands to stop him. He glanced up to his secretary, silently asking him why he would deny him his drink, but Kanon met his gaze before shaking his head.
"My prince, you've already on your 3rd can. It might not be the best idea to consume more as caffeine is no proper substitute for sleep," His lovable secretary scolded him lightly before giving him a soft smile, "You're officially on vacation, so there's no need for that, ok?"
He sighed as he relented, gazing longingly at the cold energy drink before placing it back inside the cooler, "I wish I wasn't," He grumbled, his gaze turned to the servants as they lined up to greet him.
"Just don't push yourself. You don't have to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time, else something could break," Kanon whispered to him softly, reminding him of his own limitations before he reached out and opened the door to their carriage.
The reception was warm, though without much pomp as summer had already passed and there was no need for such a large staff on hand, a refreshing change of pace from Pendragon, "My prince, it's good to see you are in great health," The old butler that had served his family for generations greeted him before he turned his attention to his companion, "And I see that you've brought Earl Kanon as well. My, I still remember when you two first met in the gardens as if it was yesterday," The man chuckled while Kanon averted his eyes as his cheeks gained a rosy tint.
"It's good to see you are as well, Jebidiah," Schneizel chuckled as he replied back. His good mood was soon dampened, however, as he noted that his brother was not there to greet him, but it was to be expected after how… explosive his episode was. He shook his head, putting that matter in the back of his head for now as he made pleasantries with the old man.
As the man guided them inside, they made pleasantries and small talk. He asked them about the castle, silently making notes to adjust the budget to their needs as well as give some a raise while replacing some of the staff. Still, as much as he wanted to just chat with the butler, he was there for a reason.
Turning around a corner, he smiled fondly as they passed by a broken bust of a barely remembered emperor that was crudely glued together sitting proudly on its own pedestal, "After all these years, you still haven't had that bust fixed? I do hope that my brother hasn't broken another important thing. God knows what Cornelia would do if one of her training frames was messed with," He said, remembering that particular incident.
"I do remember it was you, Prince Schneizel, that broke that bust, not the crown prince," The man replied, remaining stoic even as the edge of his lips twitched.
"He just took the fall for it," He admitted. His brother was just simply too nice for his own good.
"He's a good man…" His butler whispered as he frowned, shaking his head in dismay. "It's not fair for the public to tear at him after just one unfortunate incident. After all that he's done they tore at him like rabid wolves."
"It's the price we must pay as royalty. There is simply no room for mistakes," He replied as he schooled his features. It was simply human nature to tear those at the very top, "How's he doing?" He then asked.
"He's doing quite well, recovering his memories after his episode and returning to his old self somewhat. I was afraid that he had simply forgotten everything, but he now remembers," The man happily recounted, smiling as he noted, "There were times that he asked what date it was along with the current state of the world, but it's probably cabin fever, nothing more."
Schnezeil nodded before frowning as he then asked, "Has anything strange happened to my brother?" If his brother had not returned to his former self by now, he might have a crisis in hand. As it stood, Odysseus was essential in keeping peace amongst his siblings. He was the compromise as nobody outright hated him. With him out of the picture…
"Well… I'd like to apologize to the crown prince in advance. Ever since he recovered, he has developed some strange habits, which often leads him to be preoccupied," The butler started, "He's been switching from one project to another, stripping down cars, and even one of the knightmare frames, if we couldn't provide him with the parts. In fact, he has yet to come out of the Motorpool since yesterday…"
Schneizel frowned as he asked, "Projects?" That was odd, he thought to himself. He had expected his brother to become lethargic, but to engross himself in work and possibly be elbow deep inside a car engine and covered in grease? That was quite odd, "Did he tell you what he's working on? What has my brother been doing all this time?"
"After the crown prince calmed down, he went off to the motorpool and started tinkering around. At first, we thought it was merely the prince taking an interest in cars until he started dismantling one of the practice Knightmare frames and using them for parts for the gizmos and doodads he's making, your highness," The wizened old man explained as he guided them a familiar path towards that part of the castle.
Excusing himself for a moment, the old man went out and fetched a portly man wearing an orange jumpsuit and belt of tools, "Maybe it's best that the head mechanic himself explain the situation," The butler told him.
Turning to the man, he questioned him, "So, what has my brother been doing these past two months?"
"He's working miracles, your highness!" The man claimed ecstatically before he caught himself as he bowed in apology. This had Schneizel raising a brow as he gestured for the man, "Pardon for the language, but it's just it's been ages since I felt this excited. Semi Autonomous drones, advanced electronics, and even the very secrets of gravity itself; you just have to see it my lord!"
Schneizel was taken aback by the man's claims and he would have dismissed it, yet the manic and almost fervent worshipful tone the man held for his brother told him otherwise. He had expected his brother to be out in the woods, or maybe by the main balcony to gaze down upon the nearby city, but not this. Machinery and electronics were never something he was passionate about, in fact, his brother had little passion for anything. It was true that his older brother never pushed himself, having only earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Harvard before pursuing philanthropy and humanitarian missions, so to hear him taking an interest in heavy machinery was quite out of the ordinary.
"Maybe it's best that we ask the crown prince himself?" Kanon suggested.
"O-of course," The mechanic nodded fervently before he grabbed the door and pulled it open to reveal something truly miraculous. Schneizel felt his jaw drop as there, floating in the middle of the motor pool, was a car floating in the air.
"Hah! I finally got it to work, you son of a bitch! We're going to drive out of here in style!" The crown prince hooted as he peered out the driver's window. He almost didn't recognize his brother thanks to the grease stains on his face, his unruly hair, unkempt beard and a worn jumpsuit. Noticing them, Odysseus waved at them before slowly floating towards them in his hover car, passing over tools and wooden pallets without so much as making them twitch, "Yoo Kanon, Schneizel, you should have told me you two would be coming today! Like my new ride? I had to strip down one of the newer models, but I think the upgrades are well worth it, no?"
"We reminded you yesterday, your Highness," Their butler deadpanned. Truly, his brother was forgetful as ever.
"Oh, oops. My bad?" Odysseus winced before apologizing.
"You're… floating," he replied dumbly as he placed his hands on the hood of the car before pressing down. It was as if he was pressing down on a solid unmoving block.
"Well, my car is, but yeah. Isn't it great?" Odysseus asked him with a grin before he said, "But where are my manners? Gottwald, can you get us some orange juice?"
"I have to say, that was quite an impressive proof of concept," Schneziel replied as he watched several dish shaped drones with underhanging arms floating by while they served them drinks and snacks, "And these drone, this would definitely catch the eye of the military if you can mass produce them"
As he recovered from the initial shock, he could finally make his judgment on his brother. So far, his brother appeared stable, even if he was a bit odd. He was still the same lovable goofball that was before, but there was something more to him, something that he had only seen in the eyes of their more accomplished siblings. It was as if he was a whole new man.
"If you're impressed with that, just wait till I actually make my own Knightmare Frame. It'll blow your pet project out of the water!" Odysseus claimed with a confident smirk.
"Truly? Well, if you're looking for some funding, I'm sure I can squeeze out something from the budget," Schneizel chuckled as he turned to his brother, "I'm just glad that your ok,"
Odysseus's features softened as he replied, "Thank you."
They shared a few minutes of silence between, making comments and asking some questions before his brother spoke up. Rubbing back of his head, he admitted, "About that mental breakdown, yeah I was in a dark place. I thought I was doing ok, staying clean and everything but it wasn't enough. The stress was getting to me and, just a few choice comments later, I spiraled out of control. I didn't know I needed some time away from it all until I got here."
While he didn't want to admit it, Schneizel felt some relief knowing that his brother was fine. As much as he desired the throne, he wanted to earn it and not have it simply fall into his lap because his brother was indisposed. "Hey, who knew getting cooped up in my room was a great motivator to learn. Hit the books and the next thing I knew, I was cracking the secrets of gravity," His brother then joked.
"Finally found your passion, I see," He replied as he gazed back into those blue eyes and there he found the spark of ambition in them, the drive that had been lacking in him for all those years. While many would scoff in disbelief, citing that no one could simply just read and show up the best and brightest of Britannia by cracking the secret to hover flight first, they did not account that Odysseus was his brother. There was more to him than meets the eye and, now that he found his calling, he knew he would shake the world itself.
"It's definitely a journey, I'll tell you that," Odysseus answered, before he had one of his drones pour him another glass, "But yes, I'm actually looking forward to getting back out there. I'll probably step out of politics and focus more on business. I actually have the draft for a company along with a whole series of products to sell,"
"Oh?" This was unexpected from Odysseus, though him turning to business was not catastrophic and maybe even beneficial for his own plans.
"I have the name, logo, and motto for it and everything. Tau Technology; For the Greater Good. The motto's still a work in progress," His brother told him, chuckling to himself as he told him about the motto.
"I don't know, it sounds catchy," He claimed, liking how close it rang to Odysseus' own nature. He's definitely going to be busy for quite some time, and maybe he found distaste in ruling? Regardless, his newfound technological prowess would be of great use to himself. Now, how would he make use of him?
"Maybe I'll keep it then," His brother then said before he shifted in his seat. He then asked him, "So I know this might be a bit too fast, but can I ask you for a loan? I have big plans, Schneizel, and it's definitely going to change the world, but I can't do it without your help."
Schneizel couldn't help but smile as his brother turned to him once more. To think he doubted that his brother would turn to him, "All you need is to ask," He told him, all too willing to help. Things would definitely get interesting once his brother returned. He could feel it in his very bones, Odysseus was truly going to change the world and he was going to be in the front row seat when it happened. So absorbed was he in his own success that he missed the smirk that temporarily grazed his brother's lips.
A/N:
Finally gave this it's own little corner. SI just got thrown in the snake pit that is Code Geass's royal family. If not for Charles, things would actually be really bloody, but this is still a political theater. It's not a fun place to be in. Thankfully, our little SI over here has something to flip the board. Will he survives Charles's machination and Lelouch's hate boner? Well, you better strap it cause this is going to be a long ride.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Chapter 1
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Chapter 1
Being a prince wasn't as easy as it appeared. On one hand, you were born into nobility and wealth, but on the other hand a lot of things were expected of you: like staying sane and keeping calm. I probably should have not shouted and raved like a mad man about where the fuck was I and who the fuck are you all while under the influence of alcohol, but it was already far too late for that.
Grimacing, I picked up my cup of black tea and took a sip before returning to work, piecing together pieces from the various scrap electronics in the safety of my bare, but spacious, work area; complete with a view of a sprawling city in the background.
Thankfully, I was working on my latest project here instead of getting tossed into the loony bin. It was a nice change of pace compared to the palace deep in the boonies. The Cascade was a sight to see and all the fresh air helped me accept my situation. I am now Odysseus eu Brittania, crown prince of the Holy Britannian Empire.
There's a joke here somewhere about how Britannia is neither Holy nor British, given how we disgracefully lost our homeland to a midget, but it's definitely an empire and oh boy does it live up to its name.
Controlling the entirety of the New World and colonies spanning huge swathes of the Old World with a population of half a billion citizens, with many more second class "numbers", Britannia was, for the lack of a better term, the empire. Its sheer size was further augmented by its technological edge and superior military in the form of mecha called Knightmare Frames combined made it the de facto top dog in the world, with only the Chinese Federation; a super state comprising most of continental Asia, and the Europia United, another superstate comprising of old Europe, as its competitors. There were also other minor states, but they're irrelevant to the grand scheme of things
With so many advantages, why hadn't Britannia conquered the world? The reason for that was simple really, and that's because Britannia was trapped between two fronts. Focus on Europe and risk China picking itself up or focus on China while it's down and risk Europe being given the chance to recover and fund insurgencies. Well, that and general incompetence here and there, but not too much as Britannia was generally a meritocratic nation… where the citizens are given advantages. It wasn't to say that Britannia was losing, but it's just that winning was going to take a long time, time that Britannia didn't have since Lelouch was getting ready for a rebellion.
Oh boy, where do I start with Lelouch? That neurotic, traumatized man with a hate boner for Britannia so big that it's only rivaled by our now shared father's ego. Exiled at a young age by a monster of a father just after the death of his mother and forced to live through a brutal war of conquest. It's a wonder the man could actually operate at all. Any lesser person would have broken, but not Lelouch. In fact, it only hardened his resolve and he's just a bomb waiting to explode.
Once Lelouch gets his geass Clovis is fucked, the Eleventh Colony is fucked, Cornelia is fucked, Euphemia, bless her pure heart, is fucked, Shneizel is fucked, our midget of a uncle is fucked, our father is most definitely fucked, and the empire is fucked which means that I will be fucked as well. There will be no reasoning with the man who lived and breathed for the sake of revenge.
Clenching my fist, I paused before taking deep, calming, breaths; clearing my mind of all things as I stared down on the open circuit to check for any imperfections and finding none. Satisfied, I reached for my box of scraps as I continued assembling my latest work.
No, stop, we're not going back to that doom spiral again.
Let's go back a bit and see things from a different light. Things could be different, maybe Lelouch couldn't pull off his miracles here, but the memories of his half brother beating Schneizel in chess from time to time told him otherwise. It's fun to watch Code Geass and root for Zero in their fight against the empire, but it's hard to enjoy it now that I'm living the story as I speak, especially when I'm on the villain's side of the story.
I held no illusions that Britannia was a benevolent empire. It's a truly cruel and brutal society that thrives on conflict. Britannia is better off dead, forgotten in the annals of history, but as it stood, I'm a Britannian and as a man with a sense of self preservation, I refused to roll over and die. Britannia had to live if I wanted to stay alive and if I wanted it to remain intact I had to plan.
I had options and some time. Clovis had yet to die, despite my prolonged stay in Elysium, so that meant Lelouch had yet to meet the witch. I had to find a way to stop Lelouch from getting in contact with her but that would only delay his revenge. Still, baby steps are better than being frozen by indecision and fear.
There's also the matter of his fathers quite frankly insane plan to unite the world. Yeah, let's remove free will so there will be no more lies in the world. He needed to die, simple and plain as that. Unfortunately, killing him might be harder than it seemed as there's still VV to deal with. His uncle that can give out mind altering powers like candy to literal children if the needs arose.
I might actually need Lelouch to have his geass as he's the one ballsy enough and smart enough to deal with the midget, but I don't want Lelouch to go crazy with it. I simply don't trust him not to enslave me or kill me, after all, where was his mercy for Clovis who was looking for him all this time?
Sorry Nunally, but Lelouch has to go. Lelouch was an enemy, plain as day and he needs to be removed one way or the other. He needed to get to Japan and somehow convince Clovis to stop torturing the immortal witch so he could stop her from giving Lelouch his Geass. After that it was just a matter of killing his father and stopping his uncle before they could enact their plan; easy enough.
Now, one might think that such a goal would be impossible. I could feasibly stop Lelouch since he had yet to reach his true potential, but Charles was another matter and that is not accounting the immortal shota just yet. I was no great general or strategist nor am I a great statesman that can sway people; I am just me.
There's a hundred different ways things could go tits up, and even my knowledge could only take me so far. In fact, it could be a liability given I'm in a world of psychics and the Britannian secret service is staffed with them. I simply can't move willy nilly else I might alert my own father. I had to make my moves carefully.
I could go to Japan now, but how could I even convince Clovis to hand over his project? I have political clout as the heir, but it was soft power. Clovis had actual, tangible power with his rule of Area 11. I don't have power as it stands so… I have to put rescuing the witch on the backburner for now.
Given all this, it was clear that I needed a way to enforce my will, a way for me to have an edge once things started going to shit. I needed a way to amass power while not directly threatening my father. Thankfully, I just had just that in my hands. Grinning, I screwed in the last screw into my scrap metal creation as it sparked to life, lights blinking as it started to float.
There before me was a simple Tau Drone which soon joined its brothers and sister dancing around me. It was not the mighty Railgun or the Crisis Suit that made the Tau Military so deadly, it was the humble drone and its ability to do everything so long as one had the imagination and time to modify it. Simple, Light, and Easy to construct and Modular, this was the ultimate assistant.
How did I get a hold of such technology?
When I got pulled into this world, something else got mixed in as well. While I did not have memories of a time when I was a Tau, compared to having Odysseus' own memories, I do have the knowledge of the Tau Empire in its entirety just locked away in my brain. As concerning as it was, I did not question how I got it. There were other concerns that needed tending to, like the fact that I now had access to such technology.
Thankfully, Odysseus, despite being called mediocre, was a fairly smart bean as the Harvard Diploma framed over at the wall could attest to. He was just not motivated to go any further, because why should he strive for excellence when he would in theory inherit the empire? Odysseus you naive son of a bitch, if only you knew.
Anyway, I had my cover, as flimsy as it was. While I could choose to downplay my knowledge, why hide it when I could be bombastic? Hiding in audacity and all that, spewing out bullshit till people are too confused to even question me. If it worked on Schneizel, it'll work with most people.
Even with all my knowledge, in the grand scheme of things, what would a few curious baubles be for dear old Charles when he's so close to attaining his goals? Why, my inventions would help him in fact… up until it was finally time.
Reaching out, I decided to make another drone but found the bottom of my box. Grunting, I looked around wondering what next to strip apart only to find my dark and empty room staring back at me. I had stripped it of any useful gadgets, from old consoles to an old fashioned computer, even the microwave and minifridge that used to sit by the kitchenette attached to my bedroom. There was just nothing here except a tiny laptop and my phone.
Even after having almost stripped the entirety of my room of any electronics, I could only build a few and it was already past midnight. This was… slow and inefficient, I was not leaning into the strengths that the Tau had.
Cleaning up, I reflected upon what truly made the Tau such a deadly force. Their tech was not as advanced, in fact it was still below the dogmatic Imperium despite the millennia of decay. Their tech was neither as durable nor as long lasting as that of the Imperium nor was it cheaper to make; the orks had everyone beat in that area. It had neither the psychic might of the Aeldari's teck nor the reality warping capabilities of the Necron. What it had over the other races was the fact that it could be mass produced and easily replicated.
The Orks might be cheaper but the Tau were standardized. The imperium might be rugged and reliable, but the Tau tech can be replaced. Only the Necrons with their techno magic and the Aeldari with their warp bullshit truly beat the Tau with their tech, but the Tau stuff was simply reliable and could be made by just about anyone. The problem was… he needed factories and if he wanted factories, he needed money.
"A1, can you give me the copy of the document concerning the research grant Schneizel helped me get?" I asked out aloud before a clunky, smoke belching, dish shaped drone made of an old fashioned car air filter floated up holding the documents in its claws.
Grabbing the file, I read it once more, questioning myself if allying with Schneizel would be a fruitful endeavor. A hundred million sterling pounds, a not too insignificant amount of cash. For an average citizen, this was an astronomical amount of money, but for my needs it was not enough. The scheming bastard gave me just enough to continue my research on anti gravity but not enough to help me start a manufacturing base for it. I needed more cash.
It was one thing to have the knowledge and another to have a factory to make use of that knowledge, and what I had was simply not enough to get all the things I needed. I wasn't just going to be making parts, I wanted to make an entire army and this wouldn't get me a production line for a car factory. Guns, armor, metals, electronics, drones, the list goes on. There were so many things I needed to build and so little cash on hand.
Staring at my table, I tried to figure out what I could do to get more cash but I was drawing blanks. I'm not sure I could get that loan from a bank…or could I? Odysseus had friends, lots and lots of friends, and some of them owned banks. Why didn't I just call my friends?
Grinning, I reached out for my phone and picked out a number. Looking at the name, I remembered vaguely that it was a banker that I knew. With a target in mind, I called them and got myself an answer.
"Yoo, this is Odysseus. Long time-!" I called out only to cringe as the dial for a dropped call greeted me back. Shrugging, I dialed another number as I muttered, "Oh well, at least I get to see just who my true friends are." Oh how I wished I was wrong as I started to call one 'friend' after another.
A/N:
Odysseus has set his goals and now he's taking steps towards it. First up on the agenda is setting up his manufacturing base. I really don't get it why people hand wave the cost and manpower needed to manufacture and maintain tech. Jesus a car factory is expensive and yes, he could start out small but hey, why go small when you can do a bit of networking to get a big factory at the start? The problem now for him is... well, he'd need investors. Also, yes. I do want SI!Odysseus to get a Geass or atleast get CC on his side.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Being a prince wasn't as easy as it appeared. On one hand, you were born into nobility and wealth, but on the other hand a lot of things were expected of you: like staying sane and keeping calm. I probably should have not shouted and raved like a mad man about where the fuck was I and who the fuck are you all while under the influence of alcohol, but it was already far too late for that.
Grimacing, I picked up my cup of black tea and took a sip before returning to work, piecing together pieces from the various scrap electronics in the safety of my bare, but spacious, work area; complete with a view of a sprawling city in the background.
Thankfully, I was working on my latest project here instead of getting tossed into the loony bin. It was a nice change of pace compared to the palace deep in the boonies. The Cascade was a sight to see and all the fresh air helped me accept my situation. I am now Odysseus eu Brittania, crown prince of the Holy Britannian Empire.
There's a joke here somewhere about how Britannia is neither Holy nor British, given how we disgracefully lost our homeland to a midget, but it's definitely an empire and oh boy does it live up to its name.
Controlling the entirety of the New World and colonies spanning huge swathes of the Old World with a population of half a billion citizens, with many more second class "numbers", Britannia was, for the lack of a better term, the empire. Its sheer size was further augmented by its technological edge and superior military in the form of mecha called Knightmare Frames combined made it the de facto top dog in the world, with only the Chinese Federation; a super state comprising most of continental Asia, and the Europia United, another superstate comprising of old Europe, as its competitors. There were also other minor states, but they're irrelevant to the grand scheme of things
With so many advantages, why hadn't Britannia conquered the world? The reason for that was simple really, and that's because Britannia was trapped between two fronts. Focus on Europe and risk China picking itself up or focus on China while it's down and risk Europe being given the chance to recover and fund insurgencies. Well, that and general incompetence here and there, but not too much as Britannia was generally a meritocratic nation… where the citizens are given advantages. It wasn't to say that Britannia was losing, but it's just that winning was going to take a long time, time that Britannia didn't have since Lelouch was getting ready for a rebellion.
Oh boy, where do I start with Lelouch? That neurotic, traumatized man with a hate boner for Britannia so big that it's only rivaled by our now shared father's ego. Exiled at a young age by a monster of a father just after the death of his mother and forced to live through a brutal war of conquest. It's a wonder the man could actually operate at all. Any lesser person would have broken, but not Lelouch. In fact, it only hardened his resolve and he's just a bomb waiting to explode.
Once Lelouch gets his geass Clovis is fucked, the Eleventh Colony is fucked, Cornelia is fucked, Euphemia, bless her pure heart, is fucked, Shneizel is fucked, our midget of a uncle is fucked, our father is most definitely fucked, and the empire is fucked which means that I will be fucked as well. There will be no reasoning with the man who lived and breathed for the sake of revenge.
Clenching my fist, I paused before taking deep, calming, breaths; clearing my mind of all things as I stared down on the open circuit to check for any imperfections and finding none. Satisfied, I reached for my box of scraps as I continued assembling my latest work.
No, stop, we're not going back to that doom spiral again.
Let's go back a bit and see things from a different light. Things could be different, maybe Lelouch couldn't pull off his miracles here, but the memories of his half brother beating Schneizel in chess from time to time told him otherwise. It's fun to watch Code Geass and root for Zero in their fight against the empire, but it's hard to enjoy it now that I'm living the story as I speak, especially when I'm on the villain's side of the story.
I held no illusions that Britannia was a benevolent empire. It's a truly cruel and brutal society that thrives on conflict. Britannia is better off dead, forgotten in the annals of history, but as it stood, I'm a Britannian and as a man with a sense of self preservation, I refused to roll over and die. Britannia had to live if I wanted to stay alive and if I wanted it to remain intact I had to plan.
I had options and some time. Clovis had yet to die, despite my prolonged stay in Elysium, so that meant Lelouch had yet to meet the witch. I had to find a way to stop Lelouch from getting in contact with her but that would only delay his revenge. Still, baby steps are better than being frozen by indecision and fear.
There's also the matter of his fathers quite frankly insane plan to unite the world. Yeah, let's remove free will so there will be no more lies in the world. He needed to die, simple and plain as that. Unfortunately, killing him might be harder than it seemed as there's still VV to deal with. His uncle that can give out mind altering powers like candy to literal children if the needs arose.
I might actually need Lelouch to have his geass as he's the one ballsy enough and smart enough to deal with the midget, but I don't want Lelouch to go crazy with it. I simply don't trust him not to enslave me or kill me, after all, where was his mercy for Clovis who was looking for him all this time?
Sorry Nunally, but Lelouch has to go. Lelouch was an enemy, plain as day and he needs to be removed one way or the other. He needed to get to Japan and somehow convince Clovis to stop torturing the immortal witch so he could stop her from giving Lelouch his Geass. After that it was just a matter of killing his father and stopping his uncle before they could enact their plan; easy enough.
Now, one might think that such a goal would be impossible. I could feasibly stop Lelouch since he had yet to reach his true potential, but Charles was another matter and that is not accounting the immortal shota just yet. I was no great general or strategist nor am I a great statesman that can sway people; I am just me.
There's a hundred different ways things could go tits up, and even my knowledge could only take me so far. In fact, it could be a liability given I'm in a world of psychics and the Britannian secret service is staffed with them. I simply can't move willy nilly else I might alert my own father. I had to make my moves carefully.
I could go to Japan now, but how could I even convince Clovis to hand over his project? I have political clout as the heir, but it was soft power. Clovis had actual, tangible power with his rule of Area 11. I don't have power as it stands so… I have to put rescuing the witch on the backburner for now.
Given all this, it was clear that I needed a way to enforce my will, a way for me to have an edge once things started going to shit. I needed a way to amass power while not directly threatening my father. Thankfully, I just had just that in my hands. Grinning, I screwed in the last screw into my scrap metal creation as it sparked to life, lights blinking as it started to float.
There before me was a simple Tau Drone which soon joined its brothers and sister dancing around me. It was not the mighty Railgun or the Crisis Suit that made the Tau Military so deadly, it was the humble drone and its ability to do everything so long as one had the imagination and time to modify it. Simple, Light, and Easy to construct and Modular, this was the ultimate assistant.
How did I get a hold of such technology?
When I got pulled into this world, something else got mixed in as well. While I did not have memories of a time when I was a Tau, compared to having Odysseus' own memories, I do have the knowledge of the Tau Empire in its entirety just locked away in my brain. As concerning as it was, I did not question how I got it. There were other concerns that needed tending to, like the fact that I now had access to such technology.
Thankfully, Odysseus, despite being called mediocre, was a fairly smart bean as the Harvard Diploma framed over at the wall could attest to. He was just not motivated to go any further, because why should he strive for excellence when he would in theory inherit the empire? Odysseus you naive son of a bitch, if only you knew.
Anyway, I had my cover, as flimsy as it was. While I could choose to downplay my knowledge, why hide it when I could be bombastic? Hiding in audacity and all that, spewing out bullshit till people are too confused to even question me. If it worked on Schneizel, it'll work with most people.
Even with all my knowledge, in the grand scheme of things, what would a few curious baubles be for dear old Charles when he's so close to attaining his goals? Why, my inventions would help him in fact… up until it was finally time.
Reaching out, I decided to make another drone but found the bottom of my box. Grunting, I looked around wondering what next to strip apart only to find my dark and empty room staring back at me. I had stripped it of any useful gadgets, from old consoles to an old fashioned computer, even the microwave and minifridge that used to sit by the kitchenette attached to my bedroom. There was just nothing here except a tiny laptop and my phone.
Even after having almost stripped the entirety of my room of any electronics, I could only build a few and it was already past midnight. This was… slow and inefficient, I was not leaning into the strengths that the Tau had.
Cleaning up, I reflected upon what truly made the Tau such a deadly force. Their tech was not as advanced, in fact it was still below the dogmatic Imperium despite the millennia of decay. Their tech was neither as durable nor as long lasting as that of the Imperium nor was it cheaper to make; the orks had everyone beat in that area. It had neither the psychic might of the Aeldari's teck nor the reality warping capabilities of the Necron. What it had over the other races was the fact that it could be mass produced and easily replicated.
The Orks might be cheaper but the Tau were standardized. The imperium might be rugged and reliable, but the Tau tech can be replaced. Only the Necrons with their techno magic and the Aeldari with their warp bullshit truly beat the Tau with their tech, but the Tau stuff was simply reliable and could be made by just about anyone. The problem was… he needed factories and if he wanted factories, he needed money.
"A1, can you give me the copy of the document concerning the research grant Schneizel helped me get?" I asked out aloud before a clunky, smoke belching, dish shaped drone made of an old fashioned car air filter floated up holding the documents in its claws.
Grabbing the file, I read it once more, questioning myself if allying with Schneizel would be a fruitful endeavor. A hundred million sterling pounds, a not too insignificant amount of cash. For an average citizen, this was an astronomical amount of money, but for my needs it was not enough. The scheming bastard gave me just enough to continue my research on anti gravity but not enough to help me start a manufacturing base for it. I needed more cash.
It was one thing to have the knowledge and another to have a factory to make use of that knowledge, and what I had was simply not enough to get all the things I needed. I wasn't just going to be making parts, I wanted to make an entire army and this wouldn't get me a production line for a car factory. Guns, armor, metals, electronics, drones, the list goes on. There were so many things I needed to build and so little cash on hand.
Staring at my table, I tried to figure out what I could do to get more cash but I was drawing blanks. I'm not sure I could get that loan from a bank…or could I? Odysseus had friends, lots and lots of friends, and some of them owned banks. Why didn't I just call my friends?
Grinning, I reached out for my phone and picked out a number. Looking at the name, I remembered vaguely that it was a banker that I knew. With a target in mind, I called them and got myself an answer.
"Yoo, this is Odysseus. Long time-!" I called out only to cringe as the dial for a dropped call greeted me back. Shrugging, I dialed another number as I muttered, "Oh well, at least I get to see just who my true friends are." Oh how I wished I was wrong as I started to call one 'friend' after another.
A/N:
Odysseus has set his goals and now he's taking steps towards it. First up on the agenda is setting up his manufacturing base. I really don't get it why people hand wave the cost and manpower needed to manufacture and maintain tech. Jesus a car factory is expensive and yes, he could start out small but hey, why go small when you can do a bit of networking to get a big factory at the start? The problem now for him is... well, he'd need investors. Also, yes. I do want SI!Odysseus to get a Geass or atleast get CC on his side.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Chapter 2
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Chapter 2
It was getting tiring hearing the busy signal tone from my phone. I knew getting people to onboard my plans was going to be hard, but things were proving to be far more problematic than I had anticipated. I had to take a step back and think things through before plowing forward.
My idea of getting a factory up and running to make my products was already hard enough to pitch as it was, given my lack of background in engineering, but it was further hampered by the reputation I'd accidentally earned. At least being called mad was a step up from mediocre.
As it stood, getting associated with me wasn't ideal. It wasn't as toxic as a corrupt and incompetent official, or someone that made enemies with the royal family, but it was getting there. Still, it's far better than I had expected. The emperor hadn't made any damning comments about me, but he also hasn't given any statement supporting me; not bad but also not good.
There were still people that would support me, people that were willing to lend an ear. I still had followers and allies that had not fully abandoned me, as the list of prospective investors in my laptop could attest to. This, however, brings me to another problem of mine. Turns out, sorting through all the contacts was harder than it looked.
Frustrated by it all, I decided to turn my focus to the codes I've been working on. The echoes of my typing echoing in my room and the silent hum of my air conditioning reminded me of one of the consequences of my now toxic reputation.
Glancing to the side, I stared at the empty desk once occupied by my, or rather Odysseus's, secretary lay empty along with so many more desks of the people that supported the humanitarian projects that are now effectively defunct. The letters of resignation sitting beside my laptop were demoralizing, but it was a reminder that I have no one working for me.
I pushed away from my laptop and spun around in my office chair. I could write a simple VI to sort through all the calls, but it wasn't enough. It was just a stap gap which could become obsolete real quick once a real person gets hired. I could turn to AI, but that brought another problem.
Writing code all by myself is hard and mind numbingly boring. I could do it… but as I stared at the lines after lines of code filling my screen, I realized that it would take days, time that I might not have. I needed things quick. Besides, why should I waste days trying to write a custom AI to be my secretary when I could just… hire one?
I kinda need people so that I could have someone to talk to as well. I wouldn't want to actually go insane, or sound insane, from the lack of social interactions. My own Cortana would be cool, but people with actual opinions are nice. There's also the fact that an AI wouldn't have a physical body just yet, which would even take on more time. Maybe I was being lazy, but to hell with it. I admit, I want eye candy and by god I'm going to get myself some eye candy.
I had an entire office space rented out, and funded by Schneizel which is something that I needed to change soon, and it's empty. That needed to change. I didn't need all the chairs filled out, however, I just needed someone to fill the role as my secretary.
Pushing myself back to my computer, I saved my progress and tossed it inside a folder for later use once I have actual time. Stopping myself from just jumping into another project as soon as I found a popular search engine… and this world's version of Linkedin, the fact that it existed was a welcome relief with all the flip phones around. I started working on my job listing right after recovering my old account, a surprisingly painful process given how early in life the internet was.
As the old secretary didn't leave any notes behind, and sorting through all the computers would be a pain for my profile, I had to call customer support. It took me a couple of minutes, and a very annoying series of calls, as I got passed up higher in the chain of customer support who decided that they weren't paid enough for this to confirm that I am indeed Odysseus eu Britannia, but I got my account in the end.
The actual process of getting my account back took longer than it took me to get my job posting up. I had considered just making it a public listing, but I decided against it. There's simply too much trouble in shouting about it to the greater public.
One, having it be associated with me might intimidate those that were competent but would be too scared to work with someone high profile. The other thing is that everyone and their mother would apply for this job. I already had problems sorting through all the calls I'd made earlier, no need to drown myself in applications. There's also the fact that those that would apply could become ears for another person in politics, and I'd rather not have a rat onboard the ship I'd be sailing.
Still, the job listing wouldn't be entirely foolproof. The fact that I'm going to my once vacant office everyday now could tip people off that I'll need some workers. The location of the building alone would hint at the job I'm offering, along with the salary and benefits. Still, it was "competitive" enough that it wasn't overly generous but good enough that there should be some bites.
It didn't take long for some people to bite at the offer; even if I had to scramble to make a voice changer, as I'd foolishly forgotten that my voice would be quite recognizable. I did manage to schedule several interviews for the prospective employees once that was done, though.
I also had to make a spelling and grammar VI to check for errors and kick those with horrible resumes out, but I was going to make this VI anyways so it wasn't time wasted. Maybe a VI to filter through the pictures? Let's put a big maybe on that.
Considering the job listing was made on the internet, which, while familiar, was still strange and alien to my eyes; there were still so many niches I could fill, so many gadgets I could make, so many games that could be crafted. This was just too exciting. I was getting ahead of myself, however. I need to focus and get myself a secretary.
With the interviews set, I just had to make an exam to filter out the undesirables. Problem was that I didn't know where to start with that. I could get a personality exam made up, but for the actual secretarial tasks I might need the opinion of an expert, and I just know exactly who to call. Do I really want to call them though? I wanted to hire someone on my own, specifically so I could be independent, but I'm not yet ready.
Taking a look at the pile of resignation letters, as well as the list of contacts I'd managed to cobble up, I decided to swallow my pride and called in Schneizel. Grabbing the phone and pressing physical buttons took quite a while compared to the touch screens of my time but I finally got my call as the dial tone rang.
"Come on… pick up, pick up." I muttered as I glanced at the night sky of Pendragon. While I did hate the brutalist structure of this hive city, it did reduce its light pollution footprint by a large margin. Plus it made office spaces and apartments that have sunlight access more premium.
Finally, the call went through and I was greeted by a pissed Schneizel. "G-god damn it Odysseus, is this really the appropriate time to call?" My brother asked. He did sound a bit out of breath but I chalked it off as just him being tired from all the day's work.
"I'm really sorry for this but can I borrow your secretary for a bit? I need his help," I asked. I then heard someone sputtering and coughing in the background. "...Is everything ok there?"
Schneizel took a deep breath before sighing and asking, "... why?"
This might have been probably a bad time, but there's no way out now, "I need an expert when it comes to secretarial work to help me design a test to weed out the candidates I have for my new secretary position." Schneizel had the right idea when it came to having a right hand man to support him and I wanted my own Kanon.
"Ah yes, right. Your staff left..." He muttered out before I heard the rustling of clothes from across the line, "You know, you could just ask me for one right?"
"I know, but I kinda didn't want to bother you that much? Hey, I already have a list of candidates and I just needed this tiny bit of help before I got out of your hair," I replied. I'd also rather not have a right hand woman with split loyalties. Was I being a bit paranoid? Yes. Was being paranoid around people in Code Geass a bad thing? No.
I was met with silence for a bit before finally Schneizel answered back, "... fine. Kanon, you take over from here."
I then heard the familiar voice of Kanon speaking through the line though a bit hoarse, "Hello?"
"Yo Kanon, how's it going?" I greeted back, leaning back on my chair as I opened up another empty document file to write things down.
"Good evening your highness and I'm doing… fine," The man replied a bit peeved but totally understandable at the time. "Now, I assume you're looking for a competent right hand man, right?" He then asked
"Well, right hand woman, but more or less yes," I answered back.
I heard Kanon sigh at the end of the line before he replied, "Ok, here's what I need you to do for your exam, your highness…"
Sipping my hot cup of coffee, I leaned back in my swivel chair and watched from the safety of my main office as the applicants streamed into the conference room I'd retrofitted to become my exam room. While I did my best to hide the seals of my office and coat of arms, from the looks of awe and excitement it was clear that some had an inkling on who they might be working for, but I didn't let that deter me.
With my drones flying around, I had eyes everywhere with VI's to identify movement. It was a bit overwhelming, but this could serve me well when I tossed this to an engineering team that I would eventually hire to fix things, or rather who my Secretary would hire as I'd be offloading a lot of office work on them while I do my tinkering.
"Good morning everyone, I hope you're all having a good day," I greeted with my voice scrambled, "As a reminder, all three tests for the job application will be done today, so if anyone wants to back out now the door is open," None chose to stand. I smiled, but now I wonder how'd they react to the real test.
"Good, the exams will start as soon as all papers are handed out. No one read the papers until the signal is given." My voice rang out from my drones as more of them streamed into the room.
I watched eagerly as they took their seats and were presented with the task Kanon and I made for them. It was the first of three tests and it might just be the greatest filter of them all, the written test. At the sight of the drones carrying stacks upon stacks of paper, I already had some bowing out. Unfortunately, they didn't even try; but what use would I have for such people?
Looking down at the hefty pile of paper in my other hand, I was a bit apprehensive at the test that Kanon whipped up for me. At several inches thick, it did look a bit too much, but the man assured me that this was just at the edge of what a competent Secretary could do within an hour and, indeed, the applicants were given an hour; but it wouldn't be enough. Every last question was possible to answer, but the test was which ones they'd answer first.
"You have an hour to finish the task at hand to the best of your abilities, begin!" And with that, pens started flying the pages. As the examiners filtered through the exam, one thing was to be clear and that it was just barely at the edge of being possible. Yes, someone like Kanon could finish this exam, but they were outliers. This wasn't just an exam to test one's competence but how they'd react given such a task.
I could already hear muttering of dismay and complaints already and I made note on who those are. The number of candidates were already dropping fast, but not fast enough. Now the question is, how many would remain?
A/N:
Odysseus immediately runs into his first problem, he doesn't have employees or even a secretary for that matter. He kinda had a soft reset on a lot of things and he has to pick up the pieces and the first piece he wants is well... a secretary. As you can see... he kinda wants eye candy and he's a bit of a lazy fuck. He'd rather just grab something that already exist rather than make it unless it actively interest him. Also, thoughts on the software he's making~? He's making so many valuable tools, tools he could start renting out. There's also the alien/primitive internet. Flip fucking phones... yeah, a smart phone would blow the entire market apart especially since he can just make all the apps needed to give it a base number of apps.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
It was getting tiring hearing the busy signal tone from my phone. I knew getting people to onboard my plans was going to be hard, but things were proving to be far more problematic than I had anticipated. I had to take a step back and think things through before plowing forward.
My idea of getting a factory up and running to make my products was already hard enough to pitch as it was, given my lack of background in engineering, but it was further hampered by the reputation I'd accidentally earned. At least being called mad was a step up from mediocre.
As it stood, getting associated with me wasn't ideal. It wasn't as toxic as a corrupt and incompetent official, or someone that made enemies with the royal family, but it was getting there. Still, it's far better than I had expected. The emperor hadn't made any damning comments about me, but he also hasn't given any statement supporting me; not bad but also not good.
There were still people that would support me, people that were willing to lend an ear. I still had followers and allies that had not fully abandoned me, as the list of prospective investors in my laptop could attest to. This, however, brings me to another problem of mine. Turns out, sorting through all the contacts was harder than it looked.
Frustrated by it all, I decided to turn my focus to the codes I've been working on. The echoes of my typing echoing in my room and the silent hum of my air conditioning reminded me of one of the consequences of my now toxic reputation.
Glancing to the side, I stared at the empty desk once occupied by my, or rather Odysseus's, secretary lay empty along with so many more desks of the people that supported the humanitarian projects that are now effectively defunct. The letters of resignation sitting beside my laptop were demoralizing, but it was a reminder that I have no one working for me.
I pushed away from my laptop and spun around in my office chair. I could write a simple VI to sort through all the calls, but it wasn't enough. It was just a stap gap which could become obsolete real quick once a real person gets hired. I could turn to AI, but that brought another problem.
Writing code all by myself is hard and mind numbingly boring. I could do it… but as I stared at the lines after lines of code filling my screen, I realized that it would take days, time that I might not have. I needed things quick. Besides, why should I waste days trying to write a custom AI to be my secretary when I could just… hire one?
I kinda need people so that I could have someone to talk to as well. I wouldn't want to actually go insane, or sound insane, from the lack of social interactions. My own Cortana would be cool, but people with actual opinions are nice. There's also the fact that an AI wouldn't have a physical body just yet, which would even take on more time. Maybe I was being lazy, but to hell with it. I admit, I want eye candy and by god I'm going to get myself some eye candy.
I had an entire office space rented out, and funded by Schneizel which is something that I needed to change soon, and it's empty. That needed to change. I didn't need all the chairs filled out, however, I just needed someone to fill the role as my secretary.
Pushing myself back to my computer, I saved my progress and tossed it inside a folder for later use once I have actual time. Stopping myself from just jumping into another project as soon as I found a popular search engine… and this world's version of Linkedin, the fact that it existed was a welcome relief with all the flip phones around. I started working on my job listing right after recovering my old account, a surprisingly painful process given how early in life the internet was.
As the old secretary didn't leave any notes behind, and sorting through all the computers would be a pain for my profile, I had to call customer support. It took me a couple of minutes, and a very annoying series of calls, as I got passed up higher in the chain of customer support who decided that they weren't paid enough for this to confirm that I am indeed Odysseus eu Britannia, but I got my account in the end.
The actual process of getting my account back took longer than it took me to get my job posting up. I had considered just making it a public listing, but I decided against it. There's simply too much trouble in shouting about it to the greater public.
One, having it be associated with me might intimidate those that were competent but would be too scared to work with someone high profile. The other thing is that everyone and their mother would apply for this job. I already had problems sorting through all the calls I'd made earlier, no need to drown myself in applications. There's also the fact that those that would apply could become ears for another person in politics, and I'd rather not have a rat onboard the ship I'd be sailing.
Still, the job listing wouldn't be entirely foolproof. The fact that I'm going to my once vacant office everyday now could tip people off that I'll need some workers. The location of the building alone would hint at the job I'm offering, along with the salary and benefits. Still, it was "competitive" enough that it wasn't overly generous but good enough that there should be some bites.
It didn't take long for some people to bite at the offer; even if I had to scramble to make a voice changer, as I'd foolishly forgotten that my voice would be quite recognizable. I did manage to schedule several interviews for the prospective employees once that was done, though.
I also had to make a spelling and grammar VI to check for errors and kick those with horrible resumes out, but I was going to make this VI anyways so it wasn't time wasted. Maybe a VI to filter through the pictures? Let's put a big maybe on that.
Considering the job listing was made on the internet, which, while familiar, was still strange and alien to my eyes; there were still so many niches I could fill, so many gadgets I could make, so many games that could be crafted. This was just too exciting. I was getting ahead of myself, however. I need to focus and get myself a secretary.
With the interviews set, I just had to make an exam to filter out the undesirables. Problem was that I didn't know where to start with that. I could get a personality exam made up, but for the actual secretarial tasks I might need the opinion of an expert, and I just know exactly who to call. Do I really want to call them though? I wanted to hire someone on my own, specifically so I could be independent, but I'm not yet ready.
Taking a look at the pile of resignation letters, as well as the list of contacts I'd managed to cobble up, I decided to swallow my pride and called in Schneizel. Grabbing the phone and pressing physical buttons took quite a while compared to the touch screens of my time but I finally got my call as the dial tone rang.
"Come on… pick up, pick up." I muttered as I glanced at the night sky of Pendragon. While I did hate the brutalist structure of this hive city, it did reduce its light pollution footprint by a large margin. Plus it made office spaces and apartments that have sunlight access more premium.
Finally, the call went through and I was greeted by a pissed Schneizel. "G-god damn it Odysseus, is this really the appropriate time to call?" My brother asked. He did sound a bit out of breath but I chalked it off as just him being tired from all the day's work.
"I'm really sorry for this but can I borrow your secretary for a bit? I need his help," I asked. I then heard someone sputtering and coughing in the background. "...Is everything ok there?"
Schneizel took a deep breath before sighing and asking, "... why?"
This might have been probably a bad time, but there's no way out now, "I need an expert when it comes to secretarial work to help me design a test to weed out the candidates I have for my new secretary position." Schneizel had the right idea when it came to having a right hand man to support him and I wanted my own Kanon.
"Ah yes, right. Your staff left..." He muttered out before I heard the rustling of clothes from across the line, "You know, you could just ask me for one right?"
"I know, but I kinda didn't want to bother you that much? Hey, I already have a list of candidates and I just needed this tiny bit of help before I got out of your hair," I replied. I'd also rather not have a right hand woman with split loyalties. Was I being a bit paranoid? Yes. Was being paranoid around people in Code Geass a bad thing? No.
I was met with silence for a bit before finally Schneizel answered back, "... fine. Kanon, you take over from here."
I then heard the familiar voice of Kanon speaking through the line though a bit hoarse, "Hello?"
"Yo Kanon, how's it going?" I greeted back, leaning back on my chair as I opened up another empty document file to write things down.
"Good evening your highness and I'm doing… fine," The man replied a bit peeved but totally understandable at the time. "Now, I assume you're looking for a competent right hand man, right?" He then asked
"Well, right hand woman, but more or less yes," I answered back.
I heard Kanon sigh at the end of the line before he replied, "Ok, here's what I need you to do for your exam, your highness…"
Sipping my hot cup of coffee, I leaned back in my swivel chair and watched from the safety of my main office as the applicants streamed into the conference room I'd retrofitted to become my exam room. While I did my best to hide the seals of my office and coat of arms, from the looks of awe and excitement it was clear that some had an inkling on who they might be working for, but I didn't let that deter me.
With my drones flying around, I had eyes everywhere with VI's to identify movement. It was a bit overwhelming, but this could serve me well when I tossed this to an engineering team that I would eventually hire to fix things, or rather who my Secretary would hire as I'd be offloading a lot of office work on them while I do my tinkering.
"Good morning everyone, I hope you're all having a good day," I greeted with my voice scrambled, "As a reminder, all three tests for the job application will be done today, so if anyone wants to back out now the door is open," None chose to stand. I smiled, but now I wonder how'd they react to the real test.
"Good, the exams will start as soon as all papers are handed out. No one read the papers until the signal is given." My voice rang out from my drones as more of them streamed into the room.
I watched eagerly as they took their seats and were presented with the task Kanon and I made for them. It was the first of three tests and it might just be the greatest filter of them all, the written test. At the sight of the drones carrying stacks upon stacks of paper, I already had some bowing out. Unfortunately, they didn't even try; but what use would I have for such people?
Looking down at the hefty pile of paper in my other hand, I was a bit apprehensive at the test that Kanon whipped up for me. At several inches thick, it did look a bit too much, but the man assured me that this was just at the edge of what a competent Secretary could do within an hour and, indeed, the applicants were given an hour; but it wouldn't be enough. Every last question was possible to answer, but the test was which ones they'd answer first.
"You have an hour to finish the task at hand to the best of your abilities, begin!" And with that, pens started flying the pages. As the examiners filtered through the exam, one thing was to be clear and that it was just barely at the edge of being possible. Yes, someone like Kanon could finish this exam, but they were outliers. This wasn't just an exam to test one's competence but how they'd react given such a task.
I could already hear muttering of dismay and complaints already and I made note on who those are. The number of candidates were already dropping fast, but not fast enough. Now the question is, how many would remain?
A/N:
Odysseus immediately runs into his first problem, he doesn't have employees or even a secretary for that matter. He kinda had a soft reset on a lot of things and he has to pick up the pieces and the first piece he wants is well... a secretary. As you can see... he kinda wants eye candy and he's a bit of a lazy fuck. He'd rather just grab something that already exist rather than make it unless it actively interest him. Also, thoughts on the software he's making~? He's making so many valuable tools, tools he could start renting out. There's also the alien/primitive internet. Flip fucking phones... yeah, a smart phone would blow the entire market apart especially since he can just make all the apps needed to give it a base number of apps.
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fics ideas get tested through rigorous discussion. Hopefully I don't bore him.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Chapter 3
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Chapter 3
I might have underestimated just how brutal Kanon's exam was as I stared at the number of applicants who barely got past the half mark point. "Just a handful, huh?" I whispered to myself as I pulled out the files of those that reached that point. Tossing the rest for my drones to shred and dispose of, I considered my options.
I expected a lot of applicants dropping out, but not this many. Then again, I did post the job posting anonymously; which might have contributed to the applicant's performance. "It definitely made my job easier though." I shrugged before turning my attention to the remaining resumes.
With their numbers decimated, it was now only a matter of picking out which one would become my secretary. Glancing at their resumes and seeing the prestigious schools of some, as well as the impressive grades of others, each one of the applicants could fill in the role. They have the qualifications, backgrounds, and skills; but the question was if they would be a great fit. They were going to be my right hand woman, after all. I needed to know if I could trust them.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," I whispered as I turned to my drone and commanded them, "Call in these applicants and send the rest home." It was now time to pick my secretary.
Given their qualifications, I decided that I was going to hire most of them. It would be a waste to let them go when I was starting out from scratch. Might as well recruit them to fill in the other roles in the office while I was at it. I had big plans for Tau Technology and a robust support staff would be essential for keeping my operations running smoothly.
This still left me in quite the dilemma. Since they were all equally competent in my eyes, how was I going to pick the person that would become my right hand woman? For that, I had a simple question. "If you were my secretary, which of the other candidates would you consider for another role," I asked, offering each candidate the chance to form their staff from the list of candidates.
It was a simple question, but one that would decide their fate. When I sent out the job listing, it wasn't just limited to Britannians. I opened it all for all candidates, even for the numbers and foreign migrants. Why the hell should I exclude more than half of the population of the empire?
If my secretary would be racist to the rest of my future employees, there would be problems. They were going to be at the heart of the operations. While I held ultimate power on decisions, it would be up to my secretary to coordinate everything and to have them as the main source of friction would be a disaster.
Unfortunately, I might have underestimated just how racist Britannians could be as I stared at the list of resumes returned to me for their plans and the rather glaring lack of numbers amongst the ranks. Glancing up at the pinkette, I asked, "Why did you exclude the following applicants?"
Jumping at the question and pulling her hands away from petting the drones, she apologized hastily, "I-I apologize for your highness, but while their records are impressive, it would be far too risky for your royal image if you were to associate with far too many Numbers." I blinked slowly as I stared at the girl.
Dororthy Grey, the lone daughter of the Duchess of Kansas. As the youngest of twelves siblings, she gave off the impression of being quite sheltered. She looked like a sweet and innocent girl, reminding me almost of Euphy if my sister was far reserved which made her reasoning all the more surprising. Amongst the Britannians, she was the only one that excluded all the numbers.
I wasn't even mad, just surprised that the dainty looking wallflower of a girl would be the one to reinforce the Brittannian obsession with purity. Sweating, the girl explained, "T-there's some nasty rumors amongst my aunt's- ! I mean the upper classes, that you have gone mad, and those are certainly not true!" Fiddling her thumb and glancing away, she continued, "S-so as much as I wanted to include some numbers, I-I can't. I merely want to protect your image, your highness."
As I sighed and reached up to massage my temples, she let out a whimper. No, she wasn't racist, or most of the candidates as far as I've seen. They merely didn't want to go against the grain. The current Darwinian Philosophy was simply far too ingrained in the society and to go against it would be seen as lunacy.
"I hate this world so much," I whispered under my breath before looking back up. As the girl looked up to me in apprehension, I gave her a tired smile. "Thank you for your honesty, Miss Grey." Gesturing at the door, I told her, "Please return to the lobby with the rest of the applicants while I process them. I'll send some tea and snacks later."
"D-did I say something wrong, your highness?" the girl asked as she paled and stammered. Just looking at her made me feel like I just kicked a puppy.
"No," I replied, grimacing as I glanced away, "You just gave me a lot to think about." Asking them that question might have been a mistake. Did people here really hate each other so much that being associated with them was a toxic trait?
With teary eyes, she nodded, "My apologies." Getting up on shaky legs, she suddenly bolted out of the door, catching me by surprise.
"Miss Grey-!" I called out, but she was already back in the lobby, sobbing openly as the other girls went to comfort her. "Damn it all," I whispered, slumping back on my seat. Despite her rather conservative reasoning, she sounded like a well meaning girl. It was just fucked up that the values of Britannia were just that twisted.
Glancing at the list of the Numbers and one European amongst the list, maybe I could just double down. What if I just hired a number, consequence be damned? If my image was already that bad, then could it fall any lower? They should be more open with hiring, right?
Unfortunately, not even the Numbers were immune to prejudice. It ran deep, permeating every inch of the society. While the Britannians were more than happy to reduce the Numbers to a minimum, the Numbers, on the other hand, wanted to reduce their interaction with the Britannians. There was animosity from both sides.
Such was the case as I stared down at the list of candidates given back to me and the rather pointed lack of Britannian Nobility amongst them. There were only two of them, but it was rather odd that both of them were removed from the list.
"Is there a reason why most of the candidates you chose were numbers, Miss Singh?" I asked curiously as I gazed up at the dark skinned woman. Anika Singh, the daughter of immigrants from the Military Districts of India. Sharply dressed and well groomed, she wouldn't have been out of place in a fashion magazine.
Even her grades were immaculate, having graduated top of her batch from one of the Ivy League Schools in Business Management. She should be perfect, but her pick of candidates left me a bit apprehensive. Smiling, the woman replied, "May I be frank, your highness?"
Gesturing for her to continue, she nodded. "It's because your highness only deserved the best," she replied without missing a beat as she started to explain, "Despite their background, these girls managed to get into these prestigious academies and stood head and shoulders above their peers."
"And how about these two?" I asked, pointing out their records. They were not as good as the rest, but they did study in prestigious schools. Not only that, but their extracurricular activities were quite impressive. They were well traveled and well connected.
It was small and brief, but I saw the ghost of a frown on her lips, before she replied, "While their records are impressive, the rest didn't have to rely on connection to achieve what they have." Ah, that explained a lot. She wasn't racist, she just didn't like their privileges.
"These girls would be willing to show their all if you just give them the chance," She told me as her cold eyes glinted with a bit of hope. "Please, consider them," She asked.
Breathing in deeply, I sank back into my seat as I considered her words. "I'll think about it," I replied before gesturing at the door. "Meanwhile, why don't you join the rest of the applicants over in the lobby?"
"Of course," She nodded as she slowly sat up from her seat, her eyes dejected. She was eager and competent looking, but I wasn't sure she would be the best fit. Still, her words had merit. These applicants would give it their all if I give them a chance.
"I'm having some tea and cakes served in just a few minutes," I told her just as she opened the door. "Do you have a particular blend you prefer?" I asked.
"My apologies, your highness, but I prefer coffee," She replied before her eyes caught the sight of the distraught Miss Grey who I had a Drone attend to. "But… a cup or two of Chamomile sounds like a good idea."
Smiling, I nodded back, "I'll send some over,"
As the door closed behind her, I slumped against my desk. "Thank god for small mercies," I whispered as a drone flew back, carrying a pot of tea over. "There is hope," I thanked the Collective Consciousness as the drone poured me a cup.
Taking a sip from the relaxing brew and savoring the floral scent of jasmine, I turned my attention to the name of the last candidate; Miorine Rembran. Amongst all the candidates, only one European was amongst the bunch. She wasn't really an immigrant, as she still retained her European citizenship, but she did have a working visa.
It wasn't Britannia allowing her work status in the mainland that surprised me, however, but it was her parents instead. "The daughter of the European Vice President working in Britannia," I said out loud, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. "This interview certainly got a whole lot more interesting."
While Europe and Britannia were hostile to one another, the war between the two was fought between Euro Britannia, the noble remnants of the old world, and the United Republic of Europia. At best, our two nations were in proxy war with each other. Technically, there was nothing wrong with her moving over to Britannia, but it was quite the move. Now curious, I called for her, "Send her in."
Staring at the tiny silver haired girl before me, I found myself more and more intrigued. "So, Miss Rembran," I said as I gave her resume a second run over. "I have to say, I'm surprised you applied for such a job posting given your background," I told her honestly. It was not everyday that you got the daughter of a hostile power applying to your company.
"I hope that my heritage wouldn't detract from my accomplishments, your highness," She replied, her voice holding a dangerous edge as she stared back at me.
"Oh no, nothing like that," I replied, impressed by the girl's spirit. She was certainly not one to back down and take insults lightly. Laying down her resume, I admitted, "I'm just surprised you didn't apply for one of the bigger companies in the area, such as Standard Oil."
Her grades were impeccable, her records spotless, even her pedigree by Britannian standards were top notch. She should have been snatched up the moment she got here. "Any company would be lucky to have you as an employee," I told her as she gave me a curious look.
Curious at her choice for applying to an unknown company of all things, I asked her, "Is there a reason why you chose this job listing?" Given the context clues, my company wasn't exactly part of the common rabble, but compared to certain others, it might as well be.
"Honestly, your highness?" Miorine replied as a frown graced her brow. "I tried, but I was rejected," She admitted, grimacing as she looked away. She looked peeved, almost angry even, but there was just a hint of relief in her eyes.
"Oh?" I replied, curious at why.
"Oh please, don't play coy your highness, we both know that prejudice was involved," She scoffed as she leaned back on her seat. "Despite how humiliating it is to be treated as secondary at best, I find this refreshing," She replied as a wry smile stretched across her lips before she told me, "At least now I can say my achievements are my own."
So it was indepence, from the legacy of her family and their influence, that she sought. "You certainly went far away from home just to achieve that," I pointed out as she gave her a playful shrug.
"It certainly is, but it's a price I'm willing to pay," She replied and I nodded back in respect. To go this far away from home took guts. Either she found life in Europia so suffocating that she's willing to relocate, or she had an independent streak a mile long. Either way, I had the chance to have her as an employee.
"Let's get back to the interview, shall we?" I cleared my throat, covering my mouth to hide my smile, as I shifted back to the reason why we were here in the first place. "Now, I'm only going to ask you one question and this will determine if I'll hire you as my secretary or not," I told her as I handed her the resume of the rest of the applicants, "If you were my secretary, which of the other candidates would you consider for another role?"
Without question, the girl took the resumes and reviewed them. She took her time reviewing each one, shifting their order around once or twice, before she nodded. Returning the files, she told me, "All of them."
I could feel my brow rise as I gazed back at her. "I've seen quite a number of combinations of candidates, but never have I had someone suggest all of them," I replied. I had a few Brittanians and some numbers which I was going to cut off for various reasons as well, but not cut off a single one? Now that required explanation.
"Am I wrong in choosing them?" She asked as she stood her ground. "They are all qualified for certain roles in any company and it would be a shame to lose any of them to potential competitors," She reasoned.
Nodding, I countered, "Even if most of them are prejudiced against one another?" It was those same prejudices that got her rejected from other companies and it would be ones that she would deal with if she were to become my secretary. "Some of them were quite against me associating with Numbers, much less someone foreign," I pointed out.
She frowned as she looked down and rested her chin against her fist as I continued. "I have half the mind to have you shred their resumes right now, as I believe they would be detrimental for the company's future as I will be hiring Numbers and other nationalities," I shared as I gestured for the drones to come. "The friction between my employees would be too much," I reasoned.
It was the nature of things inside Britannia. Both sides hate the other in one way or another. While it could be overt, coming from the conservative factions inside the government, dealing with such conflict early on would be too much of a headache; one that I wasn't sure I was equipped to handle.
She let out a heavy sigh as she relented, "I can see your point." However, there was still some fight in here as she looked up and argued, "But while I respect your decision, I would advise against such actions for the following reasons."
As I frowned and listened closely, she explained, "Each one of these girls have strengths that could help the company." Picking one of the candidates I was planning to let go, she started, "Take Miss Grey, for example."
Opening her files, she admitted, "While she might come off as highly emotional, she possesses a background few could match." Pointing to the girl's background, she continued, "Not only does she come from a prestigious private academy, but her extracurriculars show she is quite well connected."
"She's traveled all over the Empire for various charities, and I haven't touched on her membership to a prestigious sorority," She explained before saying, "She has a hand on the pulse of Nobility, one we could take advantage of if we have it directed into cultivating the companies image."
"You do make a great point," I admitted, frowning as I hadn't considered such an angle for the girl. Yes, the girl might break under the expectations of her, as she already did after what I could only assume was a perceived failure on her end, but this girl made me realize that she could be useful.
"And then we have Miss Singh with her impressive GPA and a background in one of the premier business schools in Britannia," Miorine pivoted as she brought up another of the more problematic candidates. I was on the fence about her, though leaning on having her hired, but now I was interested in what this girl had to say.
"She can come off as rather cold and overconfident, but it's for good reasons," She explained. "She takes pride in her ability and expects the same of everyone around her. While caustic for any department that would require communication and management, she would be amazing in a department like finance."
"While they might have their faults, each of them has a chance to grow out of it," She concluded as she gazed out to the hall. While there was some apprehension in the group, they were talking and interacting with each other without hostility. Even Miss Grey had cheered up as she talked animatedly with Miss Singh. "They're still young and inexperienced, but I'd be willing to give them the chance to show me what they could do," She said as she turned back to me and asked, "Will you give them all a chance?"
Slowly, a smile stretched across my lips before I replied, "You certainly convinced me well enough, Miss Secretary." Extending my hand to her, I added, "That is, if you're still willing to entertain a fool like me."
The girl snorted as she smiled back before accepting my hand. "It's Miorine, your highness," She replied as shook it.
Pulling away, I told her, "Then you better call me Ozzy because I'm getting sick and tired of getting called your highness." I could only get called 'your highness' so many times before the words lost all meaning. It really was such a gaudy title. "I would prefer if things were less formal in the office," I told her.
"You are royalty, after all," The girl scolded half-heartedly. "I thought you would be already used to it, your Hi-! Ozzy," She replied, before nodding, "But I'll try to keep that in mind."
Stroking my beard, I half jested, "Your Ozzyness does have a ring to it." It would certainly be far more entertaining as well.
"And they said your madness was just rumors," She rolled her eyes as she smiled before glancing out the window. "I think we should tell them about your plan. It would be best while they're still here," She said.
"As your first official act as my secretary, I want you to organize the applicants for my office," I commanded her. "Tau Technologies might just be starting out, but we will need all the help we can get moving forward," I told her.
Today, the Business World; Tomorrow, the whole world. I will not only have the most advanced technologies in the world, but I will have the industrial might to do so on my own. No need to rely on the Empire when I could just build my own. "Charles you son of a bitch, I'll make sure you die before you can complete your insane plan, and that goes to you as well Lelouch, you revenge driven asshole," I told myself.
"Of course, though I just have to ask one thing, your highness," She started, making me quirk my brow.
"What is it?" I replied, reaching for my half forgotten cup of tea and taking a sip. I wonder if she was as curious as Miss Grey was about my Drones.
"Did you exclusively hire females just to have eye candy?" She asked pointedly, making me cough out as I choked on my drink. "You know we could get hit with a lawsuit," She deadpanned as she stared at me while I wiped my lips. Groaning, she sighed out, "Of course you did." I had my weaknesses. Can't have eye candy?
"Don't worry though, I understand," She replied as she massaged her temples. "But please do keep your hands to yourself or I will have some choice words," She warned as a plastic smile stretched across her lips.
Not wanting to test the woman's patience, I saluted back, "Yes ma'am." I had no illusions that she would not make good of her unspoken promise of pain and violence.
"Good," She nodded before getting up. "Now stay here while I gather your future employees." She replied before shutting the door behind her, hard. Was it already too late to change my choice to Miss Grey, or maybe even Miss Singh? Miorine, she scared me… but she was definitely cute in the bossy angry way.
"Damn it Oz, don't think with your dick," I scolded myself, but it seemed that it was one reminder that I never got to follow.
A/N:
So said the greatest lie in this story. The sooner Ozzy accepts that he thinks with his dick, the better. Now as a quick rapid fire face claim list for the named chracters are the following. Anika Singh's face claim is Geeta from Pokemon SV, Dorothy Grey's face claim is Human Flutter Shy, and Miorine... well, she's a Miorine Rembran Expie
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fourth time in a row. Vyor might hate it, but this is peak efficiency in letting every one knows that he is responsible for beta'ing these chapters. I will keep pinging him cause it's funny
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
I might have underestimated just how brutal Kanon's exam was as I stared at the number of applicants who barely got past the half mark point. "Just a handful, huh?" I whispered to myself as I pulled out the files of those that reached that point. Tossing the rest for my drones to shred and dispose of, I considered my options.
I expected a lot of applicants dropping out, but not this many. Then again, I did post the job posting anonymously; which might have contributed to the applicant's performance. "It definitely made my job easier though." I shrugged before turning my attention to the remaining resumes.
With their numbers decimated, it was now only a matter of picking out which one would become my secretary. Glancing at their resumes and seeing the prestigious schools of some, as well as the impressive grades of others, each one of the applicants could fill in the role. They have the qualifications, backgrounds, and skills; but the question was if they would be a great fit. They were going to be my right hand woman, after all. I needed to know if I could trust them.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," I whispered as I turned to my drone and commanded them, "Call in these applicants and send the rest home." It was now time to pick my secretary.
Given their qualifications, I decided that I was going to hire most of them. It would be a waste to let them go when I was starting out from scratch. Might as well recruit them to fill in the other roles in the office while I was at it. I had big plans for Tau Technology and a robust support staff would be essential for keeping my operations running smoothly.
This still left me in quite the dilemma. Since they were all equally competent in my eyes, how was I going to pick the person that would become my right hand woman? For that, I had a simple question. "If you were my secretary, which of the other candidates would you consider for another role," I asked, offering each candidate the chance to form their staff from the list of candidates.
It was a simple question, but one that would decide their fate. When I sent out the job listing, it wasn't just limited to Britannians. I opened it all for all candidates, even for the numbers and foreign migrants. Why the hell should I exclude more than half of the population of the empire?
If my secretary would be racist to the rest of my future employees, there would be problems. They were going to be at the heart of the operations. While I held ultimate power on decisions, it would be up to my secretary to coordinate everything and to have them as the main source of friction would be a disaster.
Unfortunately, I might have underestimated just how racist Britannians could be as I stared at the list of resumes returned to me for their plans and the rather glaring lack of numbers amongst the ranks. Glancing up at the pinkette, I asked, "Why did you exclude the following applicants?"
Jumping at the question and pulling her hands away from petting the drones, she apologized hastily, "I-I apologize for your highness, but while their records are impressive, it would be far too risky for your royal image if you were to associate with far too many Numbers." I blinked slowly as I stared at the girl.
Dororthy Grey, the lone daughter of the Duchess of Kansas. As the youngest of twelves siblings, she gave off the impression of being quite sheltered. She looked like a sweet and innocent girl, reminding me almost of Euphy if my sister was far reserved which made her reasoning all the more surprising. Amongst the Britannians, she was the only one that excluded all the numbers.
I wasn't even mad, just surprised that the dainty looking wallflower of a girl would be the one to reinforce the Brittannian obsession with purity. Sweating, the girl explained, "T-there's some nasty rumors amongst my aunt's- ! I mean the upper classes, that you have gone mad, and those are certainly not true!" Fiddling her thumb and glancing away, she continued, "S-so as much as I wanted to include some numbers, I-I can't. I merely want to protect your image, your highness."
As I sighed and reached up to massage my temples, she let out a whimper. No, she wasn't racist, or most of the candidates as far as I've seen. They merely didn't want to go against the grain. The current Darwinian Philosophy was simply far too ingrained in the society and to go against it would be seen as lunacy.
"I hate this world so much," I whispered under my breath before looking back up. As the girl looked up to me in apprehension, I gave her a tired smile. "Thank you for your honesty, Miss Grey." Gesturing at the door, I told her, "Please return to the lobby with the rest of the applicants while I process them. I'll send some tea and snacks later."
"D-did I say something wrong, your highness?" the girl asked as she paled and stammered. Just looking at her made me feel like I just kicked a puppy.
"No," I replied, grimacing as I glanced away, "You just gave me a lot to think about." Asking them that question might have been a mistake. Did people here really hate each other so much that being associated with them was a toxic trait?
With teary eyes, she nodded, "My apologies." Getting up on shaky legs, she suddenly bolted out of the door, catching me by surprise.
"Miss Grey-!" I called out, but she was already back in the lobby, sobbing openly as the other girls went to comfort her. "Damn it all," I whispered, slumping back on my seat. Despite her rather conservative reasoning, she sounded like a well meaning girl. It was just fucked up that the values of Britannia were just that twisted.
Glancing at the list of the Numbers and one European amongst the list, maybe I could just double down. What if I just hired a number, consequence be damned? If my image was already that bad, then could it fall any lower? They should be more open with hiring, right?
Unfortunately, not even the Numbers were immune to prejudice. It ran deep, permeating every inch of the society. While the Britannians were more than happy to reduce the Numbers to a minimum, the Numbers, on the other hand, wanted to reduce their interaction with the Britannians. There was animosity from both sides.
Such was the case as I stared down at the list of candidates given back to me and the rather pointed lack of Britannian Nobility amongst them. There were only two of them, but it was rather odd that both of them were removed from the list.
"Is there a reason why most of the candidates you chose were numbers, Miss Singh?" I asked curiously as I gazed up at the dark skinned woman. Anika Singh, the daughter of immigrants from the Military Districts of India. Sharply dressed and well groomed, she wouldn't have been out of place in a fashion magazine.
Even her grades were immaculate, having graduated top of her batch from one of the Ivy League Schools in Business Management. She should be perfect, but her pick of candidates left me a bit apprehensive. Smiling, the woman replied, "May I be frank, your highness?"
Gesturing for her to continue, she nodded. "It's because your highness only deserved the best," she replied without missing a beat as she started to explain, "Despite their background, these girls managed to get into these prestigious academies and stood head and shoulders above their peers."
"And how about these two?" I asked, pointing out their records. They were not as good as the rest, but they did study in prestigious schools. Not only that, but their extracurricular activities were quite impressive. They were well traveled and well connected.
It was small and brief, but I saw the ghost of a frown on her lips, before she replied, "While their records are impressive, the rest didn't have to rely on connection to achieve what they have." Ah, that explained a lot. She wasn't racist, she just didn't like their privileges.
"These girls would be willing to show their all if you just give them the chance," She told me as her cold eyes glinted with a bit of hope. "Please, consider them," She asked.
Breathing in deeply, I sank back into my seat as I considered her words. "I'll think about it," I replied before gesturing at the door. "Meanwhile, why don't you join the rest of the applicants over in the lobby?"
"Of course," She nodded as she slowly sat up from her seat, her eyes dejected. She was eager and competent looking, but I wasn't sure she would be the best fit. Still, her words had merit. These applicants would give it their all if I give them a chance.
"I'm having some tea and cakes served in just a few minutes," I told her just as she opened the door. "Do you have a particular blend you prefer?" I asked.
"My apologies, your highness, but I prefer coffee," She replied before her eyes caught the sight of the distraught Miss Grey who I had a Drone attend to. "But… a cup or two of Chamomile sounds like a good idea."
Smiling, I nodded back, "I'll send some over,"
As the door closed behind her, I slumped against my desk. "Thank god for small mercies," I whispered as a drone flew back, carrying a pot of tea over. "There is hope," I thanked the Collective Consciousness as the drone poured me a cup.
Taking a sip from the relaxing brew and savoring the floral scent of jasmine, I turned my attention to the name of the last candidate; Miorine Rembran. Amongst all the candidates, only one European was amongst the bunch. She wasn't really an immigrant, as she still retained her European citizenship, but she did have a working visa.
It wasn't Britannia allowing her work status in the mainland that surprised me, however, but it was her parents instead. "The daughter of the European Vice President working in Britannia," I said out loud, chuckling at the absurdity of it all. "This interview certainly got a whole lot more interesting."
While Europe and Britannia were hostile to one another, the war between the two was fought between Euro Britannia, the noble remnants of the old world, and the United Republic of Europia. At best, our two nations were in proxy war with each other. Technically, there was nothing wrong with her moving over to Britannia, but it was quite the move. Now curious, I called for her, "Send her in."
Staring at the tiny silver haired girl before me, I found myself more and more intrigued. "So, Miss Rembran," I said as I gave her resume a second run over. "I have to say, I'm surprised you applied for such a job posting given your background," I told her honestly. It was not everyday that you got the daughter of a hostile power applying to your company.
"I hope that my heritage wouldn't detract from my accomplishments, your highness," She replied, her voice holding a dangerous edge as she stared back at me.
"Oh no, nothing like that," I replied, impressed by the girl's spirit. She was certainly not one to back down and take insults lightly. Laying down her resume, I admitted, "I'm just surprised you didn't apply for one of the bigger companies in the area, such as Standard Oil."
Her grades were impeccable, her records spotless, even her pedigree by Britannian standards were top notch. She should have been snatched up the moment she got here. "Any company would be lucky to have you as an employee," I told her as she gave me a curious look.
Curious at her choice for applying to an unknown company of all things, I asked her, "Is there a reason why you chose this job listing?" Given the context clues, my company wasn't exactly part of the common rabble, but compared to certain others, it might as well be.
"Honestly, your highness?" Miorine replied as a frown graced her brow. "I tried, but I was rejected," She admitted, grimacing as she looked away. She looked peeved, almost angry even, but there was just a hint of relief in her eyes.
"Oh?" I replied, curious at why.
"Oh please, don't play coy your highness, we both know that prejudice was involved," She scoffed as she leaned back on her seat. "Despite how humiliating it is to be treated as secondary at best, I find this refreshing," She replied as a wry smile stretched across her lips before she told me, "At least now I can say my achievements are my own."
So it was indepence, from the legacy of her family and their influence, that she sought. "You certainly went far away from home just to achieve that," I pointed out as she gave her a playful shrug.
"It certainly is, but it's a price I'm willing to pay," She replied and I nodded back in respect. To go this far away from home took guts. Either she found life in Europia so suffocating that she's willing to relocate, or she had an independent streak a mile long. Either way, I had the chance to have her as an employee.
"Let's get back to the interview, shall we?" I cleared my throat, covering my mouth to hide my smile, as I shifted back to the reason why we were here in the first place. "Now, I'm only going to ask you one question and this will determine if I'll hire you as my secretary or not," I told her as I handed her the resume of the rest of the applicants, "If you were my secretary, which of the other candidates would you consider for another role?"
Without question, the girl took the resumes and reviewed them. She took her time reviewing each one, shifting their order around once or twice, before she nodded. Returning the files, she told me, "All of them."
I could feel my brow rise as I gazed back at her. "I've seen quite a number of combinations of candidates, but never have I had someone suggest all of them," I replied. I had a few Brittanians and some numbers which I was going to cut off for various reasons as well, but not cut off a single one? Now that required explanation.
"Am I wrong in choosing them?" She asked as she stood her ground. "They are all qualified for certain roles in any company and it would be a shame to lose any of them to potential competitors," She reasoned.
Nodding, I countered, "Even if most of them are prejudiced against one another?" It was those same prejudices that got her rejected from other companies and it would be ones that she would deal with if she were to become my secretary. "Some of them were quite against me associating with Numbers, much less someone foreign," I pointed out.
She frowned as she looked down and rested her chin against her fist as I continued. "I have half the mind to have you shred their resumes right now, as I believe they would be detrimental for the company's future as I will be hiring Numbers and other nationalities," I shared as I gestured for the drones to come. "The friction between my employees would be too much," I reasoned.
It was the nature of things inside Britannia. Both sides hate the other in one way or another. While it could be overt, coming from the conservative factions inside the government, dealing with such conflict early on would be too much of a headache; one that I wasn't sure I was equipped to handle.
She let out a heavy sigh as she relented, "I can see your point." However, there was still some fight in here as she looked up and argued, "But while I respect your decision, I would advise against such actions for the following reasons."
As I frowned and listened closely, she explained, "Each one of these girls have strengths that could help the company." Picking one of the candidates I was planning to let go, she started, "Take Miss Grey, for example."
Opening her files, she admitted, "While she might come off as highly emotional, she possesses a background few could match." Pointing to the girl's background, she continued, "Not only does she come from a prestigious private academy, but her extracurriculars show she is quite well connected."
"She's traveled all over the Empire for various charities, and I haven't touched on her membership to a prestigious sorority," She explained before saying, "She has a hand on the pulse of Nobility, one we could take advantage of if we have it directed into cultivating the companies image."
"You do make a great point," I admitted, frowning as I hadn't considered such an angle for the girl. Yes, the girl might break under the expectations of her, as she already did after what I could only assume was a perceived failure on her end, but this girl made me realize that she could be useful.
"And then we have Miss Singh with her impressive GPA and a background in one of the premier business schools in Britannia," Miorine pivoted as she brought up another of the more problematic candidates. I was on the fence about her, though leaning on having her hired, but now I was interested in what this girl had to say.
"She can come off as rather cold and overconfident, but it's for good reasons," She explained. "She takes pride in her ability and expects the same of everyone around her. While caustic for any department that would require communication and management, she would be amazing in a department like finance."
"While they might have their faults, each of them has a chance to grow out of it," She concluded as she gazed out to the hall. While there was some apprehension in the group, they were talking and interacting with each other without hostility. Even Miss Grey had cheered up as she talked animatedly with Miss Singh. "They're still young and inexperienced, but I'd be willing to give them the chance to show me what they could do," She said as she turned back to me and asked, "Will you give them all a chance?"
Slowly, a smile stretched across my lips before I replied, "You certainly convinced me well enough, Miss Secretary." Extending my hand to her, I added, "That is, if you're still willing to entertain a fool like me."
The girl snorted as she smiled back before accepting my hand. "It's Miorine, your highness," She replied as shook it.
Pulling away, I told her, "Then you better call me Ozzy because I'm getting sick and tired of getting called your highness." I could only get called 'your highness' so many times before the words lost all meaning. It really was such a gaudy title. "I would prefer if things were less formal in the office," I told her.
"You are royalty, after all," The girl scolded half-heartedly. "I thought you would be already used to it, your Hi-! Ozzy," She replied, before nodding, "But I'll try to keep that in mind."
Stroking my beard, I half jested, "Your Ozzyness does have a ring to it." It would certainly be far more entertaining as well.
"And they said your madness was just rumors," She rolled her eyes as she smiled before glancing out the window. "I think we should tell them about your plan. It would be best while they're still here," She said.
"As your first official act as my secretary, I want you to organize the applicants for my office," I commanded her. "Tau Technologies might just be starting out, but we will need all the help we can get moving forward," I told her.
Today, the Business World; Tomorrow, the whole world. I will not only have the most advanced technologies in the world, but I will have the industrial might to do so on my own. No need to rely on the Empire when I could just build my own. "Charles you son of a bitch, I'll make sure you die before you can complete your insane plan, and that goes to you as well Lelouch, you revenge driven asshole," I told myself.
"Of course, though I just have to ask one thing, your highness," She started, making me quirk my brow.
"What is it?" I replied, reaching for my half forgotten cup of tea and taking a sip. I wonder if she was as curious as Miss Grey was about my Drones.
"Did you exclusively hire females just to have eye candy?" She asked pointedly, making me cough out as I choked on my drink. "You know we could get hit with a lawsuit," She deadpanned as she stared at me while I wiped my lips. Groaning, she sighed out, "Of course you did." I had my weaknesses. Can't have eye candy?
"Don't worry though, I understand," She replied as she massaged her temples. "But please do keep your hands to yourself or I will have some choice words," She warned as a plastic smile stretched across her lips.
Not wanting to test the woman's patience, I saluted back, "Yes ma'am." I had no illusions that she would not make good of her unspoken promise of pain and violence.
"Good," She nodded before getting up. "Now stay here while I gather your future employees." She replied before shutting the door behind her, hard. Was it already too late to change my choice to Miss Grey, or maybe even Miss Singh? Miorine, she scared me… but she was definitely cute in the bossy angry way.
"Damn it Oz, don't think with your dick," I scolded myself, but it seemed that it was one reminder that I never got to follow.
A/N:
So said the greatest lie in this story. The sooner Ozzy accepts that he thinks with his dick, the better. Now as a quick rapid fire face claim list for the named chracters are the following. Anika Singh's face claim is Geeta from Pokemon SV, Dorothy Grey's face claim is Human Flutter Shy, and Miorine... well, she's a Miorine Rembran Expie
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Fourth time in a row. Vyor might hate it, but this is peak efficiency in letting every one knows that he is responsible for beta'ing these chapters. I will keep pinging him cause it's funny
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Chapter 4
True to her word, Miorine hired every last one of the candidates and turned Tau Technology from just merely being an idea to reality. While some decided to opt out, she managed to snag most of the true talents and filled my office within the week. My once empty office now buzzed with activity as they handled much of the grunt work in setting up my burgeoning Tech Company.
Even within the well insulated walls of my office's board room, I could hear their calls as they worked their way through my exhaustive list of contacts. Things were slowly coming together. Now, while the rest of the employees were hard at work, I met with my directors… or simply the employees that were most crucial to the operation of the company moving forward.
The large boardroom felt awfully empty with just four people occupying the seats, but my company was practically starting from scratch so I couldn't complain on that end. Looking around the room, I observed the employees that served as my trusted advisers.
Miorine, my recently hired secretary, sat beside me at the round table while she fiddled with the virtual assistant I provided for her. "This is absurd…" She whispered as it trawled through the web, collating data for her.
Meanwhile, the other two seats were occupied by Dorothy, who now served as my PR manager, and Anika, who handled the company's finances. The former was happily playing with the drones, attaching ribbons and applying paint over them with a delicate brush while the latter was currently enjoying the beast of a laptop I'd cobbled together for her.
"I couldn't agree more," Anika said as a ghost smile graced her lips as her fingers glided across the keyboard. "I've never seen this model or operating system before. It's so much faster and smoother than my own," She told me.
"Where did you buy them, your highness?" Dorothy asked as she hugged scrappy little A1, "They're just so cute and expressive that I must have them. They remind me so much of my parrots, that is, if they were mechanical," She said as she gently flipped the drone over, cradling them on her thighs.
"And their motors. I've never heard something so quiet. It's almost like they're humming," The girl added, completely enamored with them. Given they had rudimentary AI, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to compare them to parrots.
"Oh I made them," I replied, yawning as I leaned back on my seat, "Took me all night to get those cobbled together. I even had to run down to radioshack to get more components." Turning to Dorothy, I smiled, "And if you want A1, you can have him. Just don't get him wet because I haven't waterproofed his chassis." Rust would mess up the drone's Anti Grav system.
Dorothy brightened up while the other two just stared at me in disbelief. "Thank you my lord, I'll take care of him," She happily said as she hugged the drone close to her chest.
"Ignoring the insanity of what you just said," Miorine muttered before she took a deep breath and sighed, "Perhaps it's best we start today's meeting, Prince Oddyseus. You did call us here for a reason, yes?"
Snapping my fingers, I nodded. "Right, thank you for reminding me, Miorine," I replied as I got up and cleared my throat. "Now, before we start, perhaps it's best to do some introductions." They didn't need something big or grand, just something to break the ice and get everyone acquainted with each other. "I'll start," I said before introducing myself, "My name is Odysseus eu Britannia. First Prince to the Empire."
"I am the owner as well as the company's one man R&D department," I joked, earning a smile or two as I bowed to my audience, "I hope we all have a wonderful time working together." Sitting down, I gestured over to Miorine.
Nodding back, my assistant got up as she continued our rounds of introduction. "Hello everyone. My name is Miorine Rembran," She greeted, her tone formal, yet not so stiff to appear overly so. Smartly dressed with her loose yet stylish suit and dress pants, she commanded both respect and attention. Even I found my eyes wandering as she stood with the confidence of a seasoned executive.
Glancing towards my direction, she gave me a teasing smile as she added, "I am the Prince's Secretary as well as the company CFO and HR. As you can see, I am already being overworked by my boss."
"I pay you triple, don't I?" I poked back as a small chuckle escaped my lips. It cost me quite a pretty penny having to pay for what was effectively three job postings, but seeing how she had handled things, I say it was well worth it.
As she sat back down, it was now the pinkette's turn. "H-hi, my name is Dorothy Grey and I will handle the company's PR." The girl curtseyed as she smiled back nervously. With her soft, pastel yellow dress and her pink shoulder shawl, she was easy on the eyes.
"This is my first job so please take care of me!" She squeaked out as our eyes settled on her. Tugging on her pink locks, she sat down, averting her gaze.
"Don't worry Dorothy, you're doing great," Miorine whispered to her encouragingly, making the girl smile softly. Turning to the last of our group, she nodded.
Standing up, the dark skinned woman introduced herself, "Greetings. My name is Anika Singh and I currently serve as the company treasurer." Much like Miorine, she dressed sharply with her black suit making the blue accents of her hair as well as her deep blue eyes pop out. Unlike the smaller girl, she was a bit more controlled; her posture stiff and guarded.
"It is my pleasure and honor to work with you all. I hope that I live up to your expectations," She replied confidently and with poise as she gave a small bow before taking her seat.
"I can say the same to you as well as everyone in this room," I replied, commanding the attention of the room. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I clapped my hands before I smiled. "Now with that out of the way, let's start our first board meeting. Before we kick things off, however, I'd like to give a speech."
Pausing to gather my thoughts, I stared, "I welcome you all not just to the beginning of Tau Technology, but the start of something wonderful. For today, not only do we begin our mission to push the boundaries of technology, but we change the world through innovation." Gifted with knowledge, it was my only path.
"Though we may be humble in size right now, barely filling the room we gather in, what will be decided inside this room will shake the very foundations of the world," I told them, my voice trembling ever so slightly as I felt eyes on me. The world needed to change, but hopefully it wouldn't through means of arms, but instead what I knew, what we could achieve.
"It is here we will make wonders that would not only inspire and amaze, but change the empire to its very core," I promised them, gesturing at the symbol projected behind me. Co-opting the symbol of the collectivist empire, it will serve as a symbol of hope for unity.
"Tau Technology will not only serve as a bastion of human progress, but as a shining example of what we humans can achieve together, be they Britiannian, Foreigner, or Number," I told them, letting them know my disgust for the current system. It was a brutal and ignorant regime, but it could change. People just needed to work together. It worked through a scapegoat once, why couldn't it work when people were given hope and future to strive for?
Gazing down, I clenched my fist, feeling the burns and cuts I had from my tinkering, I whispered, "Maybe, one day, in the not so distant future, we can bring forth change in this world that will make it worth living in." Though that day would still be a long way off, I still had to deal with the likes of Charles and VV; those who claimed virtue in their twisted ways. "For now, we take small steps so that we leap forward and grasp it with our two hands."
"I might have little to offer now," I told them, extending my hands to them, "But I hope you stick with me and see it through. All we do, all we work for; For the greater good of mankind." Taking a deep breath, I sat down, whispering my thanks as I felt my ears burn.
I was never that good with speeches, but I wanted to inspire something in them, something for not only them, but for myself as well. How else are we going to strive for the future if not for having a dream worth fighting for?
My train of thought was interrupted by the soft clapping of not only Dorothy but, surprisingly, Anika and Miorine as well. "That's quite the optimistic look on things. Some would say that it's silly or fantastical even…" My secretary commented before a soft smile stretched across her lips. "But it's a dream worth aspiring for." Shaking her head in amusement, she added, "Can I really say no to something so earnest, Ozzy?"
I smiled back as I replied, "The world's already far too grim as is." With war looming over the horizon, it felt like the world was on a razor's edge. "But a bit of wonder and whimsy could do us a lot of good, wouldn't you agree?" I asked.
"We'll do our best, my prince!" Dorothy shouted eagerly as Anika smiled and nodded as well. I'd hit the mark with them, now I just had to live up to the expectations I'd instilled.
"Now, while I see that you already have a mission on hand, it seems that we lack direction," Miorine said, shifting the topic at hand. "What exactly does our company do?"
"I'm glad you asked," I replied as the projected symbol behind me shifted to a small infographic of our current status. "As of right now, Tau Technology is a research and development funded by the office of the Britannian Government to bring my designs to life," I told them.
In short, this company was more of an extension of my research and nothing more. However, I wanted it to be more than just a think tank attached to Schienzel's group. I needed it to become more than that, I wanted it to be an entity that could become self-sufficient, a nation unto itself if needed.
"But I hope in the future that we would manufacture and produce our own products in house as well as achieve financial independence to pursue our own agendas," I shared.
It was more of a selfish goal, one borne from self preservation as I do not want to be tied to anyone in the family for too long, especially to Schneizel of all things. I respected the man, but I did not want to be one of his tools.
"To that end, we will require a manufacturing base to get things up and running," I told them, showing the various sites we could choose. The Iron Belt was an obvious location. The rust belt of another time served as the beating heart of Britannia's industrial might.
Nestled deep inside the heart of the Empire, it was well insulated from threats while being heavily developed. It would be easy to get things going there. Of course, there were other options. The colonies, while a more dangerous prospect, could serve as a place where I could independently manufacture what I wanted without too much scrutiny from the empire.
There were potentially dozens of other sights, each having their own pros and cons, but there was one problem that I couldn't quite solve just yet. Steppling my fingers, I sighed, "The problem is I need far more capital than what I have right now."
I had the design of the factories in hand, and even how I was going to automate it if I were to lack the manpower to get it going, but it would cost me a pretty penny. I wanted to get off the ground as quickly as possible, not be stuck doing workshop level manufacturing as I did now.
"Indeed," Anika nodded as she gazed down on her laptop, "While we might be sitting on a million sterling pounds, it wouldn't be enough." She told us as my Drone floated over, before the sheet in her laptop was projected over to the screen. Taking it in stride, she continued, "To get a plant up and running, one that could handle whatever the Prince can throw at it, we will need far more."
A projected cost of such a plant was projected on the wall behind us. After a quick input, barely a blip appeared in the total cost that was the pie chart comprising the needed budget for our endeavor.
"Currently, we have amassed another million pounds of investment from Prince Odysseus's contacts, but we are still woefully underfunded." My accountant grimaced. It was painful to look at, but this was reality. I was effectively broke, relying on handouts.
"That would only get us the land?" Dorothy commented. "But that's at the rate in Kansas… I'm sure it'll be more expensive the closer we are to a population center," She added. The good thing was we didn't need much labor.
"I see, but I'd like us to back up a bit," Miorine started, calling our attention to her. "Getting the base to make the product is good and all, but what use would it be if we don't have customers to buy them," She pointed out, taking the winds out of our sail.
That… would actually be embarrassing, making a product that no one buys. Microsoft, both here and back in my old world, attempted to sell their touch screen products but failed in doing so. They were light years ahead, but barely anyone bought them. We actually needed a market to sell to if we wanted to make something of ourselves.
"I assume you plan to sell or license these products, yes?" She asked, glancing over to the drones as well as the projection.
"That's right," I answered as I leaned back against my seat. "I currently only have my drones, my anti grav tech, and my VI's; but I might have a few more designs that just need more polishing," I told them, downplaying what I could do.
In truth, I just needed to adapt my current knowledge to the slightly altered physics, but the technology was good to go. I probably wouldn't have Warp Skipping, but I could have the Railgun.
"That's good. Having a wide selection of products is great, but we need focus," She replied. "It's best we narrow things down so we don't get overwhelmed. Specialize first before we branch out," She explained before asking, "Is there a discipline you prefer, a specialization if you will? Industrial Machinery, Electronics, Software, or something else?"
"Yes, all of the above," I replied, unable to hold myself back. Hearing her groan out and feeling her glare on me, I raised my hand in appeasement as I finally answered, "Kidding aside, I have a lot of designs right now both in Software and Hardware. I just need to bring them to life."
Resting my chin against my fist, I said, "Currently, though, I'm leaning more on hardware." It was simply more fun to work with. Glancing at my hovering drones, I pointed out, "I already have my Anti Gravity systems, all I need are customers for it."
"And the drones?" Dorothy piped up, holding up A1 who now looked a little bit more pink. "I can see them as great pets and it wouldn't be a hard sell to have them marketed as a luxury," She added. "The fact that they can serve tea would make them sell out in my friend group!"
"Their use is clearly more to assist in work, much like drones in a hive," Anika commented with a frown. "With a few modifications, they can serve different roles such as cleaning, surveillance, and all sorts of auxiliary roles which leaves more for people who employ them."
While she was right, it seemed that Dorothy thought otherwise. Withering under the girl's pout, she sighed as she reluctantly admitted, "But… you are right. They can be quite cute in non-traditional terms. It certainly adds to the appeal of having them around."
"They're more of extra hands like Anika said," I replied, smiling at the two before noting, "But I can see a market for these as pets as well. Perhaps I could make them smaller since they wouldn't need modularity?" It was quite the way to see things.
Never once had I thought of selling them as pets. Companions, yes, but not something that was given special affection other than respect. To Dorothy's credit, there was potential. Maybe she was onto something there. They would kinda be like dogs once I got to think about it.
You had lap dogs and you had working dogs. Both had their uses, but could serve almost the same function, even if at a lesser degree.
"That is also another matter I wish to discuss," Miorine said, cutting my musings short again as she steepled her fingers and exhaled, "Who are we going to cater to?" Wasn't that a million pound question. We had the products, now it was time to answer who we were going to sell to.
"The Britannian Market is huge, accounting for a third of the entire world's population," She pointed out before she grimaced, "But much of it is tied to the war effort." Even compared to the likes of the Chinese Federation, much of the economic output of Britannia was focused on war. One could say that it was more an army with a state than the other way around.
"I think the answer is obvious," Anika answered. "We already have a product that the military will want, so why not try and cater to them?" She asked as she gestured at my drones, "It doesn't take a military genius to see the potential in our hover technology."
"If we can sell this to the military, we could have ourselves a lucrative deal to start off the company," She pointed out, "Most of our concerns now could be solved through such a deal."
"They would be, but I have my own concerns," Miorine sighed as she bit lips, "Being tied to the Britannian Military could potentially spoil our image enough that we might get sanctions, thus excluding us from the other two-thirds of the world market…"
That gave me pause. When I considered making this company, I was originally focused on just Britannia, but how about the other nations? Was I going to just limit myself to the Empire, or was I going to expand out and gain influence in other nations.
"I-I'd like to raise some concern as well," Dorothy raised her hands, taking Miorine by surprise as the girl whipped around and looked at the girl. "Wouldn't that go against our mission?" She asked as she twiddled with her fingers, "I know we need the money, but aren't we supposed to make things better?"
I sighed, frowning as I admitted, "Catering to the military would be the easy way." It was where the most money was, but I also valued my employees opinion. While I wasn't against making weapons, I did make them a promise to change the world for the better. Helping the military also meant I was helping my father, thus strengthening him in a sense….
Shaking my head, I sighed, "But since you guys have concerns perhap-!" Whatever I going to say, however, would be lost as Miorine cut me off.
"I'd like you to stop there," She butted in, making me pause. "Ozzy, I'll admit I have my personal biases," She told me as she glanced outside the window overlooking Pendragon, before she continued, "and I see wars as pointless and nothing more than waste of resources." Turning back to me, she said, "But that shouldn't stop you from making the best decisions for the company."
"And Dorothy, just because we will produce for the Military, doesn't mean we can't cater to the public as well," She told the girl softly, making Dorothy look up to her in confusion. "The Military isn't solely buying weapons. They require water purifiers, better engines, compact batteries; all of which could be repurposed for civilian use," She explained. "Any product we make could help others. That's just how human inventions are," She added with a sad note to her tone.
"We would be supporting the war effort against Europia," I reminded her, making her pause for a moment, "And that means we would potentially go against your own countrymen."
There was a tense moment as she glanced down on her lap, before she answered, "I know." Her voice was barely a whisper, but as she gazed up, I saw determination in her eyes. "But my loyalty lies to you before my family," She replied before she reminded me, "I am your secretary, after all. It's my job to help you in your everyday tasks and carry out your will."
Smiling, she added, "And besides, I don't really take you as a horrible person, not unlike…." She paused, trailing off as she caught herself, but I might have an inkling on who she might be talking about.
"My father?" I replied, making her sputter as the other two gave me varying looks of shock. "Yeah, I'm kinda thankful I didn't get much of his assholery," I shrugged. The man was the biggest asshole in the world. It was disgusting how I was now related to the man.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Miorine shouted shrilly.
"P-prince Odysseus!" Dorthy gasped as she gave me a scandalized look. Anika, meanwhile, nervously glanced around as she shifted in her seat.
"Of course, I can't say that in public, but we're in private," I told them. My drones would have notified me if we were being tapped otherwise. "And it's not like I'm wrong, am I?" I asked as the girls glanced away as I told them, "The man would kill entire families in a heartbeat."
"W-well, you're not wrong…" Anika whispered as Dorothy nodded.
"He's a warmonger who still holds to an old and outdated form of ideology that keeps much of the population from achieving their potential," I told them, making my hate for the man clear. The faster he could be kicked out of power, the better.
"He's partly one of the reasons why I wanted to make this company in the first place," I muttered as I clasped my hands together. "Still, we do need money and the government has a lot it could throw out," I grumbled, hating how I still had strings on me.
"M-moving away from such sensitive matters," Dorothy stammered, calling for our attention before suggesting, "Perhaps we could vote on the matter?" That… could work. It'd certainly be a faster way to see everyones opinion. As my gaze locked on Miorine, we both nodded.
"All in favor of catering to the military, raise your hands," I asked, raising my own hands as only Anika followed my lead. "Those who are against it?" I asked, to which Dorothy and Miorine raised their hands. "Tied, huh?" I whispered as I reached up and scratched my head, "This is going to be harder than I thought."
As I thought long and hard about the issue, the silence would be disturbed as a phone started ringing. "Hmm? Oh!" Feeling for my pocket, I quickly realized it was my phone. Seeing the number on the screen, I sighed. "Let me just answer this," I told them, giving them an apologetic look as I turned away and answered.
"Yo, Schneizel! How's it going?" My current backer wanted something, I could feel it.
"I see you're in a good mood, Odysseus," He replied, making small talk. "I take it that you found yourself a secretary?" He asked, sounding amused.
"And a whole office as well," I answered back. "She's a god send, I swear," I told him, earning me a roll of the eye as well some rosy cheeks from Miorine.
"Pleasantries aside, how is your research on your Anti Gravity Platform?" He asked. I should have probably expected that. He did give me a million pounds for it.
"My car hasn't broken down, so that should be a good enough sign that it works," I answered. I didn't really need more money to develop it and that money was currently being used for other things like my employees. Now to see if I could push my luck just a bit more.
"I actually just need a factory to make them, but I don't have any customers just yet," I added, hoping that Schneizel took the bait. I cracked the greatest problem. All he had to do now was show it off. "A military expo or something like that would be great for exposure."
"Then you'll probably like the news I bring," The man replied and I could just hear the self satisfied smile the man was sporting.
"Oh?" Raising a brow, I asked as I turned the phone to speaker mode. Gesturing for them to get closer, I listened intently to what Schneizel had to say.
"The Britannian Military is hosting an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration this month," He said before offering, "My office along with that of Earl Lyod of ASEEC could give a word of recommendation to Cornelia and the upper brass."
Hearing his words, I couldn't believe my luck. Everything that we needed, placed on our proverbial lap. "That is, if you could create a demonstration platform in time," He asked.
"Schneizel, are you really doubting me now of all times after you took my car out for a ride?" I asked as a grin stretched across my lips. "I'll make something that'll wow Cornelia, mark my words," I boasted, feeling excitement at the chance offered to me.
"Then I hope you're ready for next week in Nevada," He chuckled before he bid his goodbye, "Now while I'd love to chat, I had a meeting with Kanon to discuss some personal matters. I'll talk to you later." With that, our call ended.
"The Advance Concept Technology Demonstration," Dorothy whispered. "I-Isn't that where most of Britannia's latest Knightmare frames and other technology is shown for the military to evaluate?" She asked as I and the rest of the room looked at her in surprise.
"I-I have relatives who can't stop talking about it whenever it comes around," She replied. I had to remember that she operated in the same social circle as I do.
"And my brother just gave us a ticket for the event," I replied and what a ticket it was. A chance to demonstrate to the top brass was something most companies would kill for.
"I say we take it," Anika suggested. "This is huge. We'll bypass a lot of marketing if we can show it off directly to the heads of the War Ministry," She reasoned.
It wasn't just going to be a show for the military, but for the nobles who served the nations as its general. It is a chance to show that we have much to offer to not just the military, but for their pockets as well if they invest.
"W-we can't pass this up," Dorothy added, "We could use the money for good afterwards, right?" She asked and I nodded back.
Turning to Miorine, I could see conflict in her eyes, but they quickly faded away. "Anika's right," Miorine admitted, "This is the chance of a lifetime... But we only have one week to prepare." It was a reasonable fear, that is, if we had a normal R&D department.
"Trust me, I'll only need three days to get things ready." I told her. It was going to be a rough three days, but it was entirely possible. "I'll even have enough time to whip something up to add to our demonstration."
"So it's decided then." Miorine nodded along with the rest of the girls.
"Well girls, it seems like my brother decided things for us," I chuckled, "We're going to Nevada!" I'd always wanted to go visit the City of Sin. Perhaps we could drop by afterwards for some drinks and recreation.
A/N:
Tau Technology had just been established and it's already showing off. I might have taken inspiration from the story of Glock, though the manufacturers there were already established manufacturers of curtain rods and knives. As for what Ozzy has stored up for Cornelia, well, it's a bit obvious, but it's definitely going to make the woman happy. Hail to the Bloody Goddess of Victory!
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. There's no beta like Vyor. I wouldn't trade him for any other beta. Well... maybe for a million bucks because I'll use half of it to bribe him and get him back
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Oh by the way, might I interest you with some Hazbin/Helluva Boss fanfic? I made it out of whim just recently and currently looking for some feedback. Would appreciate a comment. https://www.patreon.com/posts/no-good-deed-si-125909053
True to her word, Miorine hired every last one of the candidates and turned Tau Technology from just merely being an idea to reality. While some decided to opt out, she managed to snag most of the true talents and filled my office within the week. My once empty office now buzzed with activity as they handled much of the grunt work in setting up my burgeoning Tech Company.
Even within the well insulated walls of my office's board room, I could hear their calls as they worked their way through my exhaustive list of contacts. Things were slowly coming together. Now, while the rest of the employees were hard at work, I met with my directors… or simply the employees that were most crucial to the operation of the company moving forward.
The large boardroom felt awfully empty with just four people occupying the seats, but my company was practically starting from scratch so I couldn't complain on that end. Looking around the room, I observed the employees that served as my trusted advisers.
Miorine, my recently hired secretary, sat beside me at the round table while she fiddled with the virtual assistant I provided for her. "This is absurd…" She whispered as it trawled through the web, collating data for her.
Meanwhile, the other two seats were occupied by Dorothy, who now served as my PR manager, and Anika, who handled the company's finances. The former was happily playing with the drones, attaching ribbons and applying paint over them with a delicate brush while the latter was currently enjoying the beast of a laptop I'd cobbled together for her.
"I couldn't agree more," Anika said as a ghost smile graced her lips as her fingers glided across the keyboard. "I've never seen this model or operating system before. It's so much faster and smoother than my own," She told me.
"Where did you buy them, your highness?" Dorothy asked as she hugged scrappy little A1, "They're just so cute and expressive that I must have them. They remind me so much of my parrots, that is, if they were mechanical," She said as she gently flipped the drone over, cradling them on her thighs.
"And their motors. I've never heard something so quiet. It's almost like they're humming," The girl added, completely enamored with them. Given they had rudimentary AI, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to compare them to parrots.
"Oh I made them," I replied, yawning as I leaned back on my seat, "Took me all night to get those cobbled together. I even had to run down to radioshack to get more components." Turning to Dorothy, I smiled, "And if you want A1, you can have him. Just don't get him wet because I haven't waterproofed his chassis." Rust would mess up the drone's Anti Grav system.
Dorothy brightened up while the other two just stared at me in disbelief. "Thank you my lord, I'll take care of him," She happily said as she hugged the drone close to her chest.
"Ignoring the insanity of what you just said," Miorine muttered before she took a deep breath and sighed, "Perhaps it's best we start today's meeting, Prince Oddyseus. You did call us here for a reason, yes?"
Snapping my fingers, I nodded. "Right, thank you for reminding me, Miorine," I replied as I got up and cleared my throat. "Now, before we start, perhaps it's best to do some introductions." They didn't need something big or grand, just something to break the ice and get everyone acquainted with each other. "I'll start," I said before introducing myself, "My name is Odysseus eu Britannia. First Prince to the Empire."
"I am the owner as well as the company's one man R&D department," I joked, earning a smile or two as I bowed to my audience, "I hope we all have a wonderful time working together." Sitting down, I gestured over to Miorine.
Nodding back, my assistant got up as she continued our rounds of introduction. "Hello everyone. My name is Miorine Rembran," She greeted, her tone formal, yet not so stiff to appear overly so. Smartly dressed with her loose yet stylish suit and dress pants, she commanded both respect and attention. Even I found my eyes wandering as she stood with the confidence of a seasoned executive.
Glancing towards my direction, she gave me a teasing smile as she added, "I am the Prince's Secretary as well as the company CFO and HR. As you can see, I am already being overworked by my boss."
"I pay you triple, don't I?" I poked back as a small chuckle escaped my lips. It cost me quite a pretty penny having to pay for what was effectively three job postings, but seeing how she had handled things, I say it was well worth it.
As she sat back down, it was now the pinkette's turn. "H-hi, my name is Dorothy Grey and I will handle the company's PR." The girl curtseyed as she smiled back nervously. With her soft, pastel yellow dress and her pink shoulder shawl, she was easy on the eyes.
"This is my first job so please take care of me!" She squeaked out as our eyes settled on her. Tugging on her pink locks, she sat down, averting her gaze.
"Don't worry Dorothy, you're doing great," Miorine whispered to her encouragingly, making the girl smile softly. Turning to the last of our group, she nodded.
Standing up, the dark skinned woman introduced herself, "Greetings. My name is Anika Singh and I currently serve as the company treasurer." Much like Miorine, she dressed sharply with her black suit making the blue accents of her hair as well as her deep blue eyes pop out. Unlike the smaller girl, she was a bit more controlled; her posture stiff and guarded.
"It is my pleasure and honor to work with you all. I hope that I live up to your expectations," She replied confidently and with poise as she gave a small bow before taking her seat.
"I can say the same to you as well as everyone in this room," I replied, commanding the attention of the room. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I clapped my hands before I smiled. "Now with that out of the way, let's start our first board meeting. Before we kick things off, however, I'd like to give a speech."
Pausing to gather my thoughts, I stared, "I welcome you all not just to the beginning of Tau Technology, but the start of something wonderful. For today, not only do we begin our mission to push the boundaries of technology, but we change the world through innovation." Gifted with knowledge, it was my only path.
"Though we may be humble in size right now, barely filling the room we gather in, what will be decided inside this room will shake the very foundations of the world," I told them, my voice trembling ever so slightly as I felt eyes on me. The world needed to change, but hopefully it wouldn't through means of arms, but instead what I knew, what we could achieve.
"It is here we will make wonders that would not only inspire and amaze, but change the empire to its very core," I promised them, gesturing at the symbol projected behind me. Co-opting the symbol of the collectivist empire, it will serve as a symbol of hope for unity.
"Tau Technology will not only serve as a bastion of human progress, but as a shining example of what we humans can achieve together, be they Britiannian, Foreigner, or Number," I told them, letting them know my disgust for the current system. It was a brutal and ignorant regime, but it could change. People just needed to work together. It worked through a scapegoat once, why couldn't it work when people were given hope and future to strive for?
Gazing down, I clenched my fist, feeling the burns and cuts I had from my tinkering, I whispered, "Maybe, one day, in the not so distant future, we can bring forth change in this world that will make it worth living in." Though that day would still be a long way off, I still had to deal with the likes of Charles and VV; those who claimed virtue in their twisted ways. "For now, we take small steps so that we leap forward and grasp it with our two hands."
"I might have little to offer now," I told them, extending my hands to them, "But I hope you stick with me and see it through. All we do, all we work for; For the greater good of mankind." Taking a deep breath, I sat down, whispering my thanks as I felt my ears burn.
I was never that good with speeches, but I wanted to inspire something in them, something for not only them, but for myself as well. How else are we going to strive for the future if not for having a dream worth fighting for?
My train of thought was interrupted by the soft clapping of not only Dorothy but, surprisingly, Anika and Miorine as well. "That's quite the optimistic look on things. Some would say that it's silly or fantastical even…" My secretary commented before a soft smile stretched across her lips. "But it's a dream worth aspiring for." Shaking her head in amusement, she added, "Can I really say no to something so earnest, Ozzy?"
I smiled back as I replied, "The world's already far too grim as is." With war looming over the horizon, it felt like the world was on a razor's edge. "But a bit of wonder and whimsy could do us a lot of good, wouldn't you agree?" I asked.
"We'll do our best, my prince!" Dorothy shouted eagerly as Anika smiled and nodded as well. I'd hit the mark with them, now I just had to live up to the expectations I'd instilled.
"Now, while I see that you already have a mission on hand, it seems that we lack direction," Miorine said, shifting the topic at hand. "What exactly does our company do?"
"I'm glad you asked," I replied as the projected symbol behind me shifted to a small infographic of our current status. "As of right now, Tau Technology is a research and development funded by the office of the Britannian Government to bring my designs to life," I told them.
In short, this company was more of an extension of my research and nothing more. However, I wanted it to be more than just a think tank attached to Schienzel's group. I needed it to become more than that, I wanted it to be an entity that could become self-sufficient, a nation unto itself if needed.
"But I hope in the future that we would manufacture and produce our own products in house as well as achieve financial independence to pursue our own agendas," I shared.
It was more of a selfish goal, one borne from self preservation as I do not want to be tied to anyone in the family for too long, especially to Schneizel of all things. I respected the man, but I did not want to be one of his tools.
"To that end, we will require a manufacturing base to get things up and running," I told them, showing the various sites we could choose. The Iron Belt was an obvious location. The rust belt of another time served as the beating heart of Britannia's industrial might.
Nestled deep inside the heart of the Empire, it was well insulated from threats while being heavily developed. It would be easy to get things going there. Of course, there were other options. The colonies, while a more dangerous prospect, could serve as a place where I could independently manufacture what I wanted without too much scrutiny from the empire.
There were potentially dozens of other sights, each having their own pros and cons, but there was one problem that I couldn't quite solve just yet. Steppling my fingers, I sighed, "The problem is I need far more capital than what I have right now."
I had the design of the factories in hand, and even how I was going to automate it if I were to lack the manpower to get it going, but it would cost me a pretty penny. I wanted to get off the ground as quickly as possible, not be stuck doing workshop level manufacturing as I did now.
"Indeed," Anika nodded as she gazed down on her laptop, "While we might be sitting on a million sterling pounds, it wouldn't be enough." She told us as my Drone floated over, before the sheet in her laptop was projected over to the screen. Taking it in stride, she continued, "To get a plant up and running, one that could handle whatever the Prince can throw at it, we will need far more."
A projected cost of such a plant was projected on the wall behind us. After a quick input, barely a blip appeared in the total cost that was the pie chart comprising the needed budget for our endeavor.
"Currently, we have amassed another million pounds of investment from Prince Odysseus's contacts, but we are still woefully underfunded." My accountant grimaced. It was painful to look at, but this was reality. I was effectively broke, relying on handouts.
"That would only get us the land?" Dorothy commented. "But that's at the rate in Kansas… I'm sure it'll be more expensive the closer we are to a population center," She added. The good thing was we didn't need much labor.
"I see, but I'd like us to back up a bit," Miorine started, calling our attention to her. "Getting the base to make the product is good and all, but what use would it be if we don't have customers to buy them," She pointed out, taking the winds out of our sail.
That… would actually be embarrassing, making a product that no one buys. Microsoft, both here and back in my old world, attempted to sell their touch screen products but failed in doing so. They were light years ahead, but barely anyone bought them. We actually needed a market to sell to if we wanted to make something of ourselves.
"I assume you plan to sell or license these products, yes?" She asked, glancing over to the drones as well as the projection.
"That's right," I answered as I leaned back against my seat. "I currently only have my drones, my anti grav tech, and my VI's; but I might have a few more designs that just need more polishing," I told them, downplaying what I could do.
In truth, I just needed to adapt my current knowledge to the slightly altered physics, but the technology was good to go. I probably wouldn't have Warp Skipping, but I could have the Railgun.
"That's good. Having a wide selection of products is great, but we need focus," She replied. "It's best we narrow things down so we don't get overwhelmed. Specialize first before we branch out," She explained before asking, "Is there a discipline you prefer, a specialization if you will? Industrial Machinery, Electronics, Software, or something else?"
"Yes, all of the above," I replied, unable to hold myself back. Hearing her groan out and feeling her glare on me, I raised my hand in appeasement as I finally answered, "Kidding aside, I have a lot of designs right now both in Software and Hardware. I just need to bring them to life."
Resting my chin against my fist, I said, "Currently, though, I'm leaning more on hardware." It was simply more fun to work with. Glancing at my hovering drones, I pointed out, "I already have my Anti Gravity systems, all I need are customers for it."
"And the drones?" Dorothy piped up, holding up A1 who now looked a little bit more pink. "I can see them as great pets and it wouldn't be a hard sell to have them marketed as a luxury," She added. "The fact that they can serve tea would make them sell out in my friend group!"
"Their use is clearly more to assist in work, much like drones in a hive," Anika commented with a frown. "With a few modifications, they can serve different roles such as cleaning, surveillance, and all sorts of auxiliary roles which leaves more for people who employ them."
While she was right, it seemed that Dorothy thought otherwise. Withering under the girl's pout, she sighed as she reluctantly admitted, "But… you are right. They can be quite cute in non-traditional terms. It certainly adds to the appeal of having them around."
"They're more of extra hands like Anika said," I replied, smiling at the two before noting, "But I can see a market for these as pets as well. Perhaps I could make them smaller since they wouldn't need modularity?" It was quite the way to see things.
Never once had I thought of selling them as pets. Companions, yes, but not something that was given special affection other than respect. To Dorothy's credit, there was potential. Maybe she was onto something there. They would kinda be like dogs once I got to think about it.
You had lap dogs and you had working dogs. Both had their uses, but could serve almost the same function, even if at a lesser degree.
"That is also another matter I wish to discuss," Miorine said, cutting my musings short again as she steepled her fingers and exhaled, "Who are we going to cater to?" Wasn't that a million pound question. We had the products, now it was time to answer who we were going to sell to.
"The Britannian Market is huge, accounting for a third of the entire world's population," She pointed out before she grimaced, "But much of it is tied to the war effort." Even compared to the likes of the Chinese Federation, much of the economic output of Britannia was focused on war. One could say that it was more an army with a state than the other way around.
"I think the answer is obvious," Anika answered. "We already have a product that the military will want, so why not try and cater to them?" She asked as she gestured at my drones, "It doesn't take a military genius to see the potential in our hover technology."
"If we can sell this to the military, we could have ourselves a lucrative deal to start off the company," She pointed out, "Most of our concerns now could be solved through such a deal."
"They would be, but I have my own concerns," Miorine sighed as she bit lips, "Being tied to the Britannian Military could potentially spoil our image enough that we might get sanctions, thus excluding us from the other two-thirds of the world market…"
That gave me pause. When I considered making this company, I was originally focused on just Britannia, but how about the other nations? Was I going to just limit myself to the Empire, or was I going to expand out and gain influence in other nations.
"I-I'd like to raise some concern as well," Dorothy raised her hands, taking Miorine by surprise as the girl whipped around and looked at the girl. "Wouldn't that go against our mission?" She asked as she twiddled with her fingers, "I know we need the money, but aren't we supposed to make things better?"
I sighed, frowning as I admitted, "Catering to the military would be the easy way." It was where the most money was, but I also valued my employees opinion. While I wasn't against making weapons, I did make them a promise to change the world for the better. Helping the military also meant I was helping my father, thus strengthening him in a sense….
Shaking my head, I sighed, "But since you guys have concerns perhap-!" Whatever I going to say, however, would be lost as Miorine cut me off.
"I'd like you to stop there," She butted in, making me pause. "Ozzy, I'll admit I have my personal biases," She told me as she glanced outside the window overlooking Pendragon, before she continued, "and I see wars as pointless and nothing more than waste of resources." Turning back to me, she said, "But that shouldn't stop you from making the best decisions for the company."
"And Dorothy, just because we will produce for the Military, doesn't mean we can't cater to the public as well," She told the girl softly, making Dorothy look up to her in confusion. "The Military isn't solely buying weapons. They require water purifiers, better engines, compact batteries; all of which could be repurposed for civilian use," She explained. "Any product we make could help others. That's just how human inventions are," She added with a sad note to her tone.
"We would be supporting the war effort against Europia," I reminded her, making her pause for a moment, "And that means we would potentially go against your own countrymen."
There was a tense moment as she glanced down on her lap, before she answered, "I know." Her voice was barely a whisper, but as she gazed up, I saw determination in her eyes. "But my loyalty lies to you before my family," She replied before she reminded me, "I am your secretary, after all. It's my job to help you in your everyday tasks and carry out your will."
Smiling, she added, "And besides, I don't really take you as a horrible person, not unlike…." She paused, trailing off as she caught herself, but I might have an inkling on who she might be talking about.
"My father?" I replied, making her sputter as the other two gave me varying looks of shock. "Yeah, I'm kinda thankful I didn't get much of his assholery," I shrugged. The man was the biggest asshole in the world. It was disgusting how I was now related to the man.
"I-I didn't mean it like that!" Miorine shouted shrilly.
"P-prince Odysseus!" Dorthy gasped as she gave me a scandalized look. Anika, meanwhile, nervously glanced around as she shifted in her seat.
"Of course, I can't say that in public, but we're in private," I told them. My drones would have notified me if we were being tapped otherwise. "And it's not like I'm wrong, am I?" I asked as the girls glanced away as I told them, "The man would kill entire families in a heartbeat."
"W-well, you're not wrong…" Anika whispered as Dorothy nodded.
"He's a warmonger who still holds to an old and outdated form of ideology that keeps much of the population from achieving their potential," I told them, making my hate for the man clear. The faster he could be kicked out of power, the better.
"He's partly one of the reasons why I wanted to make this company in the first place," I muttered as I clasped my hands together. "Still, we do need money and the government has a lot it could throw out," I grumbled, hating how I still had strings on me.
"M-moving away from such sensitive matters," Dorothy stammered, calling for our attention before suggesting, "Perhaps we could vote on the matter?" That… could work. It'd certainly be a faster way to see everyones opinion. As my gaze locked on Miorine, we both nodded.
"All in favor of catering to the military, raise your hands," I asked, raising my own hands as only Anika followed my lead. "Those who are against it?" I asked, to which Dorothy and Miorine raised their hands. "Tied, huh?" I whispered as I reached up and scratched my head, "This is going to be harder than I thought."
As I thought long and hard about the issue, the silence would be disturbed as a phone started ringing. "Hmm? Oh!" Feeling for my pocket, I quickly realized it was my phone. Seeing the number on the screen, I sighed. "Let me just answer this," I told them, giving them an apologetic look as I turned away and answered.
"Yo, Schneizel! How's it going?" My current backer wanted something, I could feel it.
"I see you're in a good mood, Odysseus," He replied, making small talk. "I take it that you found yourself a secretary?" He asked, sounding amused.
"And a whole office as well," I answered back. "She's a god send, I swear," I told him, earning me a roll of the eye as well some rosy cheeks from Miorine.
"Pleasantries aside, how is your research on your Anti Gravity Platform?" He asked. I should have probably expected that. He did give me a million pounds for it.
"My car hasn't broken down, so that should be a good enough sign that it works," I answered. I didn't really need more money to develop it and that money was currently being used for other things like my employees. Now to see if I could push my luck just a bit more.
"I actually just need a factory to make them, but I don't have any customers just yet," I added, hoping that Schneizel took the bait. I cracked the greatest problem. All he had to do now was show it off. "A military expo or something like that would be great for exposure."
"Then you'll probably like the news I bring," The man replied and I could just hear the self satisfied smile the man was sporting.
"Oh?" Raising a brow, I asked as I turned the phone to speaker mode. Gesturing for them to get closer, I listened intently to what Schneizel had to say.
"The Britannian Military is hosting an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration this month," He said before offering, "My office along with that of Earl Lyod of ASEEC could give a word of recommendation to Cornelia and the upper brass."
Hearing his words, I couldn't believe my luck. Everything that we needed, placed on our proverbial lap. "That is, if you could create a demonstration platform in time," He asked.
"Schneizel, are you really doubting me now of all times after you took my car out for a ride?" I asked as a grin stretched across my lips. "I'll make something that'll wow Cornelia, mark my words," I boasted, feeling excitement at the chance offered to me.
"Then I hope you're ready for next week in Nevada," He chuckled before he bid his goodbye, "Now while I'd love to chat, I had a meeting with Kanon to discuss some personal matters. I'll talk to you later." With that, our call ended.
"The Advance Concept Technology Demonstration," Dorothy whispered. "I-Isn't that where most of Britannia's latest Knightmare frames and other technology is shown for the military to evaluate?" She asked as I and the rest of the room looked at her in surprise.
"I-I have relatives who can't stop talking about it whenever it comes around," She replied. I had to remember that she operated in the same social circle as I do.
"And my brother just gave us a ticket for the event," I replied and what a ticket it was. A chance to demonstrate to the top brass was something most companies would kill for.
"I say we take it," Anika suggested. "This is huge. We'll bypass a lot of marketing if we can show it off directly to the heads of the War Ministry," She reasoned.
It wasn't just going to be a show for the military, but for the nobles who served the nations as its general. It is a chance to show that we have much to offer to not just the military, but for their pockets as well if they invest.
"W-we can't pass this up," Dorothy added, "We could use the money for good afterwards, right?" She asked and I nodded back.
Turning to Miorine, I could see conflict in her eyes, but they quickly faded away. "Anika's right," Miorine admitted, "This is the chance of a lifetime... But we only have one week to prepare." It was a reasonable fear, that is, if we had a normal R&D department.
"Trust me, I'll only need three days to get things ready." I told her. It was going to be a rough three days, but it was entirely possible. "I'll even have enough time to whip something up to add to our demonstration."
"So it's decided then." Miorine nodded along with the rest of the girls.
"Well girls, it seems like my brother decided things for us," I chuckled, "We're going to Nevada!" I'd always wanted to go visit the City of Sin. Perhaps we could drop by afterwards for some drinks and recreation.
A/N:
Tau Technology had just been established and it's already showing off. I might have taken inspiration from the story of Glock, though the manufacturers there were already established manufacturers of curtain rods and knives. As for what Ozzy has stored up for Cornelia, well, it's a bit obvious, but it's definitely going to make the woman happy. Hail to the Bloody Goddess of Victory!
Anyways, I would like to thank @vyor once again. There's no beta like Vyor. I wouldn't trade him for any other beta. Well... maybe for a million bucks because I'll use half of it to bribe him and get him back
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support.
Oh by the way, might I interest you with some Hazbin/Helluva Boss fanfic? I made it out of whim just recently and currently looking for some feedback. Would appreciate a comment. https://www.patreon.com/posts/no-good-deed-si-125909053
Darth Cooter
(Verified Lord of Cooters)(Dark Proprietor)(AP)
- Location
- error -loc root/users/dcooter not found
Viva Las Vegas! Rng-jesus blesses you with great fortune at the casino's! Or you get pulled into a casino heist ocean's 11 style.
Arimai
Curmudgeon
100,000,000 not 1,000,000. I could not understand how he keeps claiming he has no money until I saw this line. You seem to have dropped two orders of magnitude less funds since you stated 100 million in chapter two. Amigo, if I had no morals I could set up a small engine factory in Southeast Asia for £500,000. The Empire of Britannia is a whole hell of a lot more despotic than real life PRC. He has the cash for his first factory, materials and a few years of operation.
Going by the prices implied by your latest chapter the two million will get you the land in a prime industrial area that already has infrastructure. As Britannia seems to be a WW1 equivalent with ten times higher prices, you'll need another 700,000 to 2,000,000 pounds to build the factory. Ford built his plant for $76,000. You have £100,000,000 I don't understand the desperate tone.
On another note you forgot to thread mark chapter four. Thirdly, you need a proof reader. If you can't find one Grammarly can help reduce errors, especially the homophones you have difficulty with.
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