The Price of Success

Ethan barely had time to breathe after the pilot's success before the weight of it all crashed down on him.

The results spoke for themselves—lives saved, patterns detected, and doctors starting to trust the AI's second opinion. But good tech wasn't enough in healthcare. Not when giants like Meditech were circling, and every inch of progress came with a price tag attached.

Three days after Meditech's email, Ethan found himself sitting across from Alan Stryker, one of Meditech's senior executives.

The man didn't just walk into the room—he owned it. Tailored suit, watch worth more than Ethan's entire apartment, and that predatory corporate smile polished over years of hostile takeovers.

"You've built something remarkable," Stryker began, his voice smooth as silk. "And I respect that. But let's cut the small talk—scaling healthcare tech? That's not a startup game. It's a battle of resources, partnerships, and influence. Meditech has all three. You have... potential."

Ethan leaned back, fingers laced together, masking the knot of tension tightening in his chest. "If you're offering a real partnership, I'm listening. If this is about buying us out, save us both some time."

Stryker's smile widened. "Smart and direct—I like that." He slid a document across the table. "Fifty million dollars. Full acquisition of your tech, your patents, and your people. Your whole team gets absorbed into Meditech—with executive salaries and stock options. You'll still get to build—just with a safety net."

Ethan's phone was propped up next to him, Lisa and Priya both watching the meeting via video call. He could see Priya biting her lip, could almost feel Lisa's calculating silence as she mentally weighed every angle.

Fifty million.

The number floated in the air like a ghost.

It was more money than any of them had ever dreamed of.

But Ethan didn't flinch.

"No deal."

The smile on Stryker's face didn't vanish—it simply shifted, like a knife turning slightly in the light. "That was fast. Care to explain?"

Ethan's voice was steady. "Because we're not just building a product. We're building something that actually matters. Something that saves lives, not just market share. I'm not handing that over so it can die in some corporate vault because it doesn't fit your quarterly strategy."

Stryker set down his coffee, slowly. "You're bold. I respect that. But let me give you some free advice—Meditech doesn't lose. We'll have our own AI system in hospitals within six months. And when we do, there won't be room for you."

Ethan's pulse pounded in his ears, but his voice stayed calm. "We'll see about that."

The moment Ethan stepped out of the meeting, the war had begun.

Lisa was already typing furiously, updating internal risk assessments. "They'll cut off our access to data streams, hospital partnerships, and even funding channels. Meditech has the power to make sure no investor touches us."

Ryan slammed his fist on the table. "So what do we do—just wait for them to crush us?"

Ethan shook his head. "We don't play defense. We go on the offensive. We scale faster, innovate smarter, and build alliances they can't control."

Priya's eyes lit up. "We need a heavyweight backer. Someone with money and guts. Someone who loves an underdog story."

Lisa's fingers flew across her keyboard before she spun her laptop around. "Victor Lang."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Lang? As in Victor Lang—the crazy billionaire who funded that AI-powered satellite project and a flying car startup?"

Lisa nodded. "He's erratic, but he loves disruptive tech. If we pitch this right—if we show him how this AI could change medicine forever—he might just bet on us."

Ethan exhaled slowly. "Alright. Set the meeting. If we're going to war with Meditech, we need ammo."

They weren't a scrappy startup anymore. They were a target.

And now? They were fighting to survive.