The Fine Print
[Several Months, Corporate Meetings, and Televised Legal Battles after Chapter One]:
Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky" plays throughout Innovation City's downtown district as business-dressed citizens await the crosswalks to turn, signaling them to walk. A Nuclear-Powered Passenger Train arrives at its underground station, allowing citizens from Sunspot Centralia Suburbs, the Aqueduct Commonwealth, Filament Beach City, and Detroit-Geyser Springs to join businesspeople, partake in entertainment, and tour the capital of Innovation City. However, the peaceful-looking lives of the citizens did not translate into the corporate district. A holo-news broadcast played as people went about their daily business, discussing this topic.
"With the phoenix-style rebirth of Fusion Dynamics, all thanks to the efforts of Fusion Dynamics' CEO and son of the late Robert and Marie Fusion, Nobel Fusion, the corporate world has been shaken to its core." The new anchor paused to take a sip of water, then continued speaking. "That's right, folks. Fusion Dynamics has changed the way power is distributed among the various corporations. This has created a significant rift in the corporate world, allowing two alliances to form. With this, we go to my co-host, Lucille Morrison."
News anchor Lucille Morrison pulled up a display, showing the logos of the corporations. She smiled and took over the broadcast. "Yes, it's just as you said, Cooper, with the discovery that Cobra Petroleum and Ampere Electric had allied, the corporations Hurricane Breeze and Aqua-Solutions have joined the side of Oil Tycoon and CEO, Cobra Standard. However, they were shocked to learn that the corporations Solar-Brew, Allison-International, and the long-standing heavyweight of the corporate world, Transcontinental, had already joined the side of the young and bold CEO of Fusion Dynamics, Nobel Fusion."
As the news anchor's voice became drowned out in a sea of traffic, Kerosene and Fusion Dynamics' new business partners left the city, heading for the Fusion Dynamics Facility. As they drove, Kerosene adjusted the radio's dial from a news station to a music station in his nuclear-converted 1950 Studebaker Commander Starlight. The small coupe was painted in a two-tone dreamsicle orange, with its body fins painted snowfall white, and accenting chrome trim. It was the car Nobel had given him as a gift for their anniversary, once all of the chaos had calmed down a little.
Kerosene smiled, looking over at his passenger. "Are you nervous about meeting Nobel?" In the passenger seat, a young adult male adjusted his tie. "Well, of course!" He exclaimed, trying his best to mask his flamboyant style with a nervous smile. "As a representative of my father, CEO of Solar-Brew, I have to make a good first impression!" The trio chuckled as they arrived at Fusion Dynamic. Kubota, now the Head of Security, opened the facility gates to allow them inside. As the trio got out, the two corporate ambassadors got their first glimpse of the acclaimed Nobel Fusion in action.
In the test-yard, Nobel stood alone, his aviator test goggles down, and something on his arm. Kerosene noticed Nobel had on his father's atomically burned leather adventurers' long coat. The sleeves had come off years ago due to countless tests just like this. The trio was ushered into the test bunker and offered goggles to protect their eyes. Nobel pulled his arm back as if to punch the air, but the General, who had stopped by for a demonstration, knew that wasn't the case. As he fired off the punch, a device locked onto his fist compressed the air around his fist into atomic energy and deleted the target vehicle they'd set up... three hundred meters away... within the confines of an atomic orange ball of smoke.
As he turned to face the bunker window, he gave them a thumbs-up to indicate it was safe to remove their glasses. The General opened the bunker door, then shook Nobel's hand. "You, sir, have dealt. The Military will take one hundred fifty of these, "Atomic Adam Knuckledusters." With the snap of Nobel's fingers, Cassini and one of the firefighters loaded the requested crates into the back of the Humvee. The General nodded and got into the passenger seat. "Nobel, for what it's worth... You're a heck of a guy." As the Humvee drove off, another car drove up; this time, there stood a messenger from Cobra Petrol. He handed Kubota a letter, got into his limo, and left. Kubota rushed it over to Nobel, who opened it and read the letter. Once he'd finished, his smile had been replaced by a glare in the direction of Cobra's penthouse.
"What is it, Nobel?" Kerosene asked, his arms trembling in fear of the worst. Nobel laughed and shook his head. "You, dear old dad, just challenged me, of all people, to a wager—to race in the Innovation City Circuit-a race designed only for public humiliation."