2013.05.07 - A Buisness Proposal Like No Other

Justin Hammer's Office

The office space of the CEO of Hammer Industries is spacious, modern and looks very expensive. The decor is mostly dark hardwoods with stainless steel accents, and several large prints of various pieces of military hardware. In front of the large picture window is a huge desk with a computer, and on the right side of the room is a long table with six chairs around it. --

Hammer tech has some really good security, for human technology, but Grodd has organic computers and advanced alien technology that Hammer would sell his mother to get a hold of so when Grodd wants to talk to hammer. He finds Justin's personal email and sends him a priority message,

"Greetings Mr. Hammer. 	I have hacked into your state of the art network using technology decades beyond what you have available to you now. I am willing to share this technology if you are willing to work with me towards two mutually beneficial goals.

(1) I want to make you the president of the united stated. (2) I want to help you humiliate and then crush Tony Stark destroying everything he has built and leaving him a broken man.

If you are interested put an X on your office window."

Hammer can try and trace the email back to it's source but the routing, and the name on the email all indicate the same thing. He sent it to himself... but why would he do that?

The CEO of Hammer Industries is sitting behind his desk, staring at his computer screen. He has read over the email better than a dozen times, and still isn't sure what to think of it. Justin tried to trace it back using the limited knowledge he has of the company's servers, and got nowhere, fast. He considered, very briefly, calling in his head of information security but dismissed it. No, he would prefer as few eyes as possible see what's aid out in black and white on the screen. Finally Hammer stands up, turning to look out the window and across the R&D facility that spreads out under the tower his office is in. Logic says this is stupid, whoever wrote this is obviously some hacker bent on getting his goat... Using the justification of catching the hacker red-handed, Justin picks up a piece of blank paper from the printer on stand and draws an 'X' in the middle of it with a black marker. He tapes the paper in the window, x-side out, and goes back to watching the facility below.

It's about an hour later that a package is delivered to Justin. It goes through his office like most mail. It's a package about the size of a volume of encyclopedia and boxes up as if it was shipped Fed-Ex.

Again, the name on the box is Justin Hammer shipped from his home address to his work address. The package appears to be nothing special on the outside but inside there is a strange device, some kind of round platter with a grid of multi-layered hexagonal shaped micro plates and a self-contained energy source that pulses with a blue light around a ring on the surface of the device.

There is a note saying, "Place in center of office. Green, yellow, blue, green. Stand back." there are four buttons on the device Green, Yellow, Blue, and a red button.

When the secretary brings the package along with the rest of his mail, Justin doesn't think anything of it. It's not unusual for him to get unsolicited packages, and they're generally marketing materials from other companies who are hoping to gain contracts with the large weapons manufacturer. He flips through the rest of the mail, then picks up the box. He starts to open it, then hesitates when he notices his own home address on the return label. This gives him reason to pause for several moments, glancing back over his shoulder and out the window on two occasions. Finally curiosity wins out, and he opens the box. Only after he lays eyes on the strange platter and odd instructions does it cross his mind that he should have called security to have them screen this. With a shrug Justin sets the disc in the center of the office, and presses the buttons in the sequence listed. It's too late to turn back now.

Honestly, calling security first would have been the smart thing to do but Grodd didn't pick Justin because he makes good choices..

When the activation sequence is keyed in, the internal power supply surges to life there is a rrrrrm rrrrrm rrrrm rrrrm rrrm rrrm sound that gets faster and faster, the lights in the room blink, the computer in the room shuts off in the office outside people start to speak up as their computers also start to fail then there is a flash of light a vrrrrmph sound and the electricity for the entire block goes out as the beacon sucks in all the energy around it to power the device.

It is darkness in the office, darkness and cold, cold enough that Justin's breath makes a cloud of steam capturing the remnants of light from the city outside. What might possibly be more disturbing than the darkness, than the cold, than the fact everything is shut down and all of Justin's security is now useless, is that there is a sound in the dark room, a sound of breathing from something large. A sound which shouldn't exist in his office. A sound which violates the sanctity and security of Justin's personal sanctuary.

It will be a few seconds before the power is restored while Justin is left alone in his office, in the dark, with that sound.

Calling in security and reporting the hacker as soon as he found the email is sounding more and more like the right decision to Justin. Backing against the side wall of the huge office and knocking a couple knick-knacks off one of the shelves, the CEO stares into the darkness, toward the sound of the breathing. "W-Who's there?" he asks into the darkness, fighting to discern any sort of outline or hint of what may be there. About the time the lights flick back to life, and there's the sound of beeping uninterruptible power supplies and rebooting computers from beyond the office. Hammer definitely doesn't look like any sort of heroic figure pressed up against the bookshelf, one hand reaching behind his back as he fumbles for the H&K pistol he often carries on him.

Grodd always was a fan of the grand entrance and he thinks that this one provides just the proper amount of terrifying surreality. In the dark the large gorilla pulls one of the office chairs out and sits down in it crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. He's wearing an Armani suit that has somehow been enlarged to fit his 14 foot tall, gigantic body but in the dark office he's little more than a massive dark form in the already dark office.

No one answers Justin's question. The sound of the chair rolling and then protesting under his weight as he sits down mingles with the sound of his deep breaths and then cloth-on-cloth as he crosses his legs.

When the lights flicker back on Justin is confronted with the reality that there is a giant gorilla in a business suit sitting across from his desk, "Mr. Hammer." the Gorilla says in greeting and expects Justin to know his name.. Grodd is getting tired of people not knowing his name. This human better know his name or Grodd is going to do something horrible later just so people will properly fear him. Of course being shot will also put him in a foul mood.

Justin freezes when he finally gets a proper look at the hulking form. He takes in the unusual sight of the enormous ape for a couple of seconds, then slowly drops his right hand from behind his back. There's no weapon there, the human having decided that it would likely be useless. Besides, the gorilla did speak in a mostly professional tone. No need to jump to shooting if everything can be resolved with simple words. "General Grodd," Hammer says, his voice mostly stable. It's as much a question as statement, since honestly all the apes he's ever seen look the same to him. Straightening up and taking a step away from the bookshelf, Justin forces a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

It's nice to meet a human who shows proper respect to a superior life form. Grodd smiles and puts Justin on his mental list of people who's brains he most likely won't eat. "Just Grodd, please. " the Gorilla corrects, "Like I said in my email, I wish to make you president of the united states. For my own reasons of course, but the long and the short of it is, in three years time I'm going to be taking over Africa. I need someone in the white house who will speak against U.N. Intervention. To this end I'm going to help you get elected. I'm going to make Hammer-Tech a brand which means safety and reliability." the villain says as he reaches into the vest pocket of his suit and pulls out a data disk in a case, "This is everything you need to know to build and implement a sensor system which will you to create a network of in-car A.I. who's soul purpose is to detect and predict collisions before they have a chance to happen." he explains, "The electromagnetic sensors you build into the streets will allow the cars A.I. to detect large metal bodies such as other cars, know their speed and direction of travel as well as communicate with those cars. Much like cloud computing, the more cars their are speaking to each other on the network, the smarter the network is." Grodd explains, "When you implement this system and install it into vehicles, you will reduce traffic jams, car accidents, as well as incidents of fatal drunk driving by vast amounts. I'm giving this technology to you for free. On the condition that you use the billions of dollars it makes you in sales to run for president."

Up to this point, everything Justin and Hammer Industries has done has been on the level. Justin built the company through his own blood, sweat and tears. He has reverse engineered tech before, but he's never been handed something like this. Nor has he ever had someone make him such an offer. There's a bit of a moral dilemma in this. But the thought of being president of the United States, and the chance to crush Stark, one way or another, is tempting. Very tempting. "So you're saying that you're willing to just give me this information, as long as I run for president of the United States?" he asks, his tone dropping to one of slight suspicion. "So /you/ can take over Africa?"

Grodd shrugs and says, "I'm going to take over Africa, one way or the other, you being president just means that I don't have to worry about the United Nations sending in troops to fight me. If the united states pushed for peaceful resolution without the use of force it will be less bloodshed all around and a lot less paper work for me. " yes, Grodd is changing the course of human events to avoid paper work, "When I take over I plan on setting out food replicators, giving the people of Africa medicine and shelter. I will greatly improve their lives and they will worship me like a God. All you have to do is keep the U.N. from attacking long enough and within three generations of humans, there will be no more world hunger." the ape says gesturing as he speaks like he has it all planned out. "I will make Africa a paradise and when the world sees what I offer, they will want it as well. Infinite energy, eternal youth, boundless food, and all you have to do is keep the humans and the united states teams of super-heroes out of my way to let me work. By the time your grand children are adults I will be worshiped across the globe, Tony Stark, Superman, Captain America, all these heroes. They will be a footnote in history." Grodd explains then he leans forward over the desk and says, "Once I solve the world's problems, there will be no need for heroes. That, my little pink skinned friend, is the ultimate victory. Together we will make them obsolete."

Justin manages to keep a straight face through almost all of the gorilla's entire speech. At the last statement he lowers his head, rubbing his temples with the thumb and fingers of his left hand. Him, president of the United States. His company's reputation restored. Stark and the others like him forced to crawl back into the holes they came out of. It honestly sounds too good to be true. The CEO lets out a painted chuckle as he shakes his head and looks back up to Grodd. "As wonderful as that plan sounds," he says, motioning with his left hand while the right stays on his hip. "I'm not sure if you've noticed that I'm not the most popular person in this country right now." Money, while very, very helpful, can't win elections by itself. The person who it's backing needs to have a certain charisma. That's why your best plan is to get someone with that charisma, and a fair amount of controllability, in your pocket then get them elected. Pull the strings from behind the curtains...

Grodd nods his head and says, "I can change that." reaching into his pocket and pulling out bottle of pills, "These are naturally occurring chemicals in the human body. If you take them they will enhance your charisma. You will feel confident, you will feel suave, you will do all the right things and say all the right phrases to make people love you. These." he says as he shakes the bottle of pills, "Are the chemical concentrate of what Tony Stark has and you don't. That indefinable confidence that makes everyone love him. Through a genetic failing on your father's side, you didn't get the proper phenotypical genetic expression to give you these qualities of self-confidence. These pills will correct this." the Gorilla says seeming to have all the answers like he has it all planned out, "They are very fast acting, the first week you will feel better, look better, feel sharper and women will swoon for you. It will light a fire in your loins and in your self-confidence. Just don't let it go to your head. Don't let yourself become another stark. " he warns, "Use this power to do good, to help people, to make the world a better place. Don't waste it like Stark has." he says putting the bottle on the desk. "These are a two year supply. One a month." he explains.

What he doesn't explain is that they are just a male hormone, a little bit of synthetic thyroid, and some vitamins. There is no cure for what Justin Hammer is lacking because the only thing Justin hammer is lacking, is belief in Justin hammer.

Hammer studies Grodd as he speaks, and his eyes follow the bottle as it's set on the desk. He steps forward and to his right, coming to a stop where his desk chair would normally sit. He remains standing, not feeling at all confident or secure enough to actually sit down. It's taking a lot to keep up what little fake confidence he's able to display. This is all too much to take in at once, and it seems so perfectly planned out. Way too planned out. There's a definite tone of suspicion in his words when he finally speaks again. "What assurance do I have that this isn't going to go very, very south? I mean, no offense, but you don't exactly have the best track record yourself." Not to mention that world peace puts Hammer Industries out of business, if that's actually what the gorilla even wants. Actual warfare would be FAR more profitable, and it makes more sense to Justin to let the UN have it's way with Grodd. There's no guarantee that the vehicle AI system would work, much less take off like the ape thinks it will.

Grodd smiles and says, "Oh, my track record is exactly where I want it. With all the super-heroes in the world running around, crusading and beating criminals, I don't want them to take me seriously. Not yet. But I couldn't hide from them for ever either. So I changed the world into Gorillas and then left the wave generator for them to destroy. They 'Won the day' and they carted me off to prison. I escaped days later and have been on the lose ever since then acting as a small time criminal. But every crime I commit has a hidden purpose. Every thing I do leads down a road and do you want to see where that road ends unless the world is unified and ready?" the big Gorilla asks as he stands up and reaches out extending his index finger so that it is but a breath away from Hammer's head, "Would you like to see the future?" he asks.

Justin leans away from the finger as it comes far too close to his face for comfort. It hits him like a punch in the gut- this isn't a business deal. He's talking to a known criminal, a giant psychopathic gorilla. Who could rip him limb from limb at any second. "Of, of course I would," he responds, a bit of a stutter in his words. "I-I just have to make sure my ass is covered. You know how it is, right?" He offers a very forced grin that shows way too many teeth. "So what happens if all this doesn't work, and I don't get elected?" Sounds like he's starting to consider the offer more seriously.

"The extinction of the human species in under two thousand years." Grodd says then he chuckles, "I'm just kidding, it'll only be a few hundred thousand people needlessly dying if you don't win. Man up and step forward, I'll show you. I'm a telepath. It's just images, like dreaming, only you'll be seeing someone else's dream. A time traveler. " he explains, "Then it will all make sense."

Now the ape wants to do some sort of telepathic thing? Get in his mind? Justin balks at that. Shaking his head and looking away he tries to find a semi-polite way to respond. "No, no, I don't think that's necessary. I think I get a pretty good gist of what you're going for. I was just looking for an assurance that I wasn't going to end up collateral damage if things didn't go your way."

Grodd wiggles his finger in the air, "You sure? You don't want to know how the world ends?" he tempts really wanting to see the look on Hammer's face when he sees it. "But no, in the human world you are an important man, but to me you are just a human. I don't hate you enough to crush you. " he says honestly, "With or without your help, I will unite this world before it's too late. With your help I could do it with less suffering. If you fail you only fail your own people, you don't fail me." the ape says and then losers his finger. He turns and walks back over to the teleport beacon he used to port in, picking it up. "Take it or leave it, it's a kindness to the human species I'm offering, nothing more. In the end, all will serve Grodd."

There has to be a catch, something that just makes this whole thing just a bit too hot to touch. Justin adjusts his glasses and takes a deep breath. The gorilla says he won't harm him, no matter the outcome of the election, and the potential of the tech he's being handed is enormous. Hell, forget just city streets and traffic jams, the sensor tech could be retrofitted into the Bull Shark drones, and potentially catapult the project back into full swing. The statement of everyone serving Grodd sends a stinging unease through the CEO, but he shakes it off. After all, he's a weapon's manufacturer, he could just as easily turn his focus to fighting against the ape if things got out of hand... "I'll do it," Hammer says, almost deadpan to the gorilla's back.

Smiling before he even gets turned back around to face Justin, "Thank you. I want to try to bring as little suffering to this world as I can while I save the future. Your help will bring us one step closer to preventing the extinction of both our species. I won't contact you again of course, it just wouldn't do, but if you need me, just leave an X." he offers then he presses his lapel pin and like that one show on TV he dematerializes taking the transporter beacon with him..

Then Justin is left there alone in his office with the keys to his future if he is brave enough to take them... because that is what Grodd does. He gives you just enough hope to hang yourself with...

If Justin picks up the pill bottle and reads it there is a phrase written on it, "Swords and shields are the weapons of a warrior. Patience is the weapon of a King." advice Grodd hopes will aid the human in his unpromising election.

The exit the gorilla makes is a lot less dramatic than the entrance. In fact, it's almost disappointing. Letting out a heavy breath and dropping the tension out of his shoulders, Justin looks toward the data drive and the pill bottle. He picks up the bottle, and reads the inscription. Furrowing his brows, he sticks in in a desk drawer before turning his full attention to the data drive. This is what he's really interested in, and he'll spend the next several hours looking over what's on the drive before finally calling in his engineers to start tearing into it fully. The more he sees the more his doubts fade, and the happier he is that he didn't call security.