2013.08.16 - Last Minute Changes

Hammer Industries, Staten Island, NY Wednesday, 9PM

The mood in the board room is one of tension and foreboding. The gathered engineers and public relations staff barely speak among themselves, and when they do it's only at a whisper. They have all seen the footage from Lex Luthor's expo presentation, and they know what's going to come down the line.

Shortly after nine the heavy oak doors open and the CEO himself strides into the room. The gathered staff falls deadly silent as the man walks to the head of the long table, setting down the mostly empty paper coffee cup he carried in with him. For several minutes Justin Hammer just stands there, hands on his hips, looking over the apprehensive faces of his employees. Finally, the CEO breaks the silence.

"I'm sure you have all had plenty of time to review the footage of LexCorp's big presentation this evening?" Hammer poses the question, but as expected, no one answers verbally. "This leaves me with a very big problem. Luthor is stepping into my arena here, and it's time to take the gloves off. I have to walk in there and make it known that I'm not going to be steamrollered by some red, white and blue Stark rip off."

"I want the BullShark demo to be a live fire test."

At this, there's finally a stir from the gathered employees. Several of them offer protest, one in particular. The middle-aged, balding engineer holds up a hand as he raises from his chair. "Sir, the systems haven't been tested with live ordnance. The AI control modules haven't been completely tested, and after the last Expo, I don't think we can afford the risk..."

The last Stark Expo demo that Hammer Industries had fallen more than a little flat, thanks to pushing something that wasn't completely tested out into the public eye. The HX-173 micromissile, Justin's pet project at the time, had failed miserably during two test fires at the White Sands Missile Range that were simulcast live to the Expo. The first missile only partially detonated, and the second failed to detonate at all. The project was re-engineered and the problems resolved, but the demo left Hammer a laughing stock for some time afterward.

"Did you watch the same demo I did?" Justin focuses in on the dissenter. Again the room falls into a nervous saturninity, only the CEO daring to break it. "Luthor blew up a tank. An entire /TANK/. In front of a live /AUDIENCE/." Hammer's tone grows louder and more hostile as he talks, and he jabs at the table top with his right hand. "I don't care if you have to work twenty-four hours a day, from now until Saturday night, I want something that's going to compete with that. I refuse to play second fiddle to a guy who's company makes video game consoles and smart phones. This company is a goddamned weapon's manufacturer!"

There's a pause. No one dares to move, though several pairs of eyes flick downwards toward the table. Hammer takes a deep breath, and his tone returns to something closer to normal.

"Come Saturday, something had better explode. And it had better be good."