- Lo siento, miss Carrington. - his face showed the exact opposite of what he just said. - And yes, it's understood.
He went silent for a second or two before continuing.
- But there is one thing to note, miss Carrington. While I can understand all that public relation stuff, I cannot understand your plan to phase out CTE and other... randomly produced models from service. All we would get is pouring money into something that would only result in us losing our defensive, and offensive, capabilities. So, to not bore you much, I don't agree on nor want all my assets to get swapped for a bunch of cumbersome and sluggish coffins. Security division will continue to use civilian and alternate gear. Or we'll start losing our transports even despite all that fancy armor.
"Your dislike of this decision has been duly noted, Mister Davies. You may continue to use fighter and bomber class CTE vessels until the necessary paperwork has been accepted or denied by the war cabinate for the request of quite simply better hardware. You are to dismantle any craft you are in command of - that is of transport size if it does not meet the new Company Logistical Standard. namely Mister Davies, you have four options. the little adorable Clydesdale, the happy go lucky Percheron, the big... tough guy Shire, or the gentle giant Shetland." Clarissa stated before looking back down to her data pad. "Oh, and dont forget the composite armour plating, Mister Davies."
"that goes for the rest of you as well by the way, report any financial discrepancies to your respective financial administrator before the end of the week so we can get it processed and all the books balanced."
'Hmmm even reddened from anger she still looks sexy' Lincoln mused to himself as he still stood there his smirk still plastered across his face and his arms now returning to a position across his chest. He wasn't going to contest Clarissa's 'revelation' about the funds already being ready to purchase a new series of transport vessels. Anyone with access to the financial statements of Planetform could see the funds the previous CEO has directed to the sun terraforming would easily be directed here. But he was being to worry about the meeting. She wasn't starting to build the confidence from the crowd in her decisions nor was she at a point of completely losing their support ripening them for him to take over. This indecision among the crowd would prove vital in their demise as a whole if it was sorted out. He smug look he had perfected long ago concealed his thoughts but he knew he had to act sooner rather than later as the group was descending to near a rabbling verbal war among the department heads "Miss Carrington...." He knew he drew her attention immediately as she had been dividing her attention between her data pad and throwing angry looks since she had finished. But he was needing the groups attention "....Miss Carrington..." again he waited for the majority to look up "....the funds to buy the Bretonian ships have been available since your predecessor's untimely demise so that isn't a point of contention but I ask you now what is your plan after that?" He waited for the group to mull that over and Clarissa to indicate she was about to speak before he continued. "You'll have stacks of dismantled CTE ships, a number of disgruntled employees and, I'm presuming, the same processes in place as now...." He paused again his smug look continuing " ....but Miss Carrington you've done nothing yet to instil in us any confidence that you have a plan of how to over come the position we're in..." He smug over confident feelings grew spurred on by the fact he was hinting at her for what she needed to do. "...A new policy on ships and an ambitious future project is one thing, but a plan to achieve those is what these guys here are waiting for." He looked on at Clarissa and the quieting among the group indicated they too were awaiting more information from either of them.
"Plan?" She looked at him. "You're waiting for the plan?" She pointed a finger at him. "Well here is the plan." She clicked a few things on her data pad and the room display cleared. "A number of prominent Bretonians have indicated to me they intend to make a number of personal donations to us." The screen started to flash with the images of some of the donators appearing. "Secondly we haven't been fulfilling the demand in outside of Bretonian for Fluorine nor Tungsten so we'll be increasing exports of them." As some of the faces faded on the display images of tungsten and fluorine replaced them. "And also we'll bring into use a number of the projects R&D have had ready for the last five years but no one had the balls to implement." She looked to Lincoln her steely determined look staring across at his smug looking face.
Lincoln looked on, his smug look turning up at the corners as a smile started to fight its way in. "Ladies and Gentlemen..." He spread his arms out and did a slow, deliberate circle pointing at the majority of them as he turned, ending back facing Clarissa where he brought his hands together to clap. Not the pitiful slow clap, nor the over enthusiastic fast clap; it was a deliberate medium paced one such that it confused many not sure if he was supportive or smugly about the finally rip her to shreds. He held the medium paced clap for a few seconds before he continued "...before you here stands Miss Carrington..." He slowed and stopped his clapping taking a second to brush the hair above his right ear before continuing "....and Miss Carrington stands here before us as the new leader hoping to lead us into new riches." Lincoln started to approach Clarissa maintaining eye contact with her for the entirety. "Many of you already know that Miss Carrington and I fought a hard fight to get the Throne of the Terraformers..." He started to slowly circle Clarissa while he made eye contact with the crowds around him "...But many of you won't know the lengths and depths of the process. Now, I must admit from the times we were in each other's presence as this whole process endured I started to believe Miss Carrington here was only there due to her feminine charm and resilient Bretonian patriotic passion. And I must also admit I did felt dirty that she was chosen above myself and my proven track record..." He finished his circle of Clarissa and was now a few feet in front of her ".... But Miss Carrington has shown tonight, to myself and all of you, that she has big picture vision and the ideas to bring them to fruition. So..." Lincoln looked around the hushed crowd once more before returning to look to Clarissa "...I am asking you Miss Carrington to accept here in my support..." Lincoln purposefully extended a hand to Clarissa almost grabbing her hand himself as she shakily answered the invitation not truly knowing if what she was hearing from Lincoln was honesty "...and I invite you all in this room to join me in joining Miss Carrington on our road to great wealth and accolades as we become the Hands of God".
As he broke his smug look allowing a smile to spread the room erupted in discussion among the people present.
Lincoln nodded to his PA Ruth who quickly stepped up brandishing a camera ready to take a photo that would soon be destined for PR purposes. "Smile" Lincoln hinted to Clarissa as he half posed, their hands still locked in a handshake he wasn't prepared to drop till it was needed. "You can thank me later" he remarked to her out the side of his mouth; the overall din in the room making it inaudible to anyone but her.
