September 12, 2013, 7 PM

The Future Tech penthouse view from its glass walls showed a bustling Austin night skyline and its residents enjoying their recent prosperity.

Vince dismissed the Jet Fighter project meeting and casually conversed with his corporate guest in the neo-modern living room.

Marrilyn Hewson amicably said, “The first time I’ve heard about you was from an old friend of mine, General Douglas. We go way back. During a Capitol Hill gathering, he complained about a young boy that had the audacity to negotiate with the Pentagon instead of accepting the initial offer, which amused me to no end. But unfortunately, his military rank makes him forget that American civilians build his weapons at the end of the day and should have a say in the matter. From then on, I’ve paid close attention to Future Tech.”

Vince chuckled before replying, “The General and I had a rough start, but he has been my reliable and honest friend within the DOD. I had my misgivings about Future Tech entering the military-industrial complex because of the negativity surrounding it, like war and politics, but I realized it’s our duty to innovate technologies. American men and women like your employees at Lockheed Martin work endlessly to provide the most effective equipment for our military. Still, without their efforts, the United States would not be a country as everyone knows it to be. Hell, the only reason why our economy is afloat and the US dollar has any value is because of the military.”

His last statement made Marrilyn laugh before she said, “You speak the truth, young Dalton. People believe some entities can be too big to fail, especially the Wall Street bankers because the US government would back them, but the world is rapidly changing. Enemies will soon realize the United States’ economic weaknesses and capitalize.”

Almost every US dollar generated by the Federal Reserve was not printed but credited as national debt by partner banks issuing loans to US citizens.

These weren’t small loans but highly valuable investments for housing, business operations, and the like._.

Everything in life comes at a cost; in this case, it will have to be paid for by generations of Americans through taxes and inflation.

Vince casually said, “You’ve heard of my quarrel with Jamie Dimon, I’m sure. Bitcash is vital to my strategy for improving the global economy, and I won’t allow him and his friends to fuck it up.”

It was a lofty ambition, but Marrilyn understood it came from a good place before replying, “Not just your quarrel, but also Future Tech’s new financial initiative called the Bitcash Union. I haven’t heard much, but could you explain it to me?”

Vince said, “The Bitcash Union is meant to streamline personal finance and banking through Deloitte International and serve as a trade market for union members like the United Afghan Tribes and Alibaba Group that would exclusively accept Bitcash. I own a significant portion of other companies like Amazon and Hyundai C&E that will eventually provide customer goods to members. In addition, we plan to integrate medical and housing services by partnering with the big industry players in those industries.”

Marrilyn was astonished to learn of such an extensive initiative, then replied, “I can see why JP Morgan Chase and the rest of Wall Street would want to intervene. You’re attempting to fight against modern monetary theory, privatize international finance, and create a new dominant currency. I can’t believe you’re 15 years old.”

Modern Monetary Theory is a heterodox economic concept that shares many similarities with Marxist and Communist beliefs. Still, it is heavily advocated within the United States as the solution to its rising national debt problems by issuing more fiat currency to pay annual bond interest in an unending inflation cycle.

Even worse, civilians do not own most government bonds, but US banks, international financial institutions, and foreign countries like China do.

It was within Jamie Dimon’s greedy interest to continue their unethical business practices with the Bitcash ecosystem.

Vince jokingly answered, “Sometimes, I can’t believe I’m 15 years old, either.”

Marrilyn and Vince laughed before she asked, “I know you’re still too young but have you considered entering politics? You’re charismatic and intelligent and have a grounded understanding of the needs of our society, which is sorely lacking in Capitol Hill. Even a few effective lobbyists in your pocket can make a difference in your initiatives’ success.”

Vince appreciated the suggestion and replied, “I have a few friends in DC, but you’re right. I’ll need to stop avoiding lobby groups considering the size and reach of Future Tech.”

Marrilyn candidly said, “I assumed you were a democrat based on your friendliness with President Obama’s administration, but your products and services like biometrics identification and AI Security Drones make me think otherwise. So what are your politics exactly?”

Vince honestly replied, “Neither. I find both parties pretentious and blind to what American society requires of them. I’d avoid politics if I could, but my duties as CEO of Future Tech forces me to remain involved. I’ve never even met the local politicians in Texas like Senator Ted Cruz or Mayor Lee Leffingwell.”

Republicans dominated the Texas power structure, and Vince had no desire to owe their party votes in exchange for favors.

Future Tech employed more than 50,000 eligible voters within Austin alone, which could make a huge difference in swinging elections.

Marrilyn shook her head and regrettably said, “I’m sorry to say, but you’ll need to deal with the Democrats and Republicans sooner rather than later. All the power within the United States is shared between them.”

Vince frankly said, “True, I’ll deal with them as they come, but I disagree that all power comes from bipartisan politics. In fact, the world will soon realize the authority Future Tech wields in two weeks.”

His statement piqued Marrilyn’s interest, and she curiously asked, “Are you referring to the United Nations Assembly in New York?”

Vince confidently explained, “Future Tech is a globalized corporation with friends and partners from many countries. I chose to consolidate my power in international connections, trade deals, and military presence because borders do not bind Future Tech. For example, now that President Xi Jinping signed the Bitcash Union agreement in exchange for astronaut slots in the SpaceX Lunar Mission, the United States will require the cooperation of Future Tech for smooth diplomatic operations. Not to mention the economic rise of the United Afghan Tribes, a country that owes its recent success to Future Tech’s efforts and a staunch ally.”

Marrilyn imagined the young man as a wolf in sheep’s clothing and said, “I’ve underestimated you, Vince.”

He grinned and replied, “Being so young like myself has its advantages. Speaking of the Lunar Missions, I’d like to ask if Lockheed Martin is interested in bidding for a ring on the Orbital Space Station we’re constructing in Lagrange Point 1.”

Vince swiped his Infinity Watch to display the latest building plan for OSS-1 on the projector screen.

Its design was a seven toroidal ring structure built around a large core extending more than 2 miles through the center of the station. Each ring had a radius of 2 miles and was composed of different types of housing, living, and scientific modules.

The OSS-1 was powered primarily by massive Tesla photovoltaic solar panels protruding on the top, and artificial gravity within was maintained by rotating at a constant speed on a fixed axis.

Vince explained, “Elon has been sending construction drones using Falcon rockets for the past few months to build the energy core and facilities to support missions into farther space. We’ve already leased the second ring to Hilton Hotels & Resorts, so you won’t have to worry about accommodations when the station is up and running.”

Marrilyn was stunned to hear Vince’s offer as the only way a company could perform experiments in space was through the already fully-booked International Space Station program.

She excitedly inquired, “How much would an entire ring cost for a year? Two billion, no three?”

Vince answered, “Conrad Hilton will be paying $5 billion for a lease in 2014 and a 20% discount for SpaceX traveling services, but I can offer you a better deal.”

Vince’s head accountant, Ralph, estimated the annual upkeep cost of the OSS-1 to be around $20 billion, so Future Tech required business partners to maintain its operations and profitability.

Marrilyn replied, “Alright, what did you have in mind?”

Vince replied, “The Orbital Space Station’s success will depend on more than just government-funded exploration missions, but the private sector as well. Many of our potential partners, including Hilton, will need accessible transportation, yet SpaceX merely operates one spaceport in North LA. Future Tech is willing to give your corporation a 50% lease discount if Lockheed Martin builds another spaceport on one of its many properties on the East Coast. It will surely be an expensive project but wouldn’t it be a good idea for Lockheed Martin to expand its business into space travel?”

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Check the glossary chapter for current business stats.

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