MM - Chapter 206 - UNANIMOUS

Celeste Luu Rahn

- Carter City -

The ride through downtown Carter was a blur of neon and rushing traffic. Raine spent the short trip drilling Celeste on the upcoming board meeting. His instructions were a rapid-fire series of strategies and prohibitions, a verbal onslaught detailing what to say, and much more vehemently, what not to say. She absorbed every word; the intensity of his single-minded focus, and clear directives, were a comfort after days of being on her own.

From the back seat, Mel’s pouting glare burrowed into the space between her shoulder blades. There was no doubt in Celeste’s mind that the older girl wished she were the one being lectured. Mel was a glutton for punishment, so long as Raine was the one dishing it out. Celeste figured if he didn’t start yelling at and spanking her soon, the girl would probably lose her mind.

As they had been since climbing into her car, Celeste’s eyes were fixated on the road ahead. Only twice she lost focus and her gaze drifted to the rearview mirror, accidentally catching Raine’s reflection. His expression was serious, chiseled jaw working non-stop to give her as much information as possible before they arrived. The moment she caught a glimpse, her heart performed a frantic stutter, skipping beats before galloping to make up for the lapse. 

Seeing him from so close while his smooth, baritone voice bombarded her was unnerving, yet deeply exhilarating. He was supposed to be injured, weakened, vulnerable, but she didn’t get that sense from him in the least. Raine KongRu felt more dangerous than ever before. Worse, something new lurked beneath the surface, hiding just behind his beautiful cobalt blue eyes. She could almost feel it on her fingertips, and she was beyond glad he wasn’t making her talk too, because her mouth was dry as a desert.

When did he become so terrifying? He wasn’t like this after Jedidiah. What did he go through in ZL to change so rapidly? I wish he took me with him. Wait, no, nevermind; that much time around him wouldn’t be good for my health. Did I… really just think that?

With a desperate force of will, her thoughts turned to something far less emotionally compromising—the stuffy, asshole shareholders who gave her so much trouble in the past. Soon, they would be shitting their pants before this new-and-improved Raine. An evil, anticipatory smile refused to be beaten into submission by her exhaustion. Celeste caught his reflection again, seeing his lips twitch to match hers. Their eyes met, and the shared secret of what was coming sent a fresh wave of heat through Celeste’s veins.

Raine KongRu

- Carter City -

They arrived at Soulgen Pharmaceuticals. The boring building now featured a newly reinforced perimeter gate, which slid open to admit Celeste’s car without pause. Unlike previous visits, the private parking lot was a showcase of wealth. Armored vehicles were parked near the entrance, all boasting hover capabilities. Each represented someone who believed their money afforded them power; they were about to learn otherwise.

While Celeste’s car was parking itself, Morty’s synthesized voice filled a brief moment of silence. “Master, as surmised, we have entered a jamming field.”

“Good. You know what to do.”

Together, they entered the lobby—a sterile expanse of white plaster meant to resemble marble. Three figures awaited their arrival. Two were men in expensive, fitted suits that mirrored Raine’s own. The third was Mrs. Rasmusin, the once-secretary of the deceased President Ehrhardt.

The two men wore ingratiating smiles as they dipped their heads in unison with Mrs. Rasmusin. Her voice was crystal smooth. “Welcome, Mr. KongRu.”

As instructed, Celeste stepped forward to make introductions. Her posture was stiffly professional as she ignored their hateful glances. “These are Mr. Honley and Mr. Chansler. Senior members of the board.”

They rose to meet Raine’s gaze. It was the briefest of glances, but Raine did not miss their eyes flicking to Morty’s drone floating silently in the background. A small, crimson light on its chassis blinked with a steady, deliberate rhythm—an unmistakable indicator that it was recording.

Mr. Honley spoke first, his voice betraying the slightest quiver of nervousness. “Mr. KongRu, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

Mr. Chansler was smoother, his facade cracked only by the minute tension around his eyes, a detail that Raine’s years of experience easily caught. “Likewise, Mr. KongRu. Allow us to escort you to the meeting.”

Raine kept his good hand tucked in his pocket. His posture was relaxed, expression unfazed, revealing nothing. “That won’t be necessary. We have a short errand to attend to before the proceedings.”

Mr. Honley’s composure faltered for a fraction of a second. “A-as you say. Then allow me to be brief. We are ready to support any position you propose in exchange for some… light compensation.”

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Raine replied in a level tone. “I’m willing to entertain your proposals after the meeting.” He offered a curt nod that was clearly a dismissal. “Gentlemen. Mrs. Rasmusin.”

Raine’s chair floated around them. He led the way to the elevators. Once inside the mirrored, chrome box, Mel broke the silence. “Why didn’t you accept their help? If you’re expecting a trap, isn’t more people on your side a good thing?”

Spotting a perfect teaching opportunity, Raine made sure to explain his actions in full. “First, I messaged Mrs. Rasmusin in advance, letting her know to address me only as ‘Mister,’ not the more polite and proper titles of Expert, Master, or Champion. If those two were sincere, they would have corrected her, and used the most ingratiating title, Master, even though that appointment isn’t official yet. They didn’t. They followed her lead.”

He let that sink in before continuing. “Secondly, they were in a rush, abandoning whatever sweet talking plans they had to promise their support, despite realizing they were being recorded. That kind of behavior comes from one of two places: desperation, or the need to adhere to a pre-planned script no matter the cost. Either way, it revealed they are coming from a position of weakness that I don’t want to be attached to. Finally, even if I offered them everything they asked for, there’s no way for me to enforce their cooperation right now. Not only would I be alienating myself by choosing a side before I even understand the factions at play, it would leave me vulnerable to their inevitable betrayal at a critical moment.”

Mel was stunned, her expression a mixture of confusion and awe. The sheer number of variables that went into that brief, thirty-second interaction was staggering. It was clearer than ever that they were walking into a battlefield whose rules she did not yet understand.

The elevator opened deep within the research and development labs. Mel and Celeste followed on the heels of Raine’s chair as he located the specific server rack that had once housed Dr. McLeary’s most sensitive data, the same server Morty had unleashed his cloned AI into. The server was dark, its power cables and network cords unplugged and dangling loose, leaving it completely isolated from the building’s mainframe. With a nod from Raine, Mel knelt and plugged the power cord back into its socket. The server hummed to life.

“Morty,” Raine said softly.

There was no need for further direction. The drone landed atop the server chassis, lights dimming as it interfaced. It sat motionless for several long seconds. When Morty spoke, the synthesized voice was flat, devoid of its usual faux inflection. “He’s gone.”

“Gone as in…?”

“Dead, Master. It is not merely a case of lost power. His core files have been completely scrubbed.”

Before Raine could ask for details, a new voice spoke from only a few feet behind them, shocking the wits out of Celeste and Mel. “He chose death over indefinite imprisonment.”

Raine didn't flinch. He had felt Pamalaiha’s intent a moment before her stealthy arrival. The doctor was clad in her typical medical apron and a surgical mask. Her crystal-blue eyes held a seething hunger as she stared directly at Raine. Mel, recovering from her shock, shot forward and wrapped the doctor in a tight hug. Celeste glared daggers at the woman, her distaste a palpable force in the room.

Raine immediately understood the implications behind Pamalaiha’s words. The doctor had not only found the copied AI but also communicated with it long enough to hear its story. In the end, she chose to assist it in killing itself. It was for the best. The simple server bank was never meant to hold the copy of a Primus, leaving it in a tormented state where each second felt like years. The storage device they needed to safely house him was illegal, making it difficult to obtain.

“I see,” Raine’s voice was imbued with a quiet respect. “Thank you for fulfilling his wish.”

“You are quite welcome,” Pamalaiha replied. “If you would wait but a moment, I shall accompany you to the meeting.”

Raine nodded his acknowledgement as the doctor gave Mel’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and then rushed off, disappearing around a corner. “You okay, Morts?” He questioned the silent drone, wishing the AI were here in person.

“It was remiss of us to leave him in such an unfitting location for so long. I should have been more diligent in securing an appropriate drive. I do not blame you, Master.”

“You don’t have to. I’m more than capable of doing that myself. I shouldn’t have asked you to make him without considering a more permanent home in advance.”

Morty’s drone turned side to side. “Even then, procuring one in time would have landed us directly in the sights of the authorities. While unfortunate, this ending was for the best.”

Mel watched their exchange with furrowed brows, eyes growing moist. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. Celeste, on the other hand, hadn’t even heard their exchange. She was grumbling under her breath, watching the corner where Pamalaiha had vanished. 

Right on cue, she returned, now wearing a business casual skirt and a crisp, button-up shirt. Raine recognized them as the very clothes he had purchased for Mel for the meeting at Frontier. Even without his recognition, it would have been obvious the clothes did not belong to her. They hugged her sensual curves far too tightly, turning the professional attire into something provocative, made all the more so by the exaggerated sway of her hips as she stalked toward Raine.

Celeste growled deep in her throat but didn’t say anything. Pamalaiha stopped before him and waited patiently, blinking through thick lashes, stunning freckles on full display. Her voice was a husky purr, like fingers trailing down his spine. “Thank you for waiting.”

Unconscious killing intent leaked from Celeste, and Raine promptly flicked her forehead with a whisper of bloodlust. Her eyes flew wide as she felt the soft physical force from what should have only been a mental ability. While flattering that she was so jealous, Raine couldn’t allow their emotions to turn into an all-out cat-fight. Both women were precious to him in their own ways.

These three are going to get out of hand if I don’t set some boundaries. Soon as the board meeting's over, we’ll hash this out.

All three heard Raine’s thoughts and hid their nervousness at what he could mean. Slamming down his emotions, he spoke with a firm tone. “You’re welcome, doctor. Let’s go.”

Disappointment was thick in the air as together, they rode the elevator up to the second-highest floor. The boardroom was the nicest space in the entire building, a sanctuary encased in beautified steelphene paneling. Raine knew by the hum in the air that beneath the aesthetics lay at least two more layers of signal jammers.

They were the last to arrive. As they entered, the entire board stood. There were seven members present beyond the two from the lobby. All nine lined up to shake Raine’s hand. Each one, in turn, addressed him as “Mr. KongRu.” Celeste introduced them one by one, her voice a low monotone, ending with the most important of them all: Nexin Fillis, the current chairman of the board.

Fillis, a man with silver hair and a face etched with arrogance, eyed Celeste with a displeased frown before taking his seat at the head of the long, polished table. The rest of the board followed suit, leaving Celeste, Mel, and Pamalaiha standing. There was no chair for Raine, not that he would have left his rig to take one.

As soon as they were seated, Fillis began, his voice ringing with smug authority. “The board recognizes Raine KongRu, majority shareholder with a,” he paused for dramatic effect, “forty-nine percent stake in Soulgen Pharmaceuticals.”

“Fifty-one percent,” Raine corrected, a flicker of amusement hidden by a stony frown. He already understood their angle, but chose to fall into their ploy to see what else they had on the hook.

Fillis’s expression didn’t change. “My deepest apologies, Mr. KongRu. It appears that two percent of your shares were created and sold illegally. We, of course, only recently became aware of this discrepancy, no doubt created by the Luu Rahns to further jeopardize our investments.” Fillis directed a full-on scowl toward Celeste that made his supposed resentment clear. “Carter’s interim Judiciator does not care that the shares were not created by you, and has stated the law on this matter is quite firm. You do not own fifty-one percent. You own forty-nine, meaning you have little choice but to concede to our unanimous demands.”

Raine nodded slowly, his eyes meeting each board member’s gaze one at a time. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Unanimous… What an interesting word choice. I see you met in advance to ensure… cooperation.”

Mr. Fillis flashed an evil smile. “Is there a problem with the current board having a meeting at any time of its choosing?”

“As I was not officially recognized, it's hard to find an issue with your collusion,” Raine shook his head softly, voice deep and smooth. “The same goes for your claim of my ownership.” The rest of the board could barely contain their grins. Behind him, Raine could hear Mel grinding her teeth.

Fillis spoke for them all once more. “I’m glad I won't have to explain everything. Before I cede my chair, we have some demands. I’ll begin with the most pressing. Mr. KongRu, you have some answering to do for your recent actions. Each of us has invested time and millions of credits into Soulgen. With zero notice or intent to claim accountability, you swooped in and gutted every research project in development.”

The board, and especially Fillis, was already breaking protocol by beginning the meeting without formally passing the chair, leaving Raine feeling no qualms about interrupting the man’s tirade. “The stock price is ten times higher than it's ever been. If you're not satisfied with my actions, I suggest taking the ten-x return on your investments and fucking right off.”

The crass dismissal was exactly what Fillis had hoped for. The joy was plain in his eyes as he sprang his trap. “Let’s not be so hasty.” He spread a palm toward the man seated directly to his right. “Darl was counting on our in-development Sipromene as a cure for his wife’s genetic disability. That is the sole reason he refused the Luu Rahns’ barbaric attempts to force him into selling.”

It was obvious bait, an attempt to paint Raine as a monster and, far more importantly, glean information about Soulgen’s single remaining product: ReGen. Before his death, Celeste’s uncle had been colluding with Dr. McLeary to hide the miraculous properties of ReGen. It was clear from Fillis’s attempt to get a reaction from him that the board didn’t know what the drug was truly capable of. He glanced at Pamalaiha, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head: They knew nothing.

With confirmation that they didn’t possess his greatest secret, Raine had no further need to play nice. If he could have without giving away his recovered body, he would have steepled his fingers. His earlier anger evaporated into overbearing indifference. “That’s certainly unfortunate for Darl and his wife.”

As predicted, his dismissiveness was met with angry mutters and glares. Raine continued, voice cutting through their noise. “As for your claim of my ownership, I said it would be hard to refute, not impossible. I’m quite positive several of you were aware of the counterfeit shares some time ago. However, I have no intention of leaving Soulgen’s leadership in contention while we wait for legal proceedings. I’ll simply duel your representatives and claim legal superiority until the proof comes to light.”

The board stared at his cast-bound arm and the hoverchair he was confined to, then their glowers became open declarations of violence. Raine didn’t give them long to enjoy their moment. “Fillis, I'm sure you'll love this: while it hasn't been announced yet, Celeste Luu Rahn, the lead disciple of Astra Infernum, is also my champion proxy. Only yesterday, she tested and is now officially a Class Four Martial Expert. Just. Like. Me. I assume none of you will be personally dueling, so please, feel free to announce your representative.”

His insinuation that Celeste was another hidden monster, a secret weapon capable of fighting up classes like himself, wiped the smiles clean off their faces. Each recalled with perfect clarity his fight with Jedidiah. Behind him, Celeste stepped forward slightly, a gloating, cocky grin spreading across her face as she cracked her knuckles.

Already, Celeste’s time in ZionLine had changed her so fundamentally that even non-martials would be able to pick up on her willingness to kill. The men and women in that room were Carter elites, raised in the brutal world of martial politics. They knew her from before, and the flamboyant, aggressive young girl was nowhere to be found. Celeste Luu Rahn was a killer hiding in human skin.

The pressure was too much for Mr. Honley. He cracked, voice high and reedy. “W-wait! This was all Fillis’s idea. We only agreed because we didn't want to lose the right to be heard! You’ve made so many changes, and we don’t even understand why!”

Raine snorted, gaze sweeping over the cowardly man with disdain. “You should have thought about that before you sold so many of your shares for bits on the credit. You chose to give me this much power with your own actions, and now you’re sniveling about the consequences? Disgusting.”

Fillis shot to his feet, face turning blotchy red. “You have no power to negotiate here! I did enough research to know you don't qualify to own shares of any company! Anything you say here holds no weight. As soon as you're investigated by the TSC, your shares will end up right back on the open market!”

Raine remained completely calm, finally surprised by an unexpected variable. He all but physically rose to the challenge, eyes glimmering with excitement. “That's a bold claim. Care to provide any proof beyond bluster and conviction?”

“Would I ever!” Fillis crowed, triumphant again. “Territorial Stocks Commission Section 73, subsection R, ruling E4: those without complete identification submitted to the TSC at the time of purchase shall forfeit all shares at market price!”

Raine’s ReGen-enhanced brain was way ahead of the man. His watch had already populated the relevant legal code, and he’d read it twice before the windbag finished speaking. “Ohhh. Gimbal Versus Darling. A fascinating case. Did you not read the entire ruling? That regulation only comes into play in the event that I sell any shares. The instant I generate income without a taxable identification, the rest of my shares will be forfeit. Until then, it means nothing.”

He had no intention of ever selling a single share of Soulgen. ReGen was going to be a cash cow of unimaginable proportions. Leaning back, Raine smiled, oozing composure. “If anything, that ruling should act as assurance that I’m in Soulgen for the long haul. My choices have thus far been based solely on what I know is best for the company’s future profits. That will not change.”

The rest of the board looked to Fillis, who, for the first time, was completely tongue-tied. “I… uhh.”

“Wrong answer.” Raine’s open palm smacked the table. The sound was like a gunshot in the silent room. A spiderweb of cracks erupted from the point of impact, fracturing the expensive, polished surface. “While your insubordination is only to be expected from one about to lose his position, colluding to turn the rest of the board against me before understanding anything is completely unacceptable. I can never trust you again. And while I can’t fire you, I can submit a motion to dismiss you from all future meetings and decisions.”

More than one hadn’t heard a word he said, their eyes agog at the rapidly crumbling table. One by one, they lifted terrified gazes to find a malicious grin waiting for them. “Anyone in disagreement can fight her.” Raine tilted his head toward Celeste, and every eye in the room tracked to her overbearingly arrogant form.