A.N. Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you continue to like the direction this story goes. Also, please forgive any pseudo-science in this chapter :) Happy Halloween and enjoy!
Chicago, Illinois, USA. 2034.
Dr. Rockbell lowered her magnifying glasses over her eyes as she picked up the soldering gun. The micro chip was hot off the presses and now it was time to implant it into her latest bio-mechanical invention: the Crocodile Arm, which essentially gave the wearer a chainsaw for an arm. It was a custom order for which the client had requested Winry specifically to engineer. Those were her favorite.
She technically didn't have to work another day in her life; the public release of the Automailer meant she could permanently retire to a beautiful foreign country and live out her remaining years in peace and comfort. But she wasn't built that way. And just after celebrating her thirty-first birthday, she knew she would quickly go stir crazy if all she had on her daily agenda was to suntan.
Suddenly, the lab doors burst open and a very frazzled young woman carrying briefcases and coffee mugs ran through. "Winry! Your meeting! It's in three minutes!"
"Damn, okay. Thank you, Scheska." Winry smiled at her personal assistant. She removed her head gear and placed it on the workbench next to her Crocodile project, but kept her lab coat on over her business casual outfit. It was always a bit drafty in the building, but really she just liked the way it made her look. "Okay, let's go!"
In the elevator, she took down her pony tail, letting her blonde locks flow freely over her shoulders. She needed a haircut; it was almost down to her waist. "Do I look okay?" She asked her assistant, who gave her a vigorous nod and a reassuring smile.
Exactly at 10:01am, Winry and Scheska strolled into the meeting room on the top floor of the sky rise building. Rockbell Industries owned the entire sixty-four floor structure, and this meeting room was at the very top, providing everyone in it with a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline.
She glided confidently across the room to Zolf J. Kimblee, the Chinese business man who proposed this meeting, with her arm outstretched. "Mr. Kimblee, so great to finally meet face to face." They shook hands and exchanged pleasant smiles. "This is my assistant, Scheska, who will be taking notes for me during this meeting, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, Dr. Rockbell."
"Winry, please." They made themselves comfortable around a large conference table.
"Of course, Winry. And this is my associate in charge of manufacture and production in China for Kimblee Factories, Edward Jones."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jones." She smiled evenly at him, careful not to give away the fact that her heart just picked up it's pace. He nodded back his greeting. Immediately she took note of his dirty blonde hair and light colored eyes. Gold, they appeared to be. 'How unusual.' She thought. She was expecting another Chinaman, but certainly wasn't complaining.
"Shall we get started, then?" She addressed the room and removed some files from her briefcase. Scheska pulled out a laptop and began typing.
"Absolutely." Kimblee began. "Firstly, I want to congratulate you on your mechanical genius, if I may. The Automailer is an exquisite piece of machinery."
"You're too kind, really. We've been building separate parts for customers for years, so it was really only a matter of time before we put it all together. People just can't seem to get enough of the cyborg fad, I guess." She quipped.
Kimblee let out a lighthearted laugh that, to anyone else might give the impression of catching him off guard. But Edward knew better. He only laughed like that when he felt cornered, and that was a dangerous place for him to be. "Still." Continued Kimblee. "And its had great success so soon, too. It's true that Great Britain has just put in an order?"
Winry nodded and Kimblee leaned forward, leering. "Have you received any others?" He asked.
"Not at the moment, but my advisors suspect Ireland or Russia to come forward soon."
"On top of your current order in production for the US government?" Kimblee was trying to make her admit her desperation, but Winry seemed unfazed.
"That's correct. At this point, we are researching areas of expansion, similar to the offer you are presenting today. With just the one factory we have here in Illinois, our current rate of production is not enough to meet our demand. But I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the basic principals of Economics." Her eyes brightened and her lips curled up, as though she was the only one in the room to get the punchline of a joke. Edward smirked with her.
"And may I ask about my competition?" Kimblee continued.
"Well, we haven't narrowed anything down yet. My board members and I are still shopping around for the best option. I'm sure you understand." This time, she flashed her teeth in a confident grin.
Edward was impressed. In just a few short minutes, this woman managed to play up her company's demand while simultaneously giving off an air of competence, even though she had to be swamped and was probably close to needy. It was clear she was very intelligent.
Ed peered over to Kimblee, whose tight smile let Edward know that he did not enjoy playing the mouse in this game of wits. Edward knew that expression from experience and was suddenly and unexpectedly overcome with an urge to protect this woman from his employer. 'Shit.' He thought, looking back to Winry's effortless smile. 'I might not live past this.'
About an hour later, all the members of the meeting filed out towards the elevators. Winry and Kimblee had gone over the numbers extensively, with Scheska taking apt notes.
Edward mostly just watched and took a few notes of his own. Since his cover was to be a businessman working for Kimblee, he had researched the manufacturing company extensively so as not to be caught off guard. He was a quick learner, and was able to follow along with ease.
As they waited for the elevator together, they made easy small talk. "Well Mr. Kimblee, I feel very confident that we will be able to get back to you regarding this offer shortly. In the meantime, I need to converse with my board members and advisors, but you can expect an answer by next week."
"That sounds excellent. Unfortunately, I am departing for my homeland tomorrow, but Edward will stay here until you are ready to deliver your answer."
"Oh, okay. Do you have a hotel yet? I can recommend a great one not too far from here."
Edward took a beat to realize that Dr. Rockbell had asked him a direct question and that she was waiting for a response. He quickly cleared his throat.
"Uh, a recommendation would be great, thank you."
"If you don't mind my asking, you're American?" She continued.
"Yes. I was actually born in Aurora, which is about an hour and a half from here."
"Get out. Me too!" She grinned at him. "What are the odds?" She looked to Kimblee briefly, who wore a satisfied smirk.
"About fifty thousand to one." Ed interrupted. Winry's eyes snapped back to his. She was stunned, momentarily mesmerized by his clear golds. For the first time during their meeting, she had no ready response. Luckily, her assistant came to her rescue.
"You would be correct about that, sir." Scheska added. "More accurately, judging by the latest US census which was released one year and six months ago, your odds are one hundred forty two, nine hundred ninety thousand to seven billion, one hundred twenty five million—"
DING! The elevator doors slid open. Winry giggled and Scheska blushed. Winry caught Ed's gaze, who smirked back at her. 'That cocky asshole.' She thought.
"Well, you two have a great rest of your day. And Mr. Kimblee, I wish you safe travels." She added as they entered into the elevator.
Kimblee gazed steadily back, adding, "I look forward to doing business with you, Winry."
The elevator doors slid shut. Winry looked to her assistant and burst out laughing. "What a couple of jerks!"
"You would be correct about that!"
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Kimblee turned to Edward. "I want you to have a chat with her board members and advisors. Preferably before she does. Do what you need to in order to make them suggest that she take my offer." Edward nodded.
"And nice work with the back story. You've already made headway." Kimblee added, simpering. The rest of the ride down was silent.