2011-06-28 - Cutscene: Corporate Ties

13:16 - Tuesday, June 28 NCA 121

New York City - Crest Public HQ

Crest Industries, one of the leading corporations and one of the single leading corporations on earth when it comes to standing on their own with no assistance in finical backing or supporters. It is heavily known to those who keep up with the corporate field, that Crest Ind. can stand on its own for years to come, even if they were hit hard.

They had their hands into about everything with the public and along with military operations as well. Many other smaller companies were even tied into them, even if they didn't share their parent companies name on the label.

However as of recent events, things started to become hard on the mega-corporation and their empire of monopoly, taking risks, and shadow wars was about to cost them greatly. With the step in of another corporation and a new member on the board, the only place that was still in a normality was the President himself and his son, the future head of the corporation.

The President of Crest was here today, in their publicly known Head Quarters in New York City. The building was made of near solid glass and stood several stories tall. It was beautifully designed and the lower floor even acted as a museum to the public, showing off the old works of Crest along with the other corporate technology they devoured in their massive take over time period.

Though it was not the museum that was of great interest, but the man who walked the halls, in his black business suit, with black tie and white shirt. He looked to be around in his sixties to seventies. A man who should have long retired. The old Crest logo embossed into shoulder of the jacket.

A younger man walked beside him, with short, prim-proper, solid black hair and dollar green eyes; even the greed could be seen in the glow of his eyes, compared to the old man's brown eyes which had seen better days. “Don't worry,” The young man said calmly fixing the collar of his own business suit, with a much newer logo of Crest pinned on to the collar itself. “Everything is going on plan, even if it hasn't checked in.”

The old man hrmphed softly. “Boy, you don't run an empire this long and not worry. Nothing ever goes to plan and it is always better to fear the worst, then to expect the best. You will have less failures that way, something I hoped you learn by now, being my son and future head of this corporation.”

He paused as he looked up toward an old MT on display. The machine over towering them both by several feet and had reverse legs and missile launchers for arms. “Crest did not get to where it was on chances and fatal mistakes. We both know that if it hasn't checked in and the techs have lost communication with it...”

“And like I said. It will be fine. What is the worse that android could do? Attack us? Sick the Trailers after us? Please. We both know that wont do them any good and they only be hurting themselves further and we can always request the assistance of the federation or another mercenary group.” The young man then placed his hands behind his back with a twisted smile on his face, “After all, we already know Mercenaries will do about anything for the right price, so will the military.”

“You are also underestimating the times, boy.” The old man replies back as he continues to walk on. “We have another corporation with their nose in the board. We have Mirage just waiting to rip us apart, and Navis is trying to take the lead of the technological advancements.”

“And what do we have?” The old man now asks looking to his son. “Old technology and old ways. Even with you working on deals with Kisaragi and the creation of this android, along with the NEXT, do you honest believe that will be enough to save Crest?”

“Why would it?” The man asks keeping up, looking to his father. “It is paving the way into the future. The future of technological power. If we can perfect the androids, we can save lives, and the public loves it when they know the men and women of the military will be safe, so they no longer need to fear for their loved ones. If we can perfect the NEXT technology into something even far superior, we could make something...”

“Coulds, not facts.” The President interrupts his son, with a stone cold gaze. “You can run something on could be's and maybe's. You need hard cold facts and truths. Public wants it now, not later. The Military wanted it yesterday.”

“... right right.” The young man said waving his hand and sneering at the back of his old man's head. “But did you ever think that maybe /that/ is why we are having so many problems now? Because..”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“Because what?” Those brown eyes stare at his son's green eyes. “Because of such a fatalistic view? Get your head out of the clouds, boy. I let you run this long, but we are getting to the point where you need to wake up.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The two of them then came up to an old Armored Core. It was a white machine with a single optic, very old style of an Armored Core with its grenade launcher on the back, with a missile launcher. In its right hand was a machine gun and attacked to the left was the plasma sword with a mock-up of the blue plasma blade made by device itself.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Though it was not soon after this last stop a pair of high heels could be heard walking the halls. Then woman in a short skirt, button, low cut shirt, and a data pad in hand. She walks up to them both before gently bowing her head. “Sirs, I have recorded transmission from our hidden headquarters in Nevada. It is regarding the classified project, Rapture.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The old man raises a brow, before his son speaks up, “.. what of it?”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“It would seem, by the reports from the crew saved by the project and from what the techs have concluded. It has gone rogue.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“What?” The Vice President states, though the President himself can't help but smirk. The president then speaks up, “How did they come to this conclusion.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“It would seem,” The female continues, “It told that to tell you, sir President, that CR-000-A says hello.. ”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The Vice tsks softly as he crosses his arms over his chest. “....”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“So then,” The President says calmly, glancing over to his son, “It now knows the truth, see, this is why..”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“Yes yes. Anything else reported?” The Vice asks the woman.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“No sirs, outside the tech team can not find its GPS coordinates and they can not even contact it by the bypass codes for return.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The Vice shakes his head before he closes his eyes. “Thank you, if that is all, please go.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“As you wish.” The woman says before she bows her head and then takes her leave.

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The Vice rubs the bridge of his nose gently. “Great, so now it is a rogue Android with a mech that could destroy.. son of a..”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“This is now a problem,” The president says calmly. “and as I placed this project fully into your hands, my dear son, you will be the one to walk this corporation out of the mess you alone created.You had a good idea, just poor execution, and if you can't get us out of this ditch, then I may have to...”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“No.” The son says calmly. “I can handle this. It's a rogue AI and it's dangerous. We will handle it just like we handled the other rogue machines in the past.” The President then turned to look to his son, “Yes, but those machines were not based off a dead man, a dead man I told you to not use for the project. Taylor was a dangerous individual and you had the teams remake him perfectly.” Those brown eyes narrowed. “Even I would never be so foolish, but I will be watching. I expect you to clean up your messes, boy, or you know the result.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">“... Yes sir...” The vice said with a growl in his voice. He watched his father walk away before slammed his hand into the plaque of the Armored Core's. “Damnit! Everything you had learned and everything I could think of I placed into you. How could you have gone rogue.. how could we have..”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The vice then shakes his head, before he takes out a cellular device, “... no matter, we can always just make a better and more controlled version. We'll just wipe you out completely from the picture, after all-- mankind isn't ready yet for your kind, they will be quiet happy to remove you from the equation.”

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The numbers were punched in and the phone went up to his ear, “Yes, this is the Vice President of Crest Industries, Michael Crest. I need to speak with...”