Broken Flyght – Chapter 17

I pace the open market area of the passenger terminal while the rain falls outside and consider my available options for legal representation here on Rio. I could delay my breakup date with Jinzo and fly to Segundo where there are more lawyers per capita than anywhere else on the planet, or I could scroll through the directories here until I find someone I like.

Considering I want to finish this business with Jinzo in a timely manner, I opt for the latter option. I don’t like cold-calling a bunch of lawyers and putting myself on their radar, but what can I do? I can’t go to the family now. It’s time to take these cats and actually herd them.

The smell of lunch is beginning to permeate the open market as I plop myself onto a bench with other people who are reading on their datapads or consulting information on their wristlets. My pacing is getting a little erratic. I don’t want to be in the way of anyone shopping.

What kind of an attorney should I hire for this deal? Probably something like rights licensing or intellectual property. It’s not like I own the original plants. They grow out in the wild. But I do own all the information gained from researching the plants, and that’s intellectual property. Or whatever. An attorney can suss it out for me. I need patents possibly, and then I can sell those. Maybe?

And this is why I need a lawyer.

I spend a good fifteen minutes calling five different attorneys and getting nowhere. This one is too busy. That one is on Palo Alto for the month. Another takes one look at me and says, “Pass.” Well, okay then. No need to be rude about it.

I finally land on a name that looks familiar, Almada and Levine Partners. I think I’ve seen these names before in connection with other agricultural patents. They might be the right lawyers for me! Oh, please be. Please. I scroll through their list of clients and see several of the manufacturers I do business with when it comes to my hydroponics and aquaponics equipment. Perfect.

I dial up their main line and get connected with an admin.

“Almada and Levine Partners. How can I help you today?”

I pull on Business Vivian like a shroud. “Morning. I’d like to speak with one of your partners about some intellectual property that I hold, and I’m interested in selling.”

“And do you have a buyer for this IP?” he asks, his eyes darting around at whatever’s in his interface.

“I do,” I lie. Close enough, right? I’m sure Athens Industries or Cosmas, Incorporated will be happy to take this off my hands.

With military people on board and plenty of Flyght clients in the upper echelons of society, this little project of Dad’s is going to blow up in my face if I don’t get rid of it fast. It seemed like an awesome idea at first, to cultivate the plants, make products, and sell them. But now it seems like a horribly risky idea. And I don’t do horribly risky.

“I know it’s a long shot,” I say, interrupting whatever he’s doing on the other end of this call, “but I’m in Oitavo, and I have a free hour. Is there any chance someone could see me right now for a consultation?”

“Right now?”

“Yes, now. I’m a…” I check the map. “Five-minute walk from your office.”

“Please hold while I check the calendars.”

He’s gone for a total of two minutes and thirty-four seconds according to the clock ticking away on the screen when he returns with a smile.

“We have an opening in fifteen minutes with Mr. Levine. May I have your name, please?”

Yes. Score.

My fifteen-minute walk to the office is like walking on air. So much of this business has been out of my control since I got the call about Tomu that it feels awesome to be positive about something. I’ve been a chess piece, picked up and moved around at other people’s whims with no cares about what I want or can accomplish on my own. It’s time for me to grasp my future and take control.

But then there’s this other thing nagging at me. I can’t help but think most of my problems stem from my family’s selfish behaviors, and now, my selfishness is leading me into a world of trouble. First, there was Tomu and his decision to steal from us. Then there was my mother, making decisions for the whole family without consulting any of us. Then my wonderful father found all of these seeds and kept them to himself.

Maybe this is not the best decision I’ve ever had, but I’m at a loss. With both Jinzo and Sean out of the equation, I’m screwed. It’ll take a few more weeks to consider someone new, and I don’t have the time. Every day, more money is being added to my bill by the bank. I need cash sooner, not later. Ken warned me not to get on Athens Industries’s radar, but they have the money I need. He may be right, but I’m desperate.

Ugh. Desperate is not a good state to be in.

I’ve heard of people selling stuff to big companies like Athens Industries, and I’ve also heard of those people going missing or dead after. But if Athens never knows the person selling the patents, how can they possibly hurt that person?

I’m not stupid though. There’s a very real chance Athens Industries could find out I’m the person who’s selling them this property. I’ll need to be extra careful.

Although it’ll cost me some time, I make sure no one is following me today. I double back on my route three times. I cut through a grocery market, out the back, and through an alley. Then I enter a shop, buy a new umbrella in a different color, and use that to hide myself until I make it to the office.

Right on time.

The assistant I spoke to earlier smiles at me as I enter, releasing himself from the desk and extending his hands to take my umbrella.

“Let me get that for you. I’ll have it all dried up and waiting for you by the time you leave, Ms. Kawabata.” He drops it into a machine to the left of the door emitting warm, dry air.

“I could use a machine like that for myself,” I say with a chuckle. Smoothing out my hair, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s good to be inside and dry again.

“I think everyone on Rio would appreciate the same,” the young man says with a pleasant smile. “It rains here an awful lot.”

I notice a slight lilt to his Portuguese, so I make pleasant conversation while he ushers me to an office down the hall.

“Are you from Rio?”

I already know the answer to this.

“No, ma’am. I’m from Palo Alto, but I’ve been here for over ten years now.”

I guessed as much. Ken has the same accent, and I’ve always enjoyed hearing it.

An office door slides open at our arrival, and a man behind a desk in the room stands up, buttons his coat, and approaches me with a serious face. I’m taken by his dark, steely gray hair and square jawline, and he’s at least ten years older than my own father. I think. These things are hard to tell.

“Ms. Kawabata, thank you for giving us a call,” he says as we shake hands. “Please have a seat.”

Taking in the room as I make my way to the massive black leather chair, I’m impressed by the state of his office. It’s clean and modern without being impersonal. Original art hangs on the wall, and rotating photos of Levine with his famous clients blink in and out of existence. This firm makes plenty of money, which is what I want to hear right about now.

I need three point three million credits.

“I took the last five minutes to do some research on your family and your current situation before your arrival.” He sits down and faces me, pushing back into his plush chair. “I’m sorry I didn’t have more time to prepare.”

“It’s my fault,” I say, pressing my hand to my chest. “I was the one to ask for this meeting last minute. And I don’t want to waste your time, so shall I just get to the heart of the matter?”

“Please.”

Business Vivian is strong today. “I have some intellectual property I believe Athens Industries or even Cosmas, Incorporated would be interested in.”

He pauses for a second, gauging what to say to me. “Does this IP, in any way, belong to your family? I know that your estate is currently being liquidated, and if you have valuable intellectual property, they could come after it.”

I adjust my legs in the chair. “I thought about that, but no. My father did some initial investigative work on this, but it’s mine now. Enough to call it mine one-hundred percent.”

His stare is keen and penetrating. Don’t look nervous, Vivian!

“Okay. Assuming this IP belongs to you alone, what makes you think you can sell it to these big companies? Both have large research and development departments. It’s possible they already have what you’re offering.”

“It is possible. I’ll grant that. But as far as I know, no one else has this kind of product to sell them.”

He’s dubious, I can tell. Who am I to him and what could I possibly sell that’s worth any money?

“I can tell you’re skeptical, and I suspect I don’t have much of your time. But even if you walk me out the door and never see me again, do I have privilege here?” I’m starting to sweat, realizing I’ve gone to a total stranger for help. The family has attorneys. Granted, they’re only contract attorneys that handle the most basic of negotiations. They’re not the kind of people I need to handle this.

Levine’s stern expression turns concerned. “Yes, Ms. Kawabata. I’m bound by attorney-client privilege here. Whatever you tell me will go no further unless I need to speak to a colleague.”

Okay, good enough for me. I take a deep breath and begin. My father and his crazy ideas, the seeds and their powers, the Happiest of Hot Sauces. I explain why I need the money, what I’d like to happen, and how I need to be anonymous.

By the time I’m done, Levine is taking notes furiously into his set of datapads.

“It’s important that they don’t know who I am. Do you understand? Vitally important. I’m afraid for my life at this point, and I’m worried they’ll just hunt me down and find me if I reveal myself. I’m being followed everywhere I go, mostly I think because of whatever my brother did, but it could be because of what I have. I don’t really know.”

“Ms. Kawabata,” he says with a heavy sigh, “I hope you’re not pulling my leg with all of this.”

I shrug. “Well, I only know what I have from my father. There’s a database of information which my employee will send to you, and I have the seeds. I’m growing some now so I can test them out. I also have the hot sauce which I can send to you if you like. So?”

Levine blinks a few times, takes a deep breath, and sits back in his chair to stare out the window. “So… What’s your asking price?”

I pull a number out of nowhere. “Five million credits… plus attorney fees.”

He huffs a laugh. “I think you can go higher. And if we’re lucky, we can bring Athens and Cosmas to the table and auction it off to the highest bidder.”

I catch my breath because I’m close to having it run away from me.

“But… and this is a big but. We’re going to have to produce some kind of product for them to witness. Something that will capture their attention.”

This is the best of both worlds. I wish I had thought of it sooner! I’ll get the seeds going, make some products, and while I’m waiting for the attorneys to get the interested parties to the table, I can sell stuff on the side to keep the Amagi afloat.

I don’t need to rely on wealthy suitors anymore.

Well, maybe one or two. A girl has her needs after all.

Relief washes over me and my throat closes up. I cough lightly while opening my bag to dig through it for a tissue. I will not cry here. I get so emotional when I’ve had so little sleep. Hold it together, Vivian.

After taking a few cleansing breaths behind my tissue, I pull on a smile for Levine.

“This is great. I’m so glad you can take on this case.”

His smile says ‘money.’ He sees the money. It’s going to be big. He could’ve shown me the door, and I would’ve had to race all over town looking for someone to hear me out, but not today.

Today, I got lucky.

And something about that doesn’t sit right with me.

I snap out of my thoughts as Levine rises from his chair.

Stop being paranoid, Vivian. I’m allowed to be lucky every now and then. Right?

“I think I need a cover story if anyone ever finds out we’re working together,” I say, standing up to join him. Our meeting is over, but our partnership has just begun.

“I saw the slam pieces OEN did on you, and all the rumors floating around on the duonet.” He folds his arms across his chest. “Tell people you’re looking for a ghostwriter for your tell-all biography. My firm deals with that kind of intellectual property as well.”

That’s a surprisingly good cover story at the last minute.

“Let me guess.” I grab my bag and hoist it to my shoulder, noting that the rain outside is still coming down. “This kind of cover story has been needed before?”

He nods his steely gray-haired head and winks. “Your secret’s safe with me.”