Chapter 239: Direct Party to the Proposal
Spade Z Hawthorne Headquarters, Elon Merkes’ Office.
The night view of LA spread out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Merkes stared at the official letter from NASA on the table for a long time.
The letter stated that Dojin Frontier had been selected as the final contractor for the ‘Polar Orbiter’ mission.
He pressed his temple with one hand.
And let out a long sigh.
“Are these guys… out of their minds? They chose a company that’s only been in business for just over a year instead of us?”
Matthew Holligan, standing beside him, was also flushed with anger.
Barely suppressing the urge to slam his fist on the letter on the table, he blurted out an excuse that wasn’t really an excuse.
“Even though the Q&A went in our favor through the white paper and lobbying… Kang Tae-joon’s answers were just too perfect.”
In particular, the idea of applying the precision control system of the AGE-01 rifle to the spacecraft was truly an unexpected move.
Holligan’s voice still trembled with excitement, but Merkes himself did not take the situation as seriously.
“It’s just the result of a simulation. There’s no evidence it can be applied in reality.”
If everything in the world could be predicted with a single simulation…
They wouldn’t have experienced so many failures over the past few years.
There was a brief silence.
Matthew looked down.
“…But, that video and the simulation results… to be honest, they were surprisingly perfect.”
“Huh.”
Merkes’ short laugh echoed hollowly.
“…Anyway, something like this will only happen once.”
At his words, Matthew looked up.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think NASA chose Dojin just based on its technology? It won’t end like this. Washington is a city that can’t hold onto emotions for long. Especially when it comes to areas involving defense and diplomacy.”
It meant that political pressure and checks on Dojin would continue, and it would be difficult to withstand such a situation for long.
Merkes slowly got up and walked to the window.
Below, the city’s night view was filled with lights.
“Besides, we still have most of the space network projects and LEO transportation systems in our hands. Dojin has only secured one mission.”
Matthew still looked anxious, but he seemed slightly reassured by Merkes’ words.
Merkes leaned back one hand and continued speaking.
“The only thing we need to do now is make sure Dojin doesn’t succeed in that mission.”
“…What?”
“I’m not saying to interfere directly. But, we can use our partners and supply chain to create variables in their schedule. Especially considering that the sources for key propulsion components and satellite antenna parts are still unstable… just a little twist will cause trouble.”
At Merkes’ words, Matthew Holligan suddenly looked up, as if something came to mind.
“Come to think of it… I heard that one of ESA’s component suppliers is involved in Dojin’s kick stage development. It’s not important in the design phase, but once full-scale production begins, it won’t be easy to replace.”
“Hmm, that sounds promising.”
The corners of Merkes’ mouth slowly turned up.
A bitter smile seeped into the darkness.
Space Center, Space Technology Development Building.
5 a.m.
By the time I arrived, all the lights in the research building were already on.
Despite holding a simulation meeting until 11 p.m. the night before, most of the researchers were still at their posts.
“Starting today, we begin the actual assembly of the Selene Kick Stage. Initial tanks, fuel injection modules, and micro-thrust control systems. The goal is a yield of 99.5% or higher, so there must be no mistakes.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Director Kim Se-bin spread out the assembly process sheet he had prepared.
It was a detailed document outlining the assembly order for the tank and electronic systems.
“To maintain a boil-off rate of 0.01%, even a single mistake in the stacking order of the thermal barrier composite insulation will cause a big problem.”
So, I planned to handle this part myself.
When I mentioned this,
Some of the latecomers to the development team looked uneasy,
But most, knowing my skills, nodded as if it were only natural.
“With the representative’s skills, nothing can go wrong.”
“I don’t know why… but it seems like the performance is better when it’s made by the representative’s hands rather than precision equipment.”
“…So it wasn’t just me who thought that?”
The word ‘saebbok’ could be heard here and there, but I didn’t bother to react.
“And the RCS backup vectoring control will be conducted through integrated simulation with AI-RTOS and Luna. Finish all backup scenarios by lunch.”
Kim Se-bin nodded.
“We’ll modify the drone redundancy algorithm and apply it.”
Before starting the full-scale work,
I raised my voice again to everyone.
“We only have 55 days. So, not a single engine error, not even a 1 m/s orbital deviation is allowed!”
If we fail,
NASA will never give me another chance.
…
…
…
At the same time, in Brussels, Belgium.
Apollo Tech Headquarters.
This was where the ultra-heat-resistant databus for the internal wiring of the Selene Kick Stage tanks was produced.
A few days ago,
CEO ‘Marco,’ a fellow PayBrit alumnus, received a call from Merkes.
[Sorry, but I’d like you to pull out of this deal. We’ll compensate for any losses on our end.]
It was blatant pressure.
But Marco had no reason to refuse.
While it was true that Dojin Frontier had recently risen in the space industry,
Spade Z still had a much larger scale and industry influence.
He immediately called an executive meeting.
“I’ll conclude.”
Marco pressed his palm against the table.
[Customer Notice] Temporary suspension of delivery due to increased external risks.
※ In accordance with Article 9.2 (Force Majeure), production and delivery of the next lot are immediately suspended.
Quality Director Elise clenched her teeth as she confirmed the content on the screen.
“CEO, Article 9.2 is only valid in cases of risks equivalent to war and natural disasters. Currently, there is no clear basis for suspending delivery.”
The Legal Director continued.
“If the suspension notice goes out as is, a liquidated damages penalty of 2% per day will be applied. It will definitely be a record-breaking breach of contract.”
Even faced with the prospect of astronomical penalties, Marco merely shrugged his shoulders.
He didn’t take it seriously.
“Spade Z will compensate for the losses.”
The Audit Committee Chairman responded with a stern voice.
“We are a manufacturer. Cutting off delivery due to external pressure from a specific customer could undermine our trust…”
“Let’s vote.”
Marco cut him off, as if unwilling to listen further.
“Suspension of delivery, for or against!”
The votes against poured in.
Yet, Marco remained calm.
He was the largest shareholder with 28% of Apollo Tech’s shares and the Chairman of the Board.
With an almost dictatorial tone, he announced the voting results.
“Quorum met. The motion to ‘temporarily suspend’ delivery… is passed.”
Just as Marco was about to strike the gavel,
The Chief Secretary burst into the meeting room, his face pale.
“CEO, just a moment! It’s an injunction from the Brussels Commercial Court. Suspension of the ‘Transaction Suspension Notice.’ And…”
The Legal Director took over.
“It’s a request for an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting. A joint petition with 34.1% of voting rights… The convener is ’Pallas Nine Fund.”
Unknown to those present,
It was one of the entities under DJ Capital’s complex network of hedge funds.
In the sudden turn of events,
Silence fell over the meeting room.
The Audit Committee Chairman scanned the documents and muttered lowly.
“There are two motions.”
The first motion was to dismiss the current CEO.
The second was to appoint COO Anneke Vermeer as the new CEO.
After hearing the explanation, Marco shouted angrily.
“What the hell is this? A shareholders’ meeting requires at least 14 days…”
The Legal Director shook his head.
“Article 12 of the bylaws. ‘In case of irreparable harm to the company due to supply chain disruption, an electronic extraordinary shareholders’ meeting can be convened within 48 hours.’ It was revised at the request of the board last quarter. You remember, Chairman?”
…
…
…
48 hours later, shareholders logged into the live stream of the extraordinary meeting.
Just as Marco, seated at the chairman’s seat, was about to speak, the company secretary politely intervened.
“Chairman, the direct party to the motion (the dismissal target) cannot serve as the chairman. According to Article 9.3 of the bylaws, the Audit Committee Chairman will act as the temporary chairman.”
At the secretary’s words, the Audit Committee Chairman took over the proceedings.
The attendance and proxy counts appeared on the screen.
· Pallas Nine Fund: 21.3%
· Nordlicht Pension Fund: 6.0%
· Galena SICAV: 4.8%
· Existing friendly shares: 12.7%
Totaling 44.8%, with individual small shareholder electronic proxies being added in real-time.
[Motion ①: Dismissal of CEO Marco]
The electronic voting bar moved quickly.
“52.4% in favor, passed!”
At the chairman’s announcement, Marco jumped up.
“This is invalid! Spade…”
“Chairman, you no longer have speaking rights, so please refrain.”
The chairman, who silenced Marco, immediately moved to the second motion.
He spoke firmly.
“Motion ②, appointment of COO Anneke Vermeer as the new CEO.”
Just like before, the electronic voting bar moved quickly, and the chairman announced the result.
“61.1% in favor, passed!”
Shortly after, Anneke, appointed as the new CEO, took the stage.
She was calm, but her voice was clear.
“First measure. The ‘AS9100/ECSS Interlinked Process Traceability’ contract with Dojin Frontier remains unchanged. The lot, process, and inspection history already uploaded to our MES are being viewed by the customer in real-time, and suspending delivery would be an act of breaking our own trust.”
Anneke signed immediately,
And the ultra-heat-resistant databus for the internal wiring of the tanks being produced at Apollo Tech was delivered to Dojin Frontier within the deadline.