Seal the Deal
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| |
| Seal the Deal | |
|---|---|
| Story information | |
| Author | Russell Zimmerman |
| Type | Short Story |
| Product | Shrapnel Issue 11 |
| Content | |
| Era | Succession Wars era |
| Timeline | 16 August 2990 - 8 January 3010 |
Seal the Deal is a short story by Russell Zimmerman that was published in the eleventh issue of Shrapnel.
Plot summary[edit]
In August 2990, young Brandon O'Leary was on his father Michael's Leopard-class DropShip Ceridwen on Hesperus II. Michael, the CEO of Mountain Wolf BattleMechs, was on a business trip, and when the boy asked him when they could go home, Michael said they were at it, in the DropShip. The father later ignored his son while making a call. Brandon began playing with toy BattleMechs, like those their family produced, and his father interrupted his game to laugh hardly of him, making his son to cry.
Seven years later, Brandon was on Alpheratz IV, capital of the Outworlds Alliance, piloting a Night Hawk. Despite being only fourteen years old, he knew how to pilot it, making a presentation to Ronaine Avellar, the president of the Alliance. His father attempted to impress the President, but he talked too much and wasn't able to admit his limitations. This made Brandon angrier, and he fought in the test as though possessed. Michael failed to convince the president, and after the test, he blamed his son. Brandon, tired of Michael's refusal to admit his mistakes, argued with his father, who put an end to the conversation by hitting his son.
In 2999, Brandon and his father were on the Winter Holiday, a noble party celebrating a noble marriage, on Vendrell, their family's traditional home. Brandon was wearing the clothes of a MechWarrior, while his father was attempting to make deals with Lyran officers; once again without much success. Seeing his father's pitiful act enraged Brandon, who began drinking, and later he asked a young woman to dance. She reluctantly agreed, and while they danced, they talked precisely about Michael's bad reputation. When she discovered that she had been insulting Brandon's father, she felt embarrassed. Then, Brandon realized that he had been dancing with Olivia Hart, the bride-to-be. Her fiancé felt insulted and despite Brandon's excuses, he knocked Brandon unconscious.
Eleven years later, Brandon was on the family's DropShip, the Ceridwen. His father had recently passed away, leaving him the new CEO of Mountain Wolf – an empty shell – but Brandon was determined to achieve what his father always dreamed of, to turn it into a real manufacturing company. He began writing messages to answer those from whom he had received condolences on his father's death.
Brandon proved how much he had learned from his father, both about how to do business and how not to. In most messages, he promoted the new BattleMech his company would began producing, the Merlin; in a message to the recent widow Olivia Hart, he indirectly asked her to marry him; and in his message to Ronaine Avellar, he told her about the Merlin, offering her a good deal to begin producing them, benefiting both, and even told her how soon he would be marrying Olivia.
After finishing his messages, Brandon felt very confident, sure that he might finally have found himself a way home.
Featured characters[edit]
Featured BattleTech[edit]
- Merlin
- Night Hawk
- Sling (mentioned)
- Leopard-class DropShip