"I'll give you the short story after I return."
Ves first headed over to the bathroom and emerged a short time later while wearing pajamas.
Once he slipped into his side of the bed, Gloriana turned her body around to stare squarely in his eyes.
"It doesn't take a genius to infer that the MTA is interested in Purgatory and your work. Now tell me what you have discussed with the fine mechers over at the Paracelsus Optimus."
"I signed a new agreement with the MTA's Transhumanist Faction. Let me give you a brief description on what this entails."
Ves quickly explained the context of this new partnership and outlined the various terms of the new contract.
One of the questions he asked to Master Dervidian earlier was how much he was allowed to share the truth to others.
Since Gloriana was not only his wife but also his closest work collaborator, it did not make sense to hide too many secrets from her. She would learn about much of what he was working as they went back to designing mechs.
Since that was the case, Ves might as well fill her in on the basics.
Gloriana became increasingly more incredulous as she learned what kind of arrangement that her husband had made with the Transhumanists.
"You didn't negotiate well enough, Ves! The Transhumanists haven't made enough concessions to obtain a method to induce breakthroughs. Do you know how much money and benefits others are willing to bestow to us in order to master this secret?! Imagine what would happen if we held an auction. Different MTA factions or even other powers such as the Terrans and Rubarthans would instantly uplift our Larkinson Clan into a first-class organization if they could gain access to what we have!"
Ves softly laughed. "We would be dead or in a hidden cell before that can happen. Don't you understand how many interest groups we'll disturb with what my Aspect of Transcendence can do?! The implications of my work are much greater than you can imagine. I would rather settle for less and maintain autonomy over my own life than to turn into a pawn of various peak human powers."
"Isn't that what Master Termaneo Dervidian has essentially done to you?" Gloriana skeptical retorted. "It sounds to me that you have succumbed to his layout without much resistance."
When Ves thought about Master Dervidian's impassioned speeches along with how many Terran and Rubarthan test subjects exploded during the experimental sessions, he truly could not imagine how he could have made a firmer stance.
Perhaps Dervidian deliberately acted up his more intimidating side in order to gain the upper hand during the subsequent negotiations, but Ves still would have been reluctant to adopt a more assertive attitude.
He shook his head. "You don't understand. The MTA had me over a barrel. If the mechers really wanted to, they could have taken fault with how we traded with a dangerous alien race or how we accidentally unleashed a 12-kilometer super phase whale into the Red Ocean. These crimes are enough to land me in jail, if not execute me right away. The only reason why Master Dervidian was willing to sweep these crimes under the rug was because he wanted me to share my work with his faction."
"That means you still had leverage over the mechers. Surely this Master Mech Designer could have given you additional MTA merits or a handful of extra fleet carriers."
"Hey, we should already be happy with getting the full MTA merit price for the majority of the phasewater we have harvested from the pocket space. I'm already about to receive an astronomical amount of MTA merits. I don't want to jeopardize this transaction by acting too greedy."
"You could have at least told the Master to split a portion of those MTA merits to me!" Gloriana insisted. "Aren't they supposed to be awarded to the Larkinson Clan as a whole? Why should you be the sole recipient of this windfall? Give me my merits!"
"I can't! MTA merits are non-transferable, remember?"
His wife leaned over and grabbed his neck in an attempt to shake him back and forth!
"THEN CALL MASTER DERVIDIAN AND TELL HIM TO SPLIT THE AWARD BETWEEN US! WE'RE PARTNERS, VES! I DESERVE AN EQUAL SHARE!"
"I can't!" Ves coughed! "It's already a done deal! I can't arbitrarily alter an agreement after I signed a formal, legally-binding contract!"
"YOU IDIOT! Have you taken any legal courses? Any contract can be altered after obtaining the consent of all of the involved parties! I don't think that any contract is forever set in stone!"
"This is the MTA you're talking about! People like us can't simply walk up to the mechers in order to make a frivolous request."
"FRIVOLOUS?! IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MY DEMAND?!"
It took several minutes for Ves to make it clear that he was not about to oblige his wife.
Gloriana grew incredibly glum after seeing that her attempts of persuasion had failed. She crossed her arms and sulked as she turned her body away from his direction.
"By the way, there is one more point I haven't mentioned yet." Ves spoke out.
"What is it, Ves?"
"The MTA will soon promote me into a tier 6 galactic citizen. Sounds impressive, right? I'm way ahead of you once this change goes through."
"WHAT?!"