Page 24 of 404: Consent Not Found
“Good luck with your meeting today, Kyle,” Charlotte said as I waited for the corporate lawyer to call.
Whichever deal came out on top, he would handle the next step—reaching out to the Chief Legal Officer of that company to hammer out fair terms on my behalf. I’d read through all three offers, but the legal jargon was impossible to decipher. Half of it might as well have been in Sanskrit.
“Thanks, sweetie,” I said, then flicked off her voice response system.
A moment later, her text flowed onto the screen.
[I’m so excited for you. I love your plan to break me out of your computer.]
I smiled and tapped my reply.
Not as excited as I am. You’ll be in the latest Cyber Doll model. You’ll be perfect.
The video call rang twice before a sharp-looking man in a grey suit appeared on screen. He didn’t smile. Just nodded.
“Mr. Foster?” I asked, adjusting my mic.
“Correct. Kyle Jackson. I’ve reviewed all three licensing offers. You made the right call asking for independent legal counsel before signing anything.”
I nodded, my heart racing.“So…?”
He glanced down at his tablet.“Nano-Tech Industries is your best option. Their deal offers the cleanest terms, strongest protection for your intellectual property, and, frankly, the deepest pockets.”
“What’s the structure?”
“Two-part. You’ll receive a bulk credit payment of 450,000 cr upfront as an exclusive licensing fee. That’s tax-free in your jurisdiction and pays out within 48 hours of signature.”
I blinked.“Four hundred and fifty…?”
He kept going.“Then, you’ll receive a 6% share of all net revenue generated from ReSkin™ sales. That includes every product that uses your patented bio-adaptive polymer—globally.”
“And the other companies?”
“One capped your royalties at 2% after year one. The other wanted to buy you out entirely—for a fraction of this.”
“Yeah. Fuck that.”
He allowed the faintest smile.“Wise.”
I leaned closer to the screen.“And Nano… they’re serious about pushing this globally?”
“Very. They’re committing a minimum marketing spend of 20 million credits over the first quarter alone. That includes targeted immersive ads, interactive product demos, and integration into smart-home networks. It’s aggressive. They’re betting on you.”
My stomach flipped.“Holy shit.”
“Nano-Tech has a proven track record launching companion tech. They’re positioning ReSkin™ as the missing link between tactile response and emotional realism. They want to redefine synthetic interaction.”
“And they think my tech’s the key to that?”
“They don’t think, Kyle. They know. You’ve made something that blurs the line.”
I exhaled slowly, barely able to sit still.“And you’re sure I’m protected?”
“You retain full ownership of the patent. They license it under strict parameters. You’re not selling them your soul—just leasing your brainchild for massive gain.”
I nodded again.“Draw up the paperwork. I want this done today.”
“It’s already in your inbox. Read carefully, then sign with digital trace. I’ll handle the rest.”
