Summary:Jane Roe comes to Tony Stark with a business proposition. Goes surprisingly well. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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So, Tony had about five meetings today but he's only going to keep one because he snored at the previous reminder. While Tony really didn't want to be at the office today, he reminded himself how much he liked hearing the propositions (mainly because most of them were stupid, and thus, funny) and even investing in certain businesses to see their million-dollar idea take flight.
The man himself wore a simple suit with nerdy-looking glasses, his hair styled up as usual and his goatee just as legendary as its always been. He sits at his desk, before he pushes a few buttons on said desk, a computer apparently being built into it in a way that the glass was like a keyboard.
"Hey JARVIS, mind sending up the appointment now? Preferably before I fall asleep and suddenly need five more glasses of whiskey?"
"Of course, Sir." the british-sounding disembodied voice agreed, alerting Jane that Mr. Stark will see her now.
As the door to Tony's office opens, Jane get in. For her own standards, she has dressed up, putting on something she deems decent for such a meeting, but which might still look totally out of style for meeting a prospect buisiness partner. A pair of black jeans combined with a white Atari T-Shirt and a blazer. At least she put her computer in a case instead of a messanger bag, the aluminium shell of it hiding a webbing of steel wires under it. Just a standard issue Faraday Cage.
"Mister Stark? It's a pleasure to meet you," she greets, offering her hand to him, her left hand clutching on the handle of the laptop. Oh, she can feel the computer on his desk, the microphones and seakers allowing Jarvis to answer, and she has a good idea what connects them. "I'm Jane of Roe Software."
Tony looks up to see Jane Roe and his eyes widen for a second.
She's hot!
He stands up to his feet and extends his hand to her. "Nice to meet you, Jane of Roe Software. Are you related to Thor by any chance, don't hear many 'of 'insert place here' nowadays." He grins at her, but then he retakes his seat.
"So, I understand you have a proposition for me, Miss Jane?" He clasps his hands in front of him as he looks at this woman right in the eyes.
"Ahw, well, I'm not. But telling people I'm Jane Roe always makes them question if that's my real name." She chuckles, because honestly, it probably wasn't, but then again, nobody, not even herself knew. "Please, just Jane."
She looks around for a chair herself a moment, then puts her case onto his desk, letting the locks fly open and pulling out a laptop, turning it on and flipping the screen over to turn it into a tablet. It's some custom shell of a machine, the interior visible under the transparent casing. "May I use the screens in your window and back wall for this?"
Tony grins at Jane, shrugging a little bit as he puts his feet up and he seems to relax. "Oh by all means, otherwise this owuld just be awkward and you'd be staring at me the entire time." he teases very softly, but he crosses his arms and even takes off his glasses, interested in hearing what this young woman has to say.
He does wonder whats in the case however, but then its just a laptop. Man, he was hoping it was like a laser gun on something, those are fun.
Jane Roe chuckles as she connects her machine to the screens, taking over the whole lighting system and dimming the room down, then starting to pull up some kind of presentation. "Indeed. Well, you know that the future starts at Stark Technologies in many cases, and I have developed the codeback for a semiautonomous knowbot that is pretty much able to become the service animal of tomorrow. About half a million service dogs are all over the US, but there is significantly more demand for them than can be provided. Add to that several million emotional support animals and you see a huge market." Behind her the numbers pop up together with pictures of working dogs and cats. "Many people that need a service animal have to rely on them, but a service animal could be more, if it wasn't an animal but a robot pal. An automaton that maps the area for them, acts as a hub for their medical needs, supplies their medication at the right time, calls for aide in case of emergencies and all that in the known shell of an animal, or approximation thereof." The screens change, showing a prototype moving around somewhat crudely. "And here Stark Tech comes in. While I am able to work out the backend, the implementation of the knowbot and a self learning algorythm and how to interconnect the units so they map the town together, I hope you're going to do the hardware side."
Tony smirks a bit when she starts. So, this is going to be a humanitarian campaign to help people with special needs via the pathway of service animals, or in this case, service drones? Interesting. Or so this is what Tony has running in his mind. Honestly, its not a bad idea at all. When she finishes her initial pitch, Tony takes a deep breath and takes his feet off the table.
"Okay, you have my interest but…this is what I'm worried about."
He takes a second for that to register before he talks. "When poeple want a service animal, it can be for anything. Could be and emotional companion for reasons like depression, anxiety, they could be blind or have some other kind of physical debilitation that would require the need." basics. "Which I already know you know. But the part of the market is that it needs to be desireable. Do you think people would rather have a Knowbot-" he pauses. "trademark that." he advises her, before he continues. "Than a warm, furry companion, real animal companion?" It was a serious question.
"Becuase, I think this is a good idea, especially people who suffer from medical conditions that can happen on the spot with no warning or prep time."
"That's what marketing is for, isn't it? People need to be convinced a Cyberpal is better than a mere Service animal. That it can do more than just guide them to the shop. It also does the menial task of finding the milk and eggs and carrying the bags. With the right sensor suite of course." Jane chuckles. "Knowbot by the way is already coined in IT. A type of program that learns from experience. I was going for something like that… My basic design was to go for a friendly feline look."
Tapping his finger against the table. "Necessity is the mother of invention kid. People don't want it, then its already dead in the water. But…" Tony seems to smirk a little bit as he tosses his head from side to side like he was listening to a pleasant tune.
"Oh, what the hell. Its a good idea, and at least it will get the animal rights people off of my ass for a little bit." He stands up then.
"Alright, we're in business." He offers her his hand for a handshake.
"Feline design might not be the most functional. Most people like semi-large dogs that might be more popular."
Jane Roe shrugs as she chuckles, taking the hand. "Well, one can use two branches even: support line and a toy or pet line. People in NY also want pets in appartments where they are not allowed to, and mainly, the look is mostly a shell. Larger bodies allow more stuff to be put in."
Tony shakes Jane's hand firmly, before he releases it. "Well, lets not try and coutn the chickens before they even hatch. Lets see how the support line does, THEN we can consider opening up a more lighthearted and entertainment-based product." Tony then leans against his desk. "So, that being said, I consider our business concluded. My assistant, Pepper will work you through the details. I'll provide the funding and the hardware, and of course, the Partnership between Stark Industries and Roe Software will no doubt grow as a result of this agreement."
"We'll see the day we launch a backbone sattelite… let's just hope it doesn't suicide to prevent a nuclear attack." Jane jokes as she packs her laptop back into the case, tapping onto it to wipe it clean of the contact with JARVIS and the Stark Tower systems, in case they left a trace on it. "Upon the future then!"