//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Spider-Girl: The Movie // by Lucasnike123 //------------------------------// Abacus Cinch never did anything that wasn't big. It was no wonder that the industrial complex that housed most of his huge company was sprawling across one area of Long Island. Huge chimneys blew black grime into the air, long, low rows of concrete office buildings made perfect lines, and the giant CINCHCORP INDUSTRIES sign loomed over the main entrance in big red neon letters. Deep in an underground laboratory, almost directly below the sign, Abacus Cinch strode briskly down a corridor. His nervous secretary, Mr. Simkins, followed, struggling to keep up with Cinch. They passed through a pair of automatically opening doors and into the huge main laboratory of CinchCorp's research and development section. "General Slocum and the others from the Pentagon have already started the inspection" said Mr. Simkins hastily "Mr. Balkan and Mr. Fargas are with them". "Why hasn't anyone reported this to me, Simkins?" Cinch hissed harshly. "I think they didn't want you to know, ma'am" he replied sheepishly. Cinch and Simkins approached a group of visitors in the center of the laboratory. Some wore military uniforms; others, executive suits, and others, the white lab coat. They were all gathered around a strange looking object mounted on a pole. Several technicians fiddled with this object, which looked like a medium-sized surfboard or a snowboard with wings on each side. There were two sculpted fulcrums on each wing, and a long tube containing a jet engine took up half the board. One of the technicians was wearing a tight-fitting suit. Cables and electronic repeaters ran through the suit like the veins of a human being. When the technician moved his right arm, the winged board moved to the right. When he lowered his head, the front of the board tilted. The contraption responded instantly to his every move, but the visitors didn't seem particularly impressed. Standing next to this strange-looking contraption, Dr. Mendel Stromm, project manager, was about to speak to the group. Stromm was a brilliant scientist, and the woman Abacus Cinch had trusted to keep his company on the cutting edge of technology. The combination of Stromm's scientific genius and Cinch's canine tenacity had made CinchCorp one of the most successful companies in the world. But many were aware of how fragile success can be. "Our work with Individual Personal Transportation is progressing splendidly" Stromm announced to his guests. "I have already seen your little glider" intervened General Slocum, the leader of the visiting group. Everything about Slocum had a perfect military air, from the medals he wore on his uniform, to the martial haircut, to his no-joke attitude "That's not why I'm here". "Ah, General Slocum..." said Abacus Cinch as he walked in with Simkins and joined the group "What a joy to see you again" Cinch took a quick glance at the rest of the group "Mr. Balkan, Mr. Fargas... he's always a pleasure to receive the visit of our board of directors ". Both Balkan and Fargas were in their mid-seventies. Fargas moved around in a wheelchair. They both seemed annoyed with Cinch's arrival. "I want a progress report with your Human Powers Enhancer" General Slocum snapped, bored with corporate flourishes. Stromm steps forward, pointing to an isolated glass chamber across the room. Inside the chamber, a team of scientists made adjustments to a complex keyboard of equipment. "We have tested steam inhalations in rodents" Stromm explained "They have shown an increase in force of eight hundred percent". "Eight hundred percent?" Fargas repeated, pulling his wheelchair over to Stromm and Slocum "Excellent!". "Does it have any side effects?" asked the general. "In one of the tests, yes..." Stromm began "The rats...". Cinch cut him off quickly. "It was an anomaly" she said "A trifle, and it only happened once. The rest of the tests have passed successfully". General Slocum ignored Cinch and addressed Dr. Slocum directly. "What exactly happened in the test that went wrong?" he asked "What were the side effects?" "Violence, aggressiveness, and finally insanity," Stromm replied, avoiding looking at his boss. "What do you recommend, Dr. Stromm?" General Slocum continued to ask. Cinch intervened before Stromm could speak: "With the exception of Dr. Strom, the rest of the team has certified that the product is ready for human testing," she said proudly. "We are ready to create an improved human being". "I don't agree," Stromm stated bluntly. "I think we have to start over, redesign the formula." "Redesign the formula?" Cinch yelled, outraged at the expectation. General Slocum turned and looked at Cinch for the first time. "Ms. Cinch, you have failed to deliver a single delivery to us seven times in a row" he began "After five and a half years of research and development, the United States government has the right to demand that the supersoldier we hired you be delivered to". "What you ask for are huge leaps for science, general" Cinch explained with a slow tone and a calm appearance that hid a knot in the stomach "We are unraveling the secrets of human evolution. I never said it was cheap or fast; only that would be groundbreaking". "Let me clarify one thing to you, Mrs. Cinch" General Slocum said, putting on his hat, an unequivocal sign that the meeting was coming to an end "If your so-called Human Faculties Enhancer is not successfully tested on a human being in the next two weeks I'll withdraw the funds and give them to Crystal Aerospace". Cinch flinched at the mention of her biggest competitor. The two members of the CinchCorp board of directors approached Cinch. "The general has given Crystal Aerospace the green light to start producing their version of the super soldier" explained Mr. Balkan "I would not like to see how our funds end up in the competition. What about you, Cinch?" "Yes" added Mr. Fargas, looking at Cinch from his wheelchair "I think we would all be very upset to lose those funds. The question is... what are you going to do about it, Cinch?".