Page 116 of Succumbed

“What’s the story, Lex?” Nate urges, leaning toward me.

Keeping my eyes on the stage, I shake my head minutely. “Just listen.”

He huffs, but takes my direction. Linc winks at me as my eyes wander to him and Shane. Smirking, I wink back. Declan gestures toward them both as he describes the early history of their business, and they raise their two earliest prototypes.

“Three years ago,” Declan explains, “we were close. We thought we were ready. But we weren’t willing to compromise on the quality of our product. After all, something that failed in high heat or wind, both increasingly common conditions across the globe, wouldn’t do.”

Nate finally has a sense of where Declan’s story is going. His knuckles are white as he clasps his hands together, leaning forward to plant his elbows on his knees.

“We suffered a significant setback, it’s true. In the end, it was all worth it because it brought us here, to this Summit, with the best news we could offer.”

Shane and Linc are building a small structure on stage with the latest prototypes.

“Today, we launch Solum Technologies’ first product: Terra. This versatile material combines all the best qualities of its traditional counterparts. It’s flexible like steel, strong like brick, and acts as a natural carbon sink like wood.”

Nate glances sharply at me, his lips pursed. The single prototype Anne-Marie had shared was almost a more modern brick and mortar–a small block paired with a special adhesive mud. Though it was carbon neutral to develop it, the guys hadn’t quite figured out the composition to take it to the next level before she made off with their formulas.

“To accommodate everything from single family homes to multi-story office buildings, pre-made pieces interlock for a clean, dry construction. For increased durability, it can be poured in a custom mold like concrete, with reinforcing materials that could support up to thirty stories.”

A low murmur spreads through the crowd as Declan grins.

“And that’s just based on last week’s test, which showed a 15% improvement in durability over the week prior.” His tone turns teasing, “At that rate, we’ll be building entire cities with Terra by the end of the year.”

Soft chuckles surround us. The smile feels etched into my face; I couldn’t wipe it away if I wanted to.

“How is this possible?” Nate mutters, brows drawn.

“I told you to dig,” I whisper.

Shane and Linc had finished their structure. The small wall was my idea, though the next part was all Linc.

“Watch this!” he cries, his enthusiasm ramping up the crowd with just two words.

He goes to the opposite end of the stage, then runs toward the wall, which Shane was bracing from the opposite side. I tense, knowing what’s coming, as the crowd gasps. When he draws close, he launches himself at the structure and plows straight into it. With a loud grunt, he bounces lightly away. The wall slides slightly, pushing Shane back, but it doesn’t flex. Not a single block out of place.

Immediately, the crowd cheers. Nate scoffs, running a rough hand through his hair as Declan explains how the materials would save installation time and reduce maintenance costs.

“This is bad, Lex,” he mutters, glancing over his shoulder. Likely looking for dear old dad.

“I can see how you’d see it that way. Tell me, Nate…did you get the school contract from the State?”

He stares at his hands, his body stiff. Drawing a hand over the stubbled lower half of his face, he nods once.

“Did you test it in heat and wind, like Declan mentioned?”

“Of course we did.”

“With a third party?”

His eyes search mine. “I…I don’t know.”

“Find out. The product Anne-Marie stole was flawed. After three months of targeted development, this one isn’t.” I gesture toward the stage where Declan is thanking the audience.

He turns and bows to Shane and Linc, hands pressed together in gratitude. The crowd goes wild, several in the rows surrounding us rising to their feet. The guys are beaming, arms around each other, as they bow together.

As one, they look at me. I stand and clap enthusiastically.

“Bravo!” I call.

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