“That’s nice of you, Mr. Kharon.” She leans forward flirtatiously. “What success are we celebrating?”
“The Google victory.”
She smiles. “Sounds like a big one for GoldRock.”
“Massive. The Information Tariffs were months in the making. It means that our investment in the tech giant will finally pay off. With my help, their profits will soar immediately.”
“They are lucky to have you, Mr. Kharon.”
Manos sips the champagne. “Yes, they are. Let me ask you a question. Imagine an oil company giving away their precious commodities for free. What kind of business is that?”
“A failed one.”
“Exactly. Google freely gives away data as they lose billions of dollars. It’s the most incompetent business model I’ve ever seen, and it’s time for change.”
Felina whispers in his ear. “You’ve struck again.”
“Not quite yet.” He lights a cigar. “We’re not at the finish line and there’s more work to do. We need to develop Google’s new business strategy. Their executives are waiting for our next steps.”
Felina pouts her lips. “What can I do to help?”
“Get my Chief of Staff on the line. We need to finalize our action plan.”
“Will do, Mr. Kharon.” She rushes from the room.
A projection of the American President appears in the room. Manos increases the volume of the holographic video and listens to the speech from the Oval Office. “My fellow Americans, the War continues to challenge us. Across the world and in space, our enemies engage in hostile activities, threatening our American existence. They use our own technology against us, hoping we will cower under pressure. They hoard the world’s supply of water and energy, trying to starve our citizens. Thanks to your sacrifices, our foes drift closer to defeat…”
A soft ring echoes from a speaker. “Mr. Kharon, Seth is ready for you.”
“Thanks, Felina.” Manos lowers the volume of the broadcast and places the Vision smartglasses on his face. In his view, he clicks a green icon and his tanned, thirty-something Chief of Staff appears in a live video feed.
“Seth, how are you?” Manos asks.
“Mr. Kharon, I don’t see your face.”
Manos moves his ashtray, revealing a small black cube on his desk. “How about that?”
“Yes, I see you now. How can I help you, sir?”
Manos reclines in his chair. “I want to talk to you about the Google initiative. Have you formulated their new corporate structure?”
“Yes, let me pull up my notes.” His eyes flicker across the screen. “Last time we discussed imposing a fee for Google search. You proposed a subscription model where users would pay monthly to access the web.”
“That’s right. Have you calculated the best price?”
“$999 a month.”
“I like the sound of it. What are the profits from this plan?”
“Based on my calculations, yearly earnings will jump by $60B.”
Manos raises his glass. “Perfect! Listen, it’s important that the fee is adjustable. Users in other countries must pay more than Americans.”
“I see. Is this related to the War?”
“That’s none of your concern.”
“Apologies. Well, we can vary the price based on location or currency. That’s simple.”
Manos puffs the cigar. “Wonderful. I like your proposal, Seth. Great job!”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Let’s proceed—please send your plans to the Google management team so they can implement it.”
Seth hesitates. “…there is one caveat.”
“What’s that?”
“The $60B projection assumes there are no changes to the company’s user base. The actual profits could be lower.”
Manos frowns. “What do you mean?”
“It’s difficult to predict how the new rules will change consumers’ habits. The average American may not want to spend $1000 a month for Google search. They might abandon the platform and turn to the dark web.”
“What’s our bottom line in that scenario?”
“Google’s brand may suffer irreparable damage. It could even kill the company.”
Manos slams his fist on the desk. “That’s unacceptable! I cannot tolerate a loss on my investment. If you want to keep your job, you better find a solution.”
“I already have.” Seth beams. “I propose a different model.”
Manos sips his champagne and walks to a window, peering into Manhattan. The city’s floodwater merges with the East River. In the distance, the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge peek from the water surface. “Well, what’s your answer?”
Seth gestures with his hand. “Instead of subscriptions, we should implement an ad-based model.”
“Ads?”
“Yes. We can expand advertising on the Google platform.”
Manos scratches his forehead. “I don’t see how that scales.”
“Consider this. Ninety percent of the world’s population uses Google’s operating system on their smartglasses. We can stream content continuously to billions of users.”
Manos’s eyes widen. “Endless commercials in your view…”
“Exactly, sir. As of now, Google’s advertisements are limited to YouTube TV and Chrome. We can extend that to the rest of the interface. Users will watch clips all day long, and a recurring subscription removes them from view.”
Manos rubs his chin. “What’s the profit potential?”
“Based on my calculation, a $1000 monthly fee and the extra ad revenue translates to $80B in annual income.”
Manos laughs. “Brilliant! Make it $5000 for the Chinese and Russians.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Will this scenario decrease the Google user base?”
“Not likely. Once people get used to constant ads, they will forget they lived without them.”
Manos perks up. “I like what I’m hearing. Let’s proceed with this strategy but with some conditions…”
“What’s that, sir?”
Manos sips more champagne. “There will be no option to skip advertisements.”
“Of course.”
“And you can’t mute the commercials.”
Seth is silent for a few seconds. “Is that a bit extreme, sir?”
“What do you mean?”
“You will force non-paying users to listen to blurbs all day long.”
Manos rolls his eyes. “Well, that’s the whole point. You have to force-feed people to get them to enjoy life. Promotions improve well-being.” He puffs on the cigar. “And besides, it’s a small sacrifice people can make for the War.”
Felina walks in. “Mr. Kharon, you have an important call from the government.”
“Seth, I have to run. Polish the ad model and send it back to me ASAP. We need to get it to the Google management team.”
Manos answers the other call. A bearded man appears sporting a navy blue suit pinned with an American flag. “Gareth!”
Gareth Allen salutes. “Kharon, how’s my old pal?”
Manos smiles. “Doing well, my friend. Nice to hear your voice. How’s the CIA treating you?”
“Can’t complain. Your absence is sorely missed, Manos.”
“I’m better off at GoldRock.”
“Can we tempt you to return to Langley?”
“Not in a million years, Gareth. Working with you was great, but my government days are over. I’ve paid my dues.”
Gareth chuckles. “Save a spot there at GoldRock for me. I’m retiring soon.”
“You got it. How can I help you?”
“Are you listening to the President’s speech?”
Manos glances at the hologram. “Yeah, I heard the first part of it. What’s the news?”
“The War. President Hughes is building the case for action against New China. I’m hearing rumors of a major policy shift coming soon—we’re taking the offensive against the enemy, and that’s why I’m calling. Have you executed the Google plan?”