THE MOMENT
Phillip Howell was a man of means and standards. He'd built up a sizeable corporation, and he was at the forefront of integration when Chroma Corp. arrived on his Earth. A surprising number of industrial players weren't ready to process the existence of the multiverse and happily sold out to Chroma Corp. in exchange for not having to worry about any of it, but Phillip saw opportunity and managed to grow his own resources in the transition as well. Chroma Corp. rolled out multiversal access and services to everyone over several months. And now, almost a year later, Phillip was given a sneak peek of the final phase.
"These are the standard Superpowers we'll be offering your Earth once we get final approval from the governments," Orion smiled and gave Phillip a list attached to a polished chrome clipboard. "As one of our partners, you're entitled to sell them in your locations as well," he added.
Phillip had known it was coming, and he was very excited. His whole life, he wanted the power to be special more than anything. He scanned the list and immediately found his ideal abilities: flight, super strength, super speed, pyrokinesis... they were all there and more. He started to wonder if there was any sort of physical limit. And, as his mind drifted, his eyes wandered up to the top of the page.
"Bargains???" He asked Orion. "My company doesn't do bargains. Where is the real list?"
"Oh, sorry," Orion shook his head. "You can disregard that part. There is no 'real list', that's it. Most people think that Superpowers have to be expensive by default... but, they don't," he nodded. "Chroma Corp. is working with multiversal economies, and Superpowers aren't all that special in the wider markets. When we roll out superpowers, we call them 'bargains' to help convince people they can afford them. It's enough to get people in the stores and see for themselves how cheap the powers are."
"My stores do not offer sales, discounts, and especially not bargains," Phillip said. He wasn't being a selfish whiner, he was thinking about his customers and his image. If he sold Superpowers that every other store labeled as 'Bargain', his reputation would take a hit. And, he'd spent a lot of years learning his customers. Howell was a luxury brand and couldn't be associated with the 'B-word'.
"Multiversal economy, right?" He asked, and Orion nodded. "Then, there are competitors... other sources for Superpowers. Can I request information, or do I need to do the legwork myself?"
"Mr. Howell, I'd be happy to refer you to a private supplier named Ozone. I believe he might be a better business fit for you than Chroma Corp. He'll sell you anything, and wouldn't even dream of using the word 'bargain'."
"That's more like it," Phillip nodded eagerly. "I'd appreciate an appointment."
"There is a hefty referral fee from us, and another for his time. He is a busy man, after all.
"Of course!" Phillip grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a businessman. Consider the fees paid."