The Banquet (part 3) (last)
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."
~ Albert Pine
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It was finally time for Nicholas to meet the inventors who he believed would make his vision come true.
As soon as Mendeleev saw Nicholas, he rose on his feet.
"Your Imperial Higness," Mendeleev greeted, his sharp eyes alight with purpose."We are honored by your visit."
Nicholas nodded and gestured for them to sit as he took the seat at the head of the table. He first stared at each of the men on this table then said
"Gentlemen, the honor is mine. I have heard a lot about each of you from Dr. Mendeleev and I am eager to discuss how we might shape the future of out empire together"
'Huh? I have never told him anything about any of them yet.' Thought Mendeleev.
But of course, he had to follow through with the words of Nicholas.
He leaned slightly forward, his voice steady and measured.
"Your Highness, as I mentioned before, these men represent the pinnacle of Russian ingenuity. We are all deeply moved by your idea to establish a scientific association dedicated to advancing the empire's capabilities in industry, technology and military.
Popov was the first to chime in, his hands clasped tightly before him. "Your Highness, this association could change the course of History for Russia."
'You couldn't have worded it better' thought Nicholas to himself.
"With your patronage and funding, we could revolutionize communication. For example, the ability to transmit messages instantaneously, across the military, even across the empire itself, would give us an unassailable advantage."
Tsiolkovksy, shy but passionate, added:
"And with time, we could explore what I call aviation. Or explained simply, machines that fly. These ideas may sound distant now, but with your support, we could turn theories into reality."
Nicholas almost chuckled but he quickly recomposed himself
'Oh, Tsiolkosvky, explaining aviation to me and telling me it is distant. Quite hilarious.' He thought.
At that moment, Zhukovksy cut in, nodding in agreement.
"Your Imperial Highness, flight is not just a dream. The mathematics is solid but what we lack are resources. Materials, workshops and skilled workers to build the prototypes. If the association provides those, we could pioneer something extraordinary."
The men before Nicholas were some of the smartest men Russia could provide in this time. All of them understood they could achieve new heights by working with Nicholas.
Having almost unlimited funds and the protection of the future Tsar would grant them the most sought-after possibility of focusing only on their inventions, without fear of running out of money or getting implicated in bureaucratic matters.
At the end of the day, none of them were willing to turn down free lunch. The pay was also commendable so they had no reason to refuse.
That was the collective thought of the table.
Since they had made their mind to accept already, they were now trying to obtain as many benefits and funds for themselves as possible.
Nicholas rested his hands on the table and confidently said:
"I share your vision, gentlemen. Russia's greatness must not rest solely on its armies or borders, but on its progress.
This association will be the cornerstone of Russia's future.
It will be based here in St.Petersburg, for now, though its reach will soon extend across the empire. Each of you will have a role in shaping its direction.
Mendeleev will oversee its organization, ensuring that funds are used wisely and projects remain focused.
I will allocate the initial funding I already talked about with Dr. Mendeleev from my personal allowance.
Each of you will sign a contract valid for 15 years The principal contents of that contract are:
1) Each of you will be part of the Russian Association for Innovation and Discovery for a minimum of 15 years. After this contract expires, you can renew it or just leave the association without any latent problems."
Everyone on the table frowned at this 1st clause.
15 years is a lot. But can they refuse the greatest free lunch of their lives?
Nicholas continued.
2) Any intellectual property, including patents , designs or inventions created from the signers of this contract will belong to the association but the member will receive the full recognition and 20% of the profits of the patent.
- In the case of a highly successful/ useful invention, you can get up to 10% of the patent shares by order of the director of the association. (The director and owner was of course Nicholas. Mendeleev was the general manager)
3) On the signing of this contract, you must know that your patents will not be immediately published if they are categorized as Imperial secrets, the association has the right to delay the commercial use of your patents. For this delay, you will be properly compensated.
4) Non-disclosure of sensitive information: The member shall agree to not disclose any confidential research, findings or proprietary information outside of the association or to unauthorized persons.
5) The association shall provide financial, material and lodging support to the member to conduct research, including a stipend of 2500 Rubles per year.
-Beware, any misappropriation or misuse of these funds will have severe consequences."
6) The case of misconduct or failure to meet agreed-upon milestones may result in reduction in funding or termination of the agreement, but only by the order of the Director.
A more detailed contract, with well-explained clauses will be delivered to you later. But if anyone wants to back out, say it now.
Everyone was visibly relieved to hear the terms.
They would get 20% of the net profits, lodgings and a stable wage. They even a chance to get patent shares, even though they wouldnt pay a cent from their own pockets towards this highly expensive and unlimited research.
This was a quite lucrative offer in any world.
The salary and incentives were also very generous.
Every doubt they had after hearing the first clause, disappeared.
As for the punishments they would get from breaking these rules, they didn't ask.
They were smart men. Russia was an absolute autocracy. In the case they broke one of the rules, their punishment would be up to the whims or Nicholas and the Tsar.
About clause nr. 6? Hmph! These men were highly confident, narcissistic elitists who were convinced of being able to meet whatever sound deadline on their fields, given unlimited funding.
Popov was the first to react.
"I agree. From now on I will be part of your association, Your Highness."
After him, the dam was opened and everyone else also nodded.
Nicholas happily smiled. He then looked at Popov and said:
"You will lead the development of communication Technologies, ensuring that Russia is never outpaced in this critical field.
After that, he turned to Tsiolkosvky and Zhukovsky.
"I see great potential in aviation. The association will provide you with the resources to explore these possibilities.
Your knowledge of aerodynamics complement each other's. Together, you can lay the foundation for a Russian Aviation Industry.
Each of you can recruit assiates independently. We will send you their respective contracts later too.
New departments will be open soon like automobile, electricity, weaponry etc.
If you have any suggestions as for who can lead these departments, write a resume to Mendeleev and he will forward it to me." concluded Nicholas while staring at Mendeleev.
Mendeleev stood, raising his glass.
"To the Tsar, to His Imperial Highness, and to a brighter future for all of Russia!
The others joined in, their voices echoing in agreement.
Nicholas raised his glass as well, a faint smile on his lips.
"To Russia, and to the men who will guide her into a new era!"
The glasses clinked while the Banquet slowly came to an end.
Nicholas felt this was the most important night since he become Nikolai II. He
felt he had taken the first step into building his own inner circle or even better, his Legacy.