The Reason Why

Chapter Eighteen - The Revelation

I sputtered, "Ethan–?"

Starstruck.

I stood dumbfounded like a moron, breathing his name in disbelief. My heart kicks into a full gallop devouring the immaculate visual of Ethan I've never witnessed before – the commanding presence, the sharp suit, the authoritative tone. My entire image of the vulnerable and anxious Ethan I knew crumbled and was shredded to ribbons in the face of the cool and assertive man before me. I am his puny intern and he is the fucking king of this rocket empire – the literal boss of my boss, who made his feelings clear towards me not a while ago. Shit. I wish the earth would swallow me raw immediately.

Ethan's eyes flared in astonishment for a millisecond in recognition. Yet, he quickly resorted to his mask of composure and settled to his seat.

Mike's eyes darted towards me and back again at Ethan, then broke into a mischievous, knowing smirk.

Oh great. He knew it all along.

"Before we start, I would like to thank everyone here for responding to the notice quickly," Ethan began without wasting a precious minute, "I apologize for the urgent call for this meeting with the board and senior management. As we all know, we have completed the successful launch of Helix-03 today to survey any potential habitability on Mars, proving the full capability of what AeroGenesis can contribute to the advancement of humankind."

"Although we have received congratulatory wishes from several stakeholders, their trust given to our enterprise is in imminent danger. Our rival aerospace company named Red Star has launched a smear campaign against our enterprise, spreading false accusations about the reliability and safety of our products just a few minutes ago by paying The Columnist to publish a sensational news article as informed by Jaxon here," Ethan nodded approvingly towards Rimbo sitting together with Bennet.

Yes, the Garage's silent spy must have notified Rimbo instantly as he retrieved the information during his bathroom break while the rest of us were bantering over the cafeteria table.

"What makes matters worse, RedStar had reposted this news on their website and gigantic social media platforms. As a result, I have been receiving direct calls from stakeholders demanding clarifications of this news," he added grimly.

Within a second, the office LCD screen displayed the false information spread by Red Star:

***

One Step Forward or Two Steps Backward?
The Integrity of Space Travel Compromised
by Suspected Data Fabrication of AeroGenesis' Helix-03 Rocket Launch

JERRYFIELDS – In a startling revelation shaking the foundations of the aerospace industry, Red Star Spaceflights or the RSS alleges that AeroGenesis, the leading aerospace engineering company in Jerrifields, may have engaged in data fabrication concerning their latest rocket, the Helix-03. This development raises serious concerns about the integrity of AeroGenesis' engineering practices and the safety of their space missions.

The Helix-03 rocket, touted as AeroGenesis' most advanced launch vehicle to date, is designed to survey potential habitability on Mars for the future of mankind. The project has garnered significant attention and investment from stakeholders, given its potential to revolutionize space transportation.

According to sources within AeroGenesis obtained by Red Star, internal documents and communications reveal that critical performance data related to the Helix-03's propulsion system and structural integrity may have been manipulated to present a more favorable outcome.

First, the reported thrust-to-weight ratio of the Helix-03's engines appears to have been inflated. Next, independent analysis suggests discrepancies between the claimed and actual performance metrics. In terms of fuel efficiency, data on fuel consumption rates have been allegedly altered to show higher efficiency levels than those observed during actual test flights.