The shout came from a man in a velvet suit, representing a major planetary logistics firm. He was shaking the tablet so hard it looked like it might fly out of his hand.
"Clause 104, Sub-section D," the man said, his face turning a shade of purple that matched his tie.
"'While the hardware unit is provided at zero cost, Alpha-OS is required to operate the suit functions on a mandatory subscription model. The monthly fee is set at...'"
He choked on the number. "Fifty million credits per unit per month?!"
The hall went dead silent. Fifty million credits a month? And that was the cost per unit?
"And it doesn't stop there!" screamed a woman from a rival defense contractor, leaping to her feet.
"Look at Clause 712! 'Data Sovereignty'. It says, 'To ensure the safety of the user, Alpha Corp reserves the right to record and store all visual and audio data captured by the suit. This right is irrevocable.'"
"You want to spy on us?!"
