The two of them came to a preliminary agreement regarding the deal. Ria emerged quite satisfied with the arrangement; she would get access to the proprietary technology that would help her identify and document as many worlds with esoteric matter in them.
In return, he would get exclusive access to one out of every ten planets that Ria found, along with stealth solutions needed in her ventures.
The Esoterist also found the arrangement highly favorable, although handing over proprietary tech, his greatest sensory technology at that, was a heavy give; it was favorable to him if he got access to even one out of ten esoteric planets she found.
Of course, they were both aware that the other side had to work hard to make use of what they got from each other. Just because Ria got the quantum entropy sensory technology, it didn't mean her life was easy. She would have to undertake the risks that came with entering a manifold in order to destroy all life on the planet.
And while the Esoterist got access to one out of every ten infected worlds that she identified, processing the ruins of the infected worlds, refining them, before finally extracting pure esoteric matter. The further away from human civilization it was, the more expensive the mining, processing, and extraction were going to be.
Yet, despite the difficulties, both sides were willing to see it through to the end because of the gains to be made.
Where they were different was their motivations. While the Esoterists were entirely selfish, Ria's gains helped human civilization more than they helped her. The only thing that she gained was sabotaging the virus in its takeover of the entire universe, and potentially her mind.
It would also increase her understanding of the threat. No amount of research could compensate for the insights that she would gain from up-close personal experience.
"With that framework established, let's talk logistics and operations," Ria remarked with a serious tone of voice. "In order for this plan to work, I will need one of those quantum entropic satellites to be able to take with me. Is that practical?"
The man pondered the question. "Yes, it won't be easy by any means, but yes. For one, given that your operations will require you to travel across the cosmos. I actually think there's something much better than a satellite."
She raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
The man grinned.
"A surveyor."
Her expression grew intrigued at the suggestion. Surveyors were a class of spaceships dedicated entirely to the surveillance and reconnaissance of a region of space, usually a planet, star, or an entire system. They were used for the exploration of the cosmos beyond human civilization, and were used to thoroughly vet a star system before human conquerors and pioneers began the development process.
"They're exactly what you need," the Esoterist offered with a professional tone. "They're mobile, they're designed to be outside human civilization. Lugging around a satellite that was designed to be in geostationary orbit is just not practical."
"Do you have any surveyors that have your proprietary quantum entropy satellite technology?" She raised an eyebrow.
"No," he admitted. "But, I could develop a custom ship just for you. I'll even streamline and expedite your order right away because of how important it is to the Esocline Federation."
Her amber eyes lit up at the thought as she fell into thought. The thought of having her very own custom spaceship that was tailored to her needs was very attractive.
Although she was a princess, she generally did not use her status to splurge. She didn't have a dozen spaceships to her name. And the thought of owning one for 'work' rather than simply for the sake of it made all the difference in her mind.
"How much would you charge for such a ship?" She asked cautiously.
The Esoterist scoffed at her. "You're kidding, right? You're the princess of the Kandrian Empire. It's not going to dent your country's balance sheets."
"I don't want to use my Empire's wealth," she insisted, feeling self-conscious. "Those are hard-earned taxpayer ruels!"
"Yeah, and they're being used to facilitate the security, strength, and power of all of human civilization," the man snorted, shaking his head. "They should be grateful that their taxpayer money is being spent so wisely."
She folded her arms. "I'm not using my Empire's wealth. The moment I do that, the Kandrian Empire becomes a stakeholder, and I become an extension of my Empire."
"You see that formal coat dress you're wearing, Princess?" he gestured at her uncharacteristically refined appearance, courtesy of her aunt. "That's something that princesses wear when they visit other nations as representatives of their nations. Just use the Kandrian Empire's money, I doubt your dad would have a problem with it."
Yet, she stubbornly refused to see reason.
"I'm representing my country for this visit, but I'm representing myself in these negotiations," she insisted. "Now tell me the price."
The man heaved an exasperated sigh. "A trillion alliance credits for a custom project. Can vary depending on the specifications of your project, but unless your commission is a project. It also depends on how many you intend to have manufactured by us. If you can just get the design, then it will cost you in that order of magnitude or so. But if you were to bulk commission, then the price reduces."
"T-Trillion alliance credits?!" Her eyes flew wide open. "That much?"
"Well, yes, fixed costs and opportunity costs," the man scoffed. "We have some of the finest teams of shipwrights and astronautical engineers. Every commercial product line they work on will bring trillions of alliance credits worth of profits every year. Every state-commissioned bulk order they work on will also bring similar profits. If you want them to work on one and only one ship design that's going to be used by one person, it'll cost a trillion. Fixed costs and opportunity costs. But tell you what—"
He spread his arms. "I'll throw it into the deal. I'll easily be recouped in the long run. In fact, I'll throw any technological assistance you need whatsoever, within reason, because the profits will be overwhelming."
He had decided to go all in on this arrangement, since it was the first real solution to unleashing a massive supply of esoteric matter. Keeping the princess alive was entirely in his interests.