Doom patted Ophelia's shoulder as she fretted and said with a smile, "Don't worry. Principal Alvin respects Wakanda's choice, so of course we should support him."
Doom gave a wry smile and shook his head. "The truth is, we know ourselves that the resources we're investing in this kind of engine won't be of any use in the future."
Ophelia said anxiously, "But Sokovia..."
Doom waved a hand and smiled. "We can negotiate with T'Challa. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to handle that.
"Principal Alvin has already shown his sincerity. We shouldn't ask for more."
Doom looked at Alvin, hesitated, then said, "I don't know what Stark mistook the engine on the aircraft for.
"But I can tell you that this 'Electromagnetic Energy Field Compression Engine' is only a preliminary version. Even with Vibranium, the more useful 'Warp Drive' is still just a set of blueprints, never mind scaling up the engine.
"At most, our current engine can get small aircraft close to the speed of light. It still can't be used on actual large spaceships.
"But personally, I think it's more than enough for us to use within the Solar System.
"I also have a stripped-down version of the engine, specifically designed for military escort craft that accompany spaceships.
"Just add a tiny amount of Vibranium at the core, and you can make a super engine that uses little energy, delivers high power, and works in all conditions."
Alvin liked Doom. He had a clear purpose and knew when to push and when to hold back.
Now that Doom held the trump card for revitalizing Sokovia, he wanted Alvin to join him in sharing the profits and, while he was at it, clear away a few obstacles.
He had his eye on Wakanda. It was