Demarco just graduated from Texas University and had been snatched up by Xeon Natural Resources
Incorporated, one of the top natural resource extraction companies in the world. Because he was
Brazilian, bilingual, and spoke several specific Brazilian dialects, his stationing in Brazil was a nobrainer. Xeon was deeply involved with a project within the Brazilian rain forests in mining an
extremely valuable element called niobium. Niobium is a rare earth element essential for microalloying steel as well as other products such as jet engines, rocket subassemblies, superconducting
magnets, and super alloys. Brazil accounts for 92 percent of all niobium mined, and Xeon Natural
mines much of the element in Brazil. Xeon discovered a large niobium deposit and estimates the
corporation could make an additional $5 billion in profits over the next two decades.