The time was 4:52 on a hot Saturday afternoon. The tall capitol building loomed over the City of Stratus. A private jet flew into the city carrying one of the most valuable assets to the Covenant.
Nigel Mccarthy stared out of an oval-shaped window. His hands rested on a briefcase placed fittingly on his lap. Several bodyguards occupied seats around the cabin of the aircraft.
The capital city itself was magnificent. The Tall obelisk of a capitol building rested in the center as a beacon of pride. Flowering gardens sprawled out through the granite walls and statues dotted the clearing within the city center. Nigel looked away from the window and around the cabin, as the aircraft flew directly past the citadel.
"Don't worry. We are just heading to the private airfield up ahead," a bodyguard seated next to Nigle bellowed his wide shoulders and bulky form bearly fitting in the small seat. With all the muscle on board, it was hard to believe they hadn't exceeded the aircraft weight limit. Nigel just sat in silence as he looked back at the window.
The craft hit the runway with a thud and then a screech. Everyone bobbed up and down in their seats before leaning forward as the jet slowed to a stop.
Guards escorted Nigel out of the now-parked jet. The bottom of his lab coat blew around in the wind as he struggled to adjust it with his one free hand. A suited figure blurred and rippled under the beaming rays of sunshine. Two more hulking bodyguards appeared at the figure's sides as Nigle neared.
"I want my family back, Wallace!" Nigel shouted. Every fiber in him wanted to further approach Wallace but the guards forbade him to come any closer to the President of what was the United States but only recognizable by the Covenant now.
"We can negotiate the necessary capture of your family after we have a look at that," he said, gesturing to the briefcase at Nigel's side. As much as Nigel wished to keep hold of his one bargaining chip, he couldn't fight the guard who swiftly swiped the briefcase and placed it in Wallace's hands.
Wallace snapped the case open and peered inside without hesitation. "Take him to my office," Wallace said, glancing up at Nigel through dark eyes before flashing a grin.
The two bodyguards at Nigel's side escorted him past towards the gardens. The two held a shrewd stare toward each other as long as possible, Wallace not dismissing him as a threat for a moment.
Inside the towering capitol building, Guards forced Nigel into the president's office through two huge intricate trapezoidal wooden doors before leaving him in the room as they closed the doors from behind much to his surprise.
Nigle jerked his head left and right taking in the space as he wandered closer to the president's desk. The room that called itself an office had a mini cathedral feel to it. There was a long red rug that ran from the doors to the president's desk behind which was a massive arch-shaped crystal window stretching almost up to the ceiling of the room. Through it was a grand view of the large fountain resting in the middle of the flowering hedge-filled garden and beyond that was the vast colorful city. In the center of the room hung a massive golden chandelier. On the left wall was a fireplace with towering bookshelves on either side of it made from dark intricately cut wood much like the doors. On the right was the skeleton of a large upright dinosaur also having the same towering bookshelves on either side.
The president was hunched over, watering a potted plant next to the window as Nigel approached The desk with his hand gripping the collar of his lab coat. The briefcase sat in the center of the desk.
"Ah! Nigel, take a seat and rest yourself. you have been on a long journey coming all the way from New Mexico," Wallace said while taking a seat in his own velvet chair and then proceeding to lean back and fiddle with a golden pen.
"No thanks, I can finally stand up after sitting for a 3-hour flight," Nigel spit his words through clenched teeth.
"Ok fine then, care to explain what is in this case of yours," Wallace said tapping the briefcase with the pen. The two bodyguards silently left the room.
Nigel proceeded to open the case revealing a laptop tangled in wires and an external drive. Nigel brushed away the wires and pulled out the Laptop, setting it on top of the briefcase and then opening it.
Nigel then plugged the flash drive into it and after a while of looking through stolen data files, he turned the laptop towards Wallace.
"These are all the files that contain the design for the genetics editor along with the base code for the AI. With this you will have more than enough to create a super weapon beyond reckoning" Nigel lectured as he stepped back. "Now. my family." Nigel glared over the open laptop at Wallace's silver-bearded face.
Wallace scrutinized the information with one hand on his chin as he scrolled through the files himself.
"I will give the word to release them as soon as we know for sure that this data you have brought before me works," he said looking up with a grin.
Nigel's expression hardened but he did his best to remain silent.
"Well, I must thank you for coming on such short notice," Wallace said shutting the laptop. He leaned slightly to the side pressed a button under his desk and then moved his mouth close to a microphone that popped out of a panel on the surface of the desk.
"I want an LGM-30 to be launched at the V-bonix research facility as soon as possible," Wallace said like he intended to set the microphone alight with his words.
Nigel's jaw trembled as he failed to form words, and he shook his head from side to side as he tried to think of a way out of so much pointless death. "Please don't do this! I destroyed all the remaining data along with any witnesses. All you gain is the destruction of scientific study and the murder of hundreds of scientists." Nigel spazzed out like he had seconds to save his life.
"As much as I would like to believe that I would rather not take my chances." Wallace stood from his chair while keeping both of his hands firmly on the surface of the desk
"Well, how can you be sure that the technology I brought you works," Nigel asked, trying to convince Wallace to rethink his decision.
"Well, I sure hope it works for your family's sake. As our new head of the Overwatch Project, you will see to this AI's function. Failure is not an option." Wallace said, taking the laptop and firmly shoving it into Nigel's chest. Wallace straightened his jacket.
"Now if you would clear this off my desk, you and I now have an important meeting to attend, with the Department of Defense. So I suggest you follow. It's better than the guards stepping on your ankles as they drag you." Wallace said while walking past the desk towards the door as Nigel struggled to put the laptop and wires into the briefcase.
YOU ARE READING
Synthetic Intuition
Ciencia Ficción"I wanted to cry but couldn't. Crying was natural, a trait I could no longer live under. Crying was no longer an option" The year is 2033 and the United States is torn apart by a devastating civil war, Lazlo, a brilliant IT and robotics engineer, be...
