Dad's best friend secret baby

Chapter five

Ethan

One Week Later

Thorne Industries was recognized as the leading robotics industry in New York. It was a title that could only be earned through hard work and consistency. A title I earned many years ago. A title I've maintained through competition and change.

Success isn't easy. I'd known that since the early days. Success wasn't a bus stop as well, it's a journey.

Thorne Industries had been on a journey through domestic robotics, industrial robotics, medical robotics, and now, military robotics.

It had always been my dream— my vision for this company to become a titan in the robotics industry. To become the vanguard of the robotic revolution.

Now, the only thing standing between me and that dream was one day. Today.

"Play the simulation."

On cue, the fluorescent lights of the conference room dimmed. Then the projector screen lit up.

The air was thick with the stale scent of coffee and nervous anticipation. It was late, well past my closing hour— well past Sophie's bedtime. But this had to be done.

We had to run the final test before the military presentation tomorrow.

Maxwell, the head of the testing and evaluation team, fiddled with the connected laptop before grabbing the controller.

Instead of a joystick, we'd made the controller in the form of a game pad, for ease of handling.

I watched Maxwell move to the side, and on the large screen in front of the room, a virtual battlefield unfolded.

Lush green valleys gave way to jagged, snow-capped peaks, all rendered in stunning detail. A red team of simulated enemy forces occupied strategic positions, their tanks and armored vehicles gleaming in the virtual sun.

Pride surged through me as I watched our creation, a sleek, waspish drone designated "Hornet," buzz across the screen. Its digital wings blurred as it zipped through the simulated airspace.

Adjusting myself to my seat, I clasped my palms as I placed my elbows on the table.

My eyes avidly watched the drone's movement, monitoring it closely.

There shouldn't be any flaws. We'd been working on this project for months. We'd tested, improved, and revised codes. Nothing should go wrong.

Maxwell's fingers danced across the pad, sending commands to the drones. And it received every command as coded. It did exactly what a combat drone should. First reconnaissance and surveillance—capturing enemies' positions, troop movements and battlefield situations. Then flight— smooth maneuvers and turns, but that wasn't all.

Pride sank every fire in me as I anticipated the final, most important part, the strike.

Almost immediately, the drone spotted an enemy tank. I watched as the drone adjusted to produce two lasers from underneath its body then proceeded to strike. But instead of locking on the target for a simulated airstrike, it lurched.

What?

Gasps from the others filled the room as the drone lurched erratically. Its form was in a constant twist and turn as if caught in a sudden downdraft.

Fuck.

"What the fuck is happening?" I fixed my eyes on the malfunctioning drone.

"I— I d-don't know, sir, it seems to be glitching." Maxwell released through a shaky voice as he continued to fiddle with the gamepad. "It doesn't seem to be from the control pad."