The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 132 : Security Upgrade

The attendants had laid out chairs into lawn where Julien was sitting. Imperial Security and Military surrounded the place with heavily armed guards. Using Scarli-Devee, Scarlet could also see mobile artillery and anti-aircraft missiles had been stationed around. The equipment had been quickly installed, giving her a view of how well trained and responsive Julien's men were.

That roof top now had some of the most powerful men in the Empire. Crown Prince Julien had called for an emergency meeting. Lord Jules, General Ruxati (head of the Home Division of Bravadian Armed Forces), Brigadier Thompson, Lord Sunjune (Minister of Defence) and his son Prince Crator had come for the meeting. Crator represented the Minister of Internal Affairs & Security where he had been working under Julien's instructions and the Marshall from the Palace. Sitting next to him was Sir Oyster, the Protocol Officer of the Emperor and finally, General Tarrier, Head of Imperial Security.

Each of them had their assistants standing behind them to provide any information, make notes and execute instructions.

After a short time, Rosemary and Catherine joined them. Seeing the assembled elders, they felt uncertain and worried. Catherine felt glad she had left Dawn in the apartment.

"There was a serious security breach yesterday." Julien stated.

"Serious enough to draw us out from all over to here? So, it is more serious than the Dusk Hale incident, I suppose? I notice the Uni-Viva President is not here though the breach is in his territory." Lord Sunjune asked.

"Yes... This breach has serious implications on security and defence. Therefore, I have called you all here. It is too deep to involve a private civilian. This remains confidential." Julien replied. He noticed that Catherine's eyes were shining with interest.

The question most of them could not ask is why it was here in Uni-Viva and not in the Imperial Palace. It seemed to them that the Crown Prince was already in Ci'gazze in secret.

"So, background in case some of you do not know... Princess Catherine, Princess Scarlet, Dusk Hale are living in Dorm 285 of PG Dorm building, which you can see over on that side... Someone entered the basement parking of PG Dorm building, took out Dusk Hale's Duo-Pax and drove it off. Imperial security did not stop her..." Julien said.

General Tarrier's face went red and he glared at his assistant and the head of Imperial Security's Ci'gazze unit, which was tasked to protect the girls. Neither of them dared to ask how the intruder accessed the bike and how the AI allowed it without Dusk's approval. If it was approved by Dusk then the Crown Prince would not be making an issue of it.

"The bike was driven up to Dorm Building 19..." he continued as a map of Uni-Viva came up on the hologram. "Then the AI of the Duo-Pax was overridden and shut down... Don't get me wrong. The bike was not shut down. The AI was shut down and deleted completely from the system. This happened without the AI being able to send out an alert or warning or if it was sent, no one responded. By the way, the bike had a special personality enhanced AI and was gifted by Emperor Willian Lidwig to Dusk Hale. Someone still needs to inform her of the loss of the bike and the AI. And inform the Emperor also."

The local head of Imperial Security gulped. This task of telling Dusk Hale would be his and he did not know if she treated the AI like a person.... Or a pet perhaps. He had seen one of those new Personality Enhanced AI and they were very cute and endearing.

Tarrier's face had hardened as he faced increasing failure of his department, but he felt there is more to come. Lord Sunjune would not be called to Ci'gazze for theft of a bike, however close to the Emperor Dusk Hale may be. The one most shocked actually was Scarlet Lidwig's as she realised that she needed to tell Dusk that she killed her pet AI...