Everyone was seated. Chairman Bot took his seat at the head of the table. He was not a man of many words, but when he spoke, people listened.
He looked relaxed yet commanding. For the past five years, he had led The Red Mars with a firm hand, overseeing countless successful operations. His face bore the weight of experience—sharp cheekbones, a defined jawline, and piercing steel-gray eyes that didn't just see people but seemed to assess them. His neatly trimmed silver hair and the slight furrow in his brow gave him the air of a man who had spent a lifetime making world-altering decisions, and perhaps, breaking those who got in his way. As his gaze swept across the room, he lingered briefly on each person as if reassessing their worth.
A projector sat at the center of the long table, its lens aimed at a large screen dominating the front of the room. The tension in the air was palpable as an assistant adjusted the equipment. Whatever they were about to discuss wasn't just another mission. It was something far bigger.
Chairman Bot finally spoke, his voice calm yet commanding. "Greetings, everyone. I trust you all understand the weight of today's meeting."
A few nodded, but the room remained largely silent, no one daring to jump ahead.
He turned sharply to his right. "Watkins, please begin."
"Yes, sir."
The projector flickered to life, illuminating the screen with bold, blocked letters:
PROJECT SOLACE
Parker exchanged a glance with Blake. Lena frowned, leaning in. Rebecca, ever composed, raised a single eyebrow.
"Project Solace?" Nathan muttered, his voice laced with curiosity.
"You wouldn't have heard of it," Bot responded, his tone grim. "Until now."
He tapped a button on his tablet, and a holographic projection filled the center of the room—a rotating, three-dimensional schematic of what looked like a highly advanced cyber weapon.
Murmurs rippled through the group. Chairman Bot, however, remained unsurprised.
"This," Bot continued, "is what our government has tasked us with stopping. A highly classified report from the DIA confirms that a cyber-nuclear threat has emerged—an artificial intelligence capable of hijacking nuclear infrastructures worldwide."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Blake was the first to speak. "Who built it?"
Bot expression darkened. "A rogue nation. And the first phase has already been activated."
Lena exhaled sharply. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Langston said, his voice grim, "we have less than six months before this AI learns how to override global security protocols and seize control of the world's nuclear arsenal."
A chill ran down Parker's spine. The Red Mars had handled high-risk government contracts before—but nothing like this. This wasn't just a mission. This was a war being fought in the shadows, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
Blake leaned forward. "If this AI is as dangerous as you claim, then it holds the world's fate in its hands. Why us? Why not the World Security Alliance?"
"Exactly," a woman seated beside the chairman interjected. Mrs. Jones. Her sharp eyes swept across the room. "We have a powerful network and an impressive reputation, but this needs to be thoroughly assessed before we act."
Several members nodded in agreement.
Chairman Bot steepled his fingers. "Mrs. Jones raises a fair point. And that is precisely why we are here. The government has considered its options carefully, but at the end of the day, this comes down to trust."
Nathan scoffed lightly. "Trust? That's a dangerous word in our line of work."
Bot's gaze locked onto him. "It is. But it is also our greatest asset."
The room remained tense, each operative weighing the gravity of the situation. Parker knew one thing for certain—this wasn't just another assignment. This was a fight for control of the future.
And they were at the center of it.
Parker cleared his throat and tapped on his tablet, bringing up a new schematic on the holographic display. The rotating image showed a complex network of circuits, processors, and what appeared to be a highly advanced encryption core.
"This," Parker began, "is our countermeasure—designed not just to disable the AI but to outthink it. We're calling it the Solace Encryption System."
The room remained silent as the projection zoomed in on the core components.
"The foundation of this system is a quantum-based decryption algorithm that adapts in real time. The idea is simple but powerful—if the rogue AI attempts to override nuclear infrastructures, Solace will intercept the command, break down its code structure, and rewrite it before execution."
Blake leaned forward, arms crossed. "So, it's a preemptive failsafe?"
"Exactly," Parker confirmed. "But that's just the first layer. The real heart of Solace is an AI-driven neural lock—one that can only be activated by a specific encrypted key."
Lena's eyes narrowed. "And who holds that key?"
Parker hesitated, then exhaled. "It doesn't exist. Not yet."
Murmurs spread across the room.
"The key won't be something that can be stolen or hacked. It will be coded into a person—a biological encryption, embedded within a specific individual's neural pattern."
Rebecca finally spoke. "So… you're saying the key is a person?"
Parker nodded. "Yes. And whoever that person is, they will be the only one capable of activating Solace."
Silence settled in the room as the weight of his words sank in.
Blake exchanged glances with Parker, something unspoken passing between them.
"And do we have a candidate?" Nathan finally asked.
Parker's jaw tightened. "Not yet. But we will."
Chairman Bot, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable weight.
"This is unprecedented," he said, his fingers interlocked on the table. "A biological encryption key… embedded in a person." He let the words linger. "That raises a crucial question—how do we ensure the key remains secure? If the wrong hands discover this, they won't just try to steal the key. They will eliminate it."
Parker nodded. "That's why the selection process must be airtight. We will need to embed the encryption in someone who has no prior knowledge of it. A person who wouldn't even know they are the key until the time comes."
Mrs. Jones shook her head slightly. "That's a dangerous game to play, Parker. What if something happens to this person before we need them?"
Bot leaned back, considering. "It's a risk, yes. But what other option do we have? If we store the key in any traditional format, it becomes a target. A person, however, is unpredictable. Harder to track."
Blake drummed his fingers on the table. "So, you're saying we choose someone… encode them… and just hope they live long enough to be useful?"
Parker exhaled. "Not exactly. There will be safeguards. A hidden failsafe embedded within the encryption itself—something only we would know how to activate if the key is lost."
Nathan, who had been silent, finally spoke. "And who gets to decide who this person is?"
Chairman Bot's gaze settled on Parker. "I assume you already have an idea."
Parker hesitated, then nodded. "I do. But it won't be a random selection. It has to be someone whose neural pattern aligns with the system's design. Someone with the right cognitive structure to hold and process the encryption without knowing it."
Bot nodded slowly. "Then we move forward carefully. We need this technology—but we can't afford mistakes. Proceed, Parker."
With that, the room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of their decision settling over them.
Chairman Bot let the silence hang for a moment before exhaling. "Alright, we have the foundation of our plan. But before we finalize anything, we need to be absolutely sure this is the best course of action."
He turned to Langston. "Prepare a full risk assessment. I want every possible vulnerability identified before we take the next step."
Langston nodded. "Understood, sir."
Bot's gaze swept the room. "Parker, you'll oversee the encryption model and the selection criteria for the host. I want updates on potential candidates within the next two weeks. No mistakes."
Parker gave a curt nod. "I'll get started immediately."
Mrs. Jones leaned forward. "And what about security? If we're placing this level of importance on one individual, they become the most valuable asset in the world. That also makes them the most targeted."
Chairman Bot didn't hesitate. "That's why no one outside this room will know who they are. Even within Red Mars, only a handful will have clearance on the final selection. And should anything go wrong…" He paused. "We have contingency measures in place."
A heavy silence followed. Everyone understood what 'contingency measures' meant.
Blake sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So, we're officially in. We're building the one thing that can counter the deadliest cyber weapon ever created. No pressure."
A few chuckles broke the tension.
Bot stood, signaling the meeting's end. "You have your assignments. Work fast, work smart. Dismissed."
As the team gathered their notes and exited the room, Parker lingered for a moment. He exchanged a glance with the chairman, unspoken understanding passing between them.
This was bigger than anything they had done before.
And there was no turning back now.