We headed back to mansion on the hill to meet up with TAI and AG in the flesh. It was a quiet ride back with Frank sometimes mumbling about not being able to afford anything from Tailor the World. I had other things on my mind, like where this case was going to go after we basically handed it off to the Italian consulate. If this really was spy business, they’d kill the lead on arrival—along with any chance we had of chasing it further. That meant one thing: back to old-school detective work.

"Hey Frank, we're going to have to do a dragnet on all the cams and see where this Frankenstein of ours has been in the last couple months. Ya know, who she's been with, how they interact, and all that."

"Already on it Dick. I got some of the newbies running down soft leads and making a timeline as we speak. TAI is cranking on archival footage as well. How's that coming along TAI?"

Frank calls me ‘Dick’ a lot, well, because it is my name, but also because he likes to remind me that I am one. Not quite flirting, but to some, it might come uncomfortably close.

“It’s coming along nicely, Frank,” TAI responded—on the car radio for once. “In between running an entire nation’s commerce, managing bureaucracy, and dealing with elected representatives, I might be able to squeeze in your little request. Appreciate the extra workload—what a Big Bad G-Man you are, Frank. Never change.”

I almost choked my coffee out at that. TAI is usually reserved, but when she snarks, she really knows how. I blame the politics. We got to the hill a little after 5 p.m., with the sun still holding onto about an hour of light. The palm trees swayed in the blustery tropical wind, the rain long gone. Hard to believe today started with a cat joke and a lonely kid—time flies when you’re really confused, I guess.

We pulled up to the Great Hall, stepping out while the car parked itself in the staff lot around back.

Though technically the monarchy’s residence, the mansion functioned more like an office building than a home. Data centers, real organics hustling through office spaces, and more than a few special-use androids crawled around the place like ants, handling the hard work that needed doing.

The building’s regal front had vertical tooling along its walls—to the untrained eye, it was just an aesthetic flourish, but in reality, those structures were micro-mana absorbers, pulling atmospheric energy to offset the absurd power demands of the nation’s center of control.

By now, you might be asking about mana. And if you’re one of those literature-gaming freaks, you’re probably wondering where and when the magic comes into play. Well, buddy, there isn’t any, and it doesn’t—grow up already.

What there is, though, is a new form of energy that AG discovered—or rather, rediscovered—and used to disrupt the entire world’s power structure. Literally and figuratively.

It’s the same concept Nikola Tesla tried to tap into with his infamous Wardenclyffe Tower, drawing power straight from the atmosphere. He called it radiant energy.

The world’s top scientists insist on calling it Atmospheric Induction Energy.

The more accommodating ones prefer Etheric Energy—just close enough to keep AG happy, just enough to stay in the good graces of the international community. Cowards.

But AG? AG was a gaming nerd. He called it mana.

And since we’re the only ones who’ve actually figured out how to use it for real-world, high-output applications, what we call it is what it is.

Inside, we walked up to a reception desk, neatly tucked into the center of a hip-high, marble-like wall. On either side, security scanners stood like sentinels—making old-school metal detectors feel like flickering lanterns in a hurricane. Entry on the left, exit on the right. Leaving required a scan too, just in case someone “accidentally” walked out with important documents or data storage they weren’t supposed to have.

The receptionist—a cute little organic in a crisp business suit and dress combo—glanced at her wristwatch and yawned before spotting us. Her expression shifted to a well-practiced smile as she looked us up and down.

“Officers? Or is it Agent?” She glanced at Frank, then at me—my unlit cigar hanging from my mouth, my fedora tilted just enough to add some shadow. “Or… is it Detective?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“How’d you know we were androids?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

She giggled. “You both look like you walked out of a history book.”

“Guess that’s how it is here,” I muttered, thinking about how the Platinum security case had put us in an even smaller club. “We have an appointment with TAI. Who must think this is hilarious right now.”

“Let me check that for you, sir.” She tapped her console. “Ah, here it is. You’re cleared for self-travel. You can head up whenever you’re ready. Have a good day, sirs.”

That Cheshire grin told me how entertained she was.

Not one to let my audience down, I tilted my hat and threw out the classic line. “So, what’s a beautiful dame like you doing in a place like this?”

She giggled again. “Working! Lol.”

She actually said Lol.

I shook my head. “Well, you keep up the good work, ma’am.” Another hat tilt, another eye-roll from Frank as we turned the corner toward TAI’s office.

We could still hear her giggling as we walked off.

“You proud of yourself now?” Frank muttered, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I smirked. “Gotta keep the illusion up when it’s expected, Frank.”

"Sure Dick"

On the third floor of the north wing, we knocked on a set of twelve-foot mahogany doors. Quite an impressive sight if you were moved by such things. A way to impress—and to intimidate both foreign and local dignitaries before the game even starts.

"Just come in. Drop the theatrics" TAI talked into our heads.

The mahogany double doors swung open without a sound, revealing a space designed for quiet intimidation. The room was vast, yet sparsely decorated—a minimalist’s idea of power. The walls were a mix of deep wood paneling and sleek, unblemished beige, a blend of old-world authority and modern efficiency.

A single sitting table and four chairs dominated the center, the kind that didn’t need ornate carvings or gold accents to make a statement. It was a solid, heavy, beautifully crafted kind of furniture that could withstand the weight of empires. No throne, no royal excess—just presence. Presence and hot scolding coffee with desserts. My type of man.

Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the far wall, offering an uninterrupted view of Tulanto below. The ocean shimmered in the fading sunlight, flood walls cutting dark silhouettes against the water—like scars on the horizon. From here, the entire city looked small—manageable. Controlled.

At the table sat AG, dressed in a simple, well-cut Mellon branded suit that spoke of old money and quiet authority. Across from him, in perfect posture, was TAI in her android form—true to name she was a Thai beauty of impossible symmetry, slight of bossom, and her expression unreadable, her presence almost too fluid to be human.

Everything about this room was deliberate. A place where deals were made, wars were prevented, and control was absolute.

Frank and I took three steps into the room and automatically took a knee into a full hip bow.

AG looked down at us with a slight irritation on his face. "Get up, we have too much to do to rely on formalities."

"This is why I didn't want that added to the baseline" he said to TAI.

"Formality is necessary for function Alistair." TAI replied in her typical nonchalant way.

"Ridiculous TAI, this is all just so ridiculous at times. And you two, would you kindly treat me like any one else unless otherwise told".

And just like that, I wasn’t kneeling before my sworn liege—I was standing in front of a respected elder. Hard to fight programming when it’s written into your bones. Harder still when the old man actually feels like someone worth kneeling for.

"So, we've been keeping tabs on the two of you since the discovery and we know about the Italians. That's not going to go anywhere through official channels. They, and every other nation, have been trying to get to our tech for decades now, but this is the first time they outright came after our androids since it's kinda hard to sneak an official model out. This here introduces a new paradigm to our anti-theft programs." AG said in his confident yet warm voice.

Not a baritone type of voice, but instead a light tenor. Obviously AG was not one to ever need to raise his voice so he had an ambient, perfectly pitched, voice for quite conversation.

He had gotten up at some point and was pouring two cups of hot coffee on the table and then offered them to both Frank and I.

"Sit. We'll discuss your next steps. I had TAI send you over historical reference to external, umm , problems of the past for context." AG said taking a break to take a bite of a really good looking apple danish. "So, I think we need one of you to go over there and maybe ask a few questions in person to our Mr. Falieri. As well, we have some contacts in the local information trade over there who may be able to help with the more local view of things. Obviously, it's not a good look for us if we transmitted that info. The nations take interest in even our detritus these days so a data dump from a known info broker would be nothing but a huge red flag for all. I'll let the two of you decide the details, but maybe Agent Parker here could go as he looks more the part, but again it's up to you two to decide."

I could sense Franks ears perk up at the unintended praise and felt him straighten up to speak and probably accept that part of the case when he said "Actually your majesty, I think Frank is better with people then me. And given that the Italians aren't as exposed to a real android their expectations are less forgiving then the populace here."

"Yes, I agree" TAI said. "We need someone to blend nicely with the human populace, and besides Franks attire, he tends to come off as a "cute" throw back to most. I think he'll do nicely for this part of the mission.

"Sheesh, TAI, tell me how you really feel".

"Fine. You and I have a date when this is over. Dress nicely—I expect dinner and dancing".

I looked at TAI waiting for the punch line. The room was eerily quiet.

"Fine. Thai food good?" I asked. To which she smirked and nodded.

"Ah, my children grow up so fast." AG said breaking the thick tension that had grown. "Kay, get your things in order. I want you to go see Dr. Vance and get some upgrades before heading out. TAI will setup your diplomatic credentials. Frank, stay back to discuss our local findings and what's next."