Richard stepped cautiously into Ryan’s office, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The room was actually absurd. As he opened the door he found a large wooden executive desk with none other than a life-sized Iron Man suit standing proudly behind the desk.
image [https://i.ibb.co/JQnKfvf/500400.png]
“What the...?” Richard muttered under his breath. “This guy’s got to be kidding.... How the hell did he get approval to have this in his office?"
"No wonder he always take his calls over video... He would be a laughing stock.”
As he moved further into the room, he couldn’t help but notice the custom cabinetry built to display the suit that, while impressive, screamed egregious misuse of government funds. “Wtf?” Richard whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.
While approaching the desk his eyes fell on a picture of Ryan looking smug with Robert Downey Jr. proudly displayed on a shelf next to the suit “Of course, he has a picture with RDJ,” Richard scoffed. “Why am I not surprised?”
Not wanting to waste any more time and worried someone may walk in at any moment, Richard began searching around Ryan’s desk for any useful information. He rifled through papers, skimming over what looked like plans for some kind of turbine. “Interesting,” he mused. “But not what I’m looking for.”
He knew better than to try and brute force Ryan’s PC password. That would be a waste of time and a sure way to get caught. As he continued to search, he couldn’t help but reflect on his rocky work relationship with Ryan.
Ryan, you pompous prick. Always so quick to pull a power move in front of Sarah or change subject when things get too technical, Richard thought bitterly. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that sometimes you just have to play the game.
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His eyes fell on the Iron Man suit, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Well, if we’re playing this game,” he said aloud, mocking Tony Stark’s confidence, “Hey Jarvis, Avengers Assemble.”
To his astonishment, a male AI voice responded, “Access Granted, Sir.”
Richard’s jaw dropped as the base of the Iron Man statue slid open to reveal a tray holding a rectangular silver tablet, covered in what looked like glowing transmission lines. “What a dweeb Ryan is,” Richard muttered, though he couldn’t hide his curiosity.
On the surface of the tablet was a square inscribed inside a circle with two lines forming an X connecting the adjacent corners. At the four points where the square touched the circle, there were embedded colored marbles: red, blue, green, and white, matching the colors of the pattern he had been studying for the past two years.
image [https://i.ibb.co/58XH6gH/500400.png]
Richard’s mind raced with possibilities. What is this? Why is Ryan hiding it?
He confirmed that the marbles flashed in the same familiar 2, 1, 2, 1 timing loop. “These lines must be important,” he murmured. “Far too advanced for something I should have clearance for.”
As he timed the flashes, Richard traced his finger starting at the top left red marble, then moving to the bottom right blue marble. Both marbles stayed glowing. His heart pounded in his chest. “This might actually work,” he whispered.
He moved his finger up to the top right green marble, but as he crossed it, the flash came and went, leaving him confused and frustrated. “Damn it!” he hissed.
After two more failed attempts, Richard decided to try a different approach. “Maybe if I follow the outside of the circle…” he thought aloud. He arced his finger up to the top right marble, feeling the timing click into place. This time, the green marble stayed glowing.
His heart raced faster as he carefully moved his finger down to the bottom left white marble, which also stayed lit. Finally, he completed the sequence by tracing back up to the red marble, forming an infinity shape.
Richard held his breath and lifted his hand. The marbles began glowing brighter and brighter until suddenly… BANG.