October 2071. La Carambola. Las Croabas, Puerto Rico. Unincorporated Territory of the United Nations of America.

Liam stepped into the private gym of his newly built residential tower. The building hadn’t been finished yet, but the leaders of Apex’s security and intelligence departments had insisted he move to the residential tower as soon as his suite was finished. The other executives would move into their own buildings once they reached an appropriate state of completion. Despite the lack of residential structures and the construction of scientific and technological facilities taking precedence, none of them were allowed to stay in the same building for security reasons.

The soothing hum of modern equipment filled the air. It had been three months since Liam had undergone the groundbreaking gene editing procedure, and he had been putting hours in the gym or out on the track every day. He also slipped away once a week to train in the rudimentary training complex the company had built.

The training complex didn’t have much beyond classrooms for instruction, a couple shooting ranges, and a miniature replica city to practice urban operations. There were plans to radically increase the size and scope of the facility, but right now, Apex Security Forces simply needed a safe place to practice their marksmanship.

The training Liam had conducted over the last three months had shaken the rust off of him in more ways than one. Each workout turned back the clock and brought him closer to his prime.

As he began his workout, energy coursed through his veins. He imagined the same feeling a racehorse felt when they were about to run or a hound on the hunt. His body was reacting to doing an activity it had trained its whole life for.

The weights felt lighter in his hands, his movements smoother and more precise. His body had been fine-tuned to peak performance, and with each repetition, he could feel his muscles rippling with unprecedented strength and efficiency.

He pushed his limits, challenging his muscles with various workouts that stressed multiple strength parameters. As he moved from one exercise to the next, he marveled at the seamless connection between his mind and body, a synchronicity that seemed almost superhuman. Except, it wasn’t superhuman–it was just the best that humanity had to offer.

The gym’s mirrors reflected a new version of himself–a version he had almost forgotten at his age. He was muscular, toned, and filled with a vitality that expressed itself in each hair follicle. The gray in his beard and hair had disappeared, and his skin had firmed up–eliminating the thousand little lines of experience.

While his body was impressive, his mind had undergone the most shocking transformation. Liam had never been a stupid man, but now his mental clarity and focus would rival or exceed even the best minds on the planet.

It had even unlocked a deeper interaction with his neural implant that he hadn’t predicted. Now, querying Apex’s data was a subconscious, instinctual reaction. Whenever he looked at an object, he could determine its composition and manufacture without thinking about it—he knew already.

Math and languages had similarly undergone radical transformations. He could look at a problem and know the answer, just like if he had been asked what two plus two was three months before. As for language, once he heard a word, he could repeat it perfectly. If he was trying to think of a phrase, his brain would pull the data automatically, allowing him to spit it out with almost native precision.

As the workout continued, a sense of peace washed over him, his body reacting positively to the exertion. It brought a euphoria that made him immensely thankful for the opportunities he had been afforded. It was a glimpse into the future of human potential. Eventually, everyone would feel like he was feeling now. It would transform medicine, sports, and overall human performance. He was proud to be at the forefront of the technological and societal revolution.

He took a break between his weightlifting exercises and cardio, basking in the euphoria of triumph. He was about to get up when he received a call from Jun Matsuharu, the Chief Security Officer, on his HUD.

He accepted the call with a blink, and the line was patched through his neural implant.

Hey Liam, I wanted to update you before our next executive meeting.

What’s up, Jun?

I’ve spoken with the Governor’s staff. They’ve asked the UNA to remove their military forces and allow them to occupy them with the National Guard, and the UNA agreed.

That’s surprising, Liam commented. I expected more of a pushback from them.

Apparently, there was some back and forth on force composition and what would be needed here to maintain security, but the UNA only had about four thousand personnel stationed here. They were relatively isolated, with no warships, aircraft, or heavy machinery. The most they had were some Humvees and a few helicopters.

Is the Guard keeping those?

No, of course not. Jun practically snarled. Also, the bloodsuckers asked the Puerto Rican government to pay for their removal.

I’m assuming we paid for that?

Yeah, got it approved with Hassan. He’s happy as a clam now that the credits are flowing in like a river. He barely even cursed at me when I asked.

Liam chuckled. Hassan was usually pleasant enough, but he considered it a personal insult if a department started acting too freely with company funds. It was a good trait in a Chief Financial Officer, and everyone else took the abuse in good spirits. After all, the man had made magic happen even without the dark money they could call on–a rare enough situation these days.

That’s one problem sorted, he said cheerfully. How are the Guard?

I think Marcus’ term was “dogshit,” Jun said before laughing.

That bad?

His Chief Intelligence Officer’s tone sobered. Yeah, pretty much. Even by my own reports, they couldn’t stop a lightly equipped incursion. They’re spending eight hours a day, every day, at the training complex. Some tried to get out of the training, but Marcus stopped that real quick. He still expects it will take another three months before they’re even passable as a defense force.

Any redeemable officers?

Yeah, there’s a Major, can’t remember the name at the moment, but Marcus has him on a fast track for promotion. I’m not sure what the requirements are for that, but I imagine we can apply the appropriate pressure on the governor when the time comes.

Just one? That’s going to leave them a little bottom-heavy. Liam said, concerned. How many soldiers are we talking about here?

A little over eighteen thousand. From what I’ve seen of Marcus’ reports, he plans to focus on the non-commissioned officer corps and improve the quality that way. Until then, the officers will be figureheads until they can work out how to get the bad ones out and the good ones promoted.

The governor say anything about that?

Not to us, but I’ve got his office bugged. He’s been bringing in officers and warning them that if they don’t get their shit together, he will kick them out on their asses. He’s been hinting at them that they will be needed for something big later.

Well, that’s positive. Not just the officer thing, but he’s getting ready to declare independence.

Yeah, according to my agents, he’s incredibly popular with the locals. They’re whispering about independence already. Once the departure of the UNA military is announced, the political winds should be in his favor. He’s already got a speechwriter getting the thing ready and affirming his support of Apex.

Excellent news. You got anything else for me?

What, the fact that your plans are progressing perfectly, isn’t enough for our wise and noble leader?

Liam laughed. I could always use more to work with.

Well, so could I, Jun said in good humor. I asked Apex to make me a synthetic intelligence partner. He’s agreed, and your dad is putting a secondary data center in my department's HQ.

Timeline?

Should be another month until she’s online.

She?

Yeah, Jun confirmed. I figured I’d match the naming scheme we started with Demeter. I’m going to name her Apate.

Liam tried to remember what she was the goddess of, and his mind seamlessly connected with Apex to retrieve the answer. The knowledge sprang to the forefront of his thoughts as if it were knowledge he’d always had and simply needed to remember.

Apate was a minor Greek goddess who was the representation of fraud and deception. It was a darker motif than he wanted for their intelligence department, but he couldn’t argue the name didn’t fit.

Alright, good luck, old friend. Liam finished.

Same to you, boss. Jun answered before cutting the call.

Liam finished his workout, still marveling at how well his body responded to the training. After a few more months, he’d likely need to upgrade his tower's equipment to perform more challenging exercises.

After working through his morning routine, he met Oskar in the lobby of the half-finished building. It was one of the few floors that had been finished and served as a masterpiece of Apex Industries' design principles.

The space was vast, with high ceilings and integrated lighting that bathed the area in a warm golden glow. Like the company’s other constructions, polished white floors reflected the suffused light, adding a touch of grandeur. A tasteful blend of sleek metal accents and natural stone elements contributed to the sense of combined technology and natural features that the company hoped to achieve.

Liam’s eye was drawn to his favorite part of the lobby–a lavish indoor garden filled with carefully selected plants and cascading water features drawn from the local ecology. It was a serene oasis in the middle of what would one day be a bustling city environment. The soothing sounds of water trickling and the earthy scent of fresh foliage added a touch of organic tranquility. The highlight of the garden was a large starfruit tree.

In the local language, the fruit was called carambola, and it was also the name of the building he lived in. To preserve the local culture, someone in the development division of his father’s department had decided to name all of the buildings after fruit native to the island. Each lobby had been designed to include a garden featuring the namesake of the building to subtly reinforce the company’s principle of cooperation over domination.

As he passed the garden, his young bodyguard fell into step with him. Oskar seemed to exude the same vitality and strength as his boss. He had been adamant about undergoing the gene therapy procedure shortly after Liam did, and the results were spectacular, if not a little frustrating to the older man. No matter how hard Liam trained, Oskar seemed determined to exceed him.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Hey, jefe,” Oskar greeted him. “Your schedule seems relatively empty today. Any specific plans?”

“I figured we could get some range time in,” Liam shrugged. “Marcus and my sister have been working on new weapon systems.”

“New toys? I’m definitely in,” Oskar replied with a savage grin. “Are they going to be laser blasters or phaser beams?”

“No, nothing like that,” Liam chuckled as they exited the building. “They’re still kinetic weaponry, but the design has been reimagined to be more modular.”

“In what way?” Oskar asked as they approached the waiting Ward Model V.

Liam paused with his hand on the door handle of the gigantic SUV. “From what I understand, you can start with a pistol as the weapon's base, and then components can seamlessly be added to the core pistol to change other types of weaponry.”

“How does it account for the different calibers?” Oskar frowned.

“A different kind of magazine well forward of the trigger guard and a barrel that can dynamically adjust to the type of magazine inserted,” he answered.

“So you could conceivably fire a sniper round from a pistol?” Oskar winced.

“I hope not,” Liam shared his concern. “Hopefully, the gun will check for a barrel extension before it allows that sort of thing, but hey, let’s test it out.”

The pair hopped inside and drove down the streets of Las Croabas. The past three months had allowed the small city to blossom under the influence of Apex Industries. Everywhere the vehicle passed, old buildings were being demolished, and new buildings were taking their place featuring Apex design aesthetics and advanced technology.

Even the roads were undergoing a transformation. What had once looked like war-torn paths in third-world countries were now smooth sections of prefabricated blocks of roadway. The design was inspired using recycled plastic to make up most of the sublayer, including channels for utilities.

As a by-product of the design, whenever a storm wracked the island, as they frequently did, the roads could absorb much of the excess water and store it in the hollow chambers below the road, where it would slowly dissipate into the ground beneath. This left the streets relatively dry and safe even during extreme weather.

There were even more improvements planned for later in the city’s development. For instance, they were still using physical stoplights, but the idea was to remove those in favor of networked traffic control systems that networked the cars. Traffic wasn’t much of a problem now since most vehicles were manufactured by the Ward Motor Company.

Even now, Liam spotted multiple Ward Model T’s, the public transportation option the subsidiary company had been producing as they needed them. The bus’s exterior boasted the same sharp, angular lines as his SUV. It was massive yet agile, with a streamlined silhouette contrasted by eight large wheels that exuded an air of power and sophistication. With its sleek matte black finish, it looked capable of transporting troops rather than the mundane construction crews it typically held.

It took less than ten minutes for them to reach the training facility built into the coast of Las Croabas. What had once been a beachfront hotel had been torn down and replaced with a bareboned stadium-sized monstrosity with crews of construction workers poring over it like a horde of insects. Like the rest of Apex Industries’ buildings, more levels were below ground than above.

Oskar guided their car into the underground garage. When the pair parked and exited the vehicle, the team spotted another three Model Vs.

“Who else is here?” Liam asked, curious. He hadn’t been informed that any other executive team members would be here today. That didn’t necessarily mean anything. Beyond their weekly team meetings, the other leaders of Apex Industries had many tasks they were individually responsible for. Liam didn’t micromanage them—by the same token, they only bothered him when a strategic decision needed to be made.

Oskar checked the data on his sunglasses before replying. “Looks like the heavy hitters. Jun, Marcus, and your sister are here. I’m not sure why—there’s no official meeting on the schedule.”

“Let me call Kayla and find out.”

With a thought that felt more like an ingrained reflex, Liam dialed his sister through his neural implant. After a few rings, she picked up.

What’s up, brother?

Just got to the training facility and noticed you were already here, he commented.

Jun, Marcus and I think we took the wrong approach with the training facility. We’re in the central conference room. Come by and see what we’re working on.

Sure, be there soon, Liam agreed readily.

He returned to reality and glanced at Oskar through the rearview. “Looks like they’re working on the next steps for the training facility. Let’s check in on them.”

“Got it, jefe,” Oskar replied before shutting off the car.

The pair got out and made their way through the futuristic facility. They eventually reached the door to the conference room with the rest of the team inside. Once it verified their identities, they were allowed access.

The room was marked by expansive windows that looked down on the simulated town nestled in the center of the stadium-like building. On the other side of the room was a bank of holoscreens that monitored every detail in the city as teams of security forces practiced urban operations. Jun, Marcus, and Kayla were clustered around the monitors, along with a dozen hard-eyed veterans who served as the company’s training masters.

“See?” One of the trainers commented as he watched the proceedings. “They’re acting this way because they’ve long since memorized the city's layout. We only have so many tricks in a MOUT town this size. Unless we develop something else, our training will grow pretty stagnant.”

“Not to mention,” another added. “That we can’t simulate different environments. We can take them out on the beach or into the jungle, but that’s only a few places where we might need to operate in the future.”

Liam cleared his throat, and the crowd turned to see who had joined them. They had been so focused on the monitors they didn’t notice someone had arrived.

“Hey, brother,” his sister greeted him with a smile and then gestured toward a central conference table.

Liam took a seat while Oskar took his customary place by the door. The CEO was joined by the other members of the executive team and a few of the trainers. Moments later, Apex also manifested a physical avatar for their impromptu meetings.

“So, what’s the trouble,” he said, looking around at the concerned faces around the table.

“We weren’t sure this needed to be brought to your guy’s level,” a brown-haired trainer with green eyes and a five-o-clock shadow said apologetically.

“Sorry,” Liam interrupted. “We haven’t been formally introduced.”

“Ah, right,” the man gestured to himself. “I’m Gunnar Weitzmann, the Head Trainer. I was recruited by Marcus.”

“Got it,” Liam said, quickly committing the name and face to memory. He could’ve used Apex to learn the man’s identity, but he feared a future where social niceties didn’t occur because their technology crowded it out. Often, those niceties had an intangible value that contributed to esprit de corps, and the head trainer was someone he definitely wanted on their side.

“Please, go on.” He said with steepled fingers.

“So, I think we have made a mistake in the design behind this facility.” Weitzmann continued. “The MOUT town is useful, but every other part of Apex seems to value future capability rather than immediate gains, right?”

Liam nodded, and the head trainer went on. “Right, so this facility is stuck in its current implementation. I can’t change around the training environments, and I can’t simulate every possible situation our forces might encounter. I need something else to develop the kind of training programs you guys will ask from me in the future.”

Liam winced. “Sorry, no one wants to do a job they don’t have the appropriate tools for.”

“You understand,” Gunnar nodded, his face the picture of relief.

Liam glanced around the table. “So that’s what you guys are here for?”

“Yeah,” Marcus answered for them. “We’re used to shipping out troops to various locations for training. About to go on a deployment to the desert? Great, we’ve got bases in the southwest and Mexico that can simulate those environments.”

“And we don’t have the luxury of doing that,” Jun added. “There’s no way I could prevent the discovery of a training element in a foreign country.

“Could you?” Liam asked, turning to Apex.

“I could,” Apex nodded. “But it wouldn’t be very efficient. I propose a technical solution to the problem.”

The gathering looked at Kayla, who seemed to be deep in thought. “Well, we already have augmented reality,” she said slowly. “We’re using it to visualize data in mediums like Oskar’s glasses.”

“Thinking about taking it a step further?” Liam caught on.

“Yes, but we would need vast computing power to make it happen,” Kayla shrugged.

“We don’t have enough,” Liam asked, eyeing Apex.

“Technically, we do.” Apex agreed. “But, like for many things, I propose a more specialized intelligence to take care of the task.”

Liam chuckled. “Well, Dad should be used to building data centers by now.”

“Wait,” Gunnar interrupted. “Are you guys talking about virtual reality?”

The rest of the assembled leaders nodded, and the trainer continued. “Will that be a true representation of training environments? There’s something to having sand in every corner of your uniform and water in your boots. Some hardships need to be overcome to grant true battlefield wisdom.”

“With a sophisticated enough framework, that’s all possible,” Apex assured him before looking at Liam. “However, to get that level of realism, you’ll need something that can interface with the human mind. Virtual reality, as society has conceptualized it, isn’t enough.”

Liam winced. “That opens up a host of other societal problems,” he argued. “I don’t want humanity attached to virtual reality to the degree that they don’t want to participate in our reality. Having to come to a training facility is one thing. Entering virtual reality at any time using an implant in your brain is another.”

“We can limit the scope of its applications,” Kayla said. “We make it only available for training purposes.”

“Once that sort of thing is out of the box, it can’t be put back in,” Jun took Liam’s side. “There will be a cottage industry of people developing custom experiences for consumption.”

“I don’t think we can afford untrained forces,” Marcus added. “If we can build a virtual reality, that means at some point, the technology will be created by us or by someone unrelated to us.”

“That’s true,” Liam allowed. “So the question is, how do we ensure people use the technology ethically? And without corrupting our society to the degree it can’t function?”

“By controlling the framing of the technology itself,” Jun answered. “I’m assuming time is arbitrary within virtual reality?”

“Theoretically, yes.” Kayla nodded.

“Then we make all Apex Industries employees use virtual reality for training if they want to be part of the company. They can all receive basic combat training along with whatever else we think is useful for their development and jobs,” Jun seemed to be growing excited at the prospect, but Liam was frowning.

“I don’t understand how making everyone use virtual reality limits its potential effects,” he said.

“It’s the difference between the legal age for alcohol before or after the age of driving,” Jun explained. “If the drinking age comes before driving, then drinking while driving becomes less enticing when people take the wheel. The prospect of drinking is normal. The prospect of driving is new. In reverse, if you can drive before you drink, you’re more likely to drive under the influence because consuming alcohol is new, and driving is normal.”

Liam thought he was catching on. “So if you’re already experienced with using virtual reality for training, you’re less likely to use it for recreation? It feels more like a functional tool than a joyride?”

“Exactly,” Jun nodded. “If you’ve only ever used virtual reality for training, then it’s framed differently than if it starts natively in the population as a form of training. After all, if there’s a cottage industry of virtual reality developers, they won’t make any money by introducing training at first. They’ll target the vices that already exist in society and make them more accessible.”

An ugly expression crossed Liam’s face. He had seen plenty of vice worldwide in areas where societal norms and laws had broken down. Despair bred atrocity, but so did overindulgence. The world was still focused on mere survival, but that wouldn’t always be the case. As Apex’s technology became more prevalent and people’s basic needs were being met, they would turn to other, perhaps darker, pursuits. They needed to frame the society they wanted to live in before it outpaced their influence.

“Okay,” he put his palms on the table. “I’m convinced. Does anyone else have any objections?”

There was a chorus of shaking heads, so Liam continued. “What timeline are we talking about?”

“Decades,” Kayla said flatly. “The virtual reality itself isn’t that complicated. That’s just a matter of computing power, resources, and bandwidth. However, the implant is higher up the tech tree than we’re ready to go.”

Liam looked around the room, noticing the trainers intently listening in on their conversation. He trusted them to do their jobs, but none had been informed of Apex’s larger ambitions. “Gentlemen, would you mind giving us the room?”

Gunnar smiled congenially. “No problem, boss. We’re familiar with need-to-know. Right boys?” he said louder to the rest of the trainers.

The trainers flashed smiles and some nods. They were all special forces veterans. They wouldn’t take the dismissal personally, just the reality of working with secrets. When the last of them filed out, Liam continued the conversation.

“How far up the tech ladder do we need to go?”

“To space, probably.” Kayla shrugged. “That kind of manufacturing must happen in low or no-G environments to reduce imperfections. Plus, it will require materials we don’t have in great supply planetside.”

Liam listed out the steps using his fingers. “So, we’ll need somewhere to launch things into orbit, a facility to collect and refine resources, and a place to do the manufacturing.”

“Alternatively, we could use the Priori ship,” Apex proffered.

“We’d have to steal it,” Marcus said with a chuckle. “It’s still sitting in Yucca, as far as I know.”

“We’d still need a place to hide it,” Jun pointed out. “Otherwise, we’ll be asking for the entire UNA to fall on us like a ton of bricks.”

“But imagine the possibilities,” Kayla’s eyes were sparkling. “We could use it to ferry components to orbit and accelerate our timeline so that it’s measured in years rather than decades. It can also be a stopgap until our manufacturing capacity catches up to plans.”

“Can we hide it during transit?” the CEO asked. “Building a concealed hangar is fine, but actually getting it there or into space without discovery seems impossible.”

“It has enough stealth abilities to keep it hidden from any technology likely to be used on this planet,” Apex assured him.

The table went silent as they considered the ramifications of such a decision. Finally, Liam broke the silence.

“We’ll need to bring this up to the rest of the executive team and take a vote, but in the meantime, let’s plan a heist!”

Testing the new modular weapons had long since dropped from the leader’s mind.