Today

When Niko stepped out onto Serangoon Road, the clouds were playing a slow retreat and the rain was finally giving up. Typical Singapore weather—one moment you were in a sauna, and the next, you were in a shower.

He was greeted by the usual noise and confusion of voices, the low humming of engines of bikes, scooters, one-wheel drives, and whatnot. Serangoon Road was now the most crowded street on the planet, and Niko found a strange comfort in the anonymity of the masses, even though he towered a whole head above everyone else. He always felt like a lighthouse in a sea of people.

The strong smell wafting from the Hawker Center across the street caught his attention—roasting meats, sizzling noodles, and a hint of something spicy. Ah, the joys of Singapore street food. So many places to explore, yet so little time.

Amidst the sea of people, he spotted an unusually tall figure with a bullish face staring right at him. He looked down to pull out his glasses, but when he glanced up again, the figure had vanished.

Just another day of wishing he’d gotten that eye surgery. It was perfectly safe and common now, but ironically, for an MD, he had a thing about not messing with his body. Drugs? No, thanks. Except alcohol, of course.

This aversion to bodily tampering was also why he didn’t get the “NanoChip” implant, although they sure as hell tried time and time again. Ryan, Edmundsson, even General Meyer—almost everyone was an early adopter. It was good PR, they said. Trust us, they said. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

This was not known to the public, of course. He’d look like the Apple CEO using Windows if anyone thought he didn’t trust his own product. The official line was, “We implanted the NanoChip ourselves first, and look how amazing we are now!” Two colleagues who’d been wheelchair-bound were now walking miracles. Public sensation? You bet. It was the catalyst for that speech, the one that would spell his downfall at NAPPA. At least he still had his shares, he consoled himself.

As soon as he turned onto Boon Keng Street, he saw his sanctuary—Qasr’s Mezze, one of his go-to restaurants. He sat down and ordered the standard—a mixed mezze platter and baklava, both of which reminded him of home. The restaurant was, as always, almost empty, which was a really hard feat in a packed city like Singapore. Hassan, the chef, was still working in the kitchen, his belly a testament to his love for his own cooking. The restaurant had minimal decor, shabby chairs and tables, some pictures and posters of Aleppo. As usual, loud Arabic music blasted from the speakers.

“Hassan, a beer please,” Niko shouted over the counter as he took his usual seat.

But then, something unusual happened—a tall person in a big gray hat and a rain jacket, still dripping, sat across from Niko. This was weird. In Singapore, people valued personal space like gold.

The guy was wearing a face mask, a common sight on the streets due to the worsening air quality and stringent health regulations. His eyes above the mask sparkled sternly, making Niko shiver. Then he took off his mask.

“You!” Niko blurted out, surprising even himself. Without thinking, he leaned over the table and landed a punch right on the man’s face with all his might. One of few punches he’d ever thrown, and this one wasn’t bad.

But what really threw him was the guy’s reaction.

There wasn’t one.

Niko was left panting, trying to figure out what to do next while the bulldog-faced man just sat there, unfazed.

“Guess you could say I had that coming,” the man said, spitting a bit of blood into a handkerchief, his brown eyes still locked onto Niko’s. He had that Singaporean lilt in his voice.

Now that Niko got a better look, the guy’s face was red, with big puffy cheeks that showed clear signs of former acne. He had a neck so short and burly it looked like his head was just perched on his shoulders.

“I’m here to talk business, Professor Tesic,” the man said.

“I don’t want anything to do with you, whoever you are. And I’m definitely not giving you any interviews.”

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

The man lit a cigarette—smoking in Singapore, bold move. It hadn’t been allowed indoors for more than fifty years.

He offered one to Niko, who ignored it, so he just shrugged and put them back in his pocket.

“You’ve got me wrong, Professor Tesic. I’m no journalist,” he said while puffing on his cigarette. “But I do know you might be in need of a job soon. No family here, but your parents will start wondering where the money’s gone.”

“Who the hell are you, man? How do you know about my parents?”

“Seen Batman, Professor Tesic? Favorite movie of mine. Just like in the movie, I’ll say this: it doesn’t matter who we are, what matters is our plan, lah. In this case, Professor Tesic, I am no villain. And although it may be hard for you to believe, I’m here to help.”

“Help me? I’m out of here.” Niko grabbed his jacket to leave.

“Ryan Lee, he’s a good friend of yours, right? Or so he wants you to think.”

“What do you know about Ryan?” Niko sat back down, his curiosity piqued, with a bit of fear creeping in. One more scandal could ruin everything.

“Let’s get to that, but first, my proposal. I want you to work for me.”

“Work for you? You do realize I have a job. Even though you’ve tried hard to make sure I wouldn’t.”

“If you mean NAPPA, Professor Tesic, you’re mistaken.” The man laughed, a grunting sound. “NAPPA Inc. is relying on you as a future employee as much as they are on me. We’re doing you a favor by letting you out of that capitalist hellhole. Maybe this will help you see who you can really trust.”

He took out a laptop and handed Niko a pair of VR glasses. “Put these on, and you’ll see what I mean.”

Reluctantly, Niko did as he was told, and he was suddenly in a familiar room with a view of Singapore’s skyline—the boardroom at NAPPA Inc. He’d been there countless times.

The room was elegantly furnished, with a large oak table at the center and high-backed leather chairs around it. Large windows offered a panoramic view of the city skyline, and state-of-the-art technology ensured that the meetings could proceed without any technical hitches.

Right then, the room was full of people at a table, and the camera perspective was weird, like he was sitting right in the middle of them. Niko had no idea how this could have been filmed.

“Okay, gentlemen, let’s continue. We don’t have much time,” a familiar voice said. The camera turned to Meyer at the head of the table. “We only have one agenda item: our strategy to maintain the company’s reputation and handle the issue with our CEO, Professor Tesic. That’s why Mr. Lee is here, our CTO.”

“Shouldn’t Niko be here?” another voice asked. It was Ryan. The camera shifted to him. “He’s still the CEO.”

“Not for long,” an elderly man on the board, whom Niko recognized as Mr. Jeffrey Thompson, said then laughed in his raspy voice. He was one of the earliest board members of NAPPA with heavy ties to the US military. It was Gen. Meyer who had brought him in.

And we think we live in a meritocracy. Niko had wondered, even back then …

“We are facing a tough situation for the image of this corporation, with a product that is not even launched yet. I think it’s fair to say that we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Professor Tesic.” It was Meyer. “But we have to act in the best interest of the company and our shareholders. The board had an informal vote before you came in, Mr. Lee.”

“But who could replace Niko? He’s been on top of everything for the launch.”

“You, Mr. Lee. You’ll replace him. You’ve worked closest with him and can take over his duties. As far as your current role is concerned, we will find a replacement soon. Do you accept?”

Ryan hesitated for a moment. “I accept. I will do my best and do what’s right for the company.” His voice uncharacteristically shaky. Niko had never heard him like that before.

What he had heard, however, was enough. He took off the glasses, rubbing his temples as a headache set in.

“If you join my organization, you will be able to get back at them all.”

“What kind of organization are you talking about?”

“Let’s say, it’s located far East.” He grunted again. “We want a chip like the one you made for the Americans.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

“Train soldiers, Professor Tesic. Make them smarter, stronger, faster. Perfect for war. Did it never occur to you that this would be the perfect application for NanoChip?”

Niko’s anger slowly creeped up. “I refuse. I won’t use my work for the military. Now leave me alone, please.”

“Are you so naïve to believe that your work isn’t already used for these purposes by NAPPA? You may have refused to help the US military during your time, even though the board acted like they accepted it, but every piece of information you gathered went straight to the Pentagon; trust me. And your successor won’t be so docile.”

“Where do you even get this information?” Niko shook his head. “You know what? I don’t care. Find someone else.”

The bulldog man leaned in closer. “The world is changing, Professor Tesic. The Americans became soft. While they’re mostly concerned with playing baseball, the foreigners do the work for them. Meanwhile, the Chinese have been preparing for war for decades. And if you help us, you will be on the victorious side because there will be no other side left. The US is a dying superpower and dangerous. We need equilibrium, and you could help us with just that. You have no friends on the other continent anymore.”

“I don’t care about your wars. They are not mine. And nothing you showed me proves Lee betrayed me,” Niko said, visibly irritated.

“That’s for you to figure out, Professor Tesic.” The bulldog smirked.

Niko stood up violently. “Get. The fuck. Out of my face,” he hissed from between his teeth. “I’m only so patient.”

The bulldog raised his hands. “Okay, okay, I’m going. But I did take the liberty of sending my contact card to your phone under ‘Friend.’ Do remember me when you realize what’s going on.” With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

Niko sat down again, silent. Breathe, he reminded himself. Breathe. This is how you calm down. This is how the pain goes away. Breathe.