Ryan’s frustration boiled over as he paced in his office. “Unacceptable, unacceptable …” he muttered to himself, his agitation palpable. In front of him, Amanda Zhang and his security officer, Jamie Wu, sat, looking down at the tips of their toes like schoolchildren caught in the act.
“I need all surveillance footage from the last twenty-four hours,” he ordered, “and a detailed analysis of all the software breaches. Something interfered with my NanoChip, I am sure of it. Find out what exactly it was, and find it fast.”
“Sir?” Jamie, a clean-shaven, muscular man in his thirties, said in a low voice, “I have brought up the security footage and our NanoChip detection software.” He gulped. “If you want to take a look, that is.”
“Do it.” Ryan nodded curtly.
On the screen, a tall man was seen showcasing his ID and entering the building.
“The timestamp of his entry coincides with an entry of a certain Anatoly Kuryakov, a former NAPPA employee.”
“Yeah, I know Kuryakov, for God’s sake, Jamie. But I told you, it wasn’t him. It was Nikola Tesic. The question is: how the fuck did he get Kuryakov’s credentials?” Ryan interrupted impatiently. “Niko doesn’t have a NanoChip; how did our system, the most expensive security system in the world, not recognize it?” His fury was palpable.
“Seeing this, I believe he might have had some sort of device that replicates the NanoChip data, in this case, Kuryakov’s data,” Amanda suggested.
“Sir, there’s another thing you need to know …” Jamie added cautiously. “At this exact time, we encountered a minor technological issue.”
Ryan managed to calm down and sit back in his chair. “It must be Kuryakov himself behind this. He gave them his NanoChip data. He built whatever device was causing this. Anatoly, you sly fox …” Then, tilting his head up and scratching his chin, he said, “Jamie, are Marsha and Jeffrey back?”
Jamie straightened up. “Yes, sir, I believe they arrived an hour ago.”
“Okay, have them come to my office after you leave.”
“But sir—”
“I said leave! Now!” Ryan shouted. He would not tolerate Jamie’s incompetence any longer.
As Jamie quickly disappeared, Ryan and Amanda exchanged a look.
“So?” Ryan asked. “What do you think?”
“I think Jamie’s days in NAPPA are numbered.” Amanda smirked.
“About my bloody headache, Amanda. Partial amnesia, even. I’m not in the mood for jokes. What the fuck happened?” he asked, rubbing his temples.
Amanda was getting slightly uncomfortable. She had never seen Ryan like this before. “Looking at the MRI images of your head from this morning, it’s clear that the device Niko was carrying interfered with your NanoChip. But the nanobots have rearranged since, so you should be feeling better soon.”
“I thought we solved that issue early on? We can’t have people having headaches every time they put a bloody magnet on their fridge!”
Amanda felt frustration creeping up. “We did, Ryan. Don’t you remember? Everyday magnetic shifts do not obstruct the NanoChip signal. Only a very strong magnetic signal, basically a miniature MRI, could cause this. It’s an impressive piece of technology.”
“So, it all points to Kuryakov, doesn’t it?”
“Highly likely. I don’t know anyone else who could build such a device.”
“Fuck. And the software glitch?”
Amanda shifted nervously in her seat. She didn’t appreciate how Ryan was talking to her, nor how she had to handle his dirty work. “Jamie talked to IT. It seems the interruption caused a two-minute delay in our security system. That’s how he got in. But this is really not my field of expertise. Talk to Jamie before you let him go.”
“Hmm. Tell Jamie to give me all the information on Kuryakov. I want him found, all right?” Ryan banged his fist on the desk.
“Ryan, this is not my—”
“Just do it, Amanda! And find a solution so this never happens again. You can go now.” Ryan waved her away as he was interrupted by General Meyer and Mr. Thompson entering.
“Ah, Marsha, Jeffrey, how was your trip to the US? How did the discussions with Secretary Carter go?”
Mr. Thompson started, “Excellent. The government officials were very happy with the first tests of NanoChipM. They plan to start equipping their soldiers by the end of the month. Did you see the update we sent out yesterday via email?”
“I didn’t have the time yet. We had a sort of an issue to deal with here.”
“We’ve read Jamie’s briefing,” Marsha said, looking at him fondly. She took a sip from an oversized Coca-Cola bottle she always carried around with her. “How do you feel?”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Better, thank you. It seems we are dealing with an internal safety issue. Niko had outside help; we assume it was at least Kuryakov, potentially one or more other unknown persons. Them being out there and scheming against us is a huge threat to our plans, to our future.”
“Indeed.” Mr. Thompson nodded. “What do you suggest we do about it?”
“Jamie will look into Kuryakov’s whereabouts. Until then, we double our efforts to find Niko and Priya.”
“Is tracking via NanoChip an option?” General Meyer asked.
“We’ve already tried—Priya’s signal is blocked. And we haven’t been able to locate Kuryakov, either,” Amanda interrupted. “It is possible that they are using the same device that got them into the headquarters, or some other shielding mechanism. Considering Ryan’s condition, Priya must be in pretty bad shape, too. They won’t be moving around easily.”
General Meyer and Mr. Thompson took a deep breath and looked at Ryan.
“Luckily, we tracked down Priya’s USB drive with our stolen data, thanks to the NanoChip memory reconstruction. But we don’t know what else she might remember and spill to Niko.” He took a deep breath. “I suggest, until this is clarified, to postpone our deal with the Chinese. We expose ourselves too much.”
General Meyer was shocked. “What? Ryan, we can’t do that. They are supposed to get the first delivery for testing in two weeks. If we stop now, we endanger our whole partnership!”
“What do you expect me to do?” Ryan asked diplomatically.
“See this through!” she responded energetically. “We can’t be seen as unreliable with these shipments by our partners. We need them out ASAP!”
“I will think about it. Please, now leave me be. My head is still throbbing.”
Clearly dissatisfied, General Meyer stood up and left, the other two following closely behind. Amanda, looking at Ryan, thought he was lacking leadership skills, and how she should be the one running the ship. She just wasn’t sure how to go about it yet.
Ryan stayed behind and felt anger creeping up again. He needed answers, and he needed them now. The longer Niko and Priya were out there, the greater the risk to everything he had built. He knew he had to act quickly before the situation spiraled further out of control.
----------------------------------------
Niko nervously glanced over at Priya’s unconscious form lying on a cot. Her breathing was shallow but steady, and a soft beeping from the monitoring equipment provided some reassurance. He had woken up suddenly, sweaty and agitated, his mind full of confusion and worry. The medical team had managed to stabilize her, but she was badly bruised.
Niko was furious. He would never forgive Ryan for what he had done to her. He and NAPPA would pay for this. But they had to be smart about it, as NAPPA’s influence was vast. Working with the most powerful governments in the world meant there was no safe space on this planet.
But first, Niko needed some answers.
He got up early in the morning, too early for his liking, to speak to Anatoly. Sayeed had managed to secure a phone line in which they could speak freely. The connection was established immediately.
“Anatoly? It’s me, Niko.”
He saw Kuryakov look closely into the camera, his trademark pipe in the corner of his mouth.
“Niko? You made it? Where are you calling from?”
“Listen, I need your advice on something,” Niko continued, ignoring the question. He recounted the events that had transpired at the headquarters.
After a moment of thought, Kuryakov sighed. “Oh, well, that makes sense.”
“Does it? I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“I should have seen this coming,” he muttered. “It is my fault, Niko. I didn’t have much time to make the modifications to my device. Maybe I overdid it a bit with the magnetic signal strength. Initially, this device was designed to shield me from NAPPA, disrupting the tracking signals in a small area around the carrier. But when we decided to emit a believable NanoChip signal, I ramped up the power.
The headaches … the disintegration of Ryan’s NanoChip … it all makes sense now.” Kuryakov explained. “I accidentally created a magnetic field strong enough to interfere with any nearby NanoChip. The magnetic pulses that the device uses to replicate the NanoChip signal were too powerful, causing them to malfunction. I’m sorry, Niko, I didn’t know this would happen. The Russians, myself included, are not letting anyone with a NanoChip even in my range of sight.” He laughed heartily.
“I understand,” Niko said pensively. “My theory is that your device had an extreme effect on Ryan because he was the first one to receive the nanobots. They must be tightly fused with his nervous system by now.”
“It’s certainly a possibility. And they do communicate via magnet signals, as we know. I just underestimated the complexity of balancing a signal that could both deceive NAPPA’s security and remain harmless to other NanoChips. The interference wasn’t supposed to be this disruptive. Why didn’t I see this coming?” Kuryakov shook his head in frustration.
Niko smiled. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. You did amazingly, and it saved us from being captured!”
“Well, I’m happy about that. Although, this body control device that Ryan has sounds scary.”
“It does. Especially when I think about its potential if they should use it broadly. Or they inject soldiers with it …”
“Well, just wait until I finish our own version of NanoChip. I’m sure the Russians and Chinese will use it for helping sick children only!” Kuryakov laughed. “But seriously, I will work further on the interference device and try to adjust the signal strength. We don’t want to cause any more trouble, do we?”
“Okay, my friend. Please, take care. They might already be after you. Let’s keep in touch.” With that, they ended the call.
Niko looked out the window of the old warehouse. Dawn began to break when he suddenly heard something from behind. He turned around to see Priya letting out a soft moan. His heart leaped, and he leaned closer, taking her hand.
“Priya? Can you hear me?”
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and glazed with pain. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of her surroundings.
“Niko?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“I’m here.” Niko’s voice choked with relief. “You’re safe now.”
Priya’s gaze shifted, taking in the warehouse, the makeshift infirmary, and the anxious faces around her. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t …”
“Stop it. I know,” Niko replied. “It’s not your fault. Ryan was controlling you.”
“It all feels like a distant memory, like a dream.”
“Thankfully, I managed to disrupt the signal. Also, we have to thank Sayeed and Klara. We’re in hiding now.”
Priya was slowly regaining her strength. “Sayeed?”
“Yes, you know him, don’t you? He said …”
“Oh, I know him. But Niko, Sayeed can’t be trusted.” Priya let out several coughs.
“But he has helped out so much until now. He kept me hidden and—”
Priya grabbed his hand, tightening her grip. “Listen to me. Sayeed sells his services to anyone willing to buy them. And right now, there seems to be a lot of interest from different players to stop NAPPA, including other pharmaceutical companies. Sayeed has found his niche there.”
“Wait a minute—he’s a contractor?” Niko exclaimed.
“Yeah, you could call him that, yes,” she said between more coughs.
This was a lot to take in. Niko had initially thought there was some large, global organization that existed solely to resist NAPPA and its technological advancement. A resistance, like you see in the movies. At least, this is what Sayeed had convinced him of. Now, he wasn’t sure what to believe.
“But, how do you know all of this?”
“Sayeed …” She coughed again. “Sayeed is my ex-husband.”
Exhausted, Priya let herself fall onto the mattress.
“Oh,” was all Niko managed to say.