Growing up in a small, rural town in Texas, Amy Carter had learned the value of integrity and resilience the hard way. One story from her childhood stood out: when she was twelve, a group of older kids tried to bully a younger girl at school. Amy, small but fearless, stepped in and told them to back off. When they laughed and pushed her down, she stood up, wiped the dirt from her face, and punched the leader square in the nose. The principal called her parents, and while her mother admonished her for fighting, her father simply said, “Sometimes, you have to stand up to bullies, even when it’s tough.” That lesson stayed with her throughout her life. She loathed bullies and tried to fight them at every step of the way, even if they were the most powerful people in the world.
Her attitude made her the perfect candidate for Secretary of Defense under President Samantha Reynolds, who admired Amy’s no-nonsense approach to leadership. However, Amy thought the President was too trusting, listening more to approval ratings than to her own voice of reason. Even if this was a luxury that only she could afford, she had warned her—do not install the NanoChip. Put some limits to its use, and put safeguards in place. She hadn’t listened. Too high was the temptation of appealing to a broad base of her population, who were embracing the new technology every day by the thousands.
And lastly, Ryan Lee was a bully. She knew it. Surrounded by people he pushed around at will, even a former US general! She didn’t trust him. But who else was to oversee the deals with NAPPA? She had to step in.
When the proposal for NanoChipM had first crossed her desk, Amy was skeptical. The idea of enhancing soldiers’ capabilities with advanced nanotechnology sounded appealing, but something about it felt off. Her instincts told her this wouldn’t be a usual military supplier deal. However, also here, the President and the government overruled her.
China and Russia were already researching the same technology and catching up, working out deals with NAPPA. Would they have any qualms about equipping their soldiers? The least she could do was kindly decline the implant for herself, together with a handful of others, citing prior allergies and other health issues as the reason.
As the months passed, Amy watched with growing unease as more and more of her colleagues succumbed to the allure of the NanoChips. They praised the benefits—enhanced cognitive functions, and improved decision-making—but there were also subtle changes in their behavior. Their once lively debates became eerily uniform, their independent thinking replaced by a hive-mind mentality that made her skin crawl.
Then, the big bang! As soon as she heard Lee’s public speech, she knew she had to disappear. Her attempts to save others were mostly unsuccessful, yet she and a couple of officials, loyal to her, managed to vanish from public life, retreating to a secure location. From there, she coordinated their small group, gathering intelligence and biding her time until she could strike back.
This morning, though, felt different. As usual, Amy stuck to her routine—up before dawn at 4 AM, making coffee and stocking up on energy drinks for the day ahead. But as she scrolled through her social media feeds, something caught her eye. A sudden burst of unusual activity. Something was off. People were posting about intense headaches, dizziness, and other strange sensations. Many directly blamed the NanoChip and NAPPA for the perceived side effects.
Her heart started to race. What did this mean?
At that same moment, the phone buzzed—a secure line she had set up for emergencies. She picked it up quickly.
“Who is this?” Amy demanded, her voice cautious.
“Ms. Carter. You have to listen to me,” a man said in a thick Russian accent. “I have formerly worked for NAPPA as an engineer. Just some hours ago, several of my colleagues and friends managed to disrupt NanoChips across the globe, using strong magnetic signals from MRI machines. Only a few areas remain out of our reach, including the 21 Tesla MRI device in Singapore. We’ll have to activate them all if we want to erase NAPPA’s control completely from the planet. And we have to act fast.” Kuryakov’s voice was urgent but hopeful. “We need you back in the White House to deal with this—now.”
Amy’s mind raced. Was this some sort of trap? “How do I know you’re not setting me up? Why should I trust you?”
“I understand your caution,” Kuryakov said. “But I’m sure you have already seen that things have changed—check social media, look at the news reports. People are waking up, disoriented, but free from the NanoChip control. It’s all over the internet. I'm sure you've also seen the police reports—thousands of calls about strange symptoms and confusion. This is real, and we need your help. We tried our best, but we haven’t completely succeeded. You are our plan B.”
She switched to a news app and saw the same reports: people all over the world were experiencing the same symptoms.
“All right,” she said finally, her voice steady. “I believe you. I don’t think I have another choice, either way. I’ll head to the White House now. Keep your line open, I want you to explain to me everything on the way!”
Amy pulled up at the White House, just as the first light of day crept over the horizon. She had circled the block a few times, partly to calm her nerves, partly to double-check the scene. No telling what she’d find inside—chaos, resistance, maybe even armed soldiers still clinging to NAPPA’s influence. The usual buzz of activity was gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. The once-busy corridors of power were now filled with pale, hollow-eyed people shuffling around like confused zombies. The guards, recognizing her, moved aside without a word, letting her through. Relief overcame her.
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Amy took a deep breath before stepping into the Oval Office. Samantha Reynolds sat at her desk, rubbing her temples, looking more exhausted than Amy had ever seen her. The room was in complete disarray—papers scattered across the desk, books tossed on the floor, and shattered vases and mugs littering the space. Even the usually unflappable President appeared completely drained
“Madam President, are you alright?” Amy asked, scanning the room, her voice filled with concern.
Reynolds looked up, her eyes clearing as if waking from a long sleep. “Amy… you’re back,” she said, relief and confusion mingling in her gaze. “What’s going on? Where have you been?”
“The NanoChips have been deactivated by a group of freedom fighters. They managed to destroy it almost everywhere around the world, except in East Asia—China, Singapore, and a couple of other countries. The signal didn’t reach this far. Now we have only a narrow window to act before NAPPA tries to regain control,” Amy explained, her voice urgent. “Many people, including yourself, are still experiencing side effects. But we need to strike now.”
Reynolds tilted her head, the fog in her mind slowly lifting. “What are you saying?”
“I have been in touch with the people responsible for dismantling NAPPA’s influence. They are former employees of the company and know best how this technology works. I have discussed the possibilities in detail with them. Again, if do not act, NAPPA might undertake steps to disable the magnetic signal again and regain control.”
Reynolds rubbed her temples again and sighed. “I think I need a coffee first,” she muttered, starting to rise from her seat. But Amy stepped in, grabbing her arm gently but firmly.
“No, Madam President, this cannot wait! We need to stop NAPPA now!” As the words left her mouth, Amy realized that despite working with this woman for over ten years, she barely knew the person behind the title.
President Reynolds paused and looked up, her expression shifting as the gravity of the situation sank in. “NAPPA you say…? They are behind all of this? I guess it makes sense. I do remember them, their promises. Amy, what do you propose?”
“Trying to enhance the MRI signal would take too much time,” she began.
The President blinked, clearly lost. Amy quickly realized she needed to simplify things, at least for now.
“Bottom line—we need to disable the NAPPA AI center in their headquarters in Singapore. Destroy it, if we have to,” Amy said. “This is where all the small adjustments are made to every single NanoChip worldwide. By destroying this facility, we will destroy the last possibility of NAPPA to exert any control.”
“And what about casualties? I guess some people are working there at this moment?”
“Yes, it’s true. There is a high probability that civilians will get hurt.” Amy paused, knowing what she was asking for.
“Okay, but if we opt to do this, we must notify all American citizens in Singapore beforehand—the danger to civilians is too high”
“But, Madam—”
“Amy, I give you full authority over this. But we must spare American civilians. The people are counting on me to protect them. Go now and do what you have to do. We can’t let them regain control.”
Amy turned around to go.
“Oh, and one more thing. Make an example out of those NAPPA bastards. The world should know that nobody fucks with America and goes unpunished.”
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Chaos reigned inside NAPPA’s headquarters. In the conference room, the atmosphere was tense and frantic. NAPPA’s executives shouted over each other, trying to find a solution to the sudden loss of control over the NanoChips worldwide. Ryan had just briefed them about the gravity of the situation, but his words had only added to the panic.
“We need to regain control!” Bruce Han, one of the top executives and by now, Ryan’s biggest supporter, yelled. “How could this happen?”
“We’re losing everything!” another cried out, slamming his fist on the table.
Ryan tried to maintain a façade of authority. “Everyone, focus! We need to initiate damage control. I’ve already sent several teams out to deal with the technical problems in Puerto Rico. What options do we have left?”
General Meyer and Jeffrey Thompson, however, sat quietly looking into their screens, their eyes glazed over. They hadn’t come to the office that day, but rather stayed at home and joined the meeting virtually.
“Ryan?” Jeffrey finally spoke. “I apologize, but I have an urgent call here. There’re several things I must work on in my department. I will rejoin and report back immediately.”
“Me, too, Ryan,” General Meyer added. “Stay strong. We will manage this challenge, too.”
“Where are you going?” Ryan demanded, his voice tinged with desperation. But both of them had already disconnected.
Suddenly, a throbbing headache overcame him, casing him almost to fall over. With the last bit of his strength, he forced himself to stand upright. Then, Ryan finally understood. They would be coming for him, next.
He looked over the bewildered faces of his colleagues with sadness. No, not colleagues. They were his friends.
“Everyone, out!” he screamed, struggling to contain the sharp pain piercing his skull.
Every single one of them stopped, turned toward their leader, and stared blankly.
“Ryan, what?” Someone said.
“I want you all to go home—now! We will postpone this meeting until a later timepoint.” Ryan stood up, starting to usher them out.
“No, Ryan, we will not go,” Bruce Han said. “We are your employees, after all. We will not leave you in these difficult hour. Not even for a minute.”
Ryan sat there for a couple of seconds, unsure what to do next. Then, rage came up. “You are all fired! You are nothing but a bunch of losers who managed to destroy the biggest fucking company on this planet. I want you to go home immediately! Also, tell everyone you see on your way that they are fired, too! I will run this company alone, if I must.”
“But Ryan…” Mr. Han began.
“Out, out, out! Everyone out!” Ryan screamed again, standing up and banging his hands on the table repeatedly.
Confused and scared, one by one, they packed their things are started to leave the office, looking at each other in agony.
“Move faster!” Ryan shouted again. “And don’t forget—anyone you pass on your way out is fired too! I want everyone out of this building, now.”
At last, they cleared out. Ryan sank into a chair, the silence settling around him.
Minutes later, it happened. The clear blue sky over Singapore lit up with streaks of fire. The barrage was on its way, cutting through the air with deadly precision.
Ryan stared out the window. He had known it was coming. He’d felt it. It was the only logical thing to do. What he would have done in their place.
He thought about Niko, Priya, Kuryakov, and hoped they were somewhere safe.
The distant roar of the missiles grew louder. Ryan’s eyes widened in resignation as he watched the incoming rockets. The outside looked like the fireworks on Chinese New Year that he used to enjoy as a child. One of the few happy memories from his younger years. It didn’t matter anymore. He was just happy he would get to see Emily again.