General Meyer stood before the panel of senior military officials, her posture rigid as always. Her uniform was immaculate, not a thread out of place, and her expression remained carefully composed. Yet, beneath the surface, a faint shadow of tension flickered in her eyes.

“General Meyer,” a stern-faced man at the head of the table began, “welcome back to Singapore. We thought it would be fitting to meet all the former NAPPA executives here, where the events unfolded. My name is William Sherman, and I’ll be serving as the lead investigator in this case. Now, let’s get started, we have several interviews today.”

Sherman briefly shuffled the papers in front of him before leaning back, a crooked smile playing at the corners of his mouth “Your stint in the pharmaceutical industry was, by all accounts, quite eventful. I’m curious, General—what did you learn from your experience there? And more importantly, how do you see yourself contributing to the U.S. strategic goals moving forward?”

General Meyer nodded, as if she anticipated the question. Her tone was crisp and professional. “Thank you, sir. My time with NAPPA was indeed enlightening. I’ve learned a great deal about the integration of advanced biotechnology and its far-reaching applications. I look forward to sharing that expertise to further our goals.”

Before she could continue, the woman seated to the right of the lead investigator leaned forward, her expression sharp. “General Meyer, when we placed you within NAPPA, your directive was clear: steer the company’s trajectory toward an exclusive collaboration with the U.S., and no one else. Not only did you fail to achieve that, but the debacle with NanoChipM spiraled completely out of control. How do you explain disregarding your orders and allowing things to unravel as they did?”

Meyer took a deep breath before speaking. “At that point, I—like many others, including some sitting at this table—was under the influence of Mr. Lee and the NanoChip. The technology was engineered specifically to manipulate decisions and behaviors. None of us, myself included, truly grasped the extent of NAPPA’s insidious reach until it was too late.”

The woman to the right leaned forward again, her tone cutting. "And now? Given your failure and the chaos we find ourselves in, what do you propose as the next steps?"

General Meyer’s eyes hardened with resolve. “Madam President, despite the setback with Ryan Lee and the loss of the control over the NanoChip, we still have a significant opportunity. Over five billion people worldwide are implanted with the NanoChip. If we can swiftly resume operations and regain control, we won’t just have influence over the majority of the global population—we’ll secure an unparalleled strategic advantage.”

The lead investigator raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly makes that possible?”

“A vast majority of the Chinese military have also been implanted with NanoChipM.” Meyer’s eyes flickered for a second. “If we reactivate those chips, we could severely undermine their military capabilities while simultaneously strengthening our own. Particularly in the event of armed conflict. Or if we were trying to prevent one, of course.”

A heavy silence descended on the room as the weight of her words sank in. The officials exchanged brief glances.

“General,” the lead investigator said slowly, “do you believe this is feasible, given the current state of the NanoChip infrastructure?”

General Meyer nodded. “Yes, sir. While the AI facility was a crucial component, the core technology of the NanoChip remains intact and inserted into all users. With the right resources and a dedicated team, we can rebuild the necessary infrastructure and resume operations. It will require time and careful planning, but the potential benefits are immense.”

Samantha Reynolds shook her head, her voice tinged with skepticism. "And the ethical concerns? Do you honestly believe it’s wise to gamble on the NanoChip again, after everything that’s happened? The public would tear me apart."

Meyer’s didn’t flinch. “Of course, we must handle this matter delicately and with the greatest precautions, given the public backlash. Any operation must remain under strict secrecy, at least for now. The advantage is ours—we understand this technology better than anyone. If managed correctly, the NanoChip can offer unparalleled security and maintain tight control over the population. Let’s not forget, this same technology provided immense benefits to those suffering from various diseases.”

President Reynolds nodded. “Thank you, General. I believe we’ve heard enough for today. We’ll be in touch.”

General Meyer saluted sharply. “Yes, ma’am. Rest assured, if I can serve you and this country by regaining control and turning this situation to our advantage, you can count on me!”

As Marsha walked down the corridor, her thoughts turned to Ryan Lee. Poor, dumb Ryan. He had played his part well—mostly. He’d taken the control device from Amanda Zhang and used it on Priya, then scaled its use far beyond what anyone could have imagined. Exactly like he was supposed to. Of course, Ryan had no idea that Amanda had built a similar device for her—Marsha always had her own contingencies. Kuryakov’s constant muttering echoed in her mind: “Always have a backup device.” Annoying as he was, he had a point. And so, she did.

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It was necessary to keep Ryan in place as CEO, which meant eliminating any obstacles before they had a chance to interfere. Marsha had long suspected that the NanoChip required a specific personality type to function at its highest potential. Ryan was perfect—his deeply buried hunger for power, wealth, and control made him an ideal candidate. The key to manipulating someone through the NanoChip wasn’t forcing their hand; it was amplifying what already lay hidden in their soul.

Niko lacked the qualities she needed—no greed, no lust for power. Disposing of him had been simple. All it took was for certain incriminating files from his past to be conveniently "lost" at a medical conference. Marsha had no doubt the pharmaceutical competition would take care of the rest.

Next, it was Edmundsson’s turn. His eccentricities had been problematic even before the NanoChip, but once implanted, his eccentric behavior only worsened. She had tried to control him, of course, but instead of obedience, the chip had amplified his eccentricity and addiction. He was never a reliable candidate—far too unstable. Ryan, on the other hand, was perfect. She could mold him exactly as she needed. And for a time, her tweaks to his NanoChip had worked flawlessly.

That was, until they didn’t.

Despite Ryan following her orders and eliminating Edmundsson, his increasingly erratic behavior—culminating in his failure to apprehend Najjar and Tesic—had been a costly mistake. One that Marsha couldn’t afford.

Meyer frowned, retracing where her control had slipped. Perhaps she had pushed the neurotransmitter manipulations too far, too quickly. But she had little choice, as Ryan had violated the cardinal rule of power: never draw too much attention to yourself. Real power operated in the shadows—only fools equated influence with public visibility or social media clout.

She had noticed the shift in Ryan’s behavior not long after the nanobots were implanted, and soon understood why. His PTSD and latent manic tendencies had been magnified by the nanobots, pushing him beyond his limits. The enhanced abilities, combined with the loss of inhibition, proved too much for him to bear. In truth, few could handle such an overload. She did deactivate her control device over Ryan once the bombs started to fall, leaving him a couple of clear moments at the end of his life. She still wasn’t sure if that had been an act of mercy by the nanobots, or an act of cruelty.

She, on the other hand, had always been composed, disciplined, and mentally resilient. Her military background provided a strong foundation for handling extreme stress and maintaining control under pressure. The nanobots required a host who could wield their immense power without descending into chaos. It was as if there was a built-in biometric lock, a safeguard only the strongest could pass. Or so she believed.

It was now glaringly obvious that the NanoChip needed further refinement. The technology was powerful, but it demanded precision. Any deviation, and the human element could spiral out of control, as it had with Ryan. Fortunately for her, after the disaster with Ryan, Amanda had managed to implement protection against external magnetic interference, just in time. Who knew what that magnetic field debacle could have done to her? Too bad about Amanda, though—she had been useful. Now, a replacement had to be found.

Marsha went outside of the building, feeling Singapore’s heat pressing down one her before hailing a cab. The heavy traffic on the way of the airport gave her ample time to think about her next steps, once she returned to the U.S. She sipped her heavy sugared coffee from a cup.

People like Niko and Priya—those without vision—could never comprehend the euphoria of having the nanobots coursing through their system, guiding and shaping them from within. The sense of liberation, the disinhibition, was intoxicating. She’d witnessed it in Ryan, in Edmundsson, but nowhere had the transformation been as profound as it was in herself.

Perhaps that was why she, Marsha, had been chosen. The others were mere vessels, hollow shells for the nanobots to inhabit. But her? She was the true host. The nanobots weren’t just residing in her; they were reproducing, integrating fully, taking her over in ways even she could barely understand. She was certain they were building a direct line of communication to Proxima Centauri Bc, or El’Thaara, as they called it. She felt it. She knew their plans as though she were one of them. Not that she could control the process—she was only a witness to their presence, their evolution inside her.

But this came with demands. She had noticed her energy levels dropping, and her sugar cravings had soared to dangerous levels in recent months. Still, the trade-off was worth it.

Her time at NAPPA Inc. had been nothing short of enlightening. She had learned more than she could have ever imagined, and she was prepared to leverage that knowledge to its fullest extent. The mission had always been clear: mass adoption of the NanoChip and complete control.

History had shown how control could be achieved with minimal resources. The early settlers in the Americas hadn’t just relied on warfare or slavery—they had used biological warfare. The British had distributed blankets, clothes, and other false gifts infected with smallpox to the Native Americans, who had no immunity to it. Millions had died as a result.

Now, Marsha planned to use the same strategy—but this time, the parasites she intended to conquer were the humans of Earth. She would make them obedient. She would make them slaves. This recent setback was only temporary. The NanoChip was still embedded in more than five billion people. That was what mattered.

As her car inched closer to the airport, she made a mental note to address the operational challenges in the next phase of the plan. But in the grand scheme, did any of it truly matter? The signal had already been sent. She had breached SPA’s security months ago, and the El’Thaarans had received her transmission. They were coming. Their arrival from El’Thaara was expected in a few years, and by then, Earth would be sufficiently weakened.

Marsha adjusted her uniform and pressed forward, her resolve unshaken.