Alexei poured a glass of wine, then opened his nearly indestructible, military-grade laptop. His lifestyle warranted a more durable computer, since he was constantly breaking them. The thing was heavy and unattractive, but didn't get destroyed in remote areas of the world. It also featured a built-in wireless interface and satellite phone attachment.

Currently, he was in a villa off the coast of the Mediterranean. He had a breathtaking view of the moonlight dancing above the sea. Alexei loved the evenings here almost as much as the daylight hours. He loved how the moonlight reflected against the smooth domes and curves of the most unusual villa in which he was currently staying.

The villa was more of a compound than a single residence. Situated on top of a cliff, it was accessible only from a private road leading off a dead end or by helicopter. The helipad was connected to another estate a quarter of a mile down the coast but was accessible via tunnels that were hand carved out of the rock. The previous owner had created the entrance to maintain his privacy. Farther down, past the helipad, was a path that led to a boat dock.

To carve the rock, the previous owner had hired an army of laborers, masons, and craftsmen to create a tunnel that led to an existing cavern that was below the property. He also had several geologists on staff during the time of the villa's construction. He wanted to ensure that his privacy and security were maintained. The outcome worked well for Alexei.

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The only problem with this location was it had significant connectivity issues. While it may have been fine for the corporate executives of the 1970s or ‘80s, it posed several challenges for the CEO of a modern technology company. He was obsessed with reactions and hated to miss out on the video aspect of a conference call.

As Alexei was contemplating, his red phone rang.

“Da?”

“Are you alone, Darling?” Natasha asked.

“I’m alone.”

“We need to talk. I have news I suspect you need confirmation of.”

“Can you call me on the secure video uplink?”

“Why?”

“Need to see if the connection is suitable for tomorrow’s meeting.”

The video connection with Natasha was a disaster. High latency made it impossible, even with audio-only capabilities.

Alexei massaged his temples as he thought about an alternative location. He picked up the phone and called Viktor.

"Privyet, Alexei. What can I do for you?"

"I need a new location with a sufficient internet connection for the meeting. It needs to be in the same city as the chateau."

"I'm on it. I will have a new location within the hour.”

Alexei called Natasha back.

“Well, that was painful,” Natasha said.

“Indeed. Viktor is working on the technical problems as we speak. What’s so urgent?”

“I met with our star intern this afternoon.”

Natasha relayed the entire conversation she had with Nigel. Alexei said nothing for a long time.

“You have just confirmed my suspicions,” Alexei said with disgust. “There have been only two interns that I have ever sponsored who have shown so much promise. Nigel is one of them. I believe you can guess the second student’s identity.”

“It breaks my heart. But yes.”

Alexei hung up the phone and continued to stare out the circular window in his office.