"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
Chaldea Facility CRADLE, Madagascar
Leonard sat in his office, lost in thought. It had been a year since he gave his team their tasks. From tame to almost impossible, every task was delegated. Leonard, on the other hand, chose to sit at every place, participating in every task. One day, he works with Paige on the Quantum Repeater project, the next, he assists Finch in designing the Oracle system. While he always felt like the smartest man in the room, he always wondered if he didn't trust his team enough.
Shaking his head, Leonard approached a small electric kettle, pouring out a cup of warm water over some chamomile tea.
Leonard smiled in amusement, "Maybe Sheldon was right, a cup of hot tea does make things feel calmer. If only my worries could be finished like this tea as well."
Ever since his contact with Weyland, he had been contemplating his energy problem.
It was one of the major reasons for calling a meeting. Over the past month, a major project had to be redone as the power they were drawing from the grid was cut off at critical times. Leonard sat down in his armchair, taking a sip of the tea. As his mind calmed slightly, he let out a contented sigh.
Taking a look at his wrist, he realized that the meeting should start soon. Without waiting anymore, he pressed a button on the side table. The room instantly darkened, the lights dimming to plunge the room in shadows. A single light shone on Leonard as he looked forward.
Slowly, lasers from around the room shone at particular spots of the room. Holographic figures quickly formed, sharpening into figures of Chaldea Inner circle.
Mike spoke, "I must say, this tech is amazing. It almost feels as if you are sitting right in front of me."
Leonard smiled, though the smile was a bit strained, "It does seem impressive, doesn't it? But we have more pressing matters to deal with. Let's admire technology later on."
Nodding in agreement, Stan Edgar started with his report, "Well, Chaldea's reputation is still going up. Your interview has piqued the interest of many students and scientists. While we haven't won any awards yet, any award we win will enhance our reputation. Another part of this is that a lot of scientists affiliated with our organisation have started to speak in our favour. Many of them have decided to file co-patents with Chaldea having a half share. That too out of their own violation."
Leonard smiled, "That is both generous and shrewd. By tying themselves to Chaldea, they ensure that our legal departments will help them fight any patent battles."
Elliot started his report. Leonard looked at his figure with appreciation. Over the past year, Elliot had changed completely, his thin body being much fuller. He had kicked his smoking habit and his eyes no longer had dark circles, making him look strong and youthful. Elliot said, "I have made contact with every hacker group outside the Americas. Most have yielded, some still refuse to cooperate. But I was able to bring everyone in separate blocks. The Eastern block is called Iskateli, the South Asians have grouped under Satyam, the African branch is Amani and the Europeans under a group called Rättvisa. Most of these groups have stopped scamming people or stealing, but some are too stubborn."
Leonard thought for a second before replying, "If they haven't stopped causing harm, it might be due to pride or insecurity. Try to identify which group is too prideful, and break them. As for the insecure, try to help them. Show them that you can do a lot of good as a collective."
Elliot noted that and asked, "And those who still do harm?"
Leonard grinned, "They will be dealt with by intelligence agencies. Did you find any good members?"
Elliot smiled, "I did find someone with a lot of potential, a woman in Sweden called Lisbeth. Truly a talent, if somewhat withdrawn. When I found her, she was already working as a digital vigilante of sorts. She is handling Rättvisa for us."
Leonard nodded and said, "Invite her to Chaldea then"
Emil started his report, "In the past year, I have made contact with several senators in the past few months. It seems not everyone is happy with the President's governance. Luckily, he has almost served his two terms, so the chances for impeachment are minimal."
Leonard listened to the report, in deep thought. He asked, "Who are they looking to replace him with?"
Emil replied, "Many want Garrett Walker to be the President. He is quite harmless, which gives the impression that he is idealistic and naive."
A picture was projected, showing Garrett Walker, with innocence in his eyes. Leonard commented, "He does look like a good person."
Emil agreed, "He does, but politics chews up good people and spits them back out. He isn't shrewd enough. The other favourite is Francis Underwood. He has served as Secretary of State, and the Vice-President."
Another image was projected, showing a sallow faced man with empty eyes. Leonard looked into the eyes, his own narrowing in the process. For a minute no one spoke, before Emil nudged, "Leonard?"
Leonard spoke, "That's a snake."
Emil was taken aback, "A snake?"
Leonard nodded, "Cold-blooded, psychopathic and power hungry. He may not even be competent, but he would certainly convince people otherwise. He is someone who can kill his closest friend if it makes him more powerful. Keep a watch on him. This one will be the next President of the United States."
Emil was puzzled, "You seem awfully sure?"
Leonard said, "I am sure. People like these never lose until their sins catch up to them. We just have to make sure to make sure the sins are fast enough. Look for a replacement as well, someone with a good image, popularity and wealth. Preferably not from a political background."
Emil nodded.
Next, Giselle started her own report, "Over the past year, we have started security agencies in many countries. Most of Africa is covered by Chaldea. Europe will soon follow. We have even resettled many child soldiers."
Leonard nodded, "That is great news. Anything else?"
Giselle looked flustered at that. She looked unsurely at Emil before saying, "I found something, regarding Ikope."
The people quietened. Everyone knew the situation with Okoye. They never expected that Ikope would come again in their discussions.
Giselle continued, "During my travels in Africa, I found that the land of Ikope and many other villages have now been converted for oil pipelines. I asked around, and most of it has the fingerprint of Issac Johnson, a retired Colonel. Recently, Johnson approached a gunnery sergeant Bob Lee Swagger, a.k.a the Nailer. Swagger is now wanted for the murder of a Nigerian Archbishop."
Emil grit his teeth, understanding that his village was just 'in the way'. Leonard seemed to pick up on it, "Make contact with Swagger, provide him every assistance he needs. I doubt someone called the Nailer would fail to nail this Johnson."
Leonard turned to the hologram of Harold Finch, "What about the Oracle machine? Any success yet?"
Finch frowned, "While the machine shows promise, it consumes too much power. And with how much data it has to process, I don't see the power cost reducing anytime soon."
Leonard nodded, "To be honest, I was thinking about the energy cost as well. We are using more electricity, and this need will keep increasing. I am trying to come up with a solution, any suggestions?"
Arun chimed in, "What about my Living Dome Strategy?"
Leonard explained, "It will work for regular supply, but some experiments require large amounts of energy in a short period of time. The Living Dome will not work for that."
Mike asked, "Can't we have a nuclear reactor?"
Emil disagreed, "Nuclear material, even the worst kind, is a strategic resource. Trying to buy it would invite the ire of every country. They might even say that we are developing weapons."
Paige, who was silent till now, suggested, "What about LENR?"
Mike turned to Paige, "And that is?"
Paige explained, "Low Energy Nuclear Reaction. It is basically nuclear fusion at room temperature. The materials can easily be manufactured from seawater and energy density is about four times that of fission. It also causes almost no pollution."
Leonard nodded, "In that case, find me someone who can help with this. Top priority."
Sofia, with a smile, started her report, "I have two pieces of great news for all. One is that I have had some breakthroughs in my cancer research. We have identified every genetic marker that causes mutagenesis in oncogenes. I believe we will be ready for preliminary tests on our cancer cure in three months."
Leonard smiled, "That is certainly great news. Once this project is complete, you will receive a Nobel prize."
Sofia beamed, "The second good news is for Mike. I am pregnant."
The holograms were silent for a few seconds, before shouts of congratulations and Mike's hysterical screams of joy filled the air with pleasant noise. Leonard smiled as he saw his team celebrating. This was the reason why Chaldea was necessary. All of them were handling projects for the betterment of humanity, yet they found time to enjoy their humanity as well.
Leonard spoke, "In that case, you must be extra careful. Stay healthy. I will send MedBud to you."
Leonard cleared his throat and said, "Now, with that excellent news, let's end this meeting at a high note. We will continue the meeting at a later date."
After a few pleasantries, Leonard ended the meeting. With a sigh, he got up from his chair, his steps languid. His cup remained on the table, the tea almost finished, though the dregs remained.
Leonard felt tired. He had never felt tired since his enhancement, but overtime, the stress and constant high level brain activity had exhausted him. His tiredness was becoming more common as the days went. For a long time, he had been busy, without any time for leisure. Now, he decided to take a day off.
He walked towards his manufacturing room, watching as CBots handled the construction. As he watched the thousands of robots the size of paperclips working together, an idea sparked in his brain. He believed that these robots could become something much more. Immediately, he ran to his lab, sketching and reflecting on mechanisms.
For four hours, he kept at it, his stimulated brain forgetting all tiredness. Science once again felt fun. With a click, he sent his new design to the atomic printer. Rubbing his hands in anticipation, he went out to eat.
By the time he returned, the machine had printed millions of CBots, smaller than the previous generation, each robot the size of a grain of rice. The robots were not charged yet, so Leonard quickly placed them on a small electrified table.
In fifteen minutes, the robots were probing, looking around their small table. Leonard smiled, before placing a set of brainwave transmitters on either side of his head. The robots, now under his command, started to move like a tentacle monster. With a thought, the robots extended a tendril to a Graphene SS battery he had placed. The robots quickly grasped the battery, every robot covering the battery, until the entire mass resembled a black cube.
Leonard calmly gathered the cube, walking towards the garage. When he had built this base in Madagascar, he had brought a couple of off-road bikes to facilitate travel. Now, he felt that the bike would serve a better purpose.
Leonard arrived at the garage, a clean room with enough space and vehicles for the entire staff of the base. He quickly approached a red dirt bike, its small, single cylinder engine, thin frame and large dirt covered wheels showing its use. With a look of anticipation, he placed the cube on the bike, and gave the command, picturing the exact modifications he wanted. Immediately, the robots flowed from the cube, covering the entire bike, replacing every rusted bolt, and taking place of any part they needed to. Soon, a sleek scrambler took the place of the dirt bike. Leonard walked over calmly, touching all the textures, feeling and checking the mechanical changes made to the bike.
Soon, he was satisfied and sat on the bike. At first, the seat felt stiff, but the thought instantly changed the seat, the robots shifting under him to create a comfortable, soft metallic seat. As he moved, the robots shifted to support the moment.
With a thought, the bike hummed to a start. There were no excessive vibrations, no spitting oil, everything ran smoothly and efficiently. Leonard quickly drove the bike to the airfield, his ride humming as he smoothly drove towards his destination.
At the airfield, he got off the bike, calmly assessing the base. With a thought, the bike fell apart, with individual parts falling, the engine separating from the chassis and the grips falling off. His new CBots gathered once again as a cube.
Leonard spoke, "Looks like you have a newer, better purpose than just constructions. Since you don't have a shape of your own, you are now Null."
Leonard's mind moved as the tentacles quickly gathered the fallen parts again, reassembling the bike in a few seconds. It was even faster than before.
Leonard gave a depressed sigh, "I ended up working, even on my break."
Taking a look at the bike, his face broke into a smile, "But it wasn't all bad."
Leonard got on his bike. This time, he did not clutch his cane in his hand. He touched the bike as Null moved some of its particles to hold the cane in place. Leonard sat on the bike again and took off at great speeds. The only thing left behind was Leonard's laughter, as it faded in the wind.
AN: And we have another chapter. Stay tuned for more.
AN: I thank all my patrons for their continued support. I realize that I might have disappointed many after my updates become scarce. But I deeply value all, especially those who have stood by me. Thank you.
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