The flames from the ceremonial fire still flickered in Jack’s eyes as he, Emily, and Sarah stepped back from the gathering of First Nations elders. The air in Ottawa that night was crisp and alive, thick with reverence, the scent of cedar clinging to their clothes like a vow.No one spoke for a while as they walked through the quiet field that bordered the ceremonial grounds. Sarah held her woven cloak tightly across her shoulders. Emily brushed ash from her sleeve. Jack simply looked up—past the trees, past the clouds, toward a sky that no longer felt unreachable.The silence broke only when Jack said, almost absently, "They’re ready."Emily didn’t need to ask what he meant. She simply nodded. "Then let’s begin."One week later, the first public announcement hit every major network and DragonCom channel on Earth.BREAKING: DRAGON CORPORATION’S MARS COLONIES OPEN FOR PERMANENT HUMAN SETTLEMENT!Under the banner Space Dragon, the initiative Jack had quietly been developing for over a d

The ocean was a soft hum beyond the dome, like a giant lullaby soothing the city of Neridia to sleep. But Jack, Emily, and Sarah remained awake, the last of the popcorn kernels scattered like little stars across the floating mat.Emily yawned. "Alright... bedtime. We’ve got a climate treaty call with the Nordic Union in six hours."Jack groaned as he stood. "Why did I agree to a 4 AM conference call across four time zones again?"Sarah grinned, brushing crumbs from her leggings. "Because you’re the guy with half the planet’s climate solutions in your portfolio. And because Emily threatened to unplug your coffee dispensers if you didn’t."Emily shrugged, innocent. "I stand by that threat."They all headed toward the sleeping quarters, still laughing, but even in rest, their work continued.The next morning, Jack was already in a high-altitude jet headed north. The view shifted from deep ocean blue to icy white as they crossed into Arctic airspace. Beneath the clouds, nestled between gl

The glow from the ice domes faded into a distant memory as Jack Parker leaned back in his Polaris Haven quarters, the last of the Arctic tea cooling at his fingertips. Sarah had drifted to sleep beside him on the couch, Emily still going through simulations on her holo-tablet.Jack exhaled slowly. The road ahead was filled with pressure, strategy, vision. But for now, they had clarity. Purpose.Then, deep beneath the layers of DragonCom’s servers, a pulse rippled.Haida AI’s voice whispered through Jack’s neural implant:"Jack. You may want to come to the tech room. Now."Jack stood immediately. "Is it system-wide?""No. It’s something... external. An inbound presence. Reidsville origin. They’re seven hours out. Armed. The signature patterns match Victor Krane’s encrypted movement protocol."He turned his eyes toward Emily, who instantly caught his shift in energy."What is it?""They’re coming."Seven hours later. Midnight.Harmonfield slept beneath starlight and sky-bridges, unaware

The sun dipped low across the Sahara, casting amber across the green veins of life Jack, Sarah, and Emily had once only dreamed of. The camels moved slow now, not from fatigue, but reverence. There was something sacred about the silence, the way nature and technology hummed in harmony.Jack looked at the horizon, still repeating Old Joe's words in his head. But something else pulsed inside him now. Something louder.Three days after that ride, Jack stood at the summit of DragonCorp Tower in Harmonfield, facing a transparent map of the globe stretched across a holographic wall. The system was alive—flickering networks across every continent: energy, water, knowledge, and communication. All forged by different projects. But now, it was time they spoke the same language.He turned to Emily, who stood quietly behind him, fingers interlocked."It's time to unify them," he said. "Not just in name. In function. One system. One purpose."Emily stepped forward. Her voice was clear, thoughtful.

Even as the lanterns dimmed and the holograms faded from the skies over Lake Victoria, something deeper had been ignited. The world had seen the future—and it had faces. Young, hopeful, diverse faces. And in the center of it all stood Jack Parker, Sarah Thompson, Emily Wilson, and two teens who bore more than a name—they bore the weight of what comes next.But in the days that followed the convergence, Jack became strangely quiet.Sarah noticed it first.He’d spend long hours by himself on the balcony, watching the sky—not in reflection, but in interrogation.One night, she brought him a cup of ginger tea, sitting beside him."You're thinking too loud," she teased gently.Jack sighed. "I thought reaching this point would give me peace. But now all I can think is... What do we do with this power?"Sarah leaned her head against his shoulder. "Then maybe it's time we help the world ask the same question."Two weeks later, Jack summoned Emily to the DragonCorp Nexus Core."I need your hel