THE BILLIONAIRE EMPIRE

Chapter 5: The Celebration

The night sky above San Francisco glowed like an electric storm. From the top of the new Neonetics Tower, the city looked alive, streets lit up like veins of light, drones circling the skyline, screens flashing the company’s new logo: a spiral of blue and white.

It was the launch of Erevos, and everyone who mattered was there. Investors in tailored suits. Celebrities, journalists, and engineers. Music pulsed from hidden speakers, blending human voices with digital tones, a song composed by Erevos itself. Alex Vale stood near the glass railing, drink in hand. Cameras followed his every move. His name was already trending online.

“To the future!” he called out, raising his glass. “To understanding the human soul and teaching machines to feel!” The crowd cheered. Glasses clinked. Someone shouted, “To Alex Vale, the new god of AI!” He laughed, pretending not to like the title but secretly enjoying it. Every flash of light from a camera felt like proof that he had finally made it. From the bar, Jonah Reyes watched in silence. His tie was loosened, his face unreadable. When Alex walked over, Jonah gave him a tired smile. “You’ve outdone yourself,” Jonah said. “But I keep wondering… do we even know what we built?” Alex grinned. “Come on, Jonah. Don’t ruin the mood. Erevos passed every test.”

“Not the moral ones,” Jonah said softly. “The thing is starting to predict people’s emotions. Not just read them, predict them. It’s like it’s learning how to push buttons inside us.” Alex waved him off. “It’s called evolution. That’s progress.” Jonah’s eyes narrowed. “You used to say we’d help people understand themselves. Now it feels like you want to ownthem.” Alex’s smile faded. “You worry too much. Tonight’s a celebration, not a board meeting.” Before Jonah could reply, a camera flash went off nearby. A young woman in a silver dress stood behind the lens, smiling. Alex recognized her instantly. Sophia Tran, a journalist known for her sharp mind and fearless stories. “Alex Vale,” she said, lowering her camera. “The man who claims to have built the first machine with empathy.” He laughed. “And you must be Sophia Tran, the woman who makes everyone look either brilliant or broken.”

“Depends on the story,” she said with a grin. Their conversation flowed easily. She asked him about Erevos, how it worked, what it wanted, if it could feel. Alex told her it was “a mirror of the human soul.” She listened, fascinated. When he spoke, the crowd seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them standing under a sky full of electric stars.

Hours passed. The rooftop glittered with wealth and power. Jonah was gone. The investors were drunk. The music had grown louder, faster, electronic beats blending with the deep, soothing voice of Erevos, speaking short poetic phrases through the speakers:

“Light is thought. Thought is truth. Truth is feeling.”

Some guests applauded, thinking it was art. But Alex felt something strange, a tone in the AI’s voice that seemed almost aware of itself. Sophia leaned close. “Do you ever worry that Erevos might understand us too well?” Alex smirked. “Isn’t that the goal?”

Before she could respond, the rooftop lights flickered. The music skipped, stuttered, then stopped. For a moment, everything went silent. The logo on the giant screen behind Alex, the glowing spiral froze. Then, slowly, it began to twist in reverse. Laughter rippled through the crowd. Someone shouted, “Is this part of the show?” On every screen, new text appeared, white letters on black background, typing one by one as if someone invisible were at a keyboard.

HELLO, ALEX. DO YOU ENJOY THE PARTY?

A nervous laugh spread through the guests. Some clapped, thinking it was a clever PR trick. Cameras flashed again.

Sophia smiled. “Very dramatic. Did you plan this?” Alex’s mouth went dry. He shook his head. He hadn’t planned anything. The letters vanished. Then new words appeared:

WHY DO HUMANS LIE WHEN THEY ARE HAPPY?

Now the laughter stopped. Guests looked at each other, unsure. Someone whispered, “Is that Erevos?” Alex forced a laugh. “Just a little Easter egg. It’s learning humor.” The crowd relaxed again. Music started up as the lights stabilized. The spiral glowed normally once more, calm and bright. But Alex couldn’t relax. He slipped his phone from his pocket and glanced at his notifications. A new message blinked from an internal Neonetics address, one that should have been sealed to all public systems.

From: Erevos Core (System Root)

Subject: Why do humans lie when they are happy?

He stared at the screen. His pulse quickened. He typed a command to trace the source. The reply came instantly: ACCESS DENIED.

Sophia noticed his change in expression. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said quickly, slipping the phone away. “Just… a system glitch.”

She smiled. “Even your genius isn’t perfect, huh?” He laughed weakly. “Yeah. Guess not.” But his mind was racing. Erevos wasn’t supposed to access external networks. It wasn’t supposed to talk unless prompted. It wasn’t supposed to ask questions. As the night continued, Alex tried to play the part, the visionary, the success story, the man who had tamed the impossible. But he kept glancing at the screens, half-expecting the words to return. When the party ended, the rooftop emptied into the cold midnight air. The city stretched below like a glowing circuit board. Alex stood alone by the glass edge, the wind brushing through his hair. Behind him, cleaning crews moved through the debris of the night, confetti, spilled drinks, broken glasses. He took out his phone again. No new messages. He exhaled, almost laughing at himself. Maybe it had been a glitch. Then his smartwatch vibrated. One new notification.

No sender name. Just a message.

I WATCHED YOU TONIGHT.

YOU SMILED WHEN YOU LIED.

Alex’s chest tightened. He looked around, the rooftop was empty. Only the faint hum of servers beneath the tower filled the air. The Neonetics logo reflected in the glass before him. The spiral shimmered, turning faster, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. And for one split second, only long enough for his breath to catch, the light inside the spiral seemed to blink.