2026-07-30 12:00:44The federal oversight order hit at 7:14 a.m.
It arrived as a sealed digital packet, locked behind three layers of encryption and stamped with a court seal that basically said, don’t even try to argue.
Erick read it once in the secure conference room of the secondary GD Tech site, then read it again, slower.
While the investigation into the Global Tech Summit and the related system ac
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Chapter 81—Silent Pressure
The federal oversight order hit at 7:14 a.m.It arrived as a sealed digital packet, locked behind three layers of encryption and stamped with a court seal that basically said, don’t even try to argue.Erick read it once in the secure conference room of the secondary GD Tech site, then read it again, slower.While the investigation into the Global Tech Summit and the related system activity continued, operational control of Gerard Dominion Technologies was being placed under temporary federal review. From that moment on, any major money transfers, core system changes, or public statements needed prior clearance.He set the tablet down without saying a word.Remi watched him from across the table. The exhaustion from the Summit was still written all over her face, but she kept her posture
Chapter 80 — First Names
The temporary safe house was quieter than the Summit had been, but the silence carried more weight.Erick sat at the central table with the lights dimmed. The damp navy suit had been replaced by a clean black shirt and dark trousers, though the bandages under the fabric still pulled when he moved. Remi sat across from him. Jacqueline leaned against the wall. Aria’s hologram hovered above the table, already pulling data streams.“We start with the two names Dominique gave us,” Erick said. “The retired general and the private equity woman. We treat everything else as noise until we have a real trail.”Aria’s interface expanded. “I’ve cross-referenced both names against every financial and communications log we currently control. The general is easier to surface. Retired three years ago. Still holds informal advisory roles on two defense technology committees. The woman is harder. She operates through a private equity fund registered under three different holding companies. Most of the r
Chapter 79 — The Next Layer
Remi remained beside him, her hand still resting on the table near his.“They didn’t even flinch when you asked about the Clarkes,” she said quietly. “That’s not caution. That’s protection.”Erick nodded once. “Leroy lost the public battle today. His name is toxic now. Michel is finished. Evelyn will spend the rest of her life managing the fallout. But the Clarkes walked out of here without a single question. That doesn’t happen by accident.”He stood and walked to the glass wall, looking down at the main hall. Leroy was no longer visible. Neither were Martin nor the Congressman. The space they had occupied was already being cleared by event staff and federal personnel.Jacqueline entered the room a moment later, followed by Adrian. Ivan waited just outside with two of his men.“Federal agents are setting up a temporary command post on the third floor,” Jacqueline reported. “They’re treating the recordings as primary evidence against the Laurents. But there’s no active warrant for Mar
Chapter 78 — Under Investigation
“Just one question,” Erick said.The meeting room suddenly felt cramped. Ten minutes ago, it had felt fine.Two federal agents sat stiffly across from Erick at a long table. A third agent stood by the door, typing every word into a tablet.Through the glass walls, the chaos of the Summit continued; reporters were screaming, and staff were rushing to clear out the remaining guests.Erick’s dark blue suit was damp, leaving strange stains as it dried. Remi sat beside him, back straight. Outside the glass, Jacqueline and Adrian waited.The lead agent—a woman in her forties with short hair and a neutral face—opened a confidential folder.“Mr. Quade,” she said calmly. “We are reviewing the last seventy-two hours. We need a clear timeline of what happened, which systems were accessed, and who authorized those actions.”Erick nodded. “I’m ready.”They started with the power outage.He provided timestamps, node IDs, and the override protocols used. The agents noted everything. Aria, listening
Chapter 77— Disaster Zone
The main hall of the Global Tech Summit was basically a disaster zone.Security from three different agencies was everywhere. Suit-wearing organizers were rushing around trying to block off the stage and keep the live stream from crashing, while cameras kept rolling.The invited journalists were losing their minds, shoving microphones and phones forward and screaming over each other.Erick was just standing in the middle of the stage, his navy suit soaked and dripping all over the floor.Remi was right there with him, and Jacqueline and Adrian were a few steps back. Ivan’s team had the exits locked down.Two organizers and some private security were dragging Leroy Laurent out.He looked stiff, but his hands were shaking. Martin Clarke and his father were already surrounded by feds who had been blending in at the summit. Evelyn and Michel were just sitting there in the front row, pale and silent.A network producer stepped onto the stage with a mic, trying to get the broadcast back und
Chapter 76—Everybody’s Watching
The room went from silent to absolute chaos in a heartbeat.People in the crowd were screaming, gasps echoing through the hall. Cameras swung wildly, and security teams started scrambling, but it didn’t matter.On every screen in the auditorium—and to everyone watching the global feed—the recording just kept playing. It was clear, damning, and impossible to ignore.He could hear Evelyn laughing in the background while Martin Clarke’s voice laid out the timeline.Leroy Laurent bolted upright, his face turning a deep purple with rage. “Shut it down! Cut the feed! Now!”But the feed didn’t stop.Up in the control room, Aria’s hologram watched the monitors with a cold sense of satisfaction. “Ghost Core is locked in, Chairman. They can try to kill it, but they won’t succeed.”Erick just stood there on the stage, rain still dripping from his suit. A red laser sight from the balcony was steady on his chest, but he didn’t flinch. He just watched Leroy with the calm of a man who had already won
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