Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Man at the Top of the Tower

The largest city in the Pacific Northwest sprawled out one thousand feet below Leir Starfield, the individual people scurrying ants who never stopped to breath. He scanned the city and the people far beneath him; nothing escaped his notice through these windows. Surface streets were littered with traffic, but much nicer hover cars and Starfield Automated taxis passed unfettered above them. Off in the distance, old train tracks were being torn up. Not to be replaced; the funding had finally run dry thanks to some well-placed donations from Starfield Technologies.

Leir tapped a touch pad on the window frame and all the windows turned black, casting the room in darkness. With a clap, the center of the room was illuminated with bright, sterile lights to expose the work table covered in engineering equipment. A microphone and camera had already been set up for him. Leir glided over, adjusting his cuffs and tie; he had to look his best for the performance.

“Start in fifteen seconds,” Leir told the camera, which clicked in response.

He gestured for a robot in the corner, a cylindrical tower covered in small cameras and moving arms, to approach. On the edge of the desk was a small metal box with a hand scanner, which Leir used to confirm his identity. The box opened and a small swarm of tiny gray robots emerged to float in the air around Leir. He turned his attention to the half-finished device in front of him, which was a mess of exposed wires and missing data chips.

The light on the camera turned green.

“Greetings and good afternoon, America,” he declared with his biggest grin. “Today, I’m going to be working on an energy gun. You may be thinking that this is merely some kind of plasma rifle, but I have bigger plans than that. When I am done with this marvelous little machine, it’s going to emit heat as well as heat absorbing rays. If we have time, I might tinker with it some more and see if it can fire electric bolts, as well. What’s important, though, is that I’m doing it all on my own. I’ll have some help from robots I invented, but even those I put together with my own two hands. Now, watch a master at work.”

Most of the work was done with chips that some scientists working below had put together. For the more exotic components of the gun, Leir had to get creative; he only had a small amount of programmable matter at his disposal. Still, people came to watch him because he was a genius, so this was nothing insurmountable.

Progress was slower than Leir would have liked, even with the little swarm robots doing most of the fine tinkering and the larger robot soldering pieces for him. Streaming the process also meant that he had to be extra careful not to give anything away to a potential competitor. Still, he was keeping an eye on his chat and they were loving him, not that Leir was surprised. His loyal fans knew, more than anyone, that his reputation as the best was well-deserved.

When it came to position the energy crystals, Leir struggled not to frown. It was too tight a space for the big robot to do it on its own, and Leir wouldn’t be able to see well enough if the swarm maneuvered them into place. Even working with delicate tools, Leir wasn’t sure that he could pull it off in one go. But that part of the machine was turned away from the camera; if he did mess up, no one would notice. Leir had to try. He picked up the first energy crystal, a small octagonal cylinder, and it went into its slot without difficulty. Plucking the second from its case, Leir gently maneuvered it into the—

A small jolt of electricity arced out at Leir, causing him to curse and drop the crystal. He forced a smile over his grimace and chuckled. Leir grabbed the crystal from where it had clattered to the floor and picked it up to demonstrate that it was alright.

“Well,” he told the camera, “if anyone else had tried that, they would have completely fried themselves.”

Under the table, Leir was clenching and unclenching a fist in frustration. The image of him burning himself was going to be passed around to all his detractors online. They’d have quite the time making fun of him for the mistake, and probably for the injury, too. All of them were lazy bums who never accomplished anything, as far as Leir was concerned; that’s why they mocked him instead of admiring his work ethic and aspiring to be more like him.

Setting the crystal down, Leir picked up some tools and fiddled with the wiring. This was an easy fix: he just had to disconnect a few things and the power should stop running to that section. He picked up the power crystal again and this time, it slid in effortlessly. It only took a few more adjustments to the machine before he was ready to put the casing on, exposing his company’s glamorous logo.

“And now: to test it,” he declared.

Leir signaled to the camera, which turned to face a tank of water on a nearby pedestal. He flicked a switch on the device and it hummed to life while Leir adjusted a few dials. When he was ready, Leir took aim at the water and pulled the trigger.

A line of white energy erupted from the device’s mouth, hitting the tank. Frost formed on the outside while the water turned to ice. Leir turned off the machine, then spun some dials before turning it back on. Red energy lanced out. Swiftly, the ice bubbled and melted away.

“It works!” he declared. “But of course it does. The impossible is just what you expect from me, after all.” Leir flashed a grin at the camera. “Until next time, folks. I’ll see you there!”

The camera shut off and Leir put his swarm robots away, also signaling for the cylinder robot to take its leave. He disabled the machine and hit a button on the side of the table to summon some people who’d clean the workstation. The device would go into the building’s vault. Not forever, just until someone could find a way to profit off of it in the long run. With that finished, Leir made his way to a small elevator that would bring him to the floor above.

There was a small kitchenette on this floor, where Leir stopped to tap his foot while he waited for the coffee machine. Cup in hand, Leir walked over to his actual office, stepping through double doors lined with gold. The room was big enough to fit a swimming pool, with marble walls carved into shelves full of expensive trinkets and first edition books, none of which Leir had ever read. The rug was handmade and from halfway around the world, though Leir didn’t know which country. He sat behind his African blackwood desk and set his coffee down on a coaster before finally turning to his right hand man, Mayweather.

“There’s something that you have to see,” the younger man said, placing his tablet down in front of Leir.

The video was of an interview with a woman in her late twenties. The graphics on screen described her as Honora McFee, an inventor from Twin Diamond Industries, a rival corporation. Leir raised an eyebrow, glancing at Mayweather for clarification.

“Please watch, Sir,” Mayweather said.

In the video, McFee declared, “Everybody glorifies Leir Starfield. I heard it all the time growing up how he was one of our scientific saviors, and he’s only gotten more revered since. If I’m being honest, he was an idol of mine for a long time. But it’s undeniable that his ego has gotten to his head. He lives for attention, not science, and he’s put the pursuit of money above doing anything for the world.”

“You’re not a fan of Leir Starfield?” the interviewer, Thomas Lu, asked with an amused grin.

“A lot of people are coming to see things my way,” McFee continued. “At least, like Tesla, Starfield is an actual inventor. That’s not something you can say about every tech CEO. But he’s over the hill. His day and age is coming to a swift end. There’s a whole new generation of inventors who don’t want to be stuck working as nameless cogs in scientific corporations. We want to make names for ourselves, too.”

Thomas Lu asked, “What makes you think that Starfield is going to face a decline, though? He’s as popular as ever.”

McFee sat up straighter and explained, “He’s in it for the wrong reasons. The world deserves people with an open-minded approach to science and what it can do for people. I don’t want to be a scientist for fame or money. I want the opportunity to help people in need, people in my own life who desperately need scientific advancements to better their lives. People like Starfield stand in the way of that progress.”

Leaning forward, Lu continued, “Very interesting, Miss McFee. But some have raised questions about your own behavior as of late.”

McFee stiffened.

“People who have worked close to you in the past two years have reported a history of risky behavior. Some of your colleagues, who have asked to go unnamed, say that you’ve cut corners regarding safety with some of your inventions. A few have claimed that you’re avoiding investigators who tried to follow up on these claims.”

“That’s nonsense,” McFee retorted. “I deal with cutting-edge technology. We take every safety precaution that we can. Sometimes, though, things behave unpredictably.”

“What do you have to say,” Lu asked, “regarding the controversy concerning you allegedly scamming investors, taking their money and diverting it into projects they did not approve of?”

“This interview is over,” McFee said, standing up from her chair.

The video came to an end with her walking off the set.

Leir took a sip of coffee and leaned back in his chair, admitting, “I’m not too impressed. She doesn’t seem like she has her house in order. What brought this to your attention?”

“She’s been investing in cheap alternatives to our proprietary technologies: a universal program to connect smart devices, a hybrid solid-state and quantum chip, a learning ‘immune system’ for AI programs. Any one of these could severely damage our bottom line if they turn out to be profitable.” Mayweather picked up his tablet. “She’s coming after you, specifically. This woman wants what you have and won’t stop until she succeeds.”

“I don’t think that she’s anything to worry about,” Leir admitted, setting his drink down and booting up his computer. “Certainly, if she does something that necessitates us taking action, feel free to alert the proper people, but this will probably fizzle out on its own.”

“If you insist, sir,” Mayweather replied. “I worry that she may not be the only person after your success, though, even if she’s the most… motivated.”

“I’m already wealthy and powerful, Mayweather,” Leir reminded him. “I can afford the tools I need to hold onto my success. These upstarts don’t know what they’re doing. If anyone is at risk of losing what they have, it’s them for overstepping their boundaries and trying to game the system.”

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Mayweather nodded, but continued, “There is something else that we should talk about, Sir.” He deposited his tablet into a bag and pulled out a folder. “Here is the quarterly public relations report. The decline that started in the last year has continued, even sped up a little.”

Leir nodded.

Scanning the document, Mayweather explained, “Consumers, especially in our target financial demographic, continue to be supportive of Starfield Technologies. There is a growing resistance, though, both on the Internet and various other networks, to yourself.”

“I’ve always had critics,” Leir replied. “What’s changed?”

“Former employees have grown bolder in breaking their silence about working here. We haven’t seen any major internal leaks or anyone breaking a non-disclosure agreement, but people have been sharing more ‘horror stories’ of working at Starfield Technologies. Specifically, people criticize your treatment of the other scientists working here. They describe you as callous and abusive, citing quotes from you that would be very damaging to your reputation if they turned out to be true.”

Leir grunted.

“Fortunately,” Mayweather continued, “there’s no way to confirm any of these stories unless security footage is leaked, but your detractors have gotten louder, and more people are becoming convinced. Public opinion of you is starting to turn sour and we need to do something about it, immediately.”

Lacing his fingers, Leir bowed his head and released a deep breath. He had been hoping that things would die down on their own; people eventually got bored of things they couldn’t change. The problem was accelerating, instead, and becoming a major annoyance. It needed a salve to keep things from boiling over.

“If we buy up some of the public-facing websites that people are talking on, we can probably slow the spread of information,” he suggested. “Fortunately, I don’t think that this is a problem that will ever hit critical mass. Not everyone is cut out to work at an organization like this, and my true fans and followers will understand the price of greatness.”

Mayweather replied, “Be that as it may, your public image is very much part of the company’s public image. I will pass on the idea of buying the most vocal websites to acquisitions and the legal department to see if it’s a viable solution. In the long term, though, I think that some more structural changes might be necessary.”

“I don’t intend to change who I am, Mayweather,” Leir told him. “Controversy comes and goes in waves, and we’ll be fine if we can weather this. If that’s all, then you may leave; I have some work to finish before I go home.”

Mayweather nodded and turned to leave, then stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, I forgot.” Mayweather turned back to Leir. “Some old colleagues of yours have been trying to get in contact with you for a few days now. Something about a university organization?”

“I don’t particularly care about that,” Leir admitted, turning his attention to the computer.

“I bring it up, Sir, because they claim to have come in contact with an object that they can’t identify and want help. Working in close proximity with other scientists on a joint project may counter some of the claims that you’re difficult to work with. Furthermore, solving a mystery is good PR and could earn you some respect, both online and within the scientific community. It might silence your detractors for a while.”

Leir was quiet for a few minutes before answering, “Send me their contact information. I make no promises, but if it’s something that might win people over then it’s worth pursuing.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Mayweather departed and Leir returned his attention to his work. His mind was wandering, though. Mayweather had suggested that Leir change a few things about the company to avoid controversy in the future. That wasn’t feasible and Mayweather knew it; the company had to make a profit and had to grow with each quarter. Under Leir’s care, the company was already optimized to do that, and the last thing Leir wanted to do was risk his job by changing things too much.

How was he supposed to fix people’s opinion on him, anyway? People were too critical and they never considered his side of the story. There were reasons that he behaved the way that he did, after all: this was a business, not a charity. How was it his fault if he got angry at someone who was being incompetent?

All of this was to distract Leir from what was really bothering him, though. He prided himself in being the best and taking advice wasn’t part of his nature. Leir couldn’t help but wonder if accepting Mayweather’s suggestion was a sign of weakness on his part. That upstart scientist couldn’t be right about him—Leir was not on a downward slope—but perhaps he needed to watch what he said and did to avoid giving the impression that he was vulnerable.

Leir finished his business and shut down the computer, then finished his coffee and headed out. The work week was finally over and he could go home for a few days. After this week, Leir really needed to get out on his yacht and just relax for a little bit.

A few days later, Leir returned and sat down at his computer. It took a little bit of time to find the contact information that Mayweather had sent. He created a secure channel, but instead of placing a call Leir just stared at the screen for a while. Was he really considering going through with this? Was it really going to make things better for him in the long run? Finally, he placed a call.

It was a good long minute before the call was answered, showing a video feed of a woman in her forties. Marielle looked every bit as good as Leir remembered her, though the wrinkles were new. Her eyes lit up to see him and Leir couldn’t help but smile softly.

“Marielle,” he said. “How have you been?”

“Leir Starfield,” she replied, a hint of wonder in her voice. “Mon ami, I’ve been doing very well. I’d ask the same of you, but we all know how you’re doing. I thought, honestly, that we would never see each other again.”

Leir and Marielle had attended university together at Stanford when they were young. They were part of an unofficial organization of eight like-minded scientists with dreams of changing the world. In between classes and on weekends, they would work on wildly experimental inventions. The group members had their names on several patents by the time they all had their first degree.

Though there was a little in-fighting, the group remained friends for a very long time. Nobody was satisfied with a mere doctorate and continued their studies, though over time each had less freedom to contribute to their shared inventions. Leir was not the first to split from the group, but his success story was the biggest and most well-known. Once in a while, Leir would see a patent come across his desk with four or five familiar names on it.

“Mayweather wasn’t able to give me many details,” Leir said, crossing his legs and leaning back. “You found an object that you can’t identify? What is it? How did you come to be in possession of it?”

“It’s an energy crystal,” Marielle explained. “In many ways, it’s unremarkable, and as a result the exact origin has been lost. At some point, it came into the hands of the university lab. They turned it over to us when they realized that they couldn’t identify the energy signature. The crystal is useless in contemporary technology, but we believe that if we can explain how it works it may be revolutionary in the long-term. Imagine, Leir, the possibilities if there turned out to be additional types of energy crystals out there that behave differently.”

“I’m listening,” Leir said, raising an eyebrow. “What do you need me for?”

Marielle continued, “The truth is, sadly, that we don’t have the resources to get a full reading of the energy signature ourselves. Our tools aren’t sensitive enough. We also don’t have chips that can handle the sheer range of frequencies that the crystal gives off. Your instruments and programmable matter simply outperform ours in every way.”

Leaning forward, Leir said, “Consider my curiosity piqued. I am perfectly willing to look at the crystal myself and share the findings freely between us, on the condition that I can use my findings however I see fit. I believe that there’s a lot to be gained from this.”

A bit of light faded from Marielle’s eyes and she said, “Ah, yes. I guess some things about you never change, Leir. You’d be free to use your findings as you see fit, as long as you promise to disclose everything you find to us. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to profit off of the research before we get a chance to go public.”

“Wonderful. It was nice speaking to you, Marielle. Send me the crystal as soon as you’re able to. I have to go now, though; very busy day ahead of me.”

“Of course, mon ami.”

Leir ended the call and stood up to stretch. He wandered over to the stocked bar in his office and started pulling down a few bottles. Though he didn’t have a taste for cocktails, Leir enjoyed himself a little bit of whiskey from time to time when he was feeling good about himself.

He was better off without friends, something that Leir had told himself quite often on his way to the top. It wasn’t that friends were a problem, just that they took up time that Leir didn’t have. No, he was better off successful without friends than the other way around. That being said, Leir would be lying to himself if he said that he didn’t sometimes miss having people he could rely on.