As the ti for the launch party drew near, a low buzz of conversation filled the hall.
“I don’t get it,” one guest murmured to another. “Even if it was founded by a Carrington, it’s just a trading company. Is all this pomp and circumstance really necessary?”
“I was wondering the sa thing. Sure, it’s the first trading company based in Godpath, but technologically and financially, it’s not exactly a high bar to clear.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking of registering one myself.”
“Already beat you to it. The paperwork is in motion.”
“Unless the ga chanics are sohow biased, we don’t have anything to worry about from Arbazon.”
“A bias is impossible. The entire ga is managed by the most advanced AI in existence. Tweaking sothing like that would be a monuntal undertaking. They’d break ten other systems just to rig one.”
“I think you’re all overthinking it,” a woman chid in. “This is just Sebastian Carrington putting on a show for his grandson.”
“I’d have to agree with that.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Who knows.”
…
Just then, the host and distinguished guests began to take the stage.
The first to speak was the Chief Operating Officer of Godpath’s Earth Division.
“…On behalf of Godpath, I welco any and all players to establish companies and build networks within the ga…”
Then, he dropped a bombshell.
“We will be opening a special channel for certain qualifying ‘business partners,’ allowing them to teleport across servers.”
A few of the off-world immigrants scattered through the audience began to whisper among themselves.
“Well, that feature is obviously tailor-made for Arbazon.”
“Exactly. The ga’s only been live for a little over a month. Who else could possibly et the conditions for cross-server travel? It’s just them.”
Others disagreed.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“Man, so people are just a classic case of sour grapes. The opportunity is there for anyone who ets the criteria. You can go for it, too.”
“It’s always the ones who can’t admit they have a skill issue.”
…
The COO on stage continued, “To prevent any disruption to the ga balance, platform construction and trading will be restricted to local servers. For now, we will not be activating a cross-server marketplace. We project this feature will go live after the Server Wars.”
The ntion of the "Server Wars" made everyone sit up a little straighter, a jolt of excitent running through the crowd. But the COO didn’t elaborate, offering no tiline for when the new system might be implented.
After the COO stepped down, a succession of other speakers followed. Ben and Elon took their turns, discussing the company’s developnt and future plans.
Though Ben was a direct descendant of the Carrington family, he rarely attended such large-scale events. He seed nervous on stage, and his speech was a total train wreck. It was obvious he’d completely forgotten the script he was supposed to morize.
Elon, on the other hand, was sharp and articulate. His breakdown of their next steps and strategic layout on Thaloria, in particular, caught the attention of the audience, who recognized its clear business potential. After he left the stage, several industry heavy hitters imdiately approached him for a chat.
Kael noticed that House Myrden from the planet Thaloria had also sent a representative—a young woman with short-cropped hair.
But Kael couldn’t care less about any of it.
The only person he was looking for was Lila.
The whole point of this spectacle, the reason he’d suggested it in the first place, was to put Lila under the Carrington family's protection.
But there was no sign of her.
Just as he was starting to wonder, a sudden uproar swept through the venue. The entire room erupted in thunderous applause, and everyone surged to their feet.
Kael quickly looked toward the stage.
A man with a shock of white hair was walking into the spotlight. Though he was over a hundred years old, he moved with a surprising agility.
Thea and Lila flanked him. Thea reached out to offer a steadying arm, but he waved her off.
The old man reached the center of the stage, his gaze sweeping over the sea of adoring faces looking up at him. He gave a slight nod. The titans of industry and political powerhouses whose eyes he t felt their hearts pound like excited children receiving an award.
Sebastian Carrington raised a hand, signaling for silence. “Welco, everyone. If you’ll indulge , I’d like to say a few words.”
Instantaneously, the room fell silent. Everyone held their breath, their attention fixed on the stage. Thea had an aide bring a chair out for her grandfather.
As he sat, a hush of anticipation fell over the crowd. No one knew what the living legend was about to say.
“Over twenty years ago, there was a researcher in my lab. She was, without a doubt, the most talented young person I had ever t…” Sebastian began, his voice calm and asured.
“Many of you will know that two decades ago, I founded the Human Biology Laboratory to pioneer research into human biology.”
Heads nodded throughout the audience. The story was a part of world history, written into textbooks that generations had grown up reading.
“When the lab first started, we were fumbling in the dark. We had no direction, no progress. Until our third year, when a genius researcher joined our team…”
Sebastian paused, his eyes drifting for a mont to Lila, who stood beside him.
“That researcher,” he continued, “was the mother of the young woman standing next to . Dr. Becky.”
Many in the crowd turned their gazes to Lila. The older attendees rembered the history, but they were confused. Becky had only stayed at the Biology Lab for a few years before leaving. What did that have to do with today?
“Dr. Becky’s arrival brought a wave of new ideas to the lab. She and many other researchers collaborated, pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible.”
“Eventually, a critical schism erged within the lab: should we focus our research on the brain, or on the body?”
“Whichever path we chose would require a massive infusion of capital.”
“Our resources were stretched so thin that supporting both lines of research simultaneously was impossible.”
“The final decision fell to . After careful consideration, I chose to fund the research into the brain.”
“And as you all know,” he said, a note of pride in his voice, “we were successful. Our work led to the creation of the Brain Chip.”
The crowd looked at him with renewed awe, seeing him as a true visionary who had bet on the right horse. The entire world now benefited from his decision.
“Dr. Becky, however, had chosen to study the body. After I made my ruling, she left our laboratory to continue her research alone.”
Lila chid in at his side. “I know this part. She went on to develop the Human Mobility Rigs.”
Many in the audience had used the device or knew soone who had. It was a life-changing product for the disabled, allowing them to move with nearly the sa freedom as anyone else.
Sebastian slowly shook his head. “That’s not entirely accurate. The mobility rigs… they were a minor byproduct of her work. Nothing more.”
A stunned silence fell.
That revolutionary product, a godsend for millions, was just a byproduct?
What on earth had Becky been researching?
Sebastian Carrington gave them an answer that sent a shockwave through the room.
“What she was truly researching,” he said, his voice ringing with clarity, “was the creation of artificial superhumans.”
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