Chapter 49
NOVA play: Concrete Jungle by Bad Omens
We met with Luke in his office. His space was just as cold and unwelcoming as Seb’s.
However, whereas Seb’s office was all browns and mahogany, Luke liked to keep things darker.
Everything in here was a shade of black or charcoal, accented with ostentatious displays of his wealth.
There were contemporary art sculptures and paintings everywhere you looked, and his desk was made of black marble.
Luke was behind his desk, conversing with a man whom I assumed was Dr. Grey. Dr Grey was dressed in a nondescript black suit. It wasn’t flashy. Nothing about him stood out, and if I’d seen him in a crowd, I would have immediately forgotten about him.
He looked to be middle-aged, with hair that was turning silver at the sides. He was formal and confident in his demeanor, and his eyes held no warmth as he stood to greet us.
“Dr. Grey. This is my son, Sebastian, and my godson, Jay Reynolds. Son of the late Steven Reynolds.”
“Pleasure to meet you both,” Dr. Grey said, extending a hand to shake with us.
Sebastian had slipped into the professional mask he hid behind at work and gave the man a warm smile.
“Pleasure is ours, Doctor. We’re excited and honored to have you.”
I shook the man’s hand next and did my best to ignore the cool once-over he gave me.
“Doctor,” I said curtly, squeezing his warm, dry hand a little harder than necessary.
The man cocked his head, giving me a calculating look before smiling.
“Mr. Reynolds. Your work precedes you. We’re very interested in the memory manipulation research you’re conducting.”
I nodded, pulling my hand away from his and resisting the urge to wipe his touch away on my pants.
“Yes, Sebastian was just filling me in.”
“Let’s sit down,” Luke said, gesturing to a more conversational sitting area in the center of his office.
“Can I get you something to drink, Doctor?”
“No, thank you. I’m hoping to keep this meeting short. I’m needed back at HQ.”
“Of course.”
We all settled into the seating area. I chose a chair facing the door, feeling uneasy about this whole thing.
Luke’s lip curled as he watched me sprawl out, clearly unimpressed with my cavalier attitude. What he didn’t understand was that my relaxed demeanor was also a mask. People like Luke and this doctor tended to underestimate people like me.
But I was anything but calm. My mind was whizzing, and I missed nothing.
The doctor helped himself to a seat next to Sebastian on the uncomfortable-looking loveseat, and I catalogued the way he held himself straight, but open.
He did not cross his legs or arms. He was attempting to appear unassuming and non-threatening, but there was a tightness to his shoulders that told me this was intentional and practiced.
He was trying to make us all feel at ease in his presence.
Fat chance.
“Mr. Reynolds.”
“Jay, please,” I replied politely, and the man’s lip twitched.
“Jay, then. Luke tells me you’re working on a prototype that will allow the user to manipulate memories. Could you tell me a little bit more about that?”
I didn’t miss the fact that he didn’t ask me to forgo his title.
It was a power play. A slow, subtle flex of muscle, showing me who he thought was in charge of this conversation.
I sat very still, making sure my face didn’t give anything away.
“We’re in the very early stages of testing. It’s not clear yet whether or not this type of technology is even possible. Right now it’s more of a… hypothesis.”
Luke glowered at me, but I diligently ignored him, holding the doctor’s gaze without flinching.
“Ah, yes. Well, just a few years ago, memory extraction was just a hypothesis, but you managed to make it a reality. I’m confident you will find success here as well. It doesn’t seem too far of a leap.”
Reminding myself that this man had two PhDs—one of which was in Neurotech—I gave him an easy smile.
“Thank you for your vote of confidence. Still, manipulation would require a level of nuance not necessary for a simple extraction. We’re a long way away from producing a viable prototype.”
“Jay is always so modest,” Luke interrupted, his tone deceivingly light and teasing. “Just the other day, he informed me that he and one of our new MTRs have made significant advancements. They’re ready to begin testing.”
I forced myself to keep smiling.
“Testing signal output and thought acquisition, yes. We haven’t even begun to work through the process of actual manipulation.”
“Fair enough. I’m prepared to fund this project in an effort to accelerate development. I’m sure with enough funding, you will be able to prioritize research,” the doctor said, still watching me with that eerily calm smile on his face.
“Money always helps, yes. But it’s not the end all be all. As I said, I don’t have enough at this stage to promise success. I would hate for you to invest and be disappointed.”
“He won’t disappoint you,” Luke snapped, his calm demeanor shattering.
Still, the doctor only looked at me, his smile widening.
“No. I don’t believe he will. A man with Jay’s track record seems destined for success.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll work with Sebastian to clear Jay’s plate so he can focus on developing the manipulator.
Dr. Grey, I’ll follow up with you on this since I know you’re on a timeline.
I’ll have my administrative assistant send through the required funding contracts.
” Luke was clearly doing everything he could to lock down this deal before I ruined it for him.
I cut him a cold look before glancing back at the doctor. Unable to help myself, I cut in.
“I am curious, Dr. Grey, what plans does DARPA have for this technology? Neurovance is already facing a healthy dose of criticism from the public. You understand my concerns around sharing this technology with the military. Is there anything you can do to assure me that my work will be used ethically?”
Seb literally sucked in a breath, and Luke was glaring at me so hard I was shocked the paint didn’t start peeling off the walls.
“Of course, Mr. Reynolds,” he said, falling back on formalities.
Another mask.
“We plan to use this technology to ease the burdens of war that often plague our soldiers. A soldier’s mind is akin to a battlefield, after all. We’re simply looking for ways to… remove the debris.”
My eyes narrowed. “With their consent, I would hope? Manipulating a person’s mind without their knowledge wouldn’t just be unethical, Dr. Grey. Some might go as far as to call it evil.”
The doctor’s eyes glinted in amusement, and he got to his feet. He straightened his jacket and looked me square in the eyes as he said, “The concept of ‘evil’ is a construct, Mr. Reynolds. I don’t believe there’s any such thing. Only unexplored consequences.”