While Orion Enterprises continued to trend daily, Sam was busy with the AGI, oblivious to the cacophony outside his workspace.
Suddenly, his phone chimed, breaking the silence.
Eva's voice echoed, "Sam, you need to see this."
"What is it, Eva?" Sam questioned, without glancing up from his work.
Eva responded with an urgency he rarely heard in her voice, "You're not going to believe it. The Atlantic Union... they've publicly thanked us."
At that, Sam's attention was immediately captured.
"What did you say?" he asked, incredulous.
"Here," Eva handed him her phone, displaying the trending chirp from @TechnologyRelationsAU.
It read, "Thank you, Orion Enterprises! For your service to the Atlantic Union. "
The room fell silent as Sam processed the chirp.
A government entity was openly backing his company amidst this crisis.
"Did they...just support us? Publicly?" Sam asked, disbelief evident in his tone.
"It seems so," Eva nodded, her voice filled with relief and surprise. "This... this changes everything, Sam."
Sam exhaled slowly, feeling the weight lifting from his shoulders.
He knew this chirp would alter the entire dynamic of their ongoing battle. He also knew that it would send shockwaves across the tech industry.
"Looks like the storm is finally turning in our favor," he said, looking at the chirp once more before returning to work.
The virtual world was sent into a frenzy as the unexpected chirp from the Atlantic Union's handle @TechnologyRelationsAU went viral.
The Chirp platform was inundated with a tsunami of responses.
@TechWizard101: Wait, did the government just back up #OrionEnterprises? Is this for real? #AtlanticUnion
@SiliconValleyDame: First, they survive the storm, now a shout-out from Atlantic Union. Orion Enterprises is on fire! #OrionRises
@TransTechCEO: Seriously! Government backing for a startup? What's going on #AtlanticUnion?
@NovaTechIntern: Well, this is awkward... #OrionVsNovaTech
@FutureTechGuru: #OrionEnterprises making major moves! Who'd have thought they'd bag #AtlanticUnion as their ally? #TechWorldShakeup
@CodeQueen: Atlantic Union publicly backing #OrionEnterprises? This is the plot twist no one saw coming. #PopcornTime
@VentureVulture: First rule of startup success - Get the government on your side. Well played, #OrionEnterprises. #AtlanticUnion
@ChirpChatter: #AtlanticUnion stands with #OrionEnterprises. Where do your loyalties lie, Chirpers? #LoyaltyTest
@TechMemeMaker: Government's got Orion's back? Time to bring out the 'Haters will say it's fake' meme. #OrionEnterprises #AtlanticUnion
@DigitalDetective: With #AtlanticUnion's endorsement, #OrionEnterprises just flipped the script! NovaTech, you've got some catching up to do. #TechWars
@EmergingTechEagle: Bet NovaTech didn't see this one coming. The giant underestimates the startup and ends up trailing. Classic tale. #OrionEnterprises #NovaTechShook
@ChirpSquawkBox: If #OrionEnterprises keeps this up, they are not just surviving the storm, they are becoming the storm! #TechStorm #AtlanticUnion
-
Meanwhile, the news had reached NovaTech HQ, and the office was abuzz with discussions.
"Did you see the chirp?" a junior executive, Derek, asked his boss, standing near the water cooler.
His boss, a stern-faced woman named Marianne, frowned, "Yes, I've seen it. It's unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Derek chuckled nervously, "It's more like a nightmare for us."
Marianne glared at him, silencing his laughter, "Get back to work, Derek. We need to figure out our next move."
A similar state of panic ensued across town in the offices of other translation services.
The government's public endorsement of Orion Enterprises had sowed seeds of uncertainty, leading many to question their future in the industry.
The Chirp storm raged on, a whirlwind of emojis, hashtags, and speculations swirling around Orion Enterprises. The government's public support had become a game-changer in the tech industry's landscape.
-
Sam's phone vibrated, pulling his attention away from the whirlwind of chatter on Chirp.
Seeing Michael Durant's name on the caller ID, a small smile formed on his lips.
"Hello, Michael," Sam greeted, his voice conveying satisfaction.
"Sam," Durant's voice echoed through the phone, carrying its usual warm timbre. "I hope you've seen our chirp."
"I have, thank you," Sam responded, leaning back in his chair. His gaze was still glued to the screen, watching the supportive Chirps roll in. "You've stirred quite a storm."
"That was the plan, wasn't it?" Durant's chuckle was filled with camaraderie. "We're glad to be part of your journey, Sam. And we truly believe in what Orion Enterprises can do."
"Thank you, Michael," Sam said, his voice sincere. "Your support means a lot, especially during these times. I'm sure this will bring a new dawn for Orion Enterprises."
"Indeed," Durant affirmed. "And remember, Sam, you're not alone in this battle. You have the Atlantic Union on your side."
With that, they exchanged a few more words before ending the call.
Sam sat in silence, mulling over Durant's words.
The support of the Atlantic Union was a massive advantage, and he intended to use it to its fullest.
Orion Enterprises was not going down without a fight.
-
As the dust settled, Sam found himself in a room with his employees, reviewing the company's finances.
"Eva," Sam began, looking at his co-worker with a proud smile. "Can you please repeat those figures for me? I think I may have misheard you."
Eva, with a playful roll of her eyes, repeated, "Orion Enterprises, amid the storm and the temporary ban on our app, has managed to pull in earnings close to $500 million."
A murmur of awe passed through the room, "Seems like adversity does bring fortune, eh Sam?"
"Apparently so," Sam agreed, his mind still struggling to comprehend their success.
Sam's phone buzzed, pulling him away from the satisfying conversation.
Picking it up, he saw an email notification from the Play Store.
A curiosity filled the room as Sam scanned the subject line, "Orion Translation App: Reinstatement and Apology."
Eva glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, "What's that, Sam?"
Sam smirked, "An email from the Play Store. They've completed their investigation."
"And?" Eva's interest was piqued.
Without replying, Sam cleared his throat and started reading aloud, "Dear Orion Enterprises, we would like to inform you that our internal investigation regarding removing the Orion Translation App has been concluded. It appears the app was mistakenly flagged due to a misinterpretation of our guidelines by one of our employees."
As he paused, the room filled with expectant silence.
He couldn't help but smile at the palpable suspense, continuing, "The employee in question has been dealt with accordingly. We acknowledge the inconvenience caused and extend our sincere apologies for the mishap. We value the role of innovative companies like Orion Enterprises in our platform. We are pleased to inform you that the Orion Translation App has been reinstated immediately."
He let his words sink in, the room momentarily hushed as his colleagues absorbed the news.
The reinstatement of the app meant not only a restoration of their reputation but also signaled an undeniable victory over their rivals who had hoped to see them fail.
The room erupted into laughter.
Sam couldn't help but join in.
This was a victory for Orion Enterprises and all small innovators battling against the giants.
Eva broke through the laughter, "What about NovaTech? What's their game now?"
Sam shrugged, his smile never wavering, "I guess they'll just have to watch us succeed."
-
Sam's AGI source code was finally finished - a big step forward in his journey.
But his current computer didn't have the muscle to handle the next stage - compiling the code.
It was clear that he needed an upgrade.
With a clear understanding of what he needed, Sam started checking out different computer parts online.
He carefully chose each part - top-of-the-line processors and super-fast memory modules.
He was building a beast of a machine that could handle the heavy lifting his AGI needed.
The next day, Sam put together his new high-powered PC.
He gave a satisfied sigh as he patted the sleek case. Now, he was ready to start the AGI learning process.
"Let's get this show on the road," Sam told himself as he started compiling the AGI source code on his new machine.
The screen blinked, then showed: [Time Remaining: 2 Days 14 Hours. . .]
"Just a bit over two days," he said, looking at the countdown.
During this time, the AGI would connect to the internet and start learning all by itself.
Sam leaned back in his chair, looking around the room.
He felt satisfied but knew there was still a potential risk.
He had put some rules into the AGI to ensure it wouldn't go off-track or cause any harm. These were the AGI's moral and ethical guidelines that it couldn't break.
Sitting alone in his apartment, the soft hum of his new PC and the glow of the screen keeping him company, Sam took a moment to celebrate his success so far. But there was still a long road ahead. As he waited for the AGI to complete its learning, he knew the world was in for a big surprise.