Over the past week, an uncharacteristic calm settled over both the realms of Wesley's company and the global stage, where previously heightened tensions between nations had simmered down to their usual state of wary coexistence. This period of peace afforded Wesley the opportunity to delve deeper into the intricacies of his virtual research city, a testament to his visionary integration of technology and imagination. Here, amidst the digital constructs of innovation and exploration, he dedicated himself to mastering the nuanced powers of the Wisp of Conversion, a skill that held the promise of boundless creative and scientific potential.
Simultaneously, Wesley remained vigilant, having Orion update him on the developments within the Alastair family. Notably, Sophia's plans came to light as she strategically engaged with the family's board members, her ambitions to wrest control becoming increasingly apparent to Wesley. This intrigue within the Alastair dynasty provided a stark contrast to Wesley's own endeavors, rooted in discovery and advancement rather than power plays and dominance.
Amidst these pursuits, Wesley found solace and grounding in the company of his parents. Catching up with his parents offered a respite from the whirlwind of his professional and secretive life, reminding him of the simple joys and unwavering support that had always been his anchor. These moments of familial warmth were interspersed with gatherings with Kohen, Keaton and Ashlin, his trusted friends and confidants. Their conversations, ranging from the mundane to the profound, provided Wesley with a sense of normalcy and connection, a welcomed break from the overwhelming sense of power that now danced between his fingertips.
Currently, Wesley was sitting at his desk in his apartment looking at his investments that Orion has been handling and thinking of moving to an actual secure home now that he was rich but also because Liam, his head security has persisted multiple times stating that offering protection to him and his relatives would be alot easier if they were in a more secure location.
[Orion] "Sir, Kohen is calling you"
"Go ahead and answer" Wesley replied.
"Wes, we have a problem…" Kohen said right away, having a hint of frustration in his voice.
"What's up?" Wesley asked not knowing what to expect.
"I just received a call from the DoS and they are filing legal action against are company for privacy concerns of the users. They want access to our servers and want to, and I quote 'make sure that we are not breaching american citizens right to privacy.'" Kohen said with a sarcastic tone.
(A/N : DoS stands for Department of Security.)
"Haaa of course, why am I not surprised. They just want an excuse to have user information. I also think there is more to this than just the government wanting our information. Work with my dad and our other lawyers to combat the issue."
"Okay will do, what happens if we are not able to stop them from getting a hold of user information and looking at our servers?" Kohen asked curiously.
"Oh I am not worried about that, I just want to delay everything because it allows us more time. I will say this is very frustrating. Everything is in the "name of freedom" until the people in power 'fear' something… anyways, thanks for calling me. How is having Orion help you with company matters?"
"Gotcha, and seriously, we are a simple company yet this is what happens. And regarding Orion, he is AMAZING! Dude he has helped me in so many areas, I now understand why you were not worried about me being a CEO. Quite frankly I am very underqualified for such a position, but with the help of Orion I have been able to learn very quickly on the job and it's been extremely refreshing. I am surprised you haven't released something like this to the public." Kohen said blatantly with a sense of content in his voice.
"I plan on releasing a version of 'Orion' at some point, but I will name it something else. I don't want to put all my cards on the table just yet. However I will be designing 2 new AI's that will work under Orion who will be working alongside you and the other one will be designated towards another area." Wesley explained and decided that this needs to be a higher priority.
"Oh nice! Okay sounds good, well I got some work to do so I will catch you later."
"Sounds good" Then Wesley hung up the phone and continued to think of what to name the new AI's. One would work for Kohen right now, this way Orion can simply focus on helping me, while the other will observe and work hands on with all the researchers in virtual reality. Speaking of this, I need to change the name of 'Virtual reality'. I need a name for this… how about the Minerva Simulation? Wesley thought. 'Now regarding the names of the new AI's…' Wesley mumbling over what to name them. 'For dealing with our businesses and to currently help Kohen, I will go with Kubera.' Wesley, satisfied with the decision. Kubera is in reference to hindu mythology. Kubera is known to be associated with being the deity of Trade and merchant activities. Thus serving his purpose. Now for the AI that is dealing with research and technological advancements. Thinking of what to name it, Wesley thought of a certain game he loved to play as a kid. 'I am going to name it Vex' Wesley thought to himself as he chuckled thinking about the irony of the name.
Going from there Wesley began to work with Orion on creating the two new AI's that would report to him and serve in their new roles. For right now their overall space taken up within the Quantum Servers would be a lot less compared to the Minerva Simulation, but Wesley decided to give them a decent amount of room, this way they could grow, to help him in his goals. Plus thinking of the future, Wesley thought that he can always grow the servers and power and add more room for the AI's.
Now thinking about how the government just wants to 'control' Wesley and the same with the head of the Alastair family, even though he has someone on the inside to combat this. It was exhausting. 'I am tired of people trying to control me.' Thinking back to the past. All the times whether his loving parents, his teachers, his friends, his professors in college, the government.. Everybody has always said 'you can do anything…. But in this context we want'. Part of Wesley's frustrations out of college did not merely deal with the fact that he couldn't get a job, but the fact that he always had some sort of 'limitation' pushed upon him. Whether from society or reality. Looking down at his hands, I have always dreamed since I was a kid of being like a superhero, or a jedi, or fighting a dragon.. And while some of that may be impossible, I hold such power now, and yet even with this. People are still trying to put limitations on me. Whether because I am ordinary or not. I refuse to play the game any longer.. Thinking this, Wesley decided it was time to up his game.
"Orion, how much cash do we have right now?" Wesley asked with calculating eyes.
[Orion] "Currently sir, you have roughly 500 million dollars in liquid cash, however you have more than double that in the current market."
"Alright thats plenty. How much is an Island?" Wesley asked.
[Orion] "Well sir, that depends on a variety of factors, first location, second size, and third, resources."
"I am not concerned about the resources since the advancements made regarding our atomic 3D printers and nanotechnology in the Minerva simulation. How much for a medium sized island? We can also use the technology regarding the building platforms we can place in the water. That we discussed with the one researcher in the Minerva Simulation."
[Orion] "Calculating all these factors sir, your best bet would be a private island in the Caribbean that is 60,000,000 dollars. It is a medium sized island to host whatever you want, it also currently has an airstrip. This way we do not need a boat to get to and from the island."
"Perfect, contact the CommonWealth of the Bahamas to proceed with the purchase and then we can start our plans there. Away from watchful eyes." Wesley said with a smug grin on his face.
"Orion, do you have access to the defense network still?"
[Orion] "Yes sir, I have been monitoring the government for various activities and constantly avoiding detection."
"Good good, is there any way you can hack into government satellites to block them from seeing what we are up to on the island, when the time comes?"
[Orion] "Yes I can; however, you are already in the public spotlight, so if I keep the imagery on a loop, even with adjusting time stamps, the government will still get suspicious of your reasoning behind having an island. So I do not recommend this as a long term solution."
"Hmmm makes sense, if that is the case, let's not worry about it for now since we are still in the early phases of development. Once I am ready I will give you the go ahead to take control of these satellites to not let any form of government have an eye on us."